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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
March 27 , 2009
FOUR INDICTED IN BURGLARY AT GUN SHOP IN OLATHE
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Four men have been indicted on federal charges in the Jan. 9, 2009, burglary of the Olathe Gun Shop, Acting U.S. Attorney Marietta Parker said today.
Charged are Kenneth J. Sallaz, 24, Roeland Park, Kan.; Timothy F. Eker, 19, Roeland Park, Kan.; Joseph M. Stutsman, 18, Shawnee, Kan.; and Jimmy L. Thomas, 18, Shawnee, Kan.
According to the indictment, on Jan. 9, 2009, Sallaz, Ecker and Stutsman burglarized the Olathe Gun Shop at 716 Rogers Road in Olathe, Kan. They got into the gun shop by breaking into the business next door and then breaking through a wall. After triggering an alarm, they left the shop with 10 firearms.
The list of stolen firearms includes: a Century Arms rifle, a Colt rifle, a SIG rifle, a .44 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, two .357 caliber Smith & Wesson revolvers, a 9 mm Kahrs pistol, a 9 mm Glock pistol, a .45 caliber Glock pistol, and a 10 mm Glock pistol.
Following the burglary, Sallaz, Eker and Stutsman divided up the firearms, storing them at their residences. On Jan. 14, 2009, police in Kansas City, Kan., responded to a report of shots fired and recovered two of the stolen guns. Over the next few weeks, Sallaz, Eker and Stutsman sold or bartered away the remainder of the firearms.
Sallaz is charged with one count of conspiracy to steal firearms from a licensed dealer, one count of stealing firearms from a licensed dealer, one count of selling stolen firearms, one count of making false statements in order to purchase a firearm at Wal-Mart, and one count of unlawfully possessing firearms after a felony conviction.
Eker is charged with one count of conspiracy to steal firearms from a licensed dealer, one count of stealing firearms from a licensed dealer, one count of selling stolen firearms, and one count of making false statements in order to purchase a firearm at Wal-Mart
Stutsman is charged with one count of conspiracy to steal firearms from a licensed dealer, one count of stealing firearms from a licensed dealer,
and one count of selling stolen firearms,
Thomas is charged with one count of selling a stolen firearm.
If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 5 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the conspiracy count, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the other counts. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Olathe Police Department and the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
A federal grand jury meeting in Kansas City, Kan., also returned the following indictments:
Tuan Van Le, 35, Kansas City, Mo., is charged with two counts of fraudulent use of a Social Security number and two counts of aggravated identity theft. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in December 2008 in Kansas City, Kan.
According to the indictment, the defendant used Social Security numbers that were not assigned to him and another person’s identity to obtain lines of credit at Nebraska Furniture Mart in Kansas City, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each Social Security count and a mandatory 2 years to run consecutively to other sentences on each of the identity theft charges. The U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton is prosecuting.
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Kennon D. Thomas, 22, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Feb. 25, 2009, in Kansas City, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.
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Cameron R. Lewis, 25, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine, one count of distributing crack cocaine, one count of maintaining a premises in furtherance of drug trafficking and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in June and July 2008 in Wyandotte County, Kan.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Conspiracy: A maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million.
Distributing crack cocaine: A maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million.
Maintaining a premises in furtherance of drug trafficking: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $500,000.
Unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting.
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Willie Franklin, 33, who is in custody at the Leavenworth Penitentiary, is charged with one count of possession of marijuana while he was an inmate. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 14, 2007.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years consecutive to the sentence he is serving and a fine up to $250,000. The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked on the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting.
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As in any criminal case, a person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments filed merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
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