Federal jury convicts man of STL murder and drug trafficking

ST. LOUIS – A man who federal prosecutors described as the “executor of a major drug conspiracy” was convicted Tuesday of a drug conspiracy that included a 2019 murder.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said 29-year-old Freeman Whitfield IV was part of a criminal trafficking operation that transported drugs from Houston and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to the St. Louis area.

The Drug Enforcement Agency opened an investigation into the company in 2018, which resulted in the seizure of $1.5 million in drug money, as well as 25 kilograms of cocaine, 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 10 kilograms of heroin, luxury vehicles, watches and weapons.

Antonio Boyd, who sold drugs for Whitefield’s supplier Guy Goolsby, was arrested on March 21, 2018. Whitfield heard that Boyd might be cooperating with federal investigators and decided to “kill him for it,” according to prosecutors.

Boyd was shot and killed outside a home in St. Louis on December 9, 2019. Another man was injured in the shooting.

Whitfield was arrested in May 2021 after authorities obtained a search warrant for his home in Maryland Heights. He previously sold fentanyl to an undercover agent in March and July 2020.

When authorities searched Whitfield’s home, they seized an AK pistol, ammunition and other firearms. Inside a second home in St. Louis were an AR-style pistol, a Glock pistol, thousands of rounds of ammunition, body armor, a police scanner, cash, multiple cell phones, a digital scale and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl.

The trial began last week. The jury convicted Whitfield of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, heroin and cocaine; knowingly possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking offenses, resulting in the death of Antonio Boyd by first degree murder; knowingly possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl; Possession of one or more firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Whitfield will be sentenced in January 2024. Goolsby was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison in 2020.