44 pounds of meth allegedly bought in Phoenix, transported to Missouri

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

An Eagle Rock woman is one of two defendants in a federal case involving the alleged attempt to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.

Amber Beck, 34, of Eagle Rock, and Michael Wilson, 49, of Lamar, are each charged in U.S. District Court with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of a substance containing methamphetamine.

According to an affidavit filed by Matthew Walker, task force officer the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force and Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, in July 2024, Walker received information from a reliable confidential source that Wilson was leading a small group of individuals in the transportation and distribution of a large amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Eagle Rock area.

Wilson was sentenced to 180 months in the Bureau of Prisons for his tole in another drug trafficking conspiracy and was on supervised release in July 2024. Wilson had recently gone into custody or a supervised release violation, and the source said prior to that, Wilson had been making regular trips to Phoenix, Ariz., to purchase large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl, which he would bring back to Missouri for distribution. 

Through investigation, Walker was able to verify Wilson had made several trips to the Phoenix area prior to being taken into custody.

Wilson was released from custody and placed on a new term of supervised release on Jan. 31, 2025, moving to Lamar and taking a job in Carthage. In August 2025, the source alerted Walker that Wilson had allegedly resumed trips to Phoenix and was again distributing methamphetamine in Missouri.

On Feb. 7, 2026, Sgt. Tim Barrett, with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, observed a vehicle allegedly traveling 73 miles per hour in a 70-mile-per-hour zone on Interstate 44 outside of Joplin in Jasper County.

Barrett initiated a traffic stop due to the speed, and because the rear license plate was allegedly obstructed. Beck was identified as the driver of the vehicle, and Wilson was the passenger.

Barrett utilized his K-9 partner, James, who is a certified drug-detection animal to conduct a free air sniff of the vehicle. James gave a positive alert for the odor of narcotics, and a probable cause search of the vehicle allegedly revealed a black plastic tote that contained 44 quart-sized bags of a crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine.

Beck and Wilson were arrested and transported to the MSHP satellite office for interviews. During a post-Miranda interview, Wilson allegedly said his first trip to Phoenix was in November or December 2025, when he purchased 10 pound of methamphetamine. He also allegedly stated on a second trip, he purchased 25 pounds of methamphetamine and used the $60,000 in profits from selling the 25 pounds and “reinvested” it to purchase the 44 pounds located in the vehicle.

DEA Task Force Officer Michael Larery interviewed Beck, who after being advised of her Miranda rights allegedly said she and Wilson had made four or five trips to Phoenix, each time returning with what she thought was 10-15 pounds of methamphetamine. Beck allegedly said she received one pound of methamphetamine for payment for each trip.

Beck said on this specific trip, they went to a Hispanic male’s house and an unknown person showed up and put methamphetamine inside of the vehicle. She overheard Wilson talking to the Hispanic male, and from what she could gather from their conversation, she believed there should be 44 pounds of meth in the vehicle.

At the ODET office, Walker tested the substance in three packages, each testing positive for methamphetamine. Each of the bags weighed about one pound, and all bags were similar in size and weight. The approximate total of methamphetamine recovered was 44 pounds, or 19,976 grams, which Walker said in the statement is consistent with distribution rather than personal use.

Beck and Wilson remain in custody and have had their first court appearances. The federal charge, a Class A felony, carries a range of punishment of no less than 10 years imprisonment, no more than life imprisonment, no more than a $10 million fine and no less than 5 years supervised release.