District of Kansas

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas man was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday as a result of a child pornography investigation that began in Germany, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Noah T. Martin, 31, Lawrence, Kan., was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison. He pleaded guilty to two counts of possession and distribution of child pornography.

 

The investigation began when Baden-Wurttemberg Police compiled a list that included 155 users in the United States who used a peer-to-peer network to download a video of a 5- to 7-year-old girl being sexually abused. Homeland Security Investigations used the information to track follow a trail to Martin’s residence in Lawrence. Investigators found 1,560 images and 202 videos containing child pornography on Martin’s computer.

 

Beall commended the German police, Homeland Security Investigations and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced Monday to 187 months in federal prison for trafficking a 17-year-old girl for sex, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

John H. Dickerson, 35, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty in August to one count of the sex trafficking of a minor and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction.

 

A criminal complaint filed last year in U.S. District Court in Wichita said the case grew out of a human-trafficking enforcement operation conducted by the FBI and the Wichita Police Department. A Wichita police detective answered an advertisement on an adult services Web site. He arranged to meet a sex worker at a hotel in Wichita and to pay $200 for an hour of sex.

 

Dickerson dropped off a 17-year-old girl at the detective’s room. The girl and Dickerson were taken into custody. Investigators learned that that Dickerson had been paid several times to take the girl to meet customers.

 

Beall commended the Wichita Police Department, the FBI, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.

A former resident of Overland Park, Kansas, pleaded guilty today to aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false income tax returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Beall for the District of Kansas.

According to documents filed with the court, Alfred Reece, 58, owned and operated a tax preparation business in Kansas City.  From approximately 2013 through 2015, Reece prepared federal tax returns for individuals, claiming false business income and losses, medical and dental expense deductions, job-related expenses, charitable donations and other fraudulent items.  Reece also concealed himself as the preparer on these fraudulent returns by falsely claiming that they were self-prepared.  Reece admitted to causing a tax loss of between $550,000 and $1.5 million.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 17, 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge Julie A. Robinson. Reece faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison on each count, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Beall 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 Scott C. Rask of the District of Kansas, who are prosecuting the case.

 

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

A former resident of Overland Park, Kansas, pleaded guilty today to aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false income tax returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Beall for the District of Kansas.

 

According to documents filed with the court, Alfred Reece, 58, owned and operated a tax preparation business in Kansas City.  From approximately 2013 through 2015, Reece prepared federal tax returns for individuals, claiming false business income and losses, medical and dental expense deductions, job-related expenses, charitable donations and other fraudulent items.  Reece also concealed himself as the preparer on these fraudulent returns by falsely claiming that they were self-prepared.  Reece admitted to causing a tax loss of between $550,000 and $1.5 million.

 

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 17, 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge Julie A. Robinson. Reece faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison on each count, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.

 

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Beall 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 Scott C. Rask of the District of Kansas, who are prosecuting the case.

 

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

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City man was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of robbing a bank in Overland Park, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Ryan Michael Cothern, 41, Kansas City, Mo., is charged with an Oct. 3, 2107, robbery at US Bank at 9900 West 87th Street in Overland Park. It is alleged Cothern handed a clerk his cell phone on which he had written a memo saying, “Put the 50s and the 100s in the bag. Do not put the dye pack in the bag. You follow these instructions and no one gets hurt and we can all go home.” Cothern was arrested shortly after the robbery when an Overland Park police officer stopped him in the 8300 block of Melrose Street.

 

If convicted, Cothern faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Overland Park Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania 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 Leavenworth woman who owned businesses in the Kansas City area pleaded guilty Tuesday to bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Brenda Wood, 49, Leavenworth, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud. In her plea, she admitted she made false statements to Farmers Bank in Great Bend. She told the bank that her company, Professional Cleaning and Innovative Building Services (PCI), had received a contract to provide cleaning services at an Internal Revenue Service building in Kansas City, Mo. In fact, the company did not receive the contract and did not even make the final round of bids. As a result, the bank extended a $350,000 line of credit. Wood submitted draw requests to the bank, falsely stating that the funds were needed to fulfill the contract.

 

In another incident, Wood created a check kiting scheme to artificially inflate her bank account balances. She exchanged and cross-deposited more than 473 insufficient fund checks between her accounts at Capital Federal Savings, Intrust Bank and the Credit Union of Leavenworth County.

 

Sentencing is set for Jan. 17. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 78 months in federal prison and restitution of at least $4.6 million.

 

Beall commended the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, the Special Investigator General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Kan., man who was arrested with a rifle used in a homicide was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison on a federal firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Rudolph George, 35, Kansas City, Kan., was found guilty in a jury trial on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. During a trial in May 2017, prosecutors presented evidence that George had outstanding warrants for his arrest when investigators tracked him to a room at the Overland Park Place Hotel at 7000 W. 107th in Overland Park, Kan. Working with hotel staff, investigators arranged for nearby rooms to be evacuated. George was asked to leave his room so a pest control service could examine it. He was arrested in a hallway outside his room.

 

George was found to be in possession of an American Tactical 5.56 mm rifle and a knife. The rifle later was tested and confirmed to be the weapon used in a homicide on Sept. 22, 2015, in Kansas City, Mo.

 

Beall commended the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Russian-born woman was indicted here today on charges of international parental kidnapping, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Bogdana Alexandrovna Mobley, 37, is charged with one count of international parental kidnapping. Mobley was arrested Sept. 29 in Wichita after spending more than three years in Russia. Investigators believe her children are still in Russia.

 

According to court records, Mobley emigrated from Russia to the United States in 2003 and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. In March 2014, her second husband filed for divorce in Sedgwick County District Court. While the case was pending and Mobley was pregnant with her third child, she fled to Russia with her two children – one born in 2004 when she was married for the first time and the other born in 2013 while she was married to her second husband. Her third child was born about two months after she returned to Russia.

 

In December 2014, a Sedgwick County judge granted full custody of the two younger children to Mobley’s ex-husband and ordered her to return them to him.

