Press Release

Man Found Guilty of Carjacking and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Kan. man was found guilty by a federal judge of carjacking and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence on Sep. 14, 2026.

According to court records, Van Calvin Callahan, Jr., 46, assaulted an individual at a bus stop near East 3rd Street and Grand Boulevard in Kansas City, Mo. During the assault, Callahan stole a firearm from the victim. As an off-duty police officer from the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department drove by, he observed the assault and attempted to intervene. Callahan then pointed the stolen firearm at the off-duty officer and moved towards the officer and his vehicle. The off-duty officer ran to safety as Callahan stole the vehicle.

Using a tracking device, the stolen vehicle was located in Kansas City, Kan., shortly after it was taken. When officers with the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department attempted to stop the vehicle, Callahan fled. Ultimately, the stolen vehicle wrecked into a house, and Callahan was taken into custody after a foot chase.

Callahan was later charged in a five-count indictment. On Sept. 1, 2026, he pleaded guilty to stealing a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle. Callahan proceeded to a bench trial on the two remaining counts, carjacking and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was found guilty of those offenses at the conclusion of the trial.

Callahan faces a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison for stealing a firearm and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle and a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison for carjacking and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Callahan also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum possible sentence of life in federal prison for brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The sentence for that crime must also run consecutive to any other sentence Callahan receives. These statutory penalties are provided for informational purposes only. The court will determine the final sentence based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 25, 2027.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragner and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alec Guy for the Western District of Missouri. The investigation was conducted by the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Kansas City, Kansas, 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.