Marshall, Missouri Man Sentenced to 265 Months on Drug and Firearms Charges Linked to Search Warrant Shooting that Injured Two Deputies (DOJ)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Marshall, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for drug and gun charges arising out of a May 2025 search warrant, during which two Pettis County deputies were injured.

James Joseph Elsea, 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 145 months' imprisonment on two counts relating to his possession of methamphetamine and firearms, and an additional consecutive sentence of 120 months' imprisonment for possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The total sentence of 265 months will be followed by a term of supervised release.

Elsea previously pleaded guilty on Jan. 13, 2026, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, discharging and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing firearms after a prior felony conviction. In a plea agreement filed with the court, Elsea admitted that while Pettis County Sheriff's Office deputies were executing a no-knock search warrant at his home on May 2, 2025, Elsea fired shots from inside the residence, hitting and injuring two deputies. Approximately nine minutes after the shots were fired, Elsea made a 911 call reporting that he believed he had shot someone. Later, after the officers arrested Elsea and made entry into his residence, they found evidence that Elsea had discarded methamphetamine down the toilet, leaving loose methamphetamine on the bathroom floor, around and underneath the toilet, on the toilet seat, and in the toilet bowl. Firearms were also found within the home. Elsea has prior felony convictions and is not permitted to possess a gun.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Pettis County Sheriff's Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.