Quincy woman gets five years in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A Quincy woman received a five-year sentence in federal prison Thursday for distribution of methamphetamine.

U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough sentenced Devin Lawton, 47, after she pled guilty to a charge of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Myerscough found Lawton had been transporting large amounts of methamphetamine from Kansas City, Mo., to Quincy, where the drugs were being distributed.

Lawton was arrested in April 2023 on a federal probation violation warrant. She was out on bond through Adams County for possession of methamphetamine between 15 and 100 grams. She was one of 10 people arrested by the Quincy Police Department as part of a criminal narcotics enforcement detail. A coordinated effort with QPD, the Illinois State Police, Adams County Sheriff’s Department and West Central Illinois Task Force conducted the detail, targeting people who possessed and/or distributed illegal narcotics in Quincy and Adams County.

The case against Lawton is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

This case was investigated by the Illinois State Police, the Quincy Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weir represented the government in the prosecution.