A Kansas City, Kansas man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession.
Damian Mays, 35, faces charges for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. He is also charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes and being a felon in possession of firearms. The indictment replaces a previous federal criminal complaint filed on September 4, 2025.
According to authorities, on September 2, 2025, officers from the Kansas City Missouri Police Department attempted to stop a Lexus sedan driven by Mays. Instead of stopping, Mays allegedly fled at high speeds before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot. Officers apprehended him and recovered a backpack he had discarded that contained what police described as distribution amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. Inside the Lexus, police found one firearm on the driver’s seat and another on the floorboard.
While handcuffed and awaiting transport to jail, Mays reportedly escaped custody again—first fleeing on foot and then leaving in a waiting Buick SUV. This led to a crash on Interstate 70 before law enforcement took him back into custody.
Officials emphasized that “the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Siegele is prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the Kansas City Missouri Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative that brings together resources from various Department of Justice programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) to address violent crime connected to cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