 

While she was in Russia with the children, she allowed her ex-husband to communicate with his children only by cell phone or Skype. In January 2015, he flew to meet her on the border of Poland and Russia but she did not allow him to see the children and she told him to give her money if he wanted to talk to them.

 

If convicted, she faces up to three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the kidnapping charge. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

 

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

 

Jose Hernandez-Alejos, 39, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found Sept. 27, 2017, in McPherson County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

 

Roberto Garcia-Zaragosa, 58, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with lawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found Sept. 20, 2017, in Seward County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson 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 Junction City man who took part in a woman’s kidnapping that led to her murder was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Christopher Pugh, 33, Junction, City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping. In his plea, he admitted participating in the kidnapping of Amanda Clemons, a 24-year-old woman whose body was found in February 2014 in Geary County, Kan.

 

In his plea, Pugh admitted that on Feb. 7, 2014, he was one of the defendants who met the victim, who was a prostitute, at a hotel in Junction City and kidnapped her. The defendants beat the victim in retribution for comments she had made on social media. During the beating, the defendants demanded the victim pay $300. They took the victim to another hotel room in an unsuccessful attempt to get the money, after which they transported her to a residence on Fort Riley where two of the defendants lived.

                 

While at the residence, the defendants allowed the victim to call her young son and her mother. The victim’s mother realized the victim was in danger and called Junction City Police. When police called the victim’s number to check on her, the defendants listened to the call on speakerphone. At that time, Pugh left the house alone and did not take part in the murder.

 

Fearing that police were coming to arrest them, defendants Drexel Woody, Larry L. Anderson and Marryssa Middleton took the victim to a bridge in a remote part of Geary County. Once there, Anderson and Middleton resumed the beating and attacked the victim with a knife. The victim broke free and jumped off the bridge, falling 15 feet and breaking her ankle. Anderson and Middleton found the victim in the snow beneath the bridge and resumed the assault during which they cut her throat and killed her.

                 

Co-defendants include:

Larry L. Anderson of Manhattan, Kan., who was sentenced to 28 years.

Marryssa M. Middleton of Fort Riley, Kan., who was sentenced to 28 years.

Drexel A. Woody, 27, of Fort Riley, who was sentenced to 16 years.

Shantrell D. Woody of Fort Riley, Kan., who is set for sentencing Nov. 20.

 

Beall commended the Junction City Police Department, the Grandview Plaza Police Department, the Geary County Sheriff’s Office, the Riley County Police Department, the Fort Riley Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag and Geary County Attorney Steven Opat for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas-based operator of addiction treatment centers has agreed to pay $25,000 to settle allegations it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.

 

Valley Hope Association of Norton, Kan., which operates sixteen addiction treatment centers in seven states, signed the agreement with the Justice Department. The agreement resolves allegations that Valley Hope offered its residential treatment services on a less than equal basis to individuals with HIV/AIDS. 

 

After an investigation, it was alleged that Valley Hope had a policy or practice that individuals with HIV/AIDS were required to stay in separate rooms during residential treatment unless they revealed their HIV/AIDS status to their potential roommate. Furthermore, Valley Hope had a policy or practice that prevented individuals with HIV/AIDS from engaging in certain work activities around the residential facility.

 

Under the agreement, Valley Hope is required to adopt measures to ensure that individuals with disabilities can fully and equally enjoy the various goods, services, facilities, and accommodations provided at Valley Hope treatment centers. Valley Hope will adopt and implement a formal non-discrimination policy that will be posted in each facility and on its website and provide mandatory annual training on title III of the ADA to Valley Hope’s employees and contractors. Under the settlement, Valley Hope will also pay $20,000.00 to the complainant and a $5,000 civil penalty.

 

For more information on the ADA and HIV, visit http://www.ada.gov/aids . Those interested in finding out more about these settlements or the obligations of public accommodations under the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov . ADA complaints may be filed by email to ada.complaint@usdoj.gov

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Federal charges have been filed against three people after investigators seized 20 pounds of methamphetamine from a house in Kansas City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

The following defendants were charged in federal court Thursday with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine:

 

          Sheila M. Best, 53, Basehor, Kan.

          Karen Ortega, 40, Kansas City, Kan.

          Marlon Gutierrez, 38, Kansas City, Kan.

 

A search warrant served at a house in the 3000 block of North 34th Street in Kansas City, Kan., turned up 20 pounds of methamphetamine, more than a pound of heroin and more than $23,000 in cash.

 

If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead 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 woman pleaded guilty Thursday to federal identity theft charges, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Chanel K. Wiseman, 29, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of identity theft. In her plea, she admitted she was arrested in September 2016 in a stolen car in a parking lot at a Walmart store in Goodard, Kan. In the car, investigators found stolen mail, authentic and fraudulent driver’s licenses, student identification cards, Social Security cards, credit and debit cards and checks.

 

According to court records, when investigators searched Wiseman’s hotel room they found a laminated menu listing identity theft services including fake IDs, fraudulent vehicle paperwork and forged checks. Beside each item was a detailed “non-negotiable” price ranging from $20 to $1,500. They also found computers, printers and counterfeit documents.

 

Sentencing is set for Dec. 21. She faces a penalty of not less than two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. Beall commended the Wichita Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch for their work on the case.

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Kan., man who styled himself on the internet as rapper C-Los El Gran was sentenced Tuesday to 168 months in federal prison for his role in a $4 million drug trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Carlos Sierra, 30, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, he admitted he was a member of a drug trafficking operation headed by his half-brother and co-defendant, Edwin Pacheco. They distributed methamphetamine in the Kansas City metro area.

 

Investigators used confidential informants and electronic surveillance to identify Sierra and to monitor his conversations with Pacheco, during which they talked about problems they faced processing drugs for distribution and their plans to increase their profit margins. Sierra was carrying a Ruger .380 handgun when he was arrested in Kansas City, Kan.

 

Co-defendant Pacheco is awaiting sentencing.

 

Beall commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Miami County man was sentenced Monday to six months in federal prison for robbing a bank in Overland Park, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. In addition he will serve two years on supervised release to include six months home confinement.

