Man pleads guilty after leaving bag of fentanyl in daycare center

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Kansas man pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges after leaving behind a bag of fentanyl at a daycare center.

According to court documents, Courtney McGee Cannon, 43, of Topeka pleaded guilty to three counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

On February 5, 2026, Cannon walked into the restroom at a childcare center in Topeka. While he used the restroom, Cannon dropped a baggie with a distribution amount of fentanyl on the floor. Cannon left without realizing he no longer had the baggie. An employee went into the restroom, found the fentanyl, and turned it over to security. Surveillance video showed Cannon as the only person to enter the restroom between the time it was cleaned and the employee found the baggie.

On February 12, 2026, while executing a search warrant, the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office discovered a distribution amount of fentanyl on Cannon's person. He confessed to law enforcement that he sells fentanyl.

On March 4, 2026, a federal grand jury indicted Cannon and subsequently a warrant was issued for his arrest. When law enforcement arrested Cannon two days later, they again found distribution quantities of a fentanyl on him.

"It's shocking that someone could be so uncaring and negligent as to take a substance as toxic as fentanyl into a childcare center," said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. "Thank goodness an adult found the baggie instead of innocent children who might have mistaken it for candy, or this could have turned into a horrific tragedy."

Cannon is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Shawnee County Sheriff's Office and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough is prosecuting the case.