Independence Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearm
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man who was arrested after he drove two victims of an accidental shooting to the hospital emergency room has pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to illegally possessing firearms.
Jason Ruben Breedlove, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Monday, March 28, to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
After two people were shot at a residence in Butler, Mo., on Feb. 5, 2018, Breedlove drove the gunshot victims to the Bates County Memorial Hospital in Butler and dropped them off at the emergency room. Deputies of the Bates County Sheriff’s Department apprehended Breedlove and took him into custody the same day.
When deputies searched the residence where the shooting occurred, they found 25 grams of methamphetamine, which Breedlove admitted belonged to him, and a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol. An additional round of ammunition was found in Breedlove’s pants. Breedlove told investigators this was the pistol that had discharged and wounded the two shooting victims.
When deputies searched Breedlove’s vehicle, they found a Savage 6.5 Creedmoor caliber rifle and ammunition. The firearm had been reported as stolen.
Breedlove admitted that he purchased methamphetamine for others to distribute.
Under federal statutes, Breedlove 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. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bates County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Butler, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
