Kansas City Woman Receives 24 Months Over Destructive Devices Linked to Planned ICE Warehouse Fire

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for possessing two unregistered destructive devices.

Dara S. O'Connor, 30, was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 24 months imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release. The Court further ordered O'Connor to pay $43,612 for damages incurred by a victim as a result of O'Connor utilizing the destructive devices to set fire to a warehouse.

On May 7, 2026, O'Connor pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly possessing two destructive devices that were not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

On Feb. 12, 2026, O'Connor attempted to destroy by fire a warehouse located on Botts Road in Kansas City. Prior media reporting had indicated the federal government attempted to purchase the warehouse. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") wanted to utilize the real estate to house illegal aliens during the adjudication of their removal proceedings. That real estate transaction, however, did not occur.

News agencies were at the scene of the warehouse reporting that the real estate transaction did not go through, when they observed and recorded O'Connor approaching the building. O'Connor threw two incendiary devices, colloquially known as Molotov cocktails, at the building. The incendiary devices had cloth wicks that were not lit when O'Connor threw the incendiary devices. After multiple attempts at throwing the incendiary devices at the building, both bottles shattered, and the flammable liquid contained in the devices spread over the surface of the building. O'Connor then used fire to ignite the flammable liquid that was on the building, which started a fire. O'Connor then attempted to spread the fire by squeezing a bottle that contained an accelerant which caused the accelerant to spray out of the bottle and spread the fire.

After initiating the fire, O'Connor then sat on a nearby curb and was observed using her cellular phone for a few minutes. The fire started by O'Connor went out after a few minutes. O'Connor then left the area in her vehicle.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, O'Connor paid full restitution in the amount of $43,612 to the victim of her crime.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and David Wagner and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Chlarson. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.

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.