WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2025

In 2022 someone was selling fentanyl-laced pills in the Grandview and Belton area—with deadly consequences.

Jackson County Drug Task Force (JCDTF) detectives launched an urgent investigation to shut down this lethal drug-dealing operation, which would eventually be linked to three fatal overdoses. They sought an arrest warrant for Tiger Dean Draggoo on January 20, 2023—after he was connected to yet another overdose. The Kansas City Tactical Unit executed the warrant, apprehending the then 22-year-old to conclude a six-month investigation that the JCDTF spearheaded in cooperation with the Belton and Raymore Police Departments, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and multiple federal agencies.

Now Draggoo is facing the consequences.

Last Friday (August 8), U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark sentenced Draggoo to 40 years in federal prison without parole.

2,460 Grams Of Fentanyl

Draggoo pleaded guilty October 16, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death. He also admitted to distributing or possessing at least 22,364 pills containing, in total, 2,460 grams of fentanyl. Just two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a lethal dose.

“Three deaths is a tragedy; the number of people who could have died in this case is almost unimaginable,” said JCDTF Officer-In-Charge Dan Cummings. “There are a thousand milligrams in a gram. Take 2,460 grams and multiply that by 500.

“This guy was dealing poison pills.”

Firearms, Cash & Drugs Seized

JCDTF investigations can have far-reaching tentacles that cross state lines and be traced to Mexican cartels, requiring frequent collaboration with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other federal agencies. COMBAT funds the Jackson County Drug Task Force, which received a report in 2022 that “someone calling himself Tiger” was selling counterfeit pills primarily to high school students. 

Of the three fatal overdose victims in this case, one was a juvenile.

“This person had to be stopped,” Cummings said.

Draggoo was arrested in 2023 just days before a jury was to be convened and weigh the evidence against him. During a search of his south Kansas City apartment, numerous pills containing fentanyl were seized, along with eight suspected LSD tabs, $246,769 in cash and a money counter. The arsenal found inside the apartment—17 firearms, including two fully converted automatics (a.k.a. machine guns)—prompted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) involvement.

“Armed, violent criminals who traffic deadly fentanyl into our communities and prey on the most vulnerable pose an immediate threat to everyone’s safety,” ATF Special Agent in Charge Bernard Hansen said, following Draggoo’s sentencing. “We are grateful for our partnership with the Jackson County Drug Task Force and the United States Attorney’s Office, whose collaborative work not only delivered justice, but has put an end to this devastating path."

‘Some Measure Of Peace’

U.S. Attorney Matthew Price hoped the 40-year sentence would bring “some measure of peace” to the families of those who overdosed on the drugs Draggoo provided.

“This case is a sad reminder of the horrific damage and destruction that fentanyl can have in our community,” Price said. “It is also a stern reminder to those who seek to make a profit off dealing fentanyl will be vigorously investigated, prosecuted and incarcerated.”

Cummings, likewise, offered his condolences.

But he also added, “I really would like to ask Tiger Draggoo right now, ‘Was it worth it?’ He was 22 when we arrested him back in early 2023. He’ll be in his 60s before his sentence runs out.”

October 3, 2023
More Charges In Case Involving Fatal Fentanyl Overdoses
Jackson County Drug Task Force-spearheaded investigation earlier this year resulted in a Kansas City man being charged with distributing fentanyl linked to three fatal overdoses. Last week, a federal grand jury indicted that man and six others for drug trafficking that also involved illegal firearms and money laundering.
» OD DEATHS

January 30, 2023
Jackon County Task Force Spearheads OD-Related Investigation
An investigation the Jackson County Drug Task Force spearheaded has led to multiple federal charges against a Kansas City man linked to at least three fatal fentanyl overdoses in 2022. Firearms, numerous pills containing fentanyl and hundreds of thousands of dollars seized.
» OVERDOSE-RELATED INVESTIGATION

» Department of Justice Press Release: KC Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Three Fentanyl Overdose Deaths