A Zion man was sentenced to five years in prison on federal charges that he transported cocaine and a large amount of drug money across state lines, prosecutors said.
Andre Neal, 44, of Zion, was charged in United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana with one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering.
Neal pleaded guilty to the charge. The man’s attorneys asked the court to sentence him to two years in prison.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutors asked the court to sentence Neal to five years in prison.
On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty sentenced Neal to five years in prison.
Neal, who has two prior felony convictions, will be on two years of supervised release upon completing his prison sentence in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
According to charging documents, Neal transported a large amount of cocaine and drug money from Ohio to Indiana in July 2020.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Domestic Highway Enforcement Group and the Hobart Police Department.
Investigators seized $111,00 in cash, which they said was from drug distribution activities, when they arrested Neal in Porter County, Indiana.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.