Former councilman Rhett Pierce federally indicted on drug possession, unlawful firearm possession counts

Former Cape Girardeau councilman Rhett Pierce has been indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of drug possession with intent to distribute and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to the indictment documents, the grand jury alleges in the second count that Pierce was an “unlawful user of a controlled substance” and possessed two Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistols. The second count stated the firearms were “shipped and transported in interstate commerce”.

Records indicate the indictment was handed down Tuesday, Oct. 1.

According to a motion for pre-trial detention document, Sayler Fleming, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, motioned the court to order Pierce to be detained while pending trial.

The document states when Pierce was arrested Sept. 27 after he allegedly admitted to using methamphetamine, he "repeatedly" asked how he could make this case go away and what judge or prosecutor could make that happen.

“The defendant (Pierce) admitted that he had been a habitual methamphetamine user since approximately 2019, admitting that he snorted a line of methamphetamine every morning and afternoon,” the document states.

The document also states that the confidential source that set up the delivery of the methamphetamine at a hotel for Pierce allegedly arrived from “the state of Texas”. According to the document, when the officers searched Pierce's home and found the firearms, they also located two small bags of methamphetamine weighing 9 grams with packaging and a larger bag weighing 25 grams with packaging.

According to previous Southeast Missourian reporting, Pierce was arrested on two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of drug trafficking Sept. 27. Pierce resigned from his position as Ward 5 councilman on the Cape Girardeau City Council as of a Saturday, Sept. 28, news release.