Kansas City Man Sentenced for Distributing Methamphetamine, Possessing Firearm to Further Drug Distribution

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for distributing and conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug distribution conspiracy.

Derone D. Gipson, 44, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Beth Phillips to 180 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Gipson was on federal supervised release for a previous federal drug conviction when he committed these offenses and Judge Phillips sentenced Gipson to 24 months in prison for violating his supervised release. His 24-month sentence will be served consecutively with the 180 months for a total of 204 months.

According to court documents, between on or about April 27, 2022 and June 1, 2022, members of the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department conducted three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Gipson of 112 grams, 110 grams, and 110 grams respectively.

On June 8, 2022, law enforcement officials served a search warrant at the apartment from which Gipson performed the earlier methamphetamine sales. Gipson was arrested and he had $3,000 cash in his left pants pocket and $839 in cash in his right pants pocket. Officers also located a Glock 26, 9 mm handgun on a shelf under a coffee table in the living room that Gipson admitted was his.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean T. Foley and Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo. Police. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted in executing the search warrant.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.