Springfield Duo Pleads Guilty to Marijuana Trafficking

In a shocking turn of events, Brian D. Hanson, 30, and Brenda Swearingin, 56, both of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court to their roles in a conspiracy that distributed thousands of pounds of marijuana in southwest Missouri.

According to court documents, Hanson and Swearingin admitted to participating in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana in Greene County, Mo., and elsewhere from April 1, 2010, to June 19, 2013. Hanson pleaded guilty to transporting between 1,000 kilograms and 3,000 kilograms of marijuana into southwest Missouri, while Swearingin admitted to distributing less than 50 kilograms of marijuana in the conspiracy and to illegally possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Co-defendant Sean Bond, 39, of Republic, Mo., pleaded guilty on Oct. 16, 2014. Bond arranged for Hanson and others to pick up marijuana from individuals outside of Springfield, then transport the marijuana to Springfield for Bond to distribute to other persons. Hanson and Bond also traveled together to Texas to obtain marijuana that had been smuggled into the United States from Mexico.

Swearingin admitted that she purchased marijuana from Bond and distributed it to others. She also admitted to purchasing pound amounts of marijuana from Bond each month for about two years, receiving approximately 10.872 kilograms of marijuana from Bond during her involvement in the conspiracy.

When law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Swearingin’s residence, they discovered a Hefty Freezer bag that contained approximately 173 grams of marijuana under a mattress in the guest bedroom. They also found a loaded Taurus .22-caliber handgun in Swearingin’s purse.

Hanson and Bond each pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds of marijuana sales. Hanson gave Bond a 2002 BMW 745i and a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle to pay a drug debt, and Bond purchased a Wellcraft 3200 Martinique boat, a 2007 Cadillac Escalade, and other property using drug proceeds.

Under federal statutes, Hanson and Bond are each 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. Swearingin is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole for the drug-trafficking conspiracy and a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of five years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and COMET (the Combined Ozark Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement Team).

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