Man charged in drug dealing case turns himself in to federal authorities

A Columbia man who has been wanted since police said they found 220 pounds of marijuana in his apartment turned himself into federal authorities in Jefferson City on Monday.

Eric S. McCauley, 25, was indicted in federal court on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute on March 5, said Don Ledford, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office. Columbia police issued a warrant for McCauley’s arrest after confiscating 220 pounds of marijuana and $10,000 in cash from two Columbia homes on Feb. 9.

McCauley was being held without bond in the Morgan County Jail on Tuesday afternoon. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him on Monday and was scheduled to attend a detention hearing in Jefferson City today.

McCauley’s attorney, Bruce Simon, said he expects the court to release his client.

“Because he is a lifelong resident of the Columbia area and the fact that he did self-surrender, I expect the court will seriously consider setting the conditions of his release,” Simon said.

Ledford said the U.S. Attorney will ask the court to deny McCauley’s release.

“Although McCauley has family in Columbia and was raised in that area, those ties are clearly inadequate to secure his continued presence in the area,” wrote U.S. Attorney Lauren Kummerer in a motion her office filed Tuesday.

“McCauley apparently remained absent from his home in Columbia for months, despite the fact that his mother, father, sister, girlfriend and child all live in mid-Missouri. McCauley also appears not to have any regular employment that would require him to remain at home in Columbia,” she said.