Quincy man sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for distributing more than 2,000 grams of meth

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Glenn Wooden, 39, of Quincy was sentenced on Sept. 19 to 25 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine.

A press release from the United States Attorney’s Office, Central District of Illinois, said Wooden was indicted in February 2019 and convicted after a jury trial in February 2024. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

At the sentencing hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless, Wooden was held accountable for more than 2,000 grams of actual methamphetamine. He has multiple prior convictions for drug distribution and other convictions for aggravated battery and unlawful use of a weapon. He was considered a career offender under the United States Sentencing Commission sentencing guidelines.

The statutory penalties for distributing methamphetamine are up to life imprisonment, up to a $10 million fine and up to a life term of supervised release. 

“Drug dealers and the violence associated with their trade impacts not just vulnerable addicts in our communities but also others not directly involved,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir said in the press release. “Our office will continue to hold accountable those who would prey on our communities. My thanks to the West Central Illinois Task Force, Illinois State Police, Quincy Police Department and the other agencies for their work on this case.”

During two days of trial before Lawless, the United States presented evidence establishing three controlled buys and a search of the defendant’s residence, leading to the seizure of the drugs that formed the basis of the fourth count. Besides law enforcement agents, a DEA laboratory scientist testified as to the purity and weight of the methamphetamine. In total, the methamphetamine weighed 327 grams.

This case was investigated by the West Central Illinois Task Force; Illinois State Police; Quincy Police Department; Adams County Sheriff’s Office; Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Weir and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Seberger represented the government in the prosecution.

The case against Wooden 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.