WICHITA, Kan. (KFOR) – An inmate is accused of running a drug ring in Kansas while he was behind bars at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary
Officials say 47-year-old Travis Knighten, who is being held at the prison in McAlester, is alleged to have been the ringleader behind an organization that distributed methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana in Wichita.
Authorities say federal agents began investigating the case in April of 2019 after intercepting messages from the alleged drug traffickers.
According to a federal indictment, Knighten was able to direct the movements of almost two dozen conspirators via a smuggled cell phone.
“Today’s arrests and indictments send a clear message: whether you are behind bars or on the street, you will be held accountable. Today, over 100 federal, state and local officers, working together executed dozens of arrests. The impact of these arrests will be immediate, and our community will be safer due largely in part to the tireless work and dedication of our law enforcement partners. I applaud their dedication and commitment to the community we are sworn to serve,” said Timothy Langan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Kansas City, Missouri.
Knighten is currently serving a 90-year sentence for killing a corrections officer at Lansing Correctional Facility in 1993.