Two Murfreesboro Men Sentenced in Conspiracy to Ship Massive Quantities of Methamphetamine to New Zealand and Australia

NASHVILLE – Steven Weaver, 51, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to 140 months in prison and five years of supervised release, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.  Weaver previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession and distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.  Weaver’s co-defendant, Jamie Woods, was sentenced last week to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

According to the indictment and other documents filed with the Court, in July 2019, an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service determined that multiple parcels had been shipped from Murfreesboro to Australia and New Zealand that contained methamphetamine.  In most instances, the methamphetamine was packaged in cake mix boxes and the parcels were identified as a “Birthday Gift.”

Although some of the parcels were successfully delivered to their destination, law enforcement intercepted 12 of the parcels, which contained a total of more than 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, some of which bore the defendants’ fingerprints.  At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger found that an estimate of 50 kilograms of methamphetamine was appropriate and described it as a “tremendous amount of incredibly pure methamphetamine.” 

“This prosecution and the sentences imposed, are a testament to the fantastic work of the federal and local law enforcement agencies who investigated this case,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “Methamphetamine is an incredibly dangerous drug. We will continue to hold accountable those who distribute it, either here in the Middle District or abroad.”

“The sentencing of these defendants illustrates HSI’s mission of investigating the movement of illegal narcotics through importation and exportation, either to or from the United States,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “This sentencing showcases the investigative work HSI conducts alongside our partners, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Services, to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations who threaten the stability of communities domestically and abroad.”

Two of the parcels were determined to have been mailed from the mail room at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro, on June 25, 2019.  The identification of the origin of these parcels led investigators to video footage from MTSU which captured a vehicle and two individuals and aided in the subsequent identification of the defendants.  Investigators were also able to capture surveillance footage of Weaver and Woods buying copious amounts of cake mix boxes from Walmart. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations with support from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the MTSU Police Department, the Murfreesboro Police Department, and Walmart Global Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda J. Klopf prosecuted the case. 

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