A St. Louis man has pleaded guilty to charges of fentanyl trafficking and firearm charges.
Landon Whitfield, 26, of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared in United States District Court before Judge Ronnie L. White on [today’s date] and pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The crimes date back to November 6, 2019, when members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department observed Whitfield driving a vehicle with heavily tinted windows in the Mark Twain Neighborhood. The vehicle had previously fled from officers on several occasions, prompting them to attempt a traffic stop.
Whitfield fled from the officers, committing numerous traffic violations in the process. The officers deployed spike strips to disable the vehicle, but Whitfield continued to flee, causing a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury. He eventually abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot, armed with an AR-15-type firearm.
Several officers confronted Whitfield in an alley, and he raised his firearm. An officer, fearing for his safety, fired one shot in response. Whitfield then dropped his firearm and a green bag he had over his shoulder. He attempted to continue his escape by climbing a nearby fence, but officers deployed a Taser, allowing them to take Whitfield into custody.
The firearm Whitfield possessed was a Matrix Aerospace M556-SC semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 22 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. Inside Whitfield’s green bag were 345 capsules of fentanyl weighing approximately 37 grams.
Judge White has set sentencing for September 21, 2021.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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