Ridgway man pleads guilty to pot growing charges | Crime

A 36-year-old Ridgway man pled guilty today in United States District Court in Benton to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiring with two other individuals to grow more than 100 marijuana plants and one count of actually growing more than 100 marijuana plants.

The indictment against Paul E. Reynolds returned by a Federal Grand Jury on September 5, alleged that the offenses occurred in Gallatin County last spring and summer.

Sentencing was set for April 25 at the United States District Court in Benton. Reynolds faces between 5 and 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5 million fine, and 4 years to life on supervised release to follow incarceration on each count.

Reynolds’ codefendant, Daniel J. Fulkerson, 39, also from Ridgeway, pled guilty to the same charges last month. His sentencing was set for April 11.

Reynolds has been held without bond on the federal charges since September 11  and was again remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal to await sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.