An Urbana, Illinois, man, Curtis Coleman, 38, of the 1800 block of Oliver Drive, pleaded guilty on January 14, 2022, to possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. in the Urbana federal courthouse.
In court before Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, Coleman admitted that he had been distributing drugs out of an apartment in the 1800 block of Oliver Drive in Urbana and that he had possessed multiple firearms. During the hearing, the government stated that during the execution of a search warrant at the apartment, officers with the Champaign County Street Crimes Task Force recovered just under 200 grams of cocaine, as well as marijuana and crack cocaine. Coleman also had two firearms, an extended magazine for one of the guns, and ammunition in various calibers near the drugs. Coleman was on parole for a separate felony offense at the time.
Coleman remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending sentencing.
Coleman was charged via indictment in July 2017 with possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment including those same charges in November 2019.
Coleman faces up to 20 years of imprisonment on the drug trafficking charge and at least 10 years of imprisonment on the firearms charge. However, if he is determined to be an Armed Career Criminal, he will face a mandatory minimum of 15 years' imprisonment and up to life imprisonment on the firearms charge.
The Urbana Police Department, Champaign Police Department, and Champaign County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The Champaign County State’s Attorney Office also worked in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing these charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Freres represents the government in the prosecution.
