JEFFERSON COUNTY — A 32-year-old Mt. Vernon man was sentenced today in Jefferson County Court to 14-years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, after he pleaded guilty to cocaine distribution and weapons possession charges.

Jerrett Spells pleaded guilty to Class X felony manufacture with the intent to distribute between 15 and 100 grams of cocaine, and Class 3 felony possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced to 14 years on the cocaine charge and 4 years on the weapons charge, to be served concurrently.

Spells was arrested in August when the Mt. Vernon Police Department/Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department High Risk Team executed a search warrant at a Mt. Vernon home where Spells was located with quantities of cocaine/crack cocaine, cannabis, digital scales, packaging materials, United States currency and a loaded handgun.

In exchange for his guilty plea in the 2015 case, charges in two 2016 cases were dismissed. In a case from March he was charged with Class 2 felony aggravated domestic battery involving strangling, Class 3 felony aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, and misdemeanor interference with the report of domestic violence and possession of drug paraphernalia.

In an April case he was charged with Class 2 felony aggravated domestic battery. All the charges in those two cases were dismissed per the plea agreement in the older case.