Federal jury convicts 2 for huge cocaine-selling ring in Springfield area

Eleven co-defendants pleaded guilty earlier.

April 30, 2012|edited news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A U.S. District Court jury convicted a man from Nixa and a man from Springfield on Monday for conspiring to distribute large amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine in the Springfield area. The conviction followed a week of hearing evidence and testimony.

Carlous S. Horton, 36, of Nixa, and Christopher Holmes, 26, of Springfield, were found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and to manufacture and distribute crack cocaine, from Jan. 1, 2010 to March 14, 2011.

Horton was the leader of a drug-trafficking organization that imported multi-kilogram shipments of cocaine from Chicago, Ill., and/or Dallas, Texas, on a monthly basis. The shipments, averaging two kilograms per trip, were transported to Springfield by vehicles, commercial bus lines and commercial airlines. Once the cocaine arrived in Springfield, the organization processed it and distributed it as either cocaine or crack cocaine. Holmes was Horton’s main distributor.

Following the presentation of evidence over five days, the jury deliberated for about an hour before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Richard Dorr, ending a trial that began Monday, April 23.

Co-defendants Steven Quan, 23; Nicole Keeland-Canady, 39; Helen Vernor, 24; Demarius Marshall, 30; Ryan Roepke, 33; Antonio G. Davis, 29; Mark Robinson, 26; Cleveland Larmore, 24; and Tony Cloke, 26, all of Springfield; Sean McManmie, 36, of Nixa; and Kristopher Farmer, 25, of Lebanon; earlier pleaded guilty to the charges contained in a superseding indictment issued on July 20, 2011.

In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Horton was found guilty of participating in a money-laundering conspiracy. Horton was also convicted of seven counts of distributing cocaine, one count of distributing crack cocaine, one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to manufacture crack cocaine, one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, four counts of money laundering and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. Horton, who has a prior felony conviction, was in possession of an FFG 9mm handgun, a Luger 9mm handgun, and an SCCY Industries 9mm handgun.

Holmes was also found guilty of one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Holmes, who has a prior felony conviction, was in possession of a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber handgun.

Under federal statutes, Horton and Holmes are each subject to a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Springfield Police Department and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

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