District of Kansas

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The former controller of a company in Lenexa pleaded guilty Monday to embezzling more than $135,000, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Alan Wenk, 43, pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud. In his plea, he admitted the crimes occurred while he worked as the regional controller and corporate accounts payable manager for Performance Contracting Group, Inc. (PCG), headquartered in Lenexa. The company, with 50 offices throughout the United States, is made up of several companies that provide a wide range of services and products including demolition; lead and asbestos abatement; thermal, fire and acoustical insulation; and recycling processes.

Wenk caused PCG to issue fraudulent checks for payment to him and to business entities he controlled. In all, he fraudulently received 20 checks totaling approximately $135,560.

Sentencing is set for May 16. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years and a fine up to $1 million on each count. Grissom commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – An Arizona man was sentenced Monday to 5 years in federal prison for driving 12 pounds of methamphetamine from Arizona to Kansas, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Jose Francisco Beltran, 39, Tucson, Ariz., pleaded guilty to one count of interstate travel in furtherance of drug trafficking. In his plea, he admitted that on Aug. 27, 2015, the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped him on Interstate 70 in Lincoln County, Kan. Troopers discovered approximately 12 pounds of methamphetamine and a half pound of powder cocaine. He told investigators he picked up the drugs in Arizona and was delivering them to Wichita, Kan.

Grissom commend the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster for their work on the case.

John T. Booker Jr., 21, of Topeka, Kansas, pleaded guilty today to attempting to detonate a vehicle bomb on the Fort Riley military base in Manhattan, Kansas.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin and U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom of the District of Kansas made the announcement.

Booker pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia of the District of Kansas to one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of attempted destruction of government property by fire or explosion.  Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.  The parties have stipulated to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison.

“John Booker admitted that he intended to kill U.S. military personnel on American soil in the name of ISIL,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “Thankfully, law enforcement was able to safely identify and disrupt this threat to the brave men and women who risk their lives to defend our country.  The National Security Division’s highest priority is countering terrorist threats and protecting American lives by holding accountable those who plot to attack us.”

“If this defendant had succeeded, American soldiers would have died,” said U.S. Attorney Grissom.  “The investigators and the attorneys who worked on this case were our line of defense against terrorism.  They kept us safe.”

In his guilty plea, Booker admitted he intended to kill American soldiers and to assist ISIL’s fight against the United States.  His plan called for constructing a bomb containing 1,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate.  Booker intended to trigger the bomb himself and die in the process, and filmed a video he intended Americans to see after his death.

“You sit in your homes and think this war is just over in Iraq,” he said in the video.  “Today we will bring the Islamic State straight to your doorstep.”

Unbeknownst to Booker, the bomb that he constructed was made with inert materials, and the two men working with him were undercover informants for the FBI.

The FBI began investigating Booker in March 2014 after he posted on his Facebook page that he wanted to commit jihad.  Booker admitted that he tried to enlist in the U.S. Army in order to commit an insider attack against American soldiers like the one at Fort Hood in Texas, but his deadly plans were thwarted when he was denied entry into the Army.  In October 2014, Booker began communicating with an undercover FBI informant.  He told the undercover FBI informant that he dreamed of being a fighter in the Middle East, and proposed capturing and killing an American soldier.

In March 2015, Booker was introduced to another FBI informant who he believed would help him plan an attack.  Booker said he wanted to detonate a suicide bomb because he couldn’t be captured, all the evidence would be destroyed, and he would be guaranteed to hit his target.  On March 10, 2015, Booker made a video filmed at Freedom Park near Marshall Army Airfield at Fort Riley in which he pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the leader of ISIL.  That month, he rented a storage unit in Topeka where the bomb would be assembled.

On April 10, 2015, Booker and the informants drove to an area near Fort Riley that Booker believed to be a little-used utility gate where they could enter Fort Riley undetected.  He was arrested when he made the final connections on the device that he believed would arm the bomb.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney 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.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - John T. Booker Jr., 21, of Topeka, Kansas, pleaded guilty today to attempting to detonate a vehicle bomb on the Fort Riley military base in Manhattan, Kan.

U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom of the District of Kansas and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin made the announcement.

Booker pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia of the District of Kansas to one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of attempted destruction of government property by fire or explosion. Sentencing will be set for a later date. The parties have stipulated to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison.

“If this defendant had succeeded, American soldiers would have died,” said U.S. Attorney Grissom. “The investigators and the attorneys who worked on this case were our line of defense against terrorism. They kept us safe.”

 “John Booker admitted that he intended to kill U.S. military personnel on American soil in the name of ISIL,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “Thankfully, law enforcement was able to safely identify and disrupt this threat to the brave men and women who risk their lives to defend our country.  The National Security Division’s highest priority is countering terrorist threats and protecting American lives by holding accountable those who plot to attack us.”

In his guilty plea, Booker admitted he intended to kill American soldiers and to assist ISIL’s fight against the United States.  His plan called for constructing a bomb containing 1,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate.  Booker intended to trigger the bomb himself and die in the process, and filmed a video he intended Americans to see after his death.

“You sit in your homes and think this war is just over in Iraq,” he said in the video.  “Today we will bring the Islamic State straight to your doorstep.”

Unbeknownst to Booker, the bomb that he constructed was made with inert materials, and the two men working with him were undercover informants for the FBI.

The FBI began investigating Booker in March 2014 after he posted on his Facebook page that he wanted to commit jihad.  Booker admitted that he tried to enlist in the U.S. Army in order to commit an insider attack against American soldiers like the one at Fort Hood in Texas, but his deadly plans were thwarted when he was denied entry into the Army. In October 2014, Booker began communicating with an undercover FBI informant. He told the undercover FBI informant that he dreamed of being a fighter in the Middle East, and proposed capturing and killing an American soldier.

In March 2015, Booker was introduced to another FBI informant who he believed would help him plan an attack.  Booker said he wanted to detonate a suicide bomb because he couldn’t be captured, all the evidence would be destroyed, and he would be guaranteed to hit his target.  On March 10, 2015, Booker made a video filmed at Freedom Park near Marshall Army Airfield at Fort Riley in which he pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the leader of ISIL.  That month, he rented a storage unit in Topeka where the bomb would be assembled.

On April 10, 2015, Booker and the informants drove to an area near Fort Riley that Booker believed to be a little-used utility gate where they could enter Fort Riley undetected.  He was arrested when he made the final connections on the device that he believed would arm the bomb.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney 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.

TOPEKA, KAN. - The former branch manager of a bank in Manhattan, Kan., was sentenced Wednesday to 27 months in federal prison for embezzlement, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom. In addition, she was ordered to pay $277,000 in restitution.

Melissa Vinsonhaler, 34, Manhattan, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from a bank. In her plea, she admitted the crime occurred while she was branch manager of Kansas State Bank on East Highway 24 in Manhattan, Kan. She embezzled $277,000 from the bank and made false entries in the bank’s ledger to cover up the crime.

