A sinister plot to distribute methamphetamine in Minnesota has been busted, with a local man taking a guilty plea in federal court.
James Kelly Benson, a 30-year-old Little Falls man, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in a Minnesota courtroom.
According to court records, Benson was working with others to distribute methamphetamine since June 2012. Officers from the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force observed Benson selling methamphetamine, which led to a search warrant being executed at his home on January 16, 2014.
During the search, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, working with CMVOTF officers, found approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine in Benson’s garage. Benson admitted to purchasing the methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it within the state of Minnesota.
Benson’s guilty plea comes after he was indicted on February 12, 2014, on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. He will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison due to his prior conviction in Meeker County for a separate felony drug offense in 2005.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez, with the investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force.
Judge Donovan W. Frank will determine Benson’s sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled. The guilty plea marks a significant blow to the methamphetamine trade in Minnesota, with the authorities taking a major step in dismantling the operation.
Related Federal Cases
- Javier Torres Sentenced to 7+ Years for Methamphetamine Conspiracy,… · Minnesota
- Ryan Hansen Admits to Methamphetamine Conspiracy, Sioux City IA, 2013 · Minnesota
- James Joseph Thompson, Methamphetamine Possession, South Dakota 2016 · Minnesota
- Andrew Smith, Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy, Iowa 2017 · Minnesota
- Alvin Felicianosoto, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, SD 2024 · Minnesota
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking