Government asks for 19-year sentence for Sarcoxie man on meth conspiracy, weapons charges

The government wants to see a Sarcoxie man who pleaded guilty in 2021 to meth conspiracy and weapons charges spend the next 19 years in prison.

In a sentencing memorandum filed today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the U. S. Attorney's office called for William E. Florian-Palma, 41, to serve 14 years on the meth conspiracy charge and five years on using weapons in the commission of a crime with the sentences to run consecutively.

Florian-Palma's sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Springfield.

The reasons for recommending a sentence on the higher end of the guidelines were spelled out in the memorandum:

The underlying facts of this case are egregious. It is clear that the defendant was selling large quantities of methamphetamine and boasting about his ability to obtain and sell pounds of methamphetamine. In just five months, he was caught with large amounts of methamphetamine twice, sold to the UC three times, and made at least two trips to Oklahoma for the purpose of purchasing a large amount of methamphetamine. He was not deterred by his repeated police contacts. 

The defendant also involved others in his drug distribution scheme including his girlfriend, the CI (confidential informant), and the mother of his children. 

Importantly, the defendant was in possession of one firearm (and in the process of obtaining another firearm) in furtherance of his drug trade, demonstrating that the defendant was willing and able to engage in violence while selling drugs.

The drug trade is inherently violent, and it is clear that the drug trade is the root of much of the violence that is occurring in the Southwest Missouri area. The defendant, in his participation of the drug trade, was contributing to the significant addiction and violence problems that are currently plaguing this area.

The defendant’s arrest history and pending charges demonstrate that the defendant has a penchant for violence, particularly violence against his romantic partners. Most importantly, the defendant has a pending federal case for sexual exploitation of children, in which the defendant took photos of a 13-year-old’s genitals and uploaded them to his Google Photos account. That case is set for trial February 13, 2023.