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A Missouri man who was arrested Tuesday night during the police standoff in the 2300 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard has been charged in federal court for offenses unrelated to the standoff.
Jimmie R. Lewis, Jr., 50, Kansas City, was charged in a three-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Lewis remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Monday, March 6.
The federal criminal complaint charges Lewis with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. These offenses allegedly occurred on Nov. 7, 2021.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Lewis was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck eastbound on 23rd Street in Independence, Mo., on Nov. 7, 2021. Due to the truck matching the description of a stolen vehicle, an Independence police officer attempted to conduct a vehicle check. Lewis, however, led officers in a high-speed pursuit that reached speeds up to 100 miles per hour, passing other vehicles and running stop signs. Lewis’s vehicle struck a curb near Norledge and Evanston in Independence, flattening a tire. Lewis fled on foot but was apprehended.
Lewis, who had $2,084 in his pocket, was carrying a backpack while running from police officers. Inside the backpack, officers found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun and nine plastic bags that contained a total of 395.64 grams of methamphetamine. Officers also found 19.17 grams of methamphetamine under the passenger’s seat of the Ford F-150.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Lewis has multiple prior felony convictions, the most recent being two counts of assault and one count of resisting/fleeing arrest in a Jackson County, Mo., case.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Baker. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
