KC Reporter

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court today for his involvement in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed over 20 kilograms of methamphetamine in the metropolitan area.

Keith A. Clevenger, 51, received a sentence of 16 years in federal prison without parole from U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips. On July 25, 2023, Clevenger pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. He admitted to purchasing approximately 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine from a co-conspirator.

Clevenger attempted to flee on foot from police officers during a traffic stop near the intersection of Truman and Home Road on November 28, 2020. During a search, officers discovered a plastic baggie containing 25.7 grams of pure methamphetamine and a Glock .40-caliber pistol in his vehicle.

Clevenger is the final defendant to be sentenced in this case, which involved multiple individuals. Co-defendant Nicholas A. Taylor, 41, also of Kansas City, was sentenced on April 25, 2023, to 19 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy. Taylor admitted that he traveled to California in June 2020 and purchased at least 52 pounds (approximately 23.6 kilograms) of methamphetamine for distribution among multiple co-defendants.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kansas City Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at identifying and dismantling high-level criminal organizations that pose threats to the United States through a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven multi-agency approach.

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