Federal prison ordered in meth case

CAPE GIRARDEAU — A Ripley County man was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with intentions of distributing it.

Robert C. Widding was arrested twice in three months with methamphetamine in his possession, once while in a stolen vehicle. He was on probation for possession at the time.

He has been ordered to serve two 96-month sentences on two felonies of possession of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr. ordered Widding’s sentences to be “served concurrently with each other and consecutively with any state sentence,” Sorrell said.

A Probation and Parole official reports Widding was released on parole on July 12, 2019. Widding had been serving a seven-year sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in October 2018 to the Class D felony of possession of a controlled substance.

Widding’s parole reportedly expires on June 12, 2025.

Upon his release from federal prison, Sorrell said, Widding will be placed on a four-year period of supervised release.

The agreed-upon facts of the case say on Dec. 13, 2019, Ripley County Deputy Stephen Murphy was on patrol on Highway 160 at about 9:45 p.m.

“He observed a vehicle approaching him passing two other vehicles,” the plea agreement signed by Widding says. “The passing vehicle was exceeding the posted speed limit.

“After passing the cars, the passing vehicle veered back in Murphy’s lane of travel.”

Murphy subsequently stopped the vehicle, which was being operated by Widding.

Widding reportedly did not have a valid driver’s license on his person.

“While getting Widding’s information, Widding stated that he had some methamphetamine in the vehicle,” the plea agreement further says. “Widding said it was behind the passenger seat in a camouflage bag.”

After being given permission to search, Murphy reportedly found the bag with methamphetamine inside.

“The substance was confirmed to be more than 50 grams of methamphetamine,” the plea agreement says.

On Feb. 23, Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Emily Westmoreland reportedly was patrolling Highway 21 in Ripley County when she met a Ford pickup, which did not have registration on the front of the truck.

Westmoreland, the plea agreement says, conducted a traffic stop and contacted Widding.

Westmoreland subsequently learned from her dispatcher that Widding did not have a valid license and there was a warrant for his arrest through Carter County.

“She also learned that the truck had been stolen about a month earlier, on Jan. 25, 2020, and that the license plate on the back was registered to another vehicle,” the plea agreement says.

Widding reportedly was arrested and searched.

“The search revealed that Widding had a Baggie of a white powdery substance in his right coat pocket,” the plea agreement says.

The substance was tested by a patrol crime laboratory, which confirmed the substances found on Widding reportedly weighed a total of 87 grams and contained methamphetamine.

Widding was interviewed and admitted he knew the substance was methamphetamine.

With his plea, “Widding admits that he knew the substances contained methamphetamine and that he intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine” to other persons.