Antioch Township man sentenced on drug charge after guilty plea

An Antioch Township man was sentenced to 3 years of periodic imprisonment in Lake County’s work release program as part of a plea deal on a drug charge, authorities said Thursday.

John Gentile, of the 41000 block of North Circle Drive, may only have to serve six months in the program if he meets the requirements of a concurrent probation sentence, Assistant State’s Attorney Jim Newman said.

Gentile pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, according to the Lake County state’s attorney’s office. He faced up to 15 years in prison before the plea.

Gentile was arrested in November 2011 after deputies searched his home with a warrant and found about 5 grams of cocaine, small plastic bags and a scale with cocaine residue on it, Newman said.

In addition to the periodic jail time, Gentile was sentenced to 37 months of felony probation.