District of Kansas

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to 11 years in federal prison on federal armed robbery charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Henry Earl Sirvira, 47, Topeka, Kan., entered a plea of no contest to two counts of commercial robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery. During the plea hearing, prosecutors told the judge that on July 29, 2013, Sirvira and co-defendant Quartez Norwood robbed the EZ Payday Advance at 2613 S.W. 21st Street in Topeka. Sirvira pointed a handgun at an employee and threatened to kill him unless he opened the safe.

On Aug. 3, 2013, Sirvira and Norwood robbed the Family Dollar Store at 2616 S.E. 6th Street in Topeka. Norwood pointed a gun at the clerk while Sirvira assaulted a patron in another part of the store.

Co-defendants include:

Quartez Norwood, who was sentenced to 180 months.

Henry Lavelle Davis, who was sentenced to 84 months.

Robert Wayne Redmond, who was sentenced to 60 months.

Xavier Leron Sims, who was sentenced to 35 months.

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

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge of robbing a Valero gas station and shooting the clerk, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Corey Eugene Johnson, 41, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on July 28, 2013, he robbed a Valero gas station at 1161 S.W. Gage in Topeka.

Johnson was carrying a .40 caliber handgun when he entered the store and demanded money from the cash register. Seeing a customer at the counter, Johnson ordered him to the floor and put his foot on the customer’s head. When a clerk refused to turn over money from the cash register, Johnson shot the clerk several times. Then Johnson ordered the customer to open the cash register. Johnson fled the store in a black Monte Carlo. Police found the wounded clerk, who was taken to the hospital and survived the shooting.

Sentencing is set for Aug. 24. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.

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

TOPEKA, KAN. - The owner of a Topeka jewelry store pleaded guilty Wednesday to knowingly buying jewelry that had been stolen in home invasions, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

John O. Dasher, 53, Silver Lake, Kan., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Topeka to one count of transporting stolen goods. In his plea, he admitted the crimes occurred from 2010 to 2013 while he owned The Diamond House, 1801 S.W. Gage in Topeka. He knowingly purchased stolen jewelry taken in home invasions.

Dasher paid a fraction of the actual value of the jewelry, which he melted down to form scrap gold. He mailed the gold scrap via the U.S. Postal Service to gold wholesalers Pop Gems International, Gold Empire and Coinex, Inc., in Los Angeles, Calif.

Sentencing will be set for a later date. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 12 months and a day followed by two years on supervised release and a forfeiture money judgment against Dasher of $130,000

Grissom commended the Topeka Police Department, the FBI, the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.    

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A federal grand jury indictment filed Wednesday alleges a Wichita man tried to broker a deal for the purchase of a massager parlor that would offer sex services, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.

Kay Tee, 50, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of attempting to entice a person to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution, one count of using a telephone in furtherance of prostitution, two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

According to court records, Tee was arrested May 28 at the airport in Wichita when he drove there to pick up a person he believed was buying a Wichita massage parlor. In fact, the person Tee had talked with many times on the phone was one of two undercover informants working with federal investigators.

It is alleged Tee tried to collect fees from both undercover informants – one posing as a buyer and the other as a seller – in return for helping to arrange the sale. He also offered to provide additional services including filing city paperwork and doing taxes for the massage parlor. It is alleged Tee talked with the agents about the fact employees of the massage parlor would be performing sex services for customers.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the money laundering charge, a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the phone charge, and a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the three other counts. The Wichita Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

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

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man is charged in an eighteen-count indictment unsealed today with removing, altering or obliterating manufacturer’s serial numbers, causing other individuals to make straw purchases of firearms and exporting firearms overseas, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Michael Andrew Ryan, also known as “Brad Jones” and “GunRunner,” 35, of Manhattan, Kan., was charged in an indictment filed on June 3, 2015, in Topeka with knowingly making false statements to licensed firearms dealers; possession of firearms from which the manufacturer’s serial numbers had been removed, altered and obliterated; and exporting and/or attempting to export these firearms in different packages from the United States to individuals located in other countries.

According to allegations in the indictment, Ryan knowingly possessed a total of nine guns, including a Glock model 27 .40 caliber pistol, from which the manufacturer's serial numbers had been removed, altered and obliterated, 318 rounds of assorted ammunition and eight magazines, which had been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce in violation of federal law.

According to allegations in the indictment, Ryan had also exported and attempted to export these firearms in different packages from the United States to individuals located in Cork, Ireland; Mallow, Ireland; Pinner, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Victoria, Australia.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kansas City Field Division; Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations Topeka Divisions; the Manhattan Police Department and Riley County, Kan., Police Department; with assistance from the ATF Washington D.C. Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough of the District of Kansas, Senior Counsels Marie-Flore Johnson and Gavin Corn of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man pleaded guilty to attempting to explode a car bomb at the airport in Wichita, Kan., U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom and John Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced today.

Terry Lee Loewen, 59, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty Monday to one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Loewen was arrested in December 2013 when he tried to enter the grounds of the Wichita Mid Continent Airport for the purpose of exploding a bomb. (The airport recently was renamed Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport).

“Protecting the American people from terrorism is our primary mission,” said U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom. “It is vital that we disrupt attacks against our homeland and bring terrorists to justice.”

“Terry Loewen utilized his privileged airport access to attempt a terrorist attack in Wichita,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “Detecting, disrupting and holding accountable those who wish to harm Americans remains our highest priority.”

 In his plea, Loewen admitted he came to the attention of the FBI late in May 2013 when he became a Facebook friend of a person who was posting comments advocating violent jihad. The FBI began communicating with Loewen through an undercover employee.

Loewen told the undercover employee he was waiting for what he called “the green light” from Allah to carry out a violent attack on a civilian target. He said he did not expect to live through any of the attacks he had in mind. He said he was inspired by the teachings of Osama bin Laden and Anwar Al Awlaki. He said he had downloaded thousands of pages of information on jihad.

In September 2013, Loewen sent photos of airplanes on the tarmac at the Wichita airport. He commented that he could have “walked over there, shot both pilots … slapped some C4 on both fuel trucks and set them off before anyone even called TSA.”

In October 2013, Loewen met with a second undercover FBI employee who Loewen believed was a “brother” and would help him blow up a plane. Loewen said he had scouted the airport to determine a time and place for an attack that would be sure to kill as many people as possible.

Loewen assisted the second FBI employee in the final assembly of an improvised explosive device. He was not aware that the explosive materials used in the device were inert. In the early hours of Dec. 13, 2013, the second FBI employee picked up Loewen at a Wichita hotel. They drove to where the bomb was stored and finished wiring the device. When they reached the airport, Loewen twice used his badge at a card reader to attempt to get onto the tarmac before he was arrested.

Sentencing will be sent for a later date. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Grissom commended the Wichita FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes members from the FBI, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol. Assisting with the investigation were the FBI Kansas City Division, the Transportation Security Administration, the Wichita Airport Authority, the Wichita Police Department. Grissom also commended the prosecutors on the case: Assistant U.S. Attorney David Smith, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi, and Erin Creegan of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

WICHITA, KAN. – A former director of the masters of business administration program at Pittsburg State University was sentenced Monday to 18 months in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. He was ordered to pay $148,430 in restitution.

