Woman facing up to 5 years for child porn

From the U.S. Attorney's office:

KC WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD PORN CHARGE ORIGINALLY FILED AGAINST BOYFRIEND

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing child pornography originally suspected of belonging to her boyfriend.

    Rose H. Beatty, 22, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Scott O. Wright this morning to the charge contained in a March 31, 2005, federal indictment.

    Today's guilty plea stems from charges originally filed against Kevin M. Duncan, 23, of Independence, Mo.

    "At the time the child pornography was discovered on a computer, Beatty was living with Duncan in Independence and they were sharing the computer," Graves said. "Beatty originally denied any knowledge of the images but after charges were filed against her boyfriend she admitted that she was responsible for downloading the child pornography. As soon as Beatty took responsibility for her actions, the charges against Duncan were promptly dismissed."

    By pleading guilty, Beatty admitted that she knowingly possessed more than 10 visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct between Nov. 8, 2001, and May 24, 2002. At least one of the visual depictions was of a minor under the age of 12 and at least one was of a minor receiving sadistic, masochistic or violent treatment, Graves said. Beatty also agreed to forfeit her interest in the Hewlett Packard computer used to commit the offense.

    Under federal statutes, Graves explained, Beatty may be subject to a maximum sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. 

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Fincham. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

4 indicted for PCP

From U.S. Attorney's office:

4 MINNESOTA RESIDENTS INDICTED FOR PCP

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that four Minnesota residents were indicted by a federal grand jury today for possessing with intent to distribute PCP.

    Randolph D. Jackson, 28, of Minneapolis, Minn., Donnie R. Wallace, Jr., 26, and Sheena N. Clark, 21, both of St. Paul, Minn., and Sarah J. Haug, 21, of St. Louis Park, Minn., were charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City.

    The federal indictment alleges that the co-defendants aided and abetted each other in the possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of phencyclidine (PCP) on July 7, 2005.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

    Graves cautioned that the charge contained in the indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

U.S. attorney on IRS thefts

From the U.S. Attorney's office:

FORMER IRS EMPLOYEE, OTHERS INDICTED FOR
STEALING TAXPAYERS' PAYMENTS

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former employee of the Internal Revenue Service, along with her brother and a third co-defendant, were indicted by a federal grand jury today for stealing 62 checks and money orders sent by taxpayers to the IRS.

    Shawnda E. Schmidt, 30, of Warsaw, Mo., Brandon Sanders, 26, of Raytown, Mo., and Jeffrey Bookout, 36, of Raymore, Mo., were charged in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City. Schmidt and Sanders are sister and brother.

    Count One of the federal indictment alleges that Schmidt, Sanders and Bookout participated in a conspiracy to steal nearly $42,000 from March 10 to July 10, 2003. According to the indictment, Schmidt - who worked as a mail clerk for the IRS - stole taxpayer remittances, consisting of checks and money orders sent by taxpayers to the IRS in payment of federal income taxes. Schmidt allegedly altered the name of the payee on the stolen checks and money orders so that she and others could cash them. Schmidt cashed some of those stolen checks and money orders herself, the indictment alleges, and gave some of them to others, including Sanders and Bookout, to cash.

    Count Two of the federal indictment alleges that Schmidt converted to her own use, and the use of others, approximately $41,677 in checks and money orders that were the property of the IRS. That includes 24 stolen checks and money orders totaling $12,012 that she allegedly cashed herself, those that were cashed by Sanders and Bookout, as well as four stolen checks and money orders totaling $3,000 that were cashed by others who are not charged in the indictment.

    Count Three of the federal indictment alleges that Sanders cashed 26 stolen checks and money orders totaling $19,301.
    Count Four of the federal indictment alleges that Bookout cashed eight stolen checks and money orders totaling $7,363.

    Graves cautioned that the charges contained in the 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 J. Daniel Stewart. It was investigated by the Department of Treasury, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

3 years plus for meth

From the U.S. Attorney's office:

KC MAN SENTENCED FOR AIDING AND ABETTING
THE DISTRIBUTION OF METH

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for aiding and abetting others in the distribution of methamphetamine.

    William E. Kramme, 42, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ortrie D. Smith this morning to three years and one month in federal prison without parole.

    On May 12, 2005, Kramme pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting others in the distribution of five grams or more of actual methamphetamine on June 17, 2003.

    Kramme is the third co-defendant to plead guilty in this case.

    On June 20, 2005, Nancy Rainey, 43, of Independence, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine between March 1, 2003, and June 25, 2003.

    On June 17, 2005, Matthew Burris, 24, of Independence, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine between March 1, 2003, and June 25, 2003.

    Sentencing dates for Rainey and Burris have been set for Oct. 12, 2005, and Oct. 14, 2005, respectively.

    Under federal statutes, Graves explained, Rainey and Burris may be subject to mandatory minimum sentences of five years in federal prison without parole, up to 40 years in federal prison without parole, plus fines up to $2 million.

    The co-defendants in this case were originally charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Oct. 29, 2004, in Kansas City.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David DeTar Newbert. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force.

2 years for fraud, ID theft

From the U.S. Attorney's office:

KC MAN SENTENCED FOR COMPUTER FRAUD,
CREDIT CARD FRAUD, STEALING FATHER'S IDENTITY

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for computer fraud, credit card fraud and stealing his father's identity.

    Michael Dennis Kinnard, 36, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs this morning to two years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Kinnard to pay $40,000 in restitution.

    On March 7, 2005, Kinnard pleaded guilty to charges contained in a May 18, 2004, federal indictment. Kinnard admitted that he used the Social Security number belonging to his father between Jan. 28, 2003, and Sept. 23, 2003, with the intent to commit computer fraud.

    Kinnard accessed a computer at Chase Bankcard Services on Jan. 31, 2003. This was a protected computer, Graves explained, meaning it is used by a financial institution in interstate commerce and protected under federal law from unauthorized access. Kinnard admitted that he accessed the computer in an attempt to further an intended fraud and to obtain credit cards.

    Kinnard also admitted that from Feb. 4 to April 16, 2003, he used those fraudulently obtained credit cards to conduct financial transactions to receive things of an aggregate value equal to or exceeding $1,000.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Cowles. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force.

Police account of bus stop shooting

From Kansas City police:

On Wednesday, August 31, 2005 at about 6:30 am, KCMO police officers were dispatched to 3500 Windsor (KCMO) on a shooting. On arrival they made contact with a 62 year old man who advised them he had been walking a 15 year old relative of his to a school bus stop, when a white male in a SUV stopped him and approached him carrying a hand gun. The white male demanded money from the victim, and when he announced he had no money the white male shot him in the foot.

After shooting the victim the suspect left the area. The child who was not hurt ran to get help. The victims injuries are considered non-life threatening. At the present time the suspect is not in custody and detectives and officers are at the scene investigating this incident. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 474-TIPS (8477).

Police serve warrants at apartments

From Kansas City police:

On August 30, 2005 a multi-agency task force conducted a warrant sweep at Englewood Apartments, 5432 NW Waukomis Drive KCMO..  The agencies involved included: Kansas City, MO P.D., Missouri State Highway Patrol, Platte County Sheriff's Department, U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Missouri Department of Social Services - Division of Legal Services, Independence Police Dept., Blue Springs Police Dept., Lee's Summit Police Dept., Gladstone Police Dept, Liberty Police Dept., the Platte County Prosecutor's Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and Metropolitan Patrol Security.

This sweep was conducted based on complaints from residents and management, from calls to the state welfare fraud hotline, and from information obtained during police calls for service.  The management has been fully cooperative and works with the KCPD as they are attempting to obtain certification in the Crime Free Multi-Housing program. 

HUD's Inspector General Kenneth M. Donohue, Sr. commended the work of the participating agencies saying, "This initiative has directly impacted the safety and security of families living in public and assisted housing, and is a result of cooperation between HUD-OIG and our law enforcement partners."

HUD-OIG is also proud to announce its new Sexual Offender Initiative.  This program is an effort to identify, apprehend and assess the housing eligibility status of fugitive felons and sex offenders living in HUD funded public and assisted housing.  The HUD-OIG Sex Offender Initiative promotes safety and security in public and assisted housing as required by federal law.  Title 42 of the U.S. Code explicitly denies federal funds to, and declares the ineligibility of, dangerous sex offenders for admission to federally assisted housing.

The existence of a significant number of sex offenders in public and assisted housing was brought to light by a recent analysis of HUD-OIG Hotline complaints over the past several months.  These complaints prompted IG Donohue to instruct HUD-OIG Regional Special Agents in Charge to aggressively pursue sex offenders who may live in public or assisted housing. 

