KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Three Kansas City men face federal charges of illegal gun trafficking and straw purchases of firearms related to the mass shooting at the Chiefs Super Bowl rally, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in Kansas City.
"These cases underscore the importance of enforcing federal firearms laws," Teresa Moore, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, said in a news release.
"Stopping straw buyers and preventing illegal firearms trafficking is our first line of defense against gun violence," Moore continued. "At least two of the firearms recovered from the scene of the mass shooting at Union Station were illegally purchased or trafficked."
The charges do not allege that the men were among the shooters, but rather that they were allegedly involved in illegal straw purchases and trafficking of firearms.
The Feb. 14 shooting that broke out at the celebration at Union Station killed Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a Johnson County mother of two and beloved disc jockey in Kansas City.
Two dozen others were injured by gunfire, including two alleged shooters who face murder charges, and at least 18 others were hurt in the stampede that followed. Roughly half of those wounded by gunfire were under the age of 16.
A dozen people brandished firearms, and at least six people fired their weapons, according to the news release. Kansas City police recovered several guns, spent casings and other evidence.
Two of the firearms recovered after the shooting were cited in the federal criminal complaints that were filed under seal on Monday in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City. The complaints were unsealed and made public Wednesday after the suspects were arrested.
The defendants are 22-year-old Fedo Manning, 21-year-old Ronnel Williams Jr. and 19-year-old Chaelyn Groves.
Manning faces a 12-count criminal complaint accusing him of one count each of conspiracy to traffic firearms and engaging in firearm sales without a license, and 10 counts of making a false statement on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives form.
Williams and Groves, who were charged in the same complaint, face one count each of conspiracy to make false statements in the acquisition of firearms, aiding and abetting the making of false statements in the acquisition of firearms, and making a false statement to a federal agent.
GUN SHOW BUYS
Manning allegedly purchased an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .223-caliber pistol from Frontier Justice in Lee's Summit on Aug. 7, 2022, according to court documents.
That pistol was one of the guns found at Union Station following the shooting along a wall with a backpack, next to two AR-15-style rifles and backpacks. The handgun was in "fire" position, and there were 26 live rounds in the magazine. The magazine is capable of holding 30 rounds, indicating several rounds may have been fired before it was discarded, according to the news release.
Manning allegedly illegally trafficked dozens of firearms, including many Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 firearms.
The second firearm recovered from the mass shooting was a Stag Arms 300-caliber pistol, which Williams allegedly purchased from The Ammo Box during a gun show at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City's Northland on Nov. 25.
Williams allegedly purchased the firearm for Groves, who attended the gun show with Williams but was too young to buy the weapon himself legally.
Manning, who is not a licensed firearms dealer, allegedly bought dozens of firearms, including 15 that were later recovered by police in the possession of others. Several of those individuals were legally prohibited from possessing firearms, according to the news release.
In addition to the pistol found at Union Station, other firearms that Manning purchased have allegedly been found in a stolen vehicle during an investigation of an armed robbery, during an investigation into a murder in Columbia, Mo., and in the armed robbery of a local convenience store.
In a separate federal criminal investigation, Manning allegedly purchased seven firearms that were later sold to a confidential informant, who was known to be a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. In addition to those seven firearms, federal investigators traced Manning's purchase of 40 firearms, including 33 Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 firearm receivers, according to the news release.
In the criminal complaint filed against him, Manning is charged with 10 counts of making a false statement on a federal form. He allegedly represented that he was the buyer of the firearms, but the firearms were transferred to others shortly after he purchased them.
The criminal complaint against Williams and Groves alleged they attended the gun show looking to buy receivers. Groves, who is under the age of 21, is too young to legally purchase a firearm receiver. According to court documents, Groves allegedly gave money to Williams to purchase the Stag Arms receiver for him.
Groves allegedly told investigators he purchased a 300-blackout upper to complete the firearm at another show about a month later. He also told investigators that the firearm was stolen during a "shootout." Instead of reporting it stolen, Groves allegedly went to a gun show with another friend, who bought him another one, according to the news release.
NEW TOOLS FROM ACT
Bernard Hansen, the ATF's Kansas City Field Division special agent in charge, said the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act has given the bureau additional tools needed to go after straw purchasers and firearms traffickers "who flood our streets with weapons that pose a threat to every single person in Kansas City."
"These arrests serve as a notice to those who think they can illegally traffic guns into our communities or straw purchase firearms," Hansen said.
The charges are the latest related to the mass shooting that happened as celebrations were coming to an end at the Chiefs Super Bowl rally.
Two men, Lyndell Mays of Raytown and Dominic Miller of Kansas City, have been charged with one count of second-degree felony murder and unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action.
Prosecutors previously charged two minors with "gun-related" crimes and resisting arrest in relation to the shooting. Their names have not been released.
The Jackson County Prosecutor also has charged 36-year-old Jose Castillo with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after he allegedly picked up a gun that was dropped during the shooting.