A federal jury found a Springfield man guilty of drug trafficking and illegal gun possession. He will face a minimum prison sentence of 15 years.
Jimmy Clyde Timberlake, 41, was found to have dealt fentanyl in Springfield. Law enforcement agents searched a home on May 8, 2020, and found more than 74 grams of the illegal drug fentanyl stored in plastic sandwich bags.
When agents entered the home, Timberlake reportedly ran from its front room, through the kitchen and into a laundry room, where officers caught and arrested him.
The jury in Springfield deliberated for about 45 minutes before it returned a verdict that Timberlake was guilty of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, one court of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. His trial concluded on July 9.
According to charging documents, police also found a Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine and 32 rounds of ammunition, a loaded Ruger .380-caliber pistol and a Kel-Tec .22-caliber semiautomatic pistol in the house.
Missouri court records show Timberlake was convicted of first-degree drug trafficking in 2010 after pleading guilty from an arrest in 2009. Greene County Circuit Judge Calvin Holden sentenced Timberlake to serve 16 years in prison.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to possess a gun or ammunition, which led to Timberlake’s conviction for being a felon in possession of firearms.
Timberlake will be sentenced at a later date. The United States Probation Office will perform a pre-sentencing assessment of Timberlake and his case, according to information from the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.
