A Galena man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing methamphetamine and distribution of a firearm.
37-year-old Carlos Joseph Blake Gandy was sentenced Monday to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Gandy was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.
Gandy plead guilty October 18th to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. The arrest took place August 30, 2021, when law enforcement found him operating a motorcycle in Joplin under a revoked license. Gandy was seen with a black backpack, but denied having one with him when he was arrested. Inside the backpack, officers found a plastic baggie that contained approximately 33.86 grams of methamphetamine, another baggie that contained approximately 3.2 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded .45-caliber pistol.
When he was arrested, Gandy was parole or probation for two robbery convictions and a conviction for stealing a car. Gandy also has two prior felony convictions for robbery, two prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, and prior felony convictions for possessing methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, resisting arrest, possessing a chemical with the intent to create a controlled substance, and possessing a stolen vehicle.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Joplin, Police Department.
