KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man convicted of murder in Illinois is now charged in KCMO federal court with drug and gun crimes.
A federal grand jury handed up a six-count indictment Tuesday against Jermel D. McCray, 28, of Kansas City, Missouri, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri.
McCray faces charges of one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, one count of illegally possessing one machine gun and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
Independence police officers tried to stop a stolen black 2021 Audi 5 on Jan. 22, 2023, but the driver of the stolen car refused to stop.
The marked patrol car, with its emergency lights and siren on, pursued the stolen car that ended up in a stream in the back yard of a house in the 2800 block of South Baker Road.
McCray and another man ran from the car with two Independence officers running to catch them.
One officer arrested an unidentified man and the second officer ran after McCray.
McCray allegedly threw down two guns before slipping in snow and falling, according to the news release.
He tried to get up and run, but the officer put handcuffs on McCray and he again tried to run.
The officer ran after McCray, pushed him to the ground and held him until another officer arrived to help with the arrest.
After McCray was arrested, the officer who caught him went back into a wooded area where he saw McCray throw down the guns, a locked Glock 9mm pistol with a 33-round extended magazine.
The gun was modified to be full automatic, according to the news release. A second gun, a loaded Glock .40-caliber pistol with a 22-round extended magazine, also was found.
A search of McCray after his arrest revealed he had fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine inside a jacket pocket, along with $5,620 in the same pocket.
Officers also found $74 in his front pants pocket and $529 on the ground near McCray.
Federal law makes it illegal for anyone convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition, according to the news release.
McCray was convicted of second degree murder in a 2012 killing in Harvey County, Illinois.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but was released on parole in November 2021.
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