8 indicted on federal firearms charges

From the U.S. Attorney's office:

PROJECT CEASEFIRE
8 KC, INDEPENDENCE MEN INDICTED FOR ILLEGAL FIREARMS

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that eight area residents were indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition. Today's indictments, Graves said, are part of Project Ceasefire, the district's ongoing anti-crime initiative.

    * Joshua V. Hambleton, 33, of Independence, Mo., was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City with being a felon and an illegal user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.

    Count One of the federal indictment alleges that Hambleton, having previous felony convictions, illegally possessed a Lorcin .380-caliber pistol on Aug. 17, 2005. Under federal law, Graves explained, it is illegal for any felon to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

    Count Two of the federal indictment alleges that Hambleton, being an unlawful user of methamphetamine, illegally possessed a Lorcin .380-caliber pistol on Aug. 17, 2005. Under federal law, Graves explained, it is illegal for any unlawful user or addict of a controlled substance to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    * Kenneth L. Williams, 28, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    The federal indictment alleges that Williams, having previous criminal felony convictions, illegally possessed a Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle on Aug. 26, 2005. Under federal law, Graves explained, it is illegal for any felon to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Y. Tabor. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    * Timothy L. Freilinger, 45, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    The federal indictment alleges that Freilinger, having previous criminal felony convictions, illegally possessed a Sturm Ruger .22-caliber pistol on May 22, 2005. Under federal law, Graves explained, it is illegal for any felon to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    * Shondell E. Ingram, 31, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    The federal indictment alleges that Ingram, having previous criminal felony convictions, illegally possessed a New England Arms .32-caliber revolver on Aug. 21, 2005. Under federal law, Graves explained, it is illegal for any felon to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

    This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    * Joshua E. Boyles, 18, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    The federal indictment alleges that Boyles, having previous criminal felony convictions, illegally possessed a Mossberg 20-gauge shotgun on April 29, 2005. Under federal law, Graves explained, it is illegal for any felon to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

    This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    * Darrell P. Lawson, 24, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    The federal indictment alleges that Lawson, having previous criminal felony convictions, illegally possessed a Freedom Arms .22-caliber revolver on June 5, 2005. Under federal law, Graves explained, it is illegal for any felon to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes, IV. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    * Anthony S. Conaway, 27, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    The federal indictment alleges that Conaway, having previous criminal felony convictions, illegally possessed a Ruger 9 mm pistol on July 23, 2005. Under federal law, Graves explained, it is illegal for any felon to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes, IV. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    * Arnulfo T. Camacho, 24, of Independence, Mo., was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury with being a subject of a valid court order illegally in possession of a firearm.

    The federal indictment alleges that Camacho, a subject of a valid court order of protection, illegally possessed a Bryco .380-caliber pistol on Aug. 14, 2005. Under federal law, Graves explained, it is illegal for any subject of a court order to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess E. Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    Graves cautioned that the charges contained in these indictments 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.

Project Ceasefire
    Project Ceasefire, launched in October 1999, is a cooperative initiative by federal and local law enforcement and the Kansas City Crime Commission that targets for federal prosecution persons who unlawfully use or possess firearms.

