A Kansas City, Missouri man has admitted in federal court to being part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Donnique H. Kelley, 36, entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark. He acknowledged participating in a scheme to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Court records show that between December 14, 2022, and March 23, 2023, Kelley and others sold both drugs to law enforcement on at least seven occasions. On September 12, 2023, police stopped a vehicle on East 63rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri. A co-conspirator who supplied the group with fentanyl and methamphetamine was found with over four kilograms of methamphetamine, two kilograms of marijuana, and more than $14,000 in cash.
Kelley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison without parole and could receive up to life imprisonment. The final sentence will be determined by the court after considering advisory guidelines and other factors following a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh is prosecuting the case. The investigation involved multiple agencies: the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Jackson County Drug Task Force, Kansas City Police Department (Missouri), and Overland Park Police Department (Kansas).
The prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF uses a multi-agency approach led by prosecutors to target major criminal organizations that pose threats within the United States. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
