A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced on Apr. 2 to four years in federal prison without parole for illegally possessing a firearm. U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips handed down the sentence to Craig D. Monks, age 48, after he was found with a Beretta PX4 Storm .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol during a traffic stop.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement and federal prosecutors to address violent crime and gun offenses in the region.
According to court documents, Independence Police officers stopped Monks’s vehicle due to expired tags on Oct. 2, 2024. Officers observed a firearm between the driver’s seat and center console; when asked about it, Monks replied there was a firearm “right here.” After removing Monks from the vehicle for safety reasons and securing the weapon, officers conducted a background check that revealed his prior felony conviction. In an interview following his arrest, Monks admitted he possessed the gun and said he thought it was a “dumb” rule that felons could not possess firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford prosecuted the case with investigative support from both Independence Police Department and Kearney Police Department. The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aiming to counter illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from violent crime perpetrators.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach programs targeting issues like violent crime and drug trafficking according to its official website. The office operates out of Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield according to its official website, serving as part of the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website. It handles federal prosecutions across 66 counties stretching from Iowa’s border in the north down to Arkansas in the south—and eastward halfway across Missouri according to its official website. Collaboration with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners is also emphasized by this office according to its official website.
This sentencing underscores continued collaboration among law enforcement agencies at multiple levels as they work together under initiatives like Operation Take Back America.
