A man who led a drug trafficking organization responsible for bringing large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine to the St. Louis area has been sentenced to 27 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark handed down the sentence on Tuesday to Stephen Griffin Jr., 51, who received 25 years for his role in the case filed in 2021, plus an additional two years for violating supervised release from a previous heroin trafficking conviction.
Griffin was among 20 people indicted in connection with the operation. Troy Mills, identified as Griffin’s top lieutenant, was also sentenced Tuesday to 16 years in prison for conspiracy charges involving meth and fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Crystal Miller, who managed stash houses for the group, was sentenced last December to 20 years. Twelve other defendants have already been sentenced, with five more scheduled for sentencing later this year.
Law enforcement seized approximately 39 firearms, nearly 500 pounds of methamphetamine, over 49 pounds of fentanyl, four vehicles, ammunition, and assets exceeding $500,000 during the investigation.
Griffin pleaded guilty in April to multiple counts related to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. He admitted involvement in a network that brought drugs from Arizona and California into Missouri using both mail shipments and couriers. The organization used “stash” houses and operated out of a home health care business located in Northwoods, Missouri.
According to court documents, packages containing drugs were delivered by mail and prepared for sale at various locations before distribution throughout the region. Investigators arrested Griffin in March 2021 as he left an apartment with about one kilogram of methamphetamine, a firearm, and several cell phones; inside the apartment they found additional narcotics and equipment used for processing drugs.
“Stephen Griffin rolled the dice when he started pushing fentanyl and methamphetamine in the St. Louis region,” Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “His selfish greed destroyed families who were impacted by the fallout of his poisonous sales. Today, he faces the consequences of those actions. Griffin’s 21 years in federal prison will allow him plenty of time to reflect on the lives he ruined, including his own.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service mission is to protect the nation’s mail system. With the collaborative efforts of our federal law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate those utilizing the U.S. Mail for illicit activities, including the distribution of narcotics. Today’s sentencing reflects the diligent investigative work by Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners,” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça of the Chicago Division.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and U.S. Marshals Service under an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation—a coordinated initiative designed to target high-level criminal organizations through joint agency collaboration.
