Dallas man sentenced 18 years for running violent drug ring at local hotel

Yahoo

3 days ago

The Brief
A Dallas man was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for running a violent drug-trafficking operation out of a local hotel.
The operation, based at the BuZen Suites Hotel, distributed various drugs including fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine 24/7.
Violent acts, including beatings and assaults, were common occurrences within the drug conspiracy.
DALLAS - A Dallas man was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison today for his role in a violent drug-trafficking conspiracy operated from a local Dallas hotel.
Local perspective
Kenneth Ray Peters, 44, of Dallas and multiple codefendants utilized rooms at the BuZen Suites Hotel located at 2030 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, Texas to distribute quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and other drugs.
In January 2025, Peters pled guilty to his role in the conspiracy, and today, he was sentenced to 216 months' imprisonment by Senior U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn.
The drug conspiracy continued throughout 2022 and into March 2023.
Court records revealed that Peters and other coconspirators utilized a serving station inside multiple hotel rooms that held quantities of various drugs, drug paraphernalia and digital scales to distribute drugs to customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
According to court documents, a security camera was installed in the corner of the rooms that recorded the events each day.
Other coconspirators inside the rooms were paid to fill capsules with powdered fentanyl and cut and prepare other drugs for distribution.
Photographs were introduced during court hearings that captured cash, drugs, and other drug trade tools.
Peters admitted in court documents that violent acts committed by members of the conspiracy were common at the hotel, including multiple beatings, the pistol whipping of a customer, and the use of a lighter to burn the foot of a female customer who had passed out on the hotel room floor after ingesting drugs she had purchased in the room.
Court records show that on April 19, 2023, law enforcement agents executed multiple search warrants at the hotel.
Agents recovered distribution quantities of methamphetamine, powder and crack cocaine, heroin, powdered fentanyl, and counterfeit M30 pills that contained fentanyl, morphine, hydrocodone, Alprazolam and multiple kilograms of marijuana.
Officers also recovered multiple handguns, one AK-47 rifle, one AR-15 rifle, body armor, multiple digital scales, syringes, and other items consistent with drug distribution.
Dig deeper
Other codefendants charged in Peters' indictment have already been sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Lynn.
In December 2024, codefendant Derrick Alan Richardson was sentenced to 54 months in prison.
In January 2025, codefendant Antoine Marquin Thompson-Stevens was sentenced to 108 months in prison.
In March 2025, codefendants Keenan Bernard Allen a.k.a. "King" and Glenn Malcolm Blair a.k.a. "Slim" were sentenced to 240 months in prison.
On May 8, 2025, Allen's younger brother, Corey Lanard Allen, Jr., was sentenced to 192 months in prison.
The case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Dallas Police Department's Narcotics Unit.
The Source
Information in this article was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Texas.