CENTRALIA, IL — A 53-year-old Centralia man was sentenced Monday in federal court to five years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premise within 1,000 feet of a school. John Fodero admitted to maintaining a place of residence located in the 600 block of East 7th from June 2020 to February 2021 where he would distribute and use fentanyl as well as a mixture of substances containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, all within 1,000 feet of Centralia Junior High School.

According to Centralia Police Chief Greg Dodson, at the time a search warrant was executed, Fodero’s residence was as part of an ongoing drug investigation after the home was identified as a hub for drug activity and a congregating point for drug users who used the residence as a flophouse to consume drugs. Police had responded to the address for over 12 opioid overdose calls and 94 calls for police service since January 2020. 14 people not related to each other were identified as living in the single-family residence as well as in a storage shed and detached garage. Five of those at the home were arrested during the execution of the February 2021 search warrant. In addition, police say they located 30 capsules of suspected Fentanyl and a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. The Judge recommended Fodero be assigned to participate in a residential drug abuse program. He was also fined $5,000.

In addition to the five-year prison sentence, Fodero was also ordered to serve six years of supervised release, is prohibited from possessing or using any controlled substance and will be subject to drug testing.