Source: United States Department of Justice News
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Mo., men have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a nearly $10 million conspiracy that distributed almost 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Fahrudin F. Fejzic, also known as “Frank,” 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Thursday, Feb. 9, to 24 years and two months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Fejzic to pay a money judgment of $325,000, which represent the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
Lloyd L. Hagan, also known as “Trey,” 45, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced today to 18 years and nine months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Hagan to pay a money judgment of $19,442, which represents the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
On Aug. 26, 2022, Fejzic pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019, and to one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Hagan, in a separate but related case, pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy on March 29, 2022.
On Feb. 19, 2019, law enforcement investigators were conducting surveillance on the residence of co-defendant Mirza Alihodzic, 37, of Kansas City, Mo. Fejzic and others were present with Alihodzic at the residence. Alihodzic and Fejzic were carrying items out of the house and putting them into a black BMW, which was parked in the driveway.
Fejzic left in a taxi, which took him to a residence in Grandview. Fejzic was then stopped by a police officer. Fejzic had a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun tucked in his backside waistband; he was carrying a bag that contained approximately four and a half pounds (more than two kilograms) of methamphetamine and a Romarm/CUGIR Mini Draco AK-47-type 7.62x39mm semi-automatic firearm with two high-capacity, 40-round magazines and 69 total rounds of ammunition.
Law enforcement officers also executed a search warrant the same day at Alihodzic’s residence. Officers found approximately 5.5 grams of methamphetamine, $1,620 in cash, and two firearms inside the residence. Officers also seized 18 firearms from Alihodzic’s BMW, including a Sten 9mm machine gun, two short-barreled shotguns (a Mossberg 20-gauge and a Revelation 16-gauge) and a stolen Sig Sauer 9mm handgun.
On at least two occasions in April and May 2019, Hagan was involved in the controlled purchase of a half-pound of methamphetamine for $2,300 by a law enforcement confidential human source. Hagan admitted that he purchased methamphetamine from co-conspirators that came from Alihodzic. Hagan sometimes received methamphetamine rather than cash in exchange for doing work on multiple houses for co-conspirators. He served as a middleman to pick up half-pound and quarter-pound amounts of methamphetamine to deliver to others to distribute. Hagan was responsible for the distribution of nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine.
Alihodzic was sentenced on Dec 1, 2022, to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Alihodzic to forfeit to the government $1,158,058, which represents his responsibility in trafficking 113.79 kilograms (more than 250 pounds) of methamphetamine (based on a conservative street price of $2,300 for 226 grams (a half-pound) of methamphetamine).
Eighteen defendants have been convicted in two separate indictments that resulted from this investigation. Fifteen defendants have been sentenced.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Sean T. Foley, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.