Romel Michael Turner, a 31-year-old from Peoria, Illinois, received a federal sentence of 151 months imprisonment on March 25, 2025. This sentence was for two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The sentencing was conducted by U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm. Evidence presented showed that Turner had a prior sentence on October 25, 2023, in Peoria County Circuit Court, where he was given six years for unlawful possession of methamphetamine. Turner was expected to self-surrender on January 5, 2024. However, in December 2023, he distributed methamphetamine on at least three occasions. He pled guilty in August 2024 and has been held in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) since January 2024 for the county charges. His parole for the county case is projected for December 2026.
Judge Mihm ordered that the 151-month federal term be served consecutively to his current IDOC sentence. The legal penalties for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine include a minimum of ten years to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine up to $10 million.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Springfield Resident Office, Peoria Multi-Agency Enforcement Group (P-MEG), and Peoria Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in this case.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice focusing on eliminating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime. The operation consolidates resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).