Two from California charged in Springfield airport drug bust

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Two people have been charged in federal court after authorities say they flew from Los Angeles, California to Springfield with over 20 pounds of meth in a suitcase.

According to court documents from the U.S. Western District of Missouri, 37-year-old Dejuan Tyrone Parker and 30-year-old Treasure Lashane White are charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

Documents state that Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents had learned from confidential sources that Parker was bringing large quantities of meth into Springfield for distribution.

Parker and White were in Springfield in March 2023, when Springfield Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle they were riding in. During that stop, SPD found Percocet pills, a digital scale, handguns and over $5,000 in cash.

On May 9, 2024, cell phone data showed Parker was at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Investigators learned Parker was flying from LAX to Atlanta, Georgia, prior to flying into the Springfield-Branson National Airport.

Agents waiting at the Springfield airport saw Parker and White together again. According to documents, both went to baggage claim and picked up suitcases. The pair acted as though they did not know each other and did not speak until outside the airport.

DEA agents took Parker and White into custody and searched their suitcases. The suitcase White had exited the airport with contained 11 vacuum-sealed bags believed to contain meth. The bags later field-tested positive for the drug.

When interviewed by agents, White said Parker had offered her $1,000 to travel with him and had been instructed by Parker which flight to book and to book an Airbnb in Springfield. White also claimed she had not packed any of the suitcases, and that Parker had put all three in her vehicle when she picked him up to go to LAX.

Parker denied any involvement with the distribution or transportation of drugs to DEA agents and also denied even knowing White, despite having been in the same vehicle with her during the March 2023 traffic stop and having spoken to her outside the Springfield airport before being arrested.

Parker and White could each face a minimum of 10 years in prison for the charges.

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