MT. VERNON (WMIX) – A 28-year-old Mt. Vernon man pleaded guilty Wednesday in Jefferson County Court to felony drug and weapons charges in exchange for other charges being dismissed and a 12-year sentencing cap being set.

Gerrodo Forest was facing charges of Class X felony being an armed habitual offender, and three Class 2 felony counts of possession of narcotics.

According to our archives, Forest was arrested last year when the Mt. Vernon Police Department/Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant at his home.

During an investigation, a confidential source of the narcotics unit reportedly purchased fentanyl on three separate occasions from Forest at that home.

Detectives say they located a loaded handgun in Forest’s pants pocket when they searched him and the serial number had been removed from the weapon.

At the time of this arrest, Forest was on parole from the Illinois Department of Corrections on a previous conviction for Attempted Home Invasion with a Firearm.

He remains in the Department of Corrections serving the remainder of that 13-year sentence.

Forest is scheduled to be sentenced on his latest charges March 7.