Man Gets 110 Months for Gun and Oxycodone Charges
Wendell Mosley was sentenced in federal court after a 2025 highway chase in St. Francois County that ended with a gun and oxycodone found in a discarded bag.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Drug Crime
Live Poll
Do you think long federal prison sentences for gun and drug crimes make your community safer?
U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine sentenced Wendell Mosley, a convicted felon, to 110 months in federal prison. Mosley had pleaded guilty in August to felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.
Why it matters
The sentence reflects federal prosecution of a case combining illegal firearm possession with drug distribution, an overlap that federal authorities pursue in Missouri. The case shows how a traffic stop can lead to multiple federal charges when weapons and controlled substances are involved.
Mosley was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in August to two counts in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe prosecuting.
The players
Joshua M. Divine
Joshua M. Divine is a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri who presided over the sentencing.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement agency within the U.S. Department of Justice that investigates firearms and explosives offenses.
Missouri State Highway Patrol
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is the state's statewide law enforcement agency responsible for highway patrol and traffic enforcement.
The details
Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers stopped Mosley on August 26, 2025, on U.S. Highway 67 in St. Francois County. Mosley ran from the trooper, got into his car, and sped south before wrecking and fleeing on foot, discarding a bag that troopers later found containing a 9mm handgun and 232 oxycodone capsules.
Timeline
August 26, 2025: Missouri State Highway Patrol stops Mosley on U.S. Highway 67 in St. Francois County.
August 2026: Mosley pleads guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two federal counts.
November 5, 2026: U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine sentences Mosley to 110 months in prison.
Legal Context
The prosecution aligns with Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal initiative coordinating gun-crime enforcement across 94 federal districts. Charging a felon in possession alongside drug distribution reflects how federal prosecutors combine firearm and narcotics counts in the Eastern District of Missouri.
Residents of St. Francois County and drivers on U.S. Highway 67 saw a high-speed pursuit and crash on a public roadway. The federal conviction removes a convicted felon with a firearm and oxycodone from the area for the length of the sentence.
The takeaway
Federal gun and drug charges can carry long prison terms even when they stem from a single traffic stop. Anyone with a felony conviction faces serious penalties for possessing a firearm.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Drug Crime in Missouri.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The United States Department of Justice.
Live Poll
Do you think long federal prison sentences for gun and drug crimes make your community safer?