Police report - Kansas City

Central Patrol Division
3rd St. and Grand Ave. S., Aug. 20, 2:45 p.m., stolen auto
4th St. and Washington St. S., Aug. 17, 9 p.m., stolen auto
5th St. W., 200 block, Aug. 20, 7 a.m., home burglary
5th St. W., 200 block, Aug. 21, 9 p.m., stolen auto
8th St. W., 400 block, Aug. 17, 11:55 p.m., strong-armed robbery
8th St. E., 700 block, Aug. 20, 6 p.m., business burglary
12th St. W., 1700 block, Aug. 14, 6:34 p.m., business burglary
12th St. W., 1400 block, Aug. 15, 3:30 a.m., business burglary
12th St. and Woodland Ave. S., Aug. 17, 8:52 p.m., murder
13th St. and Main St. S., Aug. 17, 3 p.m., business burglary
13th St. and Highland Ave. S., Aug. 20, 8 p.m., stolen auto
17th St. and Genessee St. S., Aug. 21, 7:15 p.m., stolen auto
22nd St. and U.S. 71, Aug. 15, 12:01 a.m., stolen auto
24th Terrace E., 1800 block, Aug. 17, 8:15 a.m., home burglary
24th Terrace E., 1900 block, Aug. 18, 8 p.m., home burglary
25th St. W., 1100 block, Aug. 19, 5:45 a.m., stolen auto
26th St. and Euclid Ave. S., Aug. 18, 11 p.m., stolen auto
27th St. and Troost Ave. S., Aug. 21, 10:30 p.m., stolen auto
29th St. and Bruce Watkins Drive S., Aug. 21, 3:36 p.m., stolen auto
31st St. and Main St. S., Aug. 15, 6:52 p.m., strong-armed robbery
33rd St. and Park Ave. S., Aug. 15, 7:30 a.m., armed robbery
34th St. W., 200 block, Aug. 20, 7:15 a.m., stolen auto
37th St. E., 2000 block, Aug. 17, 10:55 a.m., serious assault
37th St. and Troost Ave. S., Aug. 19, 5:55 p.m., stolen auto
37th St. and Woodland Ave. S., Aug. 21, 11:55 p.m., serious assault
38th St. W., 500 block, Aug. 14, 11:30 a.m., armed robbery
39th St. W., 100 block, Aug. 14, 8 p.m., stolen auto
39th St. W., 100 block, Aug. 14, 10 p.m., stolen auto
39th St. W., 100 block, Aug. 15, 3:30 p.m., sex offense
39th St. W., 100 block, Aug. 17, 12:30 a.m., armed robbery
39th St. W., 100 block, Aug. 18, 6:30 a.m., strong-armed robbery
39th St. and Main St. S., Aug. 19, 10:45 p.m., purse-snatching
40th St. W., 800 block, Aug. 18, 5 p.m., stolen auto
40th St. and Broadway St. S., Aug. 21, 6:13 p.m., serious assault
43rd St. E., 200 block, Aug. 18, 6 p.m., serious assault
44th St. and Tracy Ave. S., Aug. 20, 6 a.m., serious assault
46th St. E., 1600 block, Aug. 16, 7:45 a.m., home burglary
47th St. and Broadway St. S., Aug. 19, 9:28 p.m., armed robbery
51st St. W., 1600 block, Aug. 18, 10 p.m., stolen auto
Admiral Blvd. E., 600 block, Aug. 18, 5:03 p.m., business burglary
Archibald St. and Pennsylvania Ave. S., Aug. 21, 12:30 a.m., stolen auto
Armour Blvd. E., 600 block, Aug. 14, 6 a.m., stolen auto
Armour Blvd. and Troost Ave. S., Aug. 16, 7 a.m., stolen auto
Armour Blvd. E., 600 block, Aug. 16, 9 p.m., home burglary
Armour Blvd. E., 1100 block, Aug. 19, 7:30 a.m., home burglary
Broadway St. S., 3600 block, Aug. 15, 2 a.m., stolen auto
Broadway St. S., 3800 block, Aug. 19, 10 p.m., stolen auto
Brooklyn Ave. S., 3100 block, Aug. 18, 1 a.m., serious assault
Cambridge Court S., 4500 block, Aug. 17, 10 a.m., home burglary
Campbell St. S., 4000 block, Aug. 14, 1:13 a.m., serious assault
Campbell St. S., 2500 block, Aug. 14, 10:50 p.m., home burglary
Campbell St. S., 4500 block, Aug. 15, 8 p.m., stolen auto
Campbell St. S., 4600 block, Aug. 20, 9:45 p.m., strong-armed robbery
Campbell St. S., 3500 block, Aug. 21, no time, stolen auto
Charlotte St. S., 4000 block, Aug. 14, 2:08 p.m., stolen auto
Emanuel Cl Blvd. E., 1200 block, Aug. 17, 1:47 a.m., business burglary
Forest Ave. S., 4000 block, Aug. 16, 10:30 p.m., home burglary
Forest Ave. S., 3500 block, Aug. 19, 8 p.m., stolen auto
Garfield Ave. S., 3800 block, Aug. 17, noon, business burglary
Garfield Ave. S., 1600 block, Aug. 19, 10:30 p.m., stolen auto
Garfield Ave. S., 600 block, Aug. 21, 11:50 p.m., business burglary
Genessee St. S., 3900 block, Aug. 17, 9:50 a.m., serious assault
Genessee St. S., 3800 block, Aug. 21, 11:40 p.m., armed robbery
Gillham Park S., 3200 block, Aug. 14, 1 p.m., strong-armed robbery
Gillham Road S., 2400 block, Aug. 19, 4:15 p.m., serious assault
Grand Ave. S., 3000 block, Aug. 15, 7 p.m., stolen auto
Grand Ave. S., 1100 block, Aug. 19, 6 p.m., business burglary
Harrison St. S., 2500 block, Aug. 17, 12:45 p.m., serious assault
Harrison St. S., 3100 block, Aug. 19, 12:55 a.m., serious assault
Highland Ave. S., 4300 block, Aug. 15, 7 p.m., home burglary
Holmes St. S., 1500 block, Aug. 15, 8:30 a.m., purse-snatching
Independence Ave. E., 1700 block, Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m., stolen auto
Kessler Road S., 2500 block, Aug. 18, 7:30 a.m., stolen auto
Linwood Blvd. E., 200 block, Aug. 16, 2:45 a.m., serious assault
Linwood Blvd. E., 2100 block, Aug. 21, 6:01 p.m., home burglary
Locust St. S., 3500 block, Aug. 15, 4 p.m., home burglary
Main St. S., 1600 block, Aug. 20, 2:30 p.m., business burglary
Manheim Road E., 700 block, Aug. 17, 9:30 p.m., business burglary
McGee Trafficway S., 2500 block, Aug. 19, 7:29 p.m., strong-armed robbery
McGee St. S., 4000 block, Aug. 21, 5 p.m., stolen auto
Michigan Ave. S., 2400 block, Aug. 14, 9:40 p.m., home burglary
Mill St. S., 4000 block, Aug. 17, 2 a.m., sex offense
Montgall Ave. S., 400 block, Aug. 21, 8:30 p.m., home burglary
Oak St. S., 4100 block, Aug. 19, 8:15 p.m., stolen auto
Olive St. S., 2600 block, Aug. 17, 8:30 a.m., serious assault
Pacific St. E., 1000 block, Aug. 14, 5 p.m., stolen auto
Park Ave. S., 2600 block, Aug. 14, 10:10 p.m., serious assault
Park Ave. S., 3100 block, Aug. 18, no time, stolen auto
Park Ave. S., 3100 block, Aug. 21, 2:50 a.m., stolen auto
Pennsylvania Ave. S., 4400 block, Aug. 17, 3:30 a.m., stolen auto
Pennsylvania Ave. S., 4500 block, Aug. 20, 6 p.m., stolen auto
Pennsylvania Ave. S., 3800 block, Aug. 21, 5 p.m., stolen auto
Southwest Blvd. W., 500 block, Aug. 18, 10:20 a.m., business burglary
State Line Road S., 4900 block, Aug. 18, 7:30 a.m., home burglary
Terrace St. S., 4400 block, Aug. 18, 8 p.m., stolen auto
Tracy Ave. S., 4500 block, Aug. 18, no time, stolen auto
Tracy Ave. S., 200 block, Aug. 21, 12:30 a.m., home burglary
Tracy Ave. S., 4300 block, Aug. 21, 6:42 p.m., home burglary
Troost Ave. S., 3400 block, Aug. 16, 7:50 a.m., stolen auto
Troost Ave. S., 2700 block, Aug. 17, 12:28 p.m., home burglary
Troost Ave. S., 1100 block, Aug. 18, 7 p.m., stolen auto
Wabash Ave. S., 500 block, Aug. 16, 7 a.m., home burglary
Wabash Ave. S., 3900 block, Aug. 17, 10:30 p.m., stolen auto
Wabash Ave. S., 300 block, Aug. 19, 12:30 p.m., stolen auto
Wabash Ave. S., 3200 block, Aug. 20, 2 a.m., stolen auto
Wabash Ave. S., 2500 block, Aug. 21, 3 p.m., strong-armed robbery
Walnut St. S., 3600 block, Aug. 14, 5:49 p.m., business burglary
Walnut St. S., 1600 block, Aug. 16, 4:30 a.m., business burglary
Walnut St. S., 3600 block, Aug. 17, 6 a.m., home burglary
Warwick Blvd. S., 4100 block, Aug. 17, 3 p.m., stolen auto
Warwick Blvd. S., 3500 block, Aug. 21, no time, home burglary
Washington St. S., 3700 block, Aug. 20, 2 a.m., strong-armed robbery
Wayne Ave. S., 4100 block, Aug. 18, 7:33 p.m., home burglary
Wayne Ave. S., 3300 block, Aug. 20, 3 a.m., serious assault
Wayne Ave. S., 2900 block, Aug. 21, 3:40 a.m., home robbery
Westport Road W., 500 block, Aug. 21, 12:10 a.m., serious assault
Wyandotte St. S., 1000 block, Aug. 20, 9 p.m., stolen auto
Wyoming St. S., 3400 block, Aug. 21, 9 p.m., home burglary
Metro Patrol Division
53rd St. E., 2800 block, Aug. 15, 7:55 p.m., stolen auto
54th Terrace and Sycamore Ave. S., Aug. 21, 1:45 a.m., stolen auto
55th St. and Prospect Ave. S., Aug. 17, 8:50 a.m., stolen auto
56th St. and Norton Ave. S., Aug.   14, 10 p.m., stolen auto
56th Terrace E., 3900 block, Aug. 19, 4:30 a.m., home burglary
57th St. W., 1200 block, Aug. 15, 1:45 p.m., stolen auto
59th St. E., 8500 block, Aug. 14, 4:25 a.m., serious assault
60th Terrace E., 4200 block, Aug. 16, 5 a.m., home burglary
60th St. E., 3300 block, Aug. 16, 7:30 a.m., home burglary
61st St. E., 3700 block, Aug. 17, no time, home burglary
61st St. E., 4200 block, Aug. 19, 3:30 p.m., home burglary
62nd St. E., 3900 block, Aug. 16, 2 p.m., stolen auto
63rd Trafficway and Manchester Ave. S., Aug. 21, 1:30 p.m., serious assault
69th St. E., 1800 block, Aug. 17, 8 a.m., serious assault
75th St. and Prospect Ave. S., Aug. 15, 1:40 a.m., stolen auto
76th St. E., 1000 block, Aug. 15, 5:30 a.m., serious assault
77th Terrace E., 1400 block, Aug. 17, 11 p.m., home burglary
79th St. E., 1100 block, Aug. 16, 3 p.m., home burglary
82nd St. E., 1400 block, Aug. 14, 1:30 p.m., home burglary
82nd St. E., 1800 block, Aug. 17, 10:55 p.m., serious assault
83rd St. E., 1300 block, Aug. 21, 7 p.m., home burglary
84th Terrace E., 5700 block, Aug. 16, 9:30 p.m., stolen auto
87th St. and Hillcrest Road S., Aug. 16, 6:30 a.m., armed robbery
89th St. E., 1200 block, Aug. 16, 10:15 p.m., stolen auto
89th St. E., 1200 block, Aug. 19, 7:30 a.m., home burglary
93rd St. E., 3800 block, Aug. 17, 10 a.m., home burglary
Askew Ave. S., 6800 block, Aug. 17, 2:30 p.m., home burglary
Bales Drive S., 9400 block, Aug. 15, 1:45 a.m., serious assault
Bales Drive S., 9300 block, Aug. 21, 3 p.m., home burglary
Blue Parkway E., 4100 block, Aug. 17, 4:30 p.m., business burglary
Brooklyn Ave. S., 8000 block, Aug. 16, 4:30 p.m., home burglary
Chestnut Ave. S., 6500 block, Aug. 21, 2:30 p.m., home burglary
Cleveland Ave. S., 7000 block, Aug. 14, 7 p.m., home burglary
Cleveland Ave. S., 9300 block, Aug. 15, 12:10 a.m., armed robbery
Cleveland Ave. S., 6900 block, Aug. 21, 2:15 p.m., home burglary
Forest Ave. S., 6200 block, Aug. 16, no time, home burglary
Garfield Ave. S., 8000 block, Aug. 19, 4 p.m., home burglary
Gregory Blvd. and Prospect Ave. S., Aug. 17, 6:10 p.m., armed robbery
Highland Ave. S., 8100 block, Aug. 20, 4:51 p.m., home burglary
Jackson Ave. S., 5800 block, Aug. 19, 12:32 p.m., home burglary
Jefferson St. S., 8100 block, Aug. 19, 4 p.m., stolen auto
Locust St. S., 8300 block, Aug. 19, 2 p.m., home burglary
Lydia Ave. S., 4900 block, Aug. 17, 11 a.m., home burglary
