The owner of the closed Rockstar Burgers restaurant in Kansas City’s West Bottoms was among 18 defendants indicted last week by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute more than 150 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 10 kilograms of heroin.
In December 2019, owner Brian Smith was taken into custody in Platte County on a domestic assault charge after he and his restaurant were the focus of a social media campaign to expose alleged sexual assault and other illegal activities at the restaurant.
The indictment was unsealed and made public upon the arrests and initial court appearances of several defendants, including Smith, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The federal indictment alleges that all 18 defendants participated in a conspiracy from Jan. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2020, to distribute more than 150 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 10 kilograms of heroin. All of the defendants are also charged in a money-laundering conspiracy involving the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
The federal indictment also contains forfeiture allegations, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government all property derived from the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
The Platte County incident occurred in November 2019 at an apartment in Parkville. A woman who had previously had a relationship with Smith said he entered the apartment and found her in bed with another man. He allegedly struck her in the head with a .40 caliber handgun. She said Smith and another woman left the apartment and she discovered she was bleeding from the head.
While she refused medical help at the time, police photographed her injuries and the victim reported Smith had previously choked her.
The victim said she had not reported the incidents in the past due to fear of Smith. The story has followed a pattern of reports of abusive behavior on social media, including allegations Smith forced a woman to commit a sex act with a dog on video.
Rockstar Burgers was raided by the Kansas City Police Department shortly after the incident.