Testosterone charges filed against former officers

Charges of illegally possessing or selling testosterone have been filed against two former law enforcement officers in connection with a monthslong investigation by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force.

Former Scott County deputy Ivan Norman Brant Jr., 37, of Scott City was charged with the Class C felony of possession of a controlled substance. If convicted, he would spend no more than seven years in prison and could have to pay a fine and be placed on probation.

Former Scott City officer Samuel J. Lincoln, 26, of Whitewater has been charged with the Class B felony of distribution of a controlled substance, according to court documents. If convicted, he could serve five to 15 years in prison.

Brant and Lincoln are scheduled to appear at 1 p.m. June 9 before Judge Gary Kamp in Cape Girardeau County Court in Jackson.

Charges stem from an investigation begun in January involving the sale or possession of testosterone, according to court documents.

Probable-cause statements by Missouri State Highway patrolman Jay R. Holcomb say a Jackson police officer filed a report that Lincoln offered to sell him testosterone earlier in January after a conversation about body image.

Lincoln told the officer he could sell him some testosterone for $200 and "that the testosterone would assist with quickly achieving a fit appearance," one of the statements says.

After the Jackson officer filed the report, a recorded phone call was arranged for the sale of the testosterone, according to the statement. On Jan. 22, the officer contacted Lincoln and was told the testosterone was available and he would sell it to the officer for $200.

Holcomb then contacted Lincoln to conduct an interview in which Lincoln said he knew testosterone was a controlled substance and that he had previously purchased and used the drug, according to court documents. Lincoln also admitted to planning the sale to the Jackson officer, Holcomb wrote.

During the interview, Lincoln placed a call to Brant to set up a meeting at the Rhodes Travel Center in Scott City to buy the hormone. There, Brant provided Lincoln with the testosterone and Lincoln gave Brant $200 in return, according to the statement filed in the case against Brant.

Holcomb contacted Brant the evening of the sale, and Brant said he was merely holding the testosterone for Lincoln as collateral for a loan.

Task force director Mark McClendon had no comment Wednesday afternoon.

Payroll records show Brant was removed from the Scott County Sheriff's Department payroll roster by Jan. 24. Lincoln was shown to be an employee of the Scott City Police Department for the week of Dec. 29 through Jan. 11, but did not appear on the department's payroll roster after that week.

The SEMO Drug Task Force is supervised by the Missouri State Highway Patrol with officers from local agencies who investigate illegal drug activity in their jurisdictions. The Sikeston, Missouri-based task force is one of eight such organizations in the state, according to the highway patrol's website.

skluesner@semissourian.com

388-3648