 

Paul A Sundquist, 30, Louisburg, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Sept. 19, 2016, he robbed the Stanley Bank, 7835 W.151st in Overland Park, Kan. Sundquist showed a clerk a note demanding money before receiving the cash and fleeing the bank. A bystander got a partial tag number on Sundquist’s pickup truck. Sundquist was monitoring police radio traffic on his cell phone. When he heard police had his tag number he called 911 and surrendered.

 

Beall commended the FBI, the Overland Park Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Lawrence man was sentenced Monday to 15 years for trafficking drugs and guns, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Petsamai Phommaseng, 36, Lawrence, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, he admitted he worked with co-defendant Damon Douglas Griffin and others to distribute methamphetamine in Douglas, Franklin and Anderson counties. Griffin, who was known by the street name Guido, provided methamphetamine to Phommaseng and other street dealers.

 

Phommaseng obtained methamphetamine from Griffin on credit and paid Griffin back after he sold the drugs. Phommaseng paid for the drugs in cash or gave Griffin firearms in payment.

 

Griffin was sentenced to 105 months in federal prison.

 

Beall commended the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Franklin County Drug Enforcement Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Geary County man was sentenced Monday to 16 years in federal prison for taking part in the kidnapping of a Junction City woman who was killed during the abduction, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Drexel A. Woody, 27, who lived on Fort Riley at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The body of Amanda Clemons, 24, of Junction City, was found in February 2014 in Geary County, Kan.

 

In Woody’s plea, he admitted that on Feb. 7, 2014, he and some of the co-defendants met the victim, who was a prostitute, at a hotel in Junction City and kidnapped her. The defendants beat the victim in retribution for comments she had made on social media. During the beating, the defendants demanded the victim pay $300. They took the victim to another hotel room in an unsuccessful attempt to get the money, after which they transported her to the Woody residence on Fort Riley.

 

While at the Woody residence, the defendants allowed the victim to call her young son and her mother. The victim’s mother realized the victim was in danger and called Junction City Police. When police called the victim’s number to check on her, and the defendants listened to the call on speakerphone. Fearing arrest, the defendant along with Anderson and Middleton took victim to a bridge in a remote part of Geary County, where Anderson and Middleton resumed the beating and attacked her with a knife. The victim broke free and jumped off the bridge, falling 15 feet and breaking her ankle. Anderson and Middleton found the victim in the snow and resumed the assault during which they cut her throat and killed her.

 

Co-defendants include:

Larry L. Anderson of Manhattan, Kan., who was sentenced to 336 months.

Marryssa M. Middleton of Fort Riley, Kan., who was sentenced to 336 months.

Shantrell D. Woody of Fort Riley, Kan., who is set for sentencing Nov. 20.

Christopher Pugh of Junction City, Kan., who is set for sentencing Oct. 10.

 

Beall commended the Junction City Police Department, the Grandview Plaza Police Department, the Geary County Sheriff’s Office, the Riley County Police Department, the Fort Riley Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag and Geary County Attorney Steven Opat for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. - A Topeka man who took part in a robbery while wearing a monitoring device was sentenced Monday to 36 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Christopher Allen Bush, 26, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting a commercial robbery. In his plea, Bush admitted he picked up co-defendant Marsoleno Devon Ryland after Ryland robbed Casey’s General Store at 600 S.E. Rice Road.

 

At the time of the robbery, Bush was wearing a monitoring device because he was on post-release supervision in a criminal case in state district court. Data from the GPS device verified that Bush picked up Ryland just south of Casey’s General Store and drove him to the 2300 block S.E. Bellview, where police located the two men shortly after the robbery.

 

Co-defendant Ryland is set for sentencing Oct. 23.

 

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

WICHITA, KAN. – A Missouri man pleaded guilty Monday to robbing a bank in Osage City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Hunter Lee Prewitt, 28, Mountain Grove, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. He admitted he robbed the Landmark National Bank at 106 South 6th Street in Osage City. Prewitt gave a teller a note saying: “This a robbery. Give me all one hundreds, fifties and twenties.” He left the bank with cash and drove away in a white pickup truck.

 

Starting with a description of the truck, investigators obtained video surveillance photos and followed Prewitt’s movements including a stop at a gas station in Osage City before the robbery and a pawn shop in Lyndon, Kan. The Missouri Highway Patrol used that information to identify a 2003 Ford F-150 pickup registered to Prewitt. A crime intelligence analyst with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation conducted a search of law enforcement tag readers and he found more information on Prewitt and the truck. Prewitt was arrested outside Springfield, Mo.

 

Sentencing is set for Dec. 18. Bank robbery carries a penalty of up to 20 years in a federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

 

Beall commended the FBI, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Heart of America Computer Forensics Laboratory and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita woman pleaded guilty Friday to robbing three local businesses, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Christina A. Messerschmidt, 26, Wichita, Kan., appeared in federal court in Wichita to enter her plea. She admitted to the following robberies:

 

• June 14, 2017: Kwik Shop at 2809 E. Douglas in Wichita. She threatened store employees with a knife and took money from the register.
• June 13, 2017: Patricia’s, 6143 W. Kellogg in Wichita. She threatened to strangle an employee and took money from the register.
• Dec. 16, 2016: Intrust Bank at 1544 S. Webb. She gave a teller a note saying, “Give me $1,000 or I will shoot you.” She was arrested after a standoff with police at an apartment near the bank.

 

Sentencing is set for Nov. 13. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of seven years in federal prison.

 

Beall commended the FBI, the Wichita Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – Kansas will receive more than $500,000 in federal grants to help fight the opioid crisis, the U.S. Justice Department announced Friday.

 

The city of Wichita will receive $398,972 from the Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Courts grant program. The grant is aimed at supporting drug courts that hold offenders accountable and reduce victimization by intervening early in the process to prevent crimes. It also supports programs to assist offenders who are veterans.

 

The Kansas State Board of Pharmacy will receive $178,680 to support the state’s prescription drug monitoring program. The pharmacy board oversees K-TRACS, a system for monitoring prescriptions for controlled substances.

 

The grants are part of nearly $59 million the Justice Department announced Friday it will spend to strengthen drug court programs and address the opioid epidemic nationwide.

 

In 2016, nearly 60,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses, an increase from the 52,000 overdose deaths the year before. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to opioids, including illicit fentanyl and its analogues.

 

“Today, we are facing the deadliest drug crisis in American history,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “These trends are shocking and the numbers tell us a lot– but they aren’t just numbers. They represent moms and dads, brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends.”

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Colorado man already serving time for a bank robbery in Arkansas was indicted here Wednesday on charges he robbed a bank in Manhattan, Kan., U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Kenneth Wayne Fisher, Jr., 41, formerly of Colorado Springs, Colo., is charged with one count of bank robbery. The indictment alleges that on Aug. 26, 2015, Fisher robbed Sunflower State Bank at 2710 Anderson Ave. in Manhattan.

 

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 earlier this month to more than eight years in federal prison for the Arkansas robbery.

 

The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

 

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

 

Ryan Andrew Rivera, 21, Lawrence, Kan., is charged in a superseding indictment with three counts of using a child to produce child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of committing the crimes while required to register as a sex offender. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in January 2016 in Lawrence, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years on each of the first three counts, and not less than five years and not more than 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the distribution count, and not less than five years on the charge of committing a crime against a minor while being required to register as a sex offender. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting.

 

 Raphael J. Richmond, 26, Topeka, Kan., was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, and one count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in June and August 2017 in Shawnee County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard 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 Salina man was sentenced Monday to 108 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography on the internet, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Austin Wade Evans, 33, Salina, Kan., pleaded guilty to distributing and possessing child pornography. He admitted that on June 22, 2016, he used a Samsung TracFone to distribute child pornography over an internet file-sharing program. A detective with the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force downloaded images from Evans’ phone.

 

On July 25, 2016, Evans gave his phone to investigators. Later, after child pornography charges were filed against him, Evans got another phone and distributed child pornography again.

 

After serving his sentence, Evans will be on supervised release for 15 years.

 

The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Child Task Force investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart prosecuted.

WICHITA, KAN. - A former mail carrier in Sheridan County was sentenced Monday to six months in prison for stealing mail he was supposed to deliver, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. The defendant was ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution.

 

James N. Stephenson, 25, formerly of Hoxie, Kan., and now living in Basehor, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of mail theft. In his plea, he admitted the crime occurred while he was employed at the Post Office in Hoxie, Kan. He stole mail containing cash, gift cards and prepaid debit cards. He said he looked for birthday and anniversary cards that were likely to contain items of value.

 

After serving his sentence, Stephenson will spend two years on supervised release.

 

Beall commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Office of Inspector General and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. - A former Labette banker was sentenced Monday to eight months of imprisonment to be followed by four months of home confinement for a wire fraud scheme that included misappropriating funds from a bank and an insurance company, and filing false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

 

Keith L. Shaffer, 61, Altamont, Kan., was convicted in a jury trial in November on charges of misapplication of bank funds, wire fraud, misappropriation of insurance funds and making false statements on a federal tax return.

 

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that while Shaffer was an employee of Labette Bank he diverted more than $134,000 in commissions on sales of insurance belonging to the bank into his personal account. Shaffer was managing a bank subsidiary called Labette Insurance Company. He was a salaried employee of the bank and all commissions paid on sales by Labette Insurance belonged to the bank. As part of the scheme, he submitted false information to the bank and to the Internal Revenue Service.

 

Beall commended the Internal Revenue Service, FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas City, Kan., man who sold methamphetamine and guns to undercover investigators was sentenced Wednesday to 11.5 years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Eric Castillo, 28, who is citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of unlawful possession of firearms by a person who is not in the United States legally. In a series of transactions monitored by investigators, Castillo sold methamphetamine for about $500 an ounce. Along with the drugs, he sold guns including rifles and handguns made by Beretta, Browning and Smith & Wesson. One of the handguns was a .380 pistol with a built-in laser. The first transaction took place at a McDonald’s restaurant in Kansas City, Kan. Castillo offered guns for sale by asking undercover investigators if they were interested in buying some “toys.”

 

Beall commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A registered sex offender from Kansas was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in federal prison for picking up a 16-year-old girl in Virginia and taking her across state lines to have sex with him, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Logan Viquesney, 21, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of a minor to engage in sexual activity. In his plea, he admitted he communicated with the victim over the internet while she was staying with her grandparents in Virginia. On May 30, 2016, the victim was reported missing from her grandparents’ home. Investigators learned that Viquesney had driven to Virginia, picked up the girl, and taken her with him on a trip that took them from Virginia to Maryland, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas. While on the trip, Viquesney had sex with the girl.

 

Viquesney was arrested after he arrived in Kansas City, Kan., with the girl.

 

Beall commended the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Lenexa Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. - A federal grand jury Tuesday returned an indictment charging a Wichita man with brandishing firearms during robberies at two local hotels, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Darrell E. Black, 24, Wichita, Kan., is charged with two counts of commercial robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm during a robbery and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction.

 

The indictment alleges that on May 27, 2017, Black robbed the Extended Stay America at 9450 E. Corporate Hills, and on May 29, 2017, he robbed the Days Inn and Suites at 7321 E. Kellogg, both in Wichita.

 

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Robbery: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Brandishing a firearm: Not less than seven years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Felon in possession of a firearm: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

 

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

OTHER INDICTMENTS

 

Darnell F. Brown, 21, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of possession with intent to distribute alprazolam (Xanax). The crimes are alleged to have occurred July 14 and Aug. 2, 2017, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

 

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Possession with intent to distribute marijuana: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million.

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

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

Possession with intent to distribute alprazolam: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.

 

The FBI and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

 

 

Luis Arturo Melendez-Vargas, 36, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with two counts of making a false claim of U.S. citizenship, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of misusing a Social Security number. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in May and June 2017 in Ford and Sedgwick counties.

 

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

False claim of U.S. citizenship: Up to three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory two years (consecutive) and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

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

 

The Department of Homeland Security’s Enforcement Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

 

Mario Ailon-Ailon, 33, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged in a superseding indictment with one count of unlawful re-entry after deportation, one count of misusing a Social Security number, one count of making a false written statement on a W-4 withholding form and one count of aggravated identity theft. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2015 and 2017 in Ford County, Kan.

 

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Unlawful re-entry: Up to 10 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 written statement to the government: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.

 

The Department of Homeland Security’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

 

Jose Antonio Sandoval-Nava, 38, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person who is not legally in the United States. The crime is alleged to have occurred July 14, 2017, in Ford County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Department of Homeland Security’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

 

Blanca Maria Torres, 31, Garden City, Kan., is charged with three counts of passing counterfeit checks, two counts of theft of tax refunds obtained by fraud, two counts of misusing a Social Security number and two counts of aggravated identity theft. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in July and August 2016 in Finney County, Kan.

 

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

 

Passing counterfeit checks: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Theft of tax refunds: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

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

Aggravated identity theft: Mandatory two years (consecutive) and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

 

The U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

 

 

Regina Marie Razo, 42, Garden City, Kan., and Ramon Rascon-Mendoza, 59, Garden City, Kan. are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

 

In addition, Razo is charged with four counts of distributing methamphetamine; and Rascon-Mendoza is charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person not legally in the United States. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in May, June and July 2017 in Finney County, Kan.

 

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: Not less than five years and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $5 million on each count.

Possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine: Not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million.

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

 

The Garden City Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh 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 was sentenced Monday to 28 months in federal prison for using stolen identities to obtain car loans, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. The sentence is in addition to 20 months he has already served.

 

Reu Charles Chamberlain, 31, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. In his plea, he admitted he used a stolen identity at Eddy’s Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Wichita to qualify for a $48,902 loan to buy a 2016 Dodge Challenger. At Midway Motors in Wichita, he used a stolen identity to qualify for a $44,746 loan to buy a 2015 Dodge Challenger.

 

Beall commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

 

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to 90 months in federal prison for two commercial robberies, including one in which he fired a shot into the ceiling, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Gary L. Gillom, 30, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty two counts of armed robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on June 26, 2016, he brandished a firearm while robbing the Arby’s restaurant at 1187 Southwest Gage in Topeka. He ordered restaurant employees to hurry with the cash and fired a round into the ceiling of the restaurant.

 

Gillom also admitted that on June 27, 2016, he brandished a firearm when he robbed the Long John Silver’s restaurant at 2746 Southwest Fairlawn in Topeka.

 

Gillom was arrested on June 29, 2016, after investigators identified a car used in the robberies.

 

Co-defendant Darien E. Fulton, 25, Topeka, Kan., was sentenced to six years in federal prison.

 

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

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas man was sentenced Monday to 75 months in federal prison for robbing a bank in Kansas City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Andre U. Randle, 37, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Feb. 1, 2017, he robbed the U.S. Bank at 10959 Parallel Parkway, in Kansas City, Kan.

 

According to court documents, he gave a clerk a note saying, “I have 2 guns. Don’t make me use them,” before leaving the bank with stolen cash in a purple pillow case. Officers of the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department stopped his car in the 6900 block of Troop and arrested him.

 

Beall commended the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A former owner of a restaurant in Lenexa was sentenced Monday for bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Charles R. Waits, 56, Lenexa, Kan., was sentenced to three years on supervised release and ordered to pay $10,000 within 90 days toward restitution. Waits pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. In his plea, he admitted the crime occurred while he was one of the owners of the Kansas City Sports Grille, which is now closed. Waits provided false financial information to Community America Credit Union when he applied for a loan. He listed assets including property he did not own and he significantly overvalued one of the properties he owned.

 

Beall commended the U.S. Secret Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. –Nine people have been indicted on federal charges of drug trafficking in Marshall County, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.

 

The six-count indictment unsealed on Aug. 30, 2017, alleges John Haver, 61, Waterville, Kan., and others obtained methamphetamine from California and distributed it to buyers in Marshall County, Kan. Charges in the indictment include conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to launder money and money laundering. In addition to Haver, defendants named in the indictment include:

 

Cally Hanshaw, 41, Waterville, Kan.

Jose Martinez, 40, Porterville, Calif.

Clayton Chase, 28, Marysville, Kan.

Philip Pagan, 38, Waterville, Kan.

Curtis Wichman, 39, Blue Rapids, Kan.

Lorinda Patton, 37, Blue Rapids, Kan.

Kimberly Krunze, 26, Waterville, Kan.

Robert Zidek, 43, Blue Rapids, Kan.

 

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

 

Count 1: Not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million.

Count 2: Not less than 5 years in federal prison and a fine up to $5 million.

Count 3-6: Up to 20 years and a fine or more than $500,000

 

Investigative agencies involved in this case include the Waterville, Blue Rapids, and Riley County Police Departments, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs is prosecuting.

 

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

WICHITA, KAN. – An Army veteran from Reno County was sentenced Wednesday to three years on probation and ordered to pay back $70,000 in benefits he received by pretending to be blind, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today. The man’s ex-wife was sentenced to a year on probation for helping with the scheme.

 

Billy J. Alumbaugh, 62, Turon, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government. His ex-wife, Debra K. Alumbaugh, 58, also of Turon, Kan., pleaded guilty to concealing the crime.

 

In his plea, Alumbaugh admitted he falsely represented to the Veterans Administration that he was blind and homebound in order to receive special monthly pension benefits. In fact, he was able to drive and engage in other routine life activities without assistance. His wife accompanied him to medical visits in which they pretended he was blind and depended on her for help.

 

Beall commend the Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man pleaded guilty Tuesday to driving the getaway car during an armed robbery, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Jermaine Tyrell Patton, 29, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting a commercial robbery and one count of aiding and abetting an armed robbery.

