Jury finds Hannibal man guilty of methamphetamine, firearm possession offenses from March 2022

ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Tuesday found a man from Hannibal guilty of a methamphetamine offense and two gun crimes.

At the end of the second day of his trial, Justin L. Fuget, 35, was found guilty 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, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to evidence and testimony presented during the trial, officers assigned to the Anti-Crime Enforcement Squad with the Hannibal Police Department made a traffic stop on March 25, 2022, and spotted a large safe on the passenger seat of Fuget’s vehicle. Fuget also appeared nervous. A drug-sniffing dog with the Missouri State Highway Patrol alerted to the vehicle, and police found a firearm between the driver’s seat and the center console. Fuget is a felon and thus 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 is scheduled to be sentenced April 9. He faces at least 10 years in prison for his crimes.

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 are prosecuting the case.