KC Reporter

A Kansas City, Kansas man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession.

Damian Mays, 35, faces charges for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. He is also charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes and being a felon in possession of firearms. The indictment replaces a previous federal criminal complaint filed on September 4, 2025.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, on September 2, 2025, officers from the Kansas City Missouri Police Department attempted to stop a Lexus sedan driven by Mays. Instead of stopping, Mays fled at high speed and then ran from officers on foot. Law enforcement apprehended him and recovered a backpack he had thrown away that contained distribution amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. Officers found one firearm on the driver’s seat and another on the floorboard of the Lexus. While handcuffed and awaiting transport to jail, Mays escaped again—first fleeing on foot before getting into a waiting Buick SUV—which led to a crash on Interstate 70 before he was recaptured.

Authorities emphasized that “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.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Siegele is prosecuting the case. The investigation involved the Kansas City Missouri Police Department with help from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

This case falls under Operation Take Back America—a national effort coordinated by the Department of Justice that targets illegal immigration as well as cartels and transnational criminal organizations through combined resources from programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).