KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A former Kansas City, Missouri, restaurant owner pleaded guilty Wednesday for making his restaurant building available to be used in a $1.7 million drug trafficking conspiracy.
In October 2020, a federal grand jury charged Brian D. Smith and 17 others in a conspiracy to traffic 150 kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 kilograms of heroin from Smith’s Rockstar Burgers restaurant in the West Bottoms.
At the time of the 2020 indictment, Smith was already in custody on state charges of assault and armed criminal action in a December 2019 case out of Platte County.
As part of Wednesday’s plea, Smith admitted to allowing the building that housed his restaurant, a loft, a part-time residence and other spaces to the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Smith faces up to 20 years in federal prison without the possibility of parole. A judge has yet to set a sentencing hearing.
The other 17 defendants in the conspiracy have either already pleaded guilty or have guilty pleas scheduled.
Smith also faces a rape and assault case in connection to a Dec. 2021 incident out of Jackson County.
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