Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Cocaine

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Ashburn, Va., man plead guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing just over a kilogram of cocaine while traveling by bus from Nevada to Virginia.

Kareem M. Strong, 33, plead guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, to possessing cocaine to distribute.

On December 13, 2023, Strong was found in possession of a black backpack containing a heat-sealed brick of white powder with an imprint of “ROLEX” on it, while at the bus station.  Strong was traveling from Nevada to Virginia when encountered by interdiction task force members and subsequently arrested.  The brick, which was submitted to the Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory for testing, weighed 1,004.73 grams and contained cocaine, in the salt form.

Under federal statutes, Strong is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.