13 Charged in St. Louis Drug Conspiracy

ST. LOUIS – Thirteen people accused of involvement in a conspiracy to sell drugs including fentanyl and methamphetamine in the St. Louis area were arrested this week.

The final defendant was arrested Thursday in Miami. The final St. Louis defendants pleaded not guilty to their charges Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Others were arrested in Texas and California.

Stanley Harris, 49; Christopher Sosa, 31, of Los Angeles; Victor Medina, 41, of Los Angeles; Alvieno Johnson, 40; and Versail Freeman, 39; were indicted August 30 on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams of more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Sosa; Neil Phifer, 38; Latasha Spellman, 34; Robert Smith, 64; Gary Pulcher, 71; Demetrius Gilmore, 37; Portia Everett, 35; and Michael Williams, 28; were indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Williams also faces a methamphetamine and fentanyl possession charge and Medina faces a fentanyl distribution charge. Everett is accused in the indictment of conspiracy to maintain drug-involved premises, namely a home in the 900 block of Rutger Street in St. Louis and a house in the 1100 block of Carraway Court in Collinsville.

During the course of the investigation, a total of $111,685 in cash, seven handguns, and two vehicles were seized, the indictment says.

A motion seeking to have Phifer and Spellman held in jail until trial says more than 25 kilograms of methamphetamine and 15 kilograms of fentanyl are directly attributable to the overall drug trafficking organization. Phifer and Spellman partnered with each other to import drugs and distribute them to others in St. Louis, the motion says. Investigators conducted several controlled purchases of multiple ounces of fentanyl which involved both people, and repeatedly seized drugs from where Phifer and Spellman were operating, the motion says. Investigators intercepted one package that had been mailed containing 4.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.

A detention motion for Sosa says investigators intercepted numerous drug parcels mailed by Sosa to distributors in St. Louis, and used an intermediary to buy about 15 pounds of crystal methamphetamine from Sosa.

Marco Chavira, 35, of El Paso, Texas, was indicted separately with two counts: distributing and attempting to distribute in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine. A detention motion says investigators bought a kilogram of cocaine and 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine from Chavira.

Charges set forth in an indictment or a criminal complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service are investigating the case with assistance from officers with the North County Police Cooperative and police departments in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Shrewsbury, Ballwin and St. Charles City. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Casey is prosecuting the case.