Chillicothe Man Sentenced to 20 years in Prison for Methamphetamine Conspiracy

Peoria, Ill. – A Chillicothe, Ill., man, Jayson McNulty, 44, of the 300 block of South Ridgewood has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  

At McNulty’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Joe Billy McDade found that McNulty had trafficked over 4.5 kilograms of ice methamphetamine from approximately April 2018 through his arrest in December 2019.  Court documents reveal that McNulty was receiving large amounts of methamphetamine through the U.S. Postal Service. One of the packages sent to McNulty was intercepted by law enforcement and contained approximately 1 pound of ice methamphetamine. The ice methamphetamine mailed to McNulty was determined to have at least 96% purity levels.

During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Joe Billy McDade noted that McNulty was one of the biggest meth dealers in the area. Judge McDade also noted McNulty had a troubled childhood and a lengthy criminal history. Court records reveal McNulty had previously been convicted in 2006 of possession of anhydrous ammonia with the intent to manufacture in Logan County, Ill. and was sentenced to impact incarceration through Illinois Department of Corrections.

McNulty pleaded guilty on April 7, 2021, and he has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest in December 2019.  

“This sentence serves as an excellent example of collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement to jointly combat the heightened threat of high-purity methamphetamine in our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey. “Sentences like this serve as a reminder to all drug dealers that we remain dedicated to disrupting illegal drug trafficking, committed using the mail or otherwise, and that the price to pay is simply not worth it.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case with assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Pekin Police Department, Peoria Multi-County Enforcement Group (P-MEG), and Chillicothe Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Darilynn J. Knauss and Katherine G. Legge represented the government in the prosecution.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF)’s National Methamphetamine Strategic Initiative, spearheaded locally out of the Pekin Police Department. The primary goal of this initiative is to address methamphetamine trafficking and its attendant consequences by using a coordinated, multi-agency approach targeting the highest levels of drug trafficking leadership.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.