 

In his plea, Patton admitted taking part in a Nov. 5, 2016, robbery at Oakmark Convenience Store at 2518 N.E. Seward Avenue in Topeka. Patton’s accomplice, who was carrying a firearm, entered the store and demanded money. Patton was behind the wheel of a blue PT Cruiser when he and the robber fled the scene. When police stopped the car, both men fled on foot. Patton was quickly arrested.

 

The other man, Christopher Curtis Harris of Topeka, was arrested and charged in Shawnee County District Court with shooting Topeka Police Detective Brian Hill when Hill tried to arrest him.

 

Patton is set for sentencing Nov. 27. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of not less than five years and not more than 15 years. Beall commended the Topeka Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A grand jury returned an indictment here today charging the former controller of a company in Kechi with embezzling more than $175,000, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

 

Richard H. Yust, 64, Hutchinson, Kan., is charged with five counts of wire fraud. The crimes took place while Yurst was responsible for overseeing the financial operations of F&H Insulation Sales and Service, Inc. The indictment alleges he used company credit cards to make unauthorized purchases and he made unauthorized payments to his wife and son.

 

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

 

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

 

Jose Badilla, 33, Kansas City, Kan., is charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, two counts of maintaining a residence in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in March and August 2017 in Wyandotte County, Kan.

 

The indictment alleges Badilla maintained residences in furtherance of drug trafficking in the 2800 block of North 51st Street and the 3500 block of Ohio Avenue in Kansas City, Kan.

 

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 on each count.

Possession with intent to distribute heroin: Not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million.

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

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

Possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin: Not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $5 million.

 

The Kansas Bureau of investigation investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting.

 

 

Angel D. Mora, 18, Kansas City, Kan., and Ramiro G. Whitney, 20, Kansas City, Kan., are charged with stealing pistols, rifles and shotguns from Little Joe’s Pawn and Gun in Kansas City, Kan.

 

If convicted, they face 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 David Zabel is prosecuting.

 

Robert M. Purinton, 69, formerly of Overland Park, Kan., is charged with three counts of filing false tax returns for 2010, 2011 and 2012 that failed to report some of his income.

 

If convicted, he faces up to three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Internal Revenue Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton 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 Labette County woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal charge of embezzling more than $213,000 from the bank where she worked, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Debra J. Nading, 59, Oswego, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of theft by a bank employee. In her plea, she admitted the crime occurred while she worked as an assistant cashier and bookkeeping supervisor for the Labette Bank in Parsons, Kan. She used her access to the bank’s credit card accounts to make false entries to cover up the theft.

 

Sentencing is set for Nov. 17. She faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. Beall commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man was indicted Wednesday on charges of brandishing a firearm when he robbed a McDonald’s restaurant, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Brendon R. Thompson, 30, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during the robbery. The indictment alleged that on July 19, 2017, Thompson threatened employees with a gun when he robbed a McDonald’s restaurant at 1100 S. Kansas Avenue in Topeka.

 

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the robbery charge, and not less than seven years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge. The Topeka Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

 

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

 

Carlos F. Fernandez-Gonzalez, 28, Yucaipa, Calif., is charged in a superseding indictment with one count of possession with intent to distribute 14 kilograms of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 2.25 kilograms of heroin. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 25, 2017, in Russell County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million on each count. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough is prosecuting.

 

Robert P. McConnell, 48, Slippery Rock, Penn., owner of Horseshoe Hill Outfitters, is charged with four counts of violating the federal Lacey Act. The indictment alleges he unlawfully took deer in 2014 and 2014 in Allen County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough is prosecuting.

 

Willie Ben Jordan, Jr., 42, 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 July 21, 2017, in Shawnee County.

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.

 

Robert Wesley Fox, 54, Marysville, Kan., is charged with failing to register as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. He was found in Marshall County in August 2017.

 

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting.

 

 

Howard Dale Burchfiel, 31, Topeka, Kan., is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred June 17, 2017, in Topeka, 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 Greg Hough is prosecuting.

 

Juan Carlos Aguilar, 23, Kansas City, Mo., and Saul Lucio-Murillo, 28, Palmdale, Calif., are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred July 30, 2017, in Saline County, Kan.

 

If convicted, they face 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.

 

Brandon Valerius, 38, William Hancock, 58, Colbie Clayton, 31, and Treasure McCall, 33, all in federal custody, are charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In addition, Valerius and McCall are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Hancock is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and Colbie Clayton is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 4, 2017, in Riley County.

 

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.

 

 

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

 

WICHITA, KAN. - A former city attorney of Manhattan pleaded guilty today to federal child pornography charges, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Bill Raymond, 55, Andover, Kan., pleaded guilty to three counts of transporting child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Raymond admitted that he emailed child pornography to himself using a cellular telephone and a computer on Nov. 9, 2014, Feb. 28, 2015 and May 17, 2015. He also admitted that on July 30, 2015, he possessed child pornography.

 

The crimes occurred in Butler and Riley counties. Raymond became the city attorney in Manhattan after serving as an assistant county counselor in Sedgwick County.

 

Sentencing is set for Nov. 6. He faces not less than five years and not more than 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each distribution count, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the possession count. Beall commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Kansas City, Kan., man with producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Ronny D. Peters, 39, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with two counts of producing child pornography. According to court records, the investigation began when Peters’ former employers called the FBI to report finding child pornography on a company cell phone Peters turned in after he was fired. The phone belonged to Pop-A-Lock, a locksmith company based in Lafayette, La. The company has franchise operations across the United States and Canada, including Kansas City.

 

The indictment alleges Peters sexually exploited a minor child to produce videos that investigators found on the phone.

 

If convicted, he faces not less than 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting.

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

 

Kenneth William Clark, III, 35, Scott City, Kan., is charged with receipt and possession of stolen mail. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 2, 2016, in Sedgwick County.

 

The indictment alleges Clark possessed stolen mail from senders including Discover Financial, Gold MasterCard, H&R Block, Bank of America, Intrust Bank, Fidelity Bank, the Kansas Department of Revenue and others. The stolen mail was addressed to recipients in Wichita and Park City.

