District of Kansas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Kansas Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN.– A Kansas man pleaded guilty to one count of failure to pay over payroll taxes.
According to court documents, Jesus Perez-Aguayo, 39, of Wichita as owner and operator of two companies, JLP Construction and JP Remodeling, has a responsibility to collect employee payroll taxes then forward the funds to the Internal Revenue Service. Between 2014 and 2019, Perez-Aguayo admits he didn’t pay the full amount due to the IRS, creating a tax loss of approximately $286,049. He also admits to using his business bank account for his personal expenses.
“Mr. Perez-Aguayo’s guilty plea shows that IRS Criminal Investigation will aggressively pursue those who commit employment tax fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation. “When business owners collect and then fail to pay over employment taxes, it not only hurts the government but all of the honest and hardworking employees as well.”
After pleading guilty to failure to pay over payroll taxes, Perez-Aguayo faces up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
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Jury Convicts University of Kansas Researcher for Hiding Ties to Chinese GovernmentRead the Press Release
A former University of Kansas (KU) professor was today convicted by a federal jury on three counts of wire fraud and one count of false statements after he deliberately concealed that he was also employed by a government-affiliated university in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), while working on U.S. government funded research at KU.
Feng Tao, aka Franklin Tao, 50, of Lawrence, Kansas, worked as a full-time professor at KU. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in 2018, Tao accepted a position with Fuzhou University in China that designated him as a Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor. The position’s guidelines required him to be a full-time employee of Fuzhou University.
The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) required faculty to file annual reports to notify of any outside employment that did or could impact duties as a conflict of interest. Tao didn’t seek permission from KU before entering the agreement with Fuzhou University, didn’t notify KU about the employment, and lied to conceal the employment. In December 2018, the defendant moved to China to work full-time at Fuzhou University, while falsely telling KU administrators that he was in Europe.
As a KU faculty member, Tao conducted research under contracts between the KU and two U.S. government agencies, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Tao caused KU to submit to DOE and NSF hundreds of thousands of dollars in reimbursement requests for expenditures associated with the grants. Tao repeatedly certified electronic documents indicating he read and understood the federal government and KU’s policies and that he had made all necessary disclosures.
Tao faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 for wire fraud, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the program fraud counts.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section (CES) are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Deputy Chief Benjamin Hawk of CES.
Final Two Defendants Convicted in Prison-Based Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal jury convicted two Wichita men on charges related to an inmate-run drug trafficking ring headquartered from a prison cell in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.
Following the presentation of court documents and evidence at trial, a jury found Kevin Lewis, 58, and Travis Vontress, 45, guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute heroin, conspiracy to distribute cocaine powder, maintaining drug involved premises, and unlawful use of a telephone in furtherance of drug trafficking,
A jury also convicted Lewis of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. Vontress was also found guilty of possession with intent to distribute powder cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Both men are scheduled for sentencing June 22.
Twenty-one defendants pled guilty to charges related to this case. They include Travis Knighten, 49, and Armando Luna, 43, both inmates at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. Knighten served as the brains of the operation and while in prison, used cell phones to direct co-conspirators in Wichita in the distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and other illicit drugs. Knighten is serving a 90-year sentence for killing a prison guard in 1993. The other defendants, all of Wichita, are Richard Adams, 29, David Bell, 48, Frederick Collins, 49, Byron Fitchpatrick, 47, Eric Goodwin, 55, Dorzee Hill, 42, Santoria Hill, 53, Orlando Hogan, 46, Derek Hubbard, 46, Mario Ponds, 41, Otis Ponds, 43, Robert Richmond, 50, Kimberly Schmidtberger, 40, Shamtus Smallwood, 48, Kevin Walker, 56, Tia Ward, 42, Eddie Washington, 62, Trevor Wells, 41, and Dallas Williams, 40.
“This sophisticated criminal organization went to great lengths to conceal their illegal activities from law enforcement such as using code words for various narcotics and street names instead of actual names. These court convictions show that as criminals work to evade the law, there are prosecutors and law enforcement agencies working just as hard to bring them to justice,” said Duston Slinkard, U.S. Attorney – District of Kansas.
The FBI, Wichita Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, Barton County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Service, Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Marshall Service, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Nebraska State Patrol investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak prosecuted the case.
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Kansas Businessman Sentenced for ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal judge ordered a Kansas businessman to pay approximately $215,000 in restitution and serve one year of probation as part of his sentence for failing to pay over payroll tax collections to the Internal Revenue Service. In 2018 Charlie James, 43, of De Soto pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
According to court documents James was the co-owner of KC United, LLC which operated several subsidiary infrastructure and utility contractor companies. In April 2011, three of the subsidiaries filed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in U.S. District Court in the District of Kansas. Under the terms of the bankruptcy, Charlie James was required to continue to withhold payroll taxes from the employees then forward the funds to the IRS. Instead, from the time of the bankruptcy filing through April 2012, James took part in a conspiracy in which $214,305 was not paid to the IRS.
“When dishonest business owners conspire with others to carry out schemes to defraud the United States, all taxpayers pay the price,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Charlie James went to great extremes to hide assets from the IRS, and that behavior brought him to the attention of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and the Department of Justice. We have a duty to protect the integrity of the nation’s tax laws and will take aggressive actions to do so.”
The IRS- Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble prosecuted the case.
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Kansas Man Sentenced to 36 Months for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 36 months in prison for tax fraud and ordered to pay $40 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.In November 2021, Scott Tucker, 59, of Leawood pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false or fraudulent tax return. According to court documents, Tucker owned a professional auto racing business called Level 5 Sports. On a 1040-tax return in 2010, Tucker reported that Level 5 had approximately $18,251,000 in gross receipts and approximately $17,514,000 in expenses. Tucker admitted in a plea agreement Level 5 never operated as an intended for-profit business, and he admitted to submitting false information on the 1040 form to try to disguise the amount of tax due and owing.
A federal judge ordered Tucker’s 36-month prison sentence to be served concurrent with a previous conviction in the Southern District of New York. In 2018, Tucker was sentenced to 200 months in prison for operating a nationwide $3.5 billion internet payday lending enterprise that systematically evaded New York state laws.
