Press Release

Convicted sex offender sentenced for distributing child pornography

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man previously convicted of sexual exploitation of a child was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for charges related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, David Mark Jones, 35, of Shawnee pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. 

In February 2023, Jones was convicted in Johnson County District Court of sexual exploitation of a child. His sentence included lifetime post release supervision and lifetime registration as a sex offender. 

Between February and March 2024, Jones distributed CSAM including images involving a prepubescent minors under 12 years old.

“This case is an example of why the sex offender registry is so needed” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Because there are people monitoring sex offenders and checking to see that they are compliant with the rules once they are released, Mr. Jones’ crimes were detected, and now Mr. Jones is going back to prison.” 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Kansas Highway Patrol investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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 Press Release

Missouri woman pleads guilty to cyberstalking with threats of murder

Thursday, August 6, 2026

WICHITA, KAN. – A Missouri woman pleaded guilty to using the internet to stalk and terrorize a victim in Kansas with threats of rape and murder.

According to court documents, Julianne Grace Willis, 26, of Independence, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking.

In October 2022, a victim in Ulysses, Kansas, noticed a minor relative had received instant messages on a Roblox account from someone purporting to be a 24-year-old man named Chris. The messages were demeaning, and the victim blocked the account. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would later trace the phone number and IP address to Julianne Grace Willis. 

After the victim blocked the Roblox account, Willis began harassing the victim through telephone calls, text messages, and social media messages with threats to rape and kill the victim and to murder the victim’s family. 

Willis created a fake dating profile which caused men to show up at the victim’s home expecting romantic encounters. The victim changed jobs because of Willis calling the victim’s employment making derogatory statements. Willis also sent communications to the victim’s relatives with accusations of infidelity. 

“The victim in this case endured a sustained and deliberate campaign of harassment by the defendant, whose repeated actions caused significant disruption to the victim’s daily life and well-being of their family.  This conduct had a profound and lasting impact on the victim’s sense of security and quality of life.  The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting victims, aggressively investigating those who engage in criminal harassment, and holding offenders accountable under the law,” said Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.

Willis is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.

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Press Release

Kansas man pleads guilty to distributing AI-generated child pornography

Thursday, August 6, 2026

TOPEKA, KAN – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to distributing obscene AI-generated images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

According to court documents, Michael Steven Podrybau, 43, of Alton pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of obscene visual representation of the sexual abuse of children.

Between March 2023 and April 2023, Podrybau used the online communication platform Wickr Pro to distribute computer-generated images that were obscene and depicted minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Walton is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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 Press Release

Former Escrow Officer Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud

Thursday, August 13, 2026

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Cameron, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court for bank fraud in relation to an embezzlement scheme committed between December 2018 and February 2024.

Tracy L. Kellerstrass, 52, former escrow officer for Cameron Title Company, was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison without parole. Following her release from prison, Kellerstrass will serve a three-year term of supervised release. She will also be required to pay restitution for her theft of $460,415.84. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.  Kellerstrass previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud on March 24, 2026, and admitted to forging another employee’s signature on numerous company checks and presenting them for deposit into her personal bank account.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Brown It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

National Fraud Enforcement Division

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

ICE Arrests Illegal Alien Drug Trafficker With 126 Kilograms of Methamphetamine

 News Release:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of Public Affairs

ICE Arrests Illegal Alien Drug Trafficker With 126 Kilograms of Methamphetamine This criminal illegal alien had previously been deported from the United States TWICE WASHINGTON – The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested a criminal illegal alien and convicted drug trafficker with 126 kilograms of methamphetamine. On August 13, HSI Atlanta carried out a controlled delivery to a residence where Pedro Guadarrama-Loza, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, was observed retrieving the packages. When HSI Atlanta arrested Guadarrama-Loza, they also seized 126 kilograms of methamphetamine. Pedro Guadarrama-Loza Guadarrama-Loza’s criminal history includes a prior conviction for felony drug trafficking and a prior arrest for driving without a valid driver’s license in Georgia. “This criminal illegal alien from Mexico was arrested with 126 kilograms of methamphetamine, has prior convictions for drug trafficking, and has already been deported from our country TWICE,” said a DHS Spokesperson. “Thanks to the hard work of the brave men and women of HSI, this drug trafficker is off our streets and will soon be removed from our country. He will no longer be able to peddle his poison on American streets and endanger American lives.” Guadarrama-Loza claims to have illegally entered the United States through Texas, near Austin, in 2004. A Department of Justice (DOJ) Immigration Judge issued Guadarrama-Loza a final order of removal on May 8, 2008, and he was deported on May 15, 2008. He then claimed to have illegally re-entered the United States – a felony – at an unknown date through Texas, near Eagle Pass. He was deported for a second time by the Trump Administration on June 22, 2017. He then illegally entered the United States for a THIRD time at an unknown date and location.

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