Michael Muoghalu, 61, Pittsburg, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. In his plea, he admitted the crimes occurred while he was responsible for managing the graduate student exchange program between Pittsburg State University and schools in Nigeria.

Muoghalu and an associate in Nigeria created fictitious documents and presented them to Pittsburg State representing that certain Nigerian students had completed undergraduate work and were eligible to take part in the university’s Nigerian exchange student program.

Pittsburg State required the Nigerian students to pay a deposit at the time they were initially accepted into the program. Later, the university would refund a portion of the student’s deposit. After the refund was authorized, Muoghalu falsely represented to Nigerian students that they must pay him or his associates a fee for representing them in the admission process.

Grissom commended IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. - A former loan officer for a bank in Great Bend was sentenced Monday to six months in prison followed by six months home detention for bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. In addition, he was ordered to pay $124,000 in restitution and $50,000 in a personal forfeiture judgment.

Brian W. Harrison, 56, Great Bend, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. In his plea, he admitted the crime occurred during the time from 2004 to 2012 when he was a loan officer for Farmer’s Bank and Trust in Great Bend.

His duties included reviewing, approving and disbursing loans. In furtherance of a scheme to defraud the bank, he made or caused to be made false statements to the bank to hide the poor performance of various loans he made. His false statements were intended to deflect questions from bank officers about problems with his loans. He falsified credit and loan applications, promissory notes and security agreements on behalf of a purported debtor without the debtor’s proper authority.

Grissom commended the FBI, the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith for their work on the case.

“Vigorous criminal law enforcement by SIGTARP and our partners leaves the banking industry safer than we found it,” said Christy Romero, Special Inspector General for TARP (SIGTARP).

WICHITA, KAN. – A Butler county woman Thursday became the second person to plead guilty to a federal charge of stealing more than $1.2 million from Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. The Wichita-based company owns assisted living centers in Kansas and Missouri.

Lori A. Shryock, 50, Augusta, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. Shryock’s husband and co-defendant, Brent A. Shryock, 44, Augusta, Kan., pleaded guilty last month and is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 6.

In their pleas, they admitted the crime occurred while Brent Shryock was employed as information systems director for PMMA. He was in charge of all computers, telephones, video information and electronic equipment, including the purchase of new or replacement equipment for PMMA, Presbyterian Manor, Aberdeen and Ashfield facilities.

Brent Shryock created four fictitious companies, two of which were called Innovative Software Solutions and LGR Technologies. He directed payment to be mailed to those companies at post office boxes. Lori Shryock opened the two post office boxes where the checks were mailed. Either Brent or Lori Shryock would retrieve the payments and deposit them into the Shryocks’ personal accounts. The resulting loss to PMMA totaled $1.2 million.

Lori Shryock is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 24. She faces a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced Friday to 130 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Earnest Bland, 50, Wichita, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted that in May 2014 he used a computer to access a peer-to-peer file sharing network. He shared images of child pornography that were available to other users on the Internet. Some of the child victims in the photos were under 10 years of age. A detective with the Wichita Police Department Force downloaded the files from Bland’s computer.

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.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Mexican man pleaded guilty Monday to laundering more than $4.7 million in drug funds through his bank accounts in Kansas and elsewhere, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

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.

Sentencing is set for Aug. 17. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $500,000. Grissom commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Kan., tax preparer has pleaded guilty to preparing false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.

Ahferom Goitom, 35, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of preparing false tax returns. In his plea, he admitted that the crime occurred while he was working as a tax return preparer for Instant Tax Services in Kansas City, Kan. He prepared tax returns for clients that included false deductions and credits – often unbeknownst to his clients. He fabricated business expenses, inflated charitable deductions and exaggerated child care expenses. In addition, he told an IRS agent working undercover that the agent should find someone to claim as a dependent in order to inflate his refund.

Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. The parties are recommending probation of 36 months and restitution of $101,157. The Internal Revenue Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting.

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury Wednesday indicted a Wichita man in a 2013 bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Frederick Aaron Cunningham, 45, who is in custody in Wisconsin on unrelated charges, was charged with one count of bank robbery. The indictment alleges that on Oct. 28, 2013, Cunningham robbed the Intrust Bank branch inside the Dillons store at 3211 S. Seneca.

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

 

OTHER FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Dontreal D. Banks, 28, Wichita, Kan, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Feb. 23, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Wichita Police Department and the Kansas Department of Corrections investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

Stephen Barnhart, 49, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of attempted manufacture of methamphetamine, two counts of possession of materials used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, one count of possession and distribution of chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, five counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a user of controlled substances, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in September 2011 and December 2014 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

          Attempted manufacture of methamphetamine: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Possession of materials used to manufacture methamphetamine: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each county.

          Possession and distribution of chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine: A maximum penalty of 10 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 of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: A maximum penalty of five years (consecutive) and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

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

          Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: Not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $2 million.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.

Luis Perez-Morales, 32, Las Vegas, Nevada, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of traveling from Nevada to Kansas in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred May 18, 201 in Thomas County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $500,000 on the possession with intent to distribute charge, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.

Sergio Tapia-Martinez, 41, Emporia, Kan., is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after having been convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found May 21, 2015, in Lyon County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Kansas Department of Revenue investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Emmanuel Rodriguez-Torres, 30, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with assaulting an employee of the Department of Homeland Security in the performance of his duties. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 6, 2015, in Barton County, Kan.

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

Augustine Diego Mateo-Gonzalez, 37, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found May 8, 2015, in Dodge City, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Juan J. Martinez, 54, Dodge City, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine. Co-defendant Oscar Natividad Pena-Cano, 47, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. They were arrested April 21, 2015, in Dodge City, Kan.

If convicted Martinez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. Pena-Cano faces a maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000. The Ford County Sheriff’s Department, the Wichita Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.

Rafael Reyes, 23, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a sawed off shotgun and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred May 15, 2014, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10,000 on the first count and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the second count. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.

Shawn D. McCollum, Jr., 28, Claflin, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Sept. 19, 2014, in Lyons, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge, and a penalty of not less than five years and a fine up to $2 million on the drug charge. The Lyons, Kan., Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.

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

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Texas woman was sentenced Tuesday to 60 months in federal prison for pretending to be pregnant and defrauding a Kansas couple who wanted to adopt her unborn twins, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Chrystal Marie Rippey, 35, Marshall, Texas, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. In her plea, she admitted she defrauded a couple in Shawnee, Kan. On Aug. 8, 2011, the couple transferred $22,225 to an escrow account in Temecula, Calif., as part of their plan to adopt children from Rippey. On Aug. 25, 2011, American Adoptions in Overland Park, Kan., sent a birth mother packet to Rippey in Temecula California.

