Two Texas County men are headed to federal prison for a decade without parole after admitting their roles in a methamphetamine distribution ring that pumped drugs into Greene and Texas counties. Michael D. Strong, 41, of Cabool, Mo., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool. Carl H. Amburn, Jr., 41, of Raymondville, Mo., received the same sentence on Nov. 28, 2016, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute the potent stimulant.
The operation, which ran from July 22, 2014, to April 1, 2015, involved multiple exchanges of meth across rural Missouri. Strong and co-defendant Angela C. Howell, 39, of Cabool, admitted to distributing approximately 34.03 grams of meth—containing 8.94 grams of pure methamphetamine—to an individual in Greene County on the conspiracy’s first recorded date. That batch alone represents enough to supply dozens of users across the region’s struggling communities.
Abruptly ending the network’s activity, law enforcement raided Amburn’s residence on April 1, 2015. Inside, officers seized several small plastic bags holding a combined 7.61 grams of pure meth. Amburn admitted the drugs were intended for distribution, not personal use, sealing his fate in the federal system. The raid was part of a broader crackdown led by the South Central Drug Task Force and local enforcement partners.
Strong’s and Amburn’s 10-year sentences reflect the severity with which federal prosecutors are treating mid-level drug operations fueling the opioid and meth crisis in rural America. No plea deals shaved time off their terms—both will serve every year behind bars without the possibility of parole, a stark warning to others moving product in Missouri’s backcountry.
Howell, who also pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy, awaits sentencing on Dec. 7, 2016. Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Garrison, made clear they’re targeting not just kingpins but all links in the chain—from suppliers to street-level distributors.
The investigation was a joint effort by the South Central Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and sheriff’s departments in Texas and Dent counties. Authorities say the case exemplifies how coordinated local-federal operations are dismantling persistent drug networks one indictment at a time.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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