KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A grand jury has returned a 23-count indictment charging two Kansas City men with committing a string of armed robberies, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom announced today.

Abasi S. Baker, 31, Kansas City, Mo., and Mark R. Davis, 33, Kansas City, Mo., were charged under the federal Hobbs Act with committing armed robberies that interfered with interstate commerce. The indictment also alleges both men violated federal law by brandishing a firearm during a robbery and by possessing a firearm when they were prohibited from doing so by federal law. If convicted, both men could face sentences up to life in federal prison.

"Federal firearms laws are tough," Grissom said. "I want to send a message. If you're using a gun to commit a crime, you're the target. If you're caught and convicted, you're going to federal prison."

Grissom commended federal agents and state law enforcement officers who worked together on the case.

"Gun crime is not just a local problem," he said. "None of us can relax while armed criminals are on the streets. By bringing our federal and state resources together we can put aside turf battles and make our community safer."

Targeting armed criminals also is a goal of the Justice Department's Officer Safety Initiative, Grissom said.

"There has been a dramatic increase in the number of officers killed in the line of duty over the last 15 months," Grissom said. "I'm directing our prosecutors to ensure we make every resource available to prosecute armed criminals and to keep our officers safe."

The indictment alleges that from January to March the two men committed seven armed robberies including:
Jan. 6: Payday Loans, 7636 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan.
Jan. 10: Radio Shack, 7612 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan.
Jan. 12: Payday Loans, 10327 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, Kan.
Jan. 16: Dollar Store, 8144 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kan.
Feb. 16: Check Into Cash, 11044 Quivira, Overland Park, Kan.
Feb. 22: Check Into Cash, 15241 W. 135th, Olathe, Kan.
March 3: Radio Shack, 6945 W. 75th, Overland Park, Kan.

Baker was charged in 21 counts including:
– Seven counts of armed robbery that obstructed interstate commerce in violation of the federal Hobbs Act.
– Seven counts of brandishing a firearm during a robbery.
– Seven counts of unlawfully possessing a firearm after a felony conviction.

Davis was charged in six counts including:
– Two counts of armed robbery that obstructed interstate commerce in violation of the federal Hobbs Act.
– Two counts of brandishing a firearm during a robbery.
– Two counts of unlawfully possessing a firearm after a felony conviction.

The two men initially were charged in a criminal complaint filed March 4 in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan. The complaint alleged that the series of robberies came to an end on March 3. That day, police received a report of a robbery at the Radio Shack in Overland Park. A robber entered the store wearing a dark gray, hooded sweatshirt. He had a black bandana pulled over his nose. He pointed a gun at the clerk's chest and said: "I know you're alone." He left the store carrying cash in a plastic shopping bag and was seen getting into a dark gray, four-door, import vehicle.

Officers of the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and agents of the FBI responded to the robbery. They stopped Davis and Hibler as they went from Kansas back to Missouri, where they lived. In the men's car, investigators found the shopping bag with cash and a .40 caliber Glock model 27 handgun.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Armed robbery: A maximum penalty of 20 years without parole in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Brandishing a firearm in a robbery: Not less than seven years and not more than life without parole and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Grissom also pointed to the indictment of Donnell H. Roberson, 25, and Jerome M. Brown, 20, as an example of how federal, state and local investigators cooperate to prosecute gun violence.

Roberson and Brown were indicted on one count of armed robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm and one count each of unlawful possession of a firearm after felony conviction. A criminal complaint filed March 14 in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., alleged they robbed the Everyday Convenience Store at 6828 Kan Drive in Kansas City, Kan. The complaint alleged that on Jan. 10 two robbers wearing masks entered the store and held a gun on the clerk. As they fled, the clerk shot one of the robbers, causing the robber to drop a .38 caliber revolver.

About half an hour after the robbery, Robertson was taken to Providence Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the right side of his body. The wound had caused both his lungs to collapse.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Armed robbery: A maximum penalty of 20 years without parole in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Brandishing a firearm in a robbery: Not less than seven years and not more than life without parole and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Grissom commended the following agencies for their work on the case:
The FBI and the FBI Violent Crimes/Fugitive Task Force
The Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office
The U.S. Attorney, Western District of Missouri.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Kansas City, Mo., Police Department
The Kansas City, Kan., Police Department
The Overland Park Police Department
The Olathe Police Department
The Johnson County Sheriff's Office
The St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department
The Lee's Summit, Mo., Police Department
The Mission, Kan., Police Department
Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead, who is prosecuting the case.

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

 

 

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