Mount Sterling man sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to methamphetamine charges

QUINCY — A Mount Sterling man was sentenced Monday to 17 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after entering into a negotiated plea.

Michael A. Taylor, 49, of Mount Sterling pled guilty to two counts of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, a Class X felony, during a sentencing hearing before Circuit Judge Holly Henze. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison for each count, and the sentences will run concurrently. Taylor was given credit for 206 days of time served. A Class 3 felony for possession of methamphetamine was dismissed pursuant as part of the plea negotiation.  Taylor’s sentence will be served at the rate of 75 percent according to the state’s truth-in-sentencing laws.

Inspectors with the West Central Illinois Task Force conducted a controlled buy from Taylor on Feb. 6, 2024, which resulted in him selling 60 grams of methamphetamine in 12 individually wrapped zip-lock baggies to a confidential source.  The Illinois State Crime Lab confirmed the items were methamphetamine. Taylor was arrested on May 13, and Judge Mark Vincent granted him pretrial release on May 23.

Officers assigned to the Special Investigation Unit of the Quincy Police Department made a traffic stop of a vehicle, in which Taylor was a passenger, on Oct. 11, 2024. During the stop, Quincy Police Officer Kelby Rescinito and his canine partner, Roy, arrived. The canine alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics, and a search of the vehicle found a backpack belonging to Taylor containing numerous individually wrapped baggies weighing a total of 34.7 grams. They were confirmed by the Illinois State Crime Lab to be methamphetamine.

Taylor was lodged in the Adams County Jail on Oct. 15, 2024.

Taylor was convicted in 2016 for possession of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine manufacturing materials, for which he had been placed on probation.  Taylor also has a charge of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine pending in Brown County.  

Adams County State’s Attorney Todd R. Eyler commended the officers from the Quincy Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit and Rescinito and his canine partner.

“This case shows the importance of having canine drug detection dogs and emphasizes how vital they are in catching criminals that would bring deadly drugs into our community and sell them for profit, with no regard to the safety of our citizens,” Eyler said in a press release.