SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — A Springfield man with a lengthy criminal history has been arrested again, this time on firearm and drug charges following a search warrant early Wednesday morning.
According to the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, 35-year-old Deandre L. Austin, of the 200 block of Saxon Drive, was taken into custody after a months-long narcotics investigation.
The investigation began in July 2024 when the Sheriff’s DIRT team, working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), discovered Austin was allegedly selling powder cocaine throughout the Springfield area.
At around 5 a.m. Wednesday, the Sangamon County Tactical Response Unit executed a search warrant at Austin’s residence. Officers recovered two 9mm semi-automatic pistols, one equipped with an extended magazine, inside the home.
Austin was arrested and charged with one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Street Gang Member and three counts of Manufacture/Delivery of Cocaine. He was booked into the Sangamon County Jail.
Authorities noted that Austin has 21 prior arrests, including seven narcotics-related offenses and nine weapons charges, and is a suspected member of a local street gang.
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office said the case remains under investigation.
