Monett man pleads guilty in meth trafficking case
Aug. 12—NEOSHO, Mo. — A Monett man took a plea offer this week on drug trafficking charges in Newton County that would cap the prison time he might receive at no more than 10 years.
Christopher B. Kessinger, 43, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Newton County Circuit Court to first-degree trafficking in methamphetamine in a plea deal that would also dismiss a related felony count of resisting arrest.
Judge Kevin Selby delayed formal acceptance or rejection of the plea deal and ordered a sentencing assessment of the defendant before his sentencing hearing Oct. 5.
The conviction stems from an arrest June 4, 2020, after a high-speed pursuit of a vehicle into Newton County from Oklahoma that began when a police officer tried to conduct a traffic stop in Wyandotte, Oklahoma.
The pursuit of a Pontiac Firebird driven by Kessinger reached speeds as high as 135 mph and ended with a foot chase and capture when Newton County deputies deflated three of his tires with spike strips near Missouri Highway 60 and Ibex Road.
Bags containing 85 grams of meth and small amounts of marijuana purportedly were found in the vehicle, along with syringes and a glass drug pipe.