“Taxes are due on all earned income, even income earned by ripping people off,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI will always pursue the interests of the public. Mr. Tucker spent decades defrauding others through payday lending schemes and now a $40 million tax bill is due. In addition to the time he’s already serving, he’s now being held accountable for cheating the U.S. government and honest taxpayers.”
The IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Rask and Chris Oakley prosecuted the case.
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Pharmacist Indicted for Tampering with a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging a pharmacist with one count of tampering with a consumer product, one count of possession of Tramadol by deception and subterfuge, one count of possession of Zolpidem by deception and subterfuge, and one count of possession of Oxycodone Hydrochloride by deception and subterfuge.
According to court documents, from July 2020 to October 2020, Benjamin Dandurand, 34, of Shawnee Mission is accused of allegedly using his fingerprint at a pharmacy in Lenexa to remove Oxycodone Hydrochloride from a safe. He allegedly removed the controlled substance from the bottle and replaced it with an alternate liquid substance before returning the bottle to the safe. Dandurand also allegedly took Tramadol, Oxycodone Hydrochloride, and Zolpidem from the pharmacy between September 2020 and October 2020.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle McFarlane is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Racially Motivated Federal Hate Crime Targeting Black ManRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Colton Donner, 27, pleaded guilty in federal court to threatening an African American man with a knife because of the man’s race, and in order to intimidate and interfere with the man’s right to fair housing.
According to documents filed in connection with the plea, on Sept. 11, 2019, Donner was driving through a residential area of Paola, Kansas, when he saw the victim, an African American man, walking on the sidewalk. Donner stopped, got out of the car, and approached the victim while brandishing a knife. Donner threatened the victim, yelled racial slurs, and told the victim that Paola is a “white town.”
“Using racially motivated threats of violence to drive someone out of their home or community is a deplorable crime, and the Justice Department stands ready to use our nation’s hate crimes laws to hold perpetrators accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Racially motivated hate crimes have no place in our society today. All people deserve to feel safe and secure living in their communities, regardless of race, color or national origin.”
“Any attempt to deny someone an opportunity to live where he or she chooses based on race, color or national origin is wrong and a violation of that person’s civil rights,” said U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard for the District of Kansas. “It is the responsibility of the Justice Department to prosecute such offenses to ensure the equal protection under the law to which we all are entitled, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”
“Every individual has the right to occupy a home free from racial discrimination, yet the defendant targeted the victim for no other reason than the victim’s race,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “The defendant’s actions directly undermined the victim’s right to reside in a community in Paola, Kansas, and to enjoy the protections afforded under the federal civil rights act. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, have no tolerance for this type of fear and intimidation and are committed to protecting residents regardless of their race, color, religion, gender, national origin or familial status.”
Donner faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the civil rights offense.
The case was investigated by the Paola, Kansas Police Department, and the Kansas City Field Office of the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tristan Hunt of the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
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Five Sentenced to Prison in Cell Phone Store Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN.– Five people have now been sentenced to prison terms in connection with an armed robbery at a Kansas City, Kansas cell phone store in which victims were bound.
• Mario Lambert, 39, of Rockford, Ill. was sentenced to 61 months;
• Sir Love, 36, of Knoxville, Tenn. was sentenced to 35 months;
• Domonique Walker, 30, of Rockford, Ill. was sentenced to 145 months;
• Sharod Pitts, 40, of Chicago, Ill. was sentenced to 100 months;
• and Terry Curtis, 38, of Rockford, Ill. received a sentence of 72 months.According to court documents, in September 2016, Lambert, Love, Walker, and Pitts entered a Verizon store on Village West Parkway. They pulled out handguns, and announced it was a robbery. The men locked the doors and forced the employees and customers to the back of the store at gunpoint. The assailants made the victims lie face down on the floor and bound their hands behind their back with zip ties. Then they untied one employee, put a gun to his face and demanded he open the store safe. Lambert, Love, Walker, and Pitts stole cash and merchandise before fleeing the scene with Curtis who was waiting outside as the getaway driver.
Walker, Curtis, Lambert, and Love each pleaded guilty to one count of robbery. Pitts pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Lambert, Love, and Walker were indicted and sentenced in Tennessee and Illinois on related charges.
The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra prosecuted the case.
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New Mexico Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A New Mexico man was sentenced to 156 months in prison for drug trafficking.According to court documents, in September 2021, Eric A. Estrada, 35, of Hobbs, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intention to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
In July 2020, the Kansas Highway Patrol pulled over two vehicles traveling together on Interstate 35 near Emporia for traffic violations. Estrada was driving a Nissan Sentra registered to the person driving the other vehicle, a Nissan Altima. In the Nissan Altima, troopers discovered approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine and 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger prosecuted the case.
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Man Indicted for Passing Counterfeit BillsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita, Kansas, returned an indictment charging an Oklahoma man with two counts of uttering of counterfeit obligations.
According to court documents, Chad R. Johnson, 38, is accused of passing six counterfeit $50 bills to a business in August 2021 and passing three counterfeit $100 bills to a business in September 2021.
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Man Indicted for Making and Spending Counterfeit BillsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with two counts of possession of counterfeit obligations, one count of possession and uttering of counterfeit obligations, and one count of manufacture of counterfeit obligations.
According to court documents, Johnny Hockaday, 57, of Wichita, is accused of manufacturing and possessing counterfeit federal currency of various denominations in 2019. He is also accused of attempting to defraud a business using four counterfeit $100 bills in September 2021.
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Missouri Woman Indicted for Pair of Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Missouri woman with two counts of bank robbery.
According to court documents, on November 4, 2021, She’Toia Mitchell, 35, of Lee’s Summit is accused of robbing a Bank of America branch located on Ohio Street in Lawrence, Kansas. Mitchell is also accused of robbing a branch of Wells Fargo Bank on West 103rd Street in Leawood, Kansas, on November 10, 2021.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Lawrence Police Department, and the Leawood Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Justice Department Awards More Than $17.5 Million to Support Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Wichita State University was awarded $167,483 to administer as fiduciary agent for the PSN program for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”
“The PSN program provides both funding assistance to communities within Kansas and a framework for analysis and coordination to best use those funds to drive down violent crime. We are grateful to Wichita State University for acting as research partner and fiduciary for this grant, allowing PSN to continue its work to form community partnerships and develop strategies to reduce violent crime and ensure safer neighborhoods,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard.
