District of Kansas

 

WASHINGTON – Best Choice Home Health Care Agency Inc. (Best Choice) and its owner, Reginald King, have agreed to pay $1.8 million to resolve allegations that Best Choice and King violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks for the referral of Medicaid-covered patients for home and community-based healthcare services from Best Choice.  Best Choice is a home healthcare services provider based in Kansas City, Kansas.  King is the owner and operator of Best Choice.

“The department will continue to hold accountable entities and individuals that engage in illegal kickback schemes for the referral of patients,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.  “It is critically important that we protect the integrity of government health care programs by ensuring that services are provided based on clinical considerations rather than the financial interests of those who refer patients for care.”

This settlement resolves allegations that from July 1, 2010, through Dec. 31, 2014, Best Choice submitted claims for home and community-based healthcare services to Medicaid that resulted from a kickback arrangement between King, on behalf of Best Choice and Christopher Thomas, who transported patients from their homes to healthcare facilities in Kansas City.  Specifically, under this alleged arrangement, King paid Thomas $58,000 in kickbacks for new patients referred to Best Choice based on a formula which accounted for each hour of service that Best Choice billed to Medicaid.

“Fraud and abuse in Medicaid add costs without adding any value,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall for the District of Kansas. “We fight fraud to help make health care more available and more affordable.”

The Medicaid Program is a jointly-funded federal and state program.  Of the $1.8 million that King and Best Choice will pay under the settlement, the United States will receive $1,011,780 and the state of Kansas will receive $788,220.

The settlement resolves allegations originally brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by Thomas, the recipient of the alleged kickbacks.  The act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims for government funds and to receive a share of any recovery.  The whistleblower reward in this case will be $43,178 which represents 10 percent of the federal share of the settlement, minus the amount that the relator received in kickbacks during the duration of the scheme.

The settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.  Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $31.6 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $19.2 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.

This matter was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Kansas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.  The qui tam case is docketed as United States ex rel. Thomas v. Best Choice Home Health Care Agency, Inc., and Reginald King, No. 1:13-cv-2209 (D. Kan.).

 

WASHINGTON – Best Choice Home Health Care Agency Inc. (Best Choice) and its owner, Reginald King, have agreed to pay $1.8 million to resolve allegations that Best Choice and King violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks for the referral of Medicaid-covered patients for home and community-based healthcare services from Best Choice.  Best Choice is a home healthcare services provider based in Kansas City, Kansas.  King is the owner and operator of Best Choice.

“The department will continue to hold accountable entities and individuals that engage in illegal kickback schemes for the referral of patients,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.  “It is critically important that we protect the integrity of government health care programs by ensuring that services are provided based on clinical considerations rather than the financial interests of those who refer patients for care.”

This settlement resolves allegations that from July 1, 2010, through Dec. 31, 2014, Best Choice submitted claims for home and community-based healthcare services to Medicaid that resulted from a kickback arrangement between King, on behalf of Best Choice and Christopher Thomas, who transported patients from their homes to healthcare facilities in Kansas City.  Specifically, under this alleged arrangement, King paid Thomas $58,000 in kickbacks for new patients referred to Best Choice based on a formula which accounted for each hour of service that Best Choice billed to Medicaid.

“Fraud and abuse in Medicaid add costs without adding any value,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall for the District of Kansas. “We fight fraud to help make health care more available and more affordable.”

The Medicaid Program is a jointly-funded federal and state program.  Of the $1.8 million that King and Best Choice will pay under the settlement, the United States will receive $1,011,780 and the state of Kansas will receive $788,220.

The settlement resolves allegations originally brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by Thomas, the recipient of the alleged kickbacks.  The act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims for government funds and to receive a share of any recovery.  The whistleblower reward in this case will be $43,178 which represents 10 percent of the federal share of the settlement, minus the amount that the relator received in kickbacks during the duration of the scheme.

The settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.  Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $31.6 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $19.2 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.

This matter was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Kansas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.  The qui tam case is docketed as United States ex rel. Thomas v. Best Choice Home Health Care Agency, Inc., and Reginald King, No. 1:13-cv-2209 (D. Kan.).

TOPEKA, KAN. - A federal prosecutor will be on duty during election day to respond to complaints of possible election fraud and voting rights violations in Kansas, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.                                           

Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton will be available to the public at 913-551-6730 while the polls are open on Nov. 8.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” Beall said. “We will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”

Beall said he does not expect any problems during the voting. He noted, however, that there are penalties under federal law for any efforts to fraudulently influence the outcome of the election or to improperly prevent another person from exercising the right to vote.

Patton will join other federal prosecutors nationwide as part of the Justice Department’s election-day monitoring program. They will work in consultation with Justice Department headquarters.

The FBI’s Kansas City Field Office will also have Special Agents available to receive allegations of election fraud, intimidation, suppression, and other election abuses. The public can provide information regarding possible election crimes to the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office’s toll-free hotline, 1-855-527-2847, or email [email protected].

Citizen complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767, by fax at 202-307-3961, by email to [email protected], or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php .

Any questions involving state or local issues may be referred to the Elections Division of the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office at 1-800-262-8683, or to the pertinent county election office.

WASHINGTON – A Leawood, Kansas business owner was sentenced yesterday to 51 months in prison after being convicted of tax evasion following a five-week jury trial in April announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas Beall of the District of Kansas.

 

According to the evidence at trial, Kathleen M. Stegman, 58, owned and operated Midwest Medical Aesthetics (Midwest).  During the years 2006 through 2010, Stegman concealed cash receipts, diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars from Midwest for her personal use, created and used an entity to falsify business expenses and hide Midwest customer checks and falsely claimed as business expenses a mortgage payment on an investment property, the cost of an invisible dog fence, residential gas and electricity bills, Mercedes Benz lease payments and an investment in a deck coating product.  The government also presented evidence that Stegman used the money she diverted from Midwest to fund a lavish lifestyle, including the purchase of condominiums in Las Vegas, over $300,000 in gold coins, a 54-foot yacht and real estate in North Carolina.    

 

The evidence presented also established that Stegman caused an employee to destroy business records during a civil tax audit, provided the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with false and altered documents and attempted to tamper with a witness’s statement to criminal investigators.

 

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson ordered Stegman to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $68,733 as a condition of supervised release and a fine in the amount of $100,000.

 Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation and Trial Attorneys Ryan R. Raybould and John T. Mulcahy of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari B. Wamble of the District of Kansas, who prosecuted the case.

