A St. Louis man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after being convicted of multiple drug and firearm offenses. U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark handed down the sentence on Tuesday to Christopher Glen Rhodes, 47, following his conviction in June for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During the trial, evidence showed that Rhodes supplied methamphetamine to his co-defendant, Demetrius A. Ransom, who then sold the drugs to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In late 2022, Ransom twice sold about one pound of methamphetamine each time to the confidential source. The source also informed investigators that he had previously purchased both methamphetamine and fentanyl from Ransom. When Ransom was unable to supply a third pound of methamphetamine, he offered fentanyl instead.
According to court documents, Rhodes and Ransom had been selling drugs together for nearly 25 years.
After these transactions, law enforcement executed a court-approved search at Rhodes’ residence on West Florissant Avenue on December 19, 2022. Investigators observed Rhodes leaving his home and attempted to stop him; however, he sped away when asked to exit his vehicle. A subsequent search of his home led officers to seize approximately 2.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, 3.8 kilograms of fentanyl, nearly one kilogram of cocaine, over 100 grams of cocaine base, $21,000 in cash, a loaded handgun, and drug paraphernalia.
Rhodes is legally prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions. His earlier prison sentence for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base was commuted in 2016 and expired in 2018. He later sought early termination from supervised release citing personal growth and employment ambitions.
Ransom, age 46 and also from St. Louis County, received a sentence of 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges related to drug distribution.
The DEA investigated this case while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torrie J. Schneider and Don Boyce prosecuted it.
