Peoria Man Sentenced to 200 Months in Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine

PEORIA, Ill. - A Peoria, Illinois, man, Matthew T. Miller, 40, was sentenced on September 24, 2025, to 200 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm, the court considered evidence that between June and September 2024, Miller sold methamphetamine on three occasions, totaling 86.14 grams. During a traffic stop in September 2024, Miller, a passenger in the vehicle, refused to comply when officers ordered him to step out of the car. Officers saw Miller moving around in the car, attempting to destroy a large amount of apparent methamphetamine by dumping it out of the baggies. Miller was taken into custody by law enforcement officers who then located approximately 55.72 grams of methamphetamine (actual) and marijuana in and around the vehicle and on Miller's person. Ultimately, Miller was accountable for 257.22 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, 55.72 grams of methamphetamine (actual), and 20.35 grams of marijuana.

Also at the hearing, Judge Mihm found Miller to be a career offender based upon his previous drug offenses.

Miller was arrested in September 2024 and indicted in October 2024. He entered a guilty plea in January 2025 and has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.

The statutory penalties for distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine (actual) are ten years to life imprisonment, followed by at least five years of supervised release. A fine of up to $10 million can also be imposed.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Springfield Resident Office, and Peoria Metropolitan Enforcement Group (PMEG) investigated the case, with assistance from the Peoria Police Department and Bartonville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.

The case against Miller is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.