Category: Overland Park

Earlier this week marked the one-year anniversary of the tragic shooting deaths of three Overland Park residents at the Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom retirement community. Rep. Kevin Yoder issued the following statement about the victims and their families:

“Today, we honor the memory of three people who were victims of a horrific shooting that took place in Overland Park one year ago. On April 13, 2014, the lives of Reat Underwood, William Corporon, and Terri Lamanno were tragically cut short.

“Mindy Corporon lost both her father, William, and her 14-year-old son, Reat, that day. Many people would understandably fall into despair. But amazingly, Mindy has used this tragedy to promote love, faith, kindness, and remembrance.

“Partnering with two non-profit organizations, Mindy and other family members of the victims organized a weeklong series of events entitled SevenDays: Make a Ripple, Change the World ending with a peace walk at the Jewish Community Center. This week of remembrance promoted understanding and encouraged kindness within the community to overcome the senseless act of hate that occurred one year ago.

“The overall response to this tragic incident, highlighted by the SevenDays events over the last week, has shown that our community of all faiths has a remarkable ability to come together, to become stronger, and to support one another in times of difficulty. Hate has no place in Overland Park.”

A Kelsey Smith Act amendment has been introduced on human trafficking legislation in the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., today introduced it as an amendment to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

The bill provides law enforcement with tools to crack down on human trafficking, and help victims restore their lives, according to a statement from Sen. Roberts.

It strengthens law enforcement’s ability to lawfully and quickly access cell phone location information, or ”pings,” when a person is abducted and their life is threatened, according to Sen. Roberts’ office.

The amendment is named for Kelsey Smith, who was abducted in 2007 in Overland Park, Kan., and murdered. The abduction was filmed on a store security camera. Four days after her disappearance, authorities located her body when her wireless provider released the “ping” or call location information from her cell phone. The amendment is designed for faster release of this information in emergencies.

The co-owner of an Overland Park hotel was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in federal prison for employing undocumented workers, who were paid less than other employees, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

She also agreed to forfeit her interest in two hotels and funds derived from the crime, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Rhonda R. Bridge, 42, and her husband, Munir Ahmad Chaudary, 53, both of Overland Park, Kan., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., to one count of conspiracy to harbor undocumented aliens for personal gain.

In their pleas, they admitted employing undocumented workers at two hotels they owned: A Clarion Hotel at 7000 W. 108th in Overland Park, and a Clarion Hotel at 11828 NW Plaza Circle in Kansas City, Mo. Chaudary and Bridge lowered their hotels’ operating costs and put themselves at a competitive advantage by not paying Social Security, Workers Compensation and unemployment insurance for the undocumented workers, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

According to court records, the investigation began in December 2011 when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Kansas Department of Revenue received information that the owners of the hotels were employing foreign nationals who not lawfully present in the United States.

In June 2012, an undercover agent posing as an undocumented worker got a job at the Overland Park Hotel. He was hired even though he told his employers he was not authorized to work in the United States.

In 2011 and 2012 the defendants filed false and fraudulent Quarterly Wage Reports and Unemployment Tax Returns with the Kansas Department of Labor in which they under-reported the number of employees at the Overland Park hotel, the amount of total wages paid and the amount of unemployment taxes due.

Bridge is the third person to be sentenced in the case. Judith Vanzant, a hotel manager, and Syed Naqvi, a Pakistani native who worked as a desk clerk, already were sentenced. Co-defendant Munir Ahmad Chaudary is awaiting sentencing.

Grissom commended Homeland Security Investigations, the Kansas Department of Revenue, the Overland Park Police Department, the U.S. Department of Labor and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for their work on the case.