Local and federal agencies have closed an infamous period in Kansas City illegal drug history. KCUR's Dan Verbeck listened in at police headquarters.
It took six years, but a group of Kansas City police detectives, dedicated federal agents and determined prosecutors brought down one of the most notorious gangsters in recent memory, says crime analyst Karen Shaw who detailed how enforcers arrested and convicted Steve L. Wright Jr., who ran the 51st Street Crips with Power.
Sgt. Eric Greenwell heads the career criminal unit' and says, "We had over a hundred witnesses eventually and at one point we had nobody who would testify."
Convictions of murders and more. Life sentences. Police concede they couldn't have done it without federal help.