According to court records, both transactions were based on false statements by Rippey that she was pregnant and wanted to put her unborn twins up for adoption. The $22,225 was to pay for Rippey’s living expenses.                                                       

Grissom commended the Overland Park Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Four people pleaded guilty Wednesday to taking part in a real estate fraud scheme in connection with the development of Indian Ridge Resort, a resort community located near Branson, Mo.

The following defendants pleaded guilty:

David P. Drake, 56, Lone Tree, Colo., one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Donald D. Snider, Jr., 55, Littleton, Colo., one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Vickie A. Hall, 63, Lone Tree, Colo., one count of concealing a felony (misprision).

Heather A. Gibbs, 53, Littleton, Colo., one count of concealing a felony (misprision).

Drake and Snider were partners in Western Sites Services, a company that was engaged in developing Indian Ridge Resort. They borrowed money for the project from three banks, one of which was Columbian Bank and Trust in Topeka, Kan. In their pleas, they admitted they and other conspirators made false representations to Columbian Bank in order to obtain loan funds.

Vickie Hall was the wife of David Drake. Heather Gibbs was the wife of Donald Snider and a 2 percent owner of Western Site Services. In her plea, Gibbs admitted she knew invoices submitted to the bank included overhead and profit in the line item costs in violations of the terms of the loan agreement. Hall owned a company called Colorado Modular Home Finders Service, LLC. In her plea she admitted she helped to conceal Drake and Snider’s felonies by allowing her company, Colorado Modular Home Finders Services, LLC, to be used to withdraw home deposits from Columbia Bank.

Sentencing hearings will be set for a later date. Both parties have agreed to recommend five-year prison terms for Drake and Snider, and three years on probation for Hall and Gibbs.

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

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A California man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Kansas to 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.

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.

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.

Renfrow founded 14DailyPlus.com in March 2006. Co-defendant William Fox, 46, formerly of Olathe, Kan., allegedly was a promoter and recruiter for 14DailyPlus.com in the Kansas City metropolitan area. He is awaiting trial.

Sentencing will be set for a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. 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.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom will take part in a Youth and Law Enforcement Forum Wednesday in Kansas City.

“Every young person in America should have the opportunity to grow, succeed and contribute to their community,” Grissom said. “Building trust between law enforcement and the community is one way to help ensure that all our young people can reach their full potential.”

Grissom’s office is helping to sponsor the event, which was organized by the FBI, with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, the Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan., police departments and the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association. The forum is open to high school and college age youth from Kansas and Missouri. It will provide an opportunity for teens to talk openly about challenges and obstacles facing law enforcement and the teen community and how they can work together.

The forum will be kicked off by the Kansas City Chiefs General Manager John Dorsey at 5:30 p.m., (check-in begins at 5:00 p.m.) Wednesday, May 20. Following a period of questions and answers with leaders of area law enforcement, attendees will have the opportunity to interact with law enforcement and learn first-hand about law enforcement capabilities, tools and potential career opportunities.

The first portion of the program from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. is closed to the media to encourage an open exchange of dialogue between the attendees and law enforcement. Media outlets are invited to attend the program at 7 p.m. until the program’s conclusion at 8 p.m. at the Robert Mohart Center located at 3200 Wayne Ave., Kansas City, MO.  

For more information on the event, contact FBI Public Affairs Officer Bridget Patton at 816-512-8833.

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal jury Thursday convicted a Hillsboro man on federal firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

David G. Nicholas, Jr., 44, Hillsboro, Kan., was convicted on three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction.

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Nicholas was a parole absconder in October 2013 when the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him in Marion County, Kan. At the time, he possessed a .22-caliber handgun and a .30-06 caliber rifle and ammunition.

Sentencing is set for Aug. 6. He faces a maximum penalty of not less than 15 years in federal prison a fine up to $250,000 on each count. Grissom commended the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Lawrence man has been charged with devising a simple – and illegal – scheme that allowed him to collect more than $143,000 in credit card rewards, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Jawad Obaid, 31, Lawrence, Kan., was indicted Wednesday on ten counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges he obtained credit cards with Capital One, Chase and U.S. Bank and accessed their rewards program Web sites for the purpose of making Internet purchases from businesses selling goods and services on the sites. In that manner, he generated tens of thousands of reward points from the credit card companies. He cancelled the purchases within 24 hours and used the reward points from the cancelled purchases to redeem cash awards in the form of checks and direct deposits to his accounts.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting.

 

OTHER FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

John Michael Devosha, 25, who is in federal custody, was charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of carjacking, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and two counts of using a firearm during a carjacking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Oct. 22 in Kansas City, Kan., and Oct. 25, 2013, on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each carjacking count, a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the possession charge, and a penalty of not less than five years on each of the other two counts. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic is prosecuting.

Tegan C. Gulley, 35, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 7, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

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

Domingo Uriarte, Jr., 38, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 28, 2015, in Kansas City, Kan.

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

Ivan Joseph Soto, 27, Topeka, Kan., and Mauricio Aguilera, 24, San Bernadino, Calif, are charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred April 20, 2015, in Topeka, Kan.

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

 

Jerome Birdsong, 33, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of maintaining a residence at 2942 N. 47th Terrance in Kansas City, Kan., in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2013 in Kansas City, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million on the conspiracy charge, a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $500,000 on the charge of maintaining a residence for drug trafficking and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the ammunition charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic 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 Butler county man pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal charge of stealing more than $1.2 million from Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, a Wichita-based company that owns assisted living centers in Kansas and Missouri, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

In Kansas, the company has facilities in Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, Olathe, Lawrence, Emporia, Salina, Dodge City, Fort Scott, Parsons, Arkansas City, Newton, Sterling and Clay Center.

Brent A. Shryock, 44, Augusta, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. In his plea, he admitted the crime occurred while he was employed as information systems director for the company. He was in charge of all computers, telephones, video information and electronic equipment, including the purchase of new or replacement equipment for PMMA, Presbyterian Manor, Aberdeen and Ashfield facilities.

In his plea, Shryock said he created four fictitious companies and used them to submit fraudulent invoices to PMMA. As a result, the company was defrauded out of more than $1.2 million.

Sentencing is set for Aug. 6. The parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of three years in federal prison and restitution to be determined by the judge.

Shryock’s wife and co-defendant, Lori A. Shryock, is scheduled for a change of plea hearing May 22.

Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A native of Ghana who obtained naturalized U.S. citizenship in 2004 has pleaded guilty to obtaining citizenship by fraud and faces possible deportation, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Monday.

Ernest Opoku Acheampong, 44, Shawnee, Kan., entered a guilty plea Monday before U.S. District Judge Julie A. Robinson and is scheduled to be sentenced July 29. Because he pleaded guilty to making a false statement on his application for U.S. citizenship and ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen, federal law requires that his citizenship be revoked, Grissom said.

“Not only will his certificate of naturalization be cancelled, he will be placed in removal proceedings,” Grissom said. “And, he faces possible incarceration in the criminal case. People who make false statements in their attempt to become naturalized U.S. citizens undermine the process and dishonor those seeking citizenship honestly.”

