JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Auxvasse, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for growing marijuana and illegally possessing dozens of firearms.
Darrin Dale Smithee, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On Aug. 31, 2021, Smithee pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing marijuana and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On Sept. 21, 2018, Callaway County sheriff’s deputies and members of the MUSTANG Task Force executed a search warrant at Smithee’s residence. Deputies located a room in the basement that contained two large industrial LED lights that ran off 1,000-watt amplifiers, several types of hoses used for ventilation, air filters, fertilizer and a water source. In the same room was a plastic tub containing marijuana stems, branches and leaves.
Also in the basement was a concrete bunker-type room with a bank vault-style door. Smithee used a combination and opened the vault door; officers found 66 firearms inside, including an S&S 12-gauge Street Sweeper, a Rohm .22-caliber rifle, a Smith & Wesson .357-caliber rifle, and a Norinco SKS .762/39 caliber rifle. Officers also found two small hard plastic children’s swimming pools, each of which contained several pounds of marijuana buds that were drying.
Officers searched Smithee’s bedroom and found a loaded pump action pistol grip Mossberg shotgun underneath a mattress. In the closet was a Ruger .22-caliber rifle with a loaded magazine. Officers also found several ounces of marijuana in a clear tub and in several sections of a dresser.
Officers saw marijuana plants during an aerial search of Smithee’s property. Officers then found 29 fully mature marijuana plants during a search of the field. The total weight of the marijuana plant material submitted for testing to the crime laboratory was 2,697.96 grams.
According to court documents, some of the firearms seized by officers were stolen. Officers also found a short-barrel shotgun which was altered to possibly be a boobytrap in a kitchen drawer. Officers found thousands of rounds of ammunition in the house. Court documents note that two juveniles were found inside the residence when officers entered the house.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Smithee has five prior felony convictions for violating an order of protection, as well as prior felony convictions for burglary, stealing, and receiving stolen property.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Maness. It was investigated by the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the MUSTANG Task Force, the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force, the Fulton, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Missouri National Guard Counter Drug Program.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect.
Training and seminars for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Help us combat the proliferation of sexual exploitation crimes against children.