District of Kansas

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Kan., man who was arrested with methamphetamine, heroin and $67,000 in cash was sentenced today to 164 months in federal prison for drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

 Juan Lopez, 23, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, he admitted he drove away from a residence on the 3400 block of Georgia Avenue when the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department came to serve a search warrant there. He abandoned his car near West 42nd Avenue and Thompson Street and he ran into a wooded residential area carrying two bags.

Police recovered one of the bags with more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine and more than half a pound of heroin. When residents of the 4100 block of Lloyd Street reported a prowler in their garage, police found Lopez hiding there with the second backpack, which contained $67,000 in cash. When police searched the residence on Georgia Avenue, they found firearms, including three assault rifles, a pistol grip shotgun, a Mac-10 and two bulletproof vests.

McAllister commended the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – Three Wichita men were indicted Tuesday on charges of making counterfeit money and using it to pay for athletic shoes, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Douglas D. Blocker, 21, Wichita, Kan., Cornelius D. Wilson, 22, Wichita, Kan., and Traevon A. McGairty, 22, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of counterfeiting and one count of passing counterfeit currency. In addition, Blocker is charged with another count of passing counterfeit currency.

The indictment alleges the defendants used a photocopy machine to make counterfeit $20 bills. In one count, Blocker is alleged to have met a victim at the Towne West shopping center and paid him $480in counterfeit bills for four pairs of Jordan athletic shoes. In another count, the three defendants are alleged to have met another victim at Towne West and paid him $520 in counterfeit bills for three pairs of athletic shoes.

If convicted, they face a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

         Zoanna Bohrer, 44, Erie, Kan., is charged with 13 counts of wire fraud and one count of embezzlement. The indictment alleges she stole an amount exceeding $5,000 from the company where she worked, Professional Insurers of Erie, LLC. She made unauthorized wire transfers from the company’s account to pay her personal credit card bills.

If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the wire fraud counts and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the embezzlement count. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

 

Jackson Lee Andrews, 33, Coffeyville, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (count one), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction (count two), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (count three) and one count of distributing methamphetamine (count four). The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2017 in Allen County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on counts one and four, up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on count two, and not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on count three. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

 

Craig Harms, 29, Bel Aire, Kan., is charged with two counts of making false statements to the FBI and one count of falsifying a document with intent to impede an FBI investigation. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in September and October 2016 in Wichita, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the charges of making false statements and up to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of falsifying records in a federal investigation. The FBI, the Wichita Police Department and the Internal Revenue Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting.

 

Santos Larios-Ajualat, 32, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Dec. 29, 2017, in Seward County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated.

Agustin Gaona Serrano, 34, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found in November 2017 in Montgomery County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated.

Leonel Delgado-Jaquez, 47, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported (count one) , one count of misusing a Social Security number (count two), one count of using false information to obtain a driver’s license (count three) and one count of aggravated identity theft (count four). He was found June 18, 2018, in Saline County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on count one, up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on count two, up to 15 years and a fine up to $250,000 on court three, and a mandatory two years (consecutive) on count four. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

David Hernandez-Rueda, 34, a citizen of Mexico, is charge with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found June 11, 2018, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

Josue Asael Barron-Rivera, 19, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 24, 2018, in Wichita, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to

$250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.

 

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for robbing a health club, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

George Bernard Phelps, III, 31, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Nov. 24, 2017, he and another man robbed the Genesis Health Club at 2909 Southwest 37th Street in Topeka.

 A Genesis employee came upon the two defendants in the lobby of the business while they were attempting to pry open a box used for money deposits by members of the club. Phelps told the employee the robbers did not want trouble and instructed him to wait in an adjacent room. Phelps stood in the doorway of the room with his hand in the waistband of his pants as if he had a gun. The defendants removed cash and checks from the box and then fled.

When police arrived, an employee told officers that one of the robbers resembled a former employee of the business. Investigators identified co-defendant Lesley Jamar Terrell, Jr., 34, Topeka, Kan., a prior employee of the club who worked as an overnight maintenance worker. Terrell pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

McAllister commended the Topeka Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was charged in federal court today with making a deal to buy two tiger pelts in violation of the federal Lacey Act, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Ret Thach, 38, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits interstate sale or purchase of animals that are covered by the Endangered Species Act.

In court documents, investigators allege Thach reached an agreement to pay $8,000 for two tiger pelts to be delivered to him in Wichita. Thach also agreed to pay traveling expenses for a seller from Wisconsin to drive to Wichita to deliver the pelts. Thach did not know that the seller was an agent of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service working undercover.

According to court records, the agent informed Thach that selling the pelts across state lines was “absolutely illegal.” Thach told the agent he already owned “a lion and a lot of bears” and wanted to go ahead with the deal to buy the tiger pelts. Thach said he wanted the pelts for his home office.

If convicted, Thach faces a penalty of up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two men from Kansas City, Kan., were indicted today on charges of possession with intent to distribute more than two pounds of heroin, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Hugo Miguel Lopez-Erazo, 30, Kansas City, Kan., and Cesar Donai Bautista, 38, Kansas City, Kan., are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. In addition, Lopez-Erazo is charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of distributing heroin. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in July and August 2017, and January and May 2018 in Wyandotte County, Kan.

According to court documents, in May 2018 investigators working undercover arranged to buy two pounds of heroin from the defendants. Investigators met the defendants in a parking lot on South 18th Street in Kansas City, Kan., where they seized the heroin and arrested Lopez-Erazo and Bautista.

Upon conviction, the alleged crimes carry the following penalties:

Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute heroin: Not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million on each count.

Distribution of heroin: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ward is prosecuting.

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Bryan K. Quinley, 37, Leavenworth, Kan., is charged with drug trafficking. The charges include two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in March and April 2018 in Leavenworth and Johnson counties in Kansas.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: Not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million.

Possession with intent to distribute cocaine: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.

Unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: Not less than five years and a fine up to $150,000.

Unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting.

 

Alex They Maya-Dimas, 37, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of transporting aliens who were unlawfully in the United States and one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 16, 2018, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the transportation charge, and up to two years and a fine up to $250,000 on the unlawful re-entry charge. Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

Juan Diaz, 42, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the country after being deported. He was found April 10, 2018, in Wyandotte County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforce (ICE) investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting.

 

Jose Luis Avila-Merino, 22, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found May 16, 2018, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

         

Jose Juan Hernandez-Vasquez, 19, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with illegally re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found May 16, 2018, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

         

Gregorio Omar Laredo-Terrones, 34, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with illegally re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found May 16, 2018, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

 

Erik Adan Luis-Rojas, 29, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with illegally re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found May 16, 2018, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

 

Jose Luis Rodriguez-Vazquez, 45, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with illegally re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found May 16, 2018, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

 

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two new federal prosecutor positions will increase resources to combat violent crime in Kansas, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.

In the largest increase in decades, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today the Department of Justice is allocating 190 new Assistant United States Attorneys nationwide to increase prosecutions for violent crime. From that nationwide allocation, the District of Kansas will receive two new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions dedicated to fighting violent crime.

“The addition of two Assistant United States Attorney to prosecute violent crime in Kansas will make an immediate and significant impact on our efforts,” U.S. Attorney McAllister said. “The timing of these new prosecutorial resources could not be better. Our office is in the early stages of implementing Project Safe Neighborhoods 2.0, an initiative that targets communities where violence is a particular problem for additional federal investigations and prosecutions. We will do everything in our power to take the most violent offenders off the streets of Kansas communities. I thank the Attorney General and the leadership of the Department of Justice for providing these important prosecutorial resources to the District of Kansas.”

Attorney General Sessions said: “Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis — and today we are sending in reinforcements. We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is 'the coin of the realm.' When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades.”

TOPEKA, KAN. – Three indictments were unsealed today alleging massage parlors in Topeka and Lawrence were fronts for prostitution, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Five people were charged in federal grand jury indictments alleging prostitution businesses generated millions of dollars in revenue. Charges included conspiracy, interstate racketeering, bank fraud and money laundering.

