St. Louis, MO - The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Douglas Gehlert was sentenced to 71 months in prison involving his possession of anhydrous ammonia. The Belle, Missouri, Police Chief was sent to the hospital after inhaling the vapors.

According to court documents, on June 2, 2011, Chief Michael Dixon, Jr. of the Belle Police Department stopped a truck with a cracked windshield. He observed the passenger, Douglas Gehlert, throw something out of the passenger window toward the front of the truck. Gehlert was arrested, and subsequent investigation revealed that the item thrown from the truck was a thermos with a lid with a strong odor of anhydrous ammonia. Chief Dixon inhaled the vapors and began having difficulty breathing and collapsed. He was then transported to the Phelps County Regional Medical Center and was admitted to the hospital. Agents also seized a bag containing three different kinds of pseudoephedrine pills.

In March 2011, Gehlert pled guilty to charges involving the manufacture of in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine in Phelps County beginning in February 2008, and was sentenced to 78 months in prison August 31, 2011.

DOUGLAS GEHLERT, Belle, MO, pled guilty in October to one felony count of possession of anhydrous ammonia and pseudoephedrine in connection with today’s sentencing. He appeared before United States District Judge Henry Autrey.

This case was investigated by the South Central Drug Task Force, the Lake Area Narcotics Task Force and the Belle Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jeannette Graviss handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.