Kansas City Man Charged for Illegal Firearm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was charged in a federal criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Vinol Wilson, 50, made his first appearance in federal court after his arrest on May 20, 2025.

The affidavit in support of the complaint alleges that the Jackson County Drug Task Force (JCDTF) initiated an investigation into drug sales in the Kansas City metro area. The JCDTF identified Wilson as being a source of supply of MDMA/methamphetamine and cocaine. Additionally, since 2022, Wilson has been an ongoing target of a dog fighting investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The affidavit in support of the complaint also alleges that on May 20, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Wilson’s residence with the assistance of the Kansas City Police Department. Inside the residence, investigators located a Stag Arms AR pistol, .556 caliber, with a round in the chamber and 29 rounds in the magazine inside the primary bedroom. Wilson is a prohibited person because he previously pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge in the District of Kansas. In 2010, Wilson was sentenced to 121 months in prison on that case.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

The charges contained in this complaint 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. Attorneys Paul Becker and David Barnes. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, and the United States Marshals Service.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.