Missouri – A routine traffic stop in Riverside ended with a loaded revolver, drug paraphernalia and cash being pulled from a purple duffle bag. More than two years later, the Kansas City woman behind the wheel has received a seven-year federal prison sentence.
For April Cevasco, the sentence also comes without the possibility of parole. The 48-year-old was convicted of possessing at least 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.
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U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark sentenced Cevasco to 84 months in federal prison. She had pleaded guilty to the federal drug charge on Jan. 2, 2026.
The investigation began on Jan. 12, 2024, when officers with the Riverside Police Department stopped Cevasco’s vehicle. During the stop, a drug-detection canine alerted officers to the presence of narcotics, leading them to search the car.
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Inside, investigators found a purple duffle bag containing a loaded .38-caliber revolver and drug paraphernalia. Officers also recovered a large amount of cash that authorities identified as proceeds from drug distribution.
According to information presented in the case, Cevasco had previously possessed two pounds of methamphetamine for distribution. The methamphetamine recovered during the traffic stop represented what remained of that supply.
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The amount involved placed the case well beyond simple drug possession. Cevasco admitted that she possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and intended to distribute it, resulting in the federal conviction and lengthy prison term.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kirkpatrick. The Riverside Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Jackson County Drug Task Force.
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Cevasco will now serve the full federal sentence without parole, closing a case that started with a roadside stop and developed into a major methamphetamine distribution prosecution.
