Cocaine Kingpin Adrian ‘AD’ Lemons and His Associate Virgil ‘V.G.’ Sims Plead Guilty in Massive St. Louis Drug Ring
ST. LOUIS, MO – A former cocaine kingpin and his associate have pleaded guilty to a massive drug conspiracy involving the distribution of kilogram quantities of cocaine within the City of Saint Louis.
Adrian ‘AD’ Lemons, 41, and Virgil ‘V.G.’ Sims, 34, each entered their guilty plea before United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey. Lemons’s sentencing is set for July 31, 2019, while Sims will be sentenced on July 30, 2019.
According to court documents, Lemons collaborated with Mexican cartel representatives from 2012 to 2016 to receive and distribute vast quantities of cocaine in Saint Louis. He supplied large-scale dealers, including Sims, who distributed cocaine within the city and beyond. Sims also worked to maintain Lemons’s drug trafficking organization following his indictment in January 2016.
The Mexican cartel coordinated the shipment of cocaine from Reynosa, Mexico, through the Rio Grande Valley to Saint Louis. The investigation yielded over 64 kilograms of cocaine and $1.3 million directly linked to Lemons and Sims. Lemons admitted managing an extensive criminal enterprise using multiple properties in Saint Louis.
Sims faces a potential sentence of five to forty years for his role, while Lemons could receive between ten years and life imprisonment. Both are recommending sentences of 20 years and five years respectively.
Lemons and Sims are among 34 defendants facing charges related to drug trafficking and violence in federal indictments. The U.S. Attorney General has directed the death penalty be sought against one defendant, Anthony ‘TT’ Jordan, who pleaded not guilty.
This investigation was a collaborative effort by Homeland Security Investigations; DEA; Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department; Kennett, Missouri, Police Department; U.S. Marshals Service; ATF; and FBI.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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