Source: Office of United States Attorneys
TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury convicted Morgan Ashley Kirby, 20, of Drug Conspiracy and Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.
“Conspiring with others to deliver drugs onto the streets of the Northern District of Oklahoma will never be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I commend the law enforcement in Texas and Tulsa for working together to catch the defendants before they could complete their delivery.”
“The arrest and conviction of Ms. Kirby and her associates made our community safer and prevented further destruction that methamphetamine trafficking can bring to the citizens of Tulsa, Oklahoma, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. The DEA will continue to work hand in hand with our state and local law enforcement partners to ensure justice is served.”
In June 2024, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers pulled over a driver for traffic violations. During a search of the vehicle, troopers located a suitcase containing 21 plastic bags containing a white substance that appeared to be methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that the driver was getting paid $4k to deliver the methamphetamine to Tulsa.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents tested the white substance and confirmed that it was methamphetamine. In a coordinated effort, agents replaced the methamphetamine with fake methamphetamine and allowed the driver to complete the transaction.
The driver met with Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano and Morgan Kirby to be paid and delivered the fake methamphetamine for further distribution.
Later, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol pulled over the vehicle Rios-Soriano was driving. Kirby was in the passenger side of the vehicle. Upon search of the vehicle, troopers discovered more than 46 pounds of fake methamphetamine and cash sitting on the floorboard of the passenger side of the vehicle.
As a result of the investigation, Kirby’s co-defendants, Feliciano Ortega-Banderas, 22, of East Palo Alto, California, and Luis Enrique Rios-Soriano, 25, a Mexican National, pled guilty in October 2024. Ortega-Banderas pled guilty to Attempted Distribution of Methamphetamine. Rios-Soriano pled guilty to Drug Conspiracy and Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.
All three will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal, awaiting sentencing before being transported to the Bureau of Prisons. Rios-Soriano is not a U.S. citizen and is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration – Tulsa and Amarillo Resident Offices, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Bailey and Christian Harris prosecuted the case.