Three Men Indicted for Armed Robberies at Five Grocery Stores

KANSAS CITY, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that additional charges have been filed against three defendants for their roles in a string of armed grocery store robberies.

Jeremiah Kraushaar, 31, of Bethany, Mo.; and Javon Turner, 35, and Finis Richardson, 35, both of Kansas City, Mo., were charged in a 13-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City. Today’s superseding indictment replaces a Jan. 4, 2011, indictment and includes additional charges.

Today’s indictment alleges that Kraushaar, Turner and Richardson participated in a conspiracy to rob five grocery stores from Sept. 1, 2010, to Dec. 19, 2010.

In addition to the conspiracy, Kraushaar and Turner are charged together in five separate counts of robbing Thriftway Store, 1616 E. 63rd St., Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 13, 2010; Cosentino’s Apple Market, 7506 Raytown Rd., Raytown, Mo., on Oct. 3, 2010; Hy-Vee Store, 1104 S. 25th St., Bethany, Mo., on Oct. 14, 2010; Patricia’s Food Store, 1212 W. 40 Hwy., Odessa, Mo., on Oct. 22, 2010; and Apple Market Grocery Store, 1215 E. Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd., Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 2, 2010.

Kraushaar and Turner are also charged together in five separate counts of brandishing firearms during those grocery store robberies.

Kraushaar, Turner, and Richardson are charged together with one count of being felons in possession of firearms. The indictment alleges that the defendants, who each have been convicted of a prior felony, were in possession of a Glock .40-caliber pistol, an Essex Arms .45-caliber pistol, and a Sears, Roebuck and Company .410 shotgun.

Turner is also charged with a second count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that Turner was in possession of a Norinco SKS 7.62 x 39 rifle.

The two firearms counts were the only charges contained in the original indictment.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, multiple law enforcement agencies have been investigating a series of grocery store robberies across northwest Missouri. Certain common characteristics of the robberies were captured by the stores’ surveillance cameras, including the robbers entering the stores in the early morning when employees were opening the business, forcibly restraining employees with zip-ties, and using walkie-talkies and cellular phones during the robberies.

After law enforcement released footage from the surveillance video of the Oct. 3, 2010, robbery of the Apple Market in Raytown, an anonymous tip to the 474-TIPS hot line led police to Turner and authorities began conducting surveillance, the affidavit stated. The defendants were arrested following a high-speed pursuit on Dec. 19, 2010.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Michael Green. It is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department; the Independence, Mo., Police Department; the Wichita, Kan., Police Department; the Odessa, Mo., Police Department; and the Raytown, Mo., Police Department.

Phillips cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Project Ceasefire

Project Ceasefire, launched in October 1999, is a cooperative initiative by federal and local law enforcement and the Kansas City Crime Commission that targets for federal prosecution persons who unlawfully use or possess firearms.