James J. Burnham, 48, of High Ridge, was sentenced to ten years in prison after being found with a large amount of fentanyl and methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Byrnes Mill. According to court documents, he was on bond at the time of his arrest and awaiting trial on a drug possession allegation resulting from an October 2023 arrest.
On March 10, Jefferson County Div. 3 Circuit Judge Travis Partney sentenced Burnham to ten years in prison for second-degree drug trafficking and thirty days in jail for possession of a prohibited substance. The sentences will be served consecutively or simultaneously, according to court records.
Burnham was also sentenced to complete a 120-day program, according to court filings.
Neilson Lea, Jefferson County’s associate prosecuting attorney, prosecuted the case.
On October 4, 2024, at about 5:30 p.m., a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped Burnham’s vehicle near Byrnes Mill Road and North Lakeshore Drive in Byrnes Mill. According to the probable cause statement, the deputy discovered a black scale with residue inside the vehicle.
The deputy also allegedly discovered a magnetic lockbox and a backpack. The lockbox included 22 pills, bags containing a white powdery substance, and drug paraphernalia, while the backpack contained a glass smoking device, 15 capsules, and a suspected meth substance wrapped in foil, according to the report.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol analyzed the narcotics, which were identified as fentanyl and meth, according to the report.
Burnham was detained by Sheriff’s Office deputies in February 2023 outside the R Veterinary at Romaine Creek, located at 821 Romaine Creek Road in Fenton, Jefferson County. According to the probable-cause statement, an employee phoned police after Burnham entered the clinic and asked to use the restroom but felt uncomfortable being videotaped by surveillance cameras.
Burnham drove away in a Chevrolet Tahoe, which deputies stopped. When Burnham opened his wallet to offer his driver’s license, a deputy discovered an orange-and-green capsule, according to the report.
The deputy also allegedly discovered two other pills in the SUV and one in Burnham’s pocket. The contents in the capsules tested positive for fentanyl, according to the study.
Court data show that Burnham was charged with possession of a controlled substance by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in October 2024.
Burnham was designated a persistent offender since he was convicted of three counts of possessing a controlled drug in March 2017, according to court documents.
Leave a Reply