Final Member of Kalamazoo Methamphetamine Conspiracy Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced that Vance Lamont Hale (38) of Kalamazoo, Michigan was sentenced by United States District Judge Janet T. Neff to 15 years imprisonment. Hale was the final defendant to be sentenced in a five defendant, Kalamazoo-based methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. All defendants charged in the superseding indictment were convicted following guilty pleas; their sentences are listed below:
| Name | Age | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Tyshaun Derrell Robinson | 26 | 180 Months |
| Vance Lamont Hale | 38 | 180 Months |
| Damarcus Donta Hunter | 41 | 60 Months |
| Prince Elijah Johnson | 28 | 27 Months |
| Kenneth Shears | 26 | 24 Months |
In total, law enforcement seized over three pounds of highly pure methamphetamine from various locations in Kalamazoo in the course of investigating the conspiracy. Because of prior drug trafficking convictions, Defendants Robinson and Hale were subject to fifteen-year mandatory minimum sentences. Defendant Robinson was on federal supervised release at the time he was engaged in the conspiracy, having been released from prison on February 7, 2019, less than three months before he began selling drugs again.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Birge stated, “West Michigan has recently seen an increase in the distribution of methamphetamine, which is an extremely dangerous drug that destroys lives. Those who choose to sell methamphetamine are on notice that it will result in serious consequences -- including mandatory minimum sentences --, particularly where a person has a prior conviction for dealing drugs.”
The Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET), the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Vito S. Solitro prosecuted the case.
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