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Press Release

Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute as much as 45 kilograms of methamphetamine.

David McKinnie, 44, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to money laundering.

By pleading guilty today, McKinnie admitted that he distributed as much as 45 kilograms of methamphetamine in Greene and Jasper counties from May 2016 to Feb. 20, 2018. McKinnie also admitted that he transmitted a $3,000 money gram to his supplier in Oklahoma, which involved the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.

According to McKinnie’s plea agreement, he purchased up to three pounds of methamphetamine from his supplier each week for three years, for which he paid approximately $6,000 to $9,000 per pound.

Under federal statutes, McKinnie is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull II. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

Updated April 29, 2019

Topic
Drug Trafficking