Wichita Woman Charged With Heroin Trafficking

WICHITA, KAN. - Federal charges of heroin trafficking were filed today against a Wichita woman, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Elease Childers, 28, Wichita, Kan., was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Wichita with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. The crime is alleged to have occurred March 11 at a residence in the 3900 block of West 17th in Wichita.

An affidavit filed in support of the complaint alleges that on March 11 Wichita police officers executed a warrant at the residence, where they arrested Childers and seized a package containing eight ounces of black tar heroin. Shortly before that, Childers had received the package, which was sent from Los Angeles and delivered by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Postal inspectors had detected the heroin when the package was inspected at the postal processing center at 7117 W. Harry.

 If convicted, Childers 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.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.