A Peoria woman is headed behind bars for a long stretch after a federal court handed down a hefty sentence for drug crimes, the Department of Justice announced. Crystal Bennett, 41, received a 144-month prison term for attempting to possess and distribute a significant quantity of methamphetamine, as per the justice department's press release.

The sequence of events leading up to her sentencing began when Bennett, also known as "Nancy Carpenter" and "Crystal Waynette Silsby," was caught attempting to retrieve a package containing over 50 grams of high-purity meth from a shipping store in East Peoria in May 2021, the drug stash later ballooned to over 250 grams when she was netted again in September of that year complete with a stolen gun, some heroin, and a stack of cash. Following an indictment and an arraignment in the later months, Bennett's pre-trial freedom was cut short due to a bond revocation just one week after her release last May.

Detailed court proceedings revealed by the U.S. Attorney's Office show Bennett, of the 1000 block of West Gift Avenue, facing serious legal penalties that could have included a prison term of up to 40 years. U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, presiding over the case, opted for a 12-year sentence during the hearing on April 18, 2024, where law enforcement evidence and testimony weighed heavily against Bennett.

Investigations into Bennett's criminal activities, which also uncovered several drug ledgers in her vehicle, were a collaborative effort involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, East Peoria and Macomb Police Departments, and Illinois State Police; the prosecuting arm was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald L. Hanna and Keith Hollingshead-Cook who built the case that secured the now-convicted woman's lengthy prison stint.