A Mt. Vernon man was found guilty on a felony drug charge on Thursday in Jefferson County Court.

According to information received from the office of Jefferson County State’s Attorney Douglas R. Hoffman, Fernandus D. Jones, age 39, was found guilty by a jury of Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance Within 1,000 Feet of a Park, a Class 1 Felony.

The trial began on Tuesday and was presided over by Associate Judge Jerry Crisel. The jury began deliberations at approximately 4:08 PM on Thursday and returned a verdict approximately 5 minutes later.

On September 10, 2014, Jones sold a quantity of heroin near Mt. Vernon Veteran’s Park. The sale was made to a confidential source who was working with the Mt. Vernon Police/Jefferson County Sheriff’s Joint Narcotics Division.

“I am very pleased with the verdict returned in this case and the good work done by our local narcotics unit,” said Hoffman. “The sale and abuse of heroin is literally killing people in our community and all across the country. We will not let up in the fight against this poison.”

Jones, who was represented by Assistant Public Defender Ed Anderson, faces a possible sentence of between 4 and 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. He is not eligible for probation. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 14, 2015, at 1:30 PM. Following the jury verdict, Jones’s bond was revoked. He was in custody at the time of the trial and will remain in jail pending sentencing.

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