A Ferguson, Missouri man, Theodise Reece, age 37, has been sentenced to 93 months in prison after pleading guilty to drug and firearms charges. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Reece was involved in selling fentanyl and methamphetamine to undercover officers from the St. Louis County Police Department.
Reece's sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday, follows an arrest during an undercover buy on August 30, 2023. During the operation, investigators were able to quickly gather evidence necessary to apply for a search warrant of his home by making several additional undercover purchases. Reece had been in custody since that time, which will count towards his total sentence, amounting to about nine years of incarceration.
The sale of narcotics by Reece was first suspected after tips received in June 2023 led to a series of police stings where undercover officers purchased drugs directly from him. According to his plea agreement, Reece sold $100 worth of fentanyl on June 14, 2023, as well as $150 worth of methamphetamine six days later. He also admitted to selling drugs as a means of making his livelihood.
At the time of his arrest, police found a substantial quantity of narcotics in Reece’s possession. He had nearly 40 grams of fentanyl and 225 grams of meth in a satchel he was carrying, along with ecstasy, cocaine base, and marijuana. A loaded semiautomatic pistol was discovered in his car; additionally, an AR-style rifle was seized from his home. Reece pleaded guilty in November in a U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three felonies: distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of firearms to further a drug trafficking crime.
The case against Reece was a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a collaborative initiative intended to bring down violent crime and gun violence. The Department of Justice emphasized its commitment to building trust in communities, supporting violence prevention at its roots, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and tracking the outcomes of these efforts. Since its enhancement on May 26, 2021, PSN has aimed to improve neighborhood safety across multiple levels of law enforcement and community engagement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj prosecuted the case, indicating the ongoing dedication of the legal system to address the intertwined issues of drug trafficking and community safety.
