Cherry Valley, Ill. Man Sentenced to Seventeen Years in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine and Illegally Possessing a Firearm

ROCKFORD — A Cherry Valley, Ill. man has been sentenced to seventeen years in federal prison for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm.

SEAN CLAEYSSEN, 35, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Claeyssen admitted in a plea agreement that between October and December of 2023, he knowingly and intentionally sold and distributed 664.6 grams of methamphetamine and 27.7 grams of cocaine. Claeyssen also admitted that he was in possession of a loaded firearm when he was arrested in December 2023.

On Nov. 14, 2025, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 204-month prison sentence.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Shane R. Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.  The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office and the Beloit, Wisc. Police Department provided assistance in the investigation.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.

Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.