ST. JOSEPH, MO – Franklin T. Hicks Jr., 43, known on the streets as “Frankie,” is headed to federal prison for a decade and a half after being convicted of flooding the St. Joseph area with heroin and illegally packing heat. U.S. District Judge Greg Kays handed down the 10-year, six-month sentence today, marking the final chapter in a major drug bust that ripped through the city.
Hicks pleaded guilty back in May to conspiracy to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin between September 2019 and March 2021. Court documents reveal he personally moved at least 115.5 grams of the deadly drug – enough for over 1,150 individual doses. But Hicks wasn’t just a dealer; he was armed. When police cornered him outside a St. Joseph hotel on January 22, 2021, they found 35.8 grams of heroin, $2,687 in cash, a loaded Rock Island Armory .380-caliber handgun under the driver’s seat, and a Ruger 9mm tucked away in the glove box.
Hicks wasn’t operating alone. Roderick A. Hughes, 48, already received a hefty 17-year sentence on October 10th for his role in the conspiracy and possessing a firearm during drug trafficking. Hughes was responsible for distributing a staggering 461.9 grams of heroin – over 4,600 potentially lethal doses. A search of Hughes’s apartment turned up a veritable arsenal: a silver revolver, a loaded Glock 9mm, a Stoeger 9mm, a Jennings Bryco 9mm, and a safe containing 23.4 grams of heroin and $4,703 in cash. Hidden in the rafters of his garage were another 96.3 grams of the drug.
The third member of the trio, Harvey E. Johnson, 50, of Kansas City, Mo., received a 12-year sentence on October 26th. Johnson wasn’t content to simply distribute; he led police on a high-speed chase before being apprehended on March 16, 2021, with approximately 51 grams of heroin in his possession. Authorities discovered he was responsible for at least 2.835 kilograms of heroin – over 28,000 doses. To add insult to injury, Johnson was already on parole for previous drug convictions when he re-engaged in the heroin trade.
The takedown was a joint effort from the St. Joseph Police Department, the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black prosecuted the case, successfully bringing down this dangerous operation. The streets of St. Joseph are a little less saturated with poison today, but the demand remains, and the Grimy Times will continue to report on those who prey on addiction.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the lethal combination of drug trafficking and illegal firearms. Authorities are sending a clear message: those who profit from misery and endanger the community will face the full force of the law. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities looking into potential connections to other drug networks in the region.
Related Federal Cases
- Charles Hicks Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud, Fenton MO, 2023 · Illinois
- Leon D. Stinnett, Illegal Firearms Possession, MO 2023 · Kansas
- Charles Hicks, False Invoice Scheme, MO 2024 · Illinois
- Joseph Nicko Winters, Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy, MO 2023 · Illinois
- Joseph L. Hill, Illegal Ammunition Possession, MO 2024 · Alabama
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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