A Kansas City, Mo., man, Derone D. Gipson, 44, was sentenced today in federal court to 204 months in prison for distributing and conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, and for possessing a firearm to further his drug distribution conspiracy.
U.S. District Court Judge Beth Phillips sentenced Gipson to 180 months for the new offenses, followed by five years of supervised release. An additional 24 months were imposed for violating his federal supervised release from a previous drug conviction, to be served consecutively, totaling 17 years in federal prison.
Court documents reveal that between April 27 and June 1, 2022, Kansas City, Mo. Police conducted three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Gipson, totaling 332 grams. On June 8, 2022, a search warrant executed at his apartment led to Gipson's arrest, where officers found $3,839 in cash and a Glock 26, 9mm handgun, which Gipson admitted was his.
The case was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo. Police, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean T. Foley and Joseph M. Marquez prosecuted the case, which is part of "Operation Take Back America," a nationwide initiative targeting illegal immigration, cartels, and violent crime.