HARDIN - The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office would like to announce an arrest in relation to multiple offenses which are alleged to have occurred in Hardin, Calhoun County, Illinois, over the course of several months in 2025.
On November 11th, 2025, Cody F Leavell, aged 46, of Hardin, Illinois, was located in Jackson County, Mississippi, and arrested on felony warrants for the following offenses:
- Failure to Register as a Sex Offender,
- Unlawful Residency of a Child Sex Offender,
- Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine (5 – 15 Grams),
- Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine (Less than 5 Grams),
- Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance (Fentanyl),
- Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
This investigation began in February of 2025, when the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office began receiving complaints of Drug Activity and a Violation of the Sex Offender Registry and Drug Activity in the 200 block of N. County Rd., Hardin, Calhoun County, Illinois.
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The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office immediately began surveillance and conducted an extensive investigation which involved the execution of multiple search warrants, which ran concurrent with an ongoing drug investigation, led by Chief Deputy Zach Hardin.
On March 6th 2025, at approximately 7: 15 PM, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence in the 200 block of N. County Rd., Hardin, Calhoun County, Illinois. Suspected narcotics and drug paraphernalia were seized and submitted to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab for analysis.
On July 8th 2025, at approximately 5:45 PM, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at two separate residences in Hardin, Illinois; one residence was located in the 200 block of N County Rd., and the other was located in the 300 block of N Park St.
During July and August, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office continued the investigation and continued to attempt to conduct compliance checks and registration verification at listed addresses in Hardin, Illinois.
On August 25th 2025, subsequent to an extensive investigation, the Calhoun County State’s Attorney’s Office issued multiple felony arrest warrants for Leavell for the aforementioned offenses.
Following the issuance of warrants, Leavell fled Calhoun County, Illinois and law enforcement officials began the efforts of attempting to locate Leavell, and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of Two-River’s Crime Stoppers, who requested community assistance and information on locating Leavell.
Subsequent to the information received from Two-River’s Crime Stoppers, on November 11th 2025, Leavell was located and arrested in Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi.
On November 18th 2025, Deputies from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office travelled to Jackson County, Mississippi and extradited Leavell back to Illinois to await prosecution.
On November 20th 2025, Leavell was transported to the Calhoun County Courthouse and brought before the Honorable Judge Charles HW Burch, who denied Leavell’s Pre-Trial Release. Leavell is currently lodged in the Jersey County Jail pending further court hearings.
The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in this investigation by Two River’s Crime Stoppers, and Law Enforcement Officials from the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, West Central Illinois Drug Task Force, Illinois State Police and Illinois Conservation Police.
We would like to thank everyone who assisted during the investigation, and we would like to personally thank the citizens who provided critical information which led to Leavell’s apprehension.
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
