DANVILLE, Ill. (WAND) — A Vermilion County judge has sentenced a former Hoopeston man to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute.
Christopher Mattison, 42, entered the guilty plea to the Class 1 felony on Aug. 11, 2026. Judge Mark S. Goodwin sentenced Mattison to a six-year term in the Illinois Department of Corrections, followed by one year of mandatory supervised release.
The charges stem from a traffic stop conducted by Hoopeston police on Jan. 3, 2026. After officers pulled Mattison over, they discovered he was driving with a revoked license. Upon arresting and searching Mattison, police recovered a plastic bag of cocaine from his front pocket.
According to the State's Attorney Office, after further search of a bag Mattison was carrying across his chest uncovered an unmarked pill bottle filled with cocaine capsules and a grocery bag containing $3,728 in cash. Inside the vehicle, officers also recovered more cocaine near the driver's seat, an open bottle of alcohol, and a digital scale.
The Illinois State Police Crime Lab subsequently confirmed the seized substances were cocaine.
“Illegal drugs pose a serious threat to the citizens of Vermilion County,” State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy said in a statement. “Our office will continue to work closely with law enforcement to hold individuals who distribute illegal drugs accountable and to protect the safety of our community.”
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