Indictment: Eight Defendants Trafficked $1.7 Million Worth of Cocaine in Topeka Area

TOPEKA, KAN. - Eight defendants, including six from Topeka, were indicted Tuesday on federal charges of trafficking $1.7 million worth of powder cocaine in the Topeka area, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Charged are:

Booker Zachery Johnson, III, 38, Topeka, Kan.

Quinton “Ron” Warner, 39, Houston, Texas.

Huey James Love, 57, Grandview, Mo.

Shanae Ransom, 30, Topeka, Kan.

Christopher McMillon, 32, Topeka, Kan.

Frederick Brooks, 35, Topeka, Kan.

Brannon Smith, 37, Topeka, Kan.

Trena L. Talbert, 48, Topeka, Kan.

All the defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. The conspiracy is alleged to have existed from October 2014 to July 9, 2015, in Topeka and elsewhere. In addition, Johnson and Warner each are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

The indictment seeks the forfeiture of more than $73,000 in cash seized on July 9, 2015, and asks the court for a money judgment of $1.7 million against the defendants, which represents the proceeds of the crime.

If convicted, the defendants face a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million on the conspiracy charge. The possession charges carry a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $5 million. The Topeka Police Department, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office, the Lawrence Police Department, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag are prosecuting.

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Ignacio Lopez-Gonzalez, 28, Fontana, Calif., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Dec. 8, 2014, in Ellis County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The Kansas Highway Patrol investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.

Gary Matthew Andrus, 43, formerly of Carmichael, Calif., is charged with one count of failing to register as required by the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The crime is alleged to have occurred from Feb. 10, 2014, to April 8, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

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

Juan A. Garcia, 32, Exeter, Calif., is charged with one count of distributing methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred from May 8 to May 18, 2015 in Liberal, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $5 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.

Daniel Vega, 37, Dodge City, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately one pound of methamphetamine, and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered sawed off shotgun. The crimes are alleged to have occurred July 13, 2015, in Dodge City, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $5 million on the methamphetamine count, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $10,000 on the firearm count. The Dodge City Police Department, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Wichita Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.

Humphrey Ezekiel Etenyi, 31, a citizen of Kenya, is charged with one count of possessing wrongfully obtained documents, one count of unlawful production of an identification document, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of unlawfully interfering with his removal from the United States, and one count of making a false statement to the government. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2015 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Wrongfully obtained documents: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

Unlawful production of an identification document: A maximum penalty of 15 years and a fine up to $250,000.

 Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory consecutive two-year sentence.

Unlawful interference with removal: A maximum penalty of four years and a fine up to $250,000.

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

Immigration and Custom Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Kalpeshkumar “Bobby” Patel, 39, is charged with making a false statement to an agent of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The crime is alleged to have occurred July 29, 2014, in McPherson, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Domingo Reynoso-Ren, 37, a citizen of Guatemala, and Antonio Pastor-Larios, 24, a citizen of Guatemala, are charged with one count of document fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of sale of a Social Security card. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Feb. 6, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

Document fraud: A maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory consecutive two-year sentence.

Sale of a Social Security card: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

Homeland Security Investigations 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.