Taney County Prosecuting Attorney, Jeffrey M. Merrell announced today that last Thursday CHARLES KING, dob: 06/30/1949, of Branson Missouri, was sentenced by Taney County Circuit Judge Mark Orr to ten (10) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for class B felony of trafficking in the second degree. Probation was denied.

On June 3, 2008, C.O.M.E.T. drug task force officers executed a search warrant at the residence of CHARLES KING in Branson, Missouri. During a search of the residence C.O.M.E.T. officers found multiple items of drug paraphernalia, approximately $3000.00 in cash and sixteen individual bags each containing a white crystalline substance. CHARLES KING who goes by the street name “Prime Time Charlie” had been under investigation by C.O.M.E.T. for his involvement in the distribution of methamphetamine. The substances seized from the residence of CHARLES KING was later tested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab and determined to be methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance weighing 50.02 grams.

In response to the sentence, Taney County Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey M. Merrell stated, “I am grateful for the hard work of our law enforcement officers and their help in the investigation and successful prosecution of “Prime Time Charlie.” Hopefully this sentence sends a message to people that if you choose to traffic methamphetamine in Taney County you will end up in prison.”