MARION COUNTY — A 24-year-old Centralia man was sentenced today in Marion County Court to 3 ½ years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, after he pleaded guilty to the lesser of two felony charges against him.

Blake Shahan was arrested along with three others over the Fourth of July weekend, after an ongoing investigation by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office into meth-related activity in the county.

Shahan was initially charged with Class 2 felony possession of less than 15 grams of meth precursors and Class 3 felony possession of a firearm by a felon. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge and was sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison with credit for time served since his July arrest.