William M. Peters, Felon in Possession of Firearms, Missouri 2022

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Sugar Creek man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole after fleeing on his motorcycle from a police officer and being found with multiple firearms, including a stolen one, and a large quantity of methamphetamine.

William M. Peters, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to the statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On Nov. 15, 2019, a Sugar Creek police officer attempted to stop Peters, who was driving a motorcycle, but Peters attempted to flee by driving through yards and down embankments, causing him to fall off the motorcycle. He then fled on foot before being apprehended.

When stopped, Peters was found to have a strong odor of alcohol, and officers were unable to perform standard field sobriety tests due to his combative behavior. Additionally, they found a baggie containing 0.42 grams of methamphetamine and a glass smoking pipe. Peters admitted to using methamphetamine every day and purchasing one or two ounces of methamphetamine daily for the past two months.

According to court documents, Peters also illegally possessed a stolen firearm on Nov. 17, 2020, and another firearm on June 18, 2021, both in Independence, Mo. Peters has prior felony convictions for possessing a controlled substance and distributing a controlled substance.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone with a felony conviction to possess any firearm or ammunition. Peters’ active warrants at the time of his arrest included a Sugar Creek warrant for disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia and three felony Jackson County warrants for drug possession and assault.

This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Brackett and investigated by the Independence Police Department, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Sugar Creek Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime through evidence-based solutions. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify and address pressing violent crime problems in the community.

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