Kansas City, Lee’s Summit Men Indicted for $1.4 Million Drug Trafficking Conspiracy, Stealing Nearly 100,000 Pills in Pharmacy Burglaries

KANSAS CITY, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Missouri man and a Lee’s Summit, Missouri man were indicted by a federal grand jury today for a $1.4 million drug trafficking conspiracy that included nearly 100,000 pills that were stolen in a series of pharmacy burglaries, as well as illegally possessing several firearms.

Dustin Dean-Salem Kinnison, 27, of Kansas City, and Tufue Tua, 31, of Lee’s Summit, were charged in a 10-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed under seal on Jan. 27, 2011, and includes additional charges. Kinnison and Tua remain in federal custody without bond.

Today’s indictment alleges that Kinnison and Tua participated in a conspiracy to burglarize (or attempt to burglarize) at least eight pharmacies or pharmacy supply businesses in Missouri and Kansas. They allegedly stole nearly 100,000 pills, of which only about one-fourth have been recovered. According to the indictment, the pills have a street value of $1,440,000.

In addition to the conspiracy, Kinnison and Tua are charged in four counts of the indictment with burglarizing (or attempting to burglarize) Walgreen’s Pharmacy, 330 S.W. Ward Rd., Lee’s Summit, on May 29, 2010; Walgreen’s Pharmacy, 9300 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 29, 2010; Walgreen’s Pharmacy, 1536 E. 23rd St., Independence, Mo., on Jan. 1, 2011; and the Omni Care Pharmacy Distribution Center, 453 E. Red Bridge, Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 2, 2011.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, approximately 43,000 pills of Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Oxycontin, and Alprazolam were stolen in the Omni Care burglary. The affidavit also says that approximately 19,000 pills of Ritalin, Percocet, Oxycontin, Morphine, Hydrocodone, and Alprazolam were stolen in the Independence Walgreen’s burglary. The indictment alleges that a total of 96,000 pills were stolen.

Today’s indictment also alleges that Kinnison and Tua participated in a conspiracy to distribute pharmaceutical drugs and cocaine between May 1, 2010, and Jan. 31, 2011. Kinnison and Tua are charged together in an additional count of aiding and abetting each other to possess pharmaceutical drugs and cocaine with the intent to distribute.

Today’s indictment also contains several counts related to illegally possessing firearms and ammunition. Kinnison and Tua are charged with one count of aiding and abetting each other to carry and possess firearms in furtherance of the alleged drug trafficking crimes. The indictment alleges that they possessed a Stag AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle, two semi-automatic handguns (make and model unknown), a Smith and Wesson .380-caliber handgun, and a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun.

Kinnison is also charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. According to the indictment, Kinnison, who has been convicted of at least one felony, was in possession of a Stag AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle with 114 rounds of ammunition that was recovered by law enforcement officers on Jan. 4, 2011, as well as a semi-automatic handgun, 58 rounds of .380-caliber ammunition, one round of .223-caliber ammunition, and one 12-gauge shotgun shell that were recovered from his residence on Jan. 28.

Tua is also charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. According to the indictment, Tua, who has been convicted of at least one felony, was in possession of a semi-automatic handgun on Jan. 3, 2011, as well as a Smith and Wesson .380-caliber handgun, a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and miscellaneous pistol ammunition, all recovered by law enforcement officers on Jan. 28, 2011.

Today’s indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Kinnison and Tua to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged offenses or used to commit the alleged offenses, including Tua’s 2003 Hummer, Kinnison’s 2008 Chrysler 300M, and $22,562 that was recovered by law enforcement officers at the time of Kinnison’s arrest. The forfeiture allegation also includes a money judgment of $1,444,120, which represents the street value of the 96,000 stolen pills at a price of $15 per pill, as well as the money stolen from the ATM inside the Walgreen’s Pharmacy in Independence.

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.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the police departments of Independence, Mo., Kansas City, Mo., Kansas City, Kan., Lee’s Summit, Mo., Lenexa, Kan., Overland Park, Kan., Raytown, Mo., and Warrensburg, Mo.; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshal’s Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.