ST. LOUIS – Charity Ward, 35, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, is headed to federal prison for seven years after pleading guilty to a slew of drug and weapons charges. U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp handed down the sentence Monday, along with a $15,000 fine, sending a clear message that peddling poison and packing heat won’t be tolerated in the Gateway City.
The bust went down January 2, 2023, when St. Louis County Police officers raided a motel room in Ferguson. What they found wasn’t a quiet getaway: fentanyl, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, a cool $3,000 in cash, and a Glock 29 10mm semi-automatic pistol. Ward, already a convicted felon, had no legal right to possess any of it.
According to court documents, Ward admitted to distributing the fentanyl at parties and slinging crack cocaine to acquaintances. She wasn’t just holding the drugs; she was actively moving them, profiting from the misery of others. The Glock 29 wasn’t for protection, the feds argued successfully – it was a tool of the trade, used to facilitate her drug operation.
Judge Schelp didn’t stop at the seven-year sentence. He ordered it to run consecutive to any penalties Ward receives in pending cases in both St. Charles and St. Louis County Circuit Courts. This means Ward could be looking at significantly more time behind bars, depending on the outcome of those additional charges.
The investigation was a joint effort between the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted the case, building a solid case against Ward and securing the conviction. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence.
PSN isn’t just about arrests and convictions, officials say. It’s about building trust with communities, supporting local organizations working to prevent violence, and focusing enforcement efforts where they’re needed most. But for Charity Ward, the program delivered a harsh reality: seven years in prison for dealing death and illegally possessing a firearm. It’s a sentence that should send a message to others thinking of following the same path.
Related Federal Cases
- Evan ‘Red’ Harris Gets 12+ Years for Fentanyl, Firearm Crimes · New York
- Cory Easley Gets Decade Behind Bars for Felon Firearm Possession · Alabama
- Springfield Dealer Gets 15 Years for Illegal Firearm · Missouri
- KCK Man Gets 20-Year Sentence for Illegal Firearm, Pot · Kansas
- Cedarcreek Felon Gets 15 Years for Illegal Firearm · Missouri
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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