Maddi St. E., 2000 block, Aug. 20, 2:30 p.m., home burglary
Manchester Ave. S., 6400 block, Aug. 19, 8 p.m., stolen auto
Manchester Ave. S., 6400 block, Aug. 21, 10 p.m., serious assault
Meyer Blvd. E., 1200 block, Aug. 17, 2 p.m., stolen auto
Montgall Ave. S., 4900 block, Aug. 14, 10:15 p.m., stolen auto
Norton Ave. S., 5700 block, Aug. 15, 3:30 a.m., stolen auto
Norton Ave. S., 5200 block, Aug. 15, 8 a.m., home burglary
Norton Ave. S., 5200 block, Aug. 18, 1 p.m., serious assault
Oakleaf Drive S., 5100 block, Aug. 20, 8 p.m., stolen auto
Olive St. S., 8100 block, Aug. 14, 12:30 a.m., home burglary
Olive St. S., 5500 block, Aug. 18, 4:03 p.m., sex offense
Park Ave. S., 8100 block, Aug. 15, 7 a.m., home burglary
Park Ave. S., 6100 block, Aug. 18, 5 p.m., home burglary
Paseo Blvd. S., 7000 block, Aug. 14, 6:30 a.m., armed robbery
Paseo Blvd. S., 8000 block, Aug. 18, 1 p.m., home burglary
Paseo Blvd. S., 5400 block, Aug. 21, 4:05 a.m., home burglary
Prospect Ave. S., 8100 block, Aug. 14, 1 a.m., stolen auto
Prospect Ave. S., 8100 block, Aug. 14, 1 a.m., stolen auto
Prospect Ave. S., 5900 block, Aug. 14, 4:45 p.m., armed robbery
Prospect Ave. S., 5600 block, Aug. 14, 9 p.m., home burglary
Prospect Ave. S., 5100 block, Aug. 15, 10:30 a.m., strong-armed robbery
Rockhill Road S., 5600 block, Aug. 15, 10:30 p.m., home burglary
Troost Ave. S., 6400 block, Aug. 16, 10:15 p.m., stolen auto
Troost Ave. S., 7000 block, Aug. 19, 3:30 p.m., business burglary
Troost Ave. S., 7800 block, Aug. 20, 5 p.m., stolen auto
Troostwood Road S., 4900 block, Aug. 14, 5 p.m., home burglary
Troostwood Road S., 4900 block, Aug. 21, 2:30 p.m., home burglary
Virginia Ave. S., 5600 block, Aug. 15, 4 p.m., home burglary
Virginia Ave. S., 5400 block, Aug. 21, 5 p.m., home burglary
Walrond Ave. S., 7000 block, Aug. 18, 5:50 a.m., home burglary
Ward Parkway W., 200 block, Aug. 19, 1 p.m., stolen auto
Ward Parkway W., 200 block, Aug. 19, 3 p.m., stolen auto
Ward Parkway S., 8600 block, Aug. 21, 5:50 p.m., home burglary
Woodland Ave. S., 5200 block, Aug. 15, 2:30 p.m., home burglary
Woodland Ave. S., 5800 block, Aug. 18, 2 p.m., stolen auto
Woodland Ave. S., 6300 block, Aug. 21, 8 a.m., home burglary
Wornall Road S., 7500 block, Aug. 21, 2:35 p.m., serious assault
East Patrol Division
9th St. E., 5900 block, Aug. 20, noon, home burglary
9th St. E., 3400 block, Aug. 21, no time, business burglary
9th St. E., 4500 block, Aug. 21, 10 p.m., stolen auto
12th St. and Ewing Ave. S., Aug. 14, no time, stolen auto
12th Terrace E., 6800 block, Aug. 15, no time, home burglary
12th St. E., 5300 block, Aug. 17, 10:30 p.m., home burglary
12th St. E., 5800 block, Aug. 19, 12:21 a.m., serious assault
12th St. E., 7700 block, Aug. 19, 1 a.m., business burglary
12th St. E., 7700 block, Aug. 21, noon, business burglary
13th St. E., 6200 block, Aug. 19, 9:45 p.m., home burglary
16th Terrace E., 6000 block, Aug. 17, 9:30 a.m., home burglary
17th St. E., 5700 block, Aug. 18, no time, home burglary
19th St. E., 4500 block, Aug. 19, no time, home burglary
20th St. E., 5800 block, Aug. 21, 11 p.m., stolen auto
23rd St. E., 4400 block, Aug. 16, no time, home burglary
23rd St. and I-435, Aug. 18, 2:45 a.m., stolen auto
27th St. E., 5100 block, Aug. 18, 7:30 p.m., stolen auto
27th St. E., 3800 block, Aug. 19, 6:30 p.m., business burglary
27th St. and Prospect Ave. S., Aug. 20, 12:01 a.m., stolen auto
29th St. E., 5600 block, Aug. 14, 2 p.m., home burglary
29th St. E., 5600 block, Aug. 19, 3:30 p.m., home burglary
31st St. E., 4200 block, Aug. 18, 2 p.m., stolen auto
31st St. E., 7000 block, Aug. 18, 6:30 p.m., home burglary
38th St. and Chestnut Ave. S., Aug. 19, 10:30 a.m., stolen auto
39th Terrace E., 5600 block, Aug. 14, 4:45 p.m., home burglary
43rd St. E., 9400 block, Aug. 19, 5:30 a.m., home burglary
45th St. E., 4000 block, Aug. 18, 2 p.m., home burglary
45th St. E., 4700 block, Aug. 21, 12:01 a.m., sex offense
46th St. E., 3400 block, Aug. 15, 12:30 p.m., stolen auto
   47th St. E., 8600 block, Aug. 19, 7:45 a.m., home burglary
Agnes Ave. N., 800 block, Aug. 14, 5:15 p.m., business burglary
Anderson Ave. E., 3400 block, Aug. 17, 2 p.m., strong-armed robbery
Anderson Ave. E., 3400 block, Aug. 21, no time, stolen auto
Askew Ave. S., 2100 block, Aug. 17, 12:30 p.m., home burglary
Bales Court S., 800 block, Aug. 14, 5 p.m., home burglary
Benton Blvd. S., 4400 block, Aug. 19, 4 a.m., stolen auto
Benton Blvd. S., 2700 block, Aug. 19, 5:30 p.m., stolen auto
Benton Blvd. S., 2600 block, Aug. 19, 11 p.m., stolen auto
Blue Ridge Blvd. S., 4500 block, Aug. 17, 8 p.m., home burglary
Brighton Ave. S., 2200 block, Aug. 15, 7 a.m., home burglary
Bristol Ave. S., 1700 block, Aug. 17, 12:10 p.m., home burglary
Chelsea Ave. S., 1800 block, Aug. 15, 5:45 p.m., home burglary
Cleveland Ave. S., 4700 block, Aug. 16, 8:15 a.m., home burglary
Cleveland Ave. S., 600 block, Aug. 17, 1:53 a.m., business burglary
Cypress Ave. S., 700 block, Aug. 16, 12:15 p.m., home burglary
Denver Ave. N., 400 block, Aug. 15, 5:30 a.m., home burglary
Drury Ave. S., 500 block, Aug. 15, 6:50 p.m., serious assault
Drury Ave. S., 100 block, Aug. 16, 4:30 a.m., stolen auto
Elmwood Ave. S., 2500 block, Aug. 14, 3 a.m., stolen auto
Elmwood Ave. S., 300 block, Aug. 14, 10:30 a.m., stolen auto
Elmwood Ave. S., 2500 block, Aug. 17, 1:30 p.m., armed robbery
Elmwood Ave. S., 400 block, Aug. 21, 12:30 p.m., home burglary
Elmwood Ave. S., 600 block, Aug. 21, 3 p.m., home burglary
Front St. E., 6500 block, Aug. 19, 12:30 a.m., business burglary
Front St. and Kansas Ave. N., Aug. 20, 9 p.m., serious assault
Garner Ave. E., 3200 block, Aug. 16, 4:30 p.m., stolen auto
Gary Ave. S., 2800 block, Aug. 16, 8:25 p.m., serious assault
George Road S., 6200 block, Aug. 20, 8 a.m., home burglary
Guinotte Ave. E., 2500 block, Aug. 15, 2:55 p.m., home burglary
Hardesty Ave. S., 4100 block, Aug. 16, 1:46 a.m., serious assault
Hardesty Ave. N., 300 block, Aug. 20, 3:30 a.m., serious assault
Harkness Ave. S., 4900 block, Aug. 17, 8:30 p.m., stolen auto
Indiana Ave. S., 4200 block, Aug. 17, 7:30 a.m., stolen auto
Indiana Ave. N., 300 block, Aug. 18, 12:30 a.m., serious assault
Indiana Ave. S., 700 block, Aug. 19, 7:30 a.m., stolen auto
Kensington Ave. S., 2400 block, Aug. 18, 8 a.m., home burglary
Kensington Ave. S., 3100 block, Aug. 18, 7 p.m., stolen auto
Kensington Ave. S., 500 block, Aug. 21, 2:30 p.m., home burglary
Lawn Ave. S., 2200 block, Aug. 15, 8:15 a.m., home burglary
Lawn Ave. S., 2200 block, Aug. 15, 10:30 a.m., home burglary
Lawn Ave. S., 2200 block, Aug. 16, 2:27 p.m., home burglary
Lawn Ave. S., 2400 block, Aug. 17, 9 a.m., stolen auto
Lawn Ave. S., 300 block, Aug. 18, 1:52 a.m., serious assault
Lawn Ave. S., 2200 block, Aug. 19, 12:30 p.m., home burglary
Linwood Blvd. E., 5000 block, Aug. 21, no time, home burglary
Linwood Blvd. E., 3200 block, Aug. 21, no time, stolen auto
Linwood Blvd. E., 3200 block, Aug. 21, 2 a.m., stolen auto
Lister Ave. S., 2000 block, Aug. 16, 8:30 a.m., home burglary
Mersington Ave. S., 2400 block, Aug. 18, noon, home burglary
Mersington Ave. S., 3600 block, Aug. 21, 6:35 p.m., serious assault
Monroe Ave. S., 3900 block, Aug. 20, 11:10 p.m., serious assault
Monroe Ave. S., 2200 block, Aug. 21, 7:20 p.m., serious assault
Montgall Ave. S., 4500 block, Aug. 18, 2 p.m., home burglary
Myrtle Ave. S., 3900 block, Aug. 18, 11 p.m., serious assault
Noland Road S., 5000 block, Aug. 17, 10:10 a.m., home burglary
Norton Ave. S., 4400 block, Aug. 14, 9:15 p.m., serious assault
Norton Ave. S., 1800 block, Aug. 14, 10:10 p.m., armed robbery
Norton Ave. S., 2500 block, Aug. 17, 2 p.m., home burglary
Norton Ave. S., 4500 block, Aug. 21, 1 a.m., serious assault
Oakley Ave. S., 400 block, Aug. 16, 6 a.m., home burglary
Ozark Road E., 7600 block, Aug. 21, 5 p.m., business burglary
Palmer Terrace S., 3500 block, Aug. 21, 12:42 p.m., stolen auto
Pittman Road S., 4900 block, Aug. 15, 5 p.m., stolen auto
Poplar Ave. S., 1900 block, Aug. 16, 5 a.m., home burglary
Poplar Ave. S., 1600 block, Aug. 17, 7:45 p.m., home burglary
Quincy Ave. S., 2500 block, Aug. 18, 10 p.m., serious assault
Quincy Ave. S., 2300 block, Aug. 21, 4:20 a.m., home burglary
Raytown Road S., 4700 block, Aug. 19, 10 p.m., business burglary
Scarritt Ave. and Clinton Place N., Aug. 15, 9:25 p.m., stolen auto
Scarritt Ave. E., 4100 block, Aug. 17, 8 p.m., stolen auto
Smart Ave. and Oakley Ave. S., Aug. 15, 9:05 a.m., serious assault
South Benton Ave. S., 3300 block, Aug. 17, 12:30 p.m., home burglary
South Benton Ave. S., 4500 block, Aug. 17, 6:30 p.m., home burglary
Spruce Ave. S., 700 block, Aug. 16, 7 p.m., stolen auto
St John Ave. and Jackson Ave. N., Aug. 14, 10:30 p.m., serious assault
St John Ave. E., 5200 block, Aug. 16, 6 p.m., home burglary
St John Ave. and Van Brunt Blvd. N., Aug. 16, 11 p.m., armed robbery
St John Ave. E., 3200 block, Aug. 18, 9:30 a.m., home burglary
St John Ave. E., 4600 block, Aug. 18, 11:40 p.m., business burglary
St John Ave. E., 4800 block, Aug. 21, 2:45 a.m., serious assault
Thompson Ave. E., 3100 block, Aug. 15, 4:28 a.m., stolen auto
Truman Road and White Ave. S., Aug. 17, 6 p.m., stolen auto
U.S. 40, 7900 block, Aug. 18, 10:30 p.m., serious assault
Van Brunt Blvd. S., 2600 block, Aug. 18, 1 a.m., business burglary
Van Brunt Blvd. S., 900 block, Aug. 21, 10:30 p.m., stolen auto
Wabash Ave. S., 4000 block, Aug. 18, 9:33 p.m., stolen auto
Wabash Ave. S., 3400 block, Aug. 19, 6 a.m., stolen auto
Wabash Ave. S., 4600 block, Aug. 19, 3 p.m., stolen auto
Wallace Ave. S., 500 block, Aug. 15, no time, stolen auto
Wallace Ave. S., 4600 block, Aug. 21, 1 a.m., stolen auto
White Ave. S., 1200 block, Aug. 16, 5:45 p.m., stolen auto
White Ave. N., 500 block, Aug. 19, 3 p.m., stolen auto
White Ave. N., 400 block, Aug. 21, 10:30 a.m., home burglary
Willow Ave. S., 3900 block, Aug. 21, 1:30 a.m., stolen auto
Winchester Ave. S., 1000 block, Aug. 15, 8 a.m., stolen auto
* Hospital location

