Month: June 2018

Two Kansas City, Kansas, men were indicted on Wednesday on charges of possession with intent to distribute more than two pounds of heroin.

Hugo Miguel Lopez-Erazo, 30, Kansas City, Kansas, and Cesar Donai Bautista, 38, Kansas City, Kansas, were charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Lopez-Erazo is charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of distributing heroin, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred in July and August 2017, and January and May 2018 in Wyandotte County.

According to court documents, in May 2018 investigators working undercover allegedly arranged to buy two pounds of heroin from the defendants. Investigators met the defendants in a parking lot on South 18th Street in Kansas City, Kansas, where they seized the heroin and arrested Lopez-Erazo and Bautista.

At least 10 years and a fine of up to $10 million is the possible sentence for a conviction on each count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession to distribute heroin. Up to 20 years and a fine of up to $1 million is the possible sentence for a conviction on the distribution of heroin charge, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ward is prosecuting.

Gaming revenues at the Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas, were flat in May, according to a report today at the Kansas Lottery Commission meeting.

Keith Kocher, director of program assurance and integrity for the Kansas Lottery, said that May revenues for 2018 were similar to May of 2017.

In May of 2017, the Hollywood Casino reported $12.56 million in gaming revenues, as compared to about $12.59 million in May of 2018, according to lottery revenue reports. It was a slight increase.

In April, the Hollywood Casino reported revenues of $13.06 million, according to the revenue reports.

Kocher said revenues from Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas, also were flat in a May 2017 to May 2018 comparison. Kansas Star was $14.69 million for May 2018, he said. It was $14.75 million in May 2017.

Two other casinos reported increases. Kansas Crossing in Pittsburg, Kansas, reported $2.8 million in May 2018 as compared to $2.4 million in May 2017, and Boot Hill in Dodge City, Kansas, reported a 6 percent increase, to $3.46 million in May 2018 from $3.2 million in May 2017.

So far for the year, all casinos combined show a 9.25 percent increase compared to last year, he said.

In answer to a question from Lottery Commissioner Tom Roberts, Kocher said the effect of race weekend in May at the Kansas Speedway is normal on the Hollywood Casino. It used to be negative because there were formerly traffic problems, according to Kocher, that have been resolved.

The state of Kansas receives a percentage of the gaming revenues. The Unified Government receives 3 percent of the gaming revenues from the Hollywood Casino.