Department of Justice

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., area man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.

 

Seneca Harrison, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to seven years and eight months in federal prison without parole.

 

On Dec. 10, 2018, Harrison was found guilty at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Harrison was in possession of a loaded Maverick by Mossberg 12-gauge pump action pistol grip shotgun with an obliterated serial number.

 

A Blue Springs, Mo., police officer conducted a traffic stop of Harrison’s vehicle on April 9, 2018. Harrison was driving a silver GMC Yukon eastbound on 40 Highway. When Harrison stopped his vehicle, he got out of the vehicle and began to walk away. The officer told Harrison to return to his vehicle, but Harrison continued walking away. When the officer attempted to detain Harrison, he resisted by pulling away and pushing the officer. During this interaction, the officer observed the strong odor of alcohol coming from Harrison’s breath. According to court documents, it was later determined that his blood alcohol content was nearly double the legal limit several hours after he was driving his vehicle.

 

Another officer arrived on the scene and saw the shotgun in the driver’s seat of Harrison’s vehicle. Harrison was arrested. Harrison kicked the rear door of the patrol vehicle while he was being transported to the Blue Springs jail, yelled profanities and threatened to assault the officers. Upon arrival at the jail, Harrison continued to be combative as he threatened and cursed at the officers.

 

When placed in a holding cell, according to court documents, Harrison removed a small plastic baggie from his sock that contained a white powdery substance and flushed it down the toilet. It was never determined what the baggie contained, but an empty prescription pill bottle that contained residue that field tested positive for methamphetamine was located in Harrison’s cell. Harrison said, “Oh yeah that’s mine. It’s got my name on it.” Harrison continued to be combative and refused to provide a breath test. He was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital for a blood draw. While at the hospital, Harrison said, “I’m kinda glad you guys got me. You knew I was going to kill someone tomorrow. I was about to go away for a long time.” Harrison uttered this multiple times in various ways.

 

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Harrison has two prior felony convictions for burglary and prior felony convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm, stealing, unlawful use of a weapon, and possession of marijuana. He was on parole for illegally possessing a firearm at the time of this offense.

 

According to court documents, Harrison used a firearm to break into an occupied residence in April 2008; he then pointed the firearm at victims in the residence, and stole property. While still on parole for the April 2008 incident, in March 2016 he threatened an estranged girlfriend, broke into her residence, and fired a firearm into the residence. Harrison has displayed belligerent and threatening behavior in other incidents, according to court documents, including against law enforcement in Clinton County, Mo., related to a drunk driving arrest, against a Wal-Mart employee and a security officer when a money transfer could not be completed, and when he inflicted bodily injury on an estranged girlfriend.

 

Harrison has also been charged in Jackson County Circuit Court with a felony offense of driving while intoxicated and with several misdemeanor offenses related to the incident that resulted in this federal prosecution.

 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Moeder and Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department.

 

 

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.