Region briefs 11/14/06

Two plead guilty to drug charges

Two Colorado men pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to possessing and distributing illegal mushrooms. Robert L. Davis, 24, of Golden, Colo., and Cody R. Easley, 23, of Fort Collins, Colo., appeared in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau Monday. The men were arrested Aug. 13 at a music festival in Shannon County, Mo., where undercover police observed them selling illegal mushrooms. The men agreed to forfeit $36,474 to the federal government. They now face a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine on each count. Sentencing has been set for Feb. 26.

Firearms possession leads to prison term

A Scott City man was sentenced to 77 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm Monday in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau. Kevin Scott Miller, 36, was sentenced for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, a felony. Miller was arrested on Nov. 20, 2004, when he was observed hunting with a rifle by a Missouri conservation agent.

Mexican man pleads guilty to drug charge

An illegal alien pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to distribution of methamphetamine and one felony count of unlawfully entering the United States. Rodrigo Moreno, 34, of Rio Bravo, Tamulipas, Mexico, appeared in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau. With his guilty plea, Moreno admitted to distributing an one ounce of methampehtamine on two occasions. He received $1,400 for each ounce of methamphetamine. The drug transactions occurred in Dunklin and Pemiscot counties. In addition, at the time of Moreno's federal arrest he was identified by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as Jose Rodriguez-Rodriguez, a Mexican citizen illegally in the United States. Examination of Moreno's fingerprints revealed that Moreno and Rodriguez-Rodriguez were the same person. Moreno was last deported on July 18, 2003. He now faces a maximum of life imprisonment and a $4 million fine, followed by a period of supervised release of at least eight years. Sentencing has been set for Feb. 26.

University classes canceled after outage

ROLLA, Mo. -- Classes were canceled Monday at the University of Missouri-Rolla, after a power outage left most of the campus without power. A transformer that routes electricity from the city to the university campus malfunctioned about 7 p.m. Sunday, said university spokesman Andrew Careaga. Crews from the university and the City Municipal Utilities worked overnight to try and restore power, but the damage required new fuses. Classes were tentatively scheduled to resume today, Careaga said. It was unclear Monday what caused the problem with the transformer, he said. Nearly all the buildings where classes are held and the main student center, where most students eat, were without power, Careaga said.

-- From staff, wire reports