Centralia drug dealer sentenced to 17 years on meth and fentanyl charges

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A district judge sentenced a Centralia man to 204 months of federal imprisonment after he admitted to distributing pound quantities of meth and fentanyl.

Jackie T. Scanlan, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances: meth and fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance: meth.

"This career offender built a life around selling dangerous narcotics and has a criminal history spanning over three decades of drug distribution," said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. "While he continued to make poor decisions following previous stints of incarceration, Scanlan's 17-year federal prison sentence will help to protect the public from any further crimes."

According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Scanlan for distributing meth and fentanyl from a motel room in February 2024. Initially, agents recovered 79 grams of meth, 24 fentanyl capsules and two scales in a traffic stop of Scanlan's vehicle.

"Our success in combating drug trafficking in southern Illinois is a direct result of the collaboration both within the FBI Springfield's Southern Illinois TOC-W Task Force and outside it with our dedicated partners," said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. S. Johnson. "By combining our resources, we're able to effectively seize drugs and firearms, and arrest those who threaten the safety of our neighborhoods."

In March 2024, Scanlan admitted to driving from Centralia to St. Louis to purchase at least a pound of meth and more fentanyl capsules. In a subsequent traffic stop, law enforcement recovered 232 grams of meth and another bag of fentanyl capsules.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, Scanlan qualified as a "career offender" for amassing several previous drug trafficking and other felony convictions. Career offenders are eligible for longer terms of federal imprisonment.

Following imprisonment, Scanlan will serve four years of supervised release.

The FBI Springfield Field Office TOC-West Task Force led the investigation with support from the Centralia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Reppert prosecuted the case.