Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Shawnee Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm, Cocaine
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Shawnee, Kansas, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and possessing cocaine.
Anthony Whitehead, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 13 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Whitehead to pay a $5,000 fine.
Whitehead was found guilty at trial on June 19, 2019, of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a controlled substance.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Whitehead in the District of Kansas on Dec. 29, 2016, for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in regards to a Johnson County, Kansas, warrant for attempted kidnapping. Agents with the U.S. Marshal’s Service Fugitive Task Force received information that Whitehead was staying at the Relax Inn, 6300 Blue Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri.
On Jan. 20, 2017, federal agents contacted Whitehead and his girlfriend in their room at the Relax Inn, where they found a loaded Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun hidden underneath the mattress of the bed. Agents also found a cellophane bag that contained approximately 1.5 grams of cocaine in one of Whitehead’s pants pockets.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Whitehead has two prior felony convictions for fleeing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, as well as prior felony convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to sell marijuana, domestic assault, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful use of a weapon, and tampering with a motor vehicle.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Crime Lab and the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab.
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.
****************
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at
Twitter: @USAO_WDMO
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/USAOMOW