Carbondale man sentenced to 21 years on weapons charges

CARBONDALE, Ill. (KBSI) – A Carbondale man was sentenced to more than two decades behind bars after he was found guilty of armed habitual criminal and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon charges.

Deangelo Gray, 27, was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections after a sentencing hearing held on April 30.

He was found guilty of one count of armed habitual criminal and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon following a three-day jury trial in Jackson County.

Gray had also pleaded guilty to six counts of cocaine delivery in a second case.

He was sentenced on both cases on April 30.

Gray, a previously convicted felon, was arrested on July 16, 2022 after having possessed a firearm while in the emergency room at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale.

On March 21, 2023, Gray was arrested for conspiring with another person to sell cocaine to individuals in Jackson County on five separate occasions, according to Jackson County State’s Attorney Joseph Cervantez.

After a contested sentencing hearing,

Gray was sentenced to a 14 year sentence followed by a seven year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

State’s Attorney Cervantez thanked the work of local law enforcement for their efforts during the investigations and throughout the court proceedings.

The Carbondale Police Department and Southern Illinois Enforcement Group conducted the investigation.

Assistant State’s Attorney Sophia M. Allen led the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s prosecution team.