Man Arrested for Part in 'Intricate' Interstate Drug Scheme

A third person has been arrested in connection with shipping 15 pounds of marijuana from California to St. Peters.

The St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force said in a court document that Cody Batchelor is “an intricate part of a group that has been shipping large quantities of marijuana from California to Missouri for years.”

Batchelor, 23, was charged Friday with distributing a controlled substance.

Two people who are accused of accepting the marijuana delivery, Alana Howell and Joseph Zair-Hanks, told investigators Batchelor enlisted them to accept the delivery to help pay off a drug debt they owed him.

Detectives reported that they learned Batchelor had returned to Missouri from California, and he was located and arrested.

During questioning, Batchelor told Drug Task Force investigators he was involved in shipping marijuana to Missouri, but he was “not the main guy.” He refused to elaborate until he was “offered a deal.”

Drug Task Force detectives said Batchelor also had outstanding warrants on a drug felony and a traffic violation from 2010. Detectives said it’s believed Batchelor left Missouri to avoid prosecution on those charges.

Batchelor’s address was listed as being in the 4200 block of Chisholm Trail Drive south of St. Peters.

Batchelor is being held in St. Charles County jail. Bail was set at $35,000.

For more crime information on St. Peters Patch, see the following articles:

• Three Face Dealing Heroin Charges After Drug Task Force Searches St. Peters Home