United States Drug Enforcement Administration

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Springfield, Mo., men and two Parsons, Kansas, men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy after law enforcement officers seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a vehicle being transported from California, as well as several firearms...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing more than 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine to distribute and illegally possessing two firearms. Christopher Kelley, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 16 years and six months in federal prison without...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Fulton, Mo., man and a Florence, Mo., woman were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Matthew Gunnar White, 32, of Fulton, and Krista Huddleston, 30, of Florence, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Roseann...

EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 130 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents, Gary Everett Rinker, 56, sold approximately 200 pills containing 19.8 grams of fentanyl to a buyer at...

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday found a fentanyl dealer responsible for the overdose death of a 17-year-old in 2021 and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. Keith Edward “Kesso” Matthews, 24, of St. Louis County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September to four felonies...

EL PASO – The Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division has a new Special Agent in Charge (SAC). On Sept. 11, 2023, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram named Towanda R. Thorne-James as the new Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the El Paso Division, which serves New Mexico and West Texas...

PECOS – A Kermit man was sentenced this week in federal court in Pecos to 115 months in prison for possession and distribution of methamphetamine and an additional 24 months in prison for a supervised release violation stemming from a felon in possession charge he was sentenced for in 2022...

PECOS – An Anthony, New Mexico man was sentenced this week to 327 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed cocaine. According to court documents, Gilberto Hernandez, aka “G”, 30, was the leader of the Hernandez drug trafficking organization (DTO). From August 2021 until...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing eight firearms. Nicholas G. Gutierrez, 43, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Tuesday, Jan. 23, to 15 years in...

Note: View Purdy’s Plea Agreement . View Maldonado’s Plea Agreement . ALBUQUERQUE – Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, and Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Brian Kain Purdy and Sabino Alfonso...