In June 2024, Morgan Ashley Kirby, 20, was convicted of drug conspiracy and attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The conviction came after a federal jury heard evidence from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
The case began when Texas Department of Public Safety troopers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle. They found 21 plastic bags filled with a white substance believed to be methamphetamine. The driver was reportedly paid $4,000 to deliver the drugs to Tulsa. DEA agents confirmed the substance was methamphetamine and replaced it with fake methamphetamine.
The driver met with co-defendants Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano and Kirby to complete the deal. Subsequently, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers stopped the vehicle driven by Rios-Soriano and found 46 pounds of fake methamphetamine along with cash.
Kirby’s co-defendants, Feliciano Ortega-Banderas and Rios-Soriano, both pleaded guilty to related charges, while Kirby remains in custody awaiting sentencing. Rios-Soriano, a Mexican national, will face deportation proceedings after his sentencing.
