ST. LOUIS – A member of a St. Louis drug ring appeared in federal court Tuesday and was sentenced for killing a rival in summer 2017.
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Michael “Beezy” Johnson, 30, pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug conspiracy.
Johnson admitted chasing down and fatally shooting Kevin Davis Jr. on June 30, 2017, in the 1900 block of Belt Avenue. Davis was 24.
A bounty had been placed on Davis’ head by Maurice Herbert Lee II, a known fentanyl and crystal meth dealer, who offered anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 for killing any rival gang members or drug dealers. On the day of Davis’ murder, another member of the drug ring, Delvin Bost, called Lee to reconfirm that the bounty was still being offered.
Bost later called Lee and informed him Davis had been killed. Bost received $10,000 from Lee and then paid Johnson.
A U.S. District Court judge sentenced Johnson to 18 years in federal prison.
Meanwhile, Lee pleaded guilty on May 2 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Federal prosecutors said Lee obtained bulk fentanyl and crystal methamphetamine in Arizona. As part of the conspiracy, he would dilute the fentanyl and supply it to co-conspirators. At the height of the conspiracy, runners were selling more than 20,000 doses per week. Lee supplied the methamphetamine to another person, who then redistributed it.
As part of Lee’s guilty plea, he admitted a group of men fired more than 100 rounds at Alexander Noodel on May 8, 2017. The shooting happened after the group learned that Noodel was drag racing in St. Louis. Four men—Tremayne Silas, Christopher Warlick Jr., Jerome Fisher Jr., and Charles Guice—drove to that area in two separate vehicles, got out, and began shooting. Noodel was shot in the head and killed, though a passenger in his car escaped.
Lee is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7, while Bost will be sentenced on Aug. 29. Silas was sentenced in February to 18 years in prison. The other three men will be sentenced in late August.
Prosecutors said 17 defendants were charged in the drug ring conspiracy, and all pleaded guilty.