A Juneau man arrested in 2018 was sentenced to a decade’s imprisonment and five years of supervised release after being charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Kevin Leonard-Kinney, 45, pleaded guilty in May 2019 after he was arrested in August 2018 for trafficking and distributing drugs from California to Juneau, according to the department.
“Illicit narcotics are a cancer in our society and many Southeast communities have suffered at the hands of this epidemic for years,” said acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson of the District of Alaska in a news release. “The trail of destruction caused by the distribution and use of methamphetamine and heroin in communities like Juneau has been particularly devastating. We take drug trafficking crimes very seriously and will continue to vigorously prosecute traffickers for their illegal actions.”
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Leonard-Kinney was arrested in part of an interdiction alongside Jennifer Greenberg, 45, of California and Chantal Epstein, 31, of Alaska, for using the postal service to transport drugs, according to DOJ.
In August of 2018, a drug dog at a post office in Juneau identified a package as containing controlled substances, according to DOJ. A search uncovered 1,351 gross grams of methamphetamine, 159.43 gross grams of heroin and 28.8 gross grams of cocaine concealed in a speaker. Law enforcement officials put a tracker in the package and tailed Epstein and Leonard-Kenny until eventually entering Leonard-Kenny’s hotel room and arresting both of them, according to DOJ.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains steadfast in our commitment to investigate any criminal use of the U.S. Mail, and the shipment of illegal narcotics remains one of our highest priorities,” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti in a news release. “The actions of these defendants have [inflicted] untold harm on the Alaskan community, and now they will be held accountable. We thank the [U.S. Attorney’s Office] and our local partners for their assistance in bringing these defendants to justice.”
When law enforcement officials raided the room, they found cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, as well as drug paraphernalia and more than $40,000 in cash, according to DOJ. Officers also found an AR-15, five handguns, multiple magazines and additional ammunition. After executing a search warrant for Epstein’s residence, officers located additional drugs and cash according to DOJ.
Epstein and Greenberg received lesser sentences for related charges, according to the news release.
The case was investigated by a Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs task force. SEACAD is an agreement between Southeast cities, and federal, state, and local law enforcement bodies to combine efforts to interdict drug trafficking, according to the news release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt prosecuted the case.
• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at (757) 621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.
