Indictment: Clerk Stole $13,000 from Post Office

WICHITA, KAN. - A postal clerk was indicted today on a federal charge of stealing more than $13,000 from the Rock, Kan., post office where she worked, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Micah E. Hutchinson, 25, Arkansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of employee theft from the U.S. Postal Service.

The indictment alleges that from October to December 2015 Hutchinson issued to herself money orders worth approximately $13,780. She cashed the money orders and used the money for her own benefit.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Postal Service – OIG investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

Lindsay Lee McElfresh, 39, Le Roy, Kan., is charged with one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. The crimes are alleged to have occurred June12, 2014, in Coffey County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years on the distribution charge, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the possession charge. The Wichita Police Department and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

Steven Alfaro (alias Felipe Alfaro), 27, Wichita, Kan., and Danielle K. Blaes, 27, are charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by users of controlled substances.

In addition, Alfaro is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances, and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2015 and 2016 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

          Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

          Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: Not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million.

          Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition following a felony conviction: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

          Unlawful possession of a firearm by users of controlled substances: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

          The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

Gabriel Romero-Miramontes, 36, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition while unlawfully in the United States. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Feb. 2, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted he faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Kansas Highway Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Arturo Garcia-Olivas, 25, a citizen of Mexico, in charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found March 25, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000.         Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Randy J. Johnson, 30, Wichita, Kan., is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Jan. 13, 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

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