Defendants charged include:

Ma Li Vanskike, 67, operator of ABC Massage (formerly Naima Therapy) in Lawrence is charged with one count of interstate racketeering and five counts of money laundering. An indictment alleges she laundered more than $1 million in revenues over a period of five years at Harrah’s Casino in North Kansas City, Mo.

Weiling Nielsen, 53, and Erik Nielsen, operators of Jasmine Massage in Topeka, Naima Asian Massage in Lawrence and Serenity Health Spa in Lawrence, are charged with two counts of conspiracy, two counts of bank fraud, five counts of money laundering, and one count of racketeering. An indictment alleges they bought and sold California real estate worth millions of dollars while falsely representing themselves to lenders as restaurant managers in Lawrence.

Lian Hua Li, 55, and Michael Mills, 61, are charged with two counts of conspiracy, two counts of interstate racketeering and four counts of money laundering. An indictment alleges Li operated Sunflower Massage (formerly Jasmine Massage) in Topeka and S-Therapy in Salina, and that Mills worked with her. The indictment alleges Mills transported female sex workers from the airport to massage parlors and assisted Li in laundering cash proceeds of prostitution. The indictment alleges some of the money was laundered through casinos in Kansas.

Upon conviction, the alleged crimes carry the following penalties:

Conspiracy: Up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Racketeering: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Money laundering and money launder conspiracy: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $500,000.

Bank fraud: Up to 30 years and a fine up to $1 million.

The FBI investigated with the assistance of the Douglas County Sherriff’s Office, the Topeka Police Department and the Salina Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A man who is in jail in Vermont was indicted today on a charge that he robbed a Topeka bank, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

A grand jury indictment alleges that on April 26, 2018, Mark Triolo, 46, robbed the Alliance Bank at 3001 Southwest Wanamaker in Topeka.

Triolo was arrested May 4, 2018, in Vermont.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Topeka Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

         

Dwayne M. McCoy, 28, who is in custody, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 19, 2018, in Shawnee County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

Timothy Hoggan, 32, who is in custody, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 19, 2018, in Shawnee County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

 

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

WICHITA, KAN. – Two Wichita men were charged today with a robbery at a local Wichita liquor store during which one of them was shot, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Raquan Hill, 18, Wichita, Kan., and Jamaryus Moore, 19, Wichita, Kan., were charged with one count of robbery. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court alleges that on May 22 Hill and Moore robbed the F & K Liquor store at 902 S. Woodlawn. A store employee gave the robbers money in a plastic bag and they left the store.

The store employee saw the two men standing outside the store after the robbery and feared they would return to shoot him. When one of the robbers turned back towards him, the store employee fired two rounds from his own gun, striking Hill in the leg. While Moore fled, the store employee held Hill at gunpoint until police arrived. Moore was arrested later after police identified the car he was driving.

If convicted, they face a penalty up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal indictment unsealed here today charges three men in a “swatting” incident where false reports to police and emergency services set off a chain of events that led to a Wichita man being shot and killed, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

The indictment alleges the defendants are responsible for hoax calls to Wichita police on Dec. 28, 2017, that ultimately led to the death of Andrew Finch. The following men are charged:

Tyler Barriss, 25, Los Angeles, Calif., making false/hoax reports to emergency services (count 1), cyberstalking (count 2), making interstate threats (count 3), making interstate threats to harm by fire (count 4), wire fraud (counts 5 through 11) and conspiracy to make false/hoax reports (count 12).

Casey Viner, 18, North College Hill, Ohio, wire fraud (counts 5 through 11), conspiracy to make false/hoax reports (count 12), obstruction of justice (count 13), and conspiracy to obstruct justice (count 16).

Shane Gaskill, 19, Wichita, Kan., obstruction of justice (count 13, 14 and 15), conspiracy to obstruct justice (count 16), and wire fraud (count 17).

The indictment alleges the incident began when Viner in Ohio and Gaskill in Wichita, Kansas were playing a Call of Duty game online as teammates and got into an argument.

Viner later asked Barriss to “swat” Gaskill at an address provided by Gaskill. Viner did not know that the address Gaskill provided – 1033 W. McCormick in Wichita – was an old address where Gaskill no longer lived, but Gaskill did and Gaskill also kept giving the old address to Barriss.

Barriss made and received a series of calls from California in which he talked to the Wichita Police Department’s Security Desk in City Hall and the 911 emergency dispatcher for Sedgwick County. Barriss disguised his phone number to make it appear he was calling from the 316 Wichita area code.

Barriss falsely claimed there was an emergency at 1033 W. McCormick in which he (Barriss) had shot and killed his father, that he (Barriss) was holding his mother and little brother at gunpoint in a closet, that he (Barriss) was considering suicide, and that he (Barriss) has poured gasoline all over the house and was considering lighting it on fire. Wichita police thus responded to the address believing they were dealing with a shooting, a hostage situation, a suicidal gunman, and the possibility of arson.

The indictment further alleges that, after Mr. Finch was shot and the defendants realized the result of the “swatting,” they talked about (in online conversations and direct messages) deleting their electronic messages and communications to protect themselves from prosecution. Defendant Viner wiped and factory reset his iPhone.

          If convicted, the defendants face the following penalties:

 

• Making a false/hoax report to emergency services resulting in death of another: Up to life in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
• Cyberstalking resulting in death of another: Up to life and a fine up to $250,000.
• Threatening to kill a person or damage property by fire: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
• Making a threat in interstate communications: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.
• Wire fraud: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.
• Conspiracy to make a false report: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.
• Obstruction of justice: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.
• Conspiracy to obstruct justice: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.
•  

The FBI, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and the Wichita Police Department investigated. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister will prosecute along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

WICHITA, KAN. – A member of the Insane Crips gang in Wichita was indicted today on federal drug and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Charles L. Hervey, 21, Wichita, Kan., was charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances and one count of maintaining a residence in the 3100 block of South Pallisade.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on each count.

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

Unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Maintaining a premise in furtherance of drug trafficking: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $500,000.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

 
 Alfredo Nino-Cruz, 29, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person not legally in the United States. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2016, 2017 and 2018 in Sedgwick County, Kan.
 

          Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

          Unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition following a felony conviction: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Unlawful possession of a firearm by a person illegally in the United States: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

         

          The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

          Raul Castro-Aguda, 53, a citizen of Mexico, is charged in a superseding indictment with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported, one count of misusing a Social Security number, one count of making a false claim of citizenship, and one count of possessing a false Social Security card. He was found Jan. 4, 2018, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

          Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

          Unlawful re-entry: Up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

          Misusing a Social Security number: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Making a false claim of citizenship: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Possessing a false document: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

 

          Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

          Justin Ware, 30, Cushing Okla., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. In addition, Victoria Celso, 25, Cushing, Okla., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in May 2018 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

Upon conviction, both counts carry a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting.

 

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City man who used his smart phone to pass a note to a teller was sentenced Tuesday to 37 months in federal prison for robbing a bank, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Ryan Michael Cothern, 41, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to committing a robbery Oct. 3, 2017, at US Bank at 9900 W. 87th Street in Overland Park, Kan. Prosecutors said Cothern handed a teller his cell phone with a message that read, “Put the 100s, 50s and 20s in the bag.” When the teller hesitated, Cothern said, “Don’t do anything you shouldn’t do.” The teller put cash and a GPS monitoring device in the bag before pulling the alarm. Cothern was arrested near the 8300 block of Melrose Street.

McAllister commended the Overland Park Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Pennsylvania man who owns a company called Horseshoe Hill Outfitters was sentenced to five years on probation, banned from doing business in Kansas and fined $30,000 for violating the Lacey Act, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Robert P. McConnell, 48, Slippery Rock, Penn., pleaded guilty to four counts of importing deer into Kansas in violation of the Lacey Act, which regulates the trade in wildlife, fish and plants that has been illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold. Horseshoe Hill Outfitters advertises what it calls “trophy North American big game hunting adventures” in Kansas, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Ontario.

