A Springfield man has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois said 38-year-old Jesse Bates sold 50 grams of meth to an undercover agent and fled in a vehicle at high speed when officers attempted to arrest him. Bates was later arrested in Georgia in January 2024.
Prosecutors said Bates was free on bond at the time of the offense on a Sangamon County charge of aggravated discharge of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless ruled on Thursday that Bates was a career offender and eligible for an enhanced sentence for recklessly fleeing from police. Bates pleaded guilty in March of this year.
