KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an Independence, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute, following a high-speed pursuit and foot chase by Independence police officers.
George S. Schrand, Jr., 35, of Independence, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Schrand on March 13, 2017.
Today’s indictment alleges that Schrand was in possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on March 13, 2017.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, an Independence police officer saw Schrand, who was driving a 1996 Ford Mustang, rev his engine and accelerate in a careless manner from the intersection of East Golf Avenue and Home Street. The officer activated the emergency equipment of his patrol vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Schrand refused to stop and a high-speed chase ensued.
During the chase, the affidavit says, Schrand’s vehicle reached speeds of 80-to-90 miles-per-hour throughout residential areas and on city thoroughfares. Schrand traveled into oncoming traffic and nearly collided with another vehicle before eventually being disabled by police stop sticks in Kansas City, Mo. Schrand then fled on foot with officers in pursuit. Schrand eluded officers during the pursuit by jumping over a fence near 18th Street and Bennington in Kansas City, Mo. An Independence K-9 officer discovered Schrand hiding beneath a vehicle that was parked behind a residence in the 1900 block of South Ewing Street in Kansas City, Mo.
A black backpack that Schrand dropped near the fence he jumped over was opened and searched. According to the affidavit, officers found four plastic baggies that contained a total of approximately 338 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and eight tablets of Alprazolam (generic Valium). Officers searched Schrand during his arrest and found $20,950 and a plastic baggie that contained approximately 4.4 grams of methamphetamine.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
