Last conspirator in drug ring pleads guilty in federal court

As the final co-conspirator in a multistate drug ring distributing methamphetamine into Stoddard County pleaded guilty in federal court, the first of the ring was sentenced.

L.B. Coleman Jr., 26, of Blytheville, Ark., pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, according to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Abbie Crites-Leoni, who handled the prosecution for the government.

Coleman entered his plea Monday in Cape Girardeau before U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel, who set sentencing for Nov. 4. Coleman faces a maximum of life in prison and an $8 million fine.

With his plea, Coleman reportedly admitted that between May 2001 and Feb. 21, he, William Butterfield Jr. and others agreed to distribute methamphetamine, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

Coleman's plea follows the guilty pleas of four others who were involved in the distribution of methamphetamine, ultimately received from Coleman.

The first to be sentenced in connection with those pleas was John T. Hayes, 36, of Caruthersville, Mo. On Monday, Sippel sentenced Hayes to 72 months in prison.

Hayes had earlier pleaded guilty to one felony count of distribution of methamphetamine and one felony count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

On June 24, William Butterfield, 36, and his wife, Johnna Butterfield, 32, of Blytheville pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting each other in the distribution of methamphetamine to Bobby H. Reno Jr. of Steele, Mo. Reno, 34, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine on July 8.

The Butterfields will be sentenced Sept. 23. Each faces a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine. Reno will be sentenced Oct. 7 and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Dennis Fowler, a Stoddard County deputy who is assigned to the SEMO Drug Task Force, which was one of the agencies investigating the ring, said the suspects were running "a pretty good operation in terms of the amount."