KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo. man who called 911 emergency assistance for his mother pleaded guilty today in federal court after police officers who attended his home found illegal drugs, six weapons firearms he possessed illegally and large amounts of cash.
Michael Thomas Cummings II, also known as “Blue”, 40, pleaded guilty before US District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of being a felony in possession of firearms.
Kansas City Police officers arrived at the Cummings residence just before midnight on June 7, 2021, after he called 911 for his mother who was unresponsive. Emergency medical personnel were attempting life-saving measures when police officers arrived, but she was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at around 12:04am on June 8, 2021. Cummings, who lived with her mother, told officers that she suffered from cognitive decline. Officers noted that she appeared to be emaciated.
The officers saw a loaded Heckler & Koch .40 semi-automatic pistol sitting next to $438 in cash on a table. They also saw a 7.62 x 54mm SKS-style assault rifle with a magazine leaning against the wall of a rear stairwell leading to the basement. Cummings, a felon, was arrested for illegal possession of firearms.
The officers executed a search warrant at the Cummings residence later the same day. They found a total of 351.37 grams of meth in Cummings’ bedroom and a Pioneer Arms 7.62 x 39mm AKM-47 style pistol in the bedroom closet. On a desk in the bedroom, officers also found one bag containing approximately 0.24 grams of fentanyl/heroin and two bags containing approximately 28.1 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a bag of marijuana in a drawer of the desk. Officers also found $3,512 in cash in the bedroom.
22 Ruger pistol in another bedroom that had been converted into a weight room.
In a third bedroom, officers found a Smith and Wesson AR-15-style assault rifle in the closet and a safe that contained $175,100 in cash and a Ruger revolver that had been reported stolen.
Officers also found $180 under the sofa cushion and sodium sulfate, which is often used by drug dealers as a cutting agent to dilute drugs, on a side table.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone convicted of a felony to possess firearms or ammunition. Cummings has a prior criminal conviction for possession of a controlled substance.
Under federal statutes, Cummings is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a life sentence without parole. The maximum legal penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on advisory sentencing guidelines and other legal factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled following the completion of an investigation into the submission by the US Probation Office.
This case is being pursued by Assistant US Attorney Trey Alford. He is being investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the FBI.
Safe Neighborhoods Project
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and serving communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for all. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy by strengthening the NSP based on these core principles: Promote trust and legitimacy in our communities, Support community-based organizations that help prevent violence in the first place place, establish targeted and strategic objectives implementation priorities and measurement of results.
