(BENTON, IL) — A 38-year-old Mt. Vernon man was sentenced in federal court Thursday to nearly 20 years in prison for firearm and heroin offenses. L.C. Richardson had earlier pleaded guilty to a three-count indictment charging one count of unlawful distribution of heroin and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison, 3 years supervised release, and was fined $900.00. The offenses occurred on January 22, 2016, and January 25, 2016, in Mt. Vernon. Richardson received an enhanced sentence based on his classification as an armed career criminal. At the time of the offenses, Richardson was on supervised release for a 1998 federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. The District Court revoked Richardson’s supervised release on the prior drug case and sentenced him to an additional term of 15 months imprisonment. The District Court ordered that Richardson’s two sentences be served consecutively, for a total term of 250 months imprisonment. The investigation was conducted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Mt. Vernon Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Jefferson County State’s Attorney’s office also assisted in the investigation.