Hannibal man receives 137-month prison sentence in federal court for gun, drug crimes

ST. LOUIS — A convicted felon from Hannibal who was caught with methamphetamine and a gun was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to 137 months in prison.

After a traffic stop on March 25, 2022, Hannibal Police Department officers spotted a large safe on the passenger seat of Justin Fuget’s vehicle, according to witnesses and evidence at Fuget’s trial in January. Fuget appeared nervous, and a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the vehicle. Police also found a firearm between the driver’s seat and the center console. Fuget is a felon and had been barred from possession of a firearm.

During a subsequent court-approved search of the safe, officers found meth, drug paraphernalia and ammunition. They also found text messages on Fuget’s phone indicating he was distributing meth.

Fuget, 35, was found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in January of three felony counts:

• Being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
• Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The Hannibal Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Hoag and Paul D’Agrosa prosecuted the case.