District of Kansas

TOPEKA, KAN. –  Three defendants received prison sentences in connection with an armed robbery at a Kansas business that an employee helped to orchestrate. 

According to court documents, in October 2023, Aaron Elizabeth Fish, 35, Katelyn Nichole North, 34, and Mejia Jawon Pattillo, 50, all of Topeka planned a robbery of a cash advance business in Topeka. Fish worked at the business on Southwest 10th Avenue and provided details to her co-conspirators about the building layout and security. Fish also placed cash deposit requests to increase the amount of cash that would be on site at the time of the planned robbery.  

On the morning of October 16, 2023, Pattillo approached an employee who was unlocking the door, placed a weapon that appeared to be a handgun at the back of the victim’s head, and ordered the victim to go inside. Pattillo forced the victim to disable the alarm and take him to the safe where Pattillo stole cash. 

After Pattillo fled the scene, North helped Pattillo to hide the stolen currency and the vehicle used during the crime. 

Pattillo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery and was sentenced to 140 months in prison.

Fish pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery and was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment.

North pleaded guilty to one count of accessory after the fact to a Hobbs Act Robbery and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. 

“Aaron Elizabeth Fish and her co-defendants deliberately planned a robbery at her place of employment during a time she wouldn’t be at work. She had the gall to put her coworker in fear for their life but didn’t want to be there to witness their terror,” said U.S Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Our office will use applicable federal statutes and every tool at our disposal to hold violent criminals accountable.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Topeka Police Department investigated the case.

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TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas woman was sentenced to 115 months in prison for drug trafficking which will be followed by five years of supervised release. 

According to court documents, Madeline R. Wagner, 40, of Topeka pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

On multiple occasions between July 2024 to November 2024, Wagner and her co-conspirators were in possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl that they acquired with the intention to sell. 

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough prosecuted the case.

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TOPEKA, KAN. – Two Kansas men were sentenced to prison for robbing a food truck during which they violently assaulted a victim. 

According to court documents, Deon Ikner, 21, and Aaron Whitehead, 25, both of Topeka pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery. 

Ikner was sentenced to 71 months in prison. Whitehead was sentenced to 71 months in prison. 

In March 2024, Whitehead and Ikner robbed a couple at gunpoint while the victims were unloading their food truck in Topeka. Whitehead and Ikner struck the male victim with a handgun and threatened to shoot him if he moved. The defendants stole cash the business owners had earned from their sales that day. The owners were able to identify Whitehead and Ikner from mugshots. 

“These defendants felt so entitled to money they didn’t earn that they violently accosted a husband and wife who had just finished a hard day of work,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser.  “Violently robbing a hardworking family is only going to earn you a hefty prison sentence.”

“By their own admission, these two defendants used a firearm and threats to rob a commercial food truck in Topeka. Make no mistake – if you participate in violent crime in Kansas, the FBI and its partners stand ready to hold you accountable,” said Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Topeka Police Department investigated the case.

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TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned separate indictments charging six previously deported foreign nationals with illegally returning to the United States.

According to court documents, the following defendants were indicted on one count of reentry by a previously removed alien: 

•    Rodrigo Alan Castro-Sosa, 21, an illegal alien from Mexico,  •    Omar Alejandro Hernandez-Hernandez, 31, an illegal alien from Mexico, •    Jorge Luis Landin-Ramirez, 39, an illegal alien from Mexico, •    Joaquin Morales-Diaz, 43, an illegal alien from Guatemala, •    Lesvia M. Lopez-Pena, 31, an illegal alien from Guatemala, and
•    Eber Reyes-Duarte, 44, an illegal alien from Honduras.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating all of the cases. 

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced to 126 months in prison for after selling illegal drugs and explosive devices to an undercover federal agent. 

According to court documents, Adam C. Garcia, 31, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy. 

Between March 2024 and April 2024, an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) purchased cocaine, fentanyl, and pipe bombs either directly from Garcia or from a coconspirator acting under Garcia’s direction. 

Analysis showed the total amounts sold to the agent as 316.05 grams of fentanyl, 67.59 grams of cocaine, and three explosive devices.

“Selling narcotics is pretty bad by itself but in combination with pipe bombs, this kind of criminal behavior could easily turn deadly,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Had these explosive devices ended up in the wrong hands and been detonated against law enforcement or civilians, it could have been a disaster. We can all rest easier knowing that ATF is working hard to keep these devices off the street.”  

Federal prosecutors charged three other defendants in this case. Anthony Stephen Dennis, 27, of Wichita was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy. 

Jonathan Scott Peacock, 42, of Wichita was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to making an explosive device.

Paola Michelle Sosa-Rios, a Mexican national living in Wichita, also pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to this case and is awaiting sentencing. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kari Burks prosecuted the case.

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WICHITA, KAN. – Two Kansas brothers were sentenced to prison for offenses related to a drug trafficking ring that moved fentanyl across state lines into Kansas. 

According to court documents, Raashad Robinson, 30, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy. He was sentenced to 300 months in prison.

Starting in March 2024, Raashad Robinson drove from Kansas to Arizona and back five times to obtain fentanyl for distribution in Wichita. While returning to Kansas in September 2024, he was stopped by officers in Stratford, Texas. Officers found fentanyl powder and fentanyl pills while searching the vehicle. Raashad Robinson admitted to law enforcement that he supplied fentanyl that he and his co-conspirators sold in Kansas.  

A federal grand jury indicted seven other defendants in connection with the drug trafficking ring including Raashad’s brother Eddie Robinson, 31, of Wichita. Eddie Robinson was sentenced to 120 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  

Martel Costello, 30, and Jevante Oliver, 34, 22, both of Wichita pleaded guilty to crimes related to this case and are awaiting sentencing. Emmanuel Recinos, 27, and Lisandro Ruiz-Uzagarra, 28, both of Phoenix, Arizona, and James Wilkinson, 31, of St. Joseph, Missouri, pleaded guilty to crimes related to this case and are awaiting sentencing. 

“Raashad Robinson and Eddie Robinson saw selling drugs as a way to make easy money. When Raashad Robinson decided to drive thousands of miles between Wichita and Phoenix to transport fentanyl, he didn’t know he was actually on the road to federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Wichita Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case. 

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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced to 20 years in prison as the ringleader of a drug trafficking ring supplied by a Mexican cartel. A Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation led to the convictions of Jose Antonio Heredia-Chang, 34, and approximately a dozen defendants who either worked for or were clients of his operation. 

According to court documents, Heredia-Chang pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  

In February 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched an investigation into a drug trafficking ring in the Kansas City metro area. Agents determined Heredia-Chang to be the leader of a network that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and other narcotics. Buyers/distributors in Kansas City placed orders with Heredia-Chang, then he dispatched drivers to deliver the narcotics. 

Agents gathered evidence tying Heredia-Chang to illegal narcotics and firearm sales. Further evidence proved Heredia-Chang was communicating with collaborators in Sinaloa, Mexico, to acquire and transport methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, and that Heredia-Chang operated other distribution bases in Seattle, Washington, and Denver, Colorado.

“Thanks to the meticulous work of the Homeland Security Task Force, the Heredia-Chang delivery service is no longer importing poison like methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities and those involved in the organization are in prison, including a dangerous illegal alien” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Destroying these trans-national criminal organizations is at the core of why HSTFs were established. We applaud everyone involved in putting Mr. Heredia-Chang behind bars for the next two decades.”

“Today’s sentencing is the culmination of an investigation that shed light on the cartel members lurking in the shadows of our communities, inflicting fear and intimidation while pushing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine around town,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer said. “These actions will not stand, and the DEA remains committed to working alongside our partners to remove these threats from our streets.”

“Heredia-Chang ran a drug distribution network from the palm of his hand, dispatching drivers to deliver methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine across the country while arranging firearms deals by phone,” said Special Agent in Charge Bernard “Butch” Hansen of the ATF Kansas City Field Division. “His operation stretched from Mexico to Kansas City, Denver, and Seattle. This 20-year sentence reflects the tireless work of ATF, DEA and our Homeland Security Task Force partners across multiple jurisdictions, along with the skilled prosecutors who built the case that ultimately held the man directing this organization accountable.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from FBI; HSI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.

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TOPEKA, KAN. – A convicted sex offender was sentenced to 151 months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Joshua Craig Abel was also sentenced to five years in prison for a violation of supervised release.  A federal judge ordered the sentences to run consecutive to one another.

According to court documents, a federal jury convicted Abel, 44, of Topeka of one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – possession of child pornography.

In April 2023, a person in the woods on private land found several storage containers covered with camouflage netting. Among the items in the containers were cellphones, computers, external hard drives, and mail addressed to Joshua Abel.  Soon after the discovery, the contents were turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Forensic experts found over 28,000 images and 850 videos of CSAM.

Abel stood trial in December 2025, and a jury found him guilty.  

Abel was previously convicted of distribution of child pornography in February of 2011 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He was found to have distributed approximately 3,900 CSAM images in that case. 

“After previously being prosecuted for distributing CSAM, Mr. Able tried to hide his stash of perverse material in the woods not caring that it could be stumbled upon by anyone,” said U.S Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Thankfully, a responsible person did the right thing by reporting the discovery to the proper authorities so this illegal activity could be brought to justice. If you see something, please say something to law enforcement.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Walton prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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TOPEKA, KAN. – An illegal alien from Honduras was sentenced to 24 months in prison for returning to the United States after previously being deported. 

According to court documents, Jose Alfredo Galiano-Meza, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of reentry of a removed alien.
Galiano-Meza will be transferred to federal prison after he completes a sentence he is currently serving in the Kansas Department of Corrections. In November 2022, Galiano-Meza was sentenced in Kansas state court to 68 months of incarceration following a fatal automobile accident in Lawrence. 

