Martinez Resident Indicted on Drug Trafficking Charges After Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Seized

A Martinez resident, Kory Kingsley, has been indicted on drug trafficking charges following the discovery of five pounds of methamphetamine and 2,000 pills containing fentanyl in his car during a search conducted by a Contra Costa Sheriff’s deputy. The incident occurred two years ago, but Kingsley has now been formally charged by a grand jury with possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl for distribution. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Prosecutors have also initiated proceedings to seize approximately $3,100 in cash and a pistol that were allegedly found in Kingsley’s possession, as stated in the indictment. Currently, Kingsley remains in federal custody. However, during a court hearing on July 9, Judge Donna Ryu expressed her willingness to release him to a halfway house in San Francisco under lockdown conditions once a bed becomes available. Kingsley is scheduled to appear in court again next month.

According to court records, Kingsley became the subject of a Contra Costa Sheriff’s investigation in 2022 after a confidential informant accused him of being involved in drug dealing. Investigators placed a tracking device on his Chevrolet, and on May 25, 2022, they observed him engaging in suspected drug deals in Pleasant Hill, Pacheco, and other locations. Eventually, a deputy pulled over Kingsley’s vehicle, and a search was conducted after a Pittsburg police K9 alerted to the presence of drugs. The search yielded the discovery of the five-pound bag of methamphetamine, four ounces of heroin, 100 ecstasy pills, and 2,000 pills containing fentanyl.

Simultaneously, at Kingsley’s residence on Jordan Court, law enforcement arrested a woman who was attempting to conceal evidence and found her in possession of drugs. The subsequent search of her vehicle revealed cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl, a suspected meth pipe, and $3,820 in cash. The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, refused to cooperate with the police and was subsequently released without charges. Authorities also discovered a loaded firearm and ammunition inside a safe at Kingsley’s residence.