NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

NOVEMBER 13, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OPERATION FAMILY TREE

SPRINGFIELD MAN, WOMAN SENTENCED

FOR METH CONSPIRACY

            SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two Springfield, Mo., residents have been sentenced in federal court for participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

             Operation Family Tree is a multi-agency law enforcement investigation that targeted the large-scale distribution of methamphetamine and marijuana in southern Missouri and Oklahoma, resulting in a series of federal indictments on Aug. 31, 2007.

             Robert J. Taylor, 40, and Kelly D. Wilson, 38, both of Springfield, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008. Taylor was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison without parole. Wilson was sentenced to four years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Wilson to forfeit to the government $7,335, which was derived from the illegal sale of methamphetamine and was seized by law enforcement officers.

             On June 2, 2008, Taylor pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Mo., from Aug. 24 to Dec. 15, 2006. On four occasions, Taylor sold a total of 28.5 grams of pure methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement agents. Taylor also introduced undercover agents to Wilson, who was his source of supply.

             On June 13, 2008, Wilson pleaded guilty to her role in the methamphetamine conspiracy. She admitted to providing methamphetamine to Taylor for redistribution, and to selling methamphetamine to undercover agents.

            This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and COMET (the Combined Ozarks Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement Team).