“Mr. Galiano-Meza was deported in 2013 and again in 2018. That was years before his arrest for causing a crash that killed a child,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “If the U.S. government deports someone, that person is committing a federal crime and a felony by returning to our country without permission from the government.” 

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.

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WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, Colton Wiggins, 25, of Wichita is charged with one count of distribution of child pornography. In February 2026, Wiggins is accused of using a computer to distribute CSAM. 

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. 

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Pedro Jose Lerma-Rivas, 37, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. 

Miguel Mendez-Cisneros, 52, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of possession of ammunition by an illegal alien and one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. 

Jose Cruz-Vasquez, 38, an illegal alien from Honduras, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. 

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The last of 15 defendants was sentenced to prison after a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation dismantled a Kansas City metro-based drug trafficking ring linked to Mexico.  

In December 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched an investigation into a drug trafficking ring headed by Santiago Gamboa-Saenz. Gamboa-Saenz, 39, is an illegal alien from Chihuahua, Mexico. His network of traffickers smuggled cocaine from Mexico into the United States, which was then transported and distributed in Kansas City, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, Saint Louis, Chicago, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and Indiana. 

Through investigation, agents tied the criminal network to houses on West 98th Street in Overland Park and South Montebello in Olathe. They also determined a mechanic shop on Kaw Drive in Kansas City, Kansas, was being used to outfit vehicles with hidden compartments to transport drugs and drug money.

Search warrants executed at these locations and others resulted in the seizure of over $733,000 and over 18.0 net kilograms of cocaine. Vehicle stops led to the discovery of hidden compartments with $533,780 in cash, more than 12.0 net kilograms of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and many drug ledgers. The drug ledgers alone document drug proceeds from cocaine sales in the amount of $48,783,269. The drug trafficking organization sold cocaine to its customers for $29,000 to $36,000 per kilogram. 

“What may look like legitimate businesses from the outside can sometimes be criminal operations. These smugglers used a mechanic shop as a front in attempt to fly under the radar of law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “They used the space to custom outfit vehicles with hidden compartments allowing them to move large amounts of illegal narcotics and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash at a time.”

“This operation demonstrates to Americans the vast reach of drug trafficking organizations within the Midwest, but more importantly, puts on display the impressive capabilities of combined law enforcement efforts,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer said. “Cartel members and affiliates are not welcome here. The DEA and our many partners will not slow down or be deterred as we work toward dismantling the drug trafficking organizations terrorizing our communities.”

“Let this case serve as a warning: Homeland Security Investigations and our task force partners will relentlessly pursue and dismantle any criminal organization that dares to smuggle drugs, money, or violence into our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City Acting Special Agent in Charge Rick Sabatini. “We will not tolerate cartel operations in Kansas City or anywhere in the Midwest. Our agents are committed to rooting out traffickers, seizing their profits, and ensuring they face justice. The message is clear—if you threaten the safety of American families, HSI will find you, shut you down, and put you behind bars.”

Santiago Gamboa-Saenz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced to 276 months imprisonment.

Other defendants received the following prison sentences: 

• Frank Gallo De La Cruz, 41, an illegal alien from Mexico, 108 months
• Dimas Simoes Calixto-Filho, 46, an illegal alien from Brazil, 108 months 
• Efrain Garcia-Perez, 42, an illegal alien from Mexico, 104 months
• Juan Alvarez-Perez, 40, an illegal alien from Mexico, 96 months 
• Bryan Eduardo Dominguez-Green, 24, an illegal alien from Mexico, 71 months
• Miguel Angel Vasquez-Rodriguez, 37, an illegal alien from Mexico, 64 months 
• Maria Ileana Cota, 37, of Henderson, Colorado, 48 months
• Eduardo Ramirez-Ochoa, 36, a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico residing in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, 46 months 
• Jaime De Jesus Ocampo, 62, of Kansas City, Kansas, 24 months
• Irlanda Areyim Grajeda, 37, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, 22 months
• Jesus Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 41, an illegal alien from Mexico, 21 months 
• Homero Baca-Marquez, 28, an illegal alien from Mexico, 21 months 
• Jose Cera-Acosta, 40, of Kansas City, Kansas, 17 months 
• Vladimir Blanco-Garciga, 54, a Cuban national residing in Riverside, Missouri, 4 months

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Zabel and Taylor Hines prosecuted the case.

This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from FBI; HSI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.
 

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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Missouri woman’s crimes to get illegal access to prescription narcotics resulted in the loss of her nursing license and gained her a lifetime ban from working at any hospital that receives federal funding. 

According to court documents, Brooke Haller, 41, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance by deception and subterfuge. 

Haller previously worked as a registered nurse at a hospital in Kansas City, Kansas. She used her position to gain access to a nurse practitioner’s prescription pad and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) number. In March 2024, Haller began to use this information to write forged prescriptions for herself using the names of her relatives for Percocet and Oxycodone, which she filled and paid for at pharmacies in Kansas and Missouri.

An investigation was initiated in October 2024, after a pharmacy called the hospital to inquire about an Oxycodone prescription allegedly written by a nurse practitioner. The nurse practitioner advised she only writes electronic prescriptions. The victim indicated she had never spoken to Haller nor had she given Haller her prescription pad and DEA number. 

When Haller realized her scheme was falling apart, she tried to cover up her crimes. She called the hospital several times pretending to be from the pharmacy indicating the pharmacy staff questioned the validity of the prescription by mistake. Haller spoofed the pharmacy’s phone number and used several vocal disguises, including pretending to be “Peter”, but the hospital staff recognized her voice. 

Haller later admitted to DEA investigators that she fraudulently wrote 13 prescriptions. She obtained 90 Percocet tablets and 540 Oxycodone tablets from a pharmacy in Kansas and 1,350 Oxycodone tablets from a Missouri pharmacy. 

U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser said, “While this was a unique case, unfortunately, cases involving health care workers gaining unauthorized access to prescription narcotics are becoming more common. These professionals spent years studying and building their careers just to throw it all away, usually because of addiction. Health care professionals facing addiction need to seek help before it’s too late. Otherwise, we must make sure they are stopped for the safety of the patients they serve.” 

“The diversion of pharmaceutical drugs is not a victimless crime,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer said. “Brooke Haller took advantage of a system intended to assist patients and violated the trust of those truly in need. Our DEA investigators did a fine job building a case that showed the copious amounts of fraud committed by Haller. As a result, she will no longer be allowed to practice in Kansas.”

Haller was sentenced to three years of probation and must pay a $5,000 fine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra prosecuted the case.

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KANSAS CITY, KAN.  – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned indictments charging three foreign nationals with having fake green cards.  

According to court documents, on May 28, 2026, federal agents arrested a group of illegal aliens while executing a search warrant in Kansas City, Kansas. Three of the individuals were allegedly in possession of counterfeit immigration documentation in the form of forged permanent resident cards. 

Mariano Jeronimo-Pacheco, 33, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. 

Yolanda Mendoza-Emiliano, 33, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. 

Santos Ramirez-Ramirez, 38, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was indicted on one count of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. 

During these arrests, law enforcement took four other defendants into custody who have since been indicted on immigration charges. They include:  

•    Zenon Garcia Basurto, 36, and Pedro Antonio-Perez, 30, illegal aliens from Mexico, were indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. 
•    Gustavo Adolfo Guardado-Menjivar, 39, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. 
•    Mario Perez-Morales, 48, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. 

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating all of the cases. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case against Jeronimo-Pacheco.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case against Mendoza-Emiliano. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle McFarlane is prosecuting the case against Ramirez-Ramirez.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Arisdel Adame-Molina, 33, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case.

Francisco Becerra-Silva, 30, was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien and one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

Nefalty Sergio Chubaja-Chubaja, 26, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

Deandre T. Irvin, 32, of Kansas City, Kansas, was indicted on one count of possession of machine guns. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case. 

Yoni Ernesto Larios-Garcia, 36, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. 

Elder Gonzalo Lopez-Maderos, 35, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien and one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.  Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

Julio Martin-Ramirez, 44, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was indicted on one count of unlawful entry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case.

Omar Pastor Mayorga-Munoz, 34, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

Magdiel Villa-Martinez, 20, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien.  Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

Miguel Angel Rocha-Sanchez, 30, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count to failure to register as a sex offender and one count of reentry of a previously removed alien.  Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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WICHITA, KAN. – Two men from Wichita are now convicted felons after pleading guilty in separate cases involving posting threats on social media to murder federal officials.

According to court documents, Adam Lee Osborn, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure.

In January 2026, Wichita police officers learned Osborn had posted threats on his social media page saying he wanted to murder Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He wrote, “I’m going to kill Ilhan Omar!”. He also posted a photo of himself holding an AR-15 style rifle in one hand and a 30-round magazine with live ammunition in the other hand. When officers went to Osborn’s residence to question him, he confirmed writing the posts. He said while he had no intention of personally harming anyone, he made the statements to “maybe provoke someone to handle business.” He advised officers that by “handle business” he meant to “take ‘em out”. He stated that by “take ‘em out” he meant “kill them”.

In a separate case, according to court documents, Joaquin Hernandez, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure. 

In January 2026, Hernandez posted a social media video where he threatened to shoot Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents point blank if he saw them in Wichita. Hernandez admits to making the statements knowing that his threat against ICE wasn’t mere political argument or in a joking manner. 

“Our country prides itself on being one where people can express their political views, but they must do so in a responsible manner. These two defendants crossed the line into criminality by making threats of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Threats of political violence are illegal and won’t be tolerated.”

“The First Amendment protects every individual’s right to free speech. However, it is not a shield for enticing violence or criminal activity. Anyone who advocates violence or communicates a credible threat against public officials, law enforcement, or any individual should expect swift and thorough response from the FBI. We will investigate these matters aggressively with assistance from our law enforcement partners and United States Attorney’s Office by pursuing every available legal avenue to hold offenders accountable," said Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.

