Admitted Qulin drug dealer faces minimum 10-year sentence

CAPE GIRARDEAU — A Butler County man faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty Wednesday to drug- and weapons-related crimes.

Jestin L. Smith, 34, pleaded guilty to the felonies of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell.

Smith entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., who set sentencing for Sept. 29.

“He must do at least 10 years,” Sorrell said.

Sorrell said the meth-related and weapons’ offenses both carry mandatory minimum sentences of five years, and the five-year sentence on the weapons offense has to be served consecutively to any other sentence Smith receives.

Maximum sentencing for the charges include up to five years in prison on the possession with intent to distribute marijuana, up to 40 years for possession of 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and up to life imprisonment for the weapons offense.

At sentencing, Sorrell said, the government will dismiss three additional felonies of felon in possession of a firearm, making a false statement in an attempted acquisition of firearm and making a false statement to a gun dealer.

With Smith’s plea, he admitted on Aug. 20, law enforcement officers obtained a state search warrant for his home in the 4800 block of Highway N at Qulin. The officers reportedly were searching for illegal drugs

According to the plea agreement signed by Smith, the officers found an H&R 12-gauge shotgun, a Palmetto State Armory .223-caliber pistol, 146 grams of marijuana, 145 grams of methamphetamine and two sets of digital scales during their search.

Smith, who was at his residence during the search, reportedly admitted the items were his.

“The Palmetto State Armory pistol had been stolen from Rhino Gunworx in Poplar Bluff,” the plea agreement further says. “A store employee stole the firearm and sold it to Smith.”

Smith also “admits that he intended to distribute the marijuana and methamphetamine to other persons and that he knew the substances were marijuana and methamphetamine,” the plea agreement says.

Smith further admitted to possessing the firearms “in furtherance of the sales of the marijuana and methamphetamine, in that the firearms would protect (him) during the sales or during his possession of the controlled substances or the money obtained from the sales of those substances.”