NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

DECEMBER 5, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HIGGINSVILLE MAN INDICTED FOR MARIJUANA

CONSPIRACY, ILLEGAL FIREARMS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Higginsville, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for participating in a conspiracy to grow and distribute marijuana, and for illegally possessing several firearms.

Robert Frank Furlong, 27, of Higginsville, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City.

Today’s indictment alleges that Furlong participated in a conspiracy to manufacture 1,000 or more marijuana plants and to distribute marijuana between May 1, 2006, and Oct. 6, 2007. The indictment also alleges that Furlong was in possession of several firearms in furtherance of that drug-trafficking crime, including a loaded Kimber .45-caliber pistol, a Marlin .22-caliber rifle, a metal gun case and box containing various parts and a loaded 30-round magazine with .308-caliber ammunition for a Heckler Koch 91 assault rifle, and a Smith and Wesson .357-caliber pistol.

Wood cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Lafayette County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Higginsville, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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