 

If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

 

Ran Wells, 39, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of counterfeiting U.S. currency. The crime is alleged to have occurred in March and April 2017 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

 

Ronald L. Phillips, 25, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred July 27, 2017, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on the marijuana charge, up to 10 years on the charge of felon in possession of a firearm and not less than five years on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The FBI and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

 

Jose A. Hernandez-Diaz, 23, Lucio Cabanas, Mexico, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately six pounds of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately two pounds of heroin. The crime is alleged to have occurred July 14, 2017, in Ford County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces not less than10 years and a fine up to $10 million on the methamphetamine charge and not less than five years and a fine up to $5 million on the heroin charge. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.

 

Anthony Carrasco, 40, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 6, 2017, in Sedgwick 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 David Lind is prosecuting.

 

Carlos Salas-Lopez, 45, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of misusing a Social Security number, one count of possessing a counterfeit Permanent Resident card, and one count of making a false statement on an I-9 employment eligibility verification form. The crimes are alleged to have occurred June 8, 2016, in Johnson County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the Social Security count, 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the document fraud count, and five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the false statement count. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

 

Habraham Altamirano-Jeronimo, 29, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found July 14, 2017, in Lawrence, 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 Leon Patton is prosecuting.

 

Oscar Vallejo-Tolentino, 25, Hays, Kan., a citizen of Mexico who has been living in Hays, Kan., is charged with five counts of unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition by an alien illegally in the United States. The crime is alleged to have occurred in 2017 and 2015 in Ellis County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces 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 investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

 

Juan Carlos Jimenez-Caraveo, 26, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found July 28, 2017, 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 Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

 

Clay Don McElroy, 40, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The crimes are alleged to have occurred April 16 2017, in Finney County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $5 million on the methamphetamine charge, and up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the marijuana charge. The Garden City Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh 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 former mayor of Lawrence was sentenced Tuesday to ten months in federal prison for embezzling thousands of dollars from a food bank in Douglas County, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. The defendant was ordered to pay $81,446 in restitution.

 

Jeremy James Farmer, 33, Lawrence, Kan., pleaded guilty in September 2016 to one count of interstate transportation of stolen funds. Farmer admitted the crimes took place while he was executive director of Just Food, a food bank in Douglas County. Just Food serves more than 40 partner agencies with frozen meat and fresh produce as well as bread and food donated from community drives. The organization and its partners play a key role in fighting hunger in Douglas County.

 

From 2013 until Farmer resigned from Just Food and from his position as mayor of Lawrence in August 2015 he used his access to Just Foods’ bank accounts and accounting systems to steal more than $5,000 from the organization.

 

Beall commended the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita business owner was sentenced Monday to two years on supervised release and ordered to pay $256,000 in restitution for withholding taxes from employee salaries that he failed to pay over to the government, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Michael J. Skladzien, 54, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of failing to pay over taxes. In his plea, he admitted that while he owned S&S Floor Maintenance he withheld approximately money from salaries of employees to pay federal taxes. Instead of paying the funds over to the government, he spent the money on personal expenses including gambling.

 

Beall commended the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to 42 months in federal prison for lying to investigators in a 2016 interview following a stand-off between federal law enforcement officers and fugitive Orlando J. Collins, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.

 

Quentin Kirk Lawton, 37, pleaded guilty in May to one count of making a false statement. In his plea, he admitted that on April 23, 2016, he visited Collins in a room at the Country Club Motel at 3732 S.W. Topeka Boulevard. Lawton left the motel shortly before a standoff between Collins and federal agents. When the FBI questioned Lawton about Collins’ whereabouts, Lawton denied he had been to the motel and seen Collins. In fact, Lawton was captured on video surveillance entering and leaving Collins’ room shortly before members of a federal task force attempted to arrest Collins.

 

When members of a task force tried to take Collins into custody he shot two U.S. Marshals and an FBI agent. A fire ignited from inside Collins’ room during the gunfight and spread throughout the motel. After the fire, Collins’ body was found in the motel room.

 

Beall commended the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Topeka Police Department, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Salina man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.

 

Michael N. Rodenbeek, 54, Salina, Kan., was sentenced Aug. 11. He pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted using an iPhone camera to surreptitiously record videos focusing on the genitals of a 10-year-old victim and a 9-year-old victim. The recordings were made without the victims’ knowledge.

 

Beall commended the Wichita Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A former civilian hospital employee was convicted today on federal charges of attacking a woman who he set on fire and attacked with a straight razor, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

A jury found Clifford Currie, 55, Leavenworth, Kan., guilty on one count of assault with intent to commit murder.

 

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that on Sept. 7, 2016, Currie threw gasoline or some other inflammable liquid on his supervisor, Katie Ann Blanchard, lit her on fire and assaulted her with a straight edge razor and scissors. A co-worker came to the Blanchard’s aid when she heard screams and saw Blanchard on fire from the chest up. Currie was subdued by hospital employees and then arrested

 

Sentencing is set for Oct. 31. He faces a penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the U.S. Army Military Police investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ward are prosecuting.

 

WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to drug trafficking and agreed to forfeit the building where his restaurant is located as well as other assets, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. Two co-defendants also entered guilty pleas.

 

Gerald Beasley, 62, Wichita, Kan., owner of Tiara’s Place, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

 

Also on Monday, co-defendant Terry Beasley, 63, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. Co-defendant Brandon Smith, 46, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

 

In his plea, Gerald Beasley admitted he stored cocaine and other narcotics in a residence in the 2400 block of North Piatt Street in Wichita, meeting with buyers both at the residence and the restaurant at 1339 N. Hillside. He carried a High Standard derringer handgun to protect himself during drug transactions.

 

In his plea agreement, Gerald Beasley agreed to forfeit his home in Andover, his restaurant, a number of real estate properties, more than $75,000 in cash and bank accounts with a value of more than $75,000, as well as other assets.

 

In his plea, Terry Beasley admitted he made money through the trafficking of controlled substances, illegal gambling and the illegal production and sale of false documents. He kept the proceeds hidden in a safe in a storage facility. The plea agreement calls for him to forfeit more than $67,000 in cash that was seized from him.

