The Cheyenne man known as “K Thuggin 2” has been sentenced to 85 months in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney for Wyoming announced Friday.
Investigators caught Kyle Aubrey Rozell, 34, in dealing fentanyl by tracking his cellphone across the Wyoming-Colorado border.
Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced Rozell on Thursday after Rozell pleaded guilty in July, according to the Friday statement from the U.S. Attorney for Wyoming.
An Arie Call
Police linked Rozell with accused fentanyl dealer Elexus Lucero, 25, when a Cheyenne Police Department officer pulled the pair over in Lucero’s Lexus for a traffic violation Aug. 23, 2022.
A Laramie County Sheriff’s Office sergeant arrived on scene and deployed Arie, a drug-detection K9 that has since retired because of cancer, to sniff the Lexus, the evidentiary affidavit says.
Arie alerted on the car and agents found fentanyl pills, $2,000 in cash, two digital scales and numerous unused jewelry bags in the glove box, says the affidavit.
Agents also found black tar heroin and another $900 in cash, plus a black phone. Then they arrested both Lucero and Rozell, the document says.
Phone Companies Handed Over The Data
DEA task force agent Sean Smith applied for and received search warrants for both arrestees’ phones. Both Verizon and T-Mobile handed over phone data after receiving warrants.
When Smith searched Lucero’s phone, he found text messages between her and another phone police believed to be Rozell’s because it was linked to Rozell’s Facebook account.
Lucero had saved Rozell’s number as “K Thuggin 2,” the affidavit says.
Lucero on Aug. 23 reportedly texted Rozell, “Lemme buy 35 for 100,” which police believed referred to 35 pills for $100.
K-Thuggin’s Pings
Police dug into Rozell’s phone records to search his July and August 2022, location data.
Rozell’s phone pinged cell towers near Cheyenne when Lucero was closer to Cheyenne during an alleged drug pickup. Rozell’s phone pinged towers near Aurora, Colorado, when Lucero was closer to Aurora.
When Lucero left what police believed to be a drug pickup in Aurora on Aug. 8, 2022, Smith “observed” via phone data records that Rozell’s phone “traveled” from Aurora back to Cheyenne.
Also, Probation
Rozell originally faced three charges, but pleaded guilty and was ultimately sentenced to two counts. Those were conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Johnson also imposed five years’ supervised probation for Rozell once he gets out of prison.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