In two counts, McConnell admitted importing deer that were not from an accredited heard, were not officially identified and did not have a certificate of veterinary inspection. In two other counts, he admitted importing domesticated deer.

McAllister commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough for their work on the case.

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Adam W. Purinton, of Olathe, Kan., pleaded guilty today in federal court to hate crime and firearm charges for shooting Indian nationals Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani and Olathe resident Ian Grillot at Austins Bar & Grill in February 2017.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister, Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio of the Department of Justice and Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights John Gore. Purinton previously pleaded guilty to state charges for murder and attempted murder arising out of the shooting. He was sentenced earlier this month to life in state prison.

”Nothing we do can provide complete comfort and solace to the victims of this tragic crime and their families,” U.S. Attorney McAllister said. “But our office hopes that the federal life sentence which Mr. Purinton has agreed to request and accept will give them some measure of closure.”

Purinton admitted in his plea today that the following is an accurate recitation of the facts supporting the crimes for which he pleaded guilty.

A few weeks before the shooting, Purinton was sitting by himself in the bar area at Austins Bar & Grill when, coincidentally, Kuchibhotla and Madasani happened to be having a drink on the patio.  Noticing the two men, Purinton commented to a regular sitting at the bar, “Did you see the terrorists on the patio?”

On Feb. 22, 2017, Purinton drove to Austins Bar & Grill and sat by himself at a table on the enclosed front patio.  Sitting at the table to his left were Ian Grillot and several other patrons.  Sitting at the table to his right were Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani.

At approximately 6:40 p.m., Purinton approached Kuchibhotla and Madasani, and demanded to know where they were from and how they entered the country.  Purinton poked Kuchibhotla in the chest, called him a “terrorist” and an epithet disparaging persons of Middle Eastern descent,  and shouted, “Get out of my country!”  Ian Grillot and another patron interceded, told Purinton that he needed to leave, and escorted him out of the bar. 

Purinton drove home and retrieved one of his guns: a Taurus PT111 Millennium Pro nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol with serial number TEW13121. To disguise his identity, Purinton changed into a different shirt and grabbed a blue-and-white scarf.

At approximately 7:12 p.m., Purinton returned to Austins Bar & Grill.  He wrapped the scarf around his face to disguise his identity and exited his truck carrying his semi-automatic pistol.  Purinton walked over to the enclosed front patio, opened the door, aimed his semi-automatic pistol at Kuchibhotla and Madasani, and fired eight rounds—at least four of which struck Kuchibhotla, who died from his injuries, and one of which struck Madasani, who was injured, but survived.  Hours after the shooting, Purinton stated over the phone to a friend, and later in person to a bartender, that he had just killed some Iranians.

Purinton admitted that he shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani, attempting to kill both men, because of their race, color, religion, and national origin.

After shooting Kuchibhotla and Madasani, Purinton ran out, and Ian Grillot chased after him.  As Grillot caught up to him, Purinton turned around and shot Grillot, who was injured but survived. 

Purinton faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, which is the sentence that the prosecution and defense are jointly requesting. Sentencing is scheduled for July 2.

 “Hate crimes are acts of evil, and the Department of Justice has prioritized their zealous prosecution,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “In this case, the defendant embarked on a murderous rampage with clear premeditation to kill on the basis of race, color, religion, and national origin. It was a hate crime, and he is being brought to justice. While we cannot ameliorate the irreparable harm to the victims and their families, we hope that securing this guilty plea brings them some measure of closure.  And this prosecution sends a message across the nation: hate crimes will not be tolerated.”

 “Although Purinton has already been convicted of murder in the State of Kansas, and sentenced to life in prison, today’s plea in federal court speaks to his motive,” said FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones. “By his agreement to today’s plea, Purinton acknowledges that his actions were motived by his hatred of the victims’ race, religion, color and national origin.  This type of hatred will never be tolerated.  I think it’s important for the community to see and understand that the FBI is committed to aggressively protecting and preserving the civil rights of all of our communities.”

This case was investigated jointly by the Olathe (KS) Police Department and the Kansas City Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tris Hunt and David Zabel of the District of Kansas, and Trial Attorney Christopher J. Perras of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – National Police Week is a time for all Kansans to stop and remember the federal, state and local law enforcement officers who do the difficult and dangerous work of keeping making our communities safer, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.

“Law enforcement officers don’t run from danger – they run toward it,” McAllister said. “I want to commend them for their courage, skill and professionalism. They make sacrifices to benefit us all, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice. The excellent men and women in blue deserve our support and gratitude.”

McAllister called on Kansans to join him in honoring the memories of the law enforcement officers fallen in the line of duty and to pray for their families. According to the FBI’s national statistics, 93 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2017.

In October 1962, Congress passed, and President Kennedy signed, a joint resolution declaring May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice.

During Police Week, which is being observed this year from May 13 through May 19, our nation celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe.

Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions made a statement to law enforcement officers.

 “My goal is to support you, to empower you, and to unleash you and your law enforcement partners to apply the good and lawful policies that are proven to make our communities safer,” Sessions said. The attorney general went on to talk about the need to focus on proven policies that reduced crime all over this country: community-based policing, incarcerating serious repeat criminals, new technologies, more officers, and more prosecutors.

WICHITA, KAN. – A man from Texas was charged in federal court here today with taking a Hutchinson, Kan., girl across state lines for sex, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Juan Carlos Carmona, 36, Houston, Texas, is charged with one count of traveling from Texas to Kansas to have sex with a minor and one count of transporting a minor from Kansas to Texas to have sex with her.

The complaint alleges the investigation began May 6 when a 15-year-old girl living in Hutchinson was reported missing. Investigators learned that in April 2018 Carmona drove from Texas to meet the girl and have sex with her. He rented a room in Hutchinson at a local hotel where he and the girl met. After returning to Texas, Carmona came back to Kansas in May, picked up the girl and drove her back to Houston, where the two had sex.

If convicted, Carmona faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the first count and not less than 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the second count. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two Mexican nationals were indicted Wednesday on charges of possessing hundreds of false identification documents, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Sergio Alberto Torres Adame, 37, and Lilia Ivonne Jaquez Arratia, 35, both of Juarez, Mexico, are charged with one count of unlawful possession of identification documents.

In court documents, it is alleged the two were carrying hundreds of false documents when a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper stopped them for speeding on Highway 54 in Liberal, Kan. In the car, the trooper found:

• An envelope with 30 counterfeit Social Security cards in numerous names and 30 counterfeit birth certificates in numerous names and states including Colorado, Texas, Nevada and California.
• An envelope with 31 counterfeit birth certificates and 32 Social Security cards.
• An envelope with 30 counterfeit birth certificates and 30 Social Security cards.
• An envelope with 29 counterfeit social security cards and 29 counterfeit birth certificates.
• An envelope with 15 genuine Social Security Cards and 12 possibly counterfeit state birth certificates.
• An envelope with 100 blank counterfeit Social Security cards.

If convicted, they face up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Kansas Highway Patrol and U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

         

Three Wichita men are charged with possessing firearms that were stolen from a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office vehicle.

Travis Keller, 38, Wichita, Kan.; Arthur Mannie, 38, Wichita, Kan., and Justin Winger, 36, Wichita, Kan., were charged with one count each of possessing stolen firearms, one count of possession of a rifle with a short barrel and two counts of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to court documents, the investigation began April 19 when a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s officer found three windows broken out of his unmarked vehicle and three firearms missing. The stolen firearms included a Remington shotgun, a Bushmaster M4 rifle and a Glock 9 mm pistol.

Investigators used surveillance footage to identify a car driven by Keller when he is alleged to have broken into the Sheriff’s vehicle. Investigators learned Keller and co-defendant Justin Winger took the stolen firearms to co-defendant Arthur Mannie for sale.

Upon conviction, the defendant faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.

Eric Staal, 23, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 28, 2018, in Butler County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh is prosecuting.

