A Russellville man was charged in federal court Monday with illegally possessing methamphetamine and firearms.
Emmanuel Guillen, 21, a citizen of Mexico residing in Russellville, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City.
The complaint charges Guillen with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
Cole County Prosecutor Mark Richardson said his office had asked federal authorities to consider taking the case due to the amount of drugs and firearms that were found.
"Since they have filed charges in this case the charges we filed Friday have been nulled," Richardson said. "He is now in the custody of the federal authorities."
According to an affidavit filed in support of Monday's criminal complaint, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Guillen's residence on Thursday as part of an investigation into alleged narcotics sales at that location.
Officers found a box in a bedroom closet that contained five plastic containers, the affidavit says. The containers contained a total of 625 grams of methamphetamine. Another two bags of methamphetamine, totaling 60 grams, were found in a vehicle parked in the driveway. Officers also found 21 firearms - including handguns, rifles and shotguns - in the residence and in two vehicles parked in the driveway. Two of the firearms have shortened barrels and neither has a serial number. Officers found a small safe in the bedroom closet that contained $13,168; Guillen also had $2,504 in his wallet.