Jury Convicts Columbia Man of Fentanyl Trafficking

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A Columbia, Mo., man was found guilty in federal court today of possessing fentanyl that he intended to distribute in Springfield, Mo.

Michael E. Hunt, Jr., 43, was found guilty of one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

Law enforcement officers learned that Hunt was planning to transport fentanyl from Columbia to Springfield. Hunt was driving a black Jeep Renegade southbound on Highway 5 on June 12, 2022, when a Laclede County, Mo., sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop for a moving violation. A police service dog alerted to the presence of drugs in the Jeep, at which time Hunt locked the vehicle and refused to give officers the keys.

After the Jeep was unlocked by a local tow company, officers searched the vehicle and found a black gym bag on the front passenger seat that contained approximately 300 grams of fentanyl, which is consistent with distribution and not merely personal use.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for about an hour before returning a guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, ending a trial that began Monday, July 15.

Under federal statutes, Hunt is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Brown and J.D. Hatcher. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Laclede County, Mo., Sheriff's Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.