Grant funds will support the District of Kansas (DOK) strategy in addressing prevention, intervention, outreach/community engagement, and enforcement programs related to violent issues. The specific violent crime issues addressed with the grant strategies will include gang, gun, drug, and domestic violence, with particular emphasis on juvenile violent crime. With approval from BJA, the Fiscal Agent will begin the process of making subawards for PSN grant projects.
“Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”
In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
This fall, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.
PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.
For a list of all grantees, please visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/FY21-Project-Safe-Neighborhoods-Awards.pdf.
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The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita, Kansas, returned an indictment against a Kansas man on charges related to drug trafficking and firearms.
According to court documents, Joshua Heartfield, 32, of Wichita is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
The Wichita Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Kansas Men Sentenced to Prison for Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to prison for his participation in a pair of armed bank robberies in which he fired several shots, including one at a customer about to enter the bank.
In August 2021, a federal jury convicted Michael Shiferaw, 23, of Olathe of two counts of armed bank robbery and two counts of discharging a firearm in connection with a bank robbery. This week a federal judge sentenced Shiferaw to 28 years in prison.
Prior to Shiferaw’s trial, accomplice Kenya Breakfield, 23, of Olathe pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery and one count of discharging a firearm in connection with a bank robbery. Breakfield was sentenced in September 2021 to 76 months in prison.
In October 2018, Shiferaw and Breakfield went into a Wells Fargo bank in Leawood, Kansas, wearing Venom face masks and carrying handguns. Shiferaw fired a shot into the ceiling upon entering. He then pointed a gun at the tellers and forced them to fill a duffel bag with money. As they left the bank, Shiferaw fired another round into the ceiling, yelling “happy holidays”.
In March 2019, the men robbed the Commerce Bank in Roeland Park, Kansas. This time Breakfield stayed in the vehicle as the getaway driver, and Shiferaw entered the bank alone. Shiferaw fired four rounds during the robbery. When tellers attempted to hide under the counter, Shiferaw pointed his gun at them demanding to get into the vault. When one of the tellers attempted to get up, Shiferaw shoved him and pointed a gun at his head.
The defendants were arrested shortly after the second robbery.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Olathe Police Department, Leawood Police Department, and Roeland Park Police Department all assisted in the investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan prosecuted the case.
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Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Income Tax FraudRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to one count of making and subscribing a false return.
According to court documents, Randall Brammell, 65, of Berryton owned and operated Brammell Construction Company and Lawn Mowing. He pleaded guilty to submitting a false 2016 income tax return to the Internal Revenue Service after failing to inform his tax preparer about a substantial number of business checks made out to him personally that he cashed instead of depositing into his business bank account. As a result, the gross income of his business that year was underreported by $139,918.
“Mr. Brammell admitted that he knowingly filed a false income tax return with the IRS. IRS-Criminal Investigation takes all tax crimes very seriously. Those who file honest, accurate returns can be assured that we will investigate and hold accountable those who don’t,” said Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge, St. Louis Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Brammell is scheduled to be sentenced February 16, 2022 and faces a maximum of three years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting the case.
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Justice Department Announces $139 Million for Law Enforcement Hiring to Advance Community PolicingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced more than $139 million in grant funding through the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). The awards provide direct funding to 183 law enforcement agencies across the nation, allowing those agencies to hire 1,066 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. In the U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Kansas, Frontenac, Junction City, Olathe, and Rose Hill were awarded funding totaling $737,796.
“We are committed to providing police departments with the resources needed to help ensure community safety and build community trust,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The grants we are announcing today will enable law enforcement agencies across the country to hire more than 1,000 additional officers to support vitally important community oriented policing programs.”
“Manpower is an invaluable resource for local law enforcement agencies which have a lot of their plates like response, investigation, community engagement and other duties,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard. “These grants demonstrate the federal government is not only sensitive to the needs of police departments, but also invested in helping them to create safer communities for all citizens.”
The following cities/towns in USAO - Kansas District received awards:
- Frontenac $112,871
- Junction City $124,925
- Olathe $250,000
- Rose Hill $250,000
CHP is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers, thereby increasing their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Of the 183 agencies awarded grants today, approximately half will use the funding to focus on building legitimacy and trust between law enforcement and communities; 41 agencies will seek to address high rates of gun violence; 21 will focus on other areas of violence; and 19 will focus CHP resources on combating hate and domestic extremism or supporting police-based responses to persons in crisis. The complete list of awards can be found here.
Since its creation in 1994, COPS has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers. CHP, COPS’ flagship program, continues to be in demand today: In FY21, COPS received 590 applications requesting nearly 3,000 law enforcement positions. For FY22, President Biden has requested $537 million for CHP, an increase of $300 million.
To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp-award. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served.###
Scammers Often Target VeteransRead the Press Release
Each year on November 11 our nation sets aside a day to recognize and remember veterans of the armed forces who have served and sacrificed so much to protect us and our freedom. As we thank them for this service, we can also do something to help protect them.
Veterans are often targets of frauds and scams aimed at stealing veterans’ benefits, hard-earned savings, and even their identities. If you are a veteran or know a veteran, I encourage you to view and share information provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service at the USPIS website:
https://www.uspis.gov/veterans
The site provides information about schemes targeting vets. Information and knowledge can be powerful weapons. Please join me to do our part to fight against fraudsters and scammers and help protect those who have given so much to protect us.
Duston J. Slinkard
Acting United States Attorney
U.S. Attorney's Office - District of Kansas
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Man Indicted for Taking Controlled Substances from Kansas HospitalRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas returned an indictment charging an Overland Park man on two counts of tampering with a consumer product, one count of possession of fentanyl by deception and subterfuge, and one count of possession of hydromorphone by deception and subterfuge.
According to court documents, in March 2021, Alec Ramirez, 30, a registered nurse, is accused of removing vials of fentanyl and hydromorphone from an automated dispensing cabinet at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park and replacing the substances with an alternate liquid then returning the vials to the cabinet.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Faiza Alhambra and Trent Krug are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Defendants Charged in Connection with Multi-State Forced Labor Conspiracy Involving the Forced Labor of Minor VictimsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury in the District of Kansas has returned an eight-count indictment against eight defendants for their alleged roles in a forced labor conspiracy that victimized numerous minors who, between 2000 and 2012, worked in various food service and other businesses in Kansas and around the United States.
