Columbia Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth Conspiracy, Firearm

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to illegally possessing a firearm.

Gary Deangelo Warren, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole.

On July 11, 2018, Warren pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. 

Warren was arrested on May 8, 2017, when he arrived at the arranged meeting place to sell methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Warren was carrying two plastic baggies with a total of approximately 16.1 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded Jimenez Arms .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen. Officers also found a plastic bag containing approximately 445.2 grams of pure methamphetamine inside a shoebox on the rear passenger floorboard of the vehicle Warren was driving.

Warren has an extensive criminal history that includes more than 30 adult convictions for such crimes as property damage, driving offenses, possession of a controlled substance, stealing, tampering, domestic assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Co-defendant Michael Scott Bilderback, 39, was sentenced to two years in federal prison without parole on Sept. 6, 2018, after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Bilderback, who was arrested on the same day, received methamphetamine from Warren to distribute to others. Bilderback admitted to selling at least eight ounces of methamphetamine a day during the two months prior to his arrest. Columbia police officers seized approximately 112.7 grams of methamphetamine during the execution of a search warrant at Bilderback’s motel room in Columbia.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.