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

 

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Tiara Jade Newman, 22, Topeka, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. In her plea, she admitted that on March 21, 2015, she and her husband, co-defendant Reginald Newman, 29, Topeka, Kan., took a 17-year-old girl from Topeka to Junction City, Kan., for the purpose of prostitution.

The Newmans rented two rooms at a Value Place motel in Junction City. The rooms -- one room for performing commercial sex acts and the other where the three slept – were rented March 21 to March 25.

On March 21, Tiara Newman and the girl met a solder from Fort Riley at the Value Place motel. The soldier paid $250 to have sex with both of them.

On March 26, Tiara Newman took the girl along on an “out call” to the Fairfield Inn in Manhattan, Kan. Newman told the customer that the girl was new and she was showing her the business. The customer noticed that the girl was nervous and gave her a tip.

Reginald Newman kept all the money from the commercial sex acts. He pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing April 1.

Tiara Newman’s sentencing is set for May 2. Newman faces a penalty of not less than 15 years and a fine up to $250,000. Grissom thanked the following agencies for their work on the investigation: The Topeka Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Riley County Police Department, the Junction City Police Department, the Kansas Department of Revenue, the Fort Riley Police Department, the Ottawa Police Department, the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office, the Pottawatomie County Attorney, the Riley County Attorney and local human trafficking victim specialists.

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Lawrence woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to forging her ex-husband’s signature on official documents when she fled to Europe with her daughters, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Tuesday.

Samantha C. Elmer, 33, Lawrence, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft. In her plea she admitted she forged her husband’s signature on a document giving her consent to take their two daughters to Europe. She filed the document as part of the process of getting passports for the girls.

Elmer was charged in December after she returned from Europe with the girls, 9 and 11 years old.

Sentencing will be set for a later date. She faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Grissom commended the following agencies that worked on the investigation: the Lawrence Police Department, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, the Eudora Police Department, the Overland Park Police Department and the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, as well as the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley.

WICHITA, KAN. - A retired Wichita police lieutenant who was paid $56,400 to provide armed engagement training for law enforcement officers was indicted Tuesday on charges of embezzling federal grant funds.

Kevin P. Vaughn, 51, Wichita, Kan., who retired in March 2015 after 28 years with the Wichita Police Department, is charged with one count of embezzling U.S. Department of Homeland Security funds, one count of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

The indictment alleges Vaughn falsified reports to make it appear his company, Red Mist Tactical, had completed all of 15 eight-hour classes the company agreed to provide. 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.

The indictment alleges Vaughn:

• 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 for the training to be completed. In addition, the training sessions were four hours long, not the eight hours Vaughn’s company had agreed to provide. Vaughn submitted falsified sign-up sheets with forged officers’ signatures.

• 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. Vaughn submitted fabricated sign-up sheets for those dates.

• 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. He submitted fabricated sign-up sheets for those dates.

 

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Count 1 (embezzlement): A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

Count 2 and 6 (mail fraud): A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.

Counts 3, 4 and 5 (wire fraud): A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Count 7 (Money laundering): A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

 

The FBI and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.

 

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

WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita massage parlor owner was sentenced Wednesday to time served (10 months) for trying to recruit a Chinese-speaking woman to perform sexual services at a massage parlor in Wichita, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. She also will serve five years on federal supervised release.

Ping Liu, 44, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement to prostitution. In her plea, she admitted that during a phone conversation conducted in Mandarin Chinese she arranged for a woman posing as a job applicant from New York to come to Wichita to work at Q Massage, 3833 W. 13th in Wichita. Liu told the applicant that the job included providing sexual services to customers. Liu told the applicant she would pick her up at the airport in Wichita.

In her plea, Liu also admitted twice offering to perform sexual services for undercover Wichita police officers who came to the massage parlor posing as customers.

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

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A former credit union employee pleaded guilty Wednesday to embezzling more than $34,000, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Susan Wooten-Robb, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. In her plea, she admitted the crime occurred while she worked for Community America Credit Union at 5601 W. 95th in Overland Park, Kan. In February 2014 two account holders complained about unauthorized debits from their accounts. Investigation revealed Wooten-Robb had made unauthorized debits totaling $34,035. In one instance, she attempted to cover up an unauthorized debit by filing a false currency transaction report claiming the account holders took out the money to assist a family member with paying tuition.

Sentencing will be set for a later date. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million.

Grissom commended the U.S. Secret Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City tax preparer has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for filing false tax returns using the names of prison inmates and others, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Wednesday.

Prayshana Washington, 28, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of preparing false income tax returns and one count of aggravated identity theft. In her plea, she admitted that from 2012 to 2015 she was in the business of preparing individual income tax returns for clients, who generally paid between $500 and $1,000 for her services. She admitted:

• Filing tax returns for clients containing false claims about dependents, household help income, education credits and American Opportunity Credits.

• Directing the IRS to deposit fraudulent returns onto prepaid debit cards and mail them to addresses she controlled.

• Obtaining names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers for prison inmates and preparing fraudulent income tax returns in their names.

Grissom commended the Internal Revenue Service, Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask and Matthew Kluge, Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – An Olathe woman was charged in an indictment unsealed today with devising a series of schemes to steal public funds by means of tax fraud, mail fraud and bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. Three other people also were charged in the case.

The indictment alleges Raquel Odegbaro, 39, owner of Cokeza Styles, an online business that sold hair products, created a series of fictitious companies and filed tax returns in the names of so-called employees that included false information about wages earned, amounts withheld and refunds due.

In addition to tax fraud charges, Odegbaro is accused of making fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits, student loans and food stamps.

Odegbaro is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States (count one), making false claims (counts two through seven), theft of public money (counts 8 and 9, and counts 24 and 25), aggravated identity theft (counts 10, 11, 20 to 22), conspiracy to commit mail fraud (count 12), mail fraud (counts 13 through 15), making false statements (count 23), theft of public money (counts 16 through 19, and counts 24 and 25), and bank fraud (count 26 and 27).

Also charged are:

Abdirizak Aden, 32, Kansas City, Mo., who is alleged to have rented a UPS mailbox where he received loadable debit cards containing tax refunds that were obtained by fraud. He is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States (count one), making false claims (counts two through seven), theft of public money (counts 8 and 9, and 16 through 19), aggravated identity theft (counts 10 and 11, and 20 through 22), conspiracy to commit mail fraud (count 12), and mail fraud (counts 13 through 15).

Alexander Limihagati, 33, Overland Park, Kan., who is alleged to have received tax refunds mailed to his address that were obtained by fraud. He is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States (count one), making false claims (counts two through seven), theft of public money (counts 8 and 9), and aggravated identity theft (counts 10 and 11).

