Former Champaign County Sheriff Matthew Melvin has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge after being arrested for operating a vehicle while impaired (OVI) late last year.
According to the Champaign County Municipal Court, Melvin entered a guilty plea on Monday to one count of physical control, which admits being in control of a vehicle while under the influence, but not necessarily driving.
The incident occurred early on December 18th, 2024, when an Urbana police officer stopped Melvin just after 1 AM.
Body camera footage from the stop shows Melvin refusing to perform a field sobriety test before being taken into custody for OVI.
As part of the plea agreement, Melvin was sentenced to 60 days in jail.
However, court records show he received credit for three days served, with the remaining 57 days suspended.
He was also placed on community control for one year and ordered to pay $472 in fines and court costs.
Melvin’s arrest came just a few weeks before the end of his term.
In January 2025, Chad Burroughs officially took office as the new Champaign County Sheriff after winning the 2024 election.
