Arizona man learns fate after getting caught with meth, fentanyl at southern border

PHOENIX – An Arizona man was sentenced earlier this month to more than six years in prison for bringing illicit drugs into the country, authorities said.

A federal judge handed 29-year-old Slone Kelly a sentence of 77 months in prison to be followed by 36 months of supervised release on Nov. 7, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced on Tuesday.

The Tucson resident learned of his penalty six months after pleading guilty to importation of methamphetamine on May 1.

Kelly was arrested on Aug. 14, 2023, after getting caught entering Arizona from Mexico with about 35 kilograms (over 77 pounds) of meth and fentanyl in his 2008 Mercedes-Benz, prosecutors said.

What did Arizona man tell border officers?

He told officers at the Lukeville Port of Entry he was heading to Phoenix after attending a wedding in Puerto Peñasco – a popular tourist destination for Arizonans also known as Rocky Point.

However, X-ray technology detected anomalies in his vehicle.

Officers proceeded to conduct a search and found 50 packages of meth weighing over 24 kilograms (nearly 53 pounds) and 29 packages of fentanyl weighing over 11 kilograms (approximately 24 pounds), prosecutors said.

The investigation into the case was handled by Homeland Security Investigations agents out of Sells in southern Arizona.

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