Crime count

Vehicle smashes into KC house

No one inside hurt; driver is charged

By CHRISTINEVENDEL

The Kansas City Star

A driver crashed a sport-utility vehicle into a house early Tuesday, collapsing the front porch and tearing off two living room walls, Kansas City police said.

The driver then allegedly took off, only to be stopped soon afterward by police who saw house debris dangling from his heavily damaged 1993 Chevrolet Suburban.

No one in the house on Jackson Avenue near 28th Street was hurt. The driver, however, remained in a hospital Tuesday with an eye injury.

Police cited Quintis M. Castellano, 23, for six violations, including driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and carrying a concealed .22-caliber pistol.

Officers arrested him shortly after the 1:15 a.m. wreck as he drove on Jackson. Police reports noted the vehicle’s front left wheel wobbled, a board stuck out of the windshield, and drywall and vinyl siding clung to the hood and roof. Police also said Castellano’s face was bloody.

The loud crash awakened resident Ida Paul, 53, in the room adjacent to the living room. She said it sounded as if a tornado struck her house. She said she then heard crackling noises and saw a large cloud of dust drifting from her living room.

When she got up, two of her living room’s four walls were gone.

She stood in her living room and “looked out in a daze,” she said. “I didn’t know what happened. I had to ask my neighbor.”

According to Paul, her neighbor saw an SUV crash into the house and then back out of a neighbor’s back yard and over a chain-link fence to escape.

Afterward, Paul’s couch lay overturned in a heap of vinyl siding and insulation on her lawn. The roof of her porch also fell onto her lawn. Her front storm door rested in her neighbor’s back yard, where the SUV briefly stopped.

Paul said she had to leave her home because the roof was unstable. She returned at daylight after her landlord stabilized the roof. She spent Tuesday packing her belongings with the help of a dozen friends and relatives.

She said she planned to rent another home.

“I don’t need to be thinking someone’s going to run into the house all the time,” she said.

Paul said it was the second time a driver had damaged her property. Three years ago, when she first moved into the house, someone crashed into her parked car, totaling the vehicle, she said.
To reach Christine Vendel, police reporter, call (816) 234-4438 or send e-mail to cvendel@kcstar.com .

Most Wanted: Craig A. Barksdale

Craig A. Barksdale, wanted on a Missouri parole violation warrant for robbery, armed criminal action and stealing a motor vehicle, tops this week’s Most Wanted list.
Barksdale, 36, is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. His last known address was in northeast Kansas City. He has been known to use the alias of Tim Dale.
Anyone with information should call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (474-8477). All calls are confidential, and a reward is offered for information leading to an arrest.

Most Wanted: Michael L. Chase

Michael L. Chase, wanted on a Kansas parole violation warrant for robbery and kidnapping, tops this week’s Most Wanted List.
Chase, 45, is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo on his chest of a heart and a bunny. His last known address was in east Kansas City, Mo. He has been known to use the aliases of Gary and Darryl Robinson.
Anyone with information should call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (474-8477). All calls are confidential, and a reward is offered for information leading to an arrest.

Tragic tale has a familiar face

Death drives home school-safety point

By KERRI FIVECOAT-CAMPBELL Special to The Star

Students seated in the auditorium last Thursday at Washington High School were rowdy — until the first photograph was shown on the video screen.

The photo depicted a smiling Antonio Hall. The same 18-year-old shot and killed in Kansas City on Aug. 17, reportedly over a dispute stemming from a street basketball game. Hall was a former Washington High School student and was one of several young people connected to the school included in the video tribute. He was among others who have been the victims of violence in recent years.

The assembly was the project of a new group at the school called Student Advocacy Against Violence (SAAV). The group currently has about 15 student members whose goal is to reduce the number of disruptive incidents in their school by 30 percent over the course of this school year.

