In a shocking turn of events, a Stella, Missouri, man was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison without parole for his role in leading a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in southwestern Missouri. Nathen D. Libertus, 31, was found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Newton County and Barry County, Mo., from April 30, 2017, to Jan. 20, 2019.
The case against Libertus dates back to May 20, 2020, when he pleaded guilty to the charges. According to court documents, Libertus is an affiliate of the Southwest Honkys, a violent prison gang. He has a history of fleeing from law enforcement officers on several occasions.
On November 10, 2017, a McDonald County sheriff’s deputy was passed by a vehicle on West 76 Highway. The vehicle, a black Cadillac CTS, appeared to have something dragging off the back of the vehicle, causing sparks on the roadway. As the deputy attempted to get behind the vehicle, it sped off and nearly spun out. The deputy initiated his emergency lights and the vehicle, which was being driven by a woman with arrest warrants, was stopped. The deputy searched the vehicle and found a plastic bag containing approximately 332.74 grams of methamphetamine and a total of $6,952 in cash. Inside the bag with the methamphetamine and cash was a wallet with Libertus’s driver’s license.
On March 29, 2018, a sergeant with the Newton County Sheriff’s Department responded to an address in reference to a suspicious vehicle. Once he got there, he saw a grey/silver colored Chevrolet Camaro with Oklahoma plates in the driveway. He pulled in behind the vehicle and approached, knocking on the window and the roof to get Libertus, the driver, to exit. Libertus refused to do so and instead started the vehicle and attempted to flee by driving through the yard. The vehicle got stuck on some shrubbery, a fence, and a cinderblock, and Libertus was unable to go any farther. Libertus bailed out of the vehicle and ran west through the woods with officers in pursuit. After a quarter-mile foot chase, Libertus came to a stop but had to be tased before he could be taken into custody. Officers searched Libertus and found approximately $4,430 in his pants pockets. Officers found another $1,591 in the vehicle, along with a scale that tested positive for methamphetamine, a glass bong, two cell phones, and other drug paraphernalia.
On April 9, 2018, investigators saw Libertus and the woman arrive together in a Chrysler 300 at a Newton County residence where they were about to execute a search warrant. The Chrysler pulled into the driveway, maneuvered around several parked vehicles, and continued about 100 yards into a wooded area immediately south of the residence. Libertus and two others attempted to conceal the Chrysler 300, which had been reported stolen, with tarps. When officers arrived, Libertus ran into the wooded area. As a Newton County detective arrived, he saw Libertus spring from the east side of the street and start running down the street. The detective drove toward him. Libertus then tried to cut back onto the property, but was unable to, then attempted to run again. He tripped on some shrubbery, got up, tried to run, and then tripped on some more shrubbery and fell down again. The detective was then able to take him into custody. Libertus had $1,240 in his wallet and a key to the Chrysler 300 in his pocket.
The detective found a hollowed out railroad tie near the vehicle. Inside was a camouflage box that contained a Ziploc bag of approximately 396 grams of methamphetamine, a used methamphetamine pipe, several distribution bags with methamphetamine residue in them, a bag of suspected marijuana, several bags of suspected methamphetamine, and a digital scale.
Nathen D. Libertus was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 21 years in federal prison without parole on May 20, 2020. The case is a significant blow to the Southwest Honkys gang, which has been linked to multiple violent crimes in the region.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael D. Strong, Methamphetamine Distribution, Missouri 2024 · Texas
- David McKinnie, Methamphetamine Distribution, MO 2023 · Washington
- John Gans, Methamphetamine Distribution, California 2023 · Illinois
- David Piper, Jr., Methamphetamine Distribution, Texas 2017 · Texas
- Michael Keith Beall, Methamphetamine Distribution, Oklahoma 2017 · Wyoming
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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