Kansas City Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Cyberstalking Scheme That Resulted in Murder

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — A Kansas City, Missouri man identified in court records as Michael Smith, also known as “Black Mike,” has been sentenced to 360 months in federal prison following his conviction in a cyberstalking case tied to a targeted killing that resulted in the death of a victim tracked through GPS surveillance.

United States District Judge Roseann Ketchmark sentenced Smith to 30 years imprisonment for one count of cyberstalking resulting in death.

Federal prosecutors stated the sentence will run consecutively to a previously imposed 48-month federal prison sentence connected to a separate $1.1 million insurance fraud scheme involving Smith.

According to court records, Smith admitted during plea proceedings that he was hired in late January or early February 2019 to facilitate the killing of the victim.

Federal authorities stated Smith and co-defendant Dontay Campbell acquired and deployed a GPS tracking device as part of the murder operation.

Investigators stated that on March 5, 2019, Smith and Campbell placed the GPS tracker underneath the victim’s red Chevrolet Tahoe in order to monitor movements and determine the victim’s location in real time.

According to prosecutors, Smith used the GPS tracking device repeatedly to physically locate and surveil the victim in the days leading up to the fatal shooting.

Federal investigators stated the operation escalated on March 16, 2019, when Smith tracked the victim to a grocery store in Kansas City.

Court records state that after the victim exited the store and approached the Tahoe, Campbell and another co-conspirator arrived in a Chrysler Sebring alongside the vehicle.

Authorities stated the unidentified co-conspirator exited the Sebring armed with a Ruger .40-caliber handgun belonging to Campbell and opened fire on the victim multiple times.

Federal prosecutors stated that during the shooting, Campbell unsuccessfully attempted to remove the GPS tracking device from the Tahoe.

Investigators stated Campbell and the gunman briefly fled through the parking lot before returning near the victim’s vehicle.

According to prosecutors, the gunman then fired additional rounds into the Tahoe while Campbell again attempted unsuccessfully to recover the GPS tracker before both suspects fled the scene in the Sebring.

Federal authorities stated the victim died from multiple gunshot wounds sustained during the attack.

Court documents further state Smith received cash payment for his role in the murder operation.

Federal prosecutors stated co-defendant Dontay Campbell has also pleaded guilty to cyberstalking resulting in death and remains awaiting sentencing.

The case highlights the growing criminal use of commercially available digital tracking technology in organized violence, contract killings, stalking operations, and targeted criminal surveillance activities increasingly encountered during federal investigations.

Federal authorities have repeatedly warned that GPS-enabled surveillance devices, mobile tracking tools, digital location monitoring systems, and covert electronic tracking technology continue being exploited in violent criminal operations involving domestic violence, organized crime, narcotics trafficking, retaliation attacks, and targeted killings.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Trey Alford, Nicholas Heberle, and Matthew Wolesky prosecuted the case.

Federal officials stated the prosecution additionally formed part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice enforcement initiative focused on violent criminal organizations, transnational criminal activity, cartel-linked operations, and major violent crime investigations affecting communities throughout the United States.

According to federal authorities, the initiative combines federal investigative resources with local law enforcement partnerships to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals connected to organized violence, criminal conspiracies, and other high-impact public safety threats.

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