Kansas man sentenced to prison for meth trafficking

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas man was sentenced to 200 months in prison for selling methamphetamine as part of a drug trafficking network.

According to court documents, Chaz Hicks, 28, of Kansas City, Kansas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

In February 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received information that Hicks was selling methamphetamine in the Kansas City, Kansas area. Hicks sold methamphetamine to undercover officers multiple times, sometimes with a firearm on his lap.

ATF agents observed Hicks' movements which included frequent stops at a house on Ruby Ave in Kansas City, Kansas, the home of Ernest Lucas. By monitoring individuals coming and going from the Ruby Avenue house, law enforcement saw a travel pattern connecting it to a second house on Mersington Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri.

In July 2022, ATF served a search warrant at the Ruby Avenue house and located 12 firearms, ammunition, over $11,000 in cash, and approximately 274 grams of methamphetamine. Investigators searched the Mersington Avenue house on the same day and found approximately 102 pounds of methamphetamine, eight firearms, electronic scales and other drug paraphernalia.

Co-defendants Ernest Lucas, 52, Abraham Gallegos, 45, Spencer Allen, 48, and Jason Smith, 50, have all pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. They are awaiting sentencing.

"When the public reports criminal activity and no immediate action is taken, sometimes people mistakenly assume law enforcement doesn't take the allegations seriously. The reality is that building a solid case often takes time," said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. "Thanks to a tip from the community, federal agents initiated an investigation against the defendants then collected enough evidence to make arrests and secure convictions across a larger network."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case with assistance from the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle McFarlane is prosecuting the case.

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