Zia Mkubi Kajanja, 40, Overland Park, Kan., who is alleged to have provided Odegbaro with Social Security numbers and personal information on individuals needed to file tax returns. He is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States (count one), making false claims (counts two to seven), theft of public money (counts 8 and 9), and aggravated identity theft (counts 10 and 11).

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Conspiracy to defraud the government (count one): A maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Making false claims (count two through seven): A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Theft of public money (counts 8, 9, 24 and 25): A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

Aggravated identity theft (counts 10 and 11, and 20 through 22): A mandatory two years (consecutive).

Conspiracy to commit mail fraud (count 12): A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Mail fraud (counts 13 through 15): A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.

Theft of public funds (counts 16 through 19): A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

False statements (count 23): A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Bank fraud (counts 26 and 27): A maximum penalty of 30 years and a fine up to $1 million on each count.

The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Kansas Department of Children and Families, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Education – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor and Racketeering and Fraud Investigations 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 Kansas man was sentenced Monday to two years in federal prison for causing a struggle in which U.S. Marshals were exposed to the drug PCP, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Frederick E. Pendleton, 32, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal employee. In his plea he admitted the incident occurred Dec. 30, 2014, when U.S. Marshals attempted to arrest him for violating supervised release in a criminal case. The marshals went to Liberty Fruit Co., in Kansas City, Kan., where Pendleton was working. Pendleton resisted arrest, struggling with the marshals. During the struggle, a vial of PCP Pendleton was carrying in his waistband leaked, soaking his groin in the chemical. Two marshals suffered injuries on their hands that came into contact with the PCP. They were treated at a hospital for exposure to the drug.

PCP, also known as angel dust, can cause numbness, loss of motor control, convulsions and hallucinations.

The 24-month sentence will be consecutive to an 18-month sentence in the previous case.

Grissom commended the U.S. Marshals Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka tax preparer was charged in an indictment unsealed today with filing false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Maurice L. Stewart, 38, Topeka, Kan., is charged with 13 counts of filing false tax returns and 13 counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges the government paid more than $479,000 in refunds to Stewart’s customers based on returns containing false information.

Stewart filed returns in clients’ names, falsely claiming the returns were self-prepared. He fraudulently reported that clients had suffered business losses. He filed returns electronically using the IP address of a Topeka business where he formerly was employed as an online IT technical services coordinator. He prepared returns using an online program where he had opened an account using another person’s name.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of filing a false return, and a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each wire fraud count. Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway 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 man who shot at police in Kansas City, Kan., was indicted Wednesday on federal charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

 A grand jury returned an indictment charging Ashawntus S. McCambry, 27, Kansas City, Kan., with one count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, 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.

McCambry initially was charged in a criminal complaint alleging the crimes occurred Dec. 22, 2015, when officers from the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department served a search warrant at McCambry’s residence in the 800 block of Quindaro Boulevard. When police tried to enter, McCambry fired three rounds in their direction. After surrendering to officers, he said he didn’t know they were police and he thought he was being robbed.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on the crack cocaine charge; a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the marijuana charge; not less than 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the remaining charge. The Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.

 

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Nathaniel N. Germany, Jr., 26, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of carjacking, one count of brandishing a firearm during the carjacking, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Sept. 1 and Sept. 8, 2015, in Wyandotte County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the carjacking charge, not less than seven years and a fine up to $250,000 on the brandishing charge, and a maximum penalty of 10 years on the remaining count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.

Samuel Below, 28, Wichita, Kan., is charged with 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 Jan. 15, 2016, in Wichita, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 5 years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to$2 million on the methamphetamine charge and a penalty of not less than five years (consecutive) and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.

Brandon Matthew Mounce, 38, who was living in Hutchinson, Kan., is charged with failing to register as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The crime is alleged to have occurred March 26, 2015.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Martin is prosecuting.         

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

WICHITA, KAN. - A federal indictment unsealed here today alleges a Wichita doctor diverted prescription drugs to the streets, resulting in one of his patients dying from an overdose, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. Eight people who got prescriptions from the doctor also are charged with unlawfully distributing prescription drugs.

Dr. Steven R. Henson, 54, Wichita, Kan., who operated Kansas Men’s Clinic at 3636 N. Ridge Road in Wichita, is charged with:

• Conspiracy to distribute prescription drugs outside the course of medical practice (Counts 1 and 2).

• Unlawfully distributing oxycodone (Counts 3 through 15).

• Unlawfully distributing oxycodone, methadone and alprazolam (Count 16).

• Unlawfully distributing methadone and alprazolam, resulting in the death of a victim on July 24, 2015, identified in court records as N.M. (Count 17)

• Unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (Count 18)

• Presenting false patient records to investigators (Count 19).

• Obstruction of justice (Count 20)

• Money laundering (Counts 21 through 31).

Also charged are:

          Kimi Harper, 50, Kansas City, Mo. (Count 1).

          Amanda Terwilleger, 33, Topeka, Kan., (Counts 1, 3, 7 and 9)

          Jeremy Wojack, 35, Topeka, Kan., (Counts 1, 3, 7 and 9)

          Jordan Allison, 27, Shawnee, Kan., (Counts 1 and 7).

          Grant Lubbers, 29, Whitewater, Kan., (Count 2, 4 and 12)

          Joel Torres, Jr. 28, Newton, Kan., (Counts 2, 4 and 5).

          David Montano, 32, (Count 2 and Count 15)  

          Keith Attebery, 20, Newton, Kan., (Count 2, 8 and 15

According to the indictment, Henson was registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration to dispense prescription controlled substances. His registered addresses included the Kansas Men’s Clinic and a location at 1861 N. Rock Road, Suite 201.

The indictment alleges Henson:

• Wrote prescriptions in return for cash.

• Post-dated prescriptions.

• Wrote prescriptions without a medical need.

• Wrote prescriptions without a legitimate medical exam.

• Wrote prescriptions for people other than the ones who came to see him

If convicted, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Counts 1-16: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million on each count.

Count 17: Not less than 20 years and not more than life and a fine up to $1 million.

Count 18: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Count 19:  A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Count 20: A maximum penalty of one year and a fine up to $100,000.

Counts 21-25: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Counts 26-31: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $500,000 on each count.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the Newton Police Department, the Wichita Police Department and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs are prosecuting.

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

TOPEKA, KAN. - Three men who were arrested earlier this month in Saline County were indicted Wednesday on federal drug charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

A grand jury in Topeka returned indictments against:

Adrian Ayala-Garcia, 23, a citizen of Mexico who has been living in Abilene, Kan., one count of possessing approximately 18 pounds of methamphetamine with intent to distribute; one count of unlawful possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking; and one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Eduardo Ponce-Serrano, 28, Salina, Kan., four counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 18 pounds of methamphetamine, and one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Francisco Javier Carrillo-Elias, 25, who is not a citizen of the United States and who has been living in Salina, three counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 18 pounds of methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Possession with intent to distribute 18 pounds of methamphetamine: Not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million.

