Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Commit Money Laundering

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Houston, Tx., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and commit money laundering.

Tyrone Godley-Johnson, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to court documents, on Sept. 4, 2024, Godley-Johnson transported approximately two kilograms of cocaine to Kansas City, Mo. Once in Kansas City, Godley-Johnson exchanged the cocaine for $35,000. On Sept. 5, 2024, as Godley-Johnson was returning to Texas, he was stopped in Moore, Ok., for a traffic violation. During the car stop, law enforcement discovered the $35,000 hidden inside the driver's side trunk area paneling of his rental vehicle.

Godley-Johnson admitted that he had transported approximately seven kilograms of cocaine to Kansas City, Mo., over the course of three separate trips, in exchange for a total of $131,000. These three trips occurred between the summer of 2022, and Sept. 4, 2024. On each occasion, Godley-Johnson transported or attempted to transport the U.S. currency back to the state of Texas.

Under federal statutes, Godley-Johnson is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Overland Park, Kansas 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.