“We actually started meeting with the students last spring,” said Detra Bachus, assistant principal. “But we moved the assembly up from September due to Antonio’s death.”

Although Hall’s death was not connected to the school or even to Wyandotte County, Bachus said, the purpose of the assembly was to draw attention to violence and to help improve the school’s reputation.

The student group was founded through the KCK Study Circles Initiative, a program through the United Way of Wyandotte County.

“The idea is to stem violence,” said Christal Watson, program director of the KCK Study Circle. “The kids wanted to know what they could do and we adopted this concept.” Although the KCK Study Circle project at Washington has been completed, Watson said she would stay on throughout the school year to help the students stay focused and facilitate the meetings.

The founding student members of SAAV were selected by the administration, and they represent each class at Washington. They also represent students who perform academically at different levels.

“We have a mix of students in the group,” said Watson. “They aren’t all necessarily the best students, because we realize the answers do not lie in just having conversations with the best students.”

Washington, which has about 1,200 students, recorded about 1,500 “disruptive incidents” during the 2004-2005 school year.

“That includes anything that has to do with a referral” to the office, said Bachus. “It could be anything from being tardy to the use of profanity.”

Tiffany Wills, 17, is a senior, and she also serves as the class president. As a founding member of SAAV, she hopes to encourage her classmates to think before they act.

“Every day, it seems like something new is happening, and I really hate to see young people dying for nothing,” said Wills. “Washington is not a bad school; we just have some people who make bad choices and we hope to encourage them to think before they make the wrong choices.”

Wills said she hopes more students will join the group as the year progresses.

During Thursday’s assembly, teachers and administrators talked to the audience about choosing a nonviolent path, but the most effective method, said Bachus, was allowing the students to try to get the message across.

“I think students respect teachers and administrators, but students respect their peers more; it makes it more real for them,” Bachus said.

Hall’s mother, Aetta Hall-Campbell, and her family attended the assembly to watch the video tribute and hear poems and songs written by the students in memory of her son. She also accepted Hall’s diploma. At one point, students listened to Hall’s own words in an essay he’d written about his education in the Kansas City, Kan., school system. Afterward, Hall-Campbell urged the students to learn from her son’s death.

“Listen to your parents,” said told the crowd. “It doesn’t cost a dime to listen.”

SAAV has been meeting monthly and its members have come up with the idea to offer students incentives as rewards for helping reduce the number of disruptive incidents.

“We plan on having monthly assemblies and keep up on making the goal,” said Watson. “We have talked about rewards, but we haven’t decided on that.”

County seeks to designate 2 inmates as sex predators

By TONY RIZZO
Johnson County authorities want to confine as sexual predators two men who are scheduled to be released from prison this fall.

Prosecutors allege that Richard A. Miller, 60, and Michael R. O’Neill, 28, are a threat to commit additional sex crimes if released.

The cases, filed Tuesday by assistant district attorney Scott Toth, seek to have both men held indefinitely for care and treatment in the Kansas sexual predator treatment program at Larned.

Miller, who is being held at the Norton Correctional Facility, is supposed to be released Oct. 15, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.

Miller was convicted in 1981 in Johnson County District Court of kidnapping, aggravated burglary and aggravated sodomy. The case involved a 15-year-old girl who was kidnapped from her home, forced into a car and driven to locations where she was sexually assaulted.

He was paroled a decade later before Kansas adopted its sexual predator law. He returned to prison in 1993 after being convicted of aggravated burglary.

O’Neill, also being held at Norton, is scheduled to be released Nov. 12. He was convicted in Johnson County in January 2004 of one count of attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The victim was the 4-year-old daughter of a female acquaintance.

Prosecutors allege that each man suffers from a mental abnormality or personality disorder “which makes him likely to engage in repeat acts of violence.”

Initial court hearings for Miller and O’Neill are scheduled for Thursday. If a judge finds probable cause to support the allegations, they will be sent to the Larned State Hospital for evaluation.

If doctors there conclude that they should be confined as predators, they will be returned to Johnson County for trial.

Defense attorney Alex McCauley was appointed to represent Miller. Paul Cramm was appointed as O’Neill’s attorney.
To reach Tony Rizzo, call (816) 234-7713 .

Nationwide meth sting ends with 400 arrests

WASHINGTON — Police throughout the country have arrested more than 400 persons in the first nationally coordinated operation aimed at producers and sellers of methamphetamine, officials said Tuesday.

Police in more than 200 cities and the Drug Enforcement Administration took part in the past week in Operation Wildfire, which also resulted in the seizure of more than 200 pounds of the drug and 56 labs where it was made.

Kansas City and Kansas City, Kan., were among the target cities. No details were available.

The arrests follow intense criticism from members of Congress and local law enforcement that the federal government is not doing enough to combat the use of methamphetamine. More than half of the 500 sheriffs in a recent survey called meth their top problem, far surpassing cocaine and marijuana.

Methamphetamine, which can come in the form of a crystallike powder or rocklike chunks, is an addictive stimulant that can be smoked, snorted, injected or taken orally. Its street names include “ice,” “crystal,” “speed” and “tina.” Meth can be made using ingredients in over-the-counter cold medicines, prompting a dozen states to pass laws forcing stores to remove medicines containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine from shelves.

At least 12 million people have tried meth, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Authorities have dismantled more than 50,000 clandestine meth labs since 2001.

While the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy continues to identify marijuana as the nation’s most substantial drug problem, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales recently said that meth had overtaken marijuana as the greatest danger to children.

The Bush administration this month announced a new training laboratory for police agencies and $16.2 million in grants to focus on treatment of meth addicts.
— The Associated Press

Art Garfunkel hit with another pot charge

WOODSTOCK, N.Y. - Singer Art Garfunkel, who pleaded guilty last year to pot possession, has again been charged after a marijuana cigarette was allegedly found in the ashtray of his car. Garfunkel, 63, who lives in Manhattan, was charged Sunday after being pulled over for failing to stop at a stop sign. Garfunkel is pictured here backstage at the Grammy Awards in 2003.

Koso pleads not guilty to rape charge involving 14-year-old wife

KEVIN O'HANLON

Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. - A 22-year-old man accused of impregnating then marrying a 14-year-old girl pleaded not guilty Tuesday to raping her.

Matthew Koso was arraigned in Richardson County District Court, where he is charged with first-degree sexual assault, punishable by up to 50 years in prison.

The girl, Crystal Koso, gave birth Aug. 24 to a 7-pound, 1-ounce girl, Samara.

Nebraska requires people to be at least 17 before they can marry.

But after the girl became pregnant, her mother gave permission in May for Koso to take her daughter to Kansas, which allows younger minors to get married with parental consent.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius recently said she was asking legislators to establish a minimum age for marriage. She said the age should be 16, 17 or 18, "so we don't, after the fact, cover up abuse of children."

Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning said again Tuesday that additional charges against Koso involving other young girls are possible.

"Our investigation's continuing," he said. "Obviously, it is dependent on very young girls telling us that they had sexual relations with Mr. Koso, which is not an easy fact to elicit from a very young girl."

Koso's trial date was set for Oct. 13.

Bruning acknowledged that he has received a "significant" amount of mail from the public saying he should leave the couple alone.

"But this is not a job we do to win popularity points," Bruning said. "I was elected to enforce the law. And anytime a grown man has sex with a child, it's not a close call for me."

A Falls City Police investigator testified earlier that the case began last May when the state Health and Human Services System asked the department to look into a report that the girl might be pregnant.

Bruning said that Koso is a friend of the girl's half brother and began a relationship with her when she was 12.

Koso's lawyer, Willis Yoesel, did not immediately return a call to his office seeking comment.

__

On the Net:

Nebraska Attorney General: http://www.ago.state.ne.us/

Aurora police chief says school bus driver failed sobriety test

Associated Press

AURORA, Mo. - Law enforcement officials are hailing the actions of a 17-year-old girl who ushered a group of school children off a bus that was being driven erratically by a driver who reeked of alcohol.

Daniel Adams, 55, of Wheaton, was charged Tuesday with 10 counts of child endangerment, one day after he failed a field sobriety test at the Aurora School District's bus barn. The Lawrence County prosecutor's office said additional charges could be filed in the case.

The substitute driver remained jailed Tuesday on $10,000 bond.

Aurora Police Chief Rick Batson said a parent called the department about 3:50 p.m. Monday to report that the erratic driving had frightened her children. One parent said her children reported that the driver was speeding down back roads and smelled of alcohol.

There were six students left on the bus when a 17-year-old passenger ordered the youngsters to get off at her stop, Batson said.

"She was our little hero," the chief said.

The girl's family took the remaining children home. Batson said the 17-year-old did not want her name released.

