.A Galena man whose prison sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama during the final days of his administration pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Springfield to conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Judge David P. Rush ordered a presentence investigation for Carroll Flowers, 68. No date has been set for the sentencing.
Grand jury indictment for Flowers and his co-defendant, Melissa A. Lowry, 43, Joplin, were unsealed January 15.
Flowers' crimes were detailed in the plea agreement filed today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
On December 6, 2017, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent
(SA) Stacy Moore and FBI Task Force Officer Chad Comer met with a confidential informant
(CI) regarding the methamphetamine distribution activities of LOWRY.
The CI stated that he or
she had previously purchased methamphetamine from LOWRY and could purchase an ounce of
methamphetamine from her.
Based upon the CI’s statements, SA Moore arranged for a controlled buy of
methamphetamine from LOWRY. Before the controlled buy, SA Moore searched the CI’s
vehicle and person for contraband with negative results.
SA Moore then handed the CI $700 in
U.S. currency and outfitted him or her with a recording device. SA Moore followed the CI to
LOWRY’s residence, located at on West 4th Street, in Jasper County, within the Western District
of Missouri.
SA Moore observed the CI enter LOWRY’s residence. Approximately 32 minutes
later, Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team (ODET) Detective Joe Houdyshell observed the CI exit
the residence and enter his or her vehicle. ODET Detective Dave Abbott followed the CI as he
or she traveled to a predetermined location.
At the predetermined location, the CI handed SA
Moore $375 in U.S. currency and approximately a half of an ounce of methamphetamine. The
CI stated that LOWRY only had a half of an ounce to sell, however, LOWRY would be obtaining
more methamphetamine possibly that day. The CI and his or her vehicle were again searched for
contraband with negative results.
On the same date, ODET Detective Matt Walker, based upon the controlled buy of
methamphetamine from LOWRY, applied for and received a State of Missouri search warrant for
LOWRY’s residence.
On December 13, 2017, before the execution of the search warrant, SA Moore,
accompanied by members of ODET, conducted surveillance of LOWRY’s residence.
SA Moore
observed LOWRY exit the residence and enter a Dodge Caliber. SA Moore followed the Dodge
Caliber and observed LOWRY travel to the Discount Smokes Shop, then to the Dollar General,
and finally to the residence of FLOWERS, located on Highway 166, in Baxter Springs, Kansas.
After approximately an hour, Detective Houdyshell observed the Dodge Caliber leaving the
residence followed by a Chevrolet Tahoe.
Both vehicles traveled directly back to LOWRY’s
residence. Once the vehicles arrived, LOWRY exited the Dodge Caliber and FLOWERS exited
the driver’s side of the Chevrolet Tahoe.
Both LOWRY and FLOWERS began to walk towards
the residence. Members of ODET converged upon the residence to execute the search warrant.
Detective Walker searched FLOWERS and found $2,731 in U.S. currency and 83.1 grams of pure
methamphetamine, a distributive amount, inside three small bags.
During a search of the LOWRY’s residence, in the only bedroom, inside a compartment
in the dresser, Detective Walker found a black-zipped pouch that contained approximately 14
grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and unused baggies.
The grand jury indictment was unsealed just four days prior to the two-year anniversary of President Obama's commutation of Flowers' 20-year sentence for meth trafficking.
According to the White House news release, Flowers was convicted June 19, 2002, of conspiracy to manufacture or distribute more than one kilogram of methamphetamine.
Under the terms of the commutation, the Federal Bureau of Prisons released Flowers on May 19, 2017.
5 comments:
A lifetime drug dealer who had a second chance and wasted it
This s such bullshit! Drug dealers and/or users get more time than child molesters & rapists do!just because they do drugs doesn't mean they are bad people. They are just addicts. Child molesters & rapists are EVIL!! It makes no sense to me, at all.
I agree. There is nothing wrong with drug abuse. It is a personal choice that harms no one. A personal choice just like what TV show you watch or what you eat for dinner or who you have sex with or abortion.
Just a note on a previous comment - no, doing drugs doesn't make one a "bad person," or mean that he or she is "evil." Selling drugs, however, does.
Except drug addicts tend to do stupid shit like endanger others while driving impaired, stealing for drug money, not working cuz they can't pass a UA. I could go on and on.
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