Springfield man pleads guilty to heroin conspiracy

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

A Springfield, Mo., man who pleaded guilty in federal court today is the final defendant convicted for his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in Greene County, Mo.

James D. Elbert, 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.

By pleading guilty today, Elbert admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin in Greene County from Oct. 2, 2015, to Nov. 13, 2017. Elbert admitted that, on three separate occasions, he sold a total of 6.86 grams of heroin to a law enforcement undercover informant in Springfield.

Elbert is the final defendant to be convicted in this case. Five additional defendants have been sentenced and three additional defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

Dangelo P. Moore, 35, of Willard, Mo., was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. Jerry R. Blue, 34, of Springfield, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Kevin D. Paine, 33, of Cahokia, Ill., was sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole. Keilan A. Murray, 30, of Springfield, was sentenced to four years in federal prison without parole. Presley A. Pike, 31, of Springfield, was sentenced to time served.

Michael K. Johnson, Jr., 36, of Ozark, Mo., Rodriguez R. Bradley, 40, of Fordland, Mo., and Kewan J. Rogers, 39, of St. Louis, Mo., also have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

Under federal statutes, Elbert is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years 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. Attorneys Randall D. Eggert and Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Ozark, Mo., Police Department.