Man sentenced in Missouri for transporting an “extraordinary quantity” of meth

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A federal judge sentenced a man from California Monday in federal court for transporting an “extraordinary quantity” of methamphetamine in a car while he traveled in Missouri.

Johnny Jordan Thompson, 48, of California, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole on one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Authorities say Thompson is known as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions.

Thompson pleaded guilty to his criminal charge on Dec. 21, 2021. He admitted to transporting approximately 28 pounds of methamphetamine.

Thompson was pulled over by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper on Sept. 12, 2019. The trooper searched the vehicle and found 11 packages of methamphetamine in the trunk. These weighed approximately 20 pounds (8.87 kilograms). A 12th package of methamphetamine was later found hidden under the carpet of the passenger floorboard. The 12th package weighed eight pounds (almost 3.3 kilograms).

According to federal court documents, Thompson has spent most of the past 20 years in prison on offenses ranging from vehicle theft to armed bank robbery. His most recent charge was attempted murder, after he was hired to kill someone.

Thompson was discharged from parole in the attempted murder case in California in December 2018. He committed this federal offense less than a year later.