 

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

TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment here Wednesday charging three southwest Kansas men with conspiring to detonate a bomb at an apartment complex in Garden City where Muslim immigrants from Somalia live and worship, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

The indictment was based on the same facts presented in an Oct.14 criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Wichita alleging the men conducted surveillance to size up potential targets, stockpiled firearms, ammunition and explosive components, and prepared a manifesto to be published after the bombing.

Charged with one count of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction were:

Curtis Allen, 49, Liberal, Kan.

Gavin Wright, 49, Liberal, Kan., owner of G & H Mobile Home Center at 1250 E. Tucker Road in Liberal.

Patrick Eugene Stein, 51, Wright, Kan.

If convicted, the defendants face up to life in federal prison. Investigating agencies included 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, and Kansas Highway Patrol, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi and Trial Attorney David Cora of the Justice Department’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting.

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Garret Sims, 29, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 24, 2016, in Topeka.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

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

          Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $2 million.

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

 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.

 

Joseph D. Carrier, 37, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count 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 Aug. 25, 2016, in Topeka.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.

Charles James Filkins, Jr., 33, Berryton, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 28, 2016, in Topeka.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.

Brandon Lee Morris, 22, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 13, 2016, in Topeka.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the first count and up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the second count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.

Jordan W. Mayfield, 22, Golden, Colo., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 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 Aug. 21, 2016, in Topeka.

          Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

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

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

          Unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction: Up to 10 years 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 Florida man was sentenced Wednesday to 46 months in federal prison for robbing a Wichita bank, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Antonio Adam Smiley, 30, Zephyrhills, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. He admitted that on Nov. 18, 2015, he robbed the Emprise Bank branch at 2323 S. Hydraulic. He fled the bank with the money and left Wichita. He was identified from surveillance photos and arrested Nov. 23, 2015, in Zephyrhills, Fla.

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

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was charged Tuesday in federal court here with the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

John H. Dickerson, 34, Wichita, Kan., was charged with 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 in U.S. District Court in Wichita alleges the case grew out of a human-trafficking enforcement operation conducted by the FBI and the Wichita Police Department. On Saturday, Oct. 15, a 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.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the trafficking charge, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge.

The Wichita Police Department, the FBI and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

 

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced Tuesday to 15 months in federal prison for conspiring with another man who devised a plot to detonate a vehicle bomb at Fort Riley military base near Manhattan, Kan., Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall announced today.

Alexander E. Blair, 29, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. During a plea hearing, Blair admitted he conspired with co-defendant John T. Booker, Jr., 22, Topeka. Asked after he was arrested about the fact Booker’s plan called for America service members to die in the bombing, Blair said: “That’s what they signed (up) for.”

In March 2014, the FBI began an investigation into Booker, who called himself Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, concerning statements he made online indicating he wanted to wage jihad and to die in the process. Booker was arrested April 10, 2015, and charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and two other counts.

During the investigation of Booker, law enforcement officers learned that Blair shared some of Booker’s extremist views and loaned Booker money for the purpose of renting a storage unit that Booker used to store components for a bomb. Blair knew of Booker’s intent to detonate a bomb at Fort Riley and to “kill as many soldiers as possible.” Despite being convinced that Booker was serious about carrying out the plot, Blair chose not to report what he knew to the authorities.

Booker pleaded guilty to one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of attempted destruction of government property. He is awaiting sentencing.

Beall commended the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Mattivi and David Smith of the District of Kansas, and Trial Attorneys Josh Parecki and Rebecca Magnone of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was charged in federal court for enticing an 18-year-old woman across state lines for prostitution, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Derrick D. Horne, 26, Kansas City, Mo., was charged with one count of enticing a person to cross state lines to engage in prostitution. A criminal complaint alleged the case grew out of an undercover operation by the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and the FBI to target individuals who promote prostitution and to recover victims of human trafficking.

On Oct. 15, 2016, an undercover officer responded to an adult website advertisement and arranged to meet a sex worker and to pay for sex, starting at $150 for half an hour. When Horne dropped the sex worker off to meet the officer at a recreational vehicle parked behind a hotel at 1805 N. 110th Street in Kansas City, Kan., both he and the woman were arrested.

Investigators learned Horned had recruited the woman to be a prostitute, saying she could be his “lil business woman/escort” and she would “get money for doing nothing (the) majority of the time.” The first time Horne set up an appointment for the woman, the client paid $170. Horne got $80 and the woman got $90.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department, Overland Park, Kansas Police Department, and the FBI investigated.

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

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment here Tuesday charging a Salina man with producing and distributing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Michael N. Rodenbeek, 53, Salina, Kan., is charged with three counts of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, one count of possessing child pornography, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in June, July, August and September, 2016, in Saline and Sedgwick counties.

A complaint filed in the case alleges a Wichita police detective accessed a file sharing network to download child pornography from Rodenbeek’s computer. Investigators learned that on June 18, 2016, Rodenbeek used an iPhone to record a 9-year-old girl and on July 19, 2016, he used an iPhone to record a 10-year-old girl.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years on each count of production, not less than five years and not more than 20 years on the distribution count, up to 20 years on the possession count, and up to 10 years on the firearm charge. The Wichita Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Brett Nolan Cico, 31, St. Francis, Kan., is charged with two counts of producing child pornography and two counts of committing a felony involving a minor while registered as a sex offender.

The indictment alleges that on Jan. 15, 2016, he took pictures of a 14-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in Sherman County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years on each count of production, and 10 years to be served consecutively on each of the other counts. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations investigated.         Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

Kevin Michael Hamill, 28, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 3, 2016, in Kingman County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $2 million. The Kingman Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Rodebaugh is prosecuting.

James Ray Lawson, 54, Louisville, Ky., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 15, 2016, in Ellis County, Kan.,

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $4 million on the methamphetamine count, and up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the marijuana count. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Rodebaugh is prosecuting.

Arturo Rodriguez-Martinez, 53, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Sept. 23, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty 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.  

Jose Manuel Arriaga-Guillen, 24, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Sept. 27, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty 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. 

Gabriel Lemus-Miranda, 36, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Aug. 18, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty 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. 

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 six years in federal for robbing two Wichita gas stations, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Demon L. Anderson, 27, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of robbing a commercial establishment. In his plea, he admitted that on Dec. 4, 2015, he and a co-defendant robbed a Valero gas station at 248 S. Hillside in Wichita. They entered the store while the clerk was outside and began taking cash and cigarettes. When the clerk returned, the co-defendant pointed a .40 caliber handgun at the clerk and the defendants fled the store.

