On June 11th, Detectives from the Bates County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on old 71 Highway and County Road 11002. During the traffic stop the detectives identified several items that are used to manufacture methamphetamine lying in the back seat and on the floor boards. Both the driver and passenger were taken into custody. A complete search of the vehicle revealed more items commonly used to manufacture methamphetamine. The driver was identified as Lyle Jennings of Butler, and the passenger was identified as Ashley Burrous of Johnstown. Ashley had warrants out of another city and was arrested for those warrants. As of July 3rd, Burrous currently has active warrants out of Bates County connected to the traffic stop.
After the traffic stop detectives from the Bates County Sheriff’s Office and the CNET Drug Taskforce made contact with the wife of Jennings. A search was conducted of the couple’s residences in rural Butler, and a complete Clandestine Methamphetamine Lab was located. The lab was located in the couple’s garage and was dismantled by agents of the CNET Drug Taskforce. A search of the Jennings residence also contained chemicals and glassware used to manufacture methamphetamine. A small amount of methamphetamine was located along with drug paraphernalia.
On June 12th, Jennings was charged with Possession of Precursors to Manufacture Methamphetamine and bond was set at $4,500 cash or surety. Jennings posted bond and was released.
On June 21st, Bates County Sheriff’s Deputies took a report of a burglary at 493 Northeast County Road 4003 in Butler. The victim stated that sometime in last few days someone forced entry into the home and then made an attempt to secure the residence as if they would be returning. The Bates County Sheriff’s Office then placed multiple cameras on the residence in an attempt to identify any subjects returning to the location. On June 25th, a male subject was caught on camera at the residence. The subject was carrying a crow bar and wearing a mask with an identifiable tattoo on his forearm.
On June 26th, a Sergeant with the Bates County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Lyle Jennings at KK and 52 Highway. When the Sergeant was patting Jennings down, he identified the tattoo on his arm and placed him into custody. The Sergeant conducted a search of the vehicle and located the mask and crowbar from the video. Additionally the Sergeant located a bag of methamphetamine and a homemade shotgun with ammunition.
On June 26th, Lyle Jennings was charged with Possession of Burglary Tools, Possession of Drugs, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; his bond was set at $25,000 cash only and remains in the Bates County Jail.
On June 27th, agents from CNET Drug Taskforce, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, Harrisonville Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms held a meeting to share information on several subjects that are connected to each other. Several subjects were identified as participants in the manufacturing or delivery of methamphetamines connected to Jennings. These agencies have been conducting individual and joint investigations on many of these subjects over the last several months.
On June 30th, agents from Harrisonville Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, CNET Drug Taskforce and Bates County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop in Adrian on a vehicle occupied by Kyle P. Calhoun of Harrisonville and Christopher C. Zumwalt of Cleveland. Both subjects were identified as co-conspirators. The vehicle they were in came back stolen, and both subjects were taken into custody. On the road side Zumwalt was found to have approximately twenty seven grams of methamphetamine on his person. At the jail Calhoun was found to have forty one grams of methamphetamine packaged in his underwear.
Kyle P. Calhoun was charged with a Class B Felony of Trafficking Drugs, and bond was set at $150,000 cash only. Christopher C. Zumwalt was originally released but has now been charged with a Class B Felony of Trafficking Drugs, and bond had been set at $25000.
On July 1st, agents with Harrisonville Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, CNET Drug Taskforce, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, CNET Drug Taskforce, ATF, and the Jackson County Drug Taskforce served a search warrant in Kansas City on a hotel room occupied by Kyle P. Calhoun. The team recovered a pistol, a modified shotgun, and additional methamphetamines from the hotel room.
This is a fine example of law enforcement agencies working across imaginary lines to protect the citizens in each of their communities. More arrests are expected as each agency continues to follow leads in regards to the sales and manufacturing of dangerous drugs in the Western Missouri Region These current charges are only a portion of the charges being submitted to Local and Federal Prosecutors.
