A man from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempting to sell methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. delivered the sentence on Tuesday.
Lonnie C. Hamilton, aged 40, had pleaded guilty in December to a felony count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to his plea, on May 16, 2023, an officer from the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force was informed by an individual that Hamilton attempted to sell him an ounce of methamphetamine on the street.
Upon locating Hamilton, the officer discovered a baggie containing methamphetamine in his pocket. Hamilton admitted that it was meth and acknowledged he had recently been released from prison. He explained that an acquaintance provided him with two ounces of methamphetamine to sell for profit and confessed to using some while intending to sell the rest. At the time of arrest, Hamilton possessed approximately 48 grams or about 1.7 ounces of meth.
Hamilton's criminal history includes at least two prior felony convictions related either to violence or drug offenses, classifying him as a "career offender."
The case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter.