Former sheriff now faces cocaine and meth charges

ST. LOUIS (AP) - A former sheriff in southeast Missouri who already was facing methamphetamine charges is now accused of distributing cocaine.

The Missouri Attorney General's office confirmed Monday that charges against former Carter County Sheriff Tommy Adams were amended Friday to add two felony counts. Adams, originally charged with meth distribution, is now also accused of possession of a controlled substance and distribution of cocaine.

A spokeswoman for Attorney General Chris Koster, whose office is prosecuting the case, did not immediately respond to a phone message. Adams' attorney, David Mann, also did not return a call. Carter County prosecutor Rocky Kingree said he is not involved in the prosecution of Adams and declined to comment.

Adams, 31, was arrested in April after allegedly distributing met2h to a confidential informant working with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A probable cause statement said Adams snorted meth in front of the informant.

He resigned as sheriff a short time later. Adams pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released after posting 10 percent of $200,000 bond in June. His formal arraignment is set for Aug. 12.

The new charges allege that Adams distributed cocaine to the same informant between March 21 and April 1, according to the Poplar Bluff Daily American Republic.

The April arrests of Adams and his former chief deputy briefly all but wiped out the law enforcement staff for the small county. A new sheriff was elected in a special election in June.

Earlier this month, Kingree dropped criminal charges against Steffanie Kearbey, 23, the former chief deputy for Adams who was charged with receiving stolen property. She was accused of selling a gun taken from the sheriff's department evidence room and stealing a duffel bag of coins from a house. Her attorney claimed Adams was the instigator of those crimes.

Kingree said he dropped the charges because the state refused to provide him with evidence needed to pursue the case. Kearbey resigned as deputy in April.