DeKalb man sentenced to 10 years for felony drug possession, dealing

SYCAMORE – A DeKalb man was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison for in exchange for a guilty plea for dealing drugs, according to DeKalb County court records.

Sherman A. Lee, 37, of 800 block of Charles Street, pleaded guilty June 15 in front of DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick in DeKalb County court. Buick sentenced Lee to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a Class X felony.

Lee must serve at least 50% of his sentence, according to Illinois law, but will get credit for the time he has served already.

DeKalb County Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Schwertley prosecuted the case, according to a news release from the state’s attorney’s office.

In a news release, DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato thanked Schwertley and DeKalb County sheriff’s deputies for their investigative work.

“Mr. Lee gets to take a break from his drug dealing for a few years, which is good news for the residents of DeKalb,” Amato said in a news release.

Lee’s charges stem from an incident Aug. 16, 2018, when a DeKalb County sheriff’s deputy pulled Lee’s car over for traffic stop, according to the release. While speaking with Lee, the deputy reportedly smelled burnt marijuana coming from the car and saw some of it on Lee’s shirt.

Using a police dog trained to smell narcotics, the deputy searched Lee’s car and person, according to the release. Prosecutors said the search uncover between 15 and 100 grams of cocaine, about nine grams of marijuana and $683 in small bills.

According to the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office, Lee told police the cocaine belonged to him and that he sells it.