Wichita man who sold marijuana ‘to make ends meet’ goes to prison for having a gun

A Wichita man is headed to prison for five years after admitting he illegally possessed a gun while selling marijuana “to make ends meet.”

Deonte L. Jordan, 21, was sentenced last week to 60 months in federal prison. He previously pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Wichita to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Five years of incarceration was the mandatory minimum sentence, according to court records.

Jordan admitted in his plea that he was driving a vehicle that was pulled over by police on July 4 for a traffic violation. Officers saw — in plain view — a baggie of marijuana in the passenger’s seat. The cops found more bags of marijuana packaged for sale, as well as drug paraphernalia and a gun, in the vehicle.

He further admitted “to selling marijuana in order to make ends meet, and to possessing the firearm in furtherance of drug sales.” Additionally, he was prohibited from possessing the gun because of a prior conviction.

Kansas Department of Corrections records show Jordan has prior convictions in Sedgwick County of domestic battery and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.

Jordan forfeited a SCCY CPX-2 9mm handgun and ammunition, court documents show. Five related charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal.

Two of the charges were also connected to his July 4 arrest by Wichita police. They were possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

The other three charges were connected to a June 16, 2018, arrest by a Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputy. They were possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Once Jordan is released from prison, he must serve three years of supervised release. In addition to standard conditions of supervision, Jordan is also ordered to not be a gang member or to associate with any gangsters without the permission of a probation officer.