Three More Defendants Indicted in Northwest MO Fentanyl Conspiracy
Ten Defendants Now Charged With Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal Firearms
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three more defendants have been indicted in a 10-person conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in northwest Missouri.
Kaden Bernard, 22, of St. Joseph, Mo., Raymundo Felix-Perez, 31, a citizen of Mexico who resided in Bethany, Mo., and Joshua Stramel, 26, of Kansas City, Kan., were charged in a 13-count second superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 24, 2023.
That indictment replaced a previous indictment and retained seven co-defendants who previously had been charged: Craig Austin Troester, 24, and Cassidie Bumgarner, 21, both of Spickard, Mo., Troy Lee Palmer, 24, of Trenton, Mo., Dallas Hughs, 27, of St. Joseph, Jessica Nicole Moody, 30, of Bethany, Dakota Morris, 25, of Liberty, Mo., and Lucas Ryan Coltrain, 23, of Newtown, Mo.
The federal indictment alleges that Troester and Felix-Perez led the conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, for which all 10 defendants are charged, beginning on Oct. 27, 2020.
In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Troester, Felix-Perez, Bumgarner, Coltrain, and Moody are charged together in one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering from March 1, 2021, through Jan. 31, 2022. They allegedly collected proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy and wired the money to Sinaloa, Mexico.
Bernard is also charged with two counts of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, two count of distributing fentanyl, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Bernard allegedly was in possession of an FNH .45-caliber pistol, an FNH 9mm pistol, and a Century Arms 7.62x39 pistol on March 17, 2022.
Palmer is also charged with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Palmer allegedly was in possession of a Cricket .22-caliber bolt-action rifle, a Rossi .22-caliber rifle, a Rossi .410-gauge shotgun, a Ruger .410-gauge shotgun, a Hiawatha 12-gauge shotgun, and a Ruger .223-caliber rifle on Dec. 8, 2020.
Hughs is also charged with three counts of distributing fentanyl.
Stramel is also charged with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Brackett. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Grundy County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Trenton, Mo., Police Department, the Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Mercer County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Grundy County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
