UPDATE: SHERIFF RAYMOND MARTIN GUILTY on 15 counts

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Gallatin County Sheriff Raymond Martin was found guilty of all 15 charges in Benton Federal Court Thursday afternoon.

The seven-woman, five-man jury deliberated about three hours and 30 minutes before returning guilty verdicts on each count of the indictment against Martin. The jury determined the sheriff is guilty of two charges of distributing marijuana, three charges of carrying a firearm during a drug crime, three charges of conspiracy, six charges of attempted witness tampering and attempted structure of a financial transaction to avoid reporting requirements.

A sentencing hearing will be set on Monday; the jury will return to hear evidence on whether Martin must forfeit property seized by the U.S. government in the course of the investigation.

Martin showed no emotion as the verdicts were read.

Neither Assistant U.S. Attorney James Cutchin or defense attorney John O'Gara wished to comment after the verdict.

Martin was originally arrested May 18, 2009 after agents of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force collected evidence of Martin's drug-dealing activity through use of a confidential informant, later determined to be Jeremy Potts. The evidence showed Martin built a drug-dealing enterprise in Gallatin County through the use of subordinates, often coerced into working for him. The evidence also showed Martin raided the Gallatin County evidence room for marijuana supplies.

Once his criminal enterprise ran aground after his arrest, Martin tried to have Potts and David Woods killed by hired men to prevent them from testifying. That idea also ran aground, around Jan. 1, when both men eventually told police about Martin approaching them to carry out contract killings while incarcerated in the Jackson County jail.