The indictment alleges that from 2000 through 2012, the defendants participated in running an organization called the United Nation of Islam (UNOI), an organization founded by the now deceased Royall Jenkins. The UNOI is alleged to have subjected multiple minors employed at UNOI-operated businesses in Kansas, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Ohio and elsewhere, to forced labor.
The indictment charges the following individuals with conspiracy to commit forced labor and forced labor:
Kaaba Majeed
Age: 47
Jonesboro, GAYunus Rassoul
Age: 36
Cape Coral, FLJames Staton
Age: 59
Fayetteville, NCDaniel Aubrey Jenkins
Age: 40
Lawrenceville, GARandolph Rodney Hadley
Age: 46
Fairburn, GAJacelyn Greenwell
Age: 42
Severn, MDEtenia Kinard
Age: 46
Waldorf, MDDana Peach
Age: 57
Clinton, MDThe indictment alleges that over the course of more than a decade, the defendants coerced the victims into physically demanding labor at various UNOI-owned businesses around the United States. The defendants allegedly used coercive tactics, such as separating victims from their families; withholding food; abusing victims physically and verbally; subjecting victims to crowded living conditions; psychological manipulation; degrading treatment; isolating victims and limiting their ability to interact with anyone outside of UNOI; and suggesting to victims that those who left UNOI met tragic consequences. Although the victims were school-aged, it is alleged the defendants did not provide them with an adequate or legitimate education.
The defendants will be arraigned at a later date in Kansas City, Kansas.
Upon conviction, the alleged crimes carry the following penalties: forced labor with a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 and conspiracy to commit forced labor with a penalty of up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General and Wage and Hour Division. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka for the District of Kansas and Trial Attorneys Vasantha Rao and Kate Alexander of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
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Kansas City Man Indicted for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging a Kansas City, Kansas man with one count of bank robbery and one count of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court documents, in September 2021, Davonte Chaney, 29, allegedly used a semi-automatic pistol to rob Truity Credit Union on West 31st Street in Lawrence, Kansas.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Lawrence, Kansas Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Justice Department Announces New Initiative to Combat RedliningRead the Press Release
[KANSAS CITY, KAN.]— The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas announced its partnership with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division as it launches the department’s new Combatting Redlining Initiative.
Redlining is an illegal practice in which lenders avoid providing services to individuals living in communities of color because of the race or national origin of the people who live in those communities. The new Initiative represents the department’s most aggressive and coordinated enforcement effort to address redlining, which is prohibited by the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
“Lending discrimination runs counter to fundamental promises of our economic system. When people are denied credit simply because of their race or national origin, their ability to share in our nation’s prosperity is all but eliminated,” said Attorney General Garland. “Today, we are committing ourselves to addressing modern-day redlining by making far more robust use of our fair lending authorities. We will spare no resource to ensure that federal fair lending laws are vigorously enforced and that financial institutions provide equal opportunity for every American to obtain credit.”
“This initiative is important to our community, and we stand ready to work with community stakeholders and the Civil Rights Division to investigate allegations of redlining and, when appropriate, hold those accountable who participate in illegal redlining practices,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard.
Redlining, a practice institutionalized by the federal government during the New Deal era and implemented then and now by private lenders, has had a lasting negative impact. For American families, homeownership remains the principal means of building wealth, and the deprivation of investment in and access to mortgage lending services for communities of color have contributed to families of color persistently lagging behind in homeownership rates and net worth compared to white families. The gap in homeownership rates between white and Black families is larger today than it was in 1960, before the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
This Initiative, which will be led by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorney’s Offices, will build on the longstanding work by the Division that seeks to make mortgage credit and homeownership accessible to all Americans on the same terms, regardless of race or national origin and regardless of the neighborhood where they live. The initiative will:
• Utilize U.S. Attorneys’ Offices as force multipliers to ensure that fair lending enforcement is informed by local expertise on housing markets and the credit needs of local communities of color.• Expand the department’s analyses of potential redlining to both depository and non-depository institutions. Non-depository lenders are not traditional banks and do not provide typical banking services, but engage in mortgage lending and now make the majority of mortgages in this country.
• Strengthen our partnership with financial regulatory agencies such as to ensure the identification and referrals of fair lending violations to the Department of Justice.
• Increase coordination with State Attorneys General on potential fair lending violations.
Individuals may report lending discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online.###
Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Water Facility TamperingRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to tampering with the computer system at a drinking water treatment facility in Ellsworth County. Wyatt Travnichek, 23, of Lorraine pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a public water system and one count of reckless damage to a protected computer system during unauthorized access.
According to court documents, the Post Rock Rural Water District hired Travnichek in January 2018, and his duties included monitoring the plant after hours using a remote login system. Travnichek resigned his position in January 2019. On March 27, 2019, the remote log in system was used to shut down the plant and turn off one of its filters. Investigators established Travnichek’s cell phone was used to perpetrate the intrusion, and that the phone was in his possession at the time of the shutdown. He told investigators he was intoxicated and didn’t remember anything about the night of March 27, 2019.
The Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
“Ensuring the security of our nations cyber infrastructure is one of the FBI’s top priorities and the plea underscores the joint dedication to that effort by the FBI, EPA and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. There is no doubt that Travnichek’s intentional actions directly placed the public in harm’s way. The plea should send a clear message to anyone who attempts to tamper with public facilities – law enforcement will remain resolute in investigating any and all threats that put the public’s health at risk,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub.
“Protecting America's drinking water is a top EPA priority,” said Special Agent in Charge Lance Ehrig of the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Kansas. “EPA will continue our focused efforts with DOJ and the states as we investigate and pursue any threats that might be directed toward vital community drinking water resources.”
The parties recommend a prison sentence of 12 months and one day on counts one and two to run concurrently. However, a district court judge will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting the case.
