A Meixco man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for drug and firearms trafficking on November 4.

The Audrain County Prosecutor’s Office announced that Larry Dale Karhoff, 53, was sentenced Monday for multiple drug and firearms offenses..

The news release stated that the incident occurred on February 5, 2022, when a Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) trooper conducted a traffic stop on a car that was noted to have a revoked driver.

Troopers determined that Karhoff’s license had been revoked and he was taken into custody. During a search of his vehicle, authorities located methamphetamine, fentanyl, alprazolam and hydrocodone. A Ruger pistol was also found in the man’s pants.

He was also known to have several previous convictions for drug offences.

“That gun was in his pants. He was carrying ammunition and guns make our streets more dangerous when possessed by felons and criminals,” said Audrain County Prosecutor Jacob Shellabarger. “Drugs and guns don’t mix. “We will aggressively and consistently hold gun offenders accountable.”

The jury took about two hours to deliberate on Aug. 26 as part of a single-day trial.

“A 30-year sentence sends a strong message: If you bring dangerous drugs into our community, our local authorities will find you and put a stop to your actions,” Shellabarger said. “It is important for our community to understand that the most serious sentences are for those career criminals who repeatedly violate our laws, and particularly those who trap others in the cycle of addiction, those who benefit from the destruction that drugs bring.”