KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine.
Alfredo Soto-Contreras, also known as “Antonio,” 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to use firearms during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime.
This investigation into a conspiracy to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine ended on Dec. 18, 2018, when four co-conspirators were arrested in possession of approximately 25 pounds of methamphetamine during an undercover operation. Conspirators sold (or attempted to sell) a total of approximately 13 kilograms of methamphetamine to an undercover agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Conspirators also sold eight firearms to the undercover agent, including several that had been reported as stolen.
Soto-Contreras is the third defendant to plead guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy, which lasted from May 2018 to Dec. 18, 2018.
Under federal statutes, Soto-Contreras is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.