During court proceedings Monday, Acheampong admitted that he first entered the United States in 1994, claiming to be a “Michael Smith” from Libya. He was denied entry, but requested asylum and sought to remain in the U.S. His claims of fear of persecution were found to be unfounded and he was ordered deported, but Acheampong never surrendered himself for deportation.

In 1996, Acheampong was able to obtain a valid entry visa under his true name and country of citizenship, Ghana, and ultimately applied for naturalized U.S. citizenship in 2004, but failed to disclose his previous entry into the United States and the prior order of deportation on his naturalization application. He was granted naturalized U.S. citizenship in September 2004, Grissom said.

However, in August 2014, when Acheampong applied for a Kansas driver’s license, officials of the Kansas Department of Revenue determined through facial recognition software employed whenever people apply for state ID cards or driver’s licenses that the defendant had previously obtained a Kansas driver’s license under the name “Michael Smith.”

Their agents then notified the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), who completed the investigation and documented what Acheampong had done. Acheampong was indicted in the case in October.

Grissom praised the agencies for their work on their case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for his prosecution.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal jury has convicted a Topeka man of producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Jonathan Kearn, 40, Topeka, Kansas, was convicted Friday on one count of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

During trail, prosecutors presented evidence that the investigation began in April 2013 when Homeland Security Investigations received a report from the Queensland Police Service, Queensland, Australia. An Australian investigator had received emails from Kearn in Kansas containing child pornography Kearn had produced. The child pornography included images of a child under six years old.

Sentencing is set for Aug. 10. He faces a penalty of not less than 15 years in federal prison on the production count, not less than five years on the distribution charge, and a maximum penalty of 10 years on the possession charge. Grissom commended Homeland Security Investigations, the Topeka Police Department, the Queensland Police Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A former private in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Riley has been indicted on charges of stealing his fellow soldiers’ identities, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Todd M. Newbrough was charged Wednesday with four counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of computer fraud. The crimes are alleged to have occurred at various times from 2011 to 2015 at Fort Riley, Kan.

The indictment alleges Newbrough used personal identifying information of fellow soldiers to obtain lines of credit and credit cards in their names. He got the information through his access to Leave and Earning Statements, Enlisted Record Brief and Alpha Roster records.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on each wire fraud and each bank fraud count, a mandatory consecutive two years on the aggravated identity theft counts, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the computer fraud count. The Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham are prosecuting.

“This is the culmination of a great deal of investigative work conducted by Special Agents from CCIU and our other law enforcement partners who were so critical to this investigation,” said Daniel Andrews, Director of the Computer Crime Investigative Unit (CCIU) for the U.S. Army

Criminal Investigation Command.

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

TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury Wednesday returned indictments against a Topeka couple accused of forcing a teenage girl into prostitution, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Reginald E. Newman, 29, and his wife, Tiara Jade Newman, 21, both of Topeka, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, and one count of sex trafficking of a minor.

“In Kansas, law enforcement agencies on the federal, state and local levels are working together to fight human trafficking,” Grissom said.

The indictment alleges the victim was introduced to the couple on March 21, 2015, and the couple conspired through March 30, 2015, to engage her in prostitution. She voluntarily travelled with them from Topeka to Manhattan, Kan., where they planned for her to engage in commercial sex acts. The defendants posted advertisements on a commercial Web site, including one offering a “two girl special.”

The indictment alleges Reginald Newman held a gun to the victim’s head and threatened to kill her if she did not participate in a commercial sex act with a male customer. Furthermore, Reginald Newman forcefully administered an illegal narcotic to the victim.

If convicted, the defendants face a penalty of not less than 15 years on in federal prison on the sex trafficking charge and a maximum penalty of life on the conspiracy charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting.

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.

 

OTHER FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Monte L. Hendricks, 23, who is being held in the Shawnee County Jail, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Jan. 31, 2014, in Shawnee County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Topeka Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

 

Brendon E. Hoskins, 24, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred March 3, 2015, in Shawnee County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI 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 Derby man pleaded guilty Monday to using Internet service at the church he attended to distribute child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Delmas E. Rich, 50, Derby, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted he used Internet service at his church, Temple Baptist Church in Wichita, and his work, Alarm Security Specialists in Viola, Kan., because he had no Internet service at home. On Jan. 18, 2015, a Wichita police detective downloaded child pornography from Rich’s computer over the Internet using a file-sharing service.

Sentencing is set for July 20. He faces a penalty of not less than 5 years and possibly as much as 30 years and a fine up to $250,000.

Grissom commended the Wichita Police Department, the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) 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 Friday urged Kansas law enforcement agencies to consider applying for a new federal program to help equip officers with body cameras.

“I have traveled across Kansas and spoken to law enforcement and community leaders,” Grissom said. “I have heard from both groups that body cameras should be standard equipment. Both sides of this issue agree this is one of the best ways to build trust and to keep both the public and officers safe.”

Grissom was one of many federal law enforcement officials who urged the Justice Department to provide assistance to law enforcement agencies that adopt body cameras.

The Department of Justice Friday announced a $20 million Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Pilot Partnership Program to respond to the immediate needs of local and tribal law enforcement organizations. The investment includes $17 million in competitive grants for the purchase of body-worn cameras, $2 million for training and technical assistance and $1 million for the development of evaluation tools to study best practices. The pilot program is part of President Obama’s proposal to invest $75 million over three years to purchase 50,000 body-worn cameras for law enforcement agencies.

“This body-worn camera pilot program is a vital part of the Justice Department’s comprehensive efforts to equip law enforcement agencies throughout the country with the tools, support, and training they need to tackle the 21st century challenges we face,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch.  “Body-worn cameras hold tremendous promise for enhancing transparency, promoting accountability, and advancing public safety for law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.”

Administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the BWC pilot program will provide support to help law enforcement agencies develop, implement and evaluate body-worn camera programs across the United States.

“Body-worn camera technology is a valuable tool for improving police-citizen relationships,” said Director Denise O’Donnell of the Bureau of Justice Assistance. “BJA is committed to helping law enforcement agencies identify the safest and most effective methods for deploying this technology and addressing factors such as privacy, archiving and legal regulations surrounding its use. BJA stands by to guide agencies through what can be a complex process toward more successful adoption of the technology.”

The Justice Department expects to provide 50 awards to law enforcement agencies, with about one-third of the grants directed toward smaller law enforcement agencies. The grants, which require a 50/50 in-kind or cash match, can be used to purchase equipment but applicants must establish a strong plan for implementation of body-worn cameras and a robust training policy before purchasing cameras. The long term costs associated with storing this information will be the financial responsibility of each local agency.

Another $2 million will fund a national BWC Training and Technical Assistance provider through a competitive process, to assist agencies developing and enhancing their BWC programs. This training and technical assistance will provide support to law enforcement agencies to support successful implementation of their body-worn camera programs.

OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) will receive $1 million of the funds to collect data on body-worn camera usage through surveys of law enforcement agencies. BJS will also design data collection forms that can be used in future surveys of prosecutors and public defenders to measure how body-worn camera footage is being used by the courts in criminal cases.

