Lawrence man convicted of unlawful distribution of heroin, Xanax

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that James M. Bingman III, 41, of Lawrence, pleaded no contest to attempted unlawful distribution of alprazolam, known by the popular brand name Xanax, and unlawful distribution of heroin.

“Drug trafficking leads to widespread and devastating consequences,” District Attorney Valdez said. “This conviction helps to ensure the well-being of our community.”

Charges in Bingman’s first case stemmed from incidents that occurred in June 2022 when law enforcement responded to medical emergencies at an apartment located in the 900 block of Arkansas Street in Lawrence. Police found more than 100 counterfeit Xanax pills in in the apartment along with drug paraphernalia associated with distribution. Charges in Bingman’s second case stemmed from a search of Bingman’s car where heroin was located during a traffic stop on July 18, 2022 along with drug paraphernalia associated with the distribution of narcotics.

Sentencing was set by Judge Sally Pokorny for 11 a.m., on September 20, 2024, at the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center.

Bingman faces between 40 months and 77 months in prison for the alprazolam-related conviction and between 46 months and 83 months in prison for the heroin-related conviction.

Deputy District Attorney David Greenwald represented the State of Kansas. The matter was investigated by the Lawrence Kansas Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.