An Independence, Missouri man has been charged by criminal complaint for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to a March 12 announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Marceil Wortham, 38, appeared in federal court earlier that day on two counts related to the charges. Court documents state that law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Wortham’s residence on March 10 and seized 24 kilograms of methamphetamine along with seven firearms. Four of the firearms reportedly had no make, model, or serial number listed.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said, “The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Siegele and was investigated by several agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Jackson County Drug Task Force, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Independence Police Department, and Kansas City Missouri Police Department.
The prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159. The task force aims to eliminate criminal cartels and transnational organizations operating within the United States through interagency collaboration. The HSTF places special emphasis on crimes involving children and utilizes all available tools to prosecute violent offenders.
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. The office handles federal prosecutions and civil litigation across 66 counties in western Missouri according to the official website, covering an area from the Iowa border in the north to Arkansas in the south and from Kansas in the west halfway across Missouri eastward according to the official website. Offices are located in Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield according to the official website. The office collaborates with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners according to the official website.
As this case moves forward through federal court proceedings under standard legal processes, officials say that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
