Man sentenced to 25 years for meth trafficking in southwest Missouri

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A man from Oklahoma City, Ok., was sentenced in federal court Tuesday, Aug. 12, for his role in a large methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in southwest Missouri. 

According to a United States Department of Justice news release, Edward Uribe, 37, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison without parole. He was also ordered to forfeit $210,00 in drug trafficking proceeds to the government. 

The release says in November of 2024, Uribe pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute meth and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Uribe admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute meth in Barry, Stone, Polk, Lawrence, Green, Jasper and Newton counties, which lasted from Nov. 1, 2020, to April 28, 2022, the release says.

Court documents say Uribe served as a main source of meth supply for the drug trafficking organization from Feb. 1, 2022, to April 28, 2022, as he facilitated the distribution of more than 460 pounds of meth from Oklahoma into southwest Missouri.

Uribe, who was incarcerated in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for a previous meth trafficking conviction, used a contraband cell phone to communicate with his co-conspirators.

He used a messaging app on the phone to schedule transportation and delivery of the meth and provide instructions on how to prepare the drug for sale, the release says. 

Uribe also used the app and proceeds from his drug trafficking to arrange the purchase of a drone with the intent to smuggle drugs and other contraband into prison, the release added.

Uribe is one of 20 defendants in this case who have pleaded guilty. He’s the eighteenth defendant to be sentenced.