Fourth man charged in federal drug ring in Cole Co.

A fourth person was charged in a federal drug ring in Jefferson City Wednesday.

ABC 17 News was the first to report on a Cole County manhunt back in February that netted three people for distributing meth.

40-year-old David Rodebaugh, 31-year-old Michael Pearson, and 23-year-old Hernan Hurtado were all charged in separate complaints on February 14.

31-year-old Matthew Eppenauer of Jefferson City was federally charged Wednesday with conspiracy to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute.

The arrests followed a high speed chase through Jefferson City where two suspects led police into a rock quarry near Binder Lake Park, where Pearson and Rodebaugh crashed.

Investigators later found a plastic bag containing about 5 pounds of meth, which Rodebaugh admitted to throwing out of the car about 75 yards from where the Acura crashed.

The case was eventually turned over the to Drug Enforcement Agency.