KANSAS CITY, MO – The owner of Rockstar Burgers, a once-popular Kansas City eatery, is facing up to two decades behind bars after admitting he knowingly turned his business into a hub for a massive drug trafficking operation. Brian Douglas Smith, 45, pleaded guilty Wednesday to maintaining a drug-involved premises, a key component in a conspiracy that pumped over 150 kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 kilograms of heroin onto the streets – with a street value exceeding $1.7 million.
According to court documents, Smith willingly allowed the building housing Rock Star Burgers, located in Kansas City’s West Bottoms, to be used for storing and distributing the deadly drugs. The space wasn’t just a storage facility; it served as a collection point for drug money and a staging area for further distribution, even including the storage of firearms used to protect the illegal operation. Smith’s role, prosecutors say, was simple: keep the premises open for business – for the traffickers, not burger lovers.
Smith is one of 17 individuals implicated in the sprawling conspiracy who have either pleaded guilty or are scheduled to do so. The feds are already locking down sentences in the case. Matthew John Fabulae, 33, of Kansas City, received a harsh 15-year sentence on March 14, 2022, without the possibility of parole, and was ordered to forfeit $44,000 earned through his drug distribution activities. Fabulae’s guilty plea covered not only drug and money laundering conspiracies but also included charges related to possessing firearms during a drug crime and being a drug user in possession of a weapon, as well as possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Amy Leann Nieman, 51, of Mooresville, MO, also felt the heat, receiving a nine-year federal prison sentence on February 25, 2022. She pleaded guilty to similar charges as Fabulae, acknowledging her role in the drug and money laundering conspiracy and the illegal possession of firearms while engaged in drug trafficking. These sentences signal the Justice Department’s intent to come down hard on those involved in fueling the region’s drug epidemic.
As part of a plea agreement, Smith will likely avoid a larger financial penalty. The government and Smith will jointly recommend a $15,000 fine instead of pursuing a money judgment or asset forfeiture. However, the final sentence will be determined by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, considering advisory sentencing guidelines and other relevant factors. A presentence investigation is underway to provide the court with a comprehensive assessment of Smith’s background and involvement.
The investigation, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) alongside multiple local and state agencies – including the Kansas City and Springfield Police Departments, the DEA, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Department – is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF remains a primary tool in the ongoing fight to dismantle major drug trafficking organizations and stem the flow of illicit narcotics across the country.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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