A Mt. Morris man was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday, Feb. 19, for possessing cocaine in May 2024.

Darren Barker, 55, pleaded guilty to the Class 1 felony and was sentenced by Ogle County Judge John “Ben” Roe through a plea agreement.

Barker was charged in May 2024 with possessing and intending to deliver between 15 and 100 grams of cocaine and methamphetamine. He was arrested and charged with that Class X felonies after a police search of his apartment in the 100 block of East Front Street, Mt. Morris. He was also charged with possessing ammunition as a felon.

But those charges were dismissed Thursday after the Ogle County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a new Class 1 felony offense charging Barker with possessing between 15-100 grams of a substance containing cocaine.

The charges were levied after the Mt. Morris Police Department, assisted by the Oregon Police Department, executed a search warrant at Barker’s residence at 9:20 p.m. May 27, 2024, following an investigation that police said lasted several months.

On Thursday, Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Leisten and Barker’s attorney, Glenn Jazwiec, told Roe that a plea agreement had been reached.

Through the agreement, Barker, who has been held in the Ogle County Jail since his arrest, was sentenced to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, with credit for 633 days served.

Leisten said Barker’s criminal history included charges of domestic battery, resisting arrest, and other drug offenses.

Barker must serve 50% of his sentence, which includes 12 months of Mandatory Supervised Release, formerly known as parole, upon his release.

Jazwiec asked Roe to include in the sentencing information that the crime was the result of substance abuse and asked that Barker be placed in a substance abuse program during his time in prison.

Class 1 felonies are punishable by 4-15 years in prison.