Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking and Gun Crimes

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man pled guilty yesterday to federal drug trafficking and gun crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Kyle Keith Russell, 22, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.   Stuart praised the investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).

“Gun-toting drug dealers shouldn’t be anywhere near a college campus,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “Nothing keeps me up at night but our efforts should be keeping drug dealers up at night wondering when, not if, we’ll show up at their door to introduce or, too often, reintroduce them to the criminal justice system. I can assure you that our drug task forces, campus police, and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are working every day with my team of prosecutors to put drug dealers behind bars and keep our schools and communities safe.”

On August 30, 2017,  an agent  with  MDENT arranged to meet Russell’s co-defendant, Baylee Gibson, of Charleston, and purchase two ounces of methamphetamine.  The agent had spoken to Gibson on the telephone and had arranged the price and quantity.. Gibson told the agent to meet her at a parking lot just off the campus of West Virginia State University.  Gibson met the agent, retrieved the buy money, and met Russell on the WVSU campus.  This was the site of  previous methamphetamine sales by Gibson with Russell as her source of supply.  Agents then executed a search warrant on a house Russell was using to store drugs near the campus.  They seized an additional 2 ounces of methamphetamine. Russell was arrested and found to have a loaded 9 mm handgun in a backpack, along with over $3700 in cash, some of which was used in the undercover buy earlier that day.

United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver presided over the plea hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey handled the prosecution.

Gibson previously pled guilty and is pending sentence. Russell faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 to 40 years imprisonment on the drug charge and a 5 year consecutive sentence on the firearm charge.

Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews  

 
###