Nevada Man Sentenced for Meth, Illegal Firearms
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Nevada, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms and methamphetamine to distribute.
Justin Nolan, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to nine years in federal prison without parole.
On March 13, 2019, Nolan pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Nevada police officers executed a search warrant at Nolan’s residence on April 4, 2018. Officers seized approximately 42 grams of methamphetamine, $5,898, and drug paraphernalia from an unlocked safe in Nolan’s bedroom. Officers also seized a loaded Jiminez Arms .380-caliber pistol and a stolen Iver Johnson Cadet .38-calbier revolver from a locked safe in the bedroom.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Nolan has a prior felony conviction for maintaining a public nuisance, related to maintaining a residence where illegal drugs were used, possessed, or distributed.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Nevada, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