Police were unsuccessful in tracking down the school bus after receiving the parent's call, so they waited for the driver to return to the bus barn. Once he arrived, police say he failed a sobriety test and was arrested.

The substitute driver was called at 2 p.m. Monday and told he was needed to start a shift at 2:30, said Aurora school Superintendent Dale L. Slagle. Adams picked up children at an early childhood center and then went to a middle school to pick up a group of fourth- through 12th-graders, Slagle said.

Children who lived in the city were dropped off first, then Adams began taking rural children home - traveling south on Missouri 39 from Aurora toward Jenkins.

Husband acquitted in death of pregnant wife

Associated Press

WATERLOO, Ill. - A Monroe County jury has acquitted a southern Illinois man accused of killing his pregnant wife two years ago.

The body of 21-year-old Twila Wiley, who had been shot in the head, was found in a creek bed at a park in Waterloo, about 20 miles south of East St. Louis.

After six hours of deliberations Tuesday, the jury cleared James Wiley, 27, of all charges - first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child, concealing a homicidal death and obstruction of justice.

Wiley did not show any emotion as the verdict was read.

"When reality set in, he was incredibly relieved and very emotional, especially when his family came up (to him)," said Wiley's attorney, John O'Gara.

During the trial, which began last week, Monroe County State's Attorney Kris Reitz accused Wiley of shooting his wife after discovering she had an affair.

Defense attorneys argued that Twila Wiley was depressed and took her own life, shooting herself in the temple with a 9 mm handgun in Konarcik Park on Aug. 7, 2003.

Prosecutors said no evidence pointed to suicide and that Twila Wiley was happy, applying for jobs and looking eagerly to the future. They presented testimony that she had been laughing with friends just hours before she died.

"She's thinking about the future," Reitz said. "She's hardly a despondent woman on the verge of suicide."

Initially, investigators also said they thought the woman's death may have been a suicide. But after hearing evidence showing no gunpowder traces on her hands, a coroner's jury later ruled it a homicide.

Her relatives have said she met James Wiley when she was 14 and he 17. With her parents' permission, the two married two years later. The couple lived with James Wiley's parents until about a week before Twila Wiley's death.

Missouri murderer executed today

Stay of execution vacated for man who killed wife

The Associated Press

BONNE TERRE, Mo. — A man who beat his wife to death in 1989 after an argument at a bar was executed early Wednesday.

Timothy Johnston, 44, died by injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre, officials said.

Hours earlier, Johnston had received a brief reprieve when a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of execution. Johnston’s lawyer, Chris McGraugh, argued Missouri’s method of lethal injection was cruel and unusual punishment.

The full appeals court later vacated the stay, however, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to stop the execution. Gov. Matt Blunt also refused to intervene.

Johnston and his wife, Nancy, began arguing at a St. Louis bar on June 30, 1989. Former prosecutor Joseph Warzycki said Nancy Johnston became scared of her husband and went to the car to drive away.

Johnston jumped on top of the car and eventually pulled his wife from it, then kicked her repeatedly, Warzycki said. He took her home and beat her severely in front of her 11-year-old son.

He later called paramedics who arrived to find Nancy Johnston dead, her face and torso swollen and bloodied, Warzycki said.

An autopsy revealed a broken nose, collarbone and ribs; bruising and tearing in her heart, liver and spleen; and injuries to her head, face, scalp and lips. Bleeding under the skin confirmed she was alive throughout her severe beating.

“It was just barbaric,” Warzycki said.

Johnston initially blamed a motorcycle gang, but later confessed, accusing his wife of infidelities. He has expressed “considerable regret” over the crime, McGraugh said.

Johnston was the fourth Missouri inmate to be executed this year, and the 65th since the state reinstated the death penalty in 1989.

Death-penalty decisions loom again in Missouri

The Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered new penalty-phase trials for two death-row inmates.

The order came after the U.S. Supreme Court said jurors could have been prejudiced by seeing the defendants in shackles. The state court remanded Carmen L. Deck back to Jefferson County and Donald Joe Hall back to Greene County for new penalty trials.

A jury in 1998 convicted Deck, of St. Louis County, of first-degree murder in the 1996 robbery and killings of James Long, 69, and his wife, Zelma Long, 67, of rural De Soto. Jurors sentenced Deck to death.

The state Supreme Court later upheld the conviction but overturned the penalty.

During the new penalty phase, court officials required Deck to wear arm and leg restraints and a belly chain in full view of the jury. The court justified the restraints by saying Deck was a convicted criminal and possibly a risk.

His defense attorneys objected, saying the restraints would make jurors assume Deck was an extremely violent man and would influence jurors’ decision of whether to sentence him to death or prison. The objection was overruled.

But in May, the U.S. Supreme Court said the restraints were unconstitutional because the lower court had not shown that Deck needed the restraints.

“Where a court, without adequate justification, orders the defendant to wear shackles that will be seen by the jury, the defendant need not demonstrate actual prejudice to make out a due process violation,” the high court said.

The state Supreme Court also set aside Hall’s death sentence for the 1992 murder of Bill White, a Springfield jewelry store owner. The court had upheld Hall’s conviction and sentence in 1998, overruling Hall’s complaints that he, too, was forced to wear visible restraints during his sentencing trial.

Hotel worker chases down robber

A hotel employee chased a robber more than two blocks Tuesday to recover his employer’s belongings.

The incident occurred at the Drury Inn at 9009 Shawnee Mission Parkway in Merriam.

Police said that about 3 p.m., a man went inside the hotel and used the rest room in the lobby. After exiting the hotel, the man snatched a bank bag from a manager as she also left the building. The suspect fled on foot, southeast on West 64th Terrace toward Antioch Road.

A hotel maintenance worker who had been talking with the manager pursued the suspect. Clutching his broom the entire time, the maintenance worker caught up with the breathless suspect in the 8700 block of West 64th Street and demanded he return the bank bag. The robber complied and left in an older-model gold or gray Toyota with a second suspect, southbound on Antioch.

Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (474-8477).

Burglary interrupted

A Kansas City, Kan., homeowner arrived home Tuesday afternoon and found a juvenile male burglarizing his residence, police said.

The homeowner found the boy in the residence in the 400 block of North 17th Street at 2 p.m. A disturbance broke out and the boy fled, but an anonymous caller helped police find the boy in a house in the 300 block of North 15th Street.

Police took the boy into custody. No one was injured.

Upon further investigation, detectives discovered that another home in the 400 block of North 17th had also been burglarized.

Anyone with information about the burglaries should call Kansas City, Kan., police at (913) 573-6020 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (474-8477).

Vehicle hits KCK officer

A Kansas City, Kan., police officer was injured early Tuesday after a vehicle knocked him down as he dealt with a disturbance near 13th Street and Quindaro Boulevard.

The officer, who suffered minor injuries, fired several shots at the vehicle, according to a release from police. There was no immediate confirmation on whether anyone was hit by the gunfire.

The incident occurred about 1 a.m. Police received a call about a crowd of 50 to 70 people being loud and disorderly, police said.

While the officer attempted to disperse the crowd, the vehicle struck him in the legs. The officer, a two-year veteran, was knocked to the ground. He shot at the vehicle, hitting it several times before the driver fled in the vehicle, which was found two blocks away.

The injured officer was taken to a hospital and was released.

Anyone with information about incident should call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (474-8477).

Fast-food carjacking in KCK

A man commandeered a car at gunpoint in the drive-through of a fast-food restaurant Tuesday morning after getting in an accident moments before, police said.

The accident occurred about 8:40 a.m. near 39th Street and Kansas Avenue, Officer Todd Schumaker said.

The suspect, thought to be in his early 20s, was driving a Chrysler Concord that struck a pickup truck from behind, Schumaker said. The suspect got out of the car, grabbed two guns and walked to a nearby McDonald’s restaurant.

The man then forced a man waiting in the drive-through out of his 2001 white Toyota Corolla, Schumaker said. The vehicle, with Kansas tag WCA 897, was licensed in Johnson County.

The suspect drove away westbound on Kansas Avenue, Schumaker said. No one was injured in the accident or the carjacking, he said.

Anyone with information on the incident or the whereabouts of the suspect should call Kansas City, Kan., police detectives at (913) 573-6020 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS (474-8477).

Killer sentenced

A visiting Jackson County judge on Tuesday minced no words before sentencing a Kansas City killer to life in prison.

“You’re mean, you’re vicious, you’re evil,” Judge Charles Curless of Barton County told Terry Young, 43.

He said a jury rightly convicted Young of second-degree murder and armed criminal action for shooting Bryant Cornelius three times in the back as the victim tried to hide under a car.

Young killed Cornelius, 22, on May 21, 2001, in the 3200 block of Hardesty Avenue.