The Wichita Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating both cases. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting the case against Osborn.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case against Hernandez. 

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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 300 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine as part of a drug trafficking network.

According to court documents, Ernest Lucas, 53, of Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

In 2022, Chaz Hicks, 27, of Kansas City, Kansas, sold methamphetamine to undercover officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department multiple times, often with a firearm in his lap.  Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives  (ATF) began tracking Hicks’ movements and observed frequent visits to Ernest Lucas’ house on Ruby Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas.  Law enforcement noticed a travel pattern where the people stopping by Lucas’ house also went to a house on Mersington Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. 

ATF executed a search warrant at Lucas’ house and located 12 firearms, ammunition, over $11,000 in cash, and approximately 274 grams of methamphetamine. That same day, investigators searched the Mersington Avenue house and found approximately 102 pounds of methamphetamine, eight firearms, electronic scales and other drug paraphernalia.

Evidence downloaded from Lucas’ cellphone showed drug related conversations between him and Spencer Allen, 48, of Mound City and Jason Smith, 50, of Topeka.

“The Department of Justice is committed to eradicating transnational criminal organizations and their influence on American soil.” Said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “What may look like local gang and drug activity is often supplied by sources outside the country. The federal government is uniquely suited to stop networks like the one at issue in this case and disrupt international supply lines into our neighborhoods with the help from state and local partners.  Additionally, the proceeds of this illegal activity can be forfeited to the U.S. Government under federal law as was the cash found in this case. This type of crime doesn’t pay and will ultimately land you in prison.”

"What began as a case on violence tied to the Southdale Blood Gang grew into a large-scale methamphetamine distribution investigation that wreaked havoc on Kansas City, Kansas," said Bernard "Butch" Hansen, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Kansas City Field Division. "Ernest Lucas was a prolific distributor supplied by sources in Mexico, moving hundreds of pounds of meth and dozens of firearms through this community, fueling violence and multiple overdose deaths. Lucas is a violent offender with a lengthy criminal history who chose to profit from addiction and bloodshed. The people of Kansas City should sleep well knowing this criminal will be behind bars for decades to come, and anyone considering the same path should be prepared to meet the same fate."

Hicks, Allen, Smith, and another codefendant, Abraham Gallegos, 46, of Olathe, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Hicks was sentenced to 200 months in prison. The other codefendants are awaiting sentencing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case with assistance from the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD).

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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Missouri man was sentenced to 120 months in prison after traveling across state lines to have sex with who he thought was an underage girl but was really an undercover federal agent. 

According to court documents, Tommie Earnest Giles, 53, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.  

On July 23, 2025, and July 24, 2025, Giles, used a social media platform to chat with a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent posing as a 14-year-old female living in Kansas. When the agent purported to be 14 years old, Giles responded that he was 53. Giles then directed the conversation to become sexual in nature and attempted to persuade a person who he thought to be a minor to engage in sexual activity with him. When Giles traveled from his home in Kansas City, Missouri, to Kansas for a meetup with a “minor”, the FBI arrested him. Giles told law enforcement he had believed he was talking to an actual 14-year-old girl, and that he traveled to the residence to have sex with a minor. 

“These undercover operations are proactive measures to find and arrest child predators,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Mr. Giles was thoroughly convinced he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl so it’s unsettling to think what could have happened had this been a child instead of an FBI agent. Parents need to be aware that child predators are lurking on the internet and should take measures to protect their children and know of their internet activity.” 

“The unfortunate reality is predators exist within our communities. Operations like this one reflect the FBI’s commitment to ensuring we identify those who exploit children and make sure these predators face justice. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect children, purse offenders, and keep our communities safe,” stated Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 300 months in prison after a federal jury convicted him for his role in fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. 

According to court documents, Marshall J. Green Jr, 46, of Wichita was convicted on eight counts including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

Green was a part of a drug trafficking ring in Wichita headed up by Calvin L, Williams Jr, 45, of Wichita. In 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Wichita Police Department (WPD), identified two residences Williams and his co-conspirators used to store and distribute large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Williams didn’t live at either house but was paying the rent. While executing search warrants, ATF agents found more than 24 kilograms of fentanyl, more than 32 kilograms of methamphetamine, and multiple firearms at one of the homes. A search of the second location yielded pill presses, multiple pounds of binding powders used to manufacture pharmaceutical-type pills, dye stamps to imprint pills, pure fentanyl powder and more than six kilograms of finished pills later determined to contain fentanyl.  

Williams pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy (fentanyl) and was sentenced to 240 months in prison.

Also convicted in connection to this case are the following defendants all of Wichita:  

•    Harold E. Hawkins Jr, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy (fentanyl) and was sentenced to 180 months in prison. 
•    Devon M. Love, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy (fentanyl) and was sentenced to 144 months in prison. 
•    Martin A. Marshall, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy (fentanyl) and was sentenced to 114 months in prison.
•    Larry D. Triplett III, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy (fentanyl) and was sentenced to 120 months in prison. 
•    Chazare R. Oliver Jr, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
•    Shantwon M. Hervey, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to three years of probation.
•    Hannah R. English, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to two years of probation.
•    Janelle L. Bell, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of providing false information in connection with the purchase of a firearm and was sentenced to two years of probation.

“The conclusion of this case finalizes the disruption of a significant drug trafficking ring,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Unfortunately, there is more work to do preventing this poison from infecting our communities and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals involved in illegal activity. I am confident that through ongoing coordination between federal, state, and local partners, we will continue to make Kansas and the entire country safer.”     

"Drug traffickers who arm themselves are a direct threat to our communities, and Marshall Green, Jr., was no exception," said Special Agent in Charge Bernard “Butch” Hansen, of the ATF Kansas City Field Division. "Not only did Green keep firearms close as a convicted felon, he used them to protect a supply of fentanyl and methamphetamine he was pushing into the community. In fact, this investigation found that Green and his conspirators sat on hundreds of pounds of excipient powders that could have easily produced millions of additional fentanyl tablets.”

Hansen said, “The disruption of their fentanyl manufacturing alone prevented the loss of countless lives. The 300-month sentence handed down will take this dangerous individual off our streets for years to come, and that result is a credit to our ATF Special Agents, the Wichita Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, DEA, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas, who all stood with us to hold him fully accountable."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Wichita Police Department investigated the case.

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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two former employees of the Wyandotte County District Court received prison sentences for using their positions in the accounting office to steal approximately $980,000 in taxpayer funds.

According to court documents, Julia Roberts, 65, of Leavenworth and Vicki Robinson, 63, of Bonner Springs, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy. A federal judge sentenced Roberts to 41 months in prison and Robinson to 27 months in prison.

Roberts was the accounting supervisor and responsible for collecting and depositing funds into the Wyandotte County District Court’s bank account. She acted as Robinson’s superior until her retirement in 2020. Roberts and Robinson stole incoming cash and concealed the thefts by generating checks and forging the clerk of court’s signature. They fabricated information on the memo lines to make the checks appear to be judgment disbursements or other legitimate court business. The checks functioned as a way to conceal the missing cash in the system. 

During the time they were stealing money, Roberts had a significant amount of money transactions at a casino — over $1 million in 2017, $480,000 in 2018, and $251,000 in 2019. The amount dropped when she retired in 2020 to $30,000.  Roberts also deposited more than $80,000 in cash into her personal bank accounts from 2018-2020. Robinson deposited $20,000 in cash into her bank account from 2021-2023.  

In August 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) interviewed Robinson, and she admitted she stole money.  She said Roberts showed her how to do it.  Roberts told the FBI that she came up with the idea of stealing incoming cash.  She said Robinson was involved from the beginning and at times they split the cash that was stolen.  

Roberts’ and Robinson’s scheme resulted in a loss of $979,962 to the Wyandotte County District Court from 2018 to 2023. As part of their sentences, they are individually and collectively responsible for paying $979,962 in restitution. 

“Roberts and Robinson worked together, stole together, and together conspired to cover up their crimes. They were as thick as thieves, and now the two thieves are headed to prison for stealing from the Wyandotte County District Court,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser.

“Public trust is the foundation of an effective government.  When public servants betray that trust for personal financial gain, they compromise the integrity of the institutions they are sworn to serve.  Today’s sentence sends a clear message: the FBI has zero tolerance for this. Anyone who exploits public office for personal enrichment will be thoroughly investigated, held accountable, and brought to justice,” stated Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan J. Huschka and Michelle McFarlane prosecuted the case.

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TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 90 months in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). 

According to court documents, Joseph Donald Dube, 40, Topeka pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – possession of child pornography.

In December 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Dube’s home as part of an investigation into him possibly being in possession of CSAM. Police seized multiple electronic devices which contained images of minors under 12 years old engaged in sexually explicit conduct with adults. 

“It is horrifying that Mr. Dube possessed this material and interacted with children routinely in his work as a teacher,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Thankfully, he was brought to justice through the hard work of the KBI and Secret Service.”

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman with using her position as head of the financial division to embezzle more than $750,000 from her employer. 

According to court documents, Shania A. Shanahan, 39, of Colby was indicted on:

•    43 counts of bank fraud.
•    25 counts of money laundering, and 
•    Five counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, Shanahan is the former controller at an agricultural cooperative in Colby that provides grain and fuel services to its members.  She supervised the accounting department, and her duties included processing and making payments, reconciling bank accounts, and making entries into the general ledger for purchases and expenses.

Between January 2017 and November 2025, Shanahan is accused of forging 233 checks for approximately $753,575 from the co-op’s account and depositing the funds into her personal bank account. She allegedly used coworkers’ signatures without their knowledge or consent which is the basis for the identity theft charges. The defendant is accused of concealing the deception by falsifying records to make the fraudulent payments appear to be legitimate payments to herself and other third-party vendors.  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Ricardo Refujio Ortiz-Ortega, 45, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case. 

