Former KC Man Pleads Guilty to Marijuana Conspiracy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Kansas City, Mo., area man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

Coty D. Hollaman, 23, formerly of Kansas City, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty in federal court today to a federal information that charges him with one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

By pleading guilty today, Hollaman admitted that the conspiracy, which lasted from May 1 to Sept. 12, 2016, was responsible for transporting at least 120 pounds of marijuana from Colorado for distribution in the Kansas City, Mo., area.

According to today’s plea agreement, conspirators began purchasing marijuana from a source in Colorado. A co-conspirator invested $10,000 into the operation so Hollaman and others could purchase greater quantities of marijuana per trip. They agreed that in return, the investor would receive $1,000 per week as interest and free marijuana until the entire principal investment was repaid in full.

Conspirators, who had started by transporting two or three pounds of marijuana on each trip, began transporting larger amounts. On each of his last two trips, Hollaman transported 20 pounds of marijuana.

Under federal statutes, Hollaman is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Benton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI.