Christopher Glen Rhodes, 47, of St. Louis has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for drug and firearm offenses. U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark imposed the sentence on Tuesday after Rhodes was convicted in June of 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 revealed that Rhodes provided methamphetamine to his co-defendant, Demetrius A. Ransom. Ransom sold methamphetamine to a confidential source affiliated with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in late 2022. The confidential source told detectives that he had previously purchased meth and fentanyl from Ransom. When Ransom couldn’t produce enough meth for a third sale, he offered fentanyl instead. According to court filings, Rhodes and Ransom had been distributing drugs for almost 25 years.
Following these transactions, officials got permission to search Rhodes’ residence on West Florissant Avenue. On December 19, 2022, investigators observed Rhodes leaving his home and sought to stop him; he ran when requested to exit his vehicle. During the subsequent search of his residence, authorities discovered roughly 2.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, 3.8 kilos of fentanyl, nearly one kilogram of cocaine, 130 grams of cocaine base, $21,000 in cash, a loaded firearm, and drug paraphernalia.
Rhodes was forbidden from carrying weapons due to prior felony convictions. His prior sentence for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base was commuted in 2016 and expired in 2018; he later sought early termination of supervised release, citing personal change.
Demetrius A. Ransom pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The DEA oversaw the investigation into this case. Torrie J. Schneider and Don Boyce, both assistant United States attorneys, prosecuted.
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