Missouri GOP Candidate Charged in Cocaine Plant Plot

Thomas Ross, a 37-year-old candidate for the Missouri House, is charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after federal investigators say he tried to plant cocaine and Adderall on his Republican primary opponent.

Ross, of Joplin, made his initial court appearance Thursday in Jefferson City, according to the Associated Press.

He beat that opponent, Louise Secker, by only a few dozen votes in the Aug. 4 primary for Missouri's 161st House District.

What Investigators Say Happened

A former campaign manager for Ross told law enforcement that Ross handed him a black nylon glove containing a small plastic bag of white powder and a pink and white capsule, according to a probable cause statement signed by an FBI agent.

The staffer said Ross told him to put the glove in Secker's purse or vehicle while Ross was out of state on vacation.

Lab tests later identified the substances as cocaine and Adderall, a prescription amphetamine.

The FBI statement says Ross sent his staffer numerous text messages about "the substance." In one, Ross said he hoped "that we could make it happen" before Secker attended a Republican women's meeting at a Joplin restaurant in June — "which would be extreme egg on the face," according to the FBI document.