Nebraska Drug Dealer Caught in Southeast Missouri Sentenced to Serve Over 20 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that Russell E. Ritter-Westerfield, age 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced to serve 262 months in federal prison for the offense of Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 500 Grams of Methamphetamine. Ritter-Westerfield appeared for his sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

According to court documents, law enforcement officials arrested Ritter-Westerfield at a motel in Marston, Missouri in June 2018. A cooler was found in the motel room, which contained approximately four pounds of methamphetamine. At his guilty plea hearing earlier this year, Ritter-Westerfield admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine. Ritter-Westerfield has an extensive criminal history, including multiple felony drug-trafficking convictions from the State of Nebraska. After serving his 262-month sentence, he will be placed on supervised release for a period of ten years.

This case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.