TAYLORVILLE MAN SENTENCED FOR CONTEMPT CHARGES

A Taylorville man who refused to testify before a federal grand jury and at
subsequent criminal trials has been sentenced to more than six years in
prison on contempt charges.

Shawn W. Jones, 31, pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal contempt for
refusing to testify before the grand jury in 1999 and in the criminal
trials of Robert Scott, 45, of Taylorville, who was convicted of conspiracy
to distribute cocaine and marijuana and is serving a 27-year sentence.

Jones was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and
marijuana following a jury trial in 1995. He later agreed to cooperate with
the government and testified before a grand jury investigating Scott's
activities in December 1995. Based on his cooperation, Jones was given a
reduced sentence of 12 years in prison.

Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Mills ordered Jones' 76-month contempt
sentence to run consecutive to his 12-year drug sentence.

In 1999, Jones was called for a second time by the government to testify
before the grand jury and later in Scott's trial involving the same drug
conspiracy. Jones refused to comply with court orders and was found in
civil contempt on each occasion. He was later charged with criminal contempt.

Scott's first trial on the conspiracy charge ended in a mistrial when the
jury could not reach a unanimous verdict.

During Scott's second trial in April, the government presented evidence
that Scott had communicated with Jones while both were in the Sangamon
County Jail in 1999 prior to Scott's first trial. Testimony indicated that
Scott made threats about Jones testifying and said he would make sure Jones
didn't testify.

Because the court found that Scott caused Jones' unavailability,
prosecutors were able to present Jones' 1995 grand jury testimony as
evidence in Scott's second trial, said assistant U.S. attorney Timothy
Bass, who prosecuted both cases.

The investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police Central
Illinois Enforcement Group.