Sumter County Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses
OCALA, Fla. – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Brody Kies (39, Webster) pleaded guilty to a four-count indictment charging him with possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Kies faces a minimum mandatory of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Kies had been indicted on February 3, 2021.
According to court records, Kies was driving a vehicle that had been stopped for speeding. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately four pounds of methamphetamine, several grams of heroin, cash, drug scales, and a loaded firearm. Kies, a 17-time convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Gainesville Resident Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case also is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
If you are aware of controlled substance violations in your community, please submit your anonymous tip through the DEA online Tip Line at Submit a Tip | DEA.gov. Concerns about prescription drug abuse or diversion can be reported to the DEA through this link: RX Abuse Online Reporting (usdoj.gov).
The DEA encourages parents, teachers, care givers, guardians, and children to educate themselves about the dangers of drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.JustThinkTwice.com , www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com , www.CampusDrugPrevention.gov , and www.dea.gov.
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