KC Reporter

A Springfield, Mo., man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison without parole for using his residence for trafficking methamphetamine and for illegally possessing firearms. Anthony Brandon, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions.

On March 15, 2022, Brandon pleaded guilty to one count of controlling a drug-involved premises and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. The sentencing occurred on Monday, March 4, with Brandon admitting to storing drugs at his residence for his source of supply.

During a search warrant executed on May 23, 2019, Springfield police officers discovered a significant amount of incriminating evidence at Brandon's residence. This included a Taurus 9mm handgun, an Eagle Arms AR10 .62-caliber rifle, an extended firearm magazine with 32 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and miscellaneous ammunition. Additionally, officers found five individually packaged bags of methamphetamine weighing a total of more than 75 grams under a couch cushion in the living room.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron A. Beaver and Jessica R. Eatmon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Brandon's criminal history includes a range of offenses such as violent crimes, assault, possessing and distributing illegal drugs, theft, stealing, burglary, and robbery.