 

Alejandro Esquivel, Jr., 45, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of making a false statement on a passport application and one count of misrepresenting himself as a United States citizen. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Jan. 28, 2016, in Johnson County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the passport charge and up to three years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. Defense Security Services investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting.

 

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced today to 12 years and 10 months in federal prison for robbing a McDonald’s restaurant, U.S. Attorney Stephan McAllister said.

Brendon R. Thompson, 31, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of aiding and abetting another robber who brandished a firearm during the robbery.

In his plea, Thompson admitted that on July 10, 2017, he and another man robbed the McDonald’s restaurant at 1100 South Kansas Avenue in Topeka. Thompson went behind the counter and took money from the registers while the other robber brandished a firearm. The robbers fled when police arrived. Thompson was arrested near the restaurant, while the other robber got away.

McAllister commended the FBI, the Topeka Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas City woman pleaded guilty today to selling heroin that caused a user’s near-fatal overdose, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Loretta Gilliard, 34, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin. The investigation began when a user from Overland Park, Kan., bought heroin from Gilliard and then overdosed and lost consciousness. Emergency medical technicians responded and saved the user’s life by administering an opioid reversing agent called Narcan. Investigators learned that Gilliard had sold heroin to the user more than 100 times, usually two to four times a week. Investigators made controlled buys from Gilliard.

Sentencing will be set for a later date. Both parties have agreed to recommend 84 months in federal prison. McAllister commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Missouri man pleaded guilty today to committing fraud to obtain millions of dollars in government contracts, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Joseph David Dial, Jr., age 53 of Belton, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of major program fraud and one count of wire fraud. In his plea, he admitted he falsely claimed that United Medical Design Builders, LLC was eligible to receive set aside contracts under the federal Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business program. Because of Dial’s false representations, the company received contracts from the Department of Defense including an $8.2 million contract to build healthcare facilities at Hanscom Air Force Base.

No sentencing date has been set yet.  Dial faces up to 10 years in federal prison on the program fraud count, and up to 20 years on the wire fraud count.

McAllister commended the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, General Services Administration-Office of Inspector General, Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General, and Army CID Major Procurement Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell is charged with wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

A federal indictment unsealed here today alleges O’Donnell took money from his campaign accounts to put into his personal account and to give to his friends and covered it up by making false reports electronically to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission.

Michael B. O’Donnell, II, 33, Wichita, Kan., is charged with five counts of wire fraud, five counts of bank fraud and two counts of money laundering.

The indictment alleges O’Donnell provided false information in five reports he emailed to the state ethics commission in 2016 and 2017. At issue are a series of transactions that the indictment alleges O’Donnell falsely represented as payments made for campaign-related expenses. They include:

A $1,000 check O’Donnell wrote from his “Michael for Kansas” campaign account to a person identified as C.R. The indictment alleges that after C.R. cashed the check, O’Donnell deposited the $1,000 into his personal checking account.

A $1,000 check O’Donnell wrote from his “Michael for Kansas” campaign account to a person identified as J.D. After receiving the check, J.D. allegedly wrote a $1,000 personal check to O’Donnell and O’Donnell deposited the $1,000 check into his personal account.

A total of 12 checks from the “Michael for Kansas” campaign account O’Donnell wrote to a friend identified as D.J., totaling $5,650.

Three checks O’Donnell wrote from his “Michael for Sedgwick County” account to D.J. totaling $750.Six checks O’Donnell wrote from his “Michael for Kansas” account to a friend identified as J.M. totaling $2,100.

         Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

          Wire fraud: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

          Bank fraud: Up to 30 years and a fine up to $1 million.

          Money laundering: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $500,000.

Special Agent Chuck Pritchett of the FBI and Detective Jon Gill of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst are prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

WICHITA, KAN. – An EMT in Jackson County, Kan., is charged with stealing morphine from vials, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Colby W. Vanwagoner, 32, Mayetta, Kan., is charged with two counts of tampering with consumer products and one count of making a false statement to federal investigators. A grand jury indictment returned April 26 and unsealed May 2 alleges the crimes took place while Vanwagoner was working for the Jackson County Emergency Medical Service in Holton, Kan.

The indictment alleges Vanwagoner tampered with vials of morphine sulfate. It is alleged he replaced morphine with saline solution and put the vials back into narcotic boxes on ambulances or in office stocks. Tests showed the concentration of morphine in vials that had been tampered with was low as 1 percent or less.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the on the tampering charges and up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of lying to investigators. The Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

WICHITA, KAN. – A retired highway patrol trooper was convicted today on a charge of lying to the FBI during an investigation into illegal gambling in Wichita, U.S. Attorney Stephan McAllister said.

Michael Frederiksen, 53, Derby, Kan., was convicted in a jury trial on one count of making false statements to FBI investigators. During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that in 2014, while Frederiksen was still a Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper, he was filmed taking part in an illegal cash poker game. On Feb. 23, 2017, he was interviewed by FBI agents investigating illegal gambling businesses in Wichita.

The FBI had a video of Frederiksen playing in an illegal cash poker game held Feb. 12, 2014, at 922 1/2 E. Douglas in the Old Town district of Wichita. The site was equipped with poker tables, a cabinet for valuables and poker chips, video surveillance equipment, liquor and snacks. Staff included dealers, someone serving food and a waitress serving drinks and giving massages to the players.

An undercover investigator was at the game posing as a gambler. At one point, the undercover officer tried to use his phone to take photos. The men running the game took him aside and told him he was making other players nervous. They allowed the undercover officer to continue playing, but moved the game to other locations after that night.

During an FBI interview, Frederiksen made false statements, downplaying his involvement in illegal poker and his relationship with the operator of the poker game.

Sentencing is set for July 30. He faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. McAllister commended the FBI, the Wichita Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Smith and Mona Furst for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – An Oklahoma man was indicted Wednesday on charges of robbing a bank in Newton, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Martin L. Paris, 50, Yukon, Okla., was charged with the April 9, 2018, robbery of the First Bank of Newton at 1404 S. Kansas Avenue in Newton, Kan. According to court records, Paris gave a teller a note directing her to “be calm” and “start with hundreds.” The note ended with, “Thank you and have a nice day.”

Paris was identified from bank surveillance photos and arrested the day after the robbery. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Newton Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

 Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple, 47, Ness City, Kan., is charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of selling a firearm to a convicted felon. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2013, 2016 and 2017.

The indictment alleges that Whipple faxed reports to the Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (CPOST) falsely certifying that deputies had received training. The indictment also alleges he sold a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition to a man he knew was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior felony conviction.

If convicted, Whipple faces up to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each wire fraud count and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.

Chaelyn Nicole Aaron, 28, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawfully possessing firearms following a felony conviction and one count of stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer. The indictment alleges that on March 28, 2018, she stole seven firearms from a display case at Atwoods Ranch & Home Store at 6235 North Broadway in Park City, Kan.

If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting. This case is being prosecuted under the Justice Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood program.

Anthony R. Melton, 31, who is in custody at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. The crime is alleged to have occurred Dec. 26, 2017, in Rice County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

Manuel J. De La Cruz, 30, Wichita, Kan., is charged with stealing mail from the U.S. Postal Service. The indictment alleges that while he was working as a contract driver for the postal service he stole items from the mail including parts for firearms and scopes for rifles. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2016 and 2017 in Butler County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

 

Adrian Lashawn Perkins, 41, Garden City, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin (count one), one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl (count two), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (count three), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction (count four) and one count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm (count five). The crimes are alleged to have occurred Jan. 11, 2018, in Finney County, Kan.

 

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

          Counts one and two: Not less than five years in federal prison and a fine up to $2 million.

          Count three: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Counts four and five: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

The Garden City Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting. This case is being prosecuted under the Justice Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood program.

Hector Dominguez-Herrera, 47, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with unlawfully entering the United States after having been deported. He was found in Barton County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.

Jose Rojas, 27, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with unlawfully entering the United States after having been deported. He was found in Ford County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting.