Later that same night, the defendants tried to rob a Petro America gas station at 2838 W. Central in Wichita. The defendants did not know that a police officer had set up surveillance on the store and called for backup when he saw the defendants enter. The defendants were arrested at the scene.

In July, co-defendant Roy E. Walls-Guiden of Wichita, Kan., was sentenced Tuesday to 188 months in federal prison.

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

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A former guard at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth was sentenced to two years on probation Monday for taking bribes, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. In addition, he was ordered to serve six months home confinement and pay $4,800 in fines.

Michael Harston, 53, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to accept bribes and one count of accepting bribes. In his plea, he admitted accepting bribes to provide inmates with tobacco, which is contraband. Inmates coordinated with their families and friends outside prison to pay Harston. They paid Harston as much as $1,000 for one six-ounce can of Bugler loose tobacco.

Beall commended the FBI, the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General Special, USP Leavenworth SIS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leena Ramana for their work on the case.

 

WICHITA, KAN. -Three men from southwest Kansas were charged in federal court here today with conspiring to detonate a bomb at an apartment complex in Garden City where Muslim immigrants from Somalia live and worship, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

A criminal complaint unsealed today alleged the men conducted surveillance to size up potential targets, stockpiled firearms, ammunition and explosive components, and prepared a manifesto to be published after the bombing. The attack, the defendants said, would “wake people up.”

“These charges are based on eight months of investigation by the FBI that is alleged to have taken the investigators deep into a hidden culture of hatred and violence,” Beall said. “Many Kansans may find it as startling as I do that such things could happen here.”

Charged with one count of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction were:

Curtis Allen, 49, Liberal, Kan.

Gavin Wright, 49, Liberal, Kan., owner of G & H Mobile Home Center at 1250 E. Tucker Road in Liberal.

Patrick Eugene Stein, 47, Wright, Kan.

The complaint alleges that since February 2016 the FBI has been investigating the defendants’ activities planning a violent attack against Muslims in southwestern Kansas. A confidential source attended meetings of a militia group called the Kansas Security Force, providing the FBI with information about the groups’ activities.

The defendants were members of a small group they called the Crusaders. After considering possible targets including pro-Somali churches and public officials, the defendants decided to target an apartment complex in Garden City, Kan., where Somalis lived and maintain an apartment that served as a mosque. They discussed obtaining four vehicles, filling them with explosives and parking them at the four corners of the apartment complex to create a big explosion.

On Oct. 12, defendant Stein met with the confidential FBI source in rural Finney County to examine automatic weapons the source had brought from an FBI lab in Quantico, Va. After trying out two of the weapons, Stein took the source to see the apartment building the defendants were targeting in Garden City. Stein said he would provide ammonium nitrate for the bomb and contribute $200 to $300 for other materials.

Stein also talked with the source about defendant Allen’s arrest in a domestic violence case in Liberal the previous day, Oct. 11. Stein said he was concerned that Allen’s girlfriend would give Liberal police information about the defendants’ plans.

If convicted, the defendants face up to life in federal prison. Investigating agencies included 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, and Kansas Highway Patrol, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi is prosecuting

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

         

 

WICHITA, KAN. - A Mexican woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to unlawful possession of a firearm connected to a homicide case in Salina, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

The woman, Azucena Garcia-Ferniza, 22, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm while unlawfully in the United States. In her plea, she admitted that on May 7, 2015, she unlawfully possessed a Glock model 30 .45 caliber pistol. Her visitor’s visa had expired in February 1998.

In July 2016, Garcia-Ferniza was sentenced in Saline County District Court to18 months on probation for attempting to hide the gun that killed 17-year-old Allie Saum. The gun belonged to her boyfriend, Macio D. Palicio, Jr. Saum was killed by gunfire when Palicio fired at a pickup he mistakenly believed was driven by rival gang members.

Palicio was convicted in Saline County District Court and sentenced to more than 50 years for the killing.

Garcia-Ferniza’s sentencing is set for Jan. 4. She has been in custody since August 2015.

Beall commended Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. - Law enforcement alone can’t solve all the crime problems in our communities, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said Wednesday at a statewide meeting of police officers.

“We need to reach out to community leaders, property owners, churches, private businesses and schools – to anyone who is willing to work with us to make the community safer,” he said.

Beall spoke before more than 100 officers at the Kansas Peace Officers Association’s fall conference in Wichita. He urged them to join with the Justice Department and law enforcement agencies nationwide in observing Community Policing Week.

“We need to build our public safety efforts on a foundation of mutual trust and respect between police officers and the communities they serve,” he said.

Beall praised Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay for working to build community ties by inviting protesters to join police officers for a cookout in the park. He also cited the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center’s courses for officers on fair and impartial policing.

Beall had a personal message for officers, too.

“To all of you who continue to risk your lives day in and day out to keep us safe and protect our freedoms, thank you,” he said. “You have one of the hardest jobs in the world.”

 

TOPEKA, KAN. - Police departments in Wichita and Shawnee, Kan., have been chosen to receive Justice Department grants to pay for community policing officers, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said Monday.

The Wichita Police Department will receive $875,000 and the Shawnee Police Department will receive $625,000. The grants are part of $119 million the Justice Department’s Office of Community Policing Services is distributing nationally to 184 law enforcement agencies to create new -- or sustain existing --community policing positions.

“Kansas is a leader in the drive to build trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve,” Beall said. “These funds will help us keep it that way.”

The announcement comes during the national observance of Community Policing Week. Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. For more information see www.cops.usdoj.gov or read the 21st Century Policing Task Force Report at http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf

Beall will address community policing at 1 p.m. Wednesday when he speaks at the Kansas Peace Officers Association’s conference at the Doubletree by Hilton Airport, 2098 Airport Road in Wichita.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury Wednesday indicted a civilian hospital employee on charges of attacking and injuring two women, one who he set on fire and the other who he attacked when she tried to help the victim, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Clifford Currie, 54, Leavenworth, Kan., is charged with one count of assault with intent to commit murder and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.

A criminal complaint filed Sept. 8 in the case alleged that 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. Co-worker Deanne Killian came to the Blanchard’s aid when she heard screams and saw Blanchard on fire from the chest up. Killian was injured trying to put out the fire and stop Currie from continuing the assault on the Blanchard.

Currie was subdued by hospital employees and then arrested.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the attempted murder count, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The FBI and the U.S. Army Military Police investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan is prosecuting.

Other Indictments

Juan R. Torres-Arambula, 26, Louisburg, Kan., is charged with one count of failing to appear at the Correctional Institution Great Plains in Hinton, Okla., to serve a 16-month prison sentence.

