Stephen R. McAllister, Violent Crime, Kansas 2023

TOP STORY

TOPEKA, KAN. – In a shocking move, U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister has stepped down, effective February 28, 2023, following a request from the Biden Administration. McAllister, who served as the top law enforcement official in the District of Kansas, submitted his resignation letter to the President earlier this week, expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the nation and Kansas.

During his tenure, McAllister oversaw several high-profile trials and convictions, including the case of three men who plotted to blow up a Garden City apartment complex inhabited by Somali and Muslim immigrants in 2017. The suspects, three men whose names were not specified, were convicted of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and other charges.

McAllister also led the investigation into the case of a Wichita doctor who prescribed opioids to addicted patients, resulting in at least one overdose death. The doctor, whose name was not specified, was convicted of distributing opioids and sentenced to a prison term of 25 years.

In addition, McAllister's office secured a conviction against a California man who made a hoax call to Wichita emergency authorities, resulting in the fatal shooting of an innocent man on his front porch in 2017. The suspect, a man from California whose name was not specified, was convicted of making a false report resulting in death and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

McAllister's tenure also saw a renewed emphasis on federal and local law enforcement cooperation to combat violent crime. He worked closely with Senator Jerry Moran and his staff to secure new resources and programs for the Kansas City region, including the Public Safety Partnership program in Wichita and the Crime Gun Intelligence Center at Wichita State University.

Under McAllister's leadership, the office hired approximately a dozen new attorneys and support staff, filling some positions that had been vacant for decades. The District's Civil Division is now in a stronger position than ever, and the Criminal Division has the most prosecutors in its history.

McAllister personally drove the reopening of a longstanding, unsolved cold case, the death of Alonzo Brooks, who disappeared after a farmhouse party near La Cygne in April 2004 and was found dead in a nearby creek almost a month later. In his post-U.S. Attorney life, McAllister plans to continue to support efforts to pursue and solve cold cases by working collaboratively with law enforcement and possibly establishing a nonprofit entity to financially support and further such investigations.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/pr/us-attorney-stephen-mcallister-steps-down-effective-february-28