Fernando Neave-Ceniceros, 43, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with unlawfully entering the United States after having been deported. He was found in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

Omar Barajas-Diaz, 21, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien illegally in the United States. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 17, 2018, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigate. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

Stormy Laflin, 48, Victoria, Kan., is charged with stealing money orders while she was an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 10, 2017, in Ellis County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000, The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

Reynaldo Silva-Campos, 51, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found in Wichita April 16, 2018.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man who appeared in a music video with marijuana and guns was sentenced Monday to four years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Shundell C. Barkus, 23, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances. In his plea, he admitted that he and other defendants appeared in a rap video filmed at a residence in the 1500 block of North Green in Wichita. In the video, they were seen smoking marijuana while they possessed firearms. A search warrant served at the residence found 2.5 pounds of marijuana and a variety of firearms.

McAllister commended the Wichita Police, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch for their work on the case.

Co-defendants include:

Dondre E. Broom, 23, Wichita., Kan., who was sentenced to four years in federal prison.

De’Adrian A. Johnson, 23, Wichita., Kan., who was sentenced to six months in prison.

Imanuel S. Norwood, 20, Wichita, Kan., who is awaiting trial.

Mario J. Smith, 29, Wichita, Kan.,who is set for sentencing June 27.

Keandre D. Summers, 22, Wichita, Kan., who is awaiting trial.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  All U.S. Attorney’s Offices have been directed to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced Monday to five years in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Joshua A. Haskins, 42, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography and one count of using the internet to target a 12-year-old child for sexual exploitation. In his plea, he admitted he posted child pornography on his Twitter account. Twitter reported the images to CyberTipline (report.cybertip.org), a web site where electronic service providers and the public can report child pornography.

Haskins also used his account on a photo-sharing website based in Russia to upload a picture of the Instagram account of a 12-year-old girl. He included the girl’s name and her electronic email address, urging other users to “talk her into nudes” and “send me pics if u do.”

McAllister commended Homeland Security Investigations and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.

WASHINGTON – Three men from the southwest Kansas area were convicted today on charges of conspiring to detonate a bomb at an apartment complex in Garden City where Muslim immigrants lived, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division John Gore; Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division John Demers; U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister; and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kansas City Division Special Agent in Charge Darrin E. Jones.

After a four-week trial, a federal jury convicted Patrick Eugene Stein, 49, of Wright, Kansas, Curtis Allen, 50, of Liberal, Kansas, and Gavin Wright, 49, of Beaver County, Oklahoma, on one count of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and one count of conspiracy to violate the housing rights of their intended victims. Both conspiracies stemmed from the defendants’ plot to blow up the apartment complex in an effort to kill the Somali Muslim immigrants who lived there.  The jury also convicted defendant Wright of lying to the FBI.

Evidence presented at trial revealed that the defendants plotted, over the course of several months, to attack an apartment complex that contained a mosque at 312 W. Mary Street in Garden City, Kansas, where Muslim immigrants from Somalia lived and worshipped. Evidence during trial established that the defendants held numerous meetings to plan the attack and took significant steps – including making and testing explosives – toward implementing their plan.  During an eight-month-long FBI investigation, a confidential source, whom the government credited for thwarting the attack and saving the lives of innocent victims, recorded numerous conversations during which the defendants discussed and refined their plan. As the plan solidified, the defendants discussed obtaining four vehicles, filling them with explosives and parking them at the four corners of the apartment complex to create an explosion that would be sure to level the building and kill its occupants.

During the course of the investigation, defendant Stein also met with an undercover FBI agent posing as a black market arms dealer, in an effort to obtain a bomb. During one of the meetings, Stein took the agent to see the apartment building that the defendants were planning to destroy.

At their sentencing hearing on June 27, the defendants will face up to life in federal prison.

“The Department of Justice is resolute every day in fighting terrorist threats to the United States, both foreign and domestic," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "The defendants in this case acted with clear premeditation in an attempt to kill people on the basis of their religion and national origin. That's not just illegal—it's immoral and unacceptable, and we’re not going to stand for it. Today's verdict is a significant victory against domestic terrorism and hate crimes, and I want to thank everyone who helped bring the defendants to justice—the dedicated professionals with our National Security and Civil Rights Divisions, our United States Attorney's office in Kansas, the FBI, and our state and local partners. Law enforcement saved lives in this case."

“We are fortunate that law enforcement agents thwarted the defendants’ plan to bomb and shoot innocent, peaceful Muslim immigrants,” said U.S. Attorney McAllister. “The jury’s verdicts are a vindication of outstanding investigative work and prosecution. Terrorists, whether they be foreign or domestic, must be stopped and punished according to the law. Today’s verdicts are a victory for the rule of law, civil rights, and national security.”

“As law enforcement, we are charged with and have an obligation to take action and protect the public whenever an individual expresses a desire to commit violence,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Darrin E. Jones of the Kansas City Division.  “Allowing an individual intent on killing people to proceed without a government response is not an option and will never be an option.  Law enforcement, working with our partners, must continue to detect, disrupt and deter attacks to our nation, against our citizens and our freedom.   The dedication and efforts of the FBI Agents and law enforcement officers who worked tirelessly to investigate and build this case was apparent throughout the trial. Today's verdict emphasizes their commitment to keeping all of our communities safe and from harm.”

Gore, Demers, McAllister, and Jones commended the following law enforcement agencies and prosecutors for their exceptional and exemplary efforts investigating and prosecuting this important case: the FBI, the Liberal Police Department, the Seward County Sheriff’s Office, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office, the Garden City Police Department, the Dodge City Police Department, the Finney County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and National Security Division. The case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi and Trial Attorneys Risa Berkower and Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division and supported by Trial Attorney David Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Appellate Attorney Danielle Tarin of the Office of Law and Policy.

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury indictment unsealed here today charges six men with conspiracy to distribute heroin in Kansas City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Named in the 16-count indictment are the following defendants:

• George Bush, Jr., 28, Kansas City, Kan.
• Albert Brown, 29, Kansas City, Kan.
• Isaiah Lewis, 21, Kansas City, Kan.
• Maurice Bluett, 24, Kansas City, Mo.,
• Markelo Paden, 23, in custody in the Johnson County Jail.
• Benjamin Mims, 30, Lawrence, Kan.
•  

All six defendants are charged in Count 1 with conspiracy to distribute heroin. Other counts include possession with intent to distribute heroin, unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and maintaining a residence in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Conspiracy to distribute heroin: Not less than five years and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $5 million.

Possession with intent to distribute heroin: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.

Unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Maintaining a drug involved premises: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $500,000.

The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service investigated with assistance from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Lawrence Police Department and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ward and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Zabel are prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

 

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Salina man who was arrested with drugs in his possession and a gun under his pillow was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Michael Allen Carter, 29, Salina, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, he admitted that on May 30, 2017, investigators who searched his residence found 80 grams of 99 percent pure methamphetamine and a pistol under the pillow on his bed. The pistol was a Taurus 9 mm.

McAllister commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough for their work on the case.

A federal grand jury sitting in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment, which was unsealed yesterday, charging a Jefferson County, Kansas, man with seven counts of willful failure to pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister for the District of Kansas.

 

According to the indictment, David Monhollon failed to pay over federal income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes withheld from the wages paid to employees of his medical staffing company, First Call Medical Group.  The indictment alleges that Monhollon was the owner of First Call and was obligated to pay over to the IRS such payroll taxes on behalf of his company.  Instead of remitting the money to the IRS, Monhollon allegedly used the funds to pay for personal expenses including racecar parts and equipment.  

 

If convicted, the defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count.  He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.  An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney McAllister commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton and Tax Division Trial Attorney John Mulcahy, who are prosecuting the case.

 

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury sitting in Kansas City, Kan., returned an indictment Wednesday charging a Jefferson County, Kan., man with seven counts of willful failure to pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division announced the indictment today.

