Month: May 2016

Two persons indicted on charges of using stolen identities to buy iPhones at a discount

Two people were charged Wednesday with using stolen identities to sign phone service contracts qualifying them to buy iPhones at a deep discount, acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Ashley K. Lavallee, 29, Candia, N.H., and Jay Leon, 22, Englewood, N.J., were charged in separate indictments with one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. One indictment alleges Lavallee used a stolen identity to sign up for phone service at an AT&T store in Overland Park, Kan. The other indictment alleges Leon used a stolen identity to sign up for phone service at a Best Buy in Overland Park.

If convicted, each of them faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the wire fraud count, and two years consecutive to other counts and a fine up to $250,000 on the aggravated identity theft charge. The U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

Other grand jury indictments:

– Gabriel Soto-Zamudio, 27, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred March 24, 2016, in Kansas City, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ward is prosecuting.

– Donta R. Tanner, Jr., 23, Lawrence, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 24, 2016, in Wyandotte County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Lawrence Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.

– Julio Cesar Perez-Madrigal, 23, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person who is not U.S. citizen, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2015 and 2016 in Wyandotte County, Kan.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Count one, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: not less than five years and not more than 20 years, and a fine up to $5 million.
Count two, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.
Counts three and seven, alien in possession of a firearm: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Counts four and eight, unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances: a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Counts five and six, possession and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: Not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.

Previously flooded roads reopened

All flooded roads from Wednesday have now reopened in northeast Kansas, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

K-192 in Easton and Leavenworth County was reopened as of 10 a.m. Thursday.

K-87 in Marshall County from the K-9 junction south to the Village of Vliets also has reopened.

KCKCC softball team without a field still hit robust .383

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

The Kansas City Kansas Community College softball team without a field still compiled the second best team batting average in college history in 2016.

With every regular hitting .300 or better, the Lady Blue Devils (25-21) compiled a .383 team batting average, second best to the 2014 team that hit .386 – despite not having a home field in 2016.

With construction still underway on a new state-of-the-art all-weather field, the Blue Devils held home games on four different fields and practiced anywhere they could find, most often the soccer or baseball fields or inside the Field House.

The absence of a home field presented all kinds of handicaps, no regular field, never knowing where practice would be held, pitchers not able to throw off a regular mound.

“Despite all the challenges, I was really pleased no one used it as an excuse,” said coach Kacy Tillery. “Whether we were on the soccer field or the baseball field when the team was out of town, everyone came out and worked hard.”

In addition to the soccer and baseball teams sharing their facilities, the Turner and Piper school districts and WyCo Athletic Complex made their fields available for home games.

“We can’t thank Turner, Piper and WyCo enough for their support,” Tillery said.

A record 16 home run performance by designated hitter Tiffany Killam highlighted the big offensive year for the Blue Devils, who belted a record 38 round trippers. A first team All-Region team selection, Killam also led the Blue Devils in runs-batted-in with 49 while hitting .455 and slugging .881.

Brittany Gustin, the workhorse of the pitching staff with a 17-12 record, also led the Blue Devils in hitting with a .466 batting average. One of five .400 plus hitters, she was joined by first baseman Geena Harris, .436 with six home runs and 44 RBI; and outfielders Morgan Oroke (.427) and LaTisha Thomas (.409). Harris and Oroke were named to the All-Region second team.

Other leaders included infielders Elizabeth Seimears (.381), Mekayla Foskett (.356), Kennedy Rasmussen (.329) and Kaylynn Stratton (.324), catcher Savannah Dungan (.342) and outfielder Mekayla Guerrero (.316). Seimears (8-8) also was the No. 2 pitcher but a hamstring injury forced most of the late season pitching load on Gustin, who had more than twice as many innings pitched as any other hurler.

Unfortunately, losses will be heavy – the No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers, Gustin and Seimears and catcher Savannah Dungan, infielders Harris, Foskett and Rasmussen and outfielders Oroke and Guerrero along with backups Serena Escobar, Regan Clough, Hannah Moore and Lauren Johnson.

That leaves only four returnees with more than 25 or more times at bat – starters LaTisha Thomas in the outfield and Kalynn Stratton at third and parttime infielders Sam Sudac and Amy-Grace Wilson around which to build.

With an ultra-attractive new field to offer newcomers, recruiting for next season is well under way.

“We have 14 signed for next year to date,” Tillery said.

The dedication of the new field will be held Oct. 22.

“We’re excited,” Tillery said. “We’re going to have an Alumni Game so that all our former players can come back and be the first ones to play on the new field. It will be special.”