A man from Tempe, Arizona, Terence Michael Carroll, 38, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to distribute more than 1,000 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl. The sentence was handed down on August 14, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley in Peoria, Illinois. Carroll will also serve five years of supervised release after his prison term.
Court records show that in December 2023, Carroll mailed a parcel from Tempe to an address in Peoria containing about 11,757 tablets—totaling approximately 1,295.4 grams—of a substance with fentanyl. A federal grand jury indicted Carroll in July 2024. He was arrested later that month in Arizona and initially released on a recognizance bond before pleading guilty in May 2025. After his plea, he was detained by the United States Marshals Service until sentencing.
Federal law sets penalties for attempted distribution of more than 400 grams of fentanyl at ten years to life imprisonment and at least five years of supervised release. Courts may also impose fines up to $10 million.
“Defendants who peddle deadly drugs like fentanyl introduce poison into our communities,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz. “Our office is committed to pursuing these prosecutions in partnership with the United States Postal Inspection Services, Illinois State Police, and other law enforcement agencies, given the life-threatening consequences of this type of drug distribution.”
“This successful investigation demonstrates the role the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners play in protecting Postal Service employees and customers,” said Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “U.S. Postal Inspectors are federal agents committed to protecting the integrity of the U.S. Postal Service and fulfilling our obligations to safety in the communities we serve by dismantling drug trafficking organizations. U.S. Postal Inspectors will continue to aggressively investigate and bring to justice anyone utilizing the U.S. Mail for distribution of narcotics, as demonstrated by Mr. Carroll’s sentencing.”
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with help from its Forensics Lab and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ortiz prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program designed to reduce violent crime through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and community groups.