Ronnie L.J. Richard, 43, of Wichita was indicted on two counts of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case. 

Chad W. Sunley, 45, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances -methamphetamine, four counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case. 

Arthur Waters, 46, was indicted on one count of escape from custody. The U.S. Marshal Service is investigating. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case. 

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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WICHITA, KAN – A Kansas man was sentenced to 222 months in prison for enticing a minor to create and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, Garrett Gayoso, 25, of Baxter Springs pleaded guilty to one count production of child pornography. 

Gayoso met the 16- year-old minor online. Evidence shows the victim was quickly forthcoming with Gayoso about her age. Gayoso groomed and convinced the victim to engage in sexually explicit activity, produce visual depictions of the conduct, and then send him the images via text messages. Between August 2024 and April 2025, Gayoso exchanged text messages with the minor that contained over 100 CSAM images.

“The defendant in this case was a law enforcement officer at the time this crime occurred. It’s deeply troubling that someone who took an oath to protect and serve the public would turn out to be someone from whom our society needs protection,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Child predators are master manipulators. Children should be taught that any time someone directs them to keep secrets from trusted adults that is not someone with whom they should be communicating.”

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) investigated the case.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 264 months in prison for clandestinely recording a minor under the age of 12 through a crack in a wall to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, Jeffrey T. Lyons, 33, of Olathe pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child. 

In 2018, Lyons began secretly taking nude photos and videos of a child from a room adjacent to a bathroom through a gap in the wall. For several years, Lyons secretly recorded the minor victim partially or completely unclothed in the bathroom.

In October 2023, a relative of Lyons reported him to law enforcement.  When officers approached Lyons, they had to forcefully take his cellphone because he refused to give it to them. A forensic exam on the phone uncovered the sexual exploitation videos he had taken of the minor victim and screenshots from those videos, along with almost 900 erotic photos of the child while clothed. Lyons also possessed over 2,800 CSAM photos and videos that did not involve the minor child. 

“Children are innocent, defenseless, and rely on responsible adults to advocate on their behalf and shield them from predators,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “If you become aware of child abuse, you have an ethical obligation to contact law enforcement immediately. It doesn’t matter if the perpetrator is a friend or a relative. The victim’s welfare should always be the highest priority.” 

“Mr. Lyons’ actions were both abhorrent and stomach-churning. The sentence ensures that a dangerous predator spends more than two decades behind bars and an additional 12 years of supervised release. The FBI remains committed to finding and bringing to justice anyone who dares to exploit or harm children,” stated Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 167 months in prison for his role in a transnational drug trafficking organization with ties to a Mexican cartel. The sentence follows a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation which has so far led to convictions of approximately a dozen defendants.

According to court documents, Joel Rodriguez, 30, of Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

In February 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating a drug trafficking ring in the Kansas City metro area headed by Jose Antonio Heredia-Chang. Heredia-Chang, 34, is an illegal alien from Sinaloa, Mexico, who had been living in Phoenix, Arizona. The trafficking ring distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and other narcotics. ATF and DEA investigators determined that buyers/distributors in Kansas City placed orders with Heredia-Chang then he dispatched drivers to deliver the narcotics. 

Investigators observed Heredia-Chang’s drivers visiting the home of Joel Rodriguez in Kansas City, Kansas. Agents intercepted calls between Rodriguez and Heredia-Chang discussing drug and firearms trafficking in which Rodriguez provided Heredia-Chang his home address for delivery. Agents observed subsequent deliveries to Rodriguez’s house.

After Heredia-Chang's arrest in September 2023, evidence extracted from his phones showed photographs of firearms and messages about firearm purchases. Further evidence proved Heredia-Chang was collaborating with individuals in Sinaloa, Mexico, to acquire and transport methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, and that Heredia-Chang operated other distribution bases in Seattle, Washington, and Denver, Colorado.

In November 2025, Heredia-Chang pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He is awaiting sentencing.

“The Heredia-Chang drug trafficking ring was a complex and highly structured operation based on a model that in essence worked the same as if you ordered a pizza. Instead of food, these delivery drivers showed up at your doorstep with meth and cocaine,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We are fortunate our federal agencies have the investigative skills and tools to root out these networks. Our skilled prosecutors are committed to convincing judges that these perpetrators should serve time behind bars.”

"This defendant helped move meth for the Heredia-Chang trafficking network and discussed firearms trafficking with the man who ran it," said Special Agent in Charge Bernard "Butch" Hansen of the ATF Kansas City Field Division. "Firearms are the currency that keeps these drug networks running, and ATF will follow that trade wherever it leads. Now he will spend nearly 14 years in federal prison. The investigation is not over. ATF will continue to stand with our partners to hold violent offenders accountable."

“One-by-one, our agents and those of ATF are dismantling Mexican-sourced drug trafficking organizations responsible for pushing poisons into our midwestern communities,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey said. “This investigation is a tremendous example of federal agencies working together to bring the full force of the law against violent poly-drug traffickers who use threats and intimidation to maintain control. Fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine have no place on our streets, and the DEA will continue to take down the organizations threading their way into the heartland.”

So far, 10 other co-defendants have pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with the Heredia-Chang drug trafficking network. They include Noel Rios-Salazar, Jesus Villaverde, Jose Cervantes-Valenzuela, Jessica Solano, Gennelle Glackin, Kelly Gray, Marnie Lynn, Christopher Martens, Robert Hicks, and Chad Haviland. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.

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WICHITA, KAN. – In the spirit of Freedom 250, a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country are taking part in charity drives to benefit their local communities. In the District of Kansas (USAO-KS), we sought to give small tokens of joy to Kansas children struggling emotionally after physical and/or sexual abuse by donating to a non-profit agency which helps abused children. 

The Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kansas (CAC) supports 19 local child advocacy centers throughout the state of Kansas. CAC’s mission is to provide an immediate and compassionate response for child abuse victims by facilitating coordination among law enforcement, child protection services, mental health providers, as well as parents and caregivers. 

USAO-KS organized a collection drive for CAC. Staff in the Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City, Kansas offices bought books, toys, blankets, snacks and other items which will be given to children who arrive at the centers. 

“When they come to a CAC, they are kind of handling some of the harshest days in the midst of crisis,” said Klarissa Ponce of the CAC. “To be able to greet them with either a snack or leave them with an item of appreciation for their time, just brings that moment of joy back to a sensitive and really traumatic experience for them. We’re very excited that we are able to have some fun items to bring back that childhood spirit.”

“I would like to thank USAO employees for their generosity in helping the CAC accomplish its important work on behalf of the children of Kansas,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Placing service above self is one of the pillars on which our nation was founded 250 years ago, and I’m proud to see our staff continue that legacy.”

If you want to learn more about the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kansas and the invaluable services it provides, click on this link https://www.kscac.org/

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WASHINGTON – Today, the United States filed a complaint against Kansas and joined with the State in filing a proposed consent decree to permanently enjoin Kansas laws that provide in-state tuition for illegal aliens.

The proposed consent decree, which must still be approved by the court, would resolve the Department’s claims that Kansas’s laws unconstitutionally discriminate against American citizens in favor of illegal aliens. Specifically, Kansas’s challenged laws grant reduced tuition to illegal aliens over U.S. citizens, which not only violates federal law but also incentivizes illegal immigration and rewards illegal immigrants with scholarship benefits that U.S. citizens are not eligible for.

“For decades, the Kansas legislature gave preferential treatment to illegal aliens over American citizens,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “We encourage all States to follow the commonsense correction of Attorney General Kobach, ceasing any policy that rewards illegal entry into our nation with educational opportunities not available to U.S. citizens.”

“Kansas’s unconstitutional and un-American laws should never have been passed in the first place and are prohibited by federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice has won on this exact issue in Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Nebraska, and we will take this fight to any states that fail to put American citizens first.”

“This proposed consent decree demonstrates the quality of partnership between Kansas state leaders and the Department of Justice for the shared purpose of ensuring that federal tax dollars are not used to discriminate against Kansas’s lawful citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas.

The motion came just hours after the Justice Department filed a complaint in the District of Kansas against the state of Kansas seeking to enjoin the state from enforcing laws that require colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates to all aliens who maintain Kansas residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States.

This is the 10th lawsuit in a series of actions the department has filed to fulfill President Trump’s commitment to ensure that illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment. These efforts have already delivered wins for the American people, as three similar lawsuits in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Nebraska have resulted favorable orders permanently enjoining and declaring unconstitutional analogous laws that gave reduced tuition to illegal aliens. Lawsuits against other states that similarly put illegal aliens ahead of U.S. citizens are pending across the country in Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia, California, and New Jersey.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to using a messaging application to distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, Zachery Leslie, 25, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography. 

Zachery Leslie used a messaging app to send and receive CSAM including nine files in July 2024, which included images of prepubescent children subjected to sexual acts.  He utilized his phone and the Internet to distribute the images.  

Leslie is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – This World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas joins the Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC) and other government agencies and organizations across the country to spread the word about government and business imposter scams. The EJCC’s Never EVER campaign is a nationwide effort to create awareness about imposter scams.

These scammers pretend to be someone they’re not — including government agencies and well-known businesses — to trick you into giving them money, access to your financial accounts, or get your personal information.

June is also National Elder Fraud Awareness Month. USAO-KS hosted an Elder Fraud Bingo event in Overland Park to help educate seniors citizens about scammers and various tactics they use to defraud victims, including government imposter scams. 

“Elder fraud is a cruel and heartbreaking crime. Seniors, who have spent a lifetime earning and saving, should never see their retirement stolen by criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Losing money to fraud is hard at any age, but it’s especially devastating for older people with limited ability to replace their lost income. These victims have done nothing wrong except trust the wrong person or be fooled by a scam. My office is fully committed to aggressively prosecuting these offenders and strengthening education efforts to protect older adults from scams.”

