Joplin Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Meth Trafficking

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Newton County, Mo.

Jason C. Russell, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 24 years and four months in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 17, 2021, Russell pleaded guilty to one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Newton County from April 17, 2019, to Feb. 24, 2021.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were investigating Russell and had identified several messages on his Facebook account related to drug distribution going back to early 2019.

On Feb. 24, 2021, Russell and co-defendant Brittany J. Adcock, 30, of Springfield, Mo., were arrested when an officer with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol stopped a 2012 GMC Sierra pick-up in which they were passengers on Interstate 44 near Vinita, Oklahoma. According to court documents, Russell tried to convince the driver of the truck to flee from law enforcement, but he refused.

Officers searched the vehicle and found a large black bag in the back seat of the truck and a smaller bag in the front of the truck that contained a total of approximately two pounds of methamphetamine.

Adcock was sentenced on May 10 to 10 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to the same charge.

Russell has a history of violent and drug-related crimes, according to court documents. In April 2018, he fled at speeds up to 130 miles an hour from an officer who tried to stop him because his motorcycle had no plates. In July 2019, he shared a video online of himself assaulting someone and threatening that person with a firearm. Russell also has two previous convictions for domestic assault in the second degree and another conviction for assault in the second degree.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the FBI, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.