Peoria man sentenced to over four years for fentanyl distribution

PEORIA (25News Now) - A Peoria man has been sentenced to 54 months in prison for distributing fentanyl.

According to a Department of Justice release, Martin L. McLain, 44, was sentenced for each of three counts of distribution of a mixture containing fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl, to be served concurrently.

He was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after he’s released from prison.

According to the release, court documents show that on three occasions between mid-December 2022 and early January 2023, McLain sold a substance that contained both fentanyl and heroin in the Peoria area.

Later on January 18, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at his Peoria residence and seized 47.5 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture.

In total, McLain was held accountable for approximately 163 grams of a substance containing heroin, fentanyl, tramadol, and xylazine.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade noted that McLain had hurt the community by being a drug dealer who distributed some of the worst drugs imaginable.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment against McLain in February 2023. He entered a guilty plea to all four counts in April 2023. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on a federal complaint in December 2022.

The statutory penalties for distribution of a mixture containing fentanyl are up to 20 years’ imprisonment, followed by at least three years of supervised release, and a possible $250,000 fine. The penalties for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture are 5 to 40 years’ imprisonment, followed by at least four years of supervised release, and a possible $250,000 fine.