Two Men Sentenced for Distributing
More Than 100 Kilos of Marijuana
in Lawrence County

Springfield, Missouri: Preston L. Grubbs, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division Office, and Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two men have been sentenced in federal court for participating in a conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana in Lawrence County, MO.

Jerry Lee Kohl, 50, of Alpena, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr this morning to one year and six months in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Donald A. Patrick, 55, of Mechanicsburg, IL, was sentenced on January 4, 2006, to five years in federal prison without parole.

On August 29, 2005, Kohl and Patrick both pleaded guilty to the charges contained in a March 24, 2005, federal indictment.

Kohl and Patrick admitted that they transported loads of marijuana from Texas to several locations, including Louisville, KY, Chicago, IL, and Fort Wayne, IN, from July 2004 to March 23, 2005. On each trip, Graves said, Patrick made the arrangements and hired Kohl, paying him $5,000 per trip to drive the loads of marijuana.

Patrick and Kohl were arrested on March 23, 2005, when the vehicle Kohl was driving was stopped for a state commercial motor vehicle compliance check. Kohl was traveling eastbound on I-44 in Lawrence County, pulling a horse trailer. During a subsequent search of the trailer, officers located a false compartment that contained more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. Patrick was traveling with Kohl, but in a separate vehicle.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Rush. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division’s Springfield, Missouri Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Requests for additional information should be directed to Group Supervisor Alan Wilson or Public Information Officer Special Agent Shirley Armstead at 314/538-4600.