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

Possession with intent to distribute cocaine: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.

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

Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine: Not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, the Salina Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough is prosecuting.

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Arthur Martin Rodriguez, 52, who is in custody in Dickinson County, and Daniel Gutierrez, 29, who is in custody in Dickinson County, are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Nov. 19, 2015 in Dickinson County.

If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi is prosecuting.

Andre J. Wallace, 40, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Dec. 19, 2015, in Topeka, Kan.

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

Royelle Lamont Miller, 35, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Jan. 5, 2016, in Topeka, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney 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 woman who tried to flush thousands of dollars in drug funds down a cellblock toilet was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Marisela Ramirez, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In her plea, she admitted she helped arrange for 16 pounds of methamphetamine to be transported by car from California to Kansas. She had $3,880 in drug funds on her person when she was arrested. It was seized in the U.S. Marshals’ cellblock after she attempted to flush it down a toilet.

Co-defendants include:

Jorge Rodriguez-Maciel, who was sentenced to 12 years.

Victor Diaz, who is set for sentencing Jan. 15.

Manuel Torres Arevalo, who is awaiting trial.

Grissom commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. - A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment Tuesday charging a Wichita man with sex trafficking, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Gerald L. Brown, Jr., 25, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of sex trafficking of a minor. In a second count, he is charged with sex trafficking of an adult by force, fraud or coercion.

In count one, the indictment alleges that in June and July 2015 Brown recruited a 17-year-old girl to travel from Kansas to Oklahoma and Texas to engage in prostitution. He advertised the girl’s sexual services on an adult Web site.

In count two, the indictment alleges that from August to Oct 2015 Brown used force, fraud or coercion to cause an adult victim to engage in prostitution. He advertised the woman’s sexual services on an adult Web site.

At the time of the alleged crimes, Brown was a registered sex offender as a result of a 2006 conviction in Sedgwick County District Court for indecent liberties with a child.

If convicted, Brown faces a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of sex trafficking of a minor, and a penalty of not less than 15 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

 

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Crystal Bayliff, 28, Wichita, Kan.; Leslie Elam, 30, Wichita, Kan.; Michael Eubanks, 32, Wichita, Kan.; and Joshua Scott, 38, Wichita, Kan., are charged with drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 5, 2015, in Trego County, Kan.

In count one, Bayliff, Elam and Eubanks are charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In count two, Bayliff and Elam are charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In count three, Scott is charged with using a phone in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Counts one and two: Not less than 10 years and a fine up to $4 million.

Count three: A maximum penalty of four years and a fine up to $250,000.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kansas Highway Patrol and the WaKeeny Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.

Tarah Nietfeld, 24, Wichita, Kan., and Joshua Scott, 38, Wichita, Kan., are charged in count one with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in count nine with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in count 10 with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in count eleven with possession with intent to distribute heroin, and in counts 12, 13 and 14 with unlawful possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. In addition, Scott is charged in counts 4, 6, 7, 15, 16 and 17 with unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction; and Nietfeld is charged in counts 2, 3, 5, 8, 18, 19 and 20 with unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred at various times during 2015 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

The indictment seeks to forfeit $26,703 in cash, representing proceeds of the crimes.

          Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

          Count one: Not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $4 million.

          Counts two through eight and 15 through 20: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Counts nine through 11: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.

          Counts 12 through 14: Not less than five years, consecutive to other penalties, and a fine up to $250,000.

 

The Wichita Police Department, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department, and the Kansas Highway Patrol investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.

Azucena Garcia-Ferniza, 21, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of possession of a firearm while unlawfully in the United States, one count of accessory to a crime after the fact, and one count of having knowledge of a felony that she did not report to law enforcement. The crimes are alleged to have occurred May 7, 2015, in Saline County, Kan.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge, and a maximum penalty of three years and a fine up to $250,000 on the misprision charge. On the charge of giving to knowingly giving aid to a person who committed a crime she faces a maximum sentence of half of the sentence for the person who committed the crime.

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

Jose Alvarez-Galvan, 32, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm while unlawfully in the United States, one count of unlawful possession of ammunition while unlawfully in the United States, and one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Dec. 18, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the firearm charges and a maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000 on the re-entry charge. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Luis Antonio Mendez-Perez, 38, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Dec. 30, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Octavio Martinez-Rabelo, 32, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Nov. 3, 2015, in Sedgwick County.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000. Immigrations 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.

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas couple was sentenced Monday for fraudulently obtaining loans from the Small Business Administration, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Justin Johnson, 40, Wellsville, Kan., was sentenced to six months house arrest, followed by three years supervised release, and restitution of $53,000. His wife, Penny Johnson, 39, Wellsville, Kan., was sentenced to three years on probation and $53,000 restitution.

The defendants pleaded guilty to one count each of making false statements to the Small Business Administration and one count each of money laundering. Justin Johnson owned and operated several construction–related businesses including J-Right, Midland Concrete, A-Vision Landscape, Stucco Masters, Kingdom Homes and Timberview Construction. Penny Johnson was the bookkeeper for her husband’s businesses.

In their pleas, the Johnsons admitted they received a loan through the SBA Express loan program they claimed was for the purchase of equipment. In fact, the loan funds were used to pay off equipment loans and to make payments on construction loans held by Johnson’s various businesses. Loan funds also were used by the Johnsons for their personal use.

Grissom commended the Small Business Administration, the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka woman was sentenced Monday to 18 months for embezzling from her employer, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. She was ordered to pay $416,000 in restitution.

Lisa M. Davenport, 42, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of embezzled funds. In her plea, she admitted the crime occurred while she was an officer manager for Kansas Associates, Inc., which was the Prudential Real Estate franchise in Topeka. She embezzled money from KAI by taking proceeds from the company’s commissions and depositing them into her personal account. A forensic audit determined she embezzled $416,000 from the company

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

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man pleaded guilty Monday to a federal gun charge, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Dallas L. Schnegelsiepen, Jr., 42, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. In his plea, Schnegelsiepen admitted that in 2008 he was convicted in Shawnee County District Court on a felony charge of attempted aggravated battery, which is a felony. As a result of the conviction, he was prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm. On Sept. 11, 2015, police detectives who were investigating a shooting went to the house of Schnegelsiepen’s girlfriend to speak to her. While there, they arrested Schnegelsiepen, who was carrying a .25 caliber pistol in his waistband.

Sentencing is set for April 11. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Grissom commended the Topeka Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas City, Kan., man who pointed a gun at a woman and pushed her out a driver’s side door before stealing her car was sentenced Monday to 180 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today. The sentence is to be served consecutively to a 10-year sentence in another federal case.

John Michael Devosha, 25, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of carjacking.

