Kansas City Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearm Possession

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City, Ks., man was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.

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

On Sept. 2, 2025, Kansas City Missouri Police Department officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Lexus sedan Mays was driving. Instead of stopping, he fled at high speeds in the Lexus and then ran from officers on foot. Law enforcement apprehended Mays and recovered a backpack he had thrown, which contained distribution amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. In the Lexus, officers found a firearm on the driver's seat and a second firearm on the driver's floorboard. While handcuffed and waiting to be transported to jail, Mays escaped and again fled from law enforcement, first on foot and then in a waiting Buick SUV, causing a crash on Interstate 70 before being taken back into custody.

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 Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the Kansas City Missouri Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).