BJA will launch a BWC Implementation Toolkit in May, designed as an online resource for stakeholders. The toolkit will focus on implementation requirements, retention issues, policy concerns, interests of prosecutors, victim and privacy advocates’ concerns, along with community engagement and funding considerations.

For additional information about the BWC Pilot Implementation Program, visit this website: http://go.usa.gov/3BtMW.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT 202-514-2007.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – An Olathe woman pleaded guilty Friday to fraudulently collecting more than $53,000 in benefits from Social Security, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

April M. Martinez, 37, Olathe, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of Social Security fraud. In her plea, she admitted she first became eligible for Title II Disability Insurance Benefits in May 1998. The Social Security Administration also approved her application for Supplemental Security Income. The terms of the programs required her to report if she returned to work while receiving benefits.

From November 2007 through May 2011, Martinez intentionally failed to disclose to the Social Security Administration that she had returned to work. She worked as a Certified Nurse Aid (CNA) at the Olathe Medical Center during part of that time. As a result, she admits that she fraudulently obtained a total of $53,827 in Social Security disability benefits.

Sentencing will be set at a later time. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Grissom commended the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford and Trent Krug for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Federal drug charges have been filed against a man arrested Tuesday in Kansas City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.

Domingo Uriarte,41, Los Angeles, Calif., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. An investigator’s affidavit filed in the case alleges Uriarte had approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine in his truck when the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped him April 28 in Kansas City, Kan., for a traffic violation.

A trooper stopped Uriarte’s Ford F650 box truck near 10th and Kansas Avenue. In a large wooden crate containing a metal lathe, investigators found 15 tightly-wrapped bundles containing approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine. While the truck was being inspected, Uriarte attempted to flee but was quickly recaptured.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas City, Kan. Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

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

WICHITA, KAN. – A former chief of the Bel Aire Police Department and a former officer were indicted Tuesday on federal firearms charges. The indictment alleges they conspired to buy firearms at a discount by claiming the weapons were the property of the police department and would be used for law enforcement purposes, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Former police chief John R. Daily, 62, Haysville, Kan., and Ricky L. Swanson, 39, Wichita, are the third and fourth defendants charged in the case. Both of them are charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud.

The indictment alleges Daily, who was chief from May 2006 to December 2013, signed paperwork for the purchase of three Sig Sauer Model 716 Patrol, 7.62 mm rifles, falsely stating that the military style weapons were being purchased for use by the police department and would not be sold. In fact, the rifles were not approved for officers to carry on duty. By misrepresenting the rifles as police department property, the defendants were able to take advantage of special pricing and tax exemptions.

The indictment alleges Swanson, who worked as an officer from November 2006 to December 2013, ignored an interim police chief’s directions to cancel the order. Instead he directed two of the rifles to be delivered to another location so he could take possession. He kept one of the rifles and sold the other one.

Also charged in the case are Nathan A. Mavia, 26, Wichita, Kan., and Robert McCaslin, 41, Wichita, Kan.

If convicted, Daily and Swanson face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.

        

OTHER FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

 

Byron Cadavid, 30, Goddard, Kan., Robby Alan Murphy, 34, Wichita, Kan., and Norma Garcia-Cadavid, 30, Wichita, Kan., are charged with a firearm violation. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 9, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. David Lind is prosecuting.

 

Ronald B. Zolman, 49, Little River, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances and one count of growing marijuana plants. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Feb. 9, 2015, in Lyons, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge; and a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $2 million on the drug charge. The Rice County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.

Gerardo Ramirez-Cigala, 47, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found April 20, 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. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Mauro Humberto Sanchez-Vasquez, 36, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found April 18, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Juan Salzar-Alvarenga, 30, a citizen of El Salvador, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported, and one count of transporting another unlawful alien within the United States. The crimes are alleged to have occurred April 22, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the transportation charge, and a maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Jorge Alberto Rodriguez-Vargas, 27, a citizen of Honduras, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found April 22, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000. ICE 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 law school graduate who operated a non-profit business has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder drug money, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Mendy Read-Forbes, 40, Platte City, Mo., was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan. She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. In her plea, she admitted that in March 2012 she began meeting with an agent posing as a drug dealer. Read-Forbes, a law school graduate who was not licensed to practice law, operated Forbes & Newhard Credit Solutions, Inc., a nonprofit corporation registered in Missouri to provide educational and social welfare services.

The agent told Read-Forbes he had assets to conceal from the sale of marijuana. She boasted she could use her legal training and her connections with federal attorneys and law enforcement officers to help him launder the money. She told the agent she would launder his cash by running it through her business. She said a lot of her customers paid in cash. So it would not be suspicious for her to be doing transactions involving cash. The plan also involved her listing the agent as an employee of her business and putting him on her company’s board of directors. As part of the scheme, she created a fictitious company called Maximus Lawn Care LLC.

Over the course of the investigation she laundered a total of more than $200,000 in purported drug funds. She also agreed to invest $40,000 of her money with the agent for the purchase of marijuana.

Co-defendants are:

Ronald E. Partee, who was sentenced to five years.

Laura Shoop, who is awaiting sentencing.

Grissom commended the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.

 

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man has been sentenced to 76 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

James A. Greer, 43, Topeka, Kan., was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Topeka. He pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted that on March 15, 2012, an officer working with an FBI task force in Kansas City, Mo., used the Internet to download child pornography from Greer’s computer in Topeka.

A forensic exam of Greer’s electronic devices revealed approximately 900 image files and 290 video files containing child pornography.

Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.

 

WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man was sentenced Wednesday for robbing a bank that he robbed once before eight years ago, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Mark Finnigin, 52, Wichita, Kan., was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison. He pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on July 22, 2014, he robbed Emprise Bank, 2323 S. Hydraulic, in Wichita, Kan. He entered the bank about 9:40 a.m. and demanded a clerk give him $10,000. The clerk put some cash on the counter. Before she could finish, Finnigin took the money and fled the bank. From a nearby store, a surveillance camera recorded him getting in a minivan.

In 2007, he pleaded guilty to robbing the same bank. He was sentenced to 51 months in that case.

Grissom commended the Wichita Police Department, the FBI and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs for their work on the case

WICHITA, KAN. -  A federal jury today convicted a Cherryvale, Kan., man on child pornography charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Daniel Hosier, 35, Cherryvale, Kan., was convicted on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that on March 28, 2013, Hosier emailed images of child pornography on Yahoo. They also presented evidence that on July 18, 2013, he possessed child pornography on laptop computers and on a smartphone.

Sentencing is set for July 13. He faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the distribution count, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the possession count. Grissom commended the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI investigated and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to a month in federal prison and ordered to pay $38,000 in restitution to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Terry Gene Hummer, 64, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. In his plea, he admitted he obtained loans from USDA Rural Development for developing housing in rural areas. He provided false information to Rural Development representing there were substantial funds on deposit in reserve accounts when in fact he had converted most of those funds for his own use. In one instance in 2009, he made false representations that a reserve account contained $29,526 when in fact there was only 69 cents in the account.

Grissom comended the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. – The former president of a bank in Plains, Kan., has been indicted along with two customers of the bank on federal money laundering charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today. Two former bank employees also are charged in the case.

