A Denver, Colorado man was sentenced on April 15 to 20 years in federal prison without parole for trafficking fentanyl and illegally possessing firearms, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Jason S. Thompson, age 50, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough after being found guilty by a jury on January 6 of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of firearms.
The case is significant as it highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address violent crime and drug trafficking in Missouri communities. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach and prevention programs aimed at addressing issues like violent crime and drug trafficking, according to the official website.
Thompson was contacted by Nixa Police Department officers on August 30, 2024 while camping in a minivan at a Walmart parking lot. He initially gave false identification but was apprehended after attempting to flee on foot. Officers discovered he had an outstanding federal probation and parole warrant. A search revealed cocaine, over $1,000 cash, nearly 140 grams of fentanyl pills, drug paraphernalia, and two loaded handguns—a Glock model 19 and an HS Produkt Hellcat—in his possession or vehicle.
Court documents showed Thompson’s prior felony convictions include methamphetamine distribution with intent to distribute, felon in possession of a firearm, conspiracy involving multiple controlled substances, and theft.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron A. Beaver and James J. Kelleher as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah R. Lucas following investigations by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Nixa Police Department, and Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Operation Take Back America is part of broader efforts led by the Department of Justice against illegal immigration as well as cartel- or transnational criminal organization-related activity.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri has offices located in Kansas City, Jefferson City and Springfield according to the official website; it handles federal prosecutions across sixty-six counties stretching from Iowa’s border southward toward Arkansas—from Kansas’s border eastward about halfway across Missouri—while collaborating with federal state local tribal law enforcement partners.
