Former Sturgeon resident who trafficked drugs to Missouri gets 15-year sentence

COLUMBIA – A former resident of Sturgeon was sentenced Thursday in federal court to 15 years in prison without parole for his role in trafficking hundreds of pounds of marijuana as well as an unspecified amount of cocaine from Texas to Missouri, according to a news release from the Office of the U.S. Attorney of the Western District of Missouri.

David Elby Shafer, 49, of Rockport, Texas, was convicted in June 2008 of participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine, and of interstate transportation in aid of racketeering, the release states.

He was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking. This charged stemmed from his purchase of an automobile from a dealer in Columbia with $13,800 in cash received through drug trafficking.

Shafer was aided in his drug-trafficking operation by two Missouri men who were codefendants in the case, the release states.

Galen Keith Scott, 47, of Auxvasse, was found with 223 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle when he was stopped by Texas authorities in 2004. He was sentenced in November 2008 to three years in prison for his role in the marijuana and money-laundering conspiracies, the release states.

Scott said he was transporting the marijuana for Shafer and that he had made approximately eight prior trips to Missouri with at least 200 pounds of marijuana on each trip. In one instance, he drove about 500 pounds of marijuana to a location near Columbia, the release states. Scott said he was paid $2,000 to $3,000 per trip.

The marijuana brought to Columbia was stored at the residence of Paul Allen Cook, 50, of Sturgeon, who was sentenced in 2007 to almost five years in prison, the release states.