A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison without parole for his role in a heroin trafficking operation and possession of multiple illegal firearms.
William C. Merriweather, 37, was found guilty of conspiring to distribute heroin in Greene County, Missouri, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
On Sept. 4, 2019, Merriweather pleaded guilty to one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in Greene County, Missouri, from July 14 to Dec. 14, 2017, and to one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
A search warrant was executed at Merriweather’s residence on Dec. 14, 2017, where officers found 7.39 grams of heroin and multiple firearms, including a loaded Armi Fratelli Tanfoglio 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, and several semi-automatic rifles.
Merriweather admitted to making multiple trips per week to purchase heroin, which he then sold for a profit. He has five prior felony convictions, including multiple convictions for possessing cocaine and heroin, and a prior conviction for burglary.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
As part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with local law enforcement to reduce violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. The program aims to identify and prosecute the most violent offenders and partner with prevention and reentry programs to make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Related Federal Cases
- L.C. Richardson, Firearm and Heroin Trafficking, IL 2023 · Illinois
- Darrell Lewis, Heroin and Firearms Trafficking, LA 2024 · Washington
- Matthew Allen Hampton, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Missouri 2024 · Missouri
- Kyle Maurice Parks, Interstate Prostitution Trafficking, Missouri 2024 · Washington
- James Allen, Marijuana Trafficking, MO, 2013 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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