Kansas City Man Found Guilty of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City, Mo., man was found guilty by a federal jury today for illegally possessing a firearm.

Kassim Aquil, 46, of Kansas City, Mo., was found guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm following a two-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays. Following the presentation of evidence, the jury deliberated for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes before returning a guilty verdict.

Evidence presented at trial showed that on July 20, 2023, members of the Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force, led by the United States Marshals Service, with support from Task Force Officers with the Kansas City Missouri, Police Department, executed an arrest warrant against Aquil in the 3300 block of Karnes Avenue in Kansas City. The arrest warrant was issued against Aquil for violations of the federal supervised release he was under from a prior conviction of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

When task force members approached, Aquil exited his car and ran eastbound through residential yards, eventually crossing six lanes of traffic on Southwest Trafficway before being detained in an adjacent field. Task force officers deployed tasers multiple times during the pursuit. While fleeing, Aquil removed a firearm from his waistband and threw it to the ground. Officers later recovered the firearm, a loaded Jimenez Arms 9mm pistol.

Aquil was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple prior felony convictions, including a federal conviction for being a felon in possession of ammunition and a federal conviction for assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

Aquil faces up to 15 years in federal prison without parole for the firearm offense and up to an additional two years' imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release. The statutory maximum 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 will be scheduled at a later date.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Kirkpatrick and David Barnes for the Western District of Missouri. The investigation was conducted by the United States Marshals Service, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City Missouri 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.