St. Louis Felon Who Fled from Police Sentenced to 110 Months in Prison

ST. LOUIS - U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon who was caught with drugs and a gun after fleeing from police to 110 months in prison.

On August 26, 2025, the Missouri State Highway Patrol stopped Wendell Mosley, 36, in a Ford Taurus on U.S. Highway 67 in St. Francois County, Missouri. Mosley showed signs of deception and nervousness when asked about his reason for travelling. At one point, Mosley ran away from the trooper, hopped in his car and sped south on Highway 67. Mosley fled on foot after wrecking the car, discarding a bag before he was arrested. Troopers later found the bag, which contained a 9mm handgun and 232 capsules containing oxycodone.

Mosley, now 36, pleaded guilty in August in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession with the intent to distribute oxycodone.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.