The Kansas case is part of a larger investigation that has resulted in more than 20 indictments with defendants in Indianapolis, Ind.; Seminole, Texas; Boston, Mass.; El Paso, Texas; Atlanta, Ga.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Tulsa, Okla.; Denver, Colo.; and Mexico. The investigation in Kansas resulted in the seizure of more than 5,000 pounds of marijuana and more than $2 million in cash.

An indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court alleges a couple from Meade funneled drug proceeds through their account at Plains State Bank while the former banker failed to report on the suspicious activity, even as millions of dollars flowed through the couple’s account. The bank is located at 411 Grand Ave. in Plains, Kan.

In a 37-count indictment, the following defendants are charged:

• George Enns, 69, and his wife, Agatha Enns, 67, both of Meade, Kan., co-owners of Southwest Windmill and Waterwell, Inc.: one count of money laundering conspiracy, 34 counts of money laundering and one count of attempted money laundering.
• James Kirk Friend, 52, Plains, Kan., who was appointed President of Plains State Bank in 2005, and replaced as president in 2013 when he was made senior vice president: one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of failing to file a Suspicious Activity Report and 29 counts of money laundering.
• Matthew Thomas, 37, Plains, Kan., loan officer and officer of Plains State Bank until he left in 2014: one count of failing to file a Suspicious Activity Report.
• Kathey F. Shellman, 57, Plains, Kan., a cashier and IT officer at Plains State Bank until she left in 2014: one count of failing to file a Suspicious Activity Report.

The indictment alleges that:

• From 2011 to August 2014 deposits to the Enns’ account were more than $6.8 million, including more than $1.6 million in cash.
• The Enns also had an account at a Bank of America branch in El Paso, Texas. From 2011 to August 2014, more than $900,000 was transferred from the Enns’ account at Bank of America to their account at Plains State Bank.
• The activity in the Enns’ two accounts was not produced by Southwest Windmill and Waterwell, Inc. The monies flowing through these accounts was not reported to the Enns’ accountant or reported on their tax returns.
• From Jan. 11, 2012, to Aug. 12, 2014, the Enns crossed the U.S. border to and from Mexico at least 25 times. On at least four occasions they were stopped by customs officials and found to be in possession of large amounts of cash. For instance, on July 26, 2013, they were stopped at the Columbus, N.M., port of entry carrying $317,500 in a black trash bag.
• Defendant George Enns told law enforcement officers that the U.S. currency was to be used to buy seeds for his seed business in Mexico.
• Defendant Friend knew the Enns were bringing bulk currency from Mexico to the United States.
• Bank officials did not require the Enns to provide proof that any of the currency transported from the United States was declared at the border and did not look into the source of the currency. They did not fill a SAR report on any transactions conducted on the Enns’ account.

Upon conviction, the alleged crimes carry the following penalties:

          Conspiracy to commit money laundering: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Failing to file a report: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Money laundering: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $500,000 on each count.

          The following agencies investigated: The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Internal Revenue Service. 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.

TOPEKA, KAN. - A former Kansas state legislator was sentenced Monday to 18 months in federal prison for defrauding Farmers and Merchants Bank of Colby, Kan., of more than $460,000, some of which he deposited in his campaign account, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. He also was ordered to pay $461,000 in restitution.

 Trent K. LeDoux, 40, Holton, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. In his plea, he admitted he applied for three loans from the bank, falsely representing that he was going to use all the funds to buy cattle that would serve as the collateral for the loans. In fact, he used some of the money to pay off existing debts and to make contributions to his political campaign account.

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

TOPEKA, KAN. – A man who owns property in Jackson County, Kan., was sentenced Friday for violating the federal Clean Water Act, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Rodney Heinen, 38, Dawson, Neb., was fined $20,000 and ordered to complete restoration of two properties in Jackson County pursuant to a professional restoration plan that estimated the cost at more than $500,000.

Heinen pleaded guilty to one count of discharging pollutants into a stream without a permit. In his plea, he admitted he caused earthen fill and wood debris to be placed in streams flowing through properties he owns in Jackson County.

A regulatory specialist with the Corps of Engineers discovered the violations on one of Heinen’s properties on Feb. 2, 2012. Heinen refused to allow the Corps of Engineers access to the property to make an environmental assessment. The violation affected several unnamed tributaries to Straight Creek, which drains into the Delaware River, which is classified as a Traditionally Navigable Water.

 In 2013, the Corps of Engineers found a similar violation on another property in Jackson County owned by Heinen. The violation affected two unnamed tributaries to North Cedar Creek, which drains into the Delaware River.

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

KANSAS CITY, KAN. -  A Kansas City man pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges of taking part in five bank robberies in Kansas and Missouri, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Dale Williamson, 35, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to five counts of bank robbery. In his plea, he admitted driving a getaway car in the following bank robberies.

• April 24, 2014, UMB Bank, 6252 Raytown Road, Raytown, Mo.
• May 12, 2014, First Bank of Missouri, 7001 North Oak Trafficway, Gladstone, Mo.
• May 22, 2014, Bank of America, 15811 Metcalf Ave. Overland Park, Kan.
• May 30, 2014, Commerce Bank, 9501 Antioch Road, Overland Park, Kan.
• May 30, 2014, Commerce Bank, 3606 Frederick Ave., St. Joseph, Mo.

Sentencing is set for July 6. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 55 months in federal prison. Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.

 

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment against a Topeka man who was charged in a criminal complaint last week with plotting to explode a bomb at the Fort Riley military base near Manhattan, Kan., U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

John T. Booker, Jr., 20, Topeka, Kan., was indicted on one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives), one count of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive and one count of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which is a foreign terrorist organization.

If convicted, Booker would face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, including members from the FBI’s Kansas City Division, the Topeka Police Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Smith, and Trial Attorneys Josh Parecki and Rebecca Magnone of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

OTHER FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

 

Randal H. Duncan, 57, Wichita, is charged with one count of bank robbery. The indictment alleges that on April 6, 2015, he robbed the Emprise Bank at 237 N. Broadway in Wichita.

A criminal complaint filed in the case alleges he entered the bank about 12:50 p.m. and said to a teller, “I have a bomb, give me $40,000 cash.” He was arrested later at a laundromat at Hydraulic and Harry in Wichita.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Wichita Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.

**

Sixto Refugio Largerous-Perez, 42, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entered the United States after being deported. He was found April 1, 2015, in Olathe, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting.

**

 

Carlos Byron, 59, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred March 30, 2015 in Kansas City, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Kansas City (Kansas) Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting.

**

 

James G. Martin, 40, Independence, Mo., is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit forgery one count of passing a counterfeit $100 bill and one count of possessing $570 in counterfeit bills. The crimes are alleged to have occurred from Sept. 1, 2013, to Feb. 1, 2015, in Johnson County, Kan.

 f convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the conspiracy count; and a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the other counts. The U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

**

Luis Gerardo-Montenegro, 21, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred April 2, 2015, in Wyandotte County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million on the drug charge, and penalty of not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and ICE-HSI investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ward is prosecuting.

