Detroit Man Sentenced for Armed Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Detroit man, Khari Smith, 21, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 200 months in prison, for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

In May 2023, law enforcement began investigating an individual distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine in Lexington, and also identified the vehicle being used to transport the drugs into the area. On July 10, 2023, law enforcement located the vehicle traveling from Detroit to Kentucky, as one of a pair of vehicles they believed were connected. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on both vehicles. Khari Smith and Khmari Smith, his brother and co-defendant, were found in one vehicle, with no evidence of drugs. In the other vehicle, co-defendant Brianna Hanspard, 29, also from Detroit, was found with 4.6 kilograms of methamphetamine and 199.7 grams of fentanyl. Hanspard admitted agreeing with Khmari Smith and others to transport drugs from Detroit to Lexington, in exchange for payment.

Further investigation established that Khari and Khmari Smith continued their drug distribution, using sources in Detroit. In August 2023, law enforcement searched their leased residences in Lexington. At the first residence they found 354.4 grams of fentanyl, 216.3 grams of methamphetamine, and 18 firearms; at the second residence, they found additional fentanyl, methamphetamine, and 12 firearms. Khmari Smith admitted that he received those firearms as payment for drugs he distributed.

In their previous sentencings, Khmari Smith was sentenced to 384 months and Hanspard was sentenced to 84 months.

Under federal law, Khari Smith must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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