According to the indictment, David Monhollon failed to pay over federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from the wages paid to employees of his medical staffing company, First Call Medical Group. The indictment alleges that Monhollon was the owner of First Call and was obligated to pay over to the IRS such payroll taxes on behalf of his company. Instead of remitting the money to the IRS, Monhollon allegedly used the funds to pay for personal expenses including racecar parts and equipment.  

If convicted, the defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney McAllister commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton and Tax Division Trial Attorney John Mulcahy, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Kansas landlords who sexually harass tenants could face federal lawsuits, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.

McAllister joined the Department of Justice Thursday in recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. Attorney General Jeff Sessions Thursday announced a nationwide rollout of an initiative aimed at increasing awareness of reporting of sexual harassment in housing.

“The Fair Housing Act of 1968 was, and remains, landmark legislation in this country,” McAllister said. “Recently, the Act has been used to combat sexual harassment by landlords and their employees who sometimes have considerable financial influence over the lives of their tenants. Such behavior by landlords is not only reprehensible, it violates federal law. Our office is working to combat such behavior in Kansas, and victims of such misconduct should report their situation to the authorities.”

Last month in Kansas, McAllister’s office and the Justice Department filed an amended complaint alleging a Wichita landlord violated the Fair Housing Act. Thong Cao, doing business as Cao Properties and Rentals, is alleged to have sexually harassed women who lived in apartments he managed and then evicted them when they refused his advances.

The Justice Department’s initiative includes an interagency task force between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Justice Department to combat sexual harassment in housing, an outreach toolkit, and a public awareness campaign. This three-pronged approach will strengthen the Department’s efforts to combat sexual harassment in housing.

“Sexual harassment in housing is illegal, immoral, and unacceptable," said Attorney General Sessions. “It is all too common today, as too many landlords, managers, and their employees attempt to prey on vulnerable women. We will not hesitate to pursue these predators and enforce the law.”

The Justice Department’s Fair Housing initiative will include a new HUD-DOJ Task Force to Combat Sexual Harassment in Housing that will drive a shared strategy between the Department and HUD for combatting sexual harassment in housing across the country. It will focus on five key areas: continued data sharing and analysis, joint development of training, evaluation of public housing complaint mechanisms, coordination of public outreach and press strategy, and review of federal policies.

More information about the Civil Rights Division and the civil rights laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment in housing should call the Department at 1-844-380-6178, send an e-mail to fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777. If you have information or questions about any other housing discrimination, you can contact the Department at 1-800-896-7743.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Protecting the rights of crime victims is a high priority, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said today.

The U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Kansas is joining advocates from across the state in recognizing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 8-14, 2018.

“As a society we must not lose sight of the costs and suffering that crime inflicts on those who are victims. Many organizations—federal, state and local—provide support and services to the victims of crime. The Constitution creates and requires recognition of several rights for those accused of crime, and rightly so. But our society also must recognize the dignity of the victims of crime, strive to ease the pain and loss many have suffered, and fully support victims’ legitimate interest in seeing justice done.”

McAllister said victim assistance staff members will be participating in the 21st Annual Crime Victims’ Rights Conference in Topeka, April 11 and 12. In coming months, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be co-hosting the 2018 Indian Country Conference in Omaha, Neb., May 9-10, and hosting the 2018 Human Trafficking Conference in Manhattan, Kan., July 10-11.

Events across the nation this week recognize the Crime Victim’s Rights Act, which guarantees victims protection from an accused, accurate and timely information about court proceedings and the right to be treated with fairness and respect for their dignity and privacy.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices take part in events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s theme is Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The U.S. Department of Justice will host the Office for Victims of Crime’s annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 13, 2018, to honor outstanding individuals and programs that serve victims of crime.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at https://ojp.gov/. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/. You may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas’ Victim Witness Program at 316-269-6481.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City man pleaded guilty Tuesday to robbing a bank in Bonner Springs, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Timothy Karpovich, 39, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. An affidavit filed in the case alleged that Karpovich robbed the KCB Bank at 13010 Commercial in Bonner Springs. He gave the teller a handwritten note and kept his right hand in his pocket as if he had a gun. He fled the bank on foot.

Police received a tip that the robber gambled regularly at Harrah’s Casino in North Kansas City, Mo. Casino employees identified Karpovich from a bank surveillance photo. He was arrested without incident at the casino.

Sentencing is set for July 2. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison. McAllister commended the FBI, the Bonner Springs Police Department, the Missouri Highway Patrol Gaming Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Colorado man pleaded guilty Monday to robbing a bank in Manhattan, Kan., U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Kenneth Wayne Fisher, Jr., 42, formerly of Colorado Springs, Colo., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. Fisher admitted that on Aug. 26, 2015, he robbed Sunflower State Bank at 2710 Anderson Ave. in Manhattan. He gave a teller a note saying, “Give me the money and no tricks.”

A few months after the Manhattan robbery, Fisher was arrested in California. He was extradited to Arkansas to face charges of robbing a bank in Bentonville, Ark., on Aug. 28, 2015. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than eight years for the Arkansas robbery.

Sentencing in this case is set for July 9. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison. McAllister commended the Riley County Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.

A Chinese scientist was sentenced to 121 months in a federal prison for conspiring to steal samples of a variety of rice seeds from a Kansas biopharmaceutical research facility.

Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister of the District of Kansas made the announcement.

Weiqiang Zhang, 51, a Chinese national, and U.S. legal permanent resident residing in Manhattan, Kansas, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carlos Murguia in the District of Kansas. Zhang was convicted on Feb. 15, 2017 of one count of conspiracy to steal trade secrets, one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.

Evidence at trial established that Zhang worked as a rice breeder for Ventria Bioscience in Junction City, Kansas.  Ventria develops genetically programmed rice to express recombinant human proteins, which are then extracted for use in the therapeutic and medical fields.  Zhang has a master’s degree in agriculture from Shengyang Agricultural University in China and a doctorate from Louisiana State University.

According to trial evidence, Zhang acquired without authorization hundreds of rice seeds produced by Ventria and stored them at his residence in Manhattan.  The rice seeds have a wide variety of health research applications and were developed to produce either human serum albumin, contained in blood, or lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein found, for example, in human milk.  Ventria spent millions of dollars and years of research developing its seeds and cost-effective methods to extract the proteins, which are used to develop lifesaving products for global markets. Ventria used locked doors with magnetic card readers to restrict access to the temperature-controlled environment where the seeds were stored and processed.

Trial evidence demonstrated that in the summer of 2013, personnel from a crop research institute in China visited Zhang at his home in Manhattan.  Zhang drove the visitors to tour facilities in Iowa, Missouri and Ohio.  On Aug. 7, 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found seeds belonging to Ventria in the luggage of Zhang’s visitors as they prepared to leave the United States for China.

“Weiqiang Zhang betrayed his employer by unlawfully providing its proprietary rice seeds to representatives of a Chinese crop institute,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “Today’s sentence demonstrates the significant consequences awaiting those who would steal trade secrets from American companies.  The Criminal Division and its law enforcement partners will continue to work closely with companies like Ventria to protect American intellectual property—which is essential to our economy and way of life—against all threats both foreign and domestic.” 

“Cross-border intellectual property theft not only hurts victim companies, it also threatens our national security,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers.  “FBI’s vigilance stopped Ventria’s intellectual property from leaving our country in the nick of time, but it was Ventria’s cooperation that allowed us to hold Zhang accountable for his crimes.”

“Ventria invested years of research and tens of millions of dollars to create a new and beneficial product,” said U.S. Attorney McAllister. “It is vital that we protect such intellectual property from theft and exploitation by foreign interests. We all benefit when American companies continue to drive socially valuable advancements in food, medicine and technology.”

The FBI’s Little Rock, Arkansas, Field Office and Kansas City, Missouri, Field Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas investigated the case.  Trial Attorney Matt Walczewski of the National Security Division, Trial Attorneys Brian Resler and Evan Williams of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask of the District of Kansas prosecuted the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Chinese scientist was sentenced today to 121 months in a federal prison for conspiring to steal samples of a variety of rice seeds from a Kansas biopharmaceutical research facility.