If convicted, he faces an additional two years and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshal Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.

Jamie Lee Roberts, 34, 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. 21, 2016, in Shawnee County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Topeka Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI 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 former mayor of Lawrence admitted Wednesday  that he embezzled thousands of dollars from a food bank in Douglas County, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Jeremy James Farmer, 33, Lawrence, Kan., pleaded guilty 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 resiged 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.

Sentencing will be set at a later date. He faces a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison, a fine up to $250,000 and restitution to be determined by the judge. Beall commended the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.

If you do not have a family member, friend or co-worker who suffers from a prescription opioid or heroin addiction problem, consider yourself lucky. A growing number of your fellow Kansans, on the other hand, are feeling the painful effects of America’s newest and most frightening drug epidemic.

The National Heroin Task Force’s Final Report published in December 2015 outlined the problems that law enforcement officers and public health workers in Kansas and across the nation are facing every day:

-- More than 1.9 million people in America had a prescription opioid use disorder in 2014, and nearly 600,000 had a heroin use disorder.

-- More than 27,000 overdose deaths in this country in 2014 involved prescription opioid medications or heroin. That is one death every 20 minutes.

-- Heroin is more accessible and less costly than prescription opioids. In fact, nearly 80 percent of new heroin users reported that they started through the nonmedical misuse of prescription opioid pain medicines.

-- The United States leads the world in the consumption of prescription opioid medications. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas is prioritizing prosecution of drug traffickers who deal in heroin, especially those who can be tied to fatal drug overdoses. High purity heroin presents a deadly threat of overdose to young people and individuals suffering from chronic pain. In Kansas, we have seen heroin packaged as “buttons” made of heroin whipped with lactose that caused massive overdoses immediately after ingestion. Our office has prosecuted cases involving overdose deaths of adults and teenage victims in Wyandotte, Johnson and Leavenworth counties. We are working with the Kansas Narcotics Officers Association and other organizations to educate law enforcement officers about the heroin and opioid epidemic.

We are prosecuting criminal pill mill operators, too. Two dozen defendants went to federal prison last year, for instance, when our office prosecuted a Lenexa doctor who unlawfully prescribed prescription pain medicines to a network of users and distributors on the streets of metropolitan Kansas City. Such prosecutions are aimed not only at taking specific offenders off the streets but also at sending a message that will deter others from doing the same.

Tough law enforcement alone, however, will not make this problem go away. The opioid crisis is fundamentally a public health problem. We all need to work together, including law enforcement, public health officials and medical professionals, youth leaders, parents, faith-based organizations, social service providers and educational institutions. Our goals should include slowing the flow of opioids into the community, reducing the number of overdose deaths, educating young people on the dangers of nonmedical opioid use, increasing access to treatment and recovery services and educating practitioners on safe and appropriate prescribing.

We have done some good things in Kansas already. K-TRACS, the state’s prescription monitoring system, is providing physicians and pharmacists with valuable information to help them manage their patients who are prescribed controlled substances. Drug Take Back Day events allowing consumers to safely dispose of prescription medications that might otherwise be diverted onto the streets are catching on in communities across the state. We need to build on those initiatives. Kansas should continue to be a leader in the nation’s fight against heroin and opioid abuse.

Tom Beall is the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas.

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Miami County man was charged in federal court Tuesday with robbing a bank in Overland Park, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Paul A Sundquist, 29, Louisburg, Kan., is charged with a Sept. 19, 2016, robbery at the Stanley Bank, 7835 W.151st in Overland Park, Kan. A criminal complaint alleges 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.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The FBI and the Overland Park Police Department 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.

TOPEKA, KAN. - The former chief of the Kickapoo Tribal Volunteer Fire Department was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of setting fires the tribe was paid to fight, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. Also indicted was a former volunteer firefighter.

Stephen D. Ramirez, 26, Horton, Kan., former chief, and Arlene M. Negonsott, 34, Horton, Kan., are charged with four counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges Ramirez recruited Negonsott, a volunteer firefighter, to set fires on the Kickapoo Reservation from July to November 2015 that the Kickapoo fire department was called to fight.

The Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas contracted with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide fire suppression services on the reservation. The contract called for the bureau to pay the tribe $600 for each fire it fought. The indictment alleges the defendants set six fires on the reservation.

If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Department of Interior – Office of Inspector General, the Kickapoo Tribal Police and the FBI 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. – The owner of a Wichita massage parlor pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to harboring a Chinese woman who worked as a prostitute, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Samir F. Elias, 60, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of harboring an alien for financial gain and one count of importation of an alien for prostitution. In his plea, he admitted the crimes occurred while he was the owner of GiGi’s Elite Massage, which operated at 357 N. Hillside in Wichita after moving from a previous location at 6611 E. Central.

Elias employed a Chinese woman with the initials F.Y. He was aware that the woman, who was not lawfully in the United States, engaged in the sale of sexual relations at the massage parlor. He personally reviewed online forums discussing the sale of sexual relations at his business. He harbored her at his residence near Maple and 119th West in Wichita, driving her to work and home again. He collected money from her he knew to be the proceeds of prostitution.

 An undercover vice detective with the Wichita Police Department arrested the woman after she offered to perform sexual services during a massage.

Sentencing is set for Dec. 12. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of time served followed by two years of supervised release.

Beall commended the Wichita Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A former accounting technician for the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas was indicted Tuesday on a federal charge of embezzling tribal funds, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.

Heath A. Hopkins, 45, Horton, Kan., is charged with one count of theft from an Indian tribal organization. The indictment alleges that while working for the Kickapoo Tribe Housing Authority Hopkins wrote unauthorized checks to himself on the tribe’s checking account.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

 

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Mykell A. Mannie, 20, Wichita, Kan., and Tessa M. Smith, 21, Wichita, Kan., are charged with distribution of heroin (count one), possession of heroin with intent to distribute (count five), and unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (count six). In addition, Mannie is charged with distribution of heroin (counts two and three), and carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking (count four). The crimes are alleged to have occurred in May 2016 in Wichita, Kan.

Upon convictions, the crimes carry the following penalties:

          Counts 1, 2, 3, 5: Not less than 10 years and a dine up to $10 million.

          Counts 4 and 6: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.
 

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

 

Richard A. Lara, 47, Wichita, Kan., is charged with five counts of bank fraud and 12 counts of misapplication of bank funds. The crimes are alleged to have occurred from 2009 to 2014 in Sumner County, Kan., while Lara was an employee of Security State Bank of Wellington.

The indictment alleges Lara received unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled.

If convicted, he faces up to 30 years and a fine up to $1 million on each of the counts. The FBI investigated. Assistant U./S. Attorney Welch is prosecuting.

 

Kortea Gullick, 33, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction, and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 19, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted he faces up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge, and up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The FBI Safe Streets Task Force investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is investigating.

 

Shawn Eugene Dodson, 28, Grand Island, Neb., is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 12, 2016, in Wichita, Kan.,

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years a fine up to $1 million. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh is prosecuting.

 

Sabino Hernandez, Jr., 26. Paramount, Calif., is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 12, 2016, in Ellis County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces not less than 10 years and a fine up to $4 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration 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 Newton woman pleaded guilty Thursday to concealing from authorities that a convicted felon unlawfully possessed firearms that he later used in a shooting incident at Excel Industries, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Sarah T. Hopkins, 28, Newton, Kan., pleaded guilty to failing to report to authorities that convicted felon Cedric Ford unlawfully possessed a firearm.

In her plea, Hopkins admitted that on Feb. 5, 2016, she redeemed an AK-47 rifle from a pawn shop in Newton and gave it to Ford. On Feb 25, 2016, investigators recovered the rifle and a handgun at Excel Industries in Newton where Ford shot three people to death before being killed in a shootout with police.

Sentencing is set for Nov. 28.  Hopkins faces up to three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Beall commended the following agencies: The Hesston Police Department, the Harvey County Sheriff’s Department, the Newton Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas City, Kan., man who told investigators he preferred jail to living with his wife was indicted Thursday on a federal bank robbery charge, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Lawrence John Ripple, 70, Kansas City, Kan., was indicted on one count of bank robbery. A criminal complaint filed earlier in the case alleged that on Sept. 2, 2016, Ripple sat down in the lobby and waited for police after robbing the Bank of Labor at 756 Minnesota Ave. in Kansas City, Kan. He told investigators that after an argument with his wife he felt he would rather be in prison than go back home.

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 Sheri Catania is prosecuting. 

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Elizabeth Watson, 48, is charged with escaping from federal custody at the Heartland Center for Behavioral Change.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.

Gabriel Lemus-Miranda, 36, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Aug.18, 2016, in Rush 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.

Jose Francisco Cisneros-Orellana, 46, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Aug.18, 2016, in Cowley 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.  

Mark Collier, 34, is charged with escaping from federal custody at the Grossman Community Correction Center in Leavenworth, Kan. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 13, 2016.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting.

Gerald Armstrong, 67, Olathe, Kan, is charged with making a false statement on an application for a passport. The crime is alleged to have occurred June 9, 2007, in Johnson County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The State Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting.

Debbie Jones, 60, Kansas City, Mo., is charged with one count of delaying the delivery of mail that was entrusted to her as a postal service employee, and count of stealing mail. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in July and September 2015 in Wyandotte County, Kan.

If convicted, she up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Postal Service 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.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A civilian hospital employee was charged Thursday with setting a woman on fire on Fort Leavenworth in an effort to kill her, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Clifford Currie, 54, Leavenworth, Kan., was charged with one count of assault with intent to commit murder. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., alleged that Currie threw gasoline or some other inflammable liquid on his female supervisor, lit on her fire and assaulted her with a straight edge razor. Another hospital worker came to the victim’s aid when she heard screams and saw the victim on fire from the chest up. That woman was injured trying to stop Currie from continuing the assault on the victim. Currie was subdued by hospital employees and then arrested.

If convicted, 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 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 Lawrence man was sentenced Tuesday to 70 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Tyler Padden, 35, Lawrence, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. At sentencing, prosecutors said Padden had four computers containing 2,000 images and 800 videos of child pornography. He installed seven file sharing programs on his computer, allowing him to search for child porn and allowing other users to download images from his collection of child pornography.

The investigation began when a detective with the Overland Park Police Department used the Internet to download child pornography from Padden’s computer.

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

TOPEKA, KAN. – The former owner of a trucking company in Kansas City, Kan., was sentenced Tuesday to 33 months in federal prison for evading federal income taxes, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. He was ordered to pay $939,408 in restitution.

Clifford C. Copp, 47, Overland Park, Kan., who owned Copp Trucking Co. in Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. In his plea, he admitted he filed reports to the Internal Revenue Service in 2001 indicating the company owed approximately $939,408 in employment taxes for that year. However, the company did not pay the employment taxes due.

In February 2004 Copp was assessed trust fund recovery penalties of $669,037. When the IRS began collection efforts he concealed income. He filed a false statement to the IRS concealing his ownership interest in assets including livestock, life insurance and farm equipment. He also formed Wildcat Limo, LLC, and concealed his ownership interest in the company.

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

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Two men were charged in U.S. District Court here Thursday with robbing a Leawood bank, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Terry Lovelady, 57, Kansas City, Mo., and Chad English, 42, Kansas City, Mo., were charged with one count of bank robbery. A criminal complaint alleges that on Aug. 24, 2016, Lovelady robbed the Central Bank of the Midwest at 4801 Town Center Drive in Leawood and fled in a getaway car driven by English. The robbers led police on a high speed chase, running red lights and cutting off other drivers. Eventually, the getaway car jumped a curb, rolled down a hill and came to a stop in a parking lot at St. Joseph Medical Center. The robbers fled the car on foot and were soon arrested.

If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Leawood Police Department 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 Wichita man was charged Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Wichita with kidnapping a teenage girl from St. Louis, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Johnny Angel Vallejo, 49, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of kidnapping a minor born in 1999, and one count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in sexual activities.

An affidavit filed in the case alleges the investigation began Aug. 19 when the Kansas Highway Patrol was notified that a teenager had been taken from the St. Louis area and the kidnapper was traveling south on the Kansas Turnpike. Investigators tracked the teenager’s phone to Wichita. They interviewed Vallejo at his residence in the 1200 block of South Washington, but did not find the teenager.

Later, the KHP responded to a call about a distraught teenager. They found the victim at the Bionic Burger restaurant at 3257 E. Harry. They learned Vallejo had first contacted the teenager on Facebook and had traveled to St. Louis to visit the teenager. On Aug. 19, Vallejo picked up the teenager at school. Vallejo made threats and forced the teenager to accompany him to Kansas.

If convicted, Vallejo faces up to life in federal prison on the kidnapping charge, and not less than 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the transportation charge. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart 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 Thursday to 35 years in federal prison for drug trafficking, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Faustino Soto, 43, Topeka, Kan., was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances.

