Morgan Ashley Kirby, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, Oklahoma 2024

Tulsa Woman Convicted of Conspiring to Distribute 46 Pounds of Methamphetamine

A federal jury in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has convicted 20-year-old Morgan Ashley Kirby of Drug Conspiracy and Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.

Kirby was found guilty of conspiring with others to deliver methamphetamine onto the streets of the Northern District of Oklahoma, a crime that will never be tolerated, according to U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

On June 2024, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers pulled over a driver for traffic violations and discovered a suitcase containing 21 plastic bags of methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that the driver was getting paid $4,000 to deliver the methamphetamine to Tulsa.

As part of a coordinated effort, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents replaced the methamphetamine with fake methamphetamine and allowed the driver to complete the transaction. The driver then met with Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano and Morgan Kirby to be paid and delivered the fake methamphetamine for further distribution.

Later, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol pulled over the vehicle Rios-Soriano was driving, and Kirby was in the passenger side. Upon search of the vehicle, troopers discovered more than 46 pounds of fake methamphetamine and cash sitting on the floorboard of the passenger side of the vehicle.

As a result of the investigation, Kirby’s co-defendants, Feliciano Ortega-Banderas, 22, of East Palo Alto, California, and Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano, 25, a Mexican National, pled guilty in October 2024. Ortega-Banderas pled guilty to Attempted Distribution of Methamphetamine, and Rios-Soriano pled guilty to Drug Conspiracy and Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.

All three will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal, awaiting sentencing before being transported to the Bureau of Prisons. Rios-Soriano is not a U.S. citizen and is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentencing.

The Drug Enforcement Administration – Tulsa and Amarillo Resident Offices, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Bailey and Christian Harris prosecuted the case.

Mandatory Facts: Defendant: Morgan Ashley Kirby, Criminal Charges: Drug Conspiracy and Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, City and State: Tulsa, Oklahoma, Exact Date: June 2024, Sentence or Outcome: Awaiting sentencing, Dollar Amounts: $4,000.

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