CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- An Arizona man was sentenced to four years in federal prison Friday morning for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine after authorities intercepted a shipment in Butler County.
Gregory John Sanders, 54, of Phoenix was sentenced to 48 months on the felony of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine by U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr., according to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Willis.
Upon his release from prison, Willis said, Sanders will be placed on a five-year term of supervised release.
Willis said Limbaugh also ordered Sanders to forfeit the $5,000 that was seized at the time of his arrest.
With Sanders' earlier plea, he admitted on Feb. 28, 2016, United States postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious parcel in St. Louis, which was addressed to a "Jo Woley" at a rural Butler County address.
A search warrant reportedly was obtained after a drug-detecting police dog alerted to an odor of narcotics coming from the package, which was found to contain 112 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
On March 2, 2016, investigators reportedly "attempted a controlled delivery of the package to Woley ..."
Woley, according to the plea agreement by Sanders, initially denied knowing anything about the package; however, "later admitted that it had been sent to her by Gregory Sanders, a methamphetamine supplier whom she had met several years" before.
The plea agreement further says Woley admitted to having previously received a package containing about 4 ounces of methamphetamine from Sanders in the mail.
Woley reportedly had used some of the methamphetamine and sold the rest.
Woley, according to the plea agreement, reported she had received methamphetamine from Sanders on six previous occasions.
Sanders typically would call Woley and let her know "whom various amounts of methamphetamine were for, and Woley would be allowed to keep the rest as long as she paid for it," the plea agreement says.
Woley, who earlier pleaded guilty and was sentenced, reportedly would "typically parcel out the methamphetamine to the people Sanders indicated, use some of it and then sell the rest.
"Woley would then send Sanders the money for the methamphetamine sold by herself and others through different means."
According to Woley, the total amount of meth that Sanders allegedly had sent her was approximately 28 ounces or about 794 grams.
"At the agents' request, Woley made a consensually recorded phone call to Sanders, and the two discussed the package that had been intercepted," the plea agreement says. "Woley told Sanders that she was nervous about law enforcement watching and waiting for her to get the package.
"Sanders told her that if the package showed up that she should just 'throw it under a tree' and get it another time."
On July 5, 2017, Sanders was arrested in Poplar Bluff after allegedly distributing about a half ounce of meth.
After being told of his rights, Sanders reportedly was confronted with the allegation he was a meth distributor.
" ... Sanders responded: 'You're right; I am probably good for a couple of pounds,'" the plea agreement says.
Sanders further indicated he was "primarily shopping for others who wanted drugs, as he knew a number of people who sold drugs in various cities."
A state search was obtained for and executed on a Poplar Bluff hotel room where Sanders was staying. Officers reportedly recovered about $5,000 in suspected drug proceeds from the room.
In May, Jo Anna Woley was sentenced to 36 months on the felony of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.