STATE NEWS: Leawood woman charged with tax evasion

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Kathleen Stegman, 56, Leawood, Kan., is charged in a superseding indictment with five counts of federal tax evasion and one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Co-defendant Christopher Smith, 50, Leawood, Kan., is charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS.

KCK man charged with one count of carjacking

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Jose Ontiveros, 27, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of carjacking in which a death occurred and one count of discharging a firearm during the crime.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred Dec. 14, 2014, in Kansas City, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the carjacking charge, and a penalty of not less than five years on the firearm charge.

The Kansas City, Kan., Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic is prosecuting.

Missouri woman pleads guilty in Kansas in multimillion-dollar designer drug case

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Missouri woman pleaded guilty Friday to being part of a conspiracy to operate an Olathe-based business that sold at least $16 million worth of synthetic forms of marijuana and other street drugs, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Cindy McRoberts, 49, Lees Summit, Mo., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and analogues of controlled substances.

Schmidt: 200 crime victims to receive support

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The Kansas Crime Victims Compensation Board yesterday awarded financial assistance to 200 victims of violent crime at its January meeting, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said.

Awards were made in 103 new cases. Additional expenses were paid in 97 previously submitted cases.

The awards totaled  $145,448.16.

KCK police investigating death after discovery of body

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- The Kansas City, Kan., Police Department is investigating a death after a body was discovered on Thursday.

Police were called to the area of the 1800 Block of N. 47th Street Thursday afternoon at around 1 p.m. Police discovered a body laying outside in the area.

An investigation is on-going.

STATE NEWS: Wichita Man Pleads Guilty in Armed Robbery

U.S. Department of Justice

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man pleaded guilty Thursday to robbing a drug store in east Wichita, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Ryan B. Schmidt, 34, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of commercial robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during the robbery.

Emporia man sentenced to more than 8 years for mistreatment of dependent adult

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- An Emporia man was sentenced today to more than eight years in prison for mistreatment of a dependent adult and conspiring to mistreat a dependent adult, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said.

Rick Miller, 60, was sentenced to 98 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections and fined $200,000 by Judge W. Lee Fowler in Lyon County District Court.

KCK Police Department launches new feedback campaign focusing on officer courtesy

By NICK SLOAN,
nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- The Kansas City, Kan., Police Department has launched a new survey campaign to measure the courteousness of each police officer in its force.

Entitled "Safety First/Courtesy Always," the campaign will aim to promote and recognize officer courtesy. Currently, victims of crimes are able to take the survey.

Police are looking to expanding the survey as the calendar flips to 2015.