Twenty-four Missourians including members of a motorcycle club have been arrested on three indictments for federal drug and weapons charges in a joint operation between the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the Highway Patrol and local authorities in the St. Louis area.
Those Missourians and one man from Texas are accused of being involved in the distribution and manufacture of methamphetamine in eastern Missouri between October 2010 and September 2013.
Each of those arrested face between 10 years and life in prison for the drug charges and up to 10 years for the gun charges.
U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan calls the case an example of problems with a gun law nullification bill vetoed by the governor. He says if it had become law the defendants in this case could sue the law enforcement officers that investigated the case and those officers would be defendants in both civil and criminal lawsuits.
“I can’t believe this is what the legislature intended,” Callahan says in a statement.
The legislature could consider overturning the governor’s veto of that bill in the veto session beginning tomorrow at noon.
Those indicted are:
JORGE LOPEZ, 37, Corinth, TX;
MELVIN J. SCHERRER, 49, Bonne Terre, MO;
ALAN D. ADLER, 54, Bonne Terre, MO;
BRENT T. BOUREN, 42, St. Louis, MO;
HOWARD R. PYATT, a/k/a “Bud,” 55, Bonne Terre, MO;
ARVIL B. MATTHEWS, 50, Imperial, MO;
MARK E. ABNEY, 47, Bonne Terre, MO;
AMBER D. SCISM, 31, Farmington, MO;
TERRI L. FOX, 47, St. Louis;
GUILLERMO NAVARRO, a/k/a “Willie,” 35, St. Louis, MO;
JERRY L. ADDISON, 66, St. Louis, MO;
JERAMI A. WESTENBERGER, 35, Arnold, MO;
RAY ALLEN DAVIS, Jr., 46, Union, MO;
JAMES A. MITCHELL, 44, St. Louis area;
PATRICK A. TATE, 41, St. Louis, MO;
JIMMIE D. JOHNSON, 60, St. Clair, MO;
DONALD J. MAGUIRE, 54, St. Louis;
THEODORE S. HEEGE, 48, St. Louis;
NORMA J. EGAN, 47, St. Louis;
DONNA L. MOSS, 45, St. Louis;
SHEILA C. HEEGE, 47, St. Louis;
DANIELLE R. BECKER, 29, Park Hills, MO;
HALEY L. MEIER, 34, St. Louis;
HEATHER N. MARTIN, 27, St. Louis; and
AMY G. HORRELL, 33, Bonne Terre, MO.