KC Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking Methamphetamine, and Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Travis N. Black, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Bough to 96 months for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to an additional 24 months for violating his conditions of federal supervision for a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The Court ordered the sentences to run consecutively for a total sentence of 120 months in federal prison without parole.  The Court also sentenced Black to three years of supervised release following his incarceration.

On Feb. 13, 2025, Black waived indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On Nov. 7, 2023, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department officers observed a Ford Expedition that had been previously reported as stolen on Oct. 13, 2023. Black was in the driver’s seat with a female passenger. While officers were trying to confirm that the vehicle was stolen, in an apparent effort to evade the officers, Black crashed the Ford Expedition into some trees near 5519 North Cypress Avenue, Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri.

When officers arrived at the scene of the crash, Black and the female were no longer present.  A citizen contacted law enforcement officials and reported that two unknown individuals were in his yard and he provided the address.  Officers went to the reported location and observed a male, later identified as Black, and a female run to a vehicle that was later identified as an Uber ride.  Officers arrested Black and the female.  While conducting an inventory search of the wrecked Ford Expedition, officers discovered a storage box on the front driver’s seat that contained approximately 70 grams of methamphetamine and a Taurus, Model 85, .38 Special caliber, revolver that was loaded with two rounds of ammunition.  The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department Crime Laboratory later analyzed genetic material taken from a swab of the trigger of the firearm and compared it to a known DNA sample taken from Black.  The comparative analysis tended to show that Black’s DNA was on the recovered firearm.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford.  It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).