Kansas City man racks up two unrelated federal indictments in one week

Two federal indictments handed down in Kansas City this week were unrelated except for the alleged criminal activity of one man.

Tyler Sutton, 53, was named as a defendant in both cases announced Wednesday by federal prosecutors in Kansas City.

One involved allegations that Sutton helped launder money for other defendants accused of burning down a Kansas City house to collect insurance.

The other case stemmed from an identity theft conspiracy in which Sutton allegedly paid drug addicts for stolen documents and identities that were then used to create counterfeit checks.

Sutton also was at the center of a pending criminal case filed last year by Jackson County prosecutors charging him with drug-related offenses.

Those state charges came after residents of a historic neighborhood in Kansas City’s Northeast area reported numerous instances of suspected criminal activity in and around Sutton’s house in the 400 block of Gladstone Boulevard.

That same residence was used as a “flophouse” for drug addicts whom he paid in cash or drugs to bring him documents to use in the identity theft conspiracy, according to one of the federal indictments.

Besides Sutton, other defendants charged in that case are Gary K. Keesler, 35, and Chad M. Mills, 26, both of Kansas City, and Christopher Hite, 32, of Windsor, Mo.

Prosecutors said the stolen identities were used to create and cash more than $70,000 in counterfeit checks.

In the arson case, the grand jury indicted 34-year-old Tina L. Shonk in connection with the April 2014 fire at a house in the 3500 block of Garfield Avenue.

According to the indictment, Shonk took out renters insurance in an amount higher than the value of her property. She and other conspirators moved out all of her possessions of value and replaced them with broken or damaged appliances and electronic equipment.

They then started the fire by igniting a blanket they had placed on top of a space heater, according to the allegations.

Shonk received more than $57,000 in insurance money and deposited it in a bank account controlled by Sutton, according to the indictment.

Roy Thieman, 30, and Joseph Levi Little, 40, both of Kansas City, are accused of helping Shonk in the scheme.

This story was originally published April 29, 2015 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Kansas City man racks up two unrelated federal indictments in one week."