Date: March 10, 2025
Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov
Peoria, IL — Kelvin Eugene Patterson, Jr. of Peoria, Illinois, was sentenced on March 4, 2025, to twelve years of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. Patterson also must pay a fine of $26,140, which is separate from monies forfeited in the case.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Patterson with drug and firearm charges in May 2023. The grand jury later returned a superseding indictment adding Patterson’s partner, Marcus L. Burnside (a.k.a. “Pooty”) also of Peoria, to the charges.
In June 2024, Burnside pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Patterson pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count in November 2024.
Burnside was sentenced on October 23, 2024, to a total of 120 months’ imprisonment, consisting of two consecutive 60-month sentences for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The court also ordered that Burnside serve four years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
At the sentencing hearing before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm, the government presented evidence that the two men engaged in a conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, marijuana from March 2021 through April 2023. At the time, Patterson maintained a loft apartment on Main Street in Peoria that he and Burnside used for the purpose of storing and distributing marijuana. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement observed several individuals leaving the building, who were stopped and searched, and various quantities of marijuana were seized. In total, Patterson and Burnside were responsible for the distribution and possession of 310 kilograms (683 pounds) of marijuana.
Also at Patterson’s sentencing hearing, Judge Mihm noted that Patterson’s above-guideline sentence was justified given the severity of the conduct involved in this conspiracy.
The judge also required both Patterson and Burnside to forfeit items recovered by law enforcement during a raid of the Main Street apartment, including a Glock model 30, .45 caliber handgun; $23,860.00; and a money counter.
The statutory penalties for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana are five to forty years’ imprisonment, and up to a $5 million dollar fine, followed by at least four years of supervised release. The penalties for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking are five years to life imprisonment, served consecutive to other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.
The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force, comprised of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Peoria Police Department; the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department; Illinois Department of Corrections; and the Illinois State Police, with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), investigated the case.
The case against Burnside and Patterson is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.