Justice Dept.: 4 men indicted for fentanyl conspiracy, overdose death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Gray News) - Four Missouri men have been indicted for their role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in an overdose death, according to the Justice Department.

Dmitry Cattell, 22, Joseph Burgess, 21, Jordon Simmer, 20, and Kelton Hill, 22, were charged in a nine-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury on Tuesday.

The Justice Department reports the indictment was unsealed and made public following the arrests of all four defendants on Thursday. They remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on April 12.

The federal indictment alleges that all four defendants have participated in a conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl since Sept. 12, 2019.

In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, the indictment charges Cattell and Simmer with aiding and abetting each other to distribute fentanyl. The use of which caused the death of another person on May 18, 2020. The victim of the fatal overdose was not identified in court documents.

The Justice Department reports Cattell was also charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being an unlawful drug in possession of a gun. Cattell allegedly was in possession of a Taurus handgun on Nov. 10, 2020.

Simmer, Burgess, and Hill each were also charged with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.