Judge sentences Wentzville man for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl

 ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced Charles T. McRoberts to 120 months in prison. The 50-year-old Wentzville resident was charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

On July 12, 2019, McRoberts and co-defendant Gernell Armour possessed with intent to distribute approximately one kilogram of fentanyl.   The day before, St. Louis Police Officers inspected packages for suspected illegal narcotics at the United Parcel Service Shipment Sorting Center. During the inspection, investigators discovered a suspicious package addressed to a person in St. Louis sent from Las Vegas, Nevada. investigators searched the sender’s name and address and found the information to be a fake company.

Believing the package to contain illegal narcotics, investigators used a K-9 to positively identify the presence of illegal narcotics within the package. The investigators obtained a warrant, opened the package and found clothing, a light bulb and vacuum-sealed bags containing suspected heroin/fentanyl.
 

A decoy package was created by investigators and a search warrant was obtained for the residence where the package was addressed. On July 12, 2019 a UPS employee attempted delivery of the decoy package. A person within the residence accepted the package, but later denied knowing its contents. Investigators observed McRoberts inside the residence during the decoy package delivery and watched him leave. McRoberts returned later to pick-up the decoy package, at which time he was taken into custody.  

Co-defendant Gernell Armour is awaiting trial and presumed innocent of the charges.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Metro Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nauman Wadalawala handled this case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.