Relatives sought in Raytown death

The Jackson County medical examiner’s office is looking for relatives of William J. Owen, who died Sunday.

Owen, 66, lived in the 9000 block of East 85th Terrace in Raytown and died of natural causes. Anyone who knew Owen is asked to call the medical examiner’s office at (816) 881-6600.

Death investigated in Independence

Independence police are investigating the death of a 73-year-old man who was found in a 55-gallon plastic drum at Osage Oaks Arena & Stables.

The incident was reported about 5:20 p.m. Monday at 27101 E. U.S. 24. Police said the man was found headfirst in the barrel, which housed a water hydrant. Other employees at the stables said they had seen him working on a hydrant earlier in the day.

The man’s name has not been released. Police said there is no indication of foul play.

Gas station clerk injured

Sugar Creek police are looking for two motorists who ran over and dragged a gas station clerk Monday while attempting to drive away with some stolen cigarettes.

Police said the incident occurred about 4:40 p.m. at U.S. 24 and Vassar Avenue at the Sinclair full-service station, where a couple asked for cigarettes. The couple didn’t pay when the clerk came to the car, so he tried to recover the goods.

Police said the 45-year-old clerk, from Kansas City, got caught on the vehicle and was dragged a short distance.

When the vehicle reached U.S. 24, the man fell off, and the vehicle ran over him. The man suffered numerous injuries, including some to his head. He suffered serious injuries, police said.

Pornography charge

A 43-year-old man was indicted in federal court Tuesday for allegedly receiving and possessing child pornography.

David Neil Brown of Blue Springs was charged with receiving child porn on the Internet on Feb. 7, 2002, and March 5, 2002. The indictment also alleges that Brown possessed child porn on March 6, 2002.

10 years-plus for crack

A Kansas City man was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison Tuesday for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine.

Sam Pickett, 44, pleaded guilty in April, admitting that he helped others distribute at least 50 grams of crack on Aug. 11, 2004. He was sentenced to 121 months in prison.

Earlier this month a co-defendant in the case, Oliver Kimbrel, 43, of Kansas City, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.

IRS thefts

A former Internal Revenue Service employee and two others were indicted in federal court Tuesday for allegedly stealing checks and money orders that taxpayers had sent to the government.

Shawnda E. Schmidt, 30, of Warsaw, Mo.; Brandon Sanders, 26, of Raytown; and Jeffrey Bookout, 36, of Raymore face allegations that they conspired to steal about $42,000 from March 10, 2003, to July 10, 2003. According to authorities, Schmidt, an IRS mail clerk, stole checks and money orders, altering the name of the payee so she and others could cash them. Sanders and Bookout received some of the checks, prosecutors alleged.

Man stabbed in Kansas City

An unknown assailant stabbed a man Monday in eastern Kansas City.

The stabbing was reported about 9:30 p.m. at Winner Road and Wallace Avenue, east of Interstate 435. The victim’s left forearm was cut. The injury was not considered life-threatening.

The victim told police that he did not know the attacker.

Giddens, Creswell charged in fight

Stabbing deemed self-defense
By JASON KING
The Kansas City Star

LAWRENCE — Former Kansas basketball player J.R. Giddens and Olathe resident Jeremiah Creswell were charged Tuesday for their roles in May altercations at a Lawrence night club.

Giddens was charged with misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct for his alleged involvement in a fight outside the Moon Bar on May 19 that left Giddens and four other men with stab wounds. Creswell was charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking Giddens inside the bar earlier in the evening.

But Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson said Tuesday that he has no plans to charge Creswell for stabbing Giddens and the other men during a melee that erupted outside the establishment after closing time.

“Based on the information we’ve received, it appears that those injuries occurred while Mr. Creswell was trying to defend himself against several people who joined in the altercation,” Branson said.

In its May 27 editions, The Star reported that four witnesses at the scene — including two of the stabbing victims — blamed Giddens for instigating the fight in which they estimated 10-12 men hit Creswell with fists, bricks and bottles. Branson declined to give details about what he thinks Giddens may have done that night, but he said disorderly conduct often means “engaging in or instigating a fight.”

Both Giddens and Creswell are scheduled to appear at a Sept. 21 arraignment hearing. They face a maximum of $1,000 in fines and six months in jail.

“If they were to both enter guilty pleas, there wouldn’t be anywhere else for us to go with it,” Branson said of the nearly 3 1/2 -month-old case. “That would be the end of it.”

Creswell, who is jailed in El Dorado, Kan., on an unrelated charge, could not be reached for comment. He has denied that there was a physical altercation between him and Giddens inside the Moon Bar.

He said Giddens instigated a verbal confrontation that ended when Creswell was removed from the bar by a bouncer. As he waited outside for friends, Creswell said he phoned a female companion who was still inside the bar. He said she came to the door and handed him a 4-inch folding knife that he used moments after being attacked.

On Tuesday, Creswell’s mother said she and her family were relieved to learn that Giddens had been charged in her son’s beating.

“We’re so thankful that the district attorney has acknowledged what all the witnesses have said all along: that Jeremiah was attacked by a mob and that he had to defend himself to stay alive,” Beverly Creswell said.

“We hope he won’t back down and that he’ll continue to pursue this case against (Giddens).”

Giddens, who would have been Kansas’ top returning scorer this season, has denied that he instigated the fight. But the Moon Bar incident cast a negative light on the basketball program, and Giddens was pressured into transferring in early July.

Although he didn’t answer calls to his cell phone Tuesday, Giddens issued a statement through the University of New Mexico, his new school.

“Last May, I had an experience I will remember the rest of my life,” Giddens said. “I learned a lot from what happened that evening, and I feel I am a better person because of it. Now, I want to move on with a new and exciting situation I have at the University of New Mexico.”

As a result of the fight, Creswell needed 11 staples to close a wound on the back of his head. Giddens suffered a severed calf artery that forced him to walk with crutches for six weeks. Two other stabbing victims — Marcus Knight and Preston Patterson — were hospitalized with knife wounds to the rib cage and abdomen, respectively.

Branson spent more than two months reviewing a 250-page report filed by Lawrence detectives. Interviews were conducted with about 50 witnesses.

Among those questioned were a large number of current and former KU athletes, including basketball players Jeff Hawkins, Rodrick Stewart, Aaron Miles, Michael Lee and Darnell Jackson, football players Bobby Birhiray and Tony Stubbs and volleyball player Josi Lima.

Although there are no immediate plans to file additional charges, Branson said the Moon Bar case was “still open.” He said other people involved in the fight outside the bar could be charged, although he indicated that wasn’t likely.

Former KU basketball player Bryant Nash told The Star that he hit Creswell. And two witnesses have said that current KU forward C.J. Giles threw punches at Creswell.

“The investigation has reached a point to where there’s not any more the police department can do by interviewing people,” Branson said. “If these two cases go forth, we may have an opportunity to put people under oath and get some more information.”

Branson acknowledged that “justice may not be served” in regard to charging other people involved in the fight.

“One of the problems that you come upon in any case like this is anytime you have multiple people involved, you have to have credible evidence that X hit Y. You have to have someone that can say they saw it. Not someone that says they heard that it happened or thought it happened, but someone who says they saw it happen.

“The fact is that you have a melee that involved a lot of people, with people moving around and scuffling and running places. It’s normal to get conflicting stories in these types of situations.”

News of the charges against Giddens spread quickly throughout Lawrence. Asked to quantify the effect that the Moon Bar incident had on his program, Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said: “Our program took a big hit on May 19.”

The only other comments Self made came through a release issued by the school.

“We have put this situation behind us,” Self said. “The district attorney’s statement speaks for itself. We will have no further comment.”

Ron Ruiz, who owned the Moon Bar before it closed earlier this summer, said the charges against Giddens surprised him.

“He started a huge fight — a fight that got way out of hand and left a lot of people seriously hurt,” Ruiz said. “And he made the university look bad. He’s lucky he didn’t get charged with anything more serious.”
To reach Jason King, Kansas reporter, call (816) 234-4386 or send e-mail to jking@kcstar.com.

Olathe man is ordered to face trial in porn case

Images found on his computer

By TONY RIZZO

The Kansas City Star

The things that might have been on Mark William Palmer’s mind were what brought FBI agents to his doorstep.

The things they allegedly found on his computer were what brought Palmer to a Johnson County courtroom Tuesday.

The 29-year-old Olathe man was ordered to stand trial on a charge of sexual exploitation of a child. Authorities accuse him of possessing child pornography images on a computer he turned over to investigators in July.

Brian Pickens, a special agent with the FBI, testified at Tuesday’s preliminary hearing that Palmer admitted having sexual fantasies about prepubescent girls that included kidnapping and ra