Belvidere man sentenced on drug charges

Boone County State’s Attorney Michelle Courier announced on Friday, June 3 that Burnell Townsel, 42, of Belvidere, was sentenced to serve 45 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on the charge of Unlawful Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance and Calculated Criminal Drug Conspiracy.

Townsel was convicted of the charges last month following a jury trial.

On or about Aug. 14, 2014, Townsel was arrested for possessing approximately 90 grams of a substance containing heroin.

While in the Boone County Jail, Townsel conspired with others to possess with the intent to deliver an additional approximately 80 grams of a substance containing heroin.