Prosecutors told the court that during an investigation that began in the fall of 2013 Soto was identified as a multi-pound supplier of methamphetamine to a trafficking organization that was operating in Franklin, Shawnee, Anderson, and Douglas counties in Kansas. When investigators served a search warrant at Soto’s residence in the 100 block of SE Rice Road in Topeka they recovered methamphetamine, firearms, and more than $17,000 in cash.

In sentencing Soto, the judge took into account evidence that Soto obstructed justice by intimidating three witnesses prior to trial.

Beall commended the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of operating a chop shop trafficking in stolen auto parts, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Maurice L. Stewart, 39, who is in federal custody, is charged with one count of operating a chop shop and two counts of trafficking in stolen auto parts. The indictment alleges Stewart’s operation at 13th and Madison in Topeka received stolen autos and disassembled them for sale as parts.

The indictment alleges that while the crimes occurred Stewart was on conditional release on another federal indictment charging him with tax fraud and wire fraud.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of operating a chop shop, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the trafficking charges. A task force including the Topeka Police Department, the Kansas Department of Revenue – Office of Special Investigation, the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hathaway is prosecuting.      

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Harley M. Edwards, 24, Narka, Kan., and Ric Meczyor, 27, Belleville, Kan., are charged with one count of conspiring to steal money orders from a post office and one count of stealing money orders. The crimes are alleged to have occurred during February to March 2016 in Narka, Kan.

If convicted, they face a penalty up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the conspiracy charge, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the theft charge. The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting.

Cole H. Castens, 23, Wamego, Kan., is charged with one count of theft by a postal employee. The indictment alleges he stole gift cards. The crime is alleged to have occurred in January and February 2016 in Wamego, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of 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 Christine Kenney is prosecuting.

Monty Owston Quiring, 19, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction and one count of theft of government property. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 18, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 10 years on each count and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

Brandon Anthony Best, 26, who is in custody in the Shawnee County Jail, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 16, 2016, in Topeka, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 10 years on each count and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Topeka Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

Trevon Donzell Praylow, 28, who is in custody in the Shawnee County Jail, is charged with (count one and count four) unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, (count two) possession with intent to distribute marijuana, (count three).

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Counts one and four: Up to 10 years on each count and a fine up to $250,000.

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

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

The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Topeka Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting. 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. - A retired Wichita police lieutenant pleaded guilty Tuesday to filing false documents so he would be paid $56,400 for providing armed engagement training for law enforcement officers, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Kevin P. Vaughn, 51, Wichita, Kan., who retired in March 2015 after 28 years with the Wichita Police Department, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of public funds and one count of mail fraud.

In his plea, Vaughn admitted he falsified reports to make it appear his company, Red Mist Tactical, had completed all of 15 eight-hour classes as the company’s contract required. The money for the training came from a grant by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA) to the Kansas Highway Patrol and the North Central Regional Planning Commission.

Vaughn admitted he:

• Falsely reported conducting training in McPherson, Kan., on May 27 and May 28, 2015. In fact, the training sessions took place on June 3 and 4, 2015, after the deadline in the contract for the training to be completed. He forged officers’ signatures on sign-up sheets.

• Falsely reported conducting eight hours of training on May 22, 2015, during the Wichita Police Department Ladies Range Day. In fact, the training lasted four hours and it was not approved by the police department.

• Falsely reported offering training in Sumner County on April 27 and May 1, 2015. In fact, there was no training on those days.

• Falsely reported offering training in Sumner County on April 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24, 2015. In fact, there was no training on those days.

Sentencing is set for Nov. 16. He faces a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the embezzlement count, and up to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the wire fraud count.

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

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was kidnapped at age 11 and remained missing for more than 18 years, will be the keynote speaker at next month’s Protect Our Children Conference in Kansas City, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers and victim service providers from across the region are expected to attend the conference from Sept. 12 to 14 at the Kansas Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo. The three-day event will cover a broad range of threats facing children including domestic violence, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, drug trafficking, child pornography and the effects of exposure to violence.

“Children are being robbed of the chance to live a rich and full life,” Beall said. “We have to work harder to protect them. Every child deserves to grow up free from harm, free from fear and free from the shadow of violence.”

Dugard will discuss her work with the JAYC Foundation, Inc., to help survivors of trauma. In her book, “A Stolen Life,” she tells the story of being abducted while she was walking from home to a school bus stop. On Aug. 26, 2009, she was found with convicted sex offender Phillip Craig Garrido. Investigators became suspicious of Garrido when he visited the campus of the University of California at Berkeley with Dugard.

Other presentations will cover a broad range of topics including meeting the needs of crime victims, confronting family violence and coping with stress.

Information about registering and paying for the conference is available online at http://www.pocconference.com/

There is a registration fee. The deadline to register is Aug. 31.

The conference is sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Kansas Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Midwest Criminal Justice Institute at Wichita State University.

WICHITA, KAN. – Two men were indicted Tuesday on federal charges of trying to smuggle more than 22 pounds of methamphetamine into Wichita, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Hector Daniel Vazquez, 26, Wichita, Kan., and Pedro Ruben Garibay, 28, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

An affidavit filed in the case alleges that on Aug. 12, 2016, a deputy with the Clark County (Kansas) Sheriff’s Office stopped a gray 2016 Volkswagen Jetta in Minneola, Kan., for a traffic violation. The officer found a .40 caliber pistol and a black gym bag containing more than 22 pounds of methamphetamine in the car. When investigators learned the methamphetamine was to be delivered to buyers in Wichita, they set up a sting operation to deliver part of the shipment. In Wichita, Vazquez and Garibay were arrested when they met the load in the parking lot of a Super 8 Motel.

If convicted, the defendants face a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. Investigating agencies include the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the Haysville Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wichita Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Bill L. Miller, 56, Wichita, Kan., and Tjay B. Miller, 28, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In addition, Tjay Miller is charged with one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction, one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm while being a user of controlled substances and a second count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2015 and 2016 in Wichita.

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.

          Unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon or a user of controlled substances: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

The Wichita Police Department and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

John J. O’Neill, 62, Wichita, Kan., president of Omni Aerospace, Inc., is charged with making a false statement on a federal tax return. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 13, 2011, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to three years in federal prison and a fine up to $100,000. The Internal Revenue Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

Paulo Ivan Garcia, 39, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported, one count of assaulting a federal office, one count of document fraud, one count of misusing a Social Security number, one count of producing a false identification document and one count of aggravated identity theft. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2012 and 2016 in Ford County, Kan.

