EAST. ST. LOUIS — A 40-year-old Centralia man has been sentenced to 7 years in federal prison, after he previously pleaded guilty to three meth-related charges.

Brian Lee Fear pleaded guilty in May to Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of Equipment Chemicals, Products and Materials with Intent to Manufacture Methamphetamine, and Possession of Pseudoephedrine with the Intent to Manufacture Methamphetamine. In addition to the prison time, Fear will have to complete four years supervised release, a $500 fine and a $300 special assessment.

Court documents indicated from approximately December 2012 to February 21st, 2014 in Marion, Clinton, and Jefferson Counties, Fear and others worked together to manufacture methamphetamine to support their drug habits and to make extra cash. Prosecutors say Fear produced meth using the ‘one-pot’ or ‘shake and bake’ method, and used as many as 30 people to obtain pills containing pseudoephedrine needed in the production process. He was arrested in January as part of a federal drug sweep through Centralia.

Information leading to Fear’s conviction was obtained in an investigation conducted by the FBI, Marion and County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team and the Centralia Police Department.