Four gang members sentenced to prison after “Operation Sob Story” investigates an illegal drugs/firearms network

TOPEKA, KAN. - A partnership of federal and local law enforcement taking part in "Operation Sob Story", an investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force, resulted in prison sentences for four Topeka area gang members for offenses such as drug trafficking and illegal firearms trafficking.

According to court documents, in 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) launched a joint investigation into several known members of the Crips.

The individuals include:

• Marcos Esteban Arredondo, 25,
• Pedro Galicia-Hernandez Jr, 35,
• Daequan Rayton, 28, and
• Elijah Eugene Wilson, 23.

Marcos Arredondo pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Arredondo sold cocaine, fentanyl, and a firearm to a confidential source acting on behalf of law enforcement. He was sentenced to 123 months in prison.

Pedro Galicia-Hernandez Jr. pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced to 151 months in prison. A confidential source made multiple controlled buys of fentanyl from Galicia-Hernandez in amounts of between 500 and 1,500 pills. Law enforcement received a tip that Galicia-Hernandez was returning to Kansas after a trip out of state and informed the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP). During a traffic stop, a state trooper found a bag in the vehicle Galicia-Hernadez was in with what was later determined be 16,246 fentanyl pills.

Daequan Rayton pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of a machine gun and two counts of illegal possession and transfer of machineguns. He was sentenced to 60 months in prison.

Elijah Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession and transfer of machine guns, two counts of failure to register as a dealer and manufacturer of machine guns, and one count of unlawful trafficking in firearms. He was sentenced to 45 months in prison.

A confidential informant bought machine guns from Rayton on two occasions. Subsequent evidence collected by investigators showed a connection between Rayton and Wilson. While executing a search warrant on Wilson's home, agents found a 3D printer capable of producing firearms and silencers, machine conversion devices, hand tools for making firearms and silencers, a machine gun, and a silencer.

In February 2024, the SCSO responded to a call involving "shots fired" at a park in Topeka. Witness information led authorities to Rayton. In his vehicle, law enforcement found a privately manufactured pistol that had an extended magazine loaded with "full metal jacket" rounds. The firearm had no serial number, and deputies took Rayton into custody.

Forensic lab tests later showed Wilson's DNA inside the weapons Rayton sold to the confidential informant and analysis showed the weapon in Rayton's possession when he was arrested was made using Wilson's equipment.

"During my tenure as U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas, I have been focused on enhancing state and federal collaboration." Said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. "This operation serves as an example of the great achievements that are possible with seamless law enforcement collaboration through the Homeland Security Task Force. We will continue to work tirelessly to dismantle criminal networks to make our communities safer."

"The sentences send a clear message that those who traffic drugs and machine guns will face serious federal consequences," said ATF Special Agent in Charge, Bernard "Butch" Hansen, of the Kansas City Field Division. "This HSTF-led, multi-agency effort reflects the strength of intelligence-driven coordination between ATF, our law enforcement partners, and the United States Attorney's Office. I commend the outstanding work of our agents and task force officers whose efforts helped dismantle a dangerous criminal operation and deliver a strong deterrent to others."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security investigations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas leading the prosecution.
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