Two Charleston, Mo., men pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in separate charges of distributing cocaine base. Keith J. Browning, 40, and Mario Evans, 24, each pleaded guilty to two felony counts of distribution of five grams or more of cocaine base. On July 1, 2002, and again on July 11, 2002, Browning sold more than five grams of crack to an undercover officer in Charleston. Because of a prior conviction he now faces a minimum sentence of 10 years to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $4 million on each count. On Nov. 5, 2002, and Dec. 2, 2002, Evans sold more than five grams of crack to an undercover officer in Charleston. Evans now faces a punishment of five years to 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine on each count. Both will be sentenced July 27.

Participating in the investigations were the Drug Enforcement Administration, Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Ferrell prosecuted before U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber.