Former Crawford County Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Charge

A former Crawford County man pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal charge of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Richard Treis, 48, St. Louis, is expected to be sentenced Feb. 16, 2023.

As part of his plea agreement, he will forfeit $128,000 in custody of the Homeland Security Investigations.

The plea agreement says that Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso learned in June 2020 that an inmate in Oklahoma wanted to purchase methamphetamine.

After a series of calls to a cell phone smuggled by the inmate, an undercover HSI agent seized the phone and coordinated delivery of 40 pounds of meth.

Treis and another man arrived at a Pacific gas station on July 29, 2020 with a bag full of cash. Investigators said Treis called the undercover agent and confirmed that spot for delivery, along with pictures of cash he intended to exchange.

Agents brought around 15 pounds of meth, which Treis and the other man tried to swap for cash.

Both were arrested.