Columbia Man Sentenced to 22 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal Firearms

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Columbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for distributing fentanyl and illegally possessing several firearms.

Robert Jevon Bean, also known as "Shaq," 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 22 years and six months in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 30, 2023, Bean pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Bean was stopped by Columbia police officers on June 22, 2022. During the traffic stop, he was found to be in possession of 12.5 grams of fentanyl. Officers executed a search warrant at Bean's apartment and found his 10-year-old child at home alone. According to court documents, unsecured firearms were found next to video game controllers, lying next to the couch, at the entry of the kitchen pantry where food was kept, and alongside a bed.

Officers seized from Bean's residence a Glock 9mm handgun that had been converted into a machine gun, an American Tactical AR-15 .223/5.56 pistol, a Glock .40-caliber handgun, an Extro 12-gauge shotgun, an Anderson AR-15 .223/5.56 pistol, a Keltec .40-caliber rifle, 46.71 grams of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, multiple firearm magazines, including a drum magazine, multiple boxes of ammunition, and $23,235 in cash, which must be forfeited to the government.

Bean told investigators that he paid $1,400 per ounce for the approximately two ounces of fentanyl they found at his residence. Bean sold fentanyl for $210 per gram. Based on Bean's statements, he has distributed at least four kilograms (8.8 pounds) of fentanyl from a source in Detroit, Michigan, and approximately two ounces from a more recent source in St. Louis, Mo.

Bean stated he buys all his guns off the streets locally, and often takes guns in trade for drugs. Bean told investigators all the guns came from Columbia except the Glock machine gun, which he purchased in St. Louis for $1,500. Investigators found multiple posts and livestream videos on Bean's Facebook profile that show Bean with a variety of firearms, including a black Taurus 9mm handgun with an extended magazine and a laser attachment and what appeared to be a Glock handgun with an extended magazine. Another video posted showed Bean with three handguns with high-capacity drum magazines, a semi-automatic shotgun, an AK-47 with an extended magazine, an AR-15 with dual 30-round magazines, and a Kel-tec Sub-2000 with a brass catcher. Other videos showed Bean with an AR-style pistol and an AK-47-style rifle.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Ann Pierce. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.