TOPEKA, KAN. - A Mexican man was indicted Wednesday on charges that he was stopped in Shawnee County with 34 pounds of methamphetamine in his car, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Luis Manuel Mojarro-Lopez, 33, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. An affidavit filed in the case alleges that on June 18 the defendant was driving a 2007 Ford Mustang when a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper pulled him over for running a stop sign on the I-70 eastbound exit ramp at Wanamaker.
A search of the vehicle turned up 34 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a false compartment behind the rear seat. Investigators learned Mojarro-Lopez was being paid $2,000 to drive the vehicle from Los Angeles to Kansas City, Kan. He was told to call his contact for further directions after he arrived in Kansas City, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs is prosecuting.
OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Christopher Lee Evans, 30, who is currently in federal custody, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 11, 2015, in Shawnee County, Kan. The indictment alleges he possessed a.25 mm Titan pistol despite being prohibited from having a gun because of a conviction in 2008 in Shawnee County District Court on an aggravated burglary charge.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
