Springfield Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearms

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute valeryl fentanyl, which is an analogue of fentanyl, and illegally possessing eight firearms.

Darrell L. Smith, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

On Jan. 11, 2024, Smith was found guilty at trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute a fentanyl analogue known as valeryl fentanyl, one count of possessing a fentanyl analogue with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Co-defendant Eugene C. Saunders, 51, of Springfield, pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and was sentenced on Aug. 1, 2023, to three years in federal prison without parole.

In August 2019, law enforcement learned that Smith and Saunders were selling "heroin" (later determined to be valeryl fentanyl) together in Springfield and that Saunders stored his "heroin" at Smith's residence. Smith and Saunders often packaged the drug together at Smith's residence.

On Aug. 15, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residences of both Smith and Saunders.

At Smith's residence, officers seized a large plastic bag that contained valeryl fentanyl and 30 individually packaged sandwich bags of valeryl fentanyl.

In plain view on a table in the living room near the bags of valeryl fentanyl, officers found a loaded magazine for a 9mm pistol. Officers found body armor (leaning against his infant daughter's crib) and seven loaded firearms - including a Smith & Wesson .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a North American Arms .22-caliber revolver, a Mossberg 20-gauge pump shotgun, a Smith & Wesson .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun - in an upstairs bedroom. Three of these firearms were located in plain view on a dresser and two shotguns were leaned up against a wall (one directly behind his daughter's crib). An eighth firearm was found in a child's bedroom, where Smith had been located when the warrant was executed. This firearm, a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol, was located underneath a couch cushion on a child's bed among some toys.

At Saunders' residence, law enforcement recovered 69 individually packaged bags of fentanyl.

Evidence introduced at trial revealed that Smith recruited the mother of his infant daughter to the conspiracy and filmed a video of her bagging up fentanyl for distribution in his living room. Smith testified he had filmed the video to use it as leverage in an ongoing custody dispute.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.