Department of Justice

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for methamphetamine trafficking and illegally possessing numerous firearms.

Timothy Brian Schutten, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 25 years in federal prison without parole.

On Aug. 8, 2019, Schutten pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Springfield police officers located Schutten, who had an active parole violation warrant, on Aug. 15, 2017. Schutten had a stolen Ruger .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a loaded magazine in one pocket and a cigarette package that contained 4.81 grams of methamphetamine in another pocket. Officers searched the backpack Schutten was wearing and found a Springfield Armory .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol, four bags that contained a total of 693.5 grams of methamphetamine, a bag that contained 1.09 grams of marijuana, a bag that contains .67 grams of heroin, a pill bottle that contained several unidentified pills, $6,430, drug paraphernalia, a box that contained 40 rounds of .38-caliber ammunition, and three cell phones.

On April 25, 2019, police officers located Schutten, who was again wanted in connection with an active parole violation warrant, as he was walking away from his truck at a local hotel. When officers ordered him to stop, Schutten ran back to his truck, started it, and backed into one of the officer’s patrol vehicles. Schutten then put his truck in drive and accelerated toward the hotel. The truck’s tires began spinning in the grass, causing his vehicle to strike the side of the hotel. Schutten continued accelerating until he struck a tree about 10 feet from the hotel. He got out of his truck and began walking toward the hotel entrance. He refused to stop, despite several verbal commands to do so. Schutten entered the hotel and began running toward the lobby, where an officer deployed his Taser. Schutten fell forward onto the floor and immediately began reaching toward his waistband, where officers would later find a loaded 9mm pistol. After ignoring multiple commands to put his arms behind his back, a second officer deployed his Taser. Officers were ultimately able to subdue Schutten and he was placed under arrest.

Officers searched Schutten and found 19 Xanax pills, 34 oxycodone pills, 2.46 grams of methamphetamine, $2,353, and a loaded firearm. Officers searched his vehicle and found six additional firearms, two of which had high-capacity magazines. (Five of the seven firearms seized from Schutten had previously been reported stolen.) Officers also found assorted gun magazines and ammunition, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and two cell phones.

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

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at

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