A Jacksonville man has been sentenced to prison following a guilty plea to felony methamphetamine possession.
Joshua M. King, 44, of the 1200 block of Center Street, pleaded guilty on Oct. 29, 2025, to Class 3 felony possession of methamphetamine (less than five grams). The plea was entered at a bench trial setting before Morgan County Circuit Judge Chris Reif, after evidence in the case had already been heard.
Court records show King had filed motions seeking to hire new legal counsel, but those requests were denied. He was represented by Morgan County Public Defender Devin Vaughn.
On Dec. 30, 2025, Judge Reif sentenced King to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, followed by up to six months of mandatory supervised release. King received credit for three days already served. A request to stay the sentence was denied, and King was ordered to begin serving his prison term immediately.
The charge stems from a July 9, 2024 arrest by Jacksonville Police. According to a police report, officers stopped King at approximately 2:51 a.m. while he was riding a bicycle at the intersection of North Clay Avenue and East Independence Avenue. During the stop, King was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine and was arrested for possession of methamphetamine. He was also cited for improper equipment after operating a bicycle on a public roadway at night without a headlight. King was booked and later released from the Morgan County Jail.
King was subsequently arrested twice more in September 2024. On Sept. 24, he was arrested for driving on a suspended license, and on Sept. 27, he was arrested again for driving on a suspended license and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. Those traffic charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement reached in October.
Court records further indicate King has a prior criminal history involving methamphetamine. He previously served prison time following a 2023 meth-related arrest and conviction in Morgan County and also has a methamphetamine manufacturing arrest dating back to 2015 in Morgan County.
The case was prosecuted by the Morgan County State’s Attorney’s Office.