Urbana, Ill. - Chief U.S. District Judge Michael P. McCuskey sentenced an Iroquois county Illinois man to more than 21 years in federal prison yesterday, February 13, 2008. Robert Michael Quinlan, 52, of Milford, Illinois, was ordered to serve 262 months (21 years, 10 months) for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine from March to November 2006, as announced by Rodger A. Heaton, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois.

On September 7, 2007, Quinlan pled guilty to the charge. At sentencing, the court determined that Quinlan acted as a leader or organizer of the conspiracy, which included approximately 13 people and produced more than 100 grams of methamphetamine. Quinlan and others carried out the conspiracy by attempting to evade restrictions on pseudoephedrine purchases by purchasing products at different retail locations, including in different states, at different times. Others were also recruited to purchase pseudoephedrine products for money or meth in exchange for their assistance.

Records of various stores in Illinois, including in Watseka, as well as stores in Indiana and Wisconsin, established that from February 21, 2006 to April 9, 2006, Quinlan purchased at least 22 boxes containing 440 120-milligram pills of pseudoephedrine for a total of 52.8 grams of pseudoephedrine. Quinlan and others also traveled to various anhydrous ammonia tank farms in Iroquois county and elsewhere. At least 20 times from March to July 2006, Quinlan and a co-conspirator traveled to various rural locations in Iroquois county including Sugar Creek Bridge and Miller’s Bridge to manufacture methamphetamine.

The charges resulted from an investigation by the Illinois State Police Zone 3 Methamphetamine Response Team; the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Iroquois County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller.

Quinlan has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on April 11, 2007.