Drug trafficker sentenced to over 9 years following HSI Kansas City, law enforcement partner investigation
Man convicted of conspiracy to distribute meth and possession of a firearm
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On June 23, U.S. District Judge Greg Kays sentenced Michael Brandon Pedrino to 160 months of incarceration to be followed by five years of supervised release as part of a plea agreement related to drug distribution and firearm possession.
Pedrino was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri on May 1, 2019, on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On Jan. 5, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, with the remaining count to be dismissed at sentencing as part of his plea agreement.
“HSI is committed to the eradication of deadly narcotics from the Heartland,” said HSI Kansas City acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho. “Criminals should take note of this sentencing and heed its warning. HSI is on the streets and in the community looking to arrest criminals who are bringing these dangerous substances into our neighborhoods.”
Investigators identified Pedrino as the primary organizer and point of contact for a Kansas City-area distribution cell for a drug trafficking organization. Members reportedly smuggled methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States and transported it to Missouri for distribution.
HSI Kansas City, the Jackson County Drug Task Force and the DEA investigated this case with help from state and local law enforcement partners headquartered in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
Learn more about our mission to counter illegal narcotics in the community on Twitter @HSIKansasCity.
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