Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grandview, Missouri, man who was wounded in a shoot-out on Troost Avenue pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.

Malliek D. Haynes, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

By pleading guilty today, Haynes admitted that he possessed a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol when he engaged in a shootout on Troost Avenue on April 2, 2017. 

The incident began with a verbal altercation between Haynes and a group of people at the Troost Market, 8001 Troost Avenue in Kansas City. Haynes loudly proclaimed that he was “a gangster” and lifted up his shirt in a threatening manner, exposing the firearm in his waistband. After the group left the store, Haynes continued to make loud comments to other patrons and again lifted his shirt to show that he was carrying the firearm.

When Haynes left the store and walked to his car, he again engaged in a verbal altercation with the same group of individuals from before, who were now in their vehicles across the gas station parking lot. They began to shoot at Haynes with a rifle from their vehicle. He immediately pulled out his firearm and began to wildly return fire, falling to the ground. During the shootout, Haynes was shot in the upper thigh.

The group drove away; Haynes got into the passenger side of his vehicle and a female companion drove him to the hospital. Haynes was arrested at the hospital and officers seized the firearm from his vehicle.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Haynes has prior felony convictions for robbery and unlawful use of a weapon.

Under federal statutes, Haynes is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.