**

Sarah Willson, 26, Olathe, Kan., is charged with one count of destroying mail while working as a U.S. Postal Service employee. The crime is alleged to have occurred Nov. 21, 2014, in Olathe, Kan.

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

**

Matthew Williams, 46, Junction City, Kan., is charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The crimes are alleged to have occurred from July 25 to August 2014.

The indictment alleges he submitted false documentation on a Veterans Affairs home loan from Pulaski Bank. He also is alleged to have used another person’s Social Security number.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years and a fine up to $1 million on the bank fraud charge, and an additional two years on the identity theft charge. The Veterans Administration – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting.

**

Bryce D. Draper, 26, Mission, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred March 7, 2015, in Douglas County, Kan.

 If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 15 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Lawrence (Kansas) Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting.

                           **                                                                                                                                                                                                      

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

WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man was sentenced Monday to 12 years in federal prison for trafficking more than 12,000 pounds of marijuana over a period of two years, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Jeremy Harris, 33, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. In his plea, he admitted obtained and distributed the marijuana in Kansas during a period from 2011 to 2013. The plea agreement states:

• On Aug. 2, 2013, Harris received a bulk marijuana shipment near Augusta, Kan. Investigators seized 35 steel containers that contained a total of more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana.
• One of Harris’ co-conspirators admitted driving a vehicle from El Paso, Texas, to Wichita more than 15 times, each time transporting more than 150 pounds of marijuana.
• Other conspirators were responsible from transporting marijuana from Texas to Kansas, and for transporting bulk cash to Texas and Mexico for payment.
• Harris paid for marijuana with bulk cash or by making wire transfers as directed. On one occasion, he asked another conspirator to deliver $70,000 in cash to Mexico to pay for marijuana. On another occasion, he asked another conspirator to deposit cash into the account of a third party to transfer drug proceeds. On another occasion, three conspirators transported $170,000 to El Paso to pay for marijuana.

Co-defendants included:

       Jason Giesy, who was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison.

        Evan Woolsey, who was sentenced to 72 months.

Grissom commended the Wichita Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - An Olathe man pleaded guilty Monday to his role in a scheme to launder profits from marijuana trafficking through a casino in Kansas City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Christopher Anderson, 31, Olathe, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In his plea, he admitted he and other conspirators inserted more than $470,000 in proceeds of drug trafficking into slot machines at the Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kan. Then they cashed out at an ATM machine in the casino without playing. Their purpose was to convert small denomination bills into large denomination bills that were easier to transport from Kansas to California.

Anderson also admitted the following:

• The trafficking organization to which he belonged cultivated marijuana in California and transported it to the Kansas City area for distribution.
• During the early days of the organization, traffickers mailed Home Depot buckets and basketballs containing marijuana from California to Kansas. Over time, they began to drive cars carrying marijuana from California to Kansas, and money from Kansas to California.
• The conspirators also used Money Grams to send cash from Kansas to California.

Sentencing will be scheduled at a later time. Anderson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $500,000 on the money laundering charge and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the drug distribution charge. Grissom commended the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Secret Service and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic for their work on the case.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Topeka man has been charged in federal court in Topeka with attempting to detonate a vehicle bomb at the Fort Riley military base near Manhattan, Kan., U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom, District of Kansas, and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin announced today. The defendant was arrested as part of an FBI investigation, and the device used by the defendant was, in fact, inert.

John T. Booker, Jr., 20, Topeka, Kan., was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed today with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives), one count of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive and one count of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) Booker is expected to make an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree in federal court in Topeka.

Booker was arrested this morning near Manhattan, Kan., as he completed his final preparations to detonate a vehicle bomb targeting U.S. military personnel.

“We face a continued threat from individuals within our own borders who may be motivated by a variety of causes,” said U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom. “Anyone who seeks to harm this nation and its people will be brought to justice.”

“As alleged in the complaint, John Booker attempted to attack U.S. military personnel on U.S. soil purportedly in the name of ISIL,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “Thanks to the efforts of the law enforcement community, we were able to safely disrupt this threat to the brave men and women who serve our country. Protecting American lives by identifying and bringing to justice those who wish to harm U.S. citizens remains the National Security Division’s number one priority.”

Booker is alleged to have spent months discussing multiple plans before deciding on a plan that involved the execution of a suicide bombing mission.

The complaint alleges Booker told another person “that detonating a suicide bomb is his number one aspiration because he couldn’t be captured, all evidence would be destroyed, and he would be guaranteed to hit his target.” Booker identified Fort Riley as a good target, “because the post is famous and there are a lot of soldiers stationed there,” the complaint alleges.

Booker allegedly produced a propaganda video in which he told the American people to get their loved ones out of the military now because, “The Islamic State is coming for them. From inside, whether it be in their homes, whether it be on a base like this, whether it be in the recruiting stations, whether it be in the streets.”

It is alleged that since March 2015, Booker plotted to construct an explosive device for an attack on American soil. It is alleged he repeatedly stated that he desired to engage in violent jihad on behalf of the ISIL. Over a period of months he took a series of actions to advance the plots. As alleged in the complaint, Booker:

-- Assisted in acquiring components for a vehicle bomb.

-- Produced a propaganda video.

-- Rented a storage locker to store components for the explosive device.

-- Identified Fort Riley as the target.

-- Talked about his commitment to trigger the device himself and become a martyr.

On Friday, Booker was arrested without incident near Manhattan, Kan., as he undertook preparations for the execution of his plan.

“I want to assure the public there was never any breach of Fort Riley Military Base. Recently the Command Staff at Fort Riley has been working hand-in-hand with law enforcement to ensure the utmost security and protection for the men and women who serve our country, and the surrounding community that supports the base,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson.

FBI Evidence Response Teams are executing search warrants related to the case.

If convicted, Booker would face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

 The investigation was conducted by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, including members from the FBI’s Kansas City Division, the Topeka Police Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Smith, and Trial Attorneys Josh Parecki and Rebecca Magnone of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

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

 

Booker complaint

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A second Topeka man was charged Friday in connection with an alleged plot to detonate a vehicle bomb at the Fort Riley military base near Manhattan, Kan., U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Alexander E. Blair, 28, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of failing to report a felony. A criminal complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Topeka alleges Blair knew of a plot by co-defendant John T. Booker, Jr., 20, Topeka, Kan., to detonate a bomb at Fort Riley.

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

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

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.

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

WICHITA, KAN. – A former city clerk of Altoona, Kan., was sentenced Tuesday to six months in jail for bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. She also was ordered to pay more than $47,000 in restitution to the city of Altoona.

Chrystal Scherbarth, 31, Altoona, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. In her plea, she admitted the crime occurred while she was employed as city clerk. She used her access to the city’s accounts at the First Neodesha Bank to commit the crime.

The city of Altoona suffered a total loss of more than $47,800. Scherbarth diverted money from the city by fraudulently increasing her own hourly pay, fraudulently paying herself for overtime, fraudulently crediting herself with unearned paid vacation and fraudulently crediting herself with unearned sick leave.

