United States Drug Enforcement Administration

LEAVENWORTH, KS. - A Kansas City, KS, man has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for his role in a heroin trafficking ring that caused the deaths of users in Wyandotte, Leavenworth and Johnson counties, according to a news release from the office of United States Attorney Barry Grissom.

Clifton Milton, 34, Kansas City, KS. was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison. Milton pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. In his plea, Milton admitted that from 2007 to 2009 he was part of a drug trafficking organization headed by co-defendant Ferdinand Handy. Milton worked as a middle man between heroin buyers and Handy, who provided residences where Milton and other members of the organization sold heroin.

In December 2010, co-defendants Verdale Handy and Frederico Ramsey were convicted in a jury trial. During the trial prosecutors presented evidence that from 2007 to 2009 Handy led a drug trafficking organization that provided heroin to users in Kansas City, Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe and other cities in Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties.

Co-defendants include Ferdinand Handy, who is set for sentencing Feb. 22; Todd Handy, who was sentenced to 120 months; Henry Nelson, who is set for sentencing April 4; Frederico Ramsey, who is set for sentencing March 7; Dominique Estis, who was sentenced to 120 months; Bradley Scott Dawdy, who is set for sentencing March 28; and Verdale Handy, who is set for sentencing March 7.

Grissom commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Atchison Police Department, the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office, the Merriam Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Johnson County Sheriffs Department, the Johnson County district attorney, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri McCracken and Erin Slinker, an intern with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, for their work on the case.