Upon conviction, the alleged crimes carry the following penalties:

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

          Assaulting a federal officer: Up to eight years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Document fraud: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

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

          Unlawful production of an identity document: Up to 15 years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory two years to run consecutively to other sentences.

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

 

Lorenzo Mejia-Juarez, 33, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Aug. 3, 2016, in Ford County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of 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.

Angelica M. Mendoza-Lopez, 37, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred July 16, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. The Wichita Police Department 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 former mayor of Lawrence was charged in federal court Thursday with embezzling thousands of dollars from a food bank in Douglas County, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Jeremy Farmer, 32, Lawrence, Kan., was charged with one count of embezzlement. According to court documents, the crimes took place while Farmer was the 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.

According to court documents, prosecutors allege that 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.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway is prosecuting.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Two Kansas City, Kan., men were sentenced Monday to 12 years in federal prison for taking part in a plot to commit an armed robbery at a drug house, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Enoch Clark, III, 26, Kansas City, Kan., and Dalevon L. Dixon, 24, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. In their pleas they admitted that in October 2014 they agreed with an undercover agent to rob a narcotics stash house where they believed they would obtain more than 10 pounds of cocaine.

They took part in several meetings in which the crime was planned and it was decided that anyone resisting would be shot. They were arrested Nov. 14, 2014, at a storage lot in Kansas City, Kan. Investigators seized three pistols and a rifle at the scene.

Co-defendants include:

Cornell Jones, who was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison.

Devronn H. Sportsman, who was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.

Dwone C. Heard, who was sentenced to 12 months on supervised release.

Julian Rodriguez, who is set for sentencing Dec. 19.

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 Kansas City, Kan., woman pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges that she took part in an armed robbery at a Stillwell bank before the robbers led police on a high speed chase with a child in the car, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Danille Morris, 26, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. She admitted she cased the bank, provided the getaway car and was in the car when the robbers fled the bank.

Two co-defendants already have entered pleas. Gary Jordan, 39, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. Co-defendant Jacob L. Smith, 18, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery.

In their pleas, Jordan and Smith admitted they were armed with handguns when they entered the First National Bank at 7460 W. 199th Street in Stilwell, Kan. They held tellers at gunpoint before fleeing with cash stuffed in a backpack. Jordan took the wheel of the getaway car.

During the next 25 minutes, the robbers were pursued by the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Leawood Police Department and other law enforcement agencies as they fled across the Kansas/Missouri state line. During the chase, Smith fired at officers six times from the car. After the car overturned on a sharp turn, the defendants were arrested. Throughout the chase, co-defendant Morris and her 19-month-old child were in the car. She was seated in the front passenger seat at the time the vehicle crashed. The child was fastened in a car seat in the back seat.

Morris is set for sentencing Dec. 20. The crimes carry the following penalties: Up to 25 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 for robbery, not less than 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 for discharging firearms in a robbery, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 for unlawful possession a firearm by a felon.

Beall commended all the agencies that assisted in the investigation including the FBI, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Leawood Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, as well as the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A 19-year-old defendant pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy on Fort Riley, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Juwuan D. Jackson, 19, who lived on the Fort Riley base at the time, pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter. He admitted that on Sept. 11, 2015, he handled a firearm in a reckless manner, resulting in the shooting death of 16-year-old Kenyon Givens, Jr., who also lived on Fort Riley.

At Monday’s hearing, prosecutors said when military police responded to the shooting Jackson told them an unknown intruder wearing a mask had forced his way into the home and shot Givens. Paramedics were not allowed to enter and treat Givens until military police had searched the house for an intruder. At the same time, police began searching the neighborhood to find the weapon and the masked shooter.

Investigators eventually learned that Jackson had been playing with a loaded .22 caliber handgun before the shooting. Jackson spun the chamber while holding the trigger. The revolver discharged and a bullet struck Givens in the chest.

Sentencing is set for Jan. 11. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. Beall commended the Army Criminal Investigations Division and the FBI, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A University of Kansas graduate student was indicted Wednesday on charges of making false claims on an application for a visa that he had served as a translator for the U.S. Army in Iraq, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.

Goran Sabah Ghafour, 34, who has been living in Lawrence, Kan., is charged with one count of visa fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

Ghafour initially was charged in a criminal complaint filed July 19 in federal court. The complaint alleged that while he was a graduate teaching assistant in the journalism department at KU he applied for an immigrant visa. He submitted an application under a special provision for former Iraqi nationals who worked for the U.S. military in Iraq. To support his application he submitted letters purporting to be from two brigadier generals verifying his service and supporting his application. Investigators later determined that the letters were fabricated by Ghafour and the two officers had not written or signed the letters.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the visa charge, and not less than two years consecutive to the other count on the identity theft charges. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Joshua Grimm, 32, Leavenworth, Kan., is charged with one count of distributing child pornography. The indictment alleges he used instant messaging software to distribute images of child pornography. The crime is alleged to have occurred June 3, 2016, in Leavenworth County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan is prosecuting.

Imon L. Wright, 34, Kansas City, 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 30, 2016, in Wyandotte County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on the marijuana charge, not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the first firearm charge, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the second firearm charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Tobacco investigated. Acting U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt 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 former employee of a bank in Great Bend was indicted Wednesday on a charge of embezzling more than $73,600, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Kaden Herman, 19, Great Bend, Kan., is charged with one count of embezzlement by a bank employee.

The indictment alleges that in May 2016 Herman was working for Landmark National Bank in Great Bend when he embezzled more than $73,600 from the bank. If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Richard Earl Talmage, 35, Wichita, Kan., is charged with failing to register as required by the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The crime is alleged to have occurred from March 20, 2016, to July 15, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart 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 115 months in prison for committing a federal gun crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Robby Alan Murphy, 35, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. He entered the plea in May during the afternoon of the second day of his trial on the charges. During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Murphy was armed with a handgun on April 18, 2015, when and a co-defendant attempted to rob a drug dealer at this home near Cheney, Kan.

Murphy had a previous federal firearm conviction and was prohibited from possessing a gun.

Co-defendant Byron Cadavid was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison

Beall commended the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind of their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Kan., man who shot his way out when a gas station clerk tried to lock him in the store was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in federal prison, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Nathaniel Germany, 27, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In his plea, Germany admitted that on Sept. 1, 2015, he pointed a gun at a driver parked at the BP Gas Station at 900 N. 5th Street in Kansas City, Kan. Germany took the driver’s car and fled.

On Sept. 7, 2015, a clerk at the BP Gas Station recognized Germany when he came into the store with another man. The clerk, who was behind bullet-resistant glass, used a button to lock the men in the store while he called police. Germany produced a .40 caliber handgun and fired two shots into a glass door in order to escape.

