A Republic, Missouri, man has pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, following a high-speed chase that left multiple vehicles narrowly avoiding collision.
Heath E. Yarger, 49, entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Yarger was driving a Chevrolet Silverado on Highway CC near Carnegie Road when a Christian County sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on December 21, 2020. Yarger failed to yield, prompting a high-speed pursuit that reached speeds of 100 miles per hour and spanned multiple residential streets.
Officers deployed stop sticks, disabling Yarger’s two passenger side tires, but he continued to evade capture, swerving and traveling in the middle of the roadway. The pursuit eventually ended near the intersection of Campbell Avenue and Primrose Street in Springfield, Missouri, where Yarger ran from the vehicle and was arrested.
During the arrest, officers found a plastic bag containing approximately 44.2 grams of methamphetamine in Yarger’s left jacket pocket, as well as two plastic bags containing an estimated total of 291.8 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle.
Yarger faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, in addition to a maximum sentence of life in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver, with the Christian County Sheriff’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration contributing to the investigation.
A total of 336 grams of methamphetamine was found in Yarger’s possession at the time of his arrest, highlighting the severity of the crime and the potential consequences for those involved in methamphetamine trafficking.
Related Federal Cases
- James Allen, Marijuana Trafficking, MO, 2013 · California
- Robert Downing, Sex Trafficking, Baltimore MD, 2023 · Maryland
- Edwardsville Narc Boss Bags Nine Years for Meth, Heroin Smuggling · Illinois
- Holts Summit Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy · Texas
- Sedalia Man Pleads Guilty to Meth, Illegal Firearm · Missouri
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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