Meth & Mayhem: Hon Chau Gets 14+ Years

SPRINGFIELD, MO – Hon Chau, 44, is heading to federal prison for over a decade after a brazen attempt to evade law enforcement revealed a stash of methamphetamine and a stolen gun. Chau was sentenced on Monday, February 13th, to 14 years and two months without parole by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool.

The case unfolded on February 27, 2020, when Chau drove a Chrysler 200 directly into the line of fire during the execution of a search warrant at a Springfield residence. Instead of complying with officers’ commands, Chau slammed his vehicle into the police cruisers parked behind him. The situation quickly escalated, forcing officers to break his driver’s side window in an attempt to extract him.

Chau didn’t make it easy. He actively resisted arrest and reached towards his right hip, prompting officers to deploy a Taser. Once subdued, they discovered a loaded IMEZ .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol tucked into a holster. The weapon was later identified as stolen. But the gun wasn’t the only contraband Chau was carrying. A search of his person revealed a baggie containing 287 grams of pure methamphetamine hidden inside his sweater.

The bust also turned up $6,943 in cash stashed inside Chau’s vehicle, suggesting a well-established drug-trafficking operation. Chau pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022, to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. This wasn’t Chau’s first brush with the law, not by a long shot.

Records show Chau had already amassed a dozen prior state felony convictions before this federal indictment. Adding insult to injury, he had only been released from the Missouri Department of Corrections less than a year prior to his latest arrest, demonstrating a clear pattern of disregard for the law. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon.

The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department. This case serves as a stark reminder that those who flood our streets with poison and arm themselves illegally will face the full weight of federal prosecution. Chau’s attempt to outrun the law ended with a hefty sentence and a long stay behind bars.

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