Grissom commended the FBI, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith for their work on the case.

WICHITA KAN. – Two people who operated a business called Q Massage at 3833 W. 13th in Wichita were indicted Wednesday on federal charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Ping Liu, 43, Wichita, Kan., and Xingdi Lin, 48, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of attempting to persuade, induce, entice or coerce an individual to cross state lines to engage in prostitution and one count of using a telephone in furtherance of prostitution. The crimes are alleged to have occurred March 13 and March 16, 2015 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on enticement charge and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The Wichita Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

OTHER FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

A man who was arrested in Kansas after escaping from a prison in Oklahoma has been indicted here on federal firearms charges.

Lance D. Colbert, 40, an inmate at the Mack Alford Correctional Center in Stringtown, Okla., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction, and one count of unlawfully possessing a .38 caliber revolver with the serial number removed.

On March 11, Colbert was arrested in Spivey, Kan. (Kingman County). He and another man had escaped from the prison in Oklahoma two days earlier.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Kansas Highway Patrol investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

 

Walt Jasper Samuel Shrum, 48, Kingman, Kan., is charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction and one count of possession of methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred March 11, 2015, in Kingman County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the firearms charges and a civil penalty up to $10,000 on the misdemeanor methamphetamine charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

 

Gary Dewayne Meacham, 53, Caney, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred July 11, 2014, in Montgomery County, 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 David Lind is prosecuting.

        

Matthew T. Payton, 25, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of manufacturing counterfeit bills and one count of possessing counterfeit bills. The crimes are alleged to have occurred at various times from September 2014 to February 15, 2015, in Wichita, Kan.

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

 

Wayne E. Williams, 45, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of wire fraud. The indictment alleges he used a telephone to make false statements as part of his application for unemployment benefits. The indictment alleges he received more than $34,000 in benefits to which he was not entitled during a period from Sept. 26, 2009, to April 20, 2013.

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

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

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced Monday to 78 months in federal prison in a federal mail theft case, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Justin D. Anderson, 27, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of mail theft, one count of bank fraud and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. In his plea he admitted that on Oct. 22, 2013, he and another person removed mail addressed to Geico Insurance from a U.S. Postal service mail receptacle in Wichita.

On Nov. 5, 2013, he presented and cashed an altered check at the Credit Union of America in Wichita. The check originally was written in the amount of $800 and made payable to Dewen Loan Servicing. He altered the check by adding his name to the payee line. He admits the check was stolen from a U.S. Postal Service mail receptacle.

In addition, he admitted that on Oct. 7, 2013, he possessed a 9 mm pistol. At the time he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had a prior felony conviction.

Grissom commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department, the Wichita Police Department, the Derby Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced Thursday to 16 years in federal prison for robbing a drug store, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Ryan B. Schmidt, 34, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of commercial robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during the robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Sept. 4, 2014, he entered Gessler’s Drug Store at 4817 E. Douglas in Wichita, brandished a gun and told an employee to give him prescription drugs. He fled the store with seven bottles of hydrocodone and three bottles of promethazine in a plastic bag.

Schmidt was involved in a high speed chase with police before hitting a utility pole and another vehicle and coming to a stop.

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

WICHITA, KAN. – A federal jury Thursday returned guilty verdicts in the trial of a Wellington man charged with distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Steven J. Meisel, 48, Wellington, Kan., was convicted on one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that on May 9, 2014, a Wichita police detective downloaded child pornography from Meisel’s computer over the ARES P2P computer network. The files included images of prepubescent children engaged in sex acts. Investigators followed an electronic trail to Meisel’s computer at his residence in Wellington.

Sentencing is set for July 1. He faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the distribution charge; and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the possession charge. Grissom commended the Wichita Police Department, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, the Exploited and Missing Child Unit, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Wellington Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, KAN. - A Lawrence man who helped launch a global sales and supply network for smokable synthetic cannabinoids (synthetic marijuana) and other designer drugs was sentenced Monday to federal prison for violating the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Bradley Miller, 57, Lawrence, Kan., was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, one count of misbranding and one count of mail fraud. In his plea, he admitted he conspired with his brother, co-defendant Clark Sloan, and Sloan’s son, co-defendant Jonathan Sloan, to manufacture and sell designer drugs, including a marijuana substitute called K2 that was named after the second-highest mountain in the world.

Miller and Jonathan Sloan owned and operated Persephone’s Journey, a retail store at 1103 Massachusetts in Lawrence, Kan., and Bouncing Bear Botanicals, 14501 South U.S. 59 Highway, Oskaloosa, Kan. Both businesses ostensibly sold herbs and botanical products. Over time, the business grew to encompass a chain of suppliers, retailers, wholesalers and business associates with locations in Kansas, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Nevada and Indiana, as well as in other nations including Argentina, Latvia, Germany, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Canada, Sweden, Singapore, Thailand and Uruguay. The defendants made at least $3.3 million from the sale of the drugs

Miller developed recipes for K2 and manufactured it. During the Sloans’ trial, prosecutors presented evidence that:

• The defendants manufactured and distributed K2 as an Aall natural product@ but it contained synthetic chemicals called JWH Compounds that mimic the effects of the THC in marijuana. Their products also contained solvents, either the alcohol Everclear or acetone, as well as other additives.
• They manufactured and sold at least four types of K2 products: Standard, Citron, Blonde and Summit, with Standard being the least potent and Summit being the most potent, depending on the amount of JWH Compounds that were mixed with herbs.
• The defendants manufactured the K2 without quality controls, resulting in inconsistent potencies. They intended K2 products to be smoked like marijuana by recreational drug users, but they falsely referred to K2 products as aromatic incense and falsely labeled them as Anot for consumption.@

Co-defendant Clark Sloan was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison. Jonathan Sloan was sentenced to 96 months.

“Protecting the public health lies at the core of FDA’s and Office of Criminal Investigation’s mission,” said Catherine Hermsen, special agent in charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigation, Kansas City Field Office. “When innocent-appearing products disguise their actual ingredients, their safety cannot be assured. We will continue to work to bring to justice those who would endanger the public health.” 

Grissom commended the Food and Drug Administration - OCI, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi for their work on the case.

WICHITA, KAN. - A former loan officer for a bank in Great Bend pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge of bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Brian W. Harrison, 56, Great Bend, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. In his plea, he admitted the crime occurred during the time from 2004 to 2012 when he was a loan officer for Farmer’s Bank and Trust in Great Bend.

His duties included reviewing, approving and disbursing loans within his lending authority without the approval of the bank’s loan committee. In furtherance of a scheme to defraud the bank, he made or caused to be made false statements to the bank to hide the poor performance of various loans he made. His false statements were intended to deflect questions from the bank about problems with the loans. He falsified credit and loan applications, promissory notes and security agreements on behalf of a purported debtor without the debtor’s proper authority.

Sentencing is set for he. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of six months in prison, followed by six months home detention, as well as an order to pay more than $124,000 in restitution.

Grissom commended the FBI, the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith for their work on the case.