In December 2025, a federal grand jury in Wichita indicted two defendants for allegedly defrauding a victim as part of a scheme that involved co-conspirators posing as federal law enforcement agents. They are accused of falsely convincing the individual to purchase $255,287 in gold and give it to them for safekeeping. The members of this conspiracy, including the indicted men, allegedly primarily target elderly retired individuals, falsely asserting they are with a government agency and telling victims that their identity has been compromised in ways that could result in jail time and major financial loss for victims.

Government imposter scams are a serious problem: in 2025, the FTC received more than 375,000 reports about government imposters, with reported losses of $917 million. 

These imposter scammers lie and pretend to be someone they’re not. Their goal? Trick you into giving them money, access to your financial accounts, or your personal information. They make up complicated stories about so-called emergencies, so you’ll panic and act quickly before you have time to think about what to do or talk to someone you trust.

One common scam starts with an unexpected call from someone who says they’re from a well-known business, saying there’s suspicious activity on your account. 

To “help” you, they transfer you to someone who says they’re from the government. This so-called helper, who claims to be from the FBI, the FTC, or some other law enforcement agency, urges you to move your money to “protect it” — maybe by transferring it to an account they give you, depositing it in a “government account” or crypto ATM for “safekeeping,” or getting cash or gold and giving it to a courier. But it’s all a lie. No one from the government will ever ask you to do these things. Only scammers will. 

Other lies might involve a “suspended Social Security number” or supposed eligibility for government benefits. In all cases, that scammer will go to great lengths to convince you they’re with the government: fake caller ID or official-looking letters, for example. The agency name might be real or made up (but real-sounding), and some scammers might show you an employee ID or badge — all to seem more real. But they’re not.

To recognize and avoid a government imposter, the “Never EVER” campaign asks you to keep these things in mind:

•    Never ever will someone from the government say: “Your money isn’t safe. Move it to protect it.” Only a scammer will.
•    Never ever will someone from the government threaten to suspend your government benefits if you don’t pay immediately. Only a scammer will. 
•    Never ever will someone from the government demand that you pay with a payment app, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or gift cards.

Talk to someone you trust if you’re worried about a problem with your account or identity — especially if the stranger says they’re from the government or the situation is serious or involves a crime. Visit ejcc.acl.gov/imposters for more on imposter scams. And if you spot an imposter scam — or any other type of scam — report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
 
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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A former executive of a Kansas-based avionics company was sentenced to 32 months in prison for circumventing United States export laws to sell advanced aviation technology to Russian end users.

According to court documents, Douglas Edward Robertson, 58, of Olathe, Kansas, the former vice president of KanRus Trading Company Inc., pleaded guilty to export control and money laundering violations. 

After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. government tightened export controls concerning Russia. Robertson and two codefendants continued to purchase, sell, and export sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment to customers in Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Robertson was arrested in March 2023 for smuggling U.S. avionics to Russia by lying about the exports’ value, end users, and end destinations.

Oleg Chistyakov, a/k/a Olegs Čitsjakovs, 56, of the Republic of Latvia, acted as a broker for KanRus. He was sentenced to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to his part in the conspiracy. 

Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 63, of Lawrence, the former President and owner of KanRus, is awaiting sentencing. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and money laundering, and he consented to the forfeiture of over $450,000 worth of avionics equipment and accessories and a $50,000 personal forfeiture judgment.

“The U.S. changed trade restrictions with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine for a reason. These defendants put money over country and considered themselves more clever than Customs officials. They thought they could circumvent the restrictions without being detected, but they were wrong,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Smugglers can’t fly under the radar without federal investigators ultimately uncovering their criminal activities.” 

“The sentencing marks another milestone in the government’s successful effort to hold those accountable who conspire to circumvent and bypass U.S. regulations. The individuals in this case conspired to illegally purchase, sell and export sophisticated aviation equipment to Russia. Robertson’s fraudulent actions were willful and substantial. The sentencing should provide assurance to the public: the FBI will investigate and arrest those who wish to violate our nation’s laws,” said Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement investigated the case. The Latvian authorities assisted in the investigation while U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided substantial assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Rask and Ryan Huschka for the District of Kansas as well as Adam Barry, a former trial attorney of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.

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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas (USAO-KS) gives an update on cases prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood (PSC) during the months of March, April and May. PSC is a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. 

As part of USAO-KS’s commitment to prosecuting cases related to child sexual abuse and exploitation, offices in Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City, Kansas, are staffed with federal prosecutors who specialize in seeking justice in these types of offenses.

In March, April, and May, USAO-KS indicted multiple defendants on child exploitation related offenses while achieving substantial sentences for defendants who had been convicted.

Indictment

Ryan Brungardt, 37, of Salina was indicted on three counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography. The former high school wrestling coach was initially charged through complaint on three criminal counts then prosecutors pursued an additional count at indictment after the discovery of a fourth alleged victim.

Dennis D. Dees, 39, of WaKeeney was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act.

Joshua David Kolb, 43, of Independence, Missouri, was indicted on one count of production of child pornography, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, two counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure. 

Jesse William Laws, 46, of Leavenworth was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography. At the time of the alleged offense, Laws was a registered sex offender with two prior federal child pornography convictions.

Nicolas Perez-Paxtor, 40, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation and one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

Devin Rich, 40, of Kansas City, Kansas, was indicted on six counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Sentencing

Matthew William Brewer, 44, of Salina was sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor - receipt of child pornography. 

Frank Castro, 50, of Kansas City, Kansas was sentenced to 110 months in prison after being convicted of one count of receipt of child pornography following a bench trial. 

Douglas Harpster, 53, of Salina was sentenced to 78 months in prison and a ten-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – possession of child sexual abuse material.  

Eric Holloway, 53, of Clay Center was sentenced to 135 months in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – possession of child sexual abuse material, with statutory sentencing enhancement as the defendant has a prior conviction for a crime of sexual violence.

Jacob Navarrette, 34, of Wichita was sentenced to 120 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

Addilynn Jean Onuffer, 22, of Haysville was sentenced to 160 months in prison after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography. 

Michael Pinkerton, 48, of Topeka was sentenced to 137 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – possession of child pornography. Pinkerton, a previously convicted sex offender, possessed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while he was on supervised release for similar offenses.

https://www.justice.gov/psc

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man suspected as being part of a violent extremist group is scheduled to appear before a federal judge after being charged through criminal complaint in Kansas City, Kansas, for illegally possessing explosive devices. 

According to court documents, Jarred G. Gilliam, 31, of Kansas City, Kansas, is charged with possessing destructive devices.

The exact starting date is unknown, but from about June 3, 2025, and continuing until about June 3, 2026, Gilliam is accused of having three destructive devices commonly known as Molotov Cocktails.  

According to court documents, Gilliam is a suspected member of Red Legs, a group which promotes committing violent attacks on government agencies and the military. Gilliam is accused of using an encrypted messaging application to communicate with other suspected Red Legs members to plan assaults using incendiary devices. The proposed targets include local and federal government entities and property, particularly U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Missouri National Guard, and political groups.

According to the complaint against Gilliam, the following are communications sent through the messaging app:

• “If ice moves to kc, thoughts on an armed response”
• “It wouldn’t make sense to panic now, the time for panicking has long passed. Now we must make our peace, arm ourselves, and prepare to do what is necessary”
• “After we build our ranks and adequately arm ourselves, we can look into escalation”
• “I recommend we start slow at first. Maybe some basic sabotage… We should locate abandoned warehouses where we could potentially secure seized armor… First, we need to find a way to track military shipments, we don’t want to derail the wrong train”
• “What are the chances we could get away with using drones to drop incendiary’s [sic] to demolish key infrastructure”
• “I like the idea of using drones carrying cocktails to demolish key structures…Frozen water areas.”

The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance Monday, June 8, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Jennifer B. Wieland of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

During this investigation, several other alleged Red Legs members were identified including Lake Ethan Roberts, 26, of Kansas City, Missouri, who is being federally prosecuted for possession of unregistered destructive devices by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Today a federal jury convicted a North Carolina couple, a Missouri man, and an Ohio man in relation to a scheme involving theft of union-member dues through the award of no-show jobs, lavish travels and dinners charged to the union, unearned vacation payouts, and an unauthorized $7 million loan made to a union-related bank.

The jury convicted Newton Jones, 72, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the former President of the International Brotherhood of  Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Forgers, and Helpers (Boilermakers Union), his wife Kateryna Jones, 33, of Chapel Hill, and the former Secretary Treasurer, William Creeden, 78 of Kearney, Missouri, of violation of the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act. Those defendants, as well as one of the Boilermaker Union’s former Vice Presidents, Lawrence McManamon, 78, of Rocky River, Ohio were convicted of embezzlement from the Union through various means, including:

• Taking elaborate foreign trips that were not related to Union business – all defendants;
• Charging personal expenses to the Union, including shopping trips and dinners out – Newton Jones and Kateryna Jones;
• Paying or overpaying unearned salary and relocation expenses for Newton Jones’s family members – Newton Jones and Creeden;
• Paying out of unearned vacation – Newton Jones and Creeden;
• Paying for unauthorized surveillance of Union employees – Newton Jones and Creeden;
• Making an unlawful $7M loan to a bank at which Newton Jones and Creeden were employed – Newton Jones and Creeden;
• Theft from the Union retirement plan – Newton Jones and Creeden;
• Health care fraud relating to unearned benefits provided to Kateryna Jones – Newton Jones, Kateryna Jones, and Creeden; and
• Wire fraud relating to failure to disclose required payments, outside employment, and conflicts of interest – Newton Jones and Creeden.

