EAST ST. LOUIS — A Southern Illinois jury convicted Demarkee D. Jimerson, 45, of drug distribution and gun charges stemming from a July 2021 search of his Cahokia Heights home, federal officials announced on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
Jimerson was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Authorities recovered approximately 88 grams of cocaine base, methamphetamine, MDMA, marijuana, nine firearms, and ammunition during the search.
“Armed drug dealers belong in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Demarkee Jimerson was a gun-toting felon pedaling crack cocaine and methamphetamine, and he’s heading to federal prison, where he belongs. I appreciate the work of our attorneys who tried the case and the law enforcement professionals who investigated the case. Their work has made our community safer.”
According to Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis, “Drug traffickers rely on weapons, including firearms, to feel empowered. They inflict fear in communities while pushing poisonous products that destroy lives and hurt families. Demarkee Jimerson now faces several years in prison to reflect on his actions and the pain he has caused so many people around him.”
Jimerson’s prior felony drug distribution convictions prohibited him from legally possessing firearms.
The charges carry potential sentences of up to 20 years for drug possession, 10 years for felon in possession of a firearm, and a mandatory five years for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 27, 2025, at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. The investigation was led by the DEA, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karelia Rajagopal and Tom Leggans prosecuting the case.
