KC Reporter

Kansas City, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man, identified as John M. LeCoque, 35, was sentenced in federal court today for selling methamphetamine and heroin on the dark web. LeCoque was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered LeCoque to forfeit to the government $22,000, representing proceeds obtained from his illegal drug trafficking.

LeCoque pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin on Aug. 16, 2023. He admitted to selling illegal drugs over the dark web via an online marketplace called White House Market from May 15, 2020, to Aug. 6, 2021.

Federal agents used cryptocurrency to purchase methamphetamine and heroin from LeCoque through an undercover account on two occasions in 2021. Agents seized methamphetamine and heroin from his apartment during a search warrant execution on May 27, 2021. Additionally, a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun and ammunition were found inside a locked safe in his residence.

A search of LeCoque’s online vendor account revealed information for 279 orders of illegal drugs from May 2020 to May 2021, including a total of 604 grams of methamphetamine and 234 grams of heroin. In August 2021, LeCoque advertised a “final sale” on his dark web vendor account, grossing over $10,000 per month through his online drug sales.

According to court documents, LeCoque marketed his methamphetamine as “Rural Mos finest crystal methamphetamine” and his heroin as “high-potency brown powder heroin, cut with just enough lactose to make it easy to snort and prevent clumping.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Bradshaw prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.