Bend Drug Dealer Sentenced to 140 Months in Federal Prison

EUGENE, Ore. – On November 12, 2013, Matthew Collins, 49 years old, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael McShane to 140 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Upon his release from prison, Collins will be on supervised release for five years. 

On May 6, 2013, deputies with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle driven by Collins in Redmond, Oregon.  Collins thereafter fled on foot and jumped into a nearby canal before he was taken into custody by Redmond Police officers.  A search of the vehicle unearthed a large amount of methamphetamine that Collins was transporting from Portland to distribute in the Bend area.

Collins has a lengthy and violent criminal history and has been the subject of several recent investigations by the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE), which also investigated and handled the May 6, 2013 case.  The CODE team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the following Central Oregon law enforcement agencies:  Bend Police Department, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Redmond Police Department,  Prineville Police Department, Crook County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Madras Police Department, Oregon State Police, Sunriver Police Department, Black Butte Police Department, United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Warm Springs Tribal Police Department, Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson County District Attorney’s Offices, and the Oregon National Guard.

U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall praised the sentence imposed on Collins:  “Bend and Central Oregon are better places with Mr. Collins off the streets.  This case is the result of the excellent collaboration between the CODE team, the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office, and my office.  Coordination between federal and state law enforcement is key to prosecuting the most dangerous criminals and keeping our communities safe.  My office is committed to working with our local and federal law enforcement partners to achieve results such as this one.”

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Lichvarcik.