Southwest Honkeys gang member pleads guilty to operating meth conspiracy from his prison cell

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A Southwest Honkeys gang member pleaded guilty in federal court today to operating a methamphetamine conspiracy from his prison cell.

Nathaniel R. Eisenhour, 30, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Dec. 15, 2016, to April 20, 2017. Eisenhour was incarcerated in the custody of either the Greene County jail or the Missouri Department of Corrections for almost the entire period of the conspiracy.

Eisenhour, a member of the Southwest Honkeys prison gang, admitted that he communicated with associates while he was incarcerated to sell methamphetamine and to collect money for past drug debts.

Eisenhour was arrested on Dec. 21, 2015, on an outstanding parole violation warrant. Eisenhour, while incarcerated, instructed one of his associates to take the money from drug sales to a family member. On Jan. 30, 2017, federal agents seized $31,800 from the family member who was holding the money for Eisenhour. In a jail call, Eisenhour had previously authorized another family member to obtain $200 from that same stash. The total of $32,000, including the seized amount and the $200 that was removed before the seizure, represented approximately 2.2 kilograms in methamphetamine sales, based on the price Eisenhour discussed with one of the associates who distributed for him after his arrest.

Under federal statutes, Eisenhour is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison. 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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine Larison. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Ozark, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.