“The Boilermakers Union members were supposed to get representation out of their hard-earned money used to pay union dues,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “What they got instead is their money wasted on lavish trips and dinners, and unearned vacation payouts for the union leadership. Union dues must be handled with care and used for the benefit of the dues paying members. Union leadership that steals from the American worker will face prosecution, conviction, and prison time.”

“The absolute hubris and entitlement with which these defendants stole from American workers is disgraceful,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas. “While union members were faithfully clocking-in and out of their jobs, these defendants thought they were unaccountable and were callously gallivanting on extravagant trips that spared no expense. With these convictions comes a reckoning, and we will be asking the Court to hold these defendants accountable for their criminal conduct and impose appropriate sentences of incarceration.”    

“By using union funds for their private benefit, the fraud committed by these defendants strikes at the very confidence union members place in their leaders to represent their interests,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Omerod of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “The evidence presented in trial demonstrated an elaborate and willful deceit of the Boilermakers Union to fund the lavish lifestyle of their former leaders. The FBI will not tolerate this level of financial exploitation against hard working Americans.”

“These union officials clearly violated LMRDA fiduciary requirements with their excessive and extravagant spending and caused great harm to their organization and its members,” said Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Labor-Management Standards Director Elisabeth Messenger. “The conviction of these individuals serves as a strong warning to those who abuse their responsibilities that such violations of union members’ trust will lead to serious repercussions. The department’s new reporting requirements for large unions will go a long way in protecting the financial integrity of labor unions.”

“Investigating corruption and ensuring the financial integrity of private health and pension plans, including union plans, is a priority for EBSA,” said DOL Employee Benefits Security Administration Assistant Secretary Daniel Aronowitz. “In this case, Boilermakers officials put their own interests first and misused funds entrusted to them to provide retirement and health benefits for union members and their families. EBSA will pursue those who engage in criminal schemes to defraud private sector benefit plans. We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners.”

According to evidence presented at trial, over a 15-year period, the defendants, led by Newton Jones and Creeden, embezzled the funds of the Boilermakers Union including:

• Over $5 million in unnecessary luxury international travel;
• Nearly $2 million in salary and benefits to Kateryna Jones and others for no-show jobs, at which they were not required to work, including payment of two years of salary to Kateryna Jones for a period when she resided in Ukraine and was dating Newton Jones;
• Over $100,000 in tuition, rent, and relocation expenses for members of the family of Newton Jones;
• Hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash payments relating to fraudulently claimed vacation time;
• Over $100,000 in restaurant charges by Newton Jones and Kateryna Jones in their hometown;
• Money spent in unauthorized email surveillance of union employees to defend Newton Jones and McManamon from internal union charges; and
• $7 million in unauthorized loans from the Boilermakers Union to the bank at which Newton Jones and Creeden had supposed full-time jobs that required little work and were each paid nearly $500,000 per year while they were also being paid a full-time salary from the union.

Trial evidence showed that Newton Jones hired his wife Kateryna Jones for a job in which she performed little to no work and received nearly $1.8 million in salary over the course of nine years. Newton and Kateryna Jones also embezzled over $160,000 for date night meals in their hometown of Chapel Hill. Newton Jones and William Creeden embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary and benefits for three of Newton Jones’ family members. These defendants also embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars in the form of improper vacation payouts.  

In addition, the couple embezzled millions of dollars in unnecessary and lavish international travel from the dues of union members, including conducting executive meetings for no apparent purpose in extravagant hotels in cities like Paris, France and Rome, Italy.

Creeden and Newton Jones also used their executive positions in the Boilermakers Union to obtain high-level positions at the Bank of Labor, where the union is the majority shareholder. Earning a full-time salary at the bank while supposedly working full-time at the union, Jones and Creeden were paid nearly $4 million in salary and $1.4 million in retirement benefits from the bank.

A sentencing date has been set for Sept. 1. Lawrence McManamon faces a maximum of penalty of five years in prison on each count. William Creeden, Newton Jones, and Kateryna Jones each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Department of Labor and the FBI investigated the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Vincent Falvo and Trial Attorney Alexandra Swain of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Faiza Alhambra and Jabari Wamble for the District of Kansas prosecuted the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas returned an indictment charging a Kansas man for threatening to rape and kill a victim and charging him with various offenses related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, Christian Page, 24, of Tonganoxie was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, two counts of possession and access with intent to view child pornography, and one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure.

On multiple occasions in 2025 and 2026, Page allegedly received, possessed, and distributed CSAM. He is also accused of using an electronic device to threaten to physically injure a victim. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Rask and Audrey McCormick are prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Rosendo Aguirre-Arreola, 42, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry by a previously removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. 

Victor Alamilla-Juarez, 46 an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry by a previously removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. 

Pedro Antonio-Perez, 30, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

Jose Manuel Barrara-Acevez, 47, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case. 

Ralfeal E. Carr, 46, of Topeka was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Debenham is prosecuting the case. 

Mario Del Toro-Sandoval, 46, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indited on one count of illegal reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

Zenon Garcia Basurto, 36, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting the case. 

Gustavo Adolfo Guardado-Menjivar, 39, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

Mario Perez-Morales, 48, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case. 

Jamin Pitchford, 54, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Debenham is prosecuting the case. 

Henry Ramirez-Nicolas, 34, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. 

Noe Rodriguez-Navarro, 36, an illegal alien from Honduras, was indicted on one count of reentry by a previously removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case.

Yimy Francisco Reyes-Guzman, 45, an illegal alien from Honduras, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case. 

Miguel Angel Toledo-Landa, 45 and illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas woman was sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraudulently receiving approximately $450,000 by simultaneously collecting federal and state government benefits in her own name and through identity theft.

According to court documents, Tamera Ruth Powers, 68, of Tonganoxie pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. 

Tamera Ruth Powers stole the identity of her relative, Minda Sue Rakestraw, who died in 1977. Powers used Rakestraw's identity to obtain a Kansas identification card and to marry a man by the last name Landis. Powers then began using the name Minda Sue Landis. Powers defrauded the U.S. government and the State of Kansas by receiving benefits under separate identities. Powers maintained accounts at two different banks to receive payments under her name and the alias Minda Sue Landis.  

In April 2005, Powers applied for Social Security Administration (SSA) Disability benefits under the name of Minda Sue Landis. In August 2012, Powers applied for SSA disability benefits in her actual name, falsely stating on the application she had not previously applied for SSA benefits.

In August 2013, Powers applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits using her real name. In the SSI application, she lied about her marital status and failed to disclose previously using another name and social security number.

Also in August 2013, Powers applied for assistance from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the State of Kansas. She didn’t report she was married or her spouse’s income on the application while led to her receiving more than to which she was entitled. 

In December 2013, she began receiving Medicaid benefits through the State of Kansas. She did not disclose her marriage, true household income, or that she had used other names which would have made her ineligible for any Medicaid benefits.

In June 2023, Powers applied for Retirement Insurance Benefits through SSA. In the application she falsely stated that she was not married, and she failed to disclose that she had used other names.

Based upon Powers’ scheme, which is estimated to have gone on for 10 years, the United States suffered loss in the amount of $137,839 and the State of Kansas suffered losses in the amount of $315,257. 

“Public benefits provide a safety net to those who need and legally qualify for the assistance.  Defrauding the system by misappropriating taxpayer money is a violation of public trust, and it’s only a matter of time until we find the perpetrators and hold them accountable,” said U.S Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “To reduce the risk of identity theft following the passing of a loved one, we encourage all next of kin or estate executors to report the death to the Social Security Administration and all major credit reporting agencies.”

As part of the sentence, a federal judge ordered Powers to pay approximately $452,097 in restitution.

“This sentencing sends a strong message that schemes to defraud the Medicaid, SNAP, LIEAP, and Social Security Disability programs will not be tolerated,” stated Steven D. Anderson, Kansas Inspector General. “The Office of Inspector General will continue to work cooperatively with our law enforcement partners to aid in the identification and prosecution of individuals engaged in these types of crimes.” 

The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General, Office of the Kansas Inspector General, Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), and Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Oakley prosecuted the case.

National Fraud Enforcement Division
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The U.S. Department of Justice through the Department’s Office of Justice Programs -Bureau of Justice Assistance announced awarding the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) a $500,000 federal grant and the State of Kansas a $211,367 federal grant to improve forensic science capabilities.

“Law enforcement depends heavily on forensic evidence in criminal investigations as the results can provide evidence of a suspect’s guilt or innocence. To protect Constitutional rights to due process and a speedy trial, prosecutors need access to forensic test results in a timely manner,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “These grants are a demonstration of the federal government’s commitment to expanding the capabilities of state and local laboratories by helping them gain access to modern forensic technology and equipment.”

The KBI Forensic Laboratory in Topeka, Kansas, provides accredited forensic toxicology testing for 104 of the 105 Kansas counties. The laboratory supports KBI investigations as well as coroners and law enforcement across the state. According to the KBI, novel psychoactive substances (NPS) and opioids are becoming increasingly common in Kansas. KBI toxicology testing provides results for NPS and opioids on behalf of law enforcement investigating impaired driving, deaths, sexual assault, and violent crime. KBI plans to use the federal grant to purchase two liquid chromatograph tandem mass spectrometers (LC/MSMS) to improve the quality and timeliness of toxicology testing. The instrumentation provides increased sensitivity and specificity in testing for NPS and opioids, which is expected to lead to a shorter turnaround time for final results.

"This critical federal investment allows the KBI to upgrade laboratory technology with advanced instrumentation, directly improving the speed and precision of our toxicology testing," said KBI Director Tony Mattivi. "By enhancing our ability to detect dangerous opioids and novel psychoactive substances, we are strengthening support for local law enforcement and public health partners. Ultimately, this funding translates into quicker answers for investigators, safer highways, and a more robust response to the overdose crisis in Kansas."

