Oct. 14, 2010

BAXTER SPRINGS ATTORNEY INDICTED ON DRUG CHARGES

WICHITA, KAN. – Attorney Christopher Y. Meek, 58, Baxter Springs, Kan., is charged with one count of aiding and abetting the manufacture of marijuana, one count of maintaining a premises for the purpose of manufacturing marijuana and one count of unlawful possession of Hydrocodone, a controlled substance. The crimes are alleged to have occurred March 14, 2006, and Sept. 1, 2009, in Cherokee County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of aiding and abetting the manufacture of marijuana, a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $500,000 on the charge of maintaining a drug involved premises and a maximum penalty of one year and a fine up to $1,000 on the Hydrocodone charge. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation worked on the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

A federal grand jury meeting in Wichita, Kan., also returned the following indictments:

Shivantha Kulatunga, 27, Liberal, Kan., is charged in a superseding indictment with one count of arson, one count of unlawful possession of an altered Social Security card, 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The crimes are alleged to have occurred at various times in 2008, 2009 and 2010 in Seward County, Kan.

Kulatunga initially was charged with arson in an indictment returned March 30, 2010. The new indictment also alleges Kulatunga, who is a citizen of Sri Lanka, used an altered Social Security card to be employed in the United States. The indictment also alleges that while Kulatunga was manager of the Rent-A-Center store in Liberal, Kan., he made false entries in Rent-A-Center’s interstate computer system indicating that merchandise was rented to third parties when in fact he had taken the merchandise for his own use. The indictment also alleges Kulatunga used another person’s identity to commit wire fraud.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Arson: Not less than five years and not more than 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Possession of an altered Social Security card: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Wire fraud: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory two years consecutive to other sentences and a fine up to $250,000.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.

Roy L. McClellan, 62, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition after a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 3, 2010, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million on the heroin charge and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the ammunition charge. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting.

Heraclio Marquez-Soto, 48, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found Sept. 8, 2010, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Jacob Salcido-Torres, 38, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of using false documents to be employed, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of altering a Social Security card. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2007 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000 on the false document charge, a mandatory two years to run consecutively to other sentences and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of aggravated identity theft, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of altering a Social Security card. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Air Force Security Police at McConnell and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Luis Raul Renteria-Lopez, 27, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Sept. 29, 2010, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted he faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Sublet is prosecuting.

Juan Carlos Guiterrez-Gomez, 21, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully entering the United States. He was found Sept. 29, 2010, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of six months in federal prison and a fine up to $5,000.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Sublet is prosecuting.

Ramiro Avila, 28, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully entering the United States. He was found Sept. 29, 2010, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of six months in federal prison and a fine up to $5,000. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Sublet is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.