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Four People Sentenced in Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Four people received prison sentences following convictions in relation to a drug trafficking ring that operated for years in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
According to court documents, the Jackson County Drug Task Force began an undercover operation in 2016 surrounding a drug trafficking ring. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) later partnered in the investigation which included controlled purchases of confirmed methamphetamine and surveillance. In 2019, law enforcement arrested Juan Ceniceros, 28, of Kansas City, Missouri, and several of co-conspirators including Ryan Goodall, 25, Julio Rodriguez, 57, and Donald Brown, 51.
Juan Ceniceros was sentenced to 144 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Ryan Goodall was sentenced to 124 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Goodall also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Julio Rodriguez of Glendale, Arizona, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Donald Brown of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced to 81 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine.
“The fact that this investigation spanned several years is a testament to the patience and steadfast dedication of local and federal law enforcement agencies. Their commitment to staying with the investigation as long as necessary ensured appropriate convictions for this illegal behavior which harms our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard.
The Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case. The United States Marshals Service assisted with identification and apprehension in this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania prosecuted the case.
OCDETF STRIKE FORCE CASES
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The Kansas City Metro Strike Force’s mission also includes disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and transnational drug cartels, with emphasis on groups engaged in illicit activities involving methamphetamine and firearms that present a threat to public safety in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
###Missouri Woman Indicted for Tampering with Hospitals’ FentanylRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a nurse from Kansas City, Missouri, with two counts of tampering with a consumer product and two counts of possession of fentanyl by deception and subterfuge.
According to court documents, between January 2020 and April 2020 Faith Naccarato, 41, allegedly used her fingerprint to remove vials of fentanyl from an automated dispensing cabinet at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park. She is accused of replacing the fentanyl with an alternant liquid substance before placing the vials back in the cabinet.
Between February 2020 and April 2020, Naccarato allegedly took vials of fentanyl from an automated dispensing cabinet at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission in Meriam. She is accused of replacing the fentanyl with an alternate liquid substance and then placing the vials back in the cabinet.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Faiza Alhambra and Trent Krug are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Kansas City Man Sentenced to Prison for Attack on ATF AgentRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced 180 months in prison following an attack on a federal law enforcement agent during an undercover operation.
In May 2021, Nicholas Newman, 20, of Kansas City pleaded guilty to one count of forcible assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon and guilty to one count of using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. In September 2021, Newman was sentenced 120 months for the assault conviction and 60 months for the firearms conviction to run consecutively.
According to court documents, in February 2020, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted an undercover operation in Kansas City. Two undercover ATF agents drove their vehicle to a parking lot to meet with Newman after he contacted them a few days earlier suggesting he had a firearm for sale. Newman handed the undercover agent in the driver’s seat a firearm which she put on the floorboard. She then gave him cash provided by the ATF for the undercover operation. After Newman reached to grab the firearm, a violent struggle ensued between the agent and Newman for control of the weapon. Newman physically assaulted her inflicting severe bodily harm. The second agent, who had been in the rear passenger seat, came around and attempted to subdue Newman from behind. A short time later, ATF surveillance units arrived and instructed Newman to let go of the weapon which he did. He was subsequently taken into custody.
“Every day our ATF agents work to make our communities safer by trying to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard. “In doing so, they often put themselves in harm’s way. Thanks to the bravery and quick action of these agents no lives were lost in an incident which could have resulted in tragedy.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kansas City Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania prosecuted the case.
OCDETF STRIKE FORCE CASES
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The Kansas City Metro Strike Force’s mission also includes targeting violent street gangs and cartel members operating in and around the metropolitan area that are engaged in violent offenses and firearms offenses.###
15 Defendants Indicted for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging 15 people with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly intentionally conspired to distribute cocaine in the state of Kansas and elsewhere between January 2019 and September 2021.
The defendants include Santiago Gamboa-Saenz, 34, Maria Cota, 32, Efrain Garcia-Perez, 37, Dimas Calixto-Filho, 41, Juan Avarez-Perez, 35, Bryan Dominguez-Green, 20, Irlanda Grajeda, 31, Vladimir Blanco-Garciga, 49, Miguel Vazquez-Rodriguez, 35, Eduardo Ramirez-Ochoa, 32, Jesus Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 30, Homero Baca-Marquez, 23, Jaime Ocampo, 57, Jose Cera-Acosta, 35, and Frank De La Cruz, 36.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Kansas City and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Northeast Kansas Drug Task Force are investigating the case.
“Drug trafficking organizations are all about making money,” said Assistant Agent in Charge Rogeana Patterson-King, DEA lead for the state of Kansas. “This joint federal and state investigation stopped more than a million dollars’ worth of cocaine from reaching our communities, and more than $730,000 of proceeds from returning to the organization. This is particularly satisfying because this illegal industry jeopardizes public safety with these dangerous drugs.”
“HSI special agents, working with their state and federal law enforcement partners, were able to prevent a substantial amount of dangerous narcotics from reaching the streets and jeopardizing the safety of people who live there,” said HSI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Katherine Greer. “Our communities are safer when we, law enforcement officers and individuals in the communities we serve, work together collectively to end drug trafficking in our neighborhoods.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tristram Hunt and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel are prosecuting the case.
OCDETF
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Kansas Man Sentenced to 480 Months for Production of Child PornRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN.– A Kansas man was sentenced to 480 months in prison for child pornography.
In May 2021, Clinton Wade McElroy, 49, of Ellis pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography after a prior conviction. According to court documents, McElroy admitted that between May 2020 and June 2020, he persuaded an 8-year-old child to produce sexually explicit images and send them to him through an online game and various messaging applications.
The FBI and the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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Wichita Couple Accused of Prescription FraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment for two men on charges related to an alleged fraudulent prescription writing scheme.
David Sulzman, 59, and Martin Sulzman, 40, both of Wichita are charged with conspiracy to dispense a controlled substance. According to court documents, between 2014 and 2019, David Sulzman allegedly used his position as a physician assistant to prescribe controlled substances to individuals who were not his patients. David Sulzman faces 44 counts for the unlawful distribution and dispense of a controlled substance. Martin Sulzman is also charged with two counts of witness tampering.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Deb Barnett is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Businessman Accused of Underreporting Tax Returns by $1 MillionRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Missouri man with five counts of false statement in a tax return.
According to court documents, Kenneth Madl, 64, of Joplin, Missouri, is the owner of Madl Construction, a company based in Pittsburg, Kansas. Madl allegedly submitted 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service that underreported the company’s gross income by a total of more than $1 million.
The IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Wichita Businessman Faces 19 Counts of COVID Relief FraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita indicted a Kansas man on charges he defrauded federal, state, and local agencies of more than $450,000 in COVID-19 business recovery funds.
According to court documents, Michael Capps, 43, of Wichita is the owner and/or majority owner of Midwest Business Groups, LLC and Krivacy, LLC. Court documents also indicate he is a member of the Fourth and Long Foundation. Capps is accused of submitting false and fraudulent documents on behalf of the companies to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), as well as to the Kansas Department of Commerce for Small Business Working Capital grants, and to Sedgwick County for a Sedgwick County Cares grant.
Capps also allegedly sent false and fraudulent documents to Emprise Bank to receive a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan.
The indictment filed against Capps charges him with:
• one count of making false statement to a bank for a PPP loan,
• one count of bank fraud in connection with a PPP loan,
• three counts of false statement to the SBA for EIDL loans,
• three counts of wire fraud in connection with EIDL loans from the SBA,
• two counts of wire fraud in connection with grants from the Kansas Department of Commerce,
• one count of wire fraud in connection with a grant from Sedgwick County, and
• eight counts of money laundering.The investigating agencies are the FBI and investigators from the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Missouri Man Indicted for Bank Robbery in KansasRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a man from Kansas City, Missouri, with one count of bank robbery.
According to the criminal complaint preceding the indictment, on Aug. 2, 2021, Broderick Burr, 47, allegedly presented a note demanding money and indicating he had a gun to an employee at Commerce Bank on West 43rd Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas.
The FBI, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Missouri Man Indicted for Allegedly Detonating ExplosivesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a Missouri man with one count of Arson, one count of felon in possession of an explosive, and one count of transportation of explosive materials.
According to court documents, Josiah Lewis, 43, of Grandview, Missouri, allegedly detonated explosives at a business on West 135th Street in Overland Park, Kansas, in attempt to gain access into an automatic teller machine.
The Overland Park Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 300 Months for Child Porn ProductionRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced 300 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of Production of Child Pornography.
Between August 2020 and October 2020, Frederick Martin, 26, of Sedgwick used his cell phone to communicate with a minor female via Snapchat and iMessage. He persuaded the teenage victim to record and send him sexually explicit images of herself. Martin also sent the victim photos of himself engaged in sexual acts. During later interrogations with law enforcement, Martin admitted he became aware of the victim’s age while they were trading nude photos.
At the time of these criminal acts, Martin was on parole for previous convictions in the state of Massachusetts on multiple counts of Rape of A Child and Possession of Child Pornography.
The Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Kansas City investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart prosecuted the case.
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Two Kansas Men Guilty of Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two Kansas men are facing prison sentences after taking part in a pair of bank robberies. A federal jury convicted Michael Shiferaw, 22, of Olathe of two counts of Armed Bank Robbery, and two counts of Discharging a Firearm in Connection with a Bank Robbery. Kenya Breakfield, 23, of Olathe pleaded guilty to one count of Armed Bank Robbery and one count of Discharging a Firearm in Connection with a Bank Robbery.
According to court documents, in October 2018, Shiferaw and Breakfield went into a Wells Fargo bank in Leawood, Kansas wearing face masks and carrying handguns. Shiferaw fired a shot into the ceiling upon entering. He then pointed a gun at the tellers and forced them to fill a duffel bag with money. The men fired another round into the ceiling, yelling “happy holidays” before fleeing the bank with the money.
In March 2019, the men robbed the Commerce Bank in Roeland Park, Kansas. This time Breakfield remained in the vehicle as the getaway driver, and Shiferaw entered the bank alone. Shiferaw fired four rounds during the robbery, including one aimed at a customer trying to enter the bank. The defendants were arrested shortly after the second robbery, and law enforcement recovered the firearm used in both crimes. Prosecutors agreed to drop the charges against Breakfield in connection with the Commerce Bank robbery in exchange for his guilty plea in the Wells Fargo case. Shiferaw elected to go to trial.
A Bank Robbery conviction carries a maximum of 25 years in prison for each count. A conviction of Discharging a Firearm During a Bank Robbery carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, consecutive with any other sentence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Olathe Police Department, Leawood Police Department, Roeland Park Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case.Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan prosecuted the case.
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Wichita Man Sentenced to 135 Months for Child PornRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. –Thomas Schindler, 69, of Wichita was sentenced to 135 months years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography.
According to court documents, detectives with the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted an undercover operation on a peer-to peer file sharing network called BitTorrent. During the investigation, law enforcement identified Schindler as a network user in possession of child pornography. Detectives went to Schindler’s home, where he admitted accessing and using the BitTorrent network to obtain child pornography. A subsequent seizure of his computers revealed pornographic images of prepubescent girls.
The Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart prosecuted the case.Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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Kansas Man Pleads Guilty in Unemployment Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Fort Scott man pleaded guilty one count of Wire Fraud and one count of Aiding and Abetting Wire Fraud.
In June 2020, Donald Cook, 65, took part in a scheme to defraud the state governments of Arizona, Texas, and Ohio. Cook admitted he knew that an individual, identified in court documents only as “A.T.”, was falsely using other people’s identities to apply for state unemployment benefits. Cook allowed “A.T.” to deposit the fraudulently obtained funds totaling approximately $25,500 in his bank account. Cook then transferred money to “A.T.”
Cook faces up to 20 years in prison for Wire Fraud and up to 20 years in prison for Aiding and Abetting Wire Fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting the case.
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Couple Sentenced for Feigning Blindness for VA & Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A husband and wife from Hutchinson, Kansas, have been sentenced for deceiving the federal government about a medical condition to receive benefit payments. Addison Lewis, 41, and Brandi Lewis, 38, each received five years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of Theft of Government Property.
From 2013 to 2018, Addison Lewis misrepresented himself as having cortical visual blindness to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In turn, the VA increased his benefits amount. Addison Lewis admitted misleading the VA by exaggerating symptoms and impairment attributed to cortical visual blindness. Brandi Lewis intentionally provided inaccurate information to the VA to support her husband’s false claim.The court ordered the Lewises to pay $111,510 in restitution to the Social Security Administration and $131,972 in restitution to the VA.
