Solomon B. Hawthorne, Heroin Trafficking, Kansas 2024

A Kansas City, Kansas man has pleaded guilty to his role in a massive heroin trafficking operation that brought over three kilograms of the deadly substance to Kansas City, Missouri.

Solomon B. Hawthorne, 31, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to possess heroin with the intent to distribute in federal court on [date].

According to court documents, a Kansas City, Mo., police detective intercepted a suspicious package at a local FedEx facility. The package, which was being shipped from California to a Kansas City, Mo., address, contained a black metal safe. Inside the safe were three bundles of a total of 3.179 kilograms of heroin.

An undercover law enforcement officer conducted a controlled delivery of the package on Nov. 20, 2020, at a residence in Kansas City, Mo. The undercover detective placed the package on the steps of the porch, and officers initiated surveillance.

A couple of hours later, Hawthorne arrived, driving a 2016 Dodge Ram truck. The individual who had been watching the package got into Hawthorne’s truck and they drove around the block before pulling into the driveway of the residence. Hawthorne and the other individual were taken into custody.

During the search of Hawthorne’s truck, officers found a large clear storage bag that contained approximately 134.04 grams of heroin. They also found a black bag that contained $48,680 in cash and a Glock 9mm magazine with 10 rounds of ammunition. Another Glock 9mm magazine, which contained 15 rounds of ammunition, was found in a hidden compartment underneath the dashboard.

Hawthorne had conducted similar transactions twice over the previous few months, paying approximately $100,000 to purchase heroin that was shipped to Kansas City.

Under federal statutes, Hawthorne is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on Dec. 16, 2021.

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