Springfield man pleads guilty to fentanyl trafficking, illegal firearms

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing more than a kilogram of fentanyl and 14 firearms.

Proevine Lennox Robins, 51, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

On March 21, 2023, Springfield police officers executed a search warrant at Robins’s residence. Officers found more than a kilogram of fentanyl, 14 firearms, ammunition, and $21,000 in cash.

The fentanyl was discovered in multiple locations throughout the house, including the garage, the attic space above the garage, and a bedroom. The fentanyl in the garage was hidden inside three stacked tires.

Among the 14 firearms seized by officers was a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm that had been reported stolen and another loaded 9mm handgun with no visible serial number.

Robins told investigators he paid about $9,000 to purchase the fentanyl, which he was selling for $1,000 to $2,000 per ounce. He estimated he had sold an average of two ounces per week for the past 10 to 12 months. Robins said he had made about 10 trips to St. Louis, Mo., over the past 10 months to purchase fentanyl.

Under federal statutes, Robins is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life 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 Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.