The $211,367 grant to the State of Kansas is to fund improvements at KBI regional laboratories as well as at Johnson County Crime Lab and Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center. The laboratories will receive upgraded equipment and workstations, and forensic tool software maintenance and support. The goal is to reduce turn-around time for completing casework, improve workflow efficiency, and reduce the backlog of cases with pending forensic analysis.

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TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging two Mexican nationals with drug trafficking.

According to court documents, Victor Alfonso Martinez-Hernandez, 36, and Cesar Alejandro Madrid-Candelas, 19, were each indicted on one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. 

Martinez-Hernandez and Madrid-Candelas are accused of possessing cocaine on May 20, 2026, with the intention of distributing it. Both defendants are from the City of Juarez in Mexico. 

The Wichita Police Department is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Patricia Rodriguez-Chavez, 46, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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WICHITA, KAN. – A Florida woman guilty of identity theft was sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered to pay approximately $118,000 in restitution to compensate her victim.

According to court documents, Marlo Y. Quinones, 57, of Port Richey, Florida, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated identity theft.

Twice in February 2022, Quinones used the identity of another person to petition the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas to issue her unclaimed funds belonging to the victim. The victim didn’t give Quinones consent to make these filings. 

“When criminals use personal information to falsely impersonate you, they often steal not only your money, but also your peace of mind by turning your life upside down. Many victims spend years dealing with the havoc left in the aftermath of identity theft,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We want people to know the federal government is actively working to prevent identity theft and to prosecute offenders when it happens.”

“The bankruptcy system in this country was meant to help people get back on their feet and not to exploit it. The defendant deliberately and willfully took money for personal gain through fraud and deception,” said FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod. “This sentencing should serve as a reminder that the FBI will relentlessly pursue those who design schemes to defraud our government.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Trustee Program investigated the case.

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TOPEKA, KAN. – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is asking the public to provide information for an investigation into a Kansas man facing drug trafficking and weapons violations.

On May 27, 2026, a federal grand jury in Topeka returned a superseding indictment charging Danny Ray Stano, Jr, 44, of Topeka with two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

In March 2021, Stano allegedly conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine. In 2023 and in 2025, Stano is accused of possessing numerous firearms after having been convicted of a previous felony. 

Anyone with information relevant to this investigation is asked to call the Shawnee County Crime Stoppers Anonymous tipline at 785-234-0007 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. People can also report a tip online at https://tips.fbi.gov/home.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Topeka Police Department are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an agovllegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 21 years in prison for using a firearm to rob three banks during which he pointed the gun at employees. 

According to court documents, Zane Tilcock, 21, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of brandishing and using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and to two counts of bank robbery. 

•    On December 11, 2024, Tilcock entered Intrust Bank on South Webb Road in Wichita wearing a black mask and carrying a semi-automatic handgun. He pointed the firearm at bank employees and demanded money. They handed him money, and he left. 
•    On December 16, 2024, Tilcock entered Emprise Bank on East Harry Street in Wichita with a handgun and pointed it at the tellers. He told them to put their hands in the air and give him all the money. Tilcock asked for large bills and no dye packs or bait money. The tellers removed cash from their drawers and handed it to Tilcock. 
•    On December 27, 2024, Tilcock, entered Sunflower Bank in Junction City carrying a silver handgun. He pointed the firearm at customers and ordered them to stand to the side of the lobby. He then pointed the gun at tellers and demanded they empty their cash drawers. The money Tilcock took included bait bills.  

Law enforcement determined through investigation that the vehicle used in the crimes to be a gray Volkswagen Jetta belonging to Tilcock’s girlfriend.  

On December 28, 2024, investigators conducting surveillance observed Tilcock shopping and using a large amount of cash. Days later, investigators followed Tilcock to the Sedgwick County Tag Office where Tilcock paid for a tag in cash. Investigators obtained the money he spent at the Tag Office and identified three of the bills as bait bills taken during the Sunflower Bank robbery. Tilcock was arrested and admitted to the bank robberies. Investigators found additional evidence while executing search warrants on the Jetta and the apartment where Tilcock lived.  

“This case sounds like something out of the 1930s with these repeated and unhinged, dangerous bank robberies. Mr. Tilcock robbed banks to get fast cash until he was stopped by law enforcement. Nonetheless, during his crime spree, he inflicted terror by pointing a gun at innocent people who unlike himself were simply trying to make an honest living.” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. 

“Yesterday, victims stood in a federal court room and delivered powerful testimony on the impact of the violent nature of these crimes. Mr. Tilcock has received a lengthy prison sentence because of the brave work of the victims, the prosecutors and the men and women in law enforcement who are committed to ensuring justice in these matters. The public should know it takes a dedicated team to see these cases to their resolution, and the FBI is fully invested in securing justice for victims of these crimes," said Jeff Berkebile, FBI Kansas City Acting Special Agent in Charge.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Wichita Police Department, Junction City Police Department, and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kari Burks and Aaron Smith prosecuted the case.

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WICHITA, KAN. – A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee pleaded guilty to using her position as postmaster to steal tens of thousands of dollars in government funds.

According to court documents, Joyce L. Smith, 51, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of theft by government employee.
Smith previously worked as the postmaster for a post office in Scott City, Kansas. Between January 2023 and February 2025, Smith embezzled approximately $57,400 from the USPS. 

An audit revealed Smith stole approximately $10,600 in cash payments from customers and issued herself approximately $3,700 in money orders. Smith also embezzled approximately $3,400 that customers paid for their post office boxes.

Some customers made regular check payments for permits or mass mailings. Smith accepted the checks and provided the services to customers, but she did not log the receipts into USPS records.   The USPS cannot account for checks for a total of $16,788 issued by the City of Scott City, $5,850 in checks issued by Scott County Landfill, and $17,108 in checks issued by a local newspaper. 

“As postmaster, Joyce Smith likely thought her position would allow her to continue to fill her pockets with money that didn’t belong her without getting caught or facing any consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Her behavior reminds us of why audits and other forms of government oversight of financial records are necessarily.”   

“This guilty plea represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this financial fraud investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”

The U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General (USPS- OIG) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting the case.

National Fraud Enforcement Division

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

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WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with arson and firearms offenses and charging a woman for assisting him to commit a crime.

According to court documents, Johnny E. Griffith, 34, of Kechi was indicted on one count of arson, three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. 

Serenity O. Napier, 22, of Wichita was indicted on one count of aiding and abetting possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 
Griffith allegedly intentionally and maliciously damaged duplexes on South Victoria Road in Wichita, Kansas, in October 2025. He is also accused of various crimes related to firearms.  Napier allegedly assisted Griffith in possessing a firearm while knowing he is prohibited from legally possessing firearms based on a prior felony conviction. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Wichita Police Department, and the Wichita Fire Department are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Salvador Bermudez-Herrera, 39, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.

Marcus S. Castillo, 45, of Wichita was indicted on four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Wichita Police Department and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. 

Jesseca M. Granados-Diaz, 40, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case.

Jose Juarez-Gutierez, 40, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry by a previously removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Hines is prosecuting the case.

Vincent Michael Knackstedt, 37, of Wichita was indicted on one count of theft of government property and one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. The Wichita Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the case. 

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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WICHITA, KAN. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas (USAO-KS) announces a Wichita Police Department (WPD) detective, who dedicates himself to improving public safety by working to eradicate communities of drug trafficking, as a recipient of the Hometown Hero award.

The Hometown Hero award commemorates the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. It honors the enduring ideals of Liberty, Service, and Civic Responsibility. Across the country, the U.S. Department of Justice is recognizing members of law enforcement who exhibit a steadfast commitment to these ideals and embody the spirit upon which our nation was founded.

USAO-KS selected Detective Kevin D. Real as the honoree for the District of Kansas. U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser presented him with an award certificate and a challenge coin on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

Real is a 29-year veteran of the Wichita Police Department, and in 2024, was named the Kansas Narcotics Officers Association’s Officer of the Year. Through his expertise in research and surveillance and keen deductive reasoning skills, Real has successfully facilitated the arrests of suspects directly connected to organized criminal networks involved in trafficking methamphetamine and heroin, and in firearms smuggling. His efforts have significantly disrupted trafficking operations, and to date, Real has seized over 400 pounds of methamphetamine intended for distribution on the streets of Wichita.

“Detective Real goes into drug houses and dangerously comes face-to-face with individuals who have a propensity for violence. This work requires courage, skill, and resilience,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We are grateful for his efforts in holding drug traffickers accountable and ensuring communities are safer for everyone.”

“Detective Kevin Real represents the best of the Wichita Police Department,” said Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan. “For nearly three decades, he has taken on dangerous work that most people never see, but our community feels the impact of every day. The hard work he’s done has removed drugs, guns and violent offenders from Wichita neighborhoods, and this recognition from the U.S. Attorney’s Office is well deserved.”

Real has experience working with local, state, and federal agencies. He formerly served as an FBI-credentialed Project Safe Streets Task Force Officer where he worked on investigations that were complex, time-intensive, involved multiple interviews and search warrants, and included evidence collection across several jurisdictions.

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WICHITA – A Kansas couple admitted culpability in crimes related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, Addilynn Jean Onuffer, 22, of Haysville was sentenced to 160 months in prison after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography.

Her husband and co-defendant Gavin Onuffer, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced August 3, 2026.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cyber tip about CSAM from an IP address connected to the home of Gavin and Addilynn Onuffer. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Gavin’s cell phone and found files containing images of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Evidence showed his wife sent him the images. 

“In her plea agreement, Addilynn said she sent her husband CSAM images simply because he wanted them,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We all have a duty to protect the most vulnerable members of our society. Instead of holding each other accountable and stopping perverse activity, this couple engaged in their prurient interests together. There is no excuse for this behavior.”

The Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and Wichita Police Department investigated the case. 

