A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty this afternoon for his role in a botched bank robbery attempt in Kansas City, Kan., that was thwarted by members of the FBI.

Paul G. Rayford, 33, pleads guilty to the robbery attempt, along with one count of carrying a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Rayford, along with Kenneth Rayford and Claude White of Kansas City, Mo., were under observation by the FBI when they attempted to rob the Interstate Federal Savings Bank at 1919 N. 78th Street in KCK.

The robbery attempt was made in October 2009. The three men were arrested, as two FBI agents were located in the bank to lock the door.

Paul Rayford's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2010. He could face 20 years in federal prison.

Five Kansas City, Kan., residents were charged this morning in four separate cases of firearm violations.

• Lavia T. Forbes (pictured) was charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felonly conviction, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

The alleged crimes happened on Feb. 3 in KCK.

A five-year to life in prison sentence is possible for the charge of firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

• Roderick B. Sanders was charged Friday with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.

The crimes Sanders are charged for allegedly occurred on Jan. 31.

He could face 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on each count.

• John Shead, Jr. and Christopher Ramirez were both charged with unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.

The crimes they are charged for allegedly happened on Jan. 29.

Both Shead, Jr. and Ramirez could face 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

• Sean Dixon was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction.

Dixon's charge stems from a crime that allegedly occurred on March 20, 2007.

He could face 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

A Kansas City, Kan., man was charged Friday with a number of charges related to distributing marijuana.

Brian Singleton was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances, one count of unlawful possession of a sawed-off shotgun, and one count of maintaining a residence in furtherance of drug trafficking.

His crimes were allegedly occurred on Jan. 27 in KCK.  Singleton allegedly used a home on the 400 Block of 82nd Street in KCK to help with his drug trafficking.

Singleton could face a number of sentences if he's convicted – the most severe ranging from five years to life in prison.

The Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.

John Maxwell of Kansas City, Kan., has been charged in connection to another case of methamphetamine distribution.

Maxwell was charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances and one count of maintaining a premise in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Maxwell is charged with the crimes that allegedly occurred on Jan. 28, 2010, in Wyandotte County.

He could face up to life in prison on the firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking charge. Fines up to $2 million could be paid.

Other sentences for the lesser charges could also be handed down.

The case was investigated by the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
 

A Shawnee, Kan., woman has pleaded guilty to poisoning salsa that was served last year in a Johnson County restaurant.

Yini De La Torre, 19, admits to one count of conspiracy to tamper with a consumer product while working as a waitress at the Mi Ranchito restaurant in Lenexa.

She twice added Methomyl-based pesticide to salsa served on Aug. 11 and Aug. 30. About 50 customers served symptoms of nausea, abdominal cramps, weakness, chest pains and sweating as a result of the two incidents.

The scheme by La Torre and her husband was hatched as a revenge plot aimed at the restaurant's owner.

More on the case from U.S. District Attorney Lanny Welch:

While Lenexa police were investigating the poisoning, Bazan told Da La Torre not to speak with investigators or she would suffer physical harm. The Johnson County Health Department collected samples of food from the restaurant as well as blood and urine samples from the patrons who became ill. A Food and Drug Administration lab found Methomyl in the salsa. A laboratory at the University of California - Davis found Methomyl in the samples from the patrons. Methomyl is a highly toxic compound introduced in 1966 as an insecticide for treatment of vegetable, fruit and field crops.

As a result of the poisoning incidents, all six Mi Ranchito restaurants suffered reduced income. The Mi Ranchito in Lenexa saw sales for September and October 2009 decline by approximately $250,000.

De La Torre is set for sentencing May 18, 2010. Bazan is awaiting trial. Conspiracy to tamper with a consumer product carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Welch commended the following agencies and individuals for their work on the case:  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigation, the Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigation Division, the Lenexa Police Department, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, the Kansas Department of Agriculture, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Johnson County Health Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask.

Kansas City, Kan., resident Cecil L. Keyes was charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.

