JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Ashanti Terrell Roberson, 43, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison after a judge handed down the sentence Tuesday for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark didn’t just meet the guidelines; she blew past them, delivering a sentence that reflects Roberson’s deeply entrenched criminal history.
The bust went down February 11, 2019, when Jefferson City police spotted Roberson leaving a local hotel while dodging outstanding warrants. A traffic stop quickly turned into an arrest, and a search of his vehicle revealed a stack of $20 bills totaling $1,000. The money, investigators suspected, was tied to his drug operation.
A subsequent search of Roberson’s hotel room unearthed a disturbing collection: Xanax, unidentified pills bagged for resale, and various drug paraphernalia. But the real heat came from a small metal safe containing 32.32 grams of methamphetamine, a loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol, and more drug tools. It wasn’t just the meth; it was the weapon, adding another layer of danger to Roberson’s already volatile profile.
Federal prosecutors didn’t shy away from highlighting Roberson’s extensive rap sheet. Dating back to 1998, he’s racked up a staggering *nine* felony convictions – primarily for drug offenses, forgery, and selling controlled substances. Add to that at least 15 misdemeanor convictions, including possession of paraphernalia, theft, and a litany of driving-while-suspended charges. This wasn’t a first-time offender; this was a career criminal.
Court documents paint a picture of a man consumed by addiction. Roberson admitted to a long history of substance abuse, including alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, opiates, Xanax, LSD, PCP, psychedelic mushrooms, and synthetic cannabinoids. He confessed to daily marijuana use since age 30, a habit that clearly didn’t interfere with his illegal activities. The judge seemed to take this long history of abuse into account, but it didn’t soften the sentence.
The case was built by a multi-agency task force including the Jefferson City Police Department, the Cole County Sheriff’s Department, MUSTANG (the Mid-Missouri Unified Strike Team and Narcotics Group), and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather D. Richenberger prosecuted the case, securing the 15-year sentence that sends a clear message: drug trafficking, especially with a firearm involved, won’t be tolerated in Missouri.
Related Federal Cases
- Katherine Nicholle Brown, Embezzled $410,000, Jefferson City MO, 2012 · Illinois
- Jeffery Thompson, Conspired to Distribute Crack Cocaine, Sioux City… · Missouri
- James Allen, Marijuana Trafficking, MO, 2013 · Missouri
- Albert Davis, Wire Fraud, Kansas City, MO, 2023 · Kansas
- Russell Hopkins, Securities Fraud Conspiracy, Kansas City MO, 2023 · Kansas
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
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