Anna woman sentenced on heroin conspiracy charge

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced on Dec. 1 that a Union County woman had been sentenced after previously pleading guilty to a one-count indictment charging her with conspiracy to distribute heroin.

Melanie A. Haas, 24, of Anna, was sentenced Monday, Nov. 29, in United States District Court in Benton.

Haas was sentenced to 60 months in prison, four years of supervised release and was fined $600.

Wigginton said the violation took place between December 2008 and May 17 of this year in Union and Jackson counties.

Two codefendants previously had pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

One codefendant has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting a Jan. 24, 2011, jury trial.

The investigation was conducted by the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Murphysboro Police Department.

The investigation was conducted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.

The initiative is a cooperative effort involving local, state and federal law enforcement personnel, and state and federal prosecuting authorities.

The goal of the initiative is to rid communities of illegal drugs and guns.

The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.