The charge was made today in a Topeka, Kan., court. The alleged crime occurred in Wyandotte County on Feb. 4.

If Keyes is convicted, he could face 10 years in federal prison and a possible fine up to $250,000.

Kansas City, Kan., resident Jeremy D. Beebe has been charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction.

Beebe, 23, allegedly committed the crime on Dec. 1, 2009, in KCK. If convicted, he'll face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a potential fine up to $250,000.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

Kansas City, Kan., resident Olin Lawrence Coones was convicted of first degree murder in connection with the homicide of Kathleen Schroll.

Coones was charged with two counts of first degree murder originally for the deaths of Carl and Kathleen Schroll. Coones was acquitted in January 2009 for the death of Carl Schroll.

He was re-tried on the death of Kathleen Schroll.

The homicide happened on South 78th Street in KCK on April 7, 2008.

He will be sentenced at a later date.

A Kansas City, Mo., who distributed cocaine and marijuana in Kansas City, Kan., has been sentenced to 235 months of federal prison.

Kevin Chism pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of using a telephone to traffic drugs.

He admitted to being involved in a drug trafficking organization that distributed thousands of pounds of marijuana and hundreds of kilograms of coke in 2006 and 2007.

The drugs were smuggled into KCK from Mexico.

A home in Kansas City, Mo., was used to help traffic and distribute the drugs. The sentencing was made in a KCK court today.

Chism was involved in a drug ring that generated $13 million across the Kansas City metro area. It employed 22 people. The drug bust was made by law enforcement in 2007.

Other defendants in the case:

Milo Santana Sanchez, sentenced to 210 months

Luis Arturo Castro-Quezada, sentenced to 210 months.

Richard A. Sanchez, sentenced to 144 months.

Jaime Ricardo Dominguez-Calderon, sentenced to 135 months.

Mayra Vanessa Gandara Escarcega, sentenced to 121 months.

Manuel Gerardo Terrazas, sentenced to 120 months.

Trinidad Marquez-Martinez, sentenced to 120 months.

Hector Contreras, sentenced to 46 months.

Erica Barajas, sentenced to 42 months.

Johnny Sanchez, sentenced to 37 months.

Leonardo Escalante, sentenced to 37 months.

Ziad Mousa Mussallet, will be sentenced Dec. 17, 2009.

Julio Cesar Loya-Contreras, will be sentenced Dec. 21, 2009.         

Yehia Hassen, will be sentenced Jan. 10, 2010.

Carlos Cervantes-Samaniego, will be sentenced Jan. 27, 2010.

Cesar Osbaldo Armendariz Soto, will be sentenced Feb. 1, 2010.

Jessie Dickinson, will be sentenced March 8, 2010.

Darell Rodgers was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 20 years for his involvement in a murder in April 2005.

Rodgers was sentenced for first degree murder in the death of Jeremy Warrior, which occurred on 53rd and Leavenworth Road. Alesia Warrior, the wife of the deceased, was also convicted of the crime in September 2008.

She was sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole for 50 years.

She was Rodger's girlfriend at the time.

Wyandotte District Attorney Jerome Gorman filed charges in connection to the Nov. 13 homicide Friday evening.

He charged Eldier Molina and Juan Lopez with first degree in murder in connection to the shooting death of Jose Diaz-Turcios, which happened Friday night near 18th and Central Avenue.

Molina is in custody, but Lopez remains at large and considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information as to his whereabouts is asked to contact the Kansas City Kansas Police Department at 913-573-3000, or the T.I.P.S. Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
 

Martin Arrendondo-Valenzuela of Kansas City, Kan., has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for his involvement in drug trafficking.

He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He admitted he was part of a drug trafficking organization that distributed to drug throughout the Kansas City area.

Throughout his time, he sold over 170 pounds of the drug.

Co defendants in the case include are Juan Mata-Soto, Jose Morales-Ruiz, Jose Lopez-Lugo, Azucena Alvarado-Martinez, Omar Castro-Boroquez and Ramon Manuel Romero-Gomez.