Darrin Dale Smithee, a 55-year-old man from Auxvasse, Missouri, has pleaded guilty to manufacturing marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges stem from a 2018 search warrant executed by the Callaway County sheriff’s deputies and the MUSTANG Task Force at Smithee’s residence.
During the search, deputies found a room in the basement with industrial LED lights, ventilation hoses, air filters, fertilizer, and a water source. In the same room, they discovered a plastic tub containing marijuana stems, branches, and leaves. Additionally, a concrete bunker-type room with a bank vault-style door was found, which contained 66 firearms, including an S&S 12-gauge Street Sweeper, a Rohm .22-caliber rifle, a Smith & Wesson .357-caliber rifle, and a Norinco SKS .762/39 caliber rifle.
Officers also found two small hard plastic children’s swimming pools, each containing several pounds of marijuana buds that were drying. A loaded pump action pistol grip Mossberg shotgun was discovered underneath a mattress in Smithee’s bedroom, as well as a Ruger .22-caliber rifle with a loaded magazine in the closet. Several ounces of marijuana were found in a clear tub and in various sections of a dresser.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone with a prior felony conviction to possess any firearm or ammunition. Smithee has a prior felony conviction for violating an order of protection.
According to federal statutes, Smithee is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Maness, and it was investigated by the Callaway County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the MUSTANG Task Force, the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force, the Fulton, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Missouri National Guard Counter Drug Program.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an evidence-based program aimed at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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