U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister of the District of Kansas, Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the Justice Department’s National Security Division made the announcement.

“Ventria invested years of research and tens of millions of dollars to create a new and beneficial product,” said U.S. Attorney McAllister. “It is vital that we protect such intellectual property from theft and exploitation by foreign interests. We all benefit when American companies continue to drive socially valuable advancements in food, medicine and technology.”

Weiqiang Zhang, 51, a Chinese national, and U.S. legal permanent resident residing in Manhattan, Kan., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carlos Murguia in the District of Kansas. Zhang was convicted on Feb. 15, 2017, of one count of conspiracy to steal trade secrets, one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.

Evidence at trial established that Zhang worked as a rice breeder for Ventria Bioscience in Junction City, Kansas. Ventria develops genetically programmed rice to express recombinant human proteins, which are then extracted for use in the therapeutic and medical fields. Zhang has a master’s degree in agriculture from Shengyang Agricultural University in China and a doctorate from Louisiana State University.

According to trial evidence, Zhang acquired without authorization hundreds of rice seeds produced by Ventria and stored them at his residence in Manhattan. The rice seeds have a wide variety of health research applications and were developed to produce either human serum albumin, contained in blood, or lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein found, for example, in human milk. Ventria spent millions of dollars and years of research developing its seeds and cost-effective methods to extract the proteins, which are used to develop lifesaving products for global markets. Ventria used locked doors with magnetic card readers to restrict access to the temperature-controlled environment where the seeds were stored and processed.

Trial evidence demonstrated that in the summer of 2013, personnel from a crop research institute in China visited Zhang at his home in Manhattan. Zhang drove the visitors to tour facilities in Iowa, Missouri and Ohio. On Aug. 7, 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found seeds belonging to Ventria in the luggage of Zhang’s visitors as they prepared to leave the United States for China.

“Weiqiang Zhang betrayed his employer by unlawfully providing its proprietary rice seeds to representatives of a Chinese crop institute,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “Today’s sentence demonstrates the significant consequences awaiting those who would steal trade secrets from American companies. The Criminal Division and its law enforcement partners will continue to work closely with companies like Ventria to protect American intellectual property—which is essential to our economy and way of life—against all threats both foreign and domestic.”

“Cross-border intellectual property theft not only hurts victim companies, it also threatens our national security,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “FBI’s vigilance stopped Ventria’s intellectual property from leaving our country in the nick of time, but it was Ventria’s cooperation that allowed us to hold Zhang accountable for his crimes.”

The FBI’s Little Rock, Arkansas, Field Office and Kansas City, Missouri, Field Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas investigated the case.  Trial Attorney Matt Walczewski of the National Security Division, Trial Attorneys Brian Resler and Evan Williams of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask of the District of Kansas prosecuted the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A former Pratt school secretary was indicted Tuesday on federal firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Claudia Rodriguez-Oviedo, 33, a citizen of Mexico, was indicted on two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien illegally in the United States. The indictment alleges that on Nov. 8, 2017, she possessed a Remington handgun and 35 rounds of ammunition.

Rodriguez-Oviedo currently is serving a 12-month sentence after she was convicted in Pratt County District Court on charges of placing a fake bomb threat to USD 382 in Pratt.

If convicted, she faces a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Jerry A. Anderson, Jr., 32, Hutchinson, Kan., is charged with one count of bank robbery. The indictment alleges that on March 8, 2018, he robbed the Meritrust Credit Union at 2900 S. Oliver in Wichita.

 If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting.

Javier Pichardo, 55, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of illegal re-entry after being deported (count one), one count of unlawful production of an identification document (count two), one count of misuse of a Social Security number (count three) and one count of aggravated identity theft (count four). The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2017 and 2018 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

Upon conviction, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on count one, up to 15 years and a fine up to $250,000 on count two, up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on count three, and a mandatory two years (consecutive) on count four. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

Cindy Hernandez, 33, Moreno Valley, Calif., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Feb. 11, 2018, in Wabaunsee County, Kan.

If convicted, she faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs is prosecuting.

 John Johnson, 41, Canal Winchester, Ohio, and Catherine Boyd, 36, Grove City, Ohio, are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred March 8, 2018, in Wabaunsee County Kan.

If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs is prosecuting.

Donya Swayden, 34, Medicine Lodge, Kan., is charged with three counts of embezzlement from the U.S. Postal Service and three counts of making false entries in postal records. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2017 in Pratt County, Kan.

The indictment alleges she issued three postal orders to customers who did not pay for them.

If convicted, she faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Postal Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

 

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

WICHITA, KAN. – A load of methamphetamine that investigators followed from Amarillo, Texas, to Kansas City, Kan., is sending a Guatemalan man to federal prison, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Jose Adrian Cua-Garcia, 30, was sentenced Monday to five years in federal prison. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

The investigation began when law enforcement officers stopped an SUV near Amarillo, Texas, and found more than 12 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a spare tire. Investigators arranged for part of the load to be delivered while they kept it under surveillance.

Co-defendant Jorge Vazquez-Rodriguez, 30, Kansas City, Kan., met the load in a hotel parking lot near I-70 and 78th Street. He took the drugs to a house in Kansas City, Kan., where he met Cua-Garcia. Later, Cua-Garcia left the house carrying the tire in the back of his truck. Investigators pulled him over after a chase and arrested him.

Vazquez-Rodriguez pleaded guilty and sentencing is set for June 4. McAllister commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas City man was sentenced Tuesday to 24 years and six months in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in Topeka, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Marco Antonio Cortes-Gomez, 42, Kansas City, Mo., was found guilty in a jury trial on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that over a three-year period Cortes-Gomez distributed no less than 66 pounds of methamphetamine to buyers in Topeka.

The investigation began in 2015 when the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped a car in Ellis County that was bound for Topeka carrying about five pounds of methamphetamine. Investigators set up a controlled delivery at a Walmart parking lot in Topeka, where Cortes-Gomez was arrested when he attempted to pick up the load.

At trial, prosecutors presented testimony from witnesses who said Cortes-Gomez delivered one-pound and two-pound quantities of methamphetamine to them on a regular basis.

McAllister commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Topeka Police Department and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal investigation in Kansas has tied drug traffickers to an international money laundering scheme, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister announced today.

In San Diego today, federal prosecutors announced charges against 40 alleged members of an international money-laundering scheme that laundered tens of millions of dollars in drug money from drug dealers in the United States to suppliers in Mexico. Two of those defendants in the California case already were indicted by a grand jury in Kansas after being targets of a federal investigation here. Their case is pending in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan.

 “Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt and his team of investigators in Kansas has been working on this for two years,” McAllister said.

The indictment in California charges Juan Duarte-Tello, 44, Kansas City, Mo., and Diana Aurora Holguin-Gallegos, 30, Kansas City, Mo., with working as money couriers who transported large amounts of cash generated from drug trafficking. The California indictment is part of a nationwide takedown stemming from a multi-year investigation led by the FBI San Diego Cross Border Violence Task Force, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

In addition to the indictments unsealed today in San Diego, dozens of other defendants have been charged across the United States with crimes ranging from drug distribution to money laundering stemming from this investigation, including defendants in Kansas, Ohio, Kentucky and Washington.

 According to the indictments and other publicly filed court documents, Jose Robert Lopez-Albarran, a significant money broker for a Mexican based international money laundering organization along with other members of the organization, allegedly laundered tens of millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds from the United States to Mexico between 2015 and 2018. As a result of the investigation, law enforcement seized more than $6 million in United States currency.

In the Kansas case, Duarte-Tello and Holguin-Gallegos are awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and other counts including renting a residences in Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. for the purpose of storing and distributing methamphetamine. The Kansas investigation resulted in seizures of more than 44 kilograms of methamphetamine, three kilograms of cocaine and more than $100,000 in cash.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI investigated the case in Kansas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt is prosecuting.

