KC Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm, Meth Possession

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Clarence Brooks, 51, a Kansas City resident, was convicted at trial today of illegal possession of a firearm and methamphetamine.

Brooks stood guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing methamphetamine, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking offense. The evidence presented showed that Brooks had 26.55 grams of meth and a loaded .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol on February 3, 2017.

The incident unfolded when Kansas City police officers stopped a vehicle Brooks was riding in due to a stolen vehicle report. As Brooks was taken into custody, officers discovered the firearm in his right jacket pocket and methamphetamine in his left pocket.

Brooks has prior felony convictions for burglary and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute drugs, which led to federal incarceration. He violated supervised release twice, resulting in additional prison sentences.

The jury at the U.S. District Court in Kansas City deliberated for about two hours before returning guilty verdicts. The mandatory minimum sentence for Brooks is five years without parole, and the maximum is life without parole.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Q. McCarther and Matthew A. Blackwood, investigated by the Kansas City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and making neighborhoods safer.

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