Thayer man sentenced to 15 years for meth trafficking, illegal firearms

A Thayer, MO, man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute and illegally possessing firearms.

Jamie K. Hutcherson, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Hutcherson was sentenced as a career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.

On Feb. 28, 2022, Hutcherson pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.

A Howell County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy stopped Hutcherson, who was driving a 1999 silver Dodge Ram pickup, at the intersection of U.S. Highway 63 and Missouri Highway 14 on Oct. 3, 2020. Hutcherson, who did not have a valid driver’s license, had failed to stop at a stop sign.

Hutcherson had a loaded Taurus .22-caliber pistol in his back pocket. The deputy also found a loaded Harrington & Richardson .22-caliber revolver between the driver’s seat and the center console. A clear bag that contained four hypodermic syringes, approximately 54 grams of methamphetamine, and a small bag of marijuana was also found in the pickup.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Hutcherson has three prior felony convictions for possessing a controlled substance, two prior felony convictions for possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and two prior felony convictions for theft, as well as prior felony convictions for breaking and entering, receiving stolen property, illegally possessing a firearm, distributing methamphetamine in a correctional facility, and distributing, manufacturing, or producing a controlled substance.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Howell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.