Tower Hill Man Given 15-Year Prison Term for Drugs

Shelby County State’s Attorney Nichole Kroncke announced Wednesday that John W. Stevens, age 68, of Tower Hill was sentenced to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offense of Unlawful Possession with Intent to Deliver between 5 and 15 grams of Methamphetamine with a Prior Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Manufacturing Chemical conviction. The offense is a Class 1 Felony with a sentencing range of 4 to 30 years in prison.

On January 13, 2022, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant on a trailer belonging to Stevens, located at 208 W. Logan Street in Tower Hill. The Central Illinois Enforcement Group Task Force assisted in the execution of the search warrant. Law enforcement located between 5 and 15 grams of methamphetamine, two portable scales commonly used for weighing illegal drugs, numerous used syringes commonly associated with injecting methamphetamine, $5,000 in U.S. currency, and Bluetooth cameras on all sides of the residence that played surveillance on a television located in Stevens’ bedroom.

In 1977, Stevens was convicted of Burglary in Shelby County and served one year in jail. In 1981, Stevens was sentenced to four years in prison for Delivery of a Controlled Substance in Shelby County. In 1994, Stevens served six months in jail for Unlawful Window Peeping in Shelby County. In 2001, Stevens was sentenced in Macon County to six years in prison for Controlled Substance Trafficking and Criminal Drug Conspiracy. In 2015, Stevens was sentenced to 30 months of probation for Possession of a Controlled Substance in Shelby County.

Stevens has remained in custody in the Shelby County Jail since his arrest.

Shelby County State’s Attorney Nichole Kroncke commended the proactive investigatory efforts made by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Central Illinois Enforcement Group Task Force, stating that the investigation “resulted in the prosecution and conviction of a career criminal who intentionally contributed to the devastating social impact of drug abuse upon our community.”