In his plea, he admitted that on Oct. 22, 2013, was already under federal indictment in another case when he wrecked a stolen pickup truck near 59th and Leavenworth Road in Kansas City, Kan. He abandoned the car and fled on foot in search of another car.

A woman who was driving a 2002 Cadillac Deville was stopped in traffic congestion created by the wreck. Devosha used the handle of his gun to break the woman’s front passenger window and enter her car. He pointed a gun at the woman and told her to drive away fast. Before she could do it, he pushed her out the driver’s side door and onto the road, where she stumbled and injured herself. Then he drove away in her car.

Three days later, Pottawatomie Tribal Police arrested him in Jackson County, Kan., after a 45-mile high speed chase on U.S. Highway 75.

Grissom commended the Pottawatomie Tribal Police, he Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic, as well as agencies that participated in the arrest including officers from Brown, Jefferson and Jackson counties, as well as police from Holton and Sabetha and the Kickapoo and Sac and Fox tribes.

WICHITA, KAN. – A chemical manufacturing company in Rice County pleaded guilty Tuesday to unlawfully disposing of hazardous waste into a salt water disposal well and paid a $1 million fine.

JACAM Manufacturing, LLC, of Sterling, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of violating the federal Safe Water Drinking Act and one count of violating the Resource Conservation Recovery Act. In the plea, the company admitted to disposing of hazardous wastes in an injection well permitted only for the disposal of salt water. JACAM admitted it was unlawfully disposing of acetone, benzene and other hazardous chemicals into a salt water disposal well.

The Safe Water Drinking Act identifies salt water disposal wells as a potential source of pollution to the nation’s underground aquifers. The Resource Conservation Recovery Act created a “cradle-to-gave” regulatory scheme to track hazardous wastes from their point of generation to their final disposal.

Grissom commended the Environmental Protection Agency, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - An Olathe man was indicted Thursday on federal charges of devising a fraud scheme that cost a Turkish investor millions of dollars, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Nagy Shehata, 55, Olathe, Kan., and Laura Lee Sorsby, 62, Texarkana, Texas, are charged in a superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. In addition, Shehata is charged with two counts of money laundering.

The indictment alleges the crimes occurred while Shehata was the president and registered agent for Premier Investment Group, Inc., and Sorsby was president of Can Am International, LLC, headquartered in Dallas. They offered an investor in Turkey investments in building a shopping mall in Turkey and a hospital in Syria. The investor transferred 6 million Euros (more than $8 million) for the hospital project. The defendants diverted the money to their own use. Shehata bought an $855,000 house and an $111,000 auto. Sorsby bought a $77,000 car and a $163,000 house. They promised the investor to return his money but they never gave the money back.

If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the conspiracy count and each of the wire fraud counts, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the money laundering counts. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

 

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Samantha C. Elmer, 33, Lawrence, Kan., is charged with one count of international parental kidnapping, one count of making a false statement on a passport, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Elmer initially was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Dec. 9 that alleged she took her two daughters to Europe to prevent her former husband from lawfully taking custody of the children.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the parental kidnapping charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of making a false statement on a passport, and a mandatory two years (consecutive to other counts) on the identity theft charge. The following agencies worked on the investigation: the Lawrence Police Department, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, the Eudora Police Department, the Overland Park Police Department and the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

Omar Martinez, 31, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Dec. 8, 2015, in Ford County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations 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 teller for a bank in Burlington has been indicted on charges of embezzling approximately $700,000 from the bank, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Denise Christy, 47, Burlington, Kan., is charged with one count of embezzlement, six counts of making false bank entries, six counts of filing false tax returns and 10 counts of money laundering.

The indictment alleges the crimes were committed while Christy worked as a retail financial services representative and backup vault teller for the Burlington branch of Central National Bank. One of Christy’s duties was to sell cash in the bank’s vault to the Federal Reserve Bank. In May 2014 auditors determined that more than $700,000 was missing from the vault. Christy falsely claimed the money was shipped to the Federal Reserve Bank via the Garda security company. An investigation showed Christy falsified bank records to cover up the embezzlement and failed to report the embezzled funds as part of her income. In addition, she unlawfully conducted financial transactions in order to spend more than $77,000 in embezzled funds to pay off loans that she and her husband maintained at Farmers State Bank in Aliceville, Kan.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Embezzlement: A maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million.

Making false bank entries: A maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on each count.

False tax returns: A maximum penalty of three years and a fine up to $100,000 on each count.

Money laundering: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine u8p to $50,000 on each count.

The Internal Revenue Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway is prosecuting.

 

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

          Richard Alan Watson, 57, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of attempted bank robbery.

          The indictment alleges that on Dec. 1, 2015, Watson attempted to rob U.S. Bank at 3600 S.W. Topeka Boulevard in Topeka.

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

**

          James Carter Heard, Jr., 44, Opelika, Ala., is charged with one count of failing to register as required by the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The crime is alleged to have occurred from March 2 to December 3, 2015, in Kansas.

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

**

          Jeremiah L. Johnson, 37, Topeka, Kan., is charged with escaping from custody at the Mirror, Inc., Residential Reentry Center in Topeka, Kan. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 22, 2015.

          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 Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.

**

          Juan Manuel Vasquez-Montalvo, 48, Topeka, Kan., and Francisco Javier Villalobos-Citalan, 40, are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In addition, Villalobos-Citalan is charged with five counts of distributing methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged have occurred at various times from Aug 2015 to December 2015 in Shawnee County, Kan.

          Upon conviction, the conspiracy count carries a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million. The distribution counts carry a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $5 million on each count. The Drug Enforcement Administration 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.

By Barry Grissom, U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas

The Paris attacks, and then San Bernardino, have raised people’s anxieties and concerns about terrorism. But as Americans we must not let fear drive us to hateful and divisive acts toward Muslims in this country.

As U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas, keeping the American people safe is my top priority. At the same time, I urge Kansans not to turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam. That is what the terrorists want and it is the only way they can succeed -- by manipulating us into betraying our own values.

Just as it is the responsibility of Muslims around the world to root out misguided ideals that lead to radicalization, it is the responsibility of all Americans of every faith to reject discrimination. At the Department of Justice, we always have a concern when we see rhetoric cross the line and become threats or violence. So we are monitoring any potential backlash and will respond where we see action that violates our country’s protections against hate crimes.

Let me also make this clear: Decisions as to the resettlement of refugees within the United States are part of the federal government’s constitutional and statutory authority over immigration. Various federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of national origin, and the Department of Justice takes very seriously its responsibility to ensure that those laws are enforced in appropriate circumstances.

Barry Grissom is the United States Attorney for the District of Kansas.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two Missouri men who were leaders of a $28.5 million drug trafficking organization in the Kansas City metro area were sentenced Tuesday to 162 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.

