SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A Mount Vernon, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute nearly 32 kilograms of methamphetamine over a three-month period and for illegally possessing two firearms.
James L. Mangold, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 16 years and 11 months in federal prison without parole.
On Aug. 25, 2021, Mangold pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Co-defendant Francisco A. Magallon, 37, of San Diego, California, shipped at least seven packages that contained nearly 32 kilograms, or 85 pounds, of methamphetamine to Mangold between Jan. 24 and April 14, 2020. Mangold then shipped cash back to Magallon and distributed the methamphetamine to his co-conspirators in southwest Missouri.
On April 14, 2020, law enforcement intercepted a package that had been shipped from Magallon to Mangold via FedEx. The shipment, sent to the address of co-defendant Dustin L. Brenneman, 41, of Mount Vernon, contained a red and white Igloo cooler that was taped shut with two layers of duct tape. Inside the cooler, officers found five bundles of methamphetamine that weighed a total of nearly 6.2 kilograms, or approximately 14.2 pounds.
Law enforcement officers conducted a controlled delivery of the shipment to Brenneman’s residence, where Mangold accepted and signed for the parcel. Officers also executed a search warrant at Mangold’s residence. In the bedroom closet they found a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, along with a regular magazine and an extended 15-round capacity magazine, and a Kel-Tec.22-caliber pistol. They also found a backpack that contained a small amount of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.
Magallon was sentenced on Feb. 9, 2023, to 21 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Brenneman was sentenced on July 14, 2022, to five years and six months in federal prison without parole. Three additional defendants in this case have been sentenced and another defendant has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Combined Ozarks Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Team (COMET), the Lawrence County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.