KC Felon Sentenced to Up to 10 Years for Loaded Gun Stash

Kansas City man Terrell M. Simpson, 42, has been convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

Simpson was found guilty at trial of possessing a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun, which was discovered by Kansas City police officers during a traffic stop on May 11, 2020. The officers had pulled over a vehicle in which Simpson, who had active arrest warrants, was a passenger. When Simpson was ordered to get out of the car and was placed under arrest, officers searched the vehicle and found the handgun inside the driver’s purse, which was sitting on the passenger’s side floorboard.

The driver denied any knowledge of the handgun, but forensic examination indicated that Simpson’s DNA was located on the handgun. The FBI Crime Laboratory analyzed DNA swabs taken from the trigger and trigger guard and determined there was very strong support that Simpson was the major contributor of the DNA. The lab provided a statistical analysis that the genetic information is 3.9 septillion times more likely to be observed if Simpson and three unknown individuals are the contributors than if it were four unknown individuals that are the contributors.

Simpson has two prior felony convictions for drug trafficking and prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon. He also has prior convictions for domestic assault in the second-degree and armed criminal action. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

The jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately two hours before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, June 3. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stefan C. Hughes and Stephanie Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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