Eduardo Perez-Alcala, 32, Independence, Mo., and Hector Aguilera, 36, Sugar Creek, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

In their pleas, they admitted they were part of a drug trafficking organization that in October 2010 became the target of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Aguilera was the recipient of shipments of cocaine from Perez-Alcala as well as two other Mexican sources of supply

During the investigation more than $2 million in cash, 194 firearms, 29 vehicles, 26 kilograms of cocaine and three kilograms of crack were seized and forfeited.

Grissom commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead for their work on the case.

TOPEKA KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to three years in federal prison for carjacking, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Marcus Anthony Montoya, 23, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking. In his plea, he admitted that on Jan. 12, 2015, he and a co-defendant physically assaulted a Topeka man and stole the keys to the victim’s 1999 Ford Mustang. The assault occurred in the 1800 block of Michigan Avenue in Topeka. The victim didn’t get his car back until March 29, 2015. The car had suffered extensive damage.

Co-defendant Michael Minh Koy, 25, Topeka, Kan., is set for sentencing March 14.

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

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to three years in federal prison for bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Kirk Mychale Sexton, 27, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Jan. 9, 2015, he robbed the Equity Bank at 3825 S.W. 29th Street in Topeka. He entered the bank wearing a blue hoodie with the words “Topeka Water” on the back and handed a clerk a note demanding money. He left the bank with the cash. Police stopped him nearby after seeing red dye from a dye pack on his clothes.

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

WICHITA, KAN. – A California man pleaded guilty Monday to a federal money laundering charge in Kansas, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Andris Cukurs, 69, Glendale, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In his plea, he admitted that on Nov. 14, 2014, he was carrying $314,855 in cash in his car when he was stopped on I-70 by the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department. Cukurs had an agreement with another person to deliver the money, which he knew was derived from the distribution of drugs.

Sentencing is set for March 3. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 30 months in federal prison. Grissom commended the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett for their work on the case.

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Johnson County man was sentenced Thursday to 210 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Jacob N. Hilton, 29, Gardner, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted he traded child pornography over the Internet with a man in Australia who was arrested by the Queensland Police during a child pornography investigation. The man’s records showed he had been in contact with Hilton and the Australian police passed the information on to investigators in Kansas. Investigators obtained a warrant and found evidence in Hilton’s Gmail account that he sent child pornography to the Australian man.

Grissom commended the Queensland Police, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – Federal sex trafficking charges have been filed against two people who live in Wichita, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Martin D. Muldrow, Jr., 36, Wichita Kan., and Breaira S. Bland, 22, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of sex trafficking, one count of causing a person to cross state lines for purposes of prostitution, two counts of transporting a person across state lines for prostitution, and one count of traveling from Kansas to Texas for the purpose of prostitution.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion: Not less than 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Causing a person to cross state lines for prostitution: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.

Transporting a person across state lines for prostitution: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Traveling across state lines for the purpose of prostitution: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

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

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Lawrence woman appeared in federal court in Kansas City, Kan., today on federal charges of fleeing to Europe in an effort to avoid losing custody of her two daughters, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Samantha Elmer, 33, Lawrence, Kan., is charged with one count of taking her children out of the United States with intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of parental rights. Elmer was arrested Dec. 8 at the airport in Kansas City when she returned with her children.

A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., alleges that on Oct. 26 Elmer and her daughters – one 11 years old and the other nine years old – boarded a flight from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago to Vienna, Austria, via Istanbul, Turkey. A week earlier, Elmer’s ex-husband and father of the two girls had filed for full custody in Johnson County District Court. The court had scheduled a hearing for the first week of November. Elmer also was scheduled for a hearing on felony theft charges in Johnson County District Court.

On Oct. 29, an officer of the Lawrence Police Department went to Elmer’s house in Lawrence to do a child welfare check. Investigators determined that Elmer’s daughters had missed the past six days of school. They learned that Elmer had been driving a rented vehicle and had dropped the vehicle off at O’Hare airport before boarding the flight to Austria.

If convicted, Elmer faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The following agencies worked on the investigation: the Lawrence Police Department, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, the Eudora Police Department, the Overland Park Police Department and the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

WICHITA, KAN. - A federal grand jury Tuesday indicted a man who police arrested in Florida on charges of robbing a Wichita bank, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.

Antonio Adam Smiley, 30, Zephyrhills, Fla., is charged with one count of bank robbery. In court records, it is alleged that on Nov. 28, 2015, Smiley robbed the Emprise Bank branch at 2323 S. Hydraulic. Investigators allege he entered the bank about 4:45 p.m. wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. He used a cellular telephone to try to hide his face from surveillance cameras during the robbery and fled the bank with cash. After releasing surveillance photos from the bank, police received information leading them to Smiley.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Wichita Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Roy E. Walls-Guiden, 28, Wichita, Kan., and Demon L. Anderson, 26, Wichita, Kan., are charged with two counts of robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery and one count of carrying a firearm during a robbery.

The indictment alleges the two men were carrying guns on Dec. 4, 2015, when they robbed the Valero station at 248 S. Hillside and then the Petro America station at 2838 W. Central, both in Wichita. According to court records, a Wichita police officer saw the second robbery, leading to the arrest of the defendants.

If convicted, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Robbery (Counts 1 and 2): A maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Brandishing a firearm in a robbery (Count 3): Not less than seven years, consecutive to the robbery count, and a fine up to $250,000.

Carrying a firearm during a robbery (Count 4):  Not less than five years, consecutive to the robbery count, and a fine up to $250,000.

The Wichita Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

Cynthia K. Griffith, 57, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of wire fraud. The indictment alleges that while she worked as a secretary for Griffith Steel Erection, Inc., she embezzled approximately $247,000 from the company. She wrote company checks for her personal expenses.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting. The Wichita Police Department investigated.

Jon Dean Pickerill, 54, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of concealing assets from a bankruptcy court and one count of fraudulently transferring funds that belonged to a bankruptcy case. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2011 and 2012 in Wichita, Kan.

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

Eric A. Crawley, 51, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Oct. 16, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Wichita Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

Adrian G. Lawton, 32, Wichita, Kan., and Erica E. Johnson, 23, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of possession of counterfeit $10 bills. In addition, Lawton is charged with one count Lawton is charged with one count of making counterfeit $10 bills. The crimes are alleged to have occurred June 5, 2015, in Wichita, Kan.

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

James L. Scaia, 36, Wichita, Kan., and Deborah S. Fantastic, 43, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of making counterfeit $20 bills and one count of passing a counterfeit $20 bill. In addition Fantastic is charged with one count credit card fraud. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in August 2015 in Wichita, Kan.

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

Jamie Santiago-Interiano, 25, Wichita, Kan., Jose Anibal Jacome-Leon, 23, Wichita, Kan., and Ivan Rodriguez-Cordova, 40, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Nov. 24, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, the defendants face a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $4 million on each count. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.

