Department of Justice

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing the firearm he used in the armed robbery of a Pizza Hut.

 

Teandre L. Wilson, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of armed robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

By pleading guilty today, Wilson admitted he robbed the Pizza Hut at 9515 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. Wilson entered the Pizza Hut at about 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 12, 2018. He approached the register, made brief small talk with the cashier, then lifted the right side of his shirt to reveal a firearm tucked in his waistband. “Give me your money,” he told the cashier, “or I’ll pop ya.” The cashier emptied the register and handed the money to Wilson, who fled from the premises.

 

On Aug. 24, 2018, Kansas City police officers responded to a report of gunshots in the area of 6th Street and Benton Boulevard. The caller told officers he heard shots from his residence, then looked out his window and saw a man later identified as Wilson hiding behind a car. Wilson was found by officers in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven store. Wilson was arrested and officers seized a loaded Springfield Armory .45-caliber pistol from his right waistband.

 

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Wilson has three prior felony convictions for possessing a controlled substance, and prior felony convictions for robbery, leaving the scene of an accident and distributing marijuana.

 

Under federal statutes, Wilson is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

 

Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.