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) Criminal Investigations Division and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst prosecuted the case.
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Two Kansas Companies Sentenced for Using Illegal SoftwareRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – In separate court cases, two Kansas-based companies have been sentenced for operating with pirated computer software. Lightning Aerospace, LLC, and Fly Manufacturing, LLC, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of Circumvention of Protected Copyrighted Work.
Dassault Systèmes owns the copyright to a software called Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application or CATIA. According to court documents, Lightning Aerospace and Fly Manufacturing admitted to intentionally acquiring unlicensed versions of CATIA and using the illegal software for years. During that time Lightning Aerospace and Fly Manufacturing didn’t purchase software from Dassault Systèmes or pay for licensing.
“Defendants involved in these types of crimes like to claim them as victimless,” said Katherine Greer, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in the Kansas City area of operations.“The offenses in this case are aggravated by the fact that the accused used unlicensed software to design and test parts for aircraft-actions that could have grave consequences to consumers,” said Greer. “Not to mention the billions of dollars legitimate companies are losing each year to cybercriminals engaged in digital thefts, costs likely being passed along to customers.”
During sentencing, the court ordered Lightning Aerospace to pay $46,002 in restitution to Dassault Systèmes and pay approximately $28,000 in court fines. Fly Manufacturing was ordered to pay $67,272 in restitution and approximately $8,000 in fines.
“Not only did these two businesses defraud a software company, they also gave themselves an unfair financial advantage over competitors who obeyed the law by paying for software and licensing fees,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard. “Hopefully these convictions will deter other companies from engaging in intellectual property theft.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Kansas City.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger prosecuted the case.
###Kansas Man to Serve 300 Months in Prison for Child Porn DistributionRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – Jason Wayne Irving, 38, of Pittsburg, Kansas, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for distributing child pornography. In February, he pleaded guilty to one count of Distribution of Child Pornography.
According to court documents, Irving admitted that in 2019 he used his email address to upload and send pornographic photos of children. Google detected his activity and notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tip Line. The images are of children being forced to engage in sexual acts with adults. Soon after, Google reported the email account again for similar conduct during which Google was able to link the account to Irving. After obtaining a search warrant of Irving’s smartphone, law enforcement discovered it has been used for the operation of the Google email account as well as other accounts that had been reported by Facebook for child pornography. Law enforcement also found various files of child pornography on the phone.
Homeland Security Investigation, Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart prosecuted the case.
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Business Owner Indicted on Tax FraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita indicted a Wichita man on 17 counts of Failure to Pay Over Payroll Taxes.
According to court documents, Jesus Perez-Aguayo, 38, served as owner, operator, and president of two companies, JLP Construction and JP Remodeling. Between 2015 and 2019, Perez-Aguayo is accused of collecting but not forwarding hundreds of thousands of dollars in employee payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
If there is a conviction, each count of Failure to Pay Over Payroll Taxes carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Getaway Driver to Serve Prison Time for RobberyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for his role as getaway driver in an armed gas station robbery. In April 2021, Jeremiah Urias, 19, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of Robbery.
According to court documents, Urias was charged in connection with the robbery of an EZ Trip gas station in Newton, Kansas, in February of 2020. Urias waited in the vehicle while two accomplices entered the business and demanded money from the clerk at gunpoint. After Urias and his accomplices drove away from the scene, a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper spotted the vehicle and a high-speed chase ensued. The chase ended when Urias’ vehicle was involved in an accident with another vehicle. Urias then fled on foot. The two accomplices remained in the vehicle after the accident and were arrested, and Urias was eventually captured by law enforcement.
“We want to make it clear to all persons who willingly participate in crimes that they can be subject to prosecution no matter their role,” said Acting U.S Attorney Duston Slinkard. “Although the defendant may not have personally entered the business or pointed a gun at the employee, he was still responsible for participating in the robbery, and the Court held him accountable.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Highway Patrol, Newton Police Department, Salina Police Department, and the Wichita Police Department (FBI Task Force Officer) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger prosecuted the case.
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Wichita Man Sentenced for Distributing Thousands of Child Porn ImagesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced to 155 months for distributing child pornography, Acting United States Attorney Duston J. Slinkard announced.
Devan Navarette, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of Distribution of Child Pornography in February 2021. In his plea, he admitted to operating a Dropbox account to share files of child pornography with other users. Dropbox discovered Navarette’s activities and reported him to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators found thousands of images depicting children, including prepubescent children, made to engage in sex acts. As part of his sentence, Navarette will also pay $57,000 in restitution to victims.
Slinkard commended Homeland Security Investigations, the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Wichita Police Department and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office for their work on the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart prosecuted the case.
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14 Defendants Indicted in Alleged $1 Million Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka, Kansas, returned an indictment charging 14 people in connection to a kickback scheme involving more than $1 million in fraudulent customer refunds.
Kanesha Mercer, 32, Darius Polite, 27, and Rudy Hunt, 29, were indicted on Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Mercer, Polite, Hunt as well as Veronica Kilman, 31, were indicted for Wire Fraud.
According to court documents, Mercer, Polite, Hunt and Kilman are all former employees of Advanced Call Center Technologies (ACCT) in Junction City, Kansas. ACCT provides support services including processing refunds for AT&T Digital Life home security systems. Mercer, Polite, Hunt, and Kilman are accused of authorizing fraudulent refunds then directing the deposits into the bank accounts of other accomplices who agreed to return a percentage of the money.
A federal grand jury also indicted Sharika Pope, Erica Jackson, Caylon McCormick, Mercele Brooks, Shunqureau Gilbert, Fontelle Jolly, Kory Epps, Jr., Kiondra Armstrong, Anthony Charite, and Shenece Marryshow on Laundering of Money Instruments.
Each of the charges, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Laundering of Money Instruments, carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former KUMC Employee Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling $556,000Read the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Michael Tae Kim Ahlers, 50, of Lenexa, Kansas, was sentenced to two years in prison after stealing more than $556,000 from his former employer, the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC), as well as from KUMC Research Institute and from KU Endowment. In February, Ahlers pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and filing a false tax return. The prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised released, and Ahlers is ordered to pay more than $680,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, from 2009 to August 2015, Ahlers abused his position as the administrative officer of the KUMC Occupational Therapy Education Department. While embezzling $526,000 from KUMC, he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on personal expenditures. Some of those expenditures include:
- approximately $87,000 on gambling;
- approximately $81,000 on travel to locations such as Las Vegas, New Orleans, New York, Myrtle Beach and Caribbean cruises;
- approximately $81,000 in cash withdrawals;
- approximately $36,000 on golf memberships and fees; and
- approximately $36,000 on sports tickets and on license or donor fees.
