United States Drug Enforcement Administration

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced Charles T. McRoberts to 120 months in prison Sept. 10. The 50-year-old Wentzville resident was charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

On July 12, 2019, McRoberts and co-defendant Gernell Armour possessed with intent to distribute approximately one kilogram of fentanyl. The day before, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers inspected packages for suspected illegal narcotics at the United Parcel Service Shipment Sorting Center. During the inspection, investigators discovered a suspicious package addressed to a person in St. Louis sent from Las Vegas, Nevada. The sender’s name and address were found to be a fake company.

Believing the package to contain illegal narcotics, investigators used a K-9 to positively identify the presence of illegal narcotics within the package. They then obtained a warrant, opened the package and found clothing, a light bulb and vacuum-sealed bags containing suspected heroin/fentanyl.

A decoy package was created by investigators and a search warrant was obtained for the residence where the package was addressed. A UPS employee delivered the decoy package. A person within the residence accepted the package, but later denied knowing its contents. Investigators observed McRoberts inside the residence during the decoy package delivery and watched him leave. McRoberts returned later to pick up the decoy package, at which time he was taken into custody.  

Co-defendant Gernell Armour is awaiting trial and presumed innocent of the charges.

The Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division investigated the case, along with the St. Louis Metro Police Department.