KC Reporter

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A man from Columbia, Mo., Robert Jevon Bean, was sentenced in federal court today for distributing fentanyl and illegally possessing several firearms. Known as “Shaq,” the 37-year-old was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 22 years and six months in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 30, 2023, Bean pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. He was apprehended by Columbia police officers on June 22, 2022, during which he was found to be in possession of 12.5 grams of fentanyl.

Upon executing a search warrant at Bean’s apartment, officers discovered his 10-year-old child home alone with unsecured firearms scattered throughout the residence: next to video game controllers, beside the couch, at the entry of the kitchen pantry where food was kept, and alongside a bed.

Items seized from Bean’s residence included various firearms such as a Glock 9mm handgun converted into a machine gun, an American Tactical AR-15 .223/5.56 pistol, a Glock .40-caliber handgun, an Extro 12-gauge shotgun, an Anderson AR-15 .223/5.56 pistol and a Keltec .40-caliber rifle. Officers also confiscated 46.71 grams of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, multiple firearm magazines including a drum magazine, multiple boxes of ammunition and $23,235 in cash that must be forfeited to the government.

Bean admitted to investigators that he paid $1,400 per ounce for approximately two ounces of fentanyl found at his residence and sold it for $210 per gram. Based on his statements, he has distributed at least four kilograms (8.8 pounds) of fentanyl from a source in Detroit, Michigan, and approximately two ounces from a more recent source in St. Louis, Mo.

Bean stated he acquires all his guns off the streets locally and often trades guns for drugs. All the guns came from Columbia except the Glock machine gun, which he purchased in St. Louis for $1,500. Investigators found multiple posts and livestream videos on Bean’s Facebook profile that show him with a variety of firearms.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Ann Pierce and investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.