PRESS RELEASE

KC Man Indicted After Officers Found 29 Firearms, Fentanyl and Meth

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today after law enforcement officers found 29 firearms in his residence, along with significant amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Charles J. Dunne, 60, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Dunne on Sept. 20, 2023. Dunne remains in federal custody without bond.

Today’s indictment charges Dunne with one count of possessing fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Dunne has multiple felony convictions including a prior federal felony conviction for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Dunne’s residence on Sept. 19, 2023. Officers found a black backpack in Dunne’s bedroom that contained 415.6 grams of powder fentanyl and 1.5782 kilograms of methamphetamine. Under the backpack, says the affidavit, officers found two handguns. Officers also found several other firearms in the bedroom, including a shotgun, an AR-15 rifle, and a sawed-off short-barreled shotgun.

In a second bedroom, according to the affidavit, officers found another large supply of firearms, including additional AR-15-style rifles, shotguns, hunting rifles and handguns. Officers found several more handguns in a third bedroom. Officers also found an additional 774.9 grams of a substance believed to be fentanyl. In total, officers found 29 firearms and approximately $16,000 in cash.

During the search, the affidavit says, Dunne began to experience a medical emergency consistent with a fentanyl overdose. EMS responded and a total of 12 doses of naloxone were administered at the scene and during transport of Dunne to the hospital.

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.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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 October 18, 2023