On Thursday, September 12, 2013, Matthew James Rose, d/o/b: 3/14/1982, of Merriam Woods, Missouri, was sentenced by Taney County Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr to seven (7) years in prison for the class C Felony of Assault in the Second degree and ten (10) years for the class B Felony of Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Distribute. This sentence was a result of a plea agreement with the Taney County Prosecutor’s office. The felony charges were a result of two separate incidents involving the defendant.
On January 8th, 2013, a deputy with the Taney County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on Flynn Road for a fight in Progress. Upon arriving at that location, the deputy spoke with witnesses who explained that Matthew Rose was employed with a roofing company and had gotten into an argument with a co-worker regarding how to fix a machine they were working on. Then – during a verbal argument – Rose head-butted the victim. The victim told deputies that he heard his nose “crack” and then immediately began to bleed. Deputies observed obvious injuries to the victim’s mouth, nose, and head.
On June 22nd, 2013 – while Rose was out of jail on a $15,000.00 surety bond for his assault case – a police officer with the Branson Police Department initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by Matthew Rose. Rose consented to a search of his vehicle and the officer found three small plastic bags containing a crystallized white substance consistent with methamphetamine. The crystals were large in size and weight and were consistent with someone preparing to distribute or sell them. The total weight was eleven (11) grams. During the booking process, the defendant also revealed that he was unemployed at the time.
The class C Felony of assault in the second degree carries a maximum sentence of not more than seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine of up to $5,000.00. The class B Felony of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute carries a maximum sentence of not more than fifteen (15) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.