KCK teen indicted by federal authorities

Nicholas Newman, 19, Kansas City, Kansas, has been charged with several counts involving drugs, firearms and assault, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas City, Kansas.

The incidents allegedly occurred in January and February in Wyandotte County, according to a spokesman for the U.S. attorney.

Newman is charged with three counts of distributing marijuana, two counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, one count of robbery and theft of a firearm, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

If convicted on all counts, he could face more than 80 years in federal prison and fines in the millions.

In February, authorities stated that Newman allegedly assaulted an undercover officer during a sting, when she gave him $400 to purchase a handgun at the Sunfresh grocery store parking lot on South 18th Street in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Sheri Cantania is prosecuting.

This prosecution by the Kansas City Metro Strike Force is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach, according to a spokesman.