KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two Kansas City, Kansas, men were found guilty of various charges related to a meth lab fire in 2017, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.
On Dec. 1, 2017, firefighters responded to a house fire in the 2700 block of Cleveland Avenue near Klamm Park in KCK. They discovered a methamphetamine conversion lab inside the home.
Prosecutors linked 42-year-old Orlando Cortez-Nieto and 22-year-old Jesus Cervantes-Aguiler to the meth lab through physical evidence, including a notebook used to record cash transactions. Surveillance video also showed one of the men buying items found in the meth lab, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release Tuesday.
Cortez-Nieto and Cervantes-Aguiler were each convicted on counts of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine, possession with intention to distribute methamphetamine, and maintaining a residence in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The two men are scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 29. They face at least 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $20 million on several of the charges.
