A southwest Missouri man is headed to prison after being sentenced for his role in a meth trafficking ring and for possessing a stolen firearm.
Billy Hile, 61, was sentenced in federal court to 13 years in federal prison without parole for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Hile’s troubles began on Sept. 15, 2021, when a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper conducted a traffic stop on Hile’s Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck on U.S. Highway 60 in Lawrence County, Mo. During the stop, Hile admitted to the trooper that he had a medical marijuana card but purchased marijuana on the black market.
A search of Hile’s person and vehicle turned up a pipe, methamphetamine, cocaine, and psilocyn mushrooms in a bag in his pants. The trooper also found a loaded Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which had been reported as stolen, and 91.49 grams of methamphetamine inside a Gladware container in a tackle box.
The discovery of the stolen firearm and large quantity of methamphetamine led to Hile’s arrest and eventual guilty plea to the charges. Hile was sentenced as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions.
The case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
As part of his sentence, Hile will serve 13 years in federal prison without the possibility of parole. The sentence is a harsh reminder of the consequences of engaging in meth trafficking and firearm possession.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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