SPRINGFIELD, IL – Matthew Morlee, 46, of Springfield, Illinois, is headed to federal prison for over five years after admitting to cooking meth and packing heat while doing it. Senior U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough handed down a sentence of 60 months and one day on September 5, 2023, bringing an end to a case that stretched back to 2018.
Morlee initially faced indictment in September 2018, but dragged his feet, finally pleading guilty in May 2023. The delay wasn’t enough to keep him out of jail; his bond was revoked, and he’s been cooling his heels in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service ever since. The feds weren’t playing around, and neither was the judge.
The charges against Morlee were serious. Manufacturing a substance containing methamphetamine carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years behind bars, a $1,000,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release. Adding a firearm into the mix—using it during and in furtherance of the drug crime—bumps the potential sentence up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and another five years of supervision. While Morlee avoided the maximum, Judge Myerscough wasn’t inclined to show leniency.
The bust was a joint operation, part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. The team included agents and officers from the FBI Springfield Field Office, Illinois State Police, Springfield Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Chatham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir successfully prosecuted the case, bringing Morlee to justice.
Federal officials are framing Morlee’s conviction as a win for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by fostering collaboration between law enforcement and the communities they serve. The Department of Justice launched a strengthened version of PSN in 2021, emphasizing community trust, preventative measures, strategic enforcement, and measurable results. This case, they claim, is a direct result of those efforts.
Whether this sentence will truly make Springfield’s neighborhoods safer remains to be seen. But for Matthew Morlee, the game is over. He’ll have plenty of time to reflect on his choices while serving his sentence. The streets are a little quieter, at least for now, thanks to the combined efforts of multiple agencies determined to crack down on drug trafficking and gun violence.
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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