Ladele D. Smith, Drug Trafficking, Missouri 2022

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two Kansas City men who led a violent street gang were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy and other violent criminal behavior that included illegal firearms and a drive-by shooting outside a daycare center where children were present.

Ladele D. Smith, also known as “Dellio” and “Dog,” 36, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison without parole. Smith was found guilty at trial of participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana from Jan. 1, 2011, to Oct. 1, 2019. He was also convicted of 15 additional counts that charged him with various drug-trafficking and firearms crimes, including a drive-by shooting and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

On Sept. 15, 2022, Smith and his co-defendant, Roy Franklin, Jr., 33, were found guilty at trial. Franklin was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison without parole.

The investigation into the 246 street gang, operating in the Kansas City metropolitan area, began in June 2017. The gang is an alliance of gang members from the 24th, 43rd, and 68th streets of Kansas City, Mo. Smith was identified as a leader of the gang, and Franklin and other co-defendants as members of the gang.

Smith, a local rap artist, often posted to social media platforms with references to the 246 gang. In some of the videos, Smith and others show firearms and large amounts of cash. The social media posts also portrayed Smith and others wearing expensive jewelry, watches, hats, and clothing that depicted 246 gang affiliation.

The investigation revealed that Smith spent about $54,000 at Halls Department Store between 2017 and 2019, and spent more than $27,000 on rental cars from Enterprise during that time. Members of the 246 gang used a residence in the 4400 block of Kensington, which is within 1,000 feet of George Washington Carver Dual Language School, a public elementary school, for gang and drug-trafficking business.

On Oct. 2, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the house and seized heroin as well as two assault rifles and a stolen vehicle that had been used in a drive-by shooting the previous month. Officers also found a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Century Arms International 7.62x39mm pistol under the couch in the living room and a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on the kitchen cabinet. Smith was arrested at his apartment on Oct 2, 2019. Officers searched his residence and found codeine, $31,601 in cash, and jewelry valued at over $40,000.

Co-defendants David J. Duncan, IV, also known as “Deej” or “DJ,” 34, and Gary O. Toombs, 43, both of Kansas City, Mo., also were convicted during the same trial. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 26, 2023.

Convictions:

Conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana (Jan. 1, 2011 to Oct. 1, 2019)

Drive-by shooting

Discharging a firearm during a crime of violence

Participating in a conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime

Defendant Name: Ladele D. Smith

City and State: Kansas City, Mo.

Exact Date: Sept. 15, 2022

Sentence: 35 years in federal prison without parole

Dollar amounts: $54,000 at Halls Department Store, $27,000 on rental cars from Enterprise

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