 

In Smith’s plea, he admitted he conspired to distribute marijuana. Investigators recorded calls in which he ordered drugs from Gerald Beasley.

 

Sentencing is set for Gerald Beasley on Oct. 30, for Terry Beasley on Nov. 6 and for Smith on Nov. 13. Both parties have agreed to recommend Gerald Beasley be sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and Terry Beasley be sentenced to a year and a day. Smith faces a sentence of up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

 

Beall commended the Wichita Police Department, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal revenue Service, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs for their work on the case.

 

WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man was sentenced Monday to 11 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Brandon V. Wells, 23, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty in April to five counts of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery.

 

In his plea, Wells admitted to the following robberies:

• Jan. 27, 2017, Circle K, 1250 S. Rock Road, Wichita.

• Jan. 28, 2017: O’Reilly Auto Parts, 4818 E. Lincoln, Wichita.

• Jan. 30, 2017: O’Reilly Auto Parts, 4636 S. Broadway, Wichita.

• Feb. 4, 2017: O’Reilly Auto Parts, 4130 W. Central, Wichita

• Feb. 5, 2017: O’Reilly Auto Parts, 3220 N. Rock, Wichita.

 

During the robberies, Wells and an accomplice threatened employees with a weapon and demanded money. The firearm charge is tied to a Feb. 6, 2017, robbery at O’Reilly Auto Parts, 3109 E. Pawnee.

 

Beall commended the Wichita Police Department, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Wabaunsee County woman who pleaded guilty to fraud while serving as executor of her mother’s estate was sentenced Monday to two years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Julie D. Woodland, 56, Maple Hill, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of funds obtained by fraud. In her plea, she admitted she served as trustee of trusts set up by her parents, Stephen W. Dibble and Elaine R. Dibble. It was her parents’ intent that proceeds of the trusts be shared equally among Woodland and her siblings, Lance A. Dibble and Stan Dibble. Woodland also was executor of her mother’s estate.

 

Woodland sold a condo in Texas belonging to the trust for $270,000. She distributed half the proceeds to her brother, Stan Dibble, and she kept the rest. Her brother, Lance Dibble, requested an accounting of the trust funds, but she refused to provide the information.

 

Beall commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – The owner of a hunting guide company in Elk County pleaded guilty and was sentenced Wednesday for violating state and federal laws while taking clients on hunting trips, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Josh Hedges, 35, Grenola, Kan., owner of Eagle Head Outfitters, LLC, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and one count of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. He was sentenced to five years on probation and ordered to pay $15,000 restitution to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Restitution Fund. In addition, he was forbidden to hunt, trap or guide for 12 years. Hedges also agreed to divest himself of the company.

 

Hedges admitted directing his guides to:

 

• Place corn, wheat and soybeans around ponds as bait for waterfowl.

• Help hunters to exceed their daily bag limits by offering to say they shot some of the birds the hunters shot.

• Fail to tag, process and transport birds as required by state and federal law.

 

In addition, Hedges admitted that he shot a hawk from his vehicle while sitting on a county road near Grenola.

 

Beall commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – Two Kansas men pleaded guilty Monday to taking part in a scheme to steal mail from Wichita mailboxes using a counterfeit mailbox master key, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Shalan D. Hiatt, 38, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of mail theft and one count of possession of a counterfeit mailbox master key. Jason A. Farner, 33, Leavenworth, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of mail theft.

 

In their pleas, they admitted they were members of a group of people in Wichita who stole mail containing checks and forms of identification by using stolen and counterfeited mailbox keys. They obtained checks and forged checks that they passed, or attempted to pass, at Wichita banks.

 

Hiatt admitted to using a counterfeit mailbox key to steal money orders from a mailbox at Pawnee and Elizabeth streets. The victim mailed money orders to pay for rent and other bills.

 

Farner admitted obtaining money orders mailed at a collection box at 2510 S. Elizabeth. He wrote his name over the payee’s name in order to cash the money orders.

 

Sentencing for both defendants is set for Oct. 19. Hiatt faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the mail theft count and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. Farner faces up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on both counts.

 

Beall commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Wichita Police Department, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and Assistant U.S. for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Two Kansans were sentenced Thursday for operating a synthetic drug business that generated $16 million in sales in less than two years, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

 

Tracy Picanso, 61, Olathe, Kan., and Roy Ehrett, 59, Olathe, Kan., were sentenced to 54 months in federal prison. Picanso and Ehrett each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, one count of producing and selling misbranded drugs, one count of producing and selling counterfeit drugs and one count of conspiracy to launder money.

 

An indictment returned in 2014 alleged Picanso and Ehrett owned an Olathe-based business producing and selling dangerous controlled substances and controlled substance analogues of THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) and methcathinones (stimulants).

 

They sold products under exotic names including Pump It, Head Trip, Black Arts, Grave Digger, Voodoo Doll and Lights Out. Some of the drugs were manufactured in buckets with drill-powered immersion mixers and tried out on “testers” who helped tweak the recipes by reporting on the drugs’ effects.

 

The operation stretched from Kansas to Missouri, California, Texas, Georgia and Colorado, involving more than 15 companies with more than 40 financial accounts at more than 10 financial institutions. Businesses owned and operated by the defendants included Retailing Specialists, Innovative Products 4U, The Outer Edge, Lakeridge Holdings, Monster Warehouse, Monster Distribution, Monster, 3P Distribution and Life Source.

 

“Without FDA oversight, unapproved and counterfeit drugs that are produced and marketed outside the Federal system present the prospect of serious harm to the public’s health,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer E. Morrison, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “FDA-OCI appreciates the coordinated efforts of DEA and other law enforcement agencies to bring to justice all those who evade federal drug laws.”

 

Beall commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, the Overland Park Police Department, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Olathe Police Department, the St. Joseph Police Department and the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway, and Michael Varrone, associate chief counsel at the Food and Drug Administration for their work on the case.