KANSAS CITY, MO— A 49-year-old drug dealer with ties to a Mexican cartel was sentence on Tuesday to life in prison for 
drug-trafficking and an unsuccessful murder-for-hire convictions, officials said.
U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner sentenced Andre Taylor, also known as “Dre,”of Kansas City, to life plus 30 years in federal prison without parole.
The court also sentenced Taylor to a consecutive term of 30 years for possessing a machine gun in furtherance of a crime of violence.
On Sept. 10, 2014, Taylor was found guilty at trial of participating in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of marijuana and cocaine between Feb. 1, 2010, and Feb. 25, 2014.
Taylor was also convicted of participating in a conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine and possessing a machine gun in furtherance of a crime of violence (the murder-for-hire conspiracy).
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated the following, according to federal officials:
- Taylor was the head of a major cocaine and marijuana distribution organization in the metropolitan area.
- A Mexico-based cartel supplied narcotics to the drug-trafficking organization and Taylor sometimes traveled to Mexico to buy drugs for resale within the Kansas City area.
- Taylor boasted that he personally sent $20 million back to Mexico. Numerous shipments of cocaine, totaling more than 200 pounds were transported to Kansas City from Mexico.
- Taylor’s relatives and others helped him in recruiting buyers and arranging sales. His base of operation was in Kansas City, Mo., where his family owned three houses next door to each other.
- Confidential informants participated in numerous controlled buys of narcotics. Many of those buys took place in, around, or outside of the three Taylor houses.
- In intercepted telephone conversations, Taylor boasted of spending millions of dollars to buy drugs to sell in the Kansas City area.
- Based on telephone interceptions, a murder-for-hire plot was discovered during the conspiracy.
- The intended victim was a co-conspirator and former trusted associate of Taylor’s co-defendant Victor Vickers, also known as “VV,” 30, of Kansas City.
- Vickers was found guilty at trial of participating in a conspiracy to distribute less than 100 kilograms of marijuana.
In addition to Taylor and Vickers, 17 co-defendants have pleaded guilty to criminal charges.
Drug-Trafficking Conspiracy
A confidential source completed a series of controlled purchases of cocaine from Taylor and his co-conspirators in 2011 and 2012.
On Sept. 27, 2012, search warrants were executed at the three homes owned by the Taylor family at 23rd and Hardesty. Approximately 227 pounds of marijuana was seized, as well as an assault rifle and body-armor-piercing bullets.
In addition, on Nov. 30, 2012, more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana, which was intended for delivery to Taylor, was recovered from a truck and trailer being driven by a co-conspirator.
This co-conspirator told investigators that he had delivered marijuana to Kansas City to Taylor seven or eight times, and he had transported $500,000 to $700,000 to Arizona for these drug shipments.
FBI agents conservatively estimate that Taylor was responsible for distributing at least 264 pounds of cocaine and at least 2,000 pounds of marijuana, either himself or through one of his many confederates.
Murder for Hire Conspiracy
The intended victim of the murder-for-hire conspiracy was co-defendant William E. Brown, also known as “Billy,” 43, of Kansas City. Taylor believed that Brown, a one-time trusted associate, stole $500,000 and more than more than 28 pounds of cocaine from Taylor’s downtown loft apartment.
Taylor sought to hire a “hit man” to do the job and contacted co-defendant Kenneth Vaughn Cooper, 32, of Kansas City.
Brown pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and admitted that he purchased at least 11 pounds of cocaine from Taylor.
Cooper pleaded guilty to his role in the murder-for-hire conspiracy and admitted that he was supposed to be paid a share of the stolen $500,000 for committing the murder.
On Aug. 18, 2012, FBI agents intercepted a telephone call in which Taylor said, “it’s necessary to kill him,” referring to Brown.
On Aug. 21, 2012, agents intercepted a phone call between Cooper and Taylor. Taylor said he had a “hammer” and Cooper said he was going to come and get it.
Later that day, Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cooper on outstanding warrants while he was a passenger in a truck driven by his father.
As deputies approached the vehicle they could smell burnt marijuana coming from inside.
When the vehicle was searched, deputies recovered a firearms case behind the driver’s seat that contained a machine gun—a MAC-10 style homemade .45-caliber firearm with no serial number—and a metal stick magazine with 18 live rounds of .45-caliber ammunition.