A Kansas City, Kansas, man was indicted Thursday on federal charges of assaulting an undercover officer after she paid him $400 for a handgun, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Nicholas Newman, 19, Kansas City, Kansas, was charged with one count of robbery, one count of assaulting a federal officer, one count of brandishing a firearm in a crime of violence and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
An affidavit filed in the case alleges that on Feb. 6, 2020, Newman met the undercover officer in the parking lot of a Sunfresh grocery store at 241 S. 18th St. in Kansas City, Kansas.
The agent gave Newman $400 and he gave her a .45 caliber Ruger Model P234 pistol. She asked if the gun came with a clip and he said it did. Then Newman reached for the firearm and tried to pull it away from her, according to the affidavit. During the struggle, the agent shouted for help and a second agent grabbed Newman from behind.
If convicted, Newman could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of felon in possession of a firearm, up to 25 years on the robbery count, up to 20 years on the assault count and not less than five years on the charge of brandishing a firearm, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania is prosecuting. This case is being prosecuted under Project Guardian, a Justice Department initiative focused on reducing gun violence.