Christian D. Avila-Ramirez, 33, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Nov. 24, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

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

Verlarina Ruth Collins, 48, Winfield, Kan., is charged with one count of theft of Social Security funds, three counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of making a false statement to the government and nine counts of wire fraud. The crimes are alleged to have occurred from 2006 to 2013.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Theft of Social Security funds: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory two years to run consecutively on each count.

Making a false statement to the government: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Wire fraud: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

The Social Security Administration 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 Winfield man was sentenced Monday to six years in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Paul Bruce Jordan, Jr., 61, Winfield, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Prosecutors told U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten that Jordan used an Internet file sharing network to download child pornography and store it on a computer at his residence in Winfield. Using the same file sharing network, investigators for the Wichita Police Department and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force downloaded images of child pornography from Jordan’s compute

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

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Junction City man was sentenced Monday to 30 years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine in Junction City and Manhattan, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Albert Dwayne Banks, 33, Junction, City, Kan. was convicted on count one (conspiracy to distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine), count eight (distributing crack cocaine), count 11 (distribution crack cocaine), count 12 (distributing crack cocaine), count 15 (distributing crack cocaine) count 16 (distributing crack cocaine) and count 17 (distributing crack cocaine).

Last month, Banks was sentenced to life. At Monday’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree corrected the sentence by reducing it to 30 years. He said he changed the sentence based on his consideration of aggravating factors in the sentence.

Banks was convicted in June in a jury trial in Kansas City. During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that in late 2012 and early 2013 agents of Kansas Bureau of Investigation and detectives from the Junction City Police Department investigated a large crack cocaine trafficking organization in Junction City and Manhattan. The organization was led by defendants Albert Banks and co-defendant Anthony Thompson, who acquired drugs from three different suppliers and sold the drugs to distributors who resold them on the streets.

Grissom commended the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Junction City Police Department, the Geary County Attorney’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – An Elkhart man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Daren Richard Coen, 69, Elkhart, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Prosecutors told U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten that Coen collected child pornography over the Internet using a file sharing network. A detective with the Wichita Police Department downloaded child pornography from Coen’s computer using the file sharing network. Investigators found child pornography on his computer when they executed a search warrant in May 2015 at Coen’s home in Elkhart.

Sentencing is set for Feb. 29. He faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of distributing child porn, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the possession count. Grissom commended the Wichita Police Department, the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom announced today that the District of Kansas collected more than $9.2 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2015. Of this amount, more than $6.2 million was collected in criminal actions and $3 million was collected in civil actions.

Additionally, the District of Kansas worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Justice Department to collect approximately an additional $402,000 in cases pursued jointly with these offices. Of this amount, approximately $12,000 was collected in criminal actions and $390,000 was collected in civil actions.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced today that the Justice Department collected $23.1 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2015. Collections in FY 2015 represent more than seven and a half times the approximately $2.93 billion of the Justice Department’s combined appropriations for the 93 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and main litigating divisions in that same period.

“Our job is to litigate vigorously and enforce the collection of debts due to the United States and to victims of federal crimes,” U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. “We’re working hard to carry out that responsibility.”

For instance, in FY 2015 the District of Kansas entered a settlement for a payment of $700,000 from Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) in a False Claims Act lawsuit. The payment was to settle allegations that a subcontractor, TECT Aerospace, improperly formed wing spars, including fracture critical parts, for use by HBC, the prime contractor in the manufacture of the Joint Primary Aircraft Trainers (T-6A) for the Air Force and Navy.

“The Department of Justice is committed to upholding the rule of law, safeguarding taxpayer resources, and protecting the American people from exploitation and abuse,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “The collections we are announcing today demonstrate not only the strength of that commitment, but also the significant return on public investment that our actions deliver. I want to thank the prosecutors and trial attorneys who made this achievement possible, and to reiterate our dedication to this ongoing work.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

The Justice Department’s largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal financial, health, safety, civil rights and environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the District of Kansas, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected more than $3.7 million in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2015. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

TOPEKA KAN. – A Junction City man was sentenced Wednesday to life in federal prison for murdering a woman to keep her from giving information to federal law enforcement officers about his involvement in drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.

Marcus D. Roberson, 33, Junction City, Kan., was convicted in a jury trial in March 2014 on the following counts:

• One count of murder in the March 3, 2010, shooting of Crystal K. Fisher.

• One count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.

• One count of conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine.

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Roberson lured the 25-year-old Fisher to a location near an alley in central Junction City where he shot her four times at close range. Her body was found seated in the driver’s side of her vehicle in the 700 block of West 11th Street in Junction City. She had been shot four times. The murder weapon, a .40 caliber pistol, was found in a pond behind a Walmart in Junction City.

Prosecutors also presented evidence of Roberson’s involvement in a drug trafficking organization that distributed powder and crack cocaine in and throughout the Junction City area.

Co-defendants include:

Virok D. Webb, who was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison.

Kennin Dewberry, who was sentenced to 240 months.

Jamaica L. Chism, who was sentenced to 84 months.

Megan N. Fuller, who was sentenced to 42 months.

Alisha A. Escobedo, who was sentenced to time served and five years on supervised release.

Caress Jackson, who was sentenced to time served and two years on supervised release.

Keishana Johnson, who was sentenced to time served and three years on supervised release.

Grissom commended the Junction City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Warner for their work on the case. Also assisting in the investigation were the Riley County Police Department, the Grandview Plaza Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command at Ft. Riley, the Dickinson County Drug Enforcement Unit, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Tourism and the Park City Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Missouri man was sentenced Tuesday to 155 months in federal prison for robbing a bank in Overland Park, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Allen J. Williams, 25, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one count of using a firearm during a robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Feb. 27, 2014, he and two co-defendants robbed Inter-State Federal Savings at 8620 Metcalf in Overland Park. They entered the bank about noon and held employees at gunpoint before fleeing with stolen money.

Co-defendant Randy A. Cornelius, 22, Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to 57 months, and Williams’ twin brother, Alvin J. Williams, 25, Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to 114 months.

Grissom commended the Overland Park Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Mexican man was sentenced Tuesday to 70 months in federal prison for laundering more than $4.7 million in drug funds through his bank accounts in Kansas and elsewhere, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. In addition, a money judgment of more than $4.7 million was entered against him.

Franz Wiebe Rempel, 44, Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Wichita to one count of money laundering. In his plea, he admitted that from 2009 through July 30, 2013, he laundered drug funds through bank accounts at the Bank of America in Wichita, as well as accounts at Wells Fargo and J.P. Morgan Chase.

In his plea, he admitted he provided his bank account numbers so that another conspirator could distribute the information to others. Rempel had an understanding with the conspirator that third parties would deposit cash into his bank accounts. The deposits would be less than $10,000 in an attempt to avoid federal currency reporting requirements. Once Rempel received the funds, he would transfer or move the money through the U.S. financial system at the other conspirator’s direction. Rempel crossed the border from his home in Mexico almost on a weekly basis in order to move funds. Ultimately, most of the money wound up in the other conspirator’s hands.

