Suspected drug kingpin pleads guilty to federal charges
A Fulton man suspected of leading a large drug and prostitution ring in mid-Missouri pleaded guilty to federal drug and weapon charges.
District Judge Stephen Bough accepted Kenneth Scott, Sr.’s guilty plea Wednesday for drug trafficking and for possessing firearms as a felon. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to money laundering.
According to the guilty plea, a court-ordered wiretap revealed Scott arranged several deals for cocaine between Fulton and Columbia. The plea details Scott’s purchase of two kilograms of cocaine near a mall in Independence in May 2014, and another two kilograms of the product delivered to an auto repair store near Fulton in June of the same year. Scott paid approximately $60,000 each time for the cocaine, according to the federal plea agreement.
Scott’s cohorts and customers involved several others facing federal charges, which the U.S. Western District Court announced back in November 2014. Then, attorney Tammy Dickinson said Scott and Malcolm D. Redmon of Columbia served as the leaders of the drug conspiracy. Redmon and others would then convert the cocaine to crack, and sell it in that form, according to the plea deal.
As part of the plea deal, Scott’s attorney asked for six other charges to be dismissed and no other charges brought against him in this case. That will not be officially accepted until Scott’s sentencing date.
Court spokesman Don Ledford said a sentencing date for Scott has not been set yet. He could be facing up to life in federal prison for his role in the crimes.
