Eight Defendants Sentenced for $1 Million Methamphetamine Conspiracy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Eight defendants have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

William Lee Bailey, 38, Eric S. Poston, 48, Brandon M. Beadel, 40, Alyssa Enlow, 31, and Donald R. Potts, 65, all of Independence, Mo., Dennis L. Morris, 51 of Raymore, Mo.; and Savannah Smith, 35, and Travis Bailey, 35, both of Blue Springs, Mo., have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark.

Each defendant previously admitted to taking part in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from on or about Aug. 1, 2019, to March 26, 2021. According to court documents, the conspiracy involved the distribution of roughly 105 kilograms of methamphetamine worth over $1,000,000. A search warrant executed at a residence in Independence, Mo., used by the conspiracy revealed a large amount of methamphetamine as well as a surveillance video system that had been recording portions of the residence's interior. A search warrant executed for the video system and its videos revealed the inner workings of the conspiracy-the conspirators involved, packaging and weighing methamphetamine, conducting drug deals, counting cash, and possessing firearms to further this conspiracy.

As to each defendant, the Court imposed the below-listed sentences:

• William Lee Bailey, who was the leader and organizer of the conspiracy, was sentenced to a 168-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count, and an additional 60 months for his plea to an additional count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense for a total of 228 months, and ordered to serve four years of supervised release.
• Poston was sentenced to a 120-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count, and an additional 60 months for his plea to an additional count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense for a total of 180 months, and ordered to serve four years of supervised release.
• Beadel was sentenced to a 120-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count and ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
• Travis Bailey was sentenced to a 96-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count and ordered to serve four years of supervised release.
• Morris was sentenced to a 78-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count and ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
• Potts was sentenced to a 72-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy count and ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
• Smith and Enlow were both sentenced to terms of probation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Foley. It was investigated by the Independence, Missouri Police Department.

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.