Jury Convicts KC Man of Illegal Firearm

 Press Release:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been convicted at trial of illegally possessing a firearm.

Cory T. Brown, 33, was found guilty on Thursday, March 30, of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Brown was in possession of a Glock 10mm semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine on Oct. 14, 2021. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Brown has prior felony convictions for carrying a concealed weapon and resisting a lawful stop.

Brown, who was on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitive List, was at the residence of co-defendant Myron A. McMillian, 31, of Independence, Mo., on Oct. 14, 2021. Brown had been indicted in a drug-trafficking conspiracy and was a fugitive for two years. (He was later acquitted of the conspiracy charge at trial.)

FBI agents were conducting surveillance of the apartment complex, and several tactical teams approached the apartment building that evening. Before officers could announce their presence, McMillian and two other people ran from the rear door of the apartment. Brown, wearing a red balaclava pulled over his face with only his eyes visible, was arrested near the back door of the apartment. Brown had $11,072 in cash in his pocket and identity documents with his photo but another person’s name. Officers later searched the silver 2021 Mercedes they had seen Brown driving and found a black Louis Vuitton backpack that contained $5,000 in cash.

Officers executed a search warrant at McMillian’s apartment, where they found eight firearms, approximately 3.5 kilograms of marijuana, and $3,188 in cash.

On the kitchen counter, officers found a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Glock 10mm semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, and marijuana. Officers also found an Anderson Arms AM-15 .556-caliber firearm and a Romarm Cugir Draco 7.62x39mm pistol in the kitchen area. DNA evidence indicated the Glock pistol had been in Brown’s possession.

In McMillian’s bedroom, officers found a backpack that contained marijuana and approximately $800 in cash. Officers also found a duffel bag that contained approximately 2.5 kilograms of marijuana. Under the mattress of the bed, they found a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol. On the dresser, investigators found marijuana and approximately $1,580 in cash. In a dresser drawer, they found marijuana and approximately $800 in cash.

Officers found a New Frontier Armory .223-caliber rifle in the main living room area, on the floor near the fireplace, an FNH 5.7mm semi-automatic pistol on the arm of the couch, and a Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol on a shelf.

Law enforcement officers executed another search warrant at McMillian’s apartment (at a different address) on July 14, 2022. Officers found a Glock .380-caliber semi-automatic firearm on the bedroom floor, an Omni Hybrid American Tactical .223/multi-caliber pistol between the mattress and box springs of the bed, and marijuana in the closet and the dresser.

McMillian pleaded guilty on March 8, 2023, and awaits sentencing.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately three hours before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Tuesday, March 28.

Under federal statutes, Brown is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh A. Ragner and Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Updated April 4, 2023