Everton Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy

 SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Everton, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in the Springfield, Mo., area.

Cheyenne W. Conn, 45, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

By pleading guilty today, Conn admitted that he participated in a drug-trafficking conspiracy from Nov. 22, 2016, to Sept. 26, 2018, and in a money-laundering conspiracy from June 20, 2017, to Dec. 6, 2017.

Conn transported approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine per week by vehicle from California to the Springfield area. He then distributed the methamphetamine to other dealers in the conspiracy. Conn admitted that the drug quantity attributable to him is at least 4.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.

Conn also directed others to send wire transfers of the drug-trafficking proceeds to members of the drug-trafficking organization.

Conn was arrested on Nov. 22, 2016, when Greene County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies responded to a report that a truck on Farm Road 124 was unable to maintain lanes, and persons were throwing objects believed to be needles out of the truck. Deputies located the truck, which was being driven by Conn. He jumped out of the truck and was detained while a passenger continued driving the truck. Deputies later found the truck in a ditch at the intersection of State Highway F and State Highway T. A deputy searched the truck and found a Lorcin .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a total of 4.27 grams of methamphetamine. Conn had $1,333 in the front pocket of his sweatshirt.

On Dec. 22, 2016, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Conn’s residence and seized a total of 15 grams of methamphetamine, a distributive amount.

On Dec. 10, 2017, Conn was arrested during a traffic stop in Oldham County, Texas. A sheriff’s deputy found $900 in Conn’s pocket and a baggie that contained approximately 6.27 grams of methamphetamine, a distributive amount. The deputy also searched Conn’s vehicle and found a black bag that contained a large amount of money with a note that stated, “$27,000,” a hypodermic needle with a usable amount of methamphetamine, and a 9mm pistol magazine hidden in the left-rear-quarter panel behind the carpet.

On Sept. 22, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the shop owned by co-defendant Jeremy A. Ingram, 42, of Springfield. Conn and Ingram were present in the garage, where officers seized a loaded Springfield Armory 9mm semi-automatic pistol, 300 rounds of 9mm ammunition, numerous rounds of various caliber ammunition, a lock pick set, and drug paraphernalia. Officers also seized a loaded Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol from Conn’s GMC Sierra, which had been reported as stolen.

Conn is one of 12 defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case, including Ingram, Larry E Stapp, 42, Tresha R. Ahart, 31, Megan L McNary, 27, Lonnie J. Tinker, 36, Laurie B. Holmes, 39, and Cassidy R. Clayton, 25, all of Springfield; Ginger L. Huerta, also known as Ginger L. Gray, 41, of Halfway, Mo.; Lloyd R. Bradley, 44, of Fordland, Mo.; Shelby R. Maupin, 32, of Ozark, Mo.; and Summerlee M. Barnett, also known as Summerlee M. Lacount, 35, of Salem, Mo.

Under federal statutes, Conn is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Sarff. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Dade County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department, and the Oldham County, Texas, Sheriff’s Department.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program.  The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy.  OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.  Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illicit drug supply.