KC man charged for meth, illegal firearms in fourth known Operation LeGend arrest
A fourth person was charged in federal court as part of Operation LeGend, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Missouri announced Friday.
Steven L. Younce, 38, was charged with possessing methamphetamine to distribute, possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of firearms.
Deputies with the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Younce at his home Thursday. He had outstanding municipal warrants, according to the attorney’s office.
On Thursday, the detectives from the Independence and Kansas City police departments, as well as U.S. Marshals deputies, executed a search warrant. In Younce’s bedroom, according to the attorney’s office, detectives found 696 grams of methamphetamine on top of the bed and another 39 grams in a dresser drawer. They also found a Bushmaster .223/5.56-caliber rifle and a Glock 9mm handgun, both loaded.
Detectives found more ammunition, glass smoking pipes and drug paraphernalia in the home.
Officers also seized two stolen motorcycles: a 2019 Harley-Davidson and a Suzuki.
Younce was previously convicted of federal charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing methamphetamine to distribute. Other previous state convictions include forgery, tampering with a motor vehicle, possessing a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon, according to the attorney’s office.
The Drug Enforcement Administration was also involved in the investigation.
Earlier on Friday, the attorney’s office announced the third known arrest in Operation LeGend: 40-year-old Leamandreal Dorsey, who was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
More than 200 federal officers were sent to Kansas City this month as part of Operation LeGend, an effort to curb violent crime.
So far this year, Kansas City has recorded 112 homicides, according to data tracked by The Star. At the same time last year, 80 homicides were reported.
The operation has also been denounced by local groups and, last weekend, protesters called for an end to it.
