ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis County man was sentenced to almost six years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine and assaulting a federal law enforcement officer.
Brian Lawrence, 33, pleaded guilty Wednesday.
According to the plea agreement, Lawrence worked with a co-defendant Terrell Reid, who sought to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine to distribute in the St. Louis area, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen's office.
Undercover Homeland Security Investigations agents agreed to sell the cocaine to Reid at a price of $29,000 per kilogram and bring the cocaine to St. Louis, the release said. In April 2019, the agents arranged to meet Reid and Lawrence at a Best Western in St. Charles. Lawrence agreed to purchase one kilogram of cocaine from Reid for $30,500.
After Reid met with the undercover agents and examined the cocaine inside the hotel, Reid returned to the parking lot, where Lawrence provided Reid the cash to purchase cocaine on Lawrence’s behalf, the release said. Reid also took $61,000 in cash from another associate, Bobby Robinson, in the parking lot to purchase two kilograms of cocaine. Reid then took the money into the hotel and provided it to the undercover agents, who agreed to deliver the cocaine to Lawrence and Robinson.
The agents met the men in the parking lot and arrested Robinson. Lawrence then attempted to drive off. While speeding away, Lawrence drove directly at an agent, who was trying to stop him. The agent fired at Lawrence's car and struck his hood.
Reid and Robinson are awaiting trial, the release said.
