November 26, 2007
DEA Contact: Thomas E. Murphy
(314) 538-4660
Two Sentenced to Life in Prison
Third Sentenced to 30 Years for Crack Cocaine
NOV 26  -- SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that three Springfield, Mo., men were sentenced in federal court for participating in a conspiracy to distribute a significant amount of crack cocaine in the Springfield area.
Joseph L. Rainey , 39, 
Marvin D. Anthony, Sr ., 42, and 
Adrian Davis , 27, all of Springfield, were sentenced in separate hearings before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple.
 Rainey  and 
Anthony  were each sentenced to life in federal prison without parole. 
Davis  was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison without parole.
Rainey, Anthony  and 
Davis  were convicted by a federal jury on June 7, 2007, of participating in a conspiracy that lasted more than two years and was responsible for distributing large amounts of crack cocaine in the Springfield area. Conspirators purchased powder and crack cocaine in Kansas City, Mo., which they transported to the Springfield area for distribution. The jury also convicted Davis of four counts, 
Rainey  of two counts and 
Anthony  of one count of distribution of crack cocaine on various dates during the conspiracy. Each of th ose convictions resulted in a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole, which the court ordered to be served concurrently.
Co-defendants 
Cleofius W. Hicks , 29, and 
Grenda Pierce , 50, both of Springfield, pleaded guilty in May 2007 to their roles in the conspiracy and both await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Rush. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and COMET (the Combined Ozarks Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement Team).