CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The seizure of 850 pounds of marijuana and 12 pounds of methamphetamine during a 2016 traffic stop in Carter County resulted in an Illinois man being sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in federal prison.
Lowell Eugene Johnson, 58, of Metropolis, Ill., was sentenced to 240 months in prison on the felonies of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and possession of with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine by U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
"He received 20 years on Count III (methamphetamine) and concurrent 10-year sentences on Counts I and II (marijuana and cocaine)," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester, who handled the prosecution for the government.
The agreed-upon facts of the case say on Nov. 30, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop on a Chevrolet pickup, which was speeding on U.S. 60 n Carter County.
The officer, according to the plea agreement, detected a strong odor of marijuana as he approached the truck, whose driver was identified as Johnson.
Based on the odor, officers subsequently searched Johnson's truck and found a large quantity of controlled substances -- 850 pounds of marijuana, 12 pounds of methamphetamine and more than two pounds of cocaine.
Johnson was arrested and taken to the Carter County Sheriff's Department.
After being advised of his Miranda rights, Johnson agreed to speak with Drug Enforcement Administration agents.
"Mr. Johnson admitted that he drove from Southern Illinois to the state of Arizona in order to pick up the controlled substances found in his truck," the plea agreement said. "(He) further admitted that the controlled substances were going to be distributed in the area of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois."
With his plea, Johnson admitted to knowingly possessed the methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine with intentions of distributing the substances.
Johnson also admitted he previously had been convicted of the felony of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base on May 16, 1996, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District in Illinois and sentenced to 198 months in federal prison.
Johnson's case was investigated by the Ellsinore Police Department, Carter County Sheriff's Office, the South Central Drug Task Force and the DEA.