KC Man Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy, Illegal Firearm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing a firearm.

Ruben Chigo Paz, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Monday, Oct. 30, to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

On July 11, 2022, Paz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Paz admitted that he is responsible for the distribution of more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy. Paz admitted that he sold a total of 1,314.49 grams of methamphetamine to a law enforcement confidential source from July 13 to Dec. 4, 2018. Paz was arrested at a residence in Kansas City, Mo., in which law enforcement officers found 37 pounds of methamphetamine, one pound of heroin, and a Zenith .45-caliber pistol with a magazine.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.