For Immediate Release
August 27, 2025
Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson today announced the office secured a seven-year sentence for a man involved in a drug trafficking case.
Byron D. Kitchen pleaded guilty to 2nd Degree Trafficking Drugs and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in May.
“Drug trafficking fuels violence in our communities and it’s why I vowed to take an aggressive approach on charging drug trafficking and some possession cases in order to make Jackson County safer,” said Prosecutor Johnson. “The Jackson County Drug Task Force, a COMBAT-funded initiative, was key in bringing this case to justice and continues to work around the clock identifying the groups that distribute illegal substances that aim to destroy our community. We are proud to support their tireless work.”
According to court records, the Jackson County Drug Task Force began investigating the defendant in September 2023 after receiving intelligence that he was selling fentanyl pills. Following about five months of the Task Force’s surveillance, the Blue Springs Police Department executed a search warrant, seizing two firearms, ammunition, about 90 fentanyl pills, and other controlled substances.
The Jackson County Drug Task Force brings together detectives from multiple county police departments and sheriff’s offices with federal, state, and local agencies to target drug dealers across the metro. Their outstanding work has earned national recognition:
- Missouri Narcotics Officer’s Association’s Law Enforcement Unit of the Year seven times in 13 years, including 2024
- Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Outstanding Community Impact Investigation in 2023
- More than $35 million in controlled substances seized in 2024 alone
- 127 firearms confiscated last year, including illegal machine switches and silencers
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Media Contact:
Jazzlyn Johnson
Director of Communications
Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office
415 E 12th Street
Kansas City, MO - 64106
(816) 929-1289
jazzlyn.johnson@jacksongov.org
https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com