KC Reporter

A Pittsburg, Kansas man has been sentenced in federal court for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, following a motorcycle chase that ended in Missouri.

Justin T. Lapping, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark on Tuesday, May 21, to 24 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court mandated that this sentence be served consecutively to any sentence imposed in an ongoing state case in Taney County, Mo. Lapping was sentenced as a career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.

Lapping pleaded guilty on May 11, 2023, to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

On August 9, 2022, a Crawford County sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop Lapping. He fled on his motorcycle but later abandoned it after entering Barton County, Mo., on Highway 160 and attempted to escape on foot. Law enforcement officers deployed tasers and took him into custody while he was carrying a Ziploc bag containing 187.9 grams of methamphetamine.

Court documents reveal that Lapping has nine prior felony convictions, including five for drug trafficking and two involving fleeing from law enforcement in a vehicle.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon prosecuted the case which was investigated by the FBI along with the Barton County and Crawford County Sheriff’s Departments.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at identifying, disrupting, and dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven multi-agency approach.

Further information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.