Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal Firearms

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Columbia, Mo., man who distributed thousands of fentanyl pills pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing fentanyl and several firearms.

Keaveon Zaniyah T. Harris, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

By pleading guilty today, Harris admitted that he was in possession of hundreds of fentanyl pills and several firearms when he was stopped by Columbia police officers on May 10, 2023. Officers searched his vehicle during the traffic stop and found a bag near the middle console that contained 832 fake Percocet pills, which were actually fentanyl, as well as multiple broken pills. Officers also found 105 additional pills in a pill bottle near the shifter, and a cigarette package that contained about 15 crushed pills.

On the passenger side rear floorboard, officers found a loaded Taurus revolver and a loaded Springfield 9mm handgun with a drum magazine. On the driver's side rear floorboard, officers found a Zastava Drako pistol.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Harris has a prior felony conviction for stealing.

When investigators searched Harris's phone, they found evidence that he was selling thousands of fentanyl pills to multiple customers. Messages indicated his partner traveled to Arizona at least twice to purchase fake Percocet pills, then mailed them to Harris in Columbia. Three packages of fake Percocet pills mailed to Harris weighed a total of approximately 4.8 kilograms.

Under federal statutes, Harris is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 35 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.