Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Wichitan with Planning Airport Bombing

KANSAS CITY, KS—A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Wichita man with attempting to explode a car bomb at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Terry Loewen, 58, Wichita, Kansas, initially was charged in a criminal complaint filed December 13 in U.S. District Court. On Wednesday, a federal grand jury reviewed the evidence and returned an indictment against Loewen. The charges in the indictment are identical to the charges in the complaint filed last week: one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, one count of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive, and one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred December 13 at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita. Loewen was arrested about 5:40 a.m. December 13 at the Wichita airport, where he is alleged to have attempted to detonate a car bomb.

If convicted, Lowen faces a maximum penalty of life in prison on the charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, not less than five years and not more than 20 years on the charge of attempting to use an explosive to damage property, and a maximum penalty of 15 years on the charge of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization

The investigation was conducted by the Wichita FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes members from the FBI, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, and Kansas Highway Patrol. Assisting with the investigation were the FBI Kansas City Division, the Transportation Security Administration, the Wichita Airport Authority, and the Wichita Police Department. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Smith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi and by prosecutors from the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Other Indictments

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging two Chinese agricultural scientists with conspiracy to steal trade secrets with respect to particular rice seeds of a biopharmaceutical company with a research facility in Kansas.

Weiqiang Zhang, 47, Manhattan, Kansas, and Wengui Yan, 63, Stuttgart, Arkansas, initially were charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court December 12. Today’s indictment charges them with two counts: one count of conspiracy to steal trade secrets and one count of theft of trade secrets.

The indictment alleges that as part of the conspiracy, Zhang and Yan enabled visitors from a crops research institute in China to obtain possession of the unique rice seeds developed by Ventria Bioscience at a facility in Junction City, Kansas. It is alleged that on August 7, 2013, personnel with U.S. Customs and Border Protection found stolen seeds hidden in luggage belonging to Chinese scientists who were returning to China after a visit to the United States.

If convicted, Zhang and Yan face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Little Rock Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Arkansas.

Scott Thario, 21, is charged with one count of bank robbery and one count of brandishing a shotgun during the robbery. The indictment alleges that on December 16, 2013, Thario brandished a shotgun while he robbed the Intrust Bank at 19501 West 65th Terrace in Shawnee, Kansas.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the bank robbery charge and a penalty of not less than 10 years on the firearm charge. The FBI and the Shawnee, Kansas Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting.

David P. Drake, 54, Lone Tree, Colorado; Donald D. Snider, Jr., 54, Littleton, Colorado; Vicki A. Hall, 62, Lone Tree, Colorado; Heather A. Gibbs, 51, Littleton, Colorado; and James Clarkson, 43, Casa Grande, Arizona, are charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The indictment alleges the crimes occurred in connection with the development of Indian Ridge Resort, a resort community located near Branson, Missouri.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

• Conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud: a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million.
• Conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering: a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

Yao Vignon Kpade, 31, who is in custody in the Johnson County Jail, is charged with one count of fraudulent use of credit card numbers and one count of aggravated identity theft. The crimes are alleged to have occurred at various times from February 11, 2013 to July 23, 2013, in Johnson County, Kansas.

The indictment alleges that while working at a Taco Bell restaurant, Kpade used a credit card scanning device known as a skimmer to obtain electronic credit card information from credit and debit cards belonging to the restaurant’s customers. The indictment alleges he fraudulently used the credit card information to make purchases at Walmart in Overland Park, Ranchmart Wine and Spirits in Leawood, and Hy-Vee in Shawnee, Kansas.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the credit card charge and a mandatory two years to run consecutively to the underlying sentence and a fine up to $250,000 on the identity theft charge. The U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway is prosecuting.

Antonio Molina-Gonzalez, 40, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Nov. 25, 2013, in Franklin County, Kansas.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting.

Jayce A. Rymer, 20, Basehor, Kansas, is charged with one count of destroying mail while working for the U.S. Postal Service. The crime is alleged to have occurred August 14, 2013, in Johnson County, Kansas.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting.

Joshua Spurgeon is charged with escaping from federal custody at the Grossman Community Corrections Center, a halfway house in Leavenworth, Kansas. The crime is alleged to have occurred December 9, 2013.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic is prosecuting.

Jose Angel Aguilera-Franco, 19, Bonner Springs, Kansas, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred December 5, 2013, in Kansas City, Kansas.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic is prosecuting.

Jose Angel Ruiz-Pena, 31, Kansas City, Kansas, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred November 20, 2013, in Kansas City, Kansas.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic is prosecuting.

William D. Mitchell, 29, Lawrence, Kansas, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, one count of distributing crack cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and one count of unlawful use of a telephone in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred September 22, 2011, in Lawrence, Kansas.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on each of the crack cocaine charges and a maximum penalty of four years and a fine up to $250,000 on the phone count. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic is prosecuting.

Justo Herrera-Quiroz, 49, who is not a citizen of the United States, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found November 18, 2013, in Olathe, Kansas.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting.

Juan Carlos Quezada-Martinez, 50, Wichita, Kansas, is charged in a superseding indictment with one count of unlawful production of an identification document, six counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of document fraud, two counts of making a false statement to the government, and one count of misusing a Social Security number. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2012 and 2013 in Sedgwick County, Kansas.

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

• Unlawful production of an identification document: a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000.
• Aggravated identity theft: a mandatory two years to run consecutively to the underlying sentence and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
• Document fraud: a maximum penalty of 15 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
• Making a false statement to the government: a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
• Misuse of a Social Security number: a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.

The Kansas Department of Revenue and DHS Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.