News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2009
Contact: Thomas E. Murphy
Number: (314)538-4660

California Man Gets 27 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

DEC 16 -- (KANSAS CITY, KAN.) – Randy Lucero, 34, San Bernadino, Calif., has been entenced to 324 months in federal prison for trafficking in methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch said today.

Lucero pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In is plea, Lucero admitted that on Aug. 2, 2007, undercover agents met with Lucero to complete a deal to buy more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine. At the time, investigators already had information that for approximately two years co-defendant John Gilmore had been transporting loads ranging from one pound to 12 pounds of methamphetamine on a monthly basis from San Bernadino, Calif., to Lawrence, Kan., at Lucero’s direction.

At Lucero’s direction, investigators posing as drug traffickers provided Lucero with an apartment in the 6500 block of Flint in Shawnee, Kan., for his use while he was in the Kansas City metro area. As a result of the transaction with Lucero, investigators seized approximately 26 pounds of methamphetamine that had been shipped from California to Shawnee, Kan. Co-defendant John Gilmore was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison.

Welch commended the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri McCracken for their work on the case.