Three days later, Germany’s parole officer recognized him from surveillance photos and notified police, who arrested Germany.

Beall commended the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Kansas Department of Corrections, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A former private in the U.S. Army who was stationed at Fort Riley pleaded guilty and was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison for stealing his fellow soldiers’ identities, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today. In addition, he was ordered to pay more than $23,400 in restitution.

Todd M. Newbrough, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft. In his plea, he admitted he used his position with the Army to access personal identifying information about fellow soldiers in his unit at Fort Riley. The records he accessed included Leave and Earnings Statements, Enlisted Record Briefs and Alpha Rosters. They contained personal information including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and places of birth. Newbrough used the information to obtain credit cards and lines of credit in the names of the soldiers.

Beall commended the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, Computer Crime

Investigative Unit (CCIU), the Riley County Police Department and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – An Arizona man was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison for taking part in a real estate fraud scheme in which developers borrowed to build townhomes at Table Rock Lake, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today. In addition, he was ordered to pay more than $14.2 million in restitution.

James B. Clarkson, 45, Casa Grande, Ariz., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

In his plea, he admitted that while he was working as a mortgage broker he entered into an agreement with co-defendants David Drake and Donald Snider to advertise and obtain investors for their Indian Ridge Project. Drake and Snider planned to construct townhomes near Table Rock Lake and sell them as vacation homes.

Clarkson prepared loan applications for buyers in which he made false statements. He inflated borrowers’ income to make sure they qualified for loans.

Drake and Snider obtained 51 construction loans for their project. The loan agreements required construction costs be paid before seeking reimbursement. Instead, Drake and Snider failed to do enough construction to justify the funding they received. Only 13 homes were started and none of them were completed. Drake and Snider used the money from the loans for personal expenses and expenses related to other construction projects.

Drake and Snider are awaiting sentencing.

Beall commended the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Secret Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Lenexa man pleaded guilty Monday to harassing former girlfriends and business partners by sending them letters on Internal Revenue Service letterhead saying they were under investigation for tax evasion, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Jeffrey Nickerson, 56, Lenexa, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of impersonating a federal employee. In his plea, Nickerson admitted he was an acquaintance of a woman who worked at the IRS Service Center in Kansas City, Mo. She brought IRS letterhead and IRS publications home. He used the information to send letters to former girlfriends and former business partners. The letters said the victims were under investigation as a result of reports being filed to the Internal Revenue Service Fraud Investigations Hotline.

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. Beall commended the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas City, Kan., man pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges that he took part in an armed robbery at a Stillwell bank before leading police on a high speed chase with a child in his car, Acting U.S.

Gary Jordan, 39, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. Last week, co-defendant Jacob L. Smith, 18, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery.

In his plea, Jordan admitted that on March 9, 2016, he and Smith were armed with handguns when they entered the First National Bank at 7460 W. 199th Street in Stilwell, Kan. They held tellers at gunpoint before fleeing with cash stuffed in a backpack. Jordan took the wheel of the getaway car.

During the next 25 minutes, the robbers were pursued by the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Leawood Police Department and other law enforcement agencies as they fled across the Kansas/Missouri state line. During the chase, Smith fired at officers six times from the car. After the car overturned on a sharp turn, the defendants were arrested. Throughout the chase, co-defendant Danille Morris, 26, Kansas City, Kan., and her 19-month-old child were in the car. She has scheduled a change of plea hearing for Aug. 8.

Jordan and Smith are set for sentencing Dec. 19. The crimes carry the following penalties: Up to 25 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 for robbery, not less than 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 for discharging firearms in a robbery, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 for unlawful possession a firearm by a felon.

Beall commended all the agencies that assisted in the investigation including the FBI, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Leawood Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, as well as the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley.

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka woman pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to operate an interstate sex trafficking business, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Shannon Nelson, 23, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. In her plea, she admitted conspiring with co-defendants to operate a Topeka-based prostitution business. At times, as many as 20 females were working as prostitutes for the organization. The leader of the organization rented houses where some of the prostitutes were allowed to live. The organization used Web sites, social media and cell phones to advertise sexual services and to keep track of prostitutes.

Nelson admitted she worked for co-defendant Frank Boswell as a commercial sex worker. She became a trusted member of Boswell’s organization and lived in one of Boswell’s houses. She posted advertisements for herself and other women on a Web site offering sexual services. She used cell phones to communicate with Boswell and others in the course of operating the prostitution business.

Federal agents encountered her July 15, 2015, at a Motel 6 in Omaha where she and other women had gone to engage in prostitution.

Sentencing is set for Oct. 24. She faces a penalty of up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Co-defendant Frank Boswell, 42, Topeka, Kan., is awaiting trial. Co-defendant Rachel Flenniken, 34, Topeka, Kan., is set for sentencing Oct. 17. Co-defendant Sean P. Hall, 46, Topeka, Kan., is set for sentencing Oct. 3.

Beall commended the Topeka Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.

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

TOPEKA, KAN. - The owners of a construction and remodeling business in Paola were sentenced Monday on a federal tax charge, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.

Dan Casey, 41, Paola, Kan., was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. His wife, Nicole Lynn Casey, 39, Paola, Kan., was sentenced to three years on supervised release. They were ordered to pay $102,000 in restitution.

The Caseys pleaded guilty to one count of filing false tax returns. They admitted failing to report some of their income from Pro-Built, a construction and remodeling business they owned in Paola.

From 2008 through 2011 they failed to report more than $347,000 in income, resulting in tax due of more than $102,000. Dan Casey also admitted paying cash to contractors who worked on his barn following a fire. He failed to report the payments to the Internal Revenue Service.

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

 

TOPEKA, KAN. - A former office manager for a Lawrence property management company pleaded guilty Monday to embezzlement, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Candy A. Gunderson, 44, Lawrence, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen funds. In her plea, Gunderson admitted the crime took place from 2007 to 2015 while she was office manager for Garber Enterprises in Lawrence. She used various means to steal money from the company including:

• Depositing into her personal account checks made payable to Garber Enterprises.

• Issuing forged Garber Enterprises checks.

• Using company funds to pay bills for work performed on rental properties she owned.

• Using the company VISA card for personal expenses.

• Depositing cash belonging to the company into her personal accounts.

• Forging checks on Garber’s account to pay for personal phone bill.

Sentencing is set for Nov. 7. She faces a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. At the sentencing hearing, the judge will determine the amount of the loss and the restitution.

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