Keith Kirchoff, Methamphetamine Trafficking, FL 2024

Keith Kirchoff, 41, of Key West, is headed to federal prison for 20 years after being convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. handed down the sentence in Orlando, sealing Kirchoff’s fate in a case that exposed deep ties between South Florida drug networks and outlaw motorcycle gangs.

A jury found Kirchoff guilty on February 26, 2019, following a trial that laid bare his role in a coordinated drug ring involving members of the Pagans motorcycle club. Prosecutors proved that in March 2018, Kirchoff orchestrated the delivery of ounce quantities of methamphetamine to associates in Daytona Beach and Key West—transactions that fed addiction and fueled violence across Central Florida.

The operation collapsed on March 21, 2018, when Florida Highway Patrol officers pulled over the vehicle Kirchoff was driving. Inside, they found nearly 10 ounces of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm—evidence that sealed his conviction on both drug and weapons charges. The gun charge alone carried a mandatory minimum sentence, stacking additional years onto his prison term.

Law enforcement sources say the case revealed a broader network linking motorcycle gang members to interstate drug trafficking. Kirchoff’s collaboration with the Pagans—known for their violent reputation and organized criminal activity—elevated the severity of his crimes in the eyes of federal prosecutors.

“The FBI is committed to dismantling criminal organizations who threaten the safety of Central Florida,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to disrupt the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities.”

The investigation was a joint effort by the FBI, DEA, Florida Highway Patrol, Volusia Bureau of Investigation, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and Daytona Beach Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter prosecuted the case, underscoring the federal government’s push to target drug traffickers with organized crime connections. Kirchoff now faces two decades behind bars with no room for appeal.

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