WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas online gamer whose dispute over a $1.50 bet sparked a hoax call that resulted in police shooting a man who lived at his old address has struck a deal with prosecutors that could allow the charges against him to be dropped.

U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren approved on Friday the joint motion for deferred prosecution that had been filed earlier in the day by prosecutors and the attorney for 20-year-old Shane Gaskill of Wichita.

Such agreements typically result in charges being dropped if a defendant fulfills all its conditions.

The judge deferred court proceedings and discovery during a period ending on Dec. 31, 2020 and ordered Gaskill to pay $1,000 in restitution, costs and penalties as required under the agreement.

The death of Andrew Finch, 28, in Wichita drew national attention to the practice of “swatting,” a form of retaliation in which someone reports a false emergency to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to descend on an address.

“I think the diversion agreement recognizes in part that Gaskill’s involvement in swatting was less than the others,” said Jim Cross, spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office.

Gaskill is charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, wire fraud, and making false statements.

The other online player, Casey Viner, 19, of North College Hill, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice under a deal in which both sides recommend two years of probation. He will be sentenced on June 26.

Authorities said Viner recruited Tyler R. Barriss to “swat” Gaskill in Wichita stemming from a dispute on the game Call of Duty: WWII. Barriss, a 26-year-old Los Angeles man with an online reputation for “swatting,” called police from Los Angeles on Dec. 28, 2017, to falsely report a shooting and kidnapping at that Wichita address. Finch, who was not involved in the video game or dispute, was shot by police when he opened the door.

Barriss was sentenced in April to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to 51 counts for making fake emergency calls and threats around the country, including the deadly hoax call in Kansas.

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The government has agreed to an alternative to prosecution of a Kansas online gamer whose dispute sparked a hoax call that resulted in police shooting a man who lived at his former Wichita home.

A joint motion filed Friday by federal prosecutors and the attorney for 20-year-old Shane Gaskill of Wichita asks the court to approve the agreement.

Gaskill is charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, wire fraud, and making false statement during an investigation.

Deferred prosecution agreements typically result in charges being dropped if a defendant fulfills all its conditions.

Under terms of Gaskill’s May 15 pretrial diversion agreement, the government agreed not to pursue prosecution for at least 18 months.

Gaskill agreed to waive any speedy trial defenses and pay $1,000 in restitution, costs and penalties.

By CORINNE BOYER

Passenger trains will keep rolling through rural communities in Kansas, for now. But Amtrak still hasn’t committed to operating the long-distance routes that connect small towns to larger cities long-term.