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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WICHITA, KAN. – An Alabama man was sentenced to 72 months in prison after law enforcement discovered fentanyl and firearms in his vehicle.

According to court documents, Russell Scott IV, 38, of Gulf Shores, Alabama, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

In September 2023, a Wichita police detective saw Scott speeding on Interstate 35 and made a traffic stop. During a probable cause search, law enforcement found approximately 3,000 fentanyl-laced pills and nine firearms in Scott’s vehicle.

“Although deaths caused by fentanyl overdoses are down from record highs, this poison continues to put lives at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “The defendant admitted his intention before his arrest was to distribute thousands of fentanyl pills. I would like to thank the Wichita Police Department for helping to keep so much of this potentially deadly substance off our streets.”

The Wichita Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi prosecuted the case.

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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a convicted sex offender with possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). 

According to court documents, Jesse William Laws, 46, of Leavenworth was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography.

Laws is accused of knowingly viewing or accessing CSAM in November  2025  and therefore allegedly a violation of his terms of release related to a previous conviction in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana for receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography in  2006, and a conviction in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri for possession of child pornography in 2017. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Adrian German Marrufo-Morales, 43, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

James D. Hall, 35, of Kansas City, Kansas, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.

Raul Leyva-Ramirez, 45, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.

Sergio Manuel Martinez-Sanchez, 53, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry by a previously removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Hines is prosecuting the case.

Obed Rocha-Flores, 41, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Mexican national was sentenced to 120 months in prison for orchestrating a kidnapping-for-hire plot to collect on a drug debt.

According to court documents, Carlos Niebla-Machado, 51, who was illegally residing in Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted kidnapping.

In February 2024, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) learned from confidential sources that Niebla-Machado was allegedly selling large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California in the Kansas City metro area. Niebla-Machado told the KBI sources he wanted to have a person kidnapped who owed him a $300,000 drug debt. 

In June 2024, an undercover KBI agent met with Niebla-Machado. Niebla-Machado provided the agent with the victim’s full name, age, home address, photographs, and background information. Niebla-Machado said he wanted the victim’s fingers cut off and a torch used on the victim’s face to coerce the victim to sign over property.  Niebla-Machado gave the agent a firearm and a 2004 Dodge Ram truck as a down payment for the kidnapping. The agent asked Niebla-Machado if he wanted to be involved in torturing the victim. The defendant said he was too old for that, but he wanted to visit the rural Kansas location where the victim would be held. There, the defendant planned to question the victim about the locations of houses he wanted the victim to sign over. 

Investigators contacted the victim and disclosed the kidnapping-for-hire plot. The victim agreed to cooperate and talked about having given Niebla-Machado home furniture, electronics, $20,000 in cash, a Dodge pickup truck, and a tow truck towards an approximate $100,000 debt.  The victim said the defendant kept adding interest to the debt.

On July 1, 2024, the undercover agent informed Niebla-Machado that the victim had been kidnapped and was being held captive. The agent picked up Niebla-Machado in Missouri and drove him to a location in rural Kansas.  Once they arrived at the location, KBI agents arrested the defendant.  

“Unfortunately, there are people in our country who view violence as a way of life and have no problem inflicting torture,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “After listening to the gruesome details of the torment Niebla-Machado planned for the kidnapping victim, it’s apparent that had he been speaking with a willing violent criminal rather than an undercover agent, this case would have likely ended in tragedy.” 

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trent Krug and Christopher Oakley prosecuted the case.

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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Four defendants in a kidnapping received prison sentences in a crime where the victim was bound and blindfolded for approximately 10 hours. 

According to court documents, Tahreon L. Allen, 23, of Lawrence, Kansas, Jean Willy Petit Frere, 26, of Lawrence, Kansas, Mustafa D. Muhammad-Springs, 22, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Tamara U. Jackson, 25, of Kansas City, Missouri, all pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping.

Allen was sentenced to 262 months in prison. 

Muhammad-Springs was sentenced to 204 months in prison.

Petit Free sentenced to 135 months in prison.

Jackson was sentenced to 54 months in prison. 

In May 2023, Tahreon L. Allen, Jean Willy Petit Frere, and a third suspect forced a 65-year-old man from his home in Lawrence, Kansas, at gunpoint and demanded he give them money. They bound the victim’s hands with duct tape and put a pillowcase over his head. The kidnappers stole money from the victim and stole two vehicles. They transported him to various locations before eventually meeting up with Muhammad-Springs in Kansas City, Kansas, where Petit Frere and the third suspect withdrew from the conspiracy. The victim was driven back to his home in Lawrence, where a third vehicle was stolen.  

After returning with the victim to the Kansas City area, Muhammad-Springs called Tamara Jackson and asked her to find a place where the victim could be concealed. She orchestrated putting the victim into the basement of the apartment where she was residing in Kansas City, Missouri. As Muhammad-Springs and a co-conspirator attempted to transfer the victim, who still had the pillowcase over his head, back into one of the victim’s stolen vehicles, they were confronted by bystanders, who physically removed the victim from the vehicle. Muhammad-Springs and the co-conspirator then fled in the stolen vehicle, which was later found abandoned in Kansas City, Missouri.

 Allen was arrested later that day after he drove one of the victim’s vehicles to his place of employment.

“The victim spent hours bound, blindfolded, and in mental anguish fearing that at any moment his captors would end his life, but the perpetrators didn’t care. Their utter depravity means our society is safer with them behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser.

The Lawrence Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel prosecuted the case.

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TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Missouri man with producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, Joshua David Kolb, 43, of Independence, Missouri, was indicted on one count of production of child pornography, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, two counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure. 

Kolb allegedly directed a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to create visual depictions. He is also accused of traveling from Missouri to Kansas on multiple occasions for the purpose of having sex with a minor. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Noah Luke Atteberry, 30, of Kansas City, Kansas, was indicted on two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

Mitchell J. Garlach, 38, of Olathe was indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.

Eric Marcell Thomas Jr, 20, of Kansas City, Missouri, was indicted on one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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TOPEKA, KAN. – Two Kansas men received prison sentences following separate Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigations into reports of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, Douglas Harpster, 53, of Salina pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – possession of child sexual abuse material.  

Harpster was sentenced to 78 months in prison and a ten-year term of supervised release.

In October of 2022, the FBI received a tip that a computer IP address with a geolocation in Salina was downloading known CSAM files using an Internet files haring platform. The user was identified as Harpster. FBI agents executed a search warrant on Harpster’s home and seized multiple electronic devices and electronic storage devices.  A review confirmed his files contained over 1,500 thumbnails or cached images depicting minors, including those under the age of 12, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

In a separate case, according to court documents, Eric Holloway, 53, of Clay Center pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – possession of child sexual abuse material, with statutory sentencing enhancement as the defendant has a prior conviction for a crime of sexual violence.

Holloway was sentenced to 135 months in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release.

“Child sexual abuse material is a plague on our communities. If you possess, create, and/or distribute these perverse images you should expect to be prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the cases. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Walton prosecuted the cases.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation into a drug trafficking ring connected to a Mexican drug cartel resulted in convictions and prison sentences for defendants in the Kansas City metro area. 

In January 2020, federal agents opened an investigation into a methamphetamine trafficking operation headed by Jose Santos Macias-Roman, 46, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States after overstaying his visa. Investigators learned that Macias Roman arranged the transportation of liquid methamphetamine from Sinaloa, Mexico to the Kansas City, Kansas area. Between February 2020 and July 2023, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled methamphetamine purchases from Macias Roman and members of his drug trafficking organization. Investigators learned the traffickers converted the methamphetamine from liquid into crystal form before distributing the finished product to customers. 

Over time, law enforcement identified several members of the drug trafficking network and their stash houses, two of which contained active methamphetamine conversion labs. As a result of the investigation, law enforcement seized over 70 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately $35,000 in cash, and three firearms. 

“The Homeland Security Task Force model is directly focused on targeting transnational criminal organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “This case is a perfect example of coordinated law enforcement resources to achieve justice. We will continue to build collaborative relationships with state, local, and federal partners to eliminate transnational and other threats to our communities here in Kansas and elsewhere.”

Macias Roman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 300 months in prison. 

Juan Ramirez-Gonzalez, 37, an illegal alien from Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 300 months in prison.

Ezequil Castro-Aviles, 40, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States after overstaying his visa, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 172 months in prison.

Manuel Alexis Soltero-Alvarez, 31, an illegal alien from Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 168 months in prison.

Manuel Arturo Faudoa, 26, of Dodge City, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 144 months in prison.

Gerardo Sierra-Martinez, 21, an illegal alien from Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of money laundering. He was sentenced to 97 months in prison.

Marcos Antonio Valencia, Jr., 35, of Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 72 months in prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Jackson County, Missouri Drug Task Force, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Nebraska Highway Patrol, and the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program investigated the case.  
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug prosecuted the case.

This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.

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TOPEKA, KAN. – A former employee at a Kansas post office pleaded guilty to illegally taking mail that was supposed to be delivered to customers.  

According to court documents, Gayli Harman, 44, of Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado, formerly of Manhattan, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of mail. 

Harman worked for the U. S. Postal Service in Westmoreland in the Sales, Service, and Distribution department. Between June 2021 and March 2023, Harman opened mail that wasn’t addressed to her and removed items from some of the packages. She also hid mail causing it not to be delivered. Investigators found 16 pieces of mail hidden throughout the Westmoreland Post Office. Harman also issued herself a post office box without paying. 

The estimated loss value to customers is approximately $530.00. 

“Even with the heavy usage of email, Americans still depend on the mail system numerous ways in their daily lives. Although the total dollar amount here might not be overwhelming, the damaged trust in our mail system cannot be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We encourage customers to report when their packages don’t arrive or items are missing, because the follow up investigations can help to root out bad actors for prosecution.” 

The U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough is prosecuting the case.

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