To conceal the fraud, Ahlers used a KUMC Credit Union bank account over which he had exclusive control. He created fraudulent invoices to prevent the discovery that he was using the account for his personal gain. Ahlers stole approximately $30,000 from KUMC Research Institute and KU Endowment by submitting falsified invoices for which he was paid. He then willfully failed to include the stolen funds on his federal tax returns which resulted in a tax loss of more than $104,000 from 2009 to 2015.
“It’s disappointing anytime someone in a position of trust misuses that authority for personal financial gain. As federal prosecutors, we work tirelessly to see perpetrators of fraud brought to justice and convicted,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard. “It’s also our responsibility to advocate before the courts on behalf of victims so that they might recover as much of their losses as possible as restitution.”
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
“After multiple years of embezzling from the University of Kansas Medical Center and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on himself, Mr. Ahlers is now going to federal prison,” said Amanda Prestegard, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “Mr. Ahlers’ sentence further exhibits that IRS CI, along with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will continue to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals that participate in abusive criminal activity, and are duty bound to protect the integrity of the U.S. tax administration.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan J. Huschka and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton prosecuted the case.
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Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Trafficking Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – Richard H. Adams, IV, 29, was sentenced to 144 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, a Class A felony.
According to court documents, in 2019, Adams was pulled over in Nebraska by a state trooper for speeding. A search of the vehicle yielded the discovery of what was later determined to be at least 2,200 grams of methamphetamine. Two loaded firearms belonging to Adams and $11,300 in U.S. currency were also found. Adams admitted he planned to transport the methamphetamine to Wichita, Kansas, for distribution.
“The arrest, prosecution, and resolution of this case demonstrates an effective collaboration between law enforcement and federal prosecutors. Their efforts prevented a dangerous, illicit substance from reaching our communities and caused the perpetrator to have to pay for his crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Dunston Slinkard.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nebraska Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Treaster and Katie Andrusak prosecuted the case.
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Kansas Man Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury indicted Truman Gentry, 25, of Augusta, Kansas, on two counts of Production of Child Pornography, one count of Advertising for Production of Child Pornography and one count of Possession of Child Pornography.
If convicted, Gentry faces 15 to 30 years in prison for each count of Production of Child Pornography, 15 to 30 years in prison for Advertising for Production of Child Pornography and up to 20 years in prison for Possession of Child Pornography.
The investigating agencies include: the United States Attorney’s Office, North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children, Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children, Homeland Security Investigations, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Boone, North Carolina Police Department, Wichita Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Augusta Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Wichita Man Sentenced to 210 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced to 210 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, a Class A Felony.
According to court documents, Michael A. Arjona, 40, admitted that over several months in 2018 he conspired with other individuals to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Arjona confessed to a plan to sell the methamphetamine to customers in the Wichita, Kansas area.
Three other people entered guilty pleas to charges related to the drug trafficking ring that Arjona ran. Nicholas Brandt, 21, of Wichita was sentenced to 96 months after pleading guilty to Use of a Communication Device to Facilitate a Drug Offense. Cody J. Cobal, 25, of Wichita pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Matthew A. McMillan, 20, pleaded guilty to Use of a Communication Device to Facilitate a Drug Offense. Cobal and McMillan are awaiting sentencing.
The Wichita Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak prosecuted the case.
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Sporting Goods Company Changes Policy Following ADA AllegationRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN.– Scheels All Sports Inc., located in Overland Park, Kansas, agreed to create a new policy as part of a settlement following allegations the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Scheel’s new ADA policy (1) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, (2) does not impose eligibility criteria that tends to screen out individuals with disabilities, and (3) provides reasonable modifications to Scheels’ policy, practices, and procedures as necessary to avoid discriminating against individuals with disabilities. Under the settlement, the company will also pay $1,000 in compensatory damages to the complainant, train its staff on the new ADA policy, create an ADA liaison, and allow the U.S. Attorney’s Office - District of Kansas to monitor its conduct for three years.
The allegations stem from a discrimination complaint filed in 2019 by an 18-year-old woman with Down Syndrome. An investigation revealed that during a high school outing at Scheels, a Ferris wheel attendant refused to allow her to ride with a classmate because of her disability. He cited a company policy requiring individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by an adult. Although a teacher assured the attendant as well as managers the complainant could safely ride with her classmate, the staff refused service because of her disability.
“Scheels’ former policy and practice was inconsistent with the ADA, which prohibits eligibility criteria that screen out individuals with disabilities from fully and equally enjoying goods and services,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard. “Moreover, any screening policy must be based on legitimate safety requirements, and not on mere speculation, stereotypes, or generalizations about individuals with disabilities.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Taylor and Tyson Shaw investigated the matter.The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
###Kansas City Man Sentenced to 96 Months Imprisonment for Possession of a Firearm While Trafficking Drugs and Discharging a Firearm on School PropertyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas City man has been sentenced on federal charges of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and discharging a firearm on school property, Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard said today.
DALLAS SRIVISAY, 21, of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced on April 20, 2021 to 96 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Srivisay entered a guilty plea on October 6, 2020. According to court records, this investigation involved an incident where Srivisay and a codefendant participated in a drug exchange with others in a Manhattan, Kansas high school parking lot. The intended drug deal went bad when the unknown buyer attempted to rob Srivisay’s brother and his codefendant at gunpoint. The attempted robbery ended in an exchange of gunfire between Srivisay and others when Srivisay began discharging a firearm into the would-be robber’s car. Immediately following the shootout at the high school, Srivisay and the codefendant were engaged in a high-speed police chase on I-70 where the vehicle reached speeds exceeding 120 miles per hour until the vehicle was forcibly stopped by law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Riley County Kansas Police Department, Kansas City Kansas Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, and the Overland Park Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Skipper Jacobs prosecuted the case.
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