Poplar Bluff man sentenced to prison on drug charge

U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. sentenced Lonnie C. Hamilton, 40, of Poplar Bluff to 12 years in prison on Tuesday, March 4, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Hamilton, who pleaded guilty in December, was apprehended on May 16, 2023, after a Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force officer was informed that Hamilton attempted to sell an ounce of meth on the street.

Upon being located by the officer, Hamilton admitted to possessing methamphetamine and revealed he had recently been released from prison. He was found with approximately 48 grams, or 1.7 ounces, of methamphetamine. Hamilton disclosed that an acquaintance had given him 2 ounces of meth to sell, from which he had already used some.

Hamilton's sentencing was influenced by his status as a "career offender", a designation applied due to his at least two prior felony convictions involving either a crime of violence or a drug offense. This status typically results in harsher penalties for repeat offenders.

The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.