Rempel’s accounts received funds deposited from Kansas City, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo.; Oklahoma City; Des Moines; Amarillo, Texas; El Paso, Texas; Knoxville, Tenn., Nashville, Tenn., Memphis, Tenn.; Charlotte, N.C., Atlanta, Ga., and Albuquerque, N.M. Rempel did not know the identities of the people making the deposits but he knew the funds were being transferred for the purpose of paying for drugs.

Grissom commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A man pleaded guilty Tuesday to robbing a Wichita bank, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.

Frederick Aaron Cunningham, 45, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Oct. 28, 2013, he robbed the Intrust Bank branch in the Dillons grocery store at 3211 S. Seneca. He also admitted he robbed the same bank on Oct. 9, 2013.

In the Oct. 28 robbery Cunningham gave the teller a note demanding money and then left the bank with stolen cash. Once outside the bank, he discarded a shirt worn during the robbery. Investigators used the results of DNA testing on the shirt to tie the crime to Cunningham.

Sentencing is set for Feb. 18. Both parties have agreed to recommend 10 years in federal prison.

Grissom commended Wichita Police Detective David Alexander, FBI Special Agent Ryan McDonald and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man was sentenced Monday to 90 months in federal prison for bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Myron T. Markham, 31, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on March 12, 2014, he robbed the Fidelity Bank at 100 E. English in Wichita. After leaving the bank, he threw away his sweatshirt and hat and caught a bus to his brother’s house.

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

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Kan., store owner was sentenced Monday to 57 months in federal prison for food stamp fraud, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. He also was ordered to pay approximately $227,000 in restitution.

Sajjad S. Chaudhry, 47, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. In his plea, he admitted the crimes occurred while he owned the KC Gas Mart at 2850 State Avenue in Kansas City, Kan. The store participated in a federal food stamp program called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The store came under investigation in the summer of 2013 because it reported engaging in thousands of dollars of SNAP benefits transaction, many of which were large purchases. Undercover investigators working with the USDA exchanged SNAP benefits for cash at KC Gas Mart, receiving approximately 50 percent of the value of the SNAP benefits. The rules of the program prohibit approved vendors from trading cash for food stamps, accepting food stamps for ineligible items and accepting food stamps from people who are not authorized to use them.

In addition, Chaudhry admitted he used another person’s electronic benefits card to purchase food items at a Sam’s Club store in Kansas City, Kan.

Grissom commended the USDA-OIG and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Garden City man was sentenced Monday to 78 months in federal prison for possessing more than 16,000 images of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

James E. McGary, 43, Garden City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. In his plea, he admitted that in October 2012 an investigator with the Ford County Sheriff’s Office working online identified a computer sharing pornography on a file sharing network. When investigators served a search warrant at McGary’s home, they found a laptop computer containing approximately 16,000 images of child pornography.

Grissom commended the Garden City Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A California man was sentenced in federal court in Kansas Monday to a year and a day in prison for operating an Internet fraud scheme that cost more than 200 victims a total of more than $1.6 million, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. The defendant was ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution to the victims.

Anthony Renfrow, 57, Folsom, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In his plea, he admitted he made fraudulent claims to entice people to pay to become “autosurf investors” with 14DailyPlus.com. The business was promoted to buyers in the Kansas City metro area.

Investors paid a membership fee and were promised a 14 percent daily return on their money for clicking on advertisers’ Web sites for a certain period of time each day. To achieve that rate of return, 14DailyPlus.com purportedly pooled the capital investments of members and purchased advertising units on the Internet with Fortune-500 type companies.

Renfrow held regularly scheduled conference calls with investors via telephone and Internet to lull them into believing the program was legitimate and returns on investments were being paid as promised. In truth, there was no investment vehicle and the promise of a 14 percent daily return was completely unrealistic.

Grissom commended the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, the California Attorney General’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Junction City man has been sentenced to life in federal prison for trafficking cocaine in Junction City and Manhattan, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today. Another defendant in the case was sentenced to more than 21 years.

Albert Dwayne Banks, 33, Junction, City, Kan. was sentenced to life. He was convicted on count one (conspiracy to distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine), count eight (distributing crack cocaine), count 11 (distribution crack cocaine), count 12 (distributing crack cocaine), count 15 (distributing crack cocaine) count 16 (distributing crack cocaine) and count 17 (distributing crack cocaine).

Martye Madabuti Madkins, III, 34, Junction City, Kan., was sentenced to 262 months in prison. He was convicted on count two (distributing crack cocaine), and count four (distributing crack cocaine within 1000 feet of an elementary school).

Banks and Madkins were convicted in June in a jury trial in Kansas City. During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that in late 2012 and early 2013 agents of Kansas Bureau of Investigation and detectives from the Junction City Police Department investigated a large crack cocaine trafficking organization in Junction City and Manhattan. The organization was led by defendants Albert Banks and co-defendant Anthony Thompson, who acquired drugs from three different suppliers and sold the drugs to distributors who resold them on the streets. The evidence showed that Madkins was a close associate of Banks and Thompson and that he distributed crack cocaine for them.

Co-defendant Anthony Thompson is set for sentencing Dec. 4.

Grissom commended the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Junction City Police Department, the Geary County Attorney’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi for their work on the case.

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas City man pleaded guilty Monday to taking part in a bank robbery in which his partner threatened to kill employees with a gun and dragged a woman across the floor by her hair, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Steve A. Watts, 56, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during the robbery.

In his plea, Watts admitted that on Oct. 29, 2014, he and co-defendant Clifton B. Cloyd robbed the Bank of America at 9500 Mission in Overland Park, Kan. Watts and Cloyd -- both carrying guns -- held five bank employees and a female customer at gunpoint during the robbery. Cloyd was the more aggressive of the two robbers, striking two bank employees and a customer and dragging a bank employee by the hair. Both men were arrested after they fled the bank.

Watts is set for sentencing Feb. 8. He faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and not more than 25 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the bank robbery charge, and a penalty of not less than seven years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge.

Co-defendant Clifton Cloyd is set for sentencing Jan. 11.

Grissom commended the Overland Park Police Department, the Prairie Village Police Department, the Leawood Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A federal grand jury Thursday indicted a Kansas City man on a charge of robbing a credit union in Prairie Village, Kan., U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Tarone Hollins, also known as Tarone Shipp, 41, Kansas City, Mo., is charged with one count of bank robbery. The indictment alleges that on Oct. 22, 2015, Hollins robbed the Community America Credit Union, 7620 State Line Road in Prairie Village, Kan. An affidavit filed in the case alleges that after photos from the robbery were made public the FBI received 11 tips via the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers identifying Hollins as the robber.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant 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.