Columbia Man Charged with Possessing Meth to Distribute

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., man was charged in federal court today with possessing methamphetamine to distribute.

Gary Deangelo Warren, 31, of Columbia was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, a confidential informant – who identified Warren as his supplier – admitted to selling at least eight ounces of methamphetamine a day for the past two months. Columbia police officers seized approximately 119 grams of suspected methamphetamine from the confidential informant on May 8, 2017, during the execution of a search warrant at a motel room in Columbia.

At the direction of law enforcement, the confidential informant placed a series of text messages to Warren arranging to purchase eight ounces of methamphetamine. Warren was arrested when he arrived at the arranged meeting place for the sale. Warren was carrying a plastic bag with approximately 13 grams of suspected methamphetamine and a loaded Jimenez Arms .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol. Officers also found a plastic bag containing approximately 472 grams of methamphetamine inside a shoebox on the rear passenger floorboard of the vehicle Warren was driving.

Warren told investigators that he had arranged to meet with his source the following day to purchase one kilogram of methamphetamine.

Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.