Lincoln, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 156 Months for Distributing Methamphetamine

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A Lincoln, Illinois, man, Curtis Kelly, 35, was sentenced on April 23, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless to 156 months in prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine.

Kelly was indicted in January 2023 and pleaded guilty in August 2023. He has been detained by the United States Marshals Service since December 21, 2022.

At sentencing, the government showed that Kelly conspired with Darryl Verser and Richard Dinger to distribute approximately 13 kilograms of methamphetamine to include specific drug transactions in November and December of 2022. Dinger is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2024. The charges against Verser and another co-defendant, Nicholas Steele remain pending. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The statutory penalties for distributing methamphetamine are up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois State Police, and Peoria Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.

The case against Kelly 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.