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Press Release

Springfield Woman Indicted for Meth after High-Speed Chase in Osage Beach

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., woman was indicted by a federal grand jury today for possessing methamphetamine for distribution, following a high-speed police chase in Osage Beach, Mo.

 

Stacy Renae Merrell, 28, of Springfield, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo.

 

Today’s indictment alleges that Merrell was in possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on Feb. 19, 2015. The federal indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Merrell to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged offense, including $12,557 that was seized by law enforcement officers.

 

Merrell was arrested on Feb. 19, 2015, when she allegedly refused to stop for an Osage Beach, Mo., police officer. The officer observed Merrell driving a BMW X5 SUV on U.S. Highway 54 near the Grand Glaize Bridge in Osage Beach. The officer activated his emergency lights, but Merrell refused to stop and allegedly led police in a pursuit that exceeded 100 miles per hour. Merrell exited U.S. Highway 54 at the Highway 242 exit in Miller County, Mo., and crashed through a metal gate. Her vehicle went down an embankment and crashed. Merrell ran from the vehicle but fell through a partially frozen pool of water and was completely submerged. Merrell pulled herself out of the water and surrendered to police officers.

 

During a search of Merrell’s vehicle, officers found a large bundle of $100 bills totaling $10,000 in the glove box and two plastic bags containing a total of 244 grams of methamphetamine on the passenger floor board inside a nylon bag.

 

Dickinson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

 

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart J. Zander. It was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Osage Beach, Mo., Police Department, the Lake Ozark, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force.

Updated April 2, 2015

Topic
Drug Trafficking