Local Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Meth Charges

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, has announced that Travis Cole Maxfield, 28, of Altamont, Illinois, pled guilty Tuesday to all charges against him in an indictment returned by a Federal Grand Jury in November 2014. All offenses relate to the production and distribution of methamphetamine.

Specifically, Maxfield pled guilty to Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Methamphetamine from October 2013 through May 2014 in St. Clair, Clinton, and Marion Counties (Count 1); Manufacture of Methamphetamine on February 26, 2014, in St. Clair County (Count 2); Distribution of Methamphetamine on March 5, 2014, in Marion County (Count 3); Possession of a Listed Chemical (Pseudoephedrine) Knowing or Having Reason to Know that It Would Be Used to Manufacture Methamphetamine (Counts 9 and 10). All offenses are violations of the federal Controlled Substances Act.

Count 1 carries a maximum penalty of not less than 5 years, up to 40 years in federal prison, a $5 million fine, and at least 4 years’ supervised release. Counts 2 and 3 carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and not less than 3 years’ supervised release. Counts 9 and 10 carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years’ supervised release. All counts require an assessment of $100.

Information leading to the charges against Maxfield was obtained in an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, assisted by the Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team, the Centralia Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the Mt. Vernon Police Department. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.