KANSAS CITY, Mo. — DeMarko L. Collins, a 28-year-old North Kansas City man, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for his involvement in a murder and for illegally possessing a firearm, according to a federal court ruling.
On Sept. 18, 2015, Collins was implicated in the murder of David Duncan, a 42-year-old Independence man. Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing showed that Collins had been feuding with Duncan over a perceived betrayal. Collins believed that Duncan had paid someone to murder his cousin.
Collins was arrested on Sept. 30, 2015, after a search of his apartment revealed a stolen Heckler & Koch .45-caliber pistol. He had previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to possessing a stolen firearm on Sept. 1, 2016.
A court document revealed that Collins referred to himself as ‘the biggest gang member in Kansas City’ and admitted to trafficking in multiple pounds of marijuana. He also confessed to stabbing two inmates while he was previously incarcerated in federal prison.
Collins was a member of the Crips street gang and was serving time for a prior conviction for carjacking when he committed the current offenses. He was also three months removed from parole on his robbery conviction at the time of the homicide.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Collins had prior felony convictions for tampering and robbery.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther and investigated by the Independence Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner granted the government’s motion for a sentence longer than the penalty recommended under the federal sentencing guidelines due to Collins’s violent characteristics and criminal history.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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