Crystal Lake man serving prison term pleads in another drug case, gets another 7 years

A Crystal Lake man currently serving a five year sentence on a methamphetamine-related conviction, pleaded guilty Tuesday in a separate case involving cocaine possession and was sentenced to an additional seven years, according to official records.

Philip Dawson, 37, pleaded guilty to the manufacturing and delivery of one to 15 grams of cocaine, a Class 1 felony, a judgment order filed in McHenry County court said.

Dawson remained in custody of the county jail since last year after pleading guilty and being resentenced on a conviction of possession of less than 5 grams of methamphetamine. In that case, he was initially sentenced in 2021 to 30 months of specialty drug court probation. However, because he violated his probation terms, he was resentenced to prison on July 21, 2023, court records and news coverage at the time show.

He is required to serve half of each prison term. He will receive credit for 645 days spent in jail, time on electronic monitoring and time spent working, volunteering or participating in a self-improvement program, according to the judgment order and his attorney Jed Stone. Stone said he thinks with the credits, Dawson may be close to fulfilling the five-year term to which he was sentenced last year. When released from prison, Dawson will serve 12 months on mandatory supervised release, the order signed by Judge Mark Gerhardt said.

When being resentenced last year, Dawson told the now-retired Judge James Cowlin he knew he had a substance abuse problem and wanted to change.

“I know I made a lot of mistakes in my life,” Dawson said last year adding that he was not proud of them. “I know this drug court was a chance of a lifetime and I did get a lot out of the program. I am an addict. I have some problems, I admit.”

Stone said Tuesday he hopes Dawson “will commit himself to sobriety. ... He has a struggle ahead of him but he’s very bright, he’s very capable and he comes from a family that loves him. I wish him well in his recovery.”