DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Western District of Missouri

For Immediate Release

Thursday, April 30, 2015
Tammy Dickinson
, United States Attorney
Contact: Don Ledford, Public Affairs

Three Warrensburg Residents Among Six to Plead Guilty to Meth Conspiracy, Illegal Firearm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that six defendants have pleaded guilty in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to illegally possessing a firearm.

Phuoc Hong, also known as Tony Hong, 32, of Warrensburg, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Wednesday, April 29, 2015, to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from December 2013 to May 2014.

Co-defendants Garrett D. Statler, 21, and Alyce M. Maher, 27, both of Warrensburg, Mo.; Dylan K. Avery, 19, of Clinton, Mo.; and Arturo-Lorenzo Roldan, 34, of Independence, Mo., have also pleaded guilty earlier this month to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Co-defendant Tony D. Meyer, 42, of Sedalia, Mo., recently pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Hong admitted that he sold methamphetamine from his Warrensburg residence and from other locations. During the investigation, an undercover agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives purchased methamphetamine from Hong on 11 occasions and purchased cocaine or crack cocaine from Hong on four occasions.

Hong purchased his methamphetamine from Roldan and purchased his cocaine from a different source. Roldan admitted that he sold Hong approximately one to ounces of methamphetamine per week, later increasing to two to three ounces per week. Hong also supplied methamphetamine to Meyer, Statler, Avery and Maher, who then supplied others.

The investigation resulted in the purchase or seizure of a total of 424.6 grams of methamphetamine, 68.3 grams of cocaine and 65.7 grams of crack cocaine. In addition to the methamphetamine actually purchased from Hong, it is believed that he is responsible for at least another pound of methamphetamine that he sold to Meyer.

Law enforcement officers conducted a search of Roldan’s residence and seized 88.5 grams of methamphetamine and $12,000 that came from the sale of a pound of methamphetamine to another individual. Based on this, Roldan is responsible for approximately 1.65 kilograms of methamphetamine (an estimated two ounces a week for five months (1120 grams), 88.5 grams found during the search and a pound sale (448 grams) represented by the $12,000).

Meyer admitted that he was in possession of a Hi-Point 9mm pistol when his vehicle was stopped by Kansas City, Mo., police officers on Jan. 18, 2014. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Meyer has two prior felony convictions for assaulting a law enforcement officer, four prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, two prior felony convictions for distributing a controlled substance, and prior felony convictions for trafficking in drugs, possessing drug paraphernalia, robbery, assault, and leaving the scene of an accident.,

Under federal statutes, Hong and Roldan are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $10 million. Meyer 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, plus a fine up to $250,000. Statler is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $5 million. Avery and Maher are each subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $1 million.

Sentencing hearings have been scheduled for Aug. 27 and 28, 2015.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce E. Clark. It was investigated by the Warrensburg, Mo., Police Department, the Johnson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Knob Noster, Mo., Police Department, the Sedalia, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at

http://www.justice.gov/usao/mow/index.html

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Kansas City Field Division