 

TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday against a Topeka man who is accused of driving a getaway car in two armed robberies, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

 Justin Alexander McClelland, 30, Topeka, Kan., is charged with two counts of aiding and abetting robbery and two counts of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a robbery. The first robbery count alleges McClelland took part in a robbery on Jan. 6, 2017, at Plato’s Closet, 1580 S.W. Wanamaker Road in Topeka. The second robbery count alleges he took part in a robbery on Jan. 20, 2017, at Kentucky Fried Chicken, 1812 N.W. Topeka Boulevard in Topeka.

Joshua Alexander Musgraves, 24, Topeka, was charged in the same robberies. He pleaded guilty and he is set for sentencing May 14. The Topeka Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Dominic M. Bosworth, 24, who is in custody, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Nov. 16, 2017, in Shawnee County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

Gwyndell B. Declerck, Jr., 31, who is in custody, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 27, 2017, in Shawnee County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

Kenneth Lee Wade, 29, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Jan. 28, 2018, in Shawnee County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to 105 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Jeremy M. Schwerdt, 41, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted using the internet to send child pornography to another user. Investigators found 350 images and eight videos containing sexually explicit images of children on Schwerdt’s electronic devices.

This case was prosecuted under the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Parsons woman was sentenced Monday to five years in federal prison for embezzling millions of dollars from a credit union where she worked, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. She was ordered to pay more than $10 million in restitution.

Nita Rae Nirschl, 66, Parsons, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement, one count of money laundering and one count of attempted tax evasion. In her plea, she admitted the crimes occurred while she was an officer and employee of Parsons Pittsburg Credit Union headquartered in Parsons, Kan. She withdrew money from the assets of the credit union and deposited the money into accounts she controlled. She used the stolen money to buy a car, a house and other items.

McAllister commended the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch for their work on the case.

 

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – An Olathe man pleaded guilty Monday to filing a false tax return, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. The defendant agreed to pay more than $450,000 in restitution.

Daniel Forster, 58, Olathe, Kan., pleaded guilty to causing a false tax return to be submitted to the Internal Revenue Service. In his plea, he admitted the crime occurred while he was one of three shareholders who owned an S corporation located in Olathe. Forster was responsible for the financial operations of the business, including overseeing corporate books and records and submitting tax information to a professional tax preparer.

Forster used funds belonging to the business to pay personal expenses such as credit card payments and then falsely represented those payments as deductible expenses.

Sentencing will be set for a later date. He faces a penalty of up to three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. McAllister commended the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton for their work on the case.

 

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UPDATE

A federal judge dismissed the indictment against the defendant, Jazmin Manuel, in the case described in the press release below.

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WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man and woman were charged Tuesday in a string of armed robberies at local businesses, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

A federal grand jury indictment charged Savannah Cole, 20, Wichita, Kan., and Kenneth W. Cade, 28, Wichita, Kan., with four counts of robbery and four counts of using firearms to commit robberies. In addition, Cade was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction.

The indictment alleges Cole and Cade committed the following robberies:

• Dollar General Store, 915 S. Glendale in Wichita, Nov. 22, 2017.
• C-Store, 837 S. Oliver in Wichita, Feb. 7, 2018.
• Arby’s, 4308 E. Harry in Wichita, Feb. 14, 2018.
• Circle K Store, 515 N. Seneca in Wichita, Feb. 14, 2018.

 

If convicted, they face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each robbery count, and no less than seven years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of using a firearm in a robbery. In addition, Cade faces up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of unlawful possession of a firearm. The FBI and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting the case as part Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative targeting violent crime.

        

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Three Wichitans are charged with the sex trafficking of a minor.

Johnell Carter, 22, Wichita, Kan., Christian L. Dixon, 27, Wichita, Kan., and Jazmin Manuel, 21, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of sex trafficking a minor.

According to an affidavit filed in federal court, in June 2017 the Wichita Police Department interviewed a 16-year-old girl who had been the victim of sex trafficking starting at the age of 15. It is alleged Carter and Dixon arranged for the victim to engage in commercial sex acts, including approximately 50 encounters with men who paid to have sex with her. The defendants used Web-based advertising to offer the minor, including transporting the minor to San Antonio, Texas, where men paid to have sex with the minor.

If convicted, the defendants face not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI, the Wichita Police Department and the Exploited and Missing Child Unit (EMCU) investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

Nehemiah K. Jackson, 37, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of theft of mail by a U.S. Postal Service employee. It is alleged he stole cell phones that were being mailed to Assurion. The crime is alleged to have occurred in December 2017 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Postal Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

Javier Guerrero-Garcia, 21, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person illegally in the United States. The crime is alleged to have occurred Jan. 2, 2018, in Wyandotte County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

A Holcomb, Kansas, tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to filing a fraudulent income tax return and aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister for the District of Kansas.

 

According to documents and information provided to the court, Marcelino Almaraz owned Accounting Services, a business that provided tax preparation and other services.  Almaraz admitted that he fraudulently sought to obtain refunds for individuals by including false filing statuses such as head of household and adding phony dependents in an effort to trigger and inflate child tax credits.  Almaraz also admitted to falsifying his own income tax returns for 2010 and 2011 by underreporting his income.  Almaraz agreed to pay $397,552 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the tax losses he caused.  

 

U.S. District Court Judge Julie A. Robinson scheduled sentencing for May 14.  Almaraz faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for each count.  He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.  

 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney McAllister commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble, who are prosecuting the case, and former Tax Division Trial Attorney Ryan R. Raybould, who previously worked on the case.

 

Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A tax preparer from Finney County pleaded guilty Thursday to filing false federal tax returns, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said. The defendant agreed to pay restitution of more than $397,000.

Marcelino Almaraz, 60, Holcomb, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return and one count of filing a false tax return. Almaraz, who owned La Popular, a convenience store in Holcomb, also owned Accounting Services, a business that provided tax preparation and accounting services. In 2016, he was charged in an indictment alleging that customers came to him because they had heard he prepared income tax returns that generated large federal income tax refunds.

In his plea, Almaraz admitted providing false information on tax returns. In one case, he prepared a return for a client claiming four grandchildren as dependents. In fact, the grandchildren lived with the man’s wife in Mexico. In another case, Almaraz filed a false return substantially understating his own business income.

Sentencing is set for May 14. He faces a penalty of up to three years in federal prison and fine up to $250,000 on each count. McAllister commended the Internal Revenue Service, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble, John Mulcahy and Ryan Raybould of the Justice Department’s Tax Division for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Newly appointed U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister Tuesday announced the members of his management team.

 

“I have spent the past few weeks getting to know our personnel,” said McAllister, who was sworn in Jan. 25. “This team has my full confidence and support and I believe the members will put us in a strong position to pursue the priorities of our office.”

 

Tom Beall, who served as interim U.S. Attorney, will become First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Metzger will be chief of the district’s civil division and civil coordinator in the Wichita office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard will take over as chief of the criminal division for the district and criminal coordinator in the Topeka office.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett will serve as criminal coordinator in the Wichita office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask will be criminal coordinator in the Kansas City, Kan.

 

In the civil division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Allman will be civil coordinator for the Kansas City, Kan., office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackie Rapstine will be civil coordinator in the Topeka office.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney James Brown will serve as appellate chief. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Capwell will serve as senior litigation counsel.

 

McAllister was nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He is in charge of a staff of more than 100, including 50 attorneys, who work in offices in Topeka, Wichita and Kansas City, Kan.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Kan., man who stored hundreds of child pornography photos on his computer was sentenced Tuesday to 78 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Jesus H. Salcedo, 29, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. In his plea, he admitted that investigators downloaded child pornography from his computer using a file sharing program. The photos included prepubescent boys engaged in sex acts. Investigators found 480 images and 73 videos containing child pornography on Salcedo’s computer.

McAllister commended the Overland Park Police Department, the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood program see https://www.justice.gov/psc .