Yard Dash & Machine Gun: KC Man Indicted

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A high-speed chase ending in a backyard swamp and a tossed machine gun landed 28-year-old Jermel D. McCray in federal custody, facing a slew of charges. McCray, of Kansas City, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a converted automatic weapon following a brazen attempt to evade Independence, Missouri police.

The drama unfolded January 22, 2023, when Independence officers spotted a stolen black 2021 Audi Q5. When the driver – McCray – refused to stop, a pursuit ensued. It wasn’t a highway chase, though. McCray steered the stolen Audi through the yard of a residence in the 2800 block of S. Baker Road, tearing across the grass and plunging into a small stream at the property’s rear. Officers immediately pursued on foot.

According to court documents, McCray didn’t just run; he ditched evidence. As officers gave chase across E. Berry Lane and into a wooded area, McCray allegedly tossed two firearms to the ground. He slipped in the snow, was tackled, and then ran again after being initially handcuffed. Only with the help of a second officer were authorities able to subdue and secure him. Recovered from the woods were a loaded Glock 9mm pistol with a 33-round extended magazine – illegally modified for full automatic fire – and a loaded Glock .40-caliber pistol with a 22-round extended magazine.

But the guns weren’t the only contraband. A search of McCray revealed fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine stashed inside his jacket pocket. He was also carrying a significant amount of cash: $5,620 in the same pocket, $74 in his front pants pocket, and an additional $529 found nearby on the ground. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision; the six-count indictment alleges McCray possessed these drugs with the intent to distribute. He’s also charged with possessing firearms – including the illegal machine gun – in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of firearms. A prior second-degree murder conviction already bars him from owning weapons.

The indictment replaces a previous criminal complaint filed against McCray on January 23, 2023, adding further weight to the federal case. McCray is now facing one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms, including a machine gun, in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, one count of illegally possessing a machine gun, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh is prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Independence Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities across the country. Remember, these are merely allegations at this stage. The burden of proof lies with the prosecution, and McCray is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a federal jury.