Marshall Man Sentenced To 22 Years For Drug & Gun Charges In Pettis County

A 63-year-old Marshall, Missouri, man has been sentenced in federal court to 265 months, or more than 22 years, for drug and gun charges following a May 2025 no-knock search warrant during which two Pettis County deputies were injured.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri says that James Joseph Elsea pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute meth, discharging and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and possessing firearms after a prior felony conviction.

It had been alleged that Elsea fired shots from inside the residence hitting the two deputies before making a 911 call several minutes later to report that he believed he had shot someone.