A Manhattan man, 25-year-old Keemont Reynolds, has been ordered to serve 51 months behind bars following a conviction for his part in a drug conspiracy, as per an official release by the U.S. Attorney's Office. The decision was reached yesterday, and the details were published on the Justice Department's website. Reynolds was found guilty after a trial in November last year that spanned four days.
The trial brought to light how a traffic stop on November 1, 2023, led to a surprising discovery. Tyrece Franklin was in the driver’s seat of a Jeep Grand Cherokee stopped in Malone, New York, Roddrick Ingram was in the front passenger seat, with Keemont Reynolds in the backseat. A false compartment in the vehicle's front dash was uncovered by police, housing a significant quantity of illegal substances. It consisted of 424 grams of methamphetamine, around 564.89 grams of cocaine, approximately 545.77 grams of cocaine base, and nearly 4.87 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mix. The combined street value of these drugs in Malone was estimated at about $140,000, shedding light on the scale of the operation.
Reynolds faced the jury for conspiracy charges, and despite being acquitted on the possession with an intent to distribute count, the verdict on the conspiracy landed him in prison. Co-defendant Ingram was cleared of all charges. Meanwhile, driver Franklin had previously admitted his guilt and received a 120-month sentence earlier in January this year. Following his prison term, Reynolds will also be subject to a 3-year supervised release. The case was overseen by Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby, according to the same press release.
The investigation was a joint effort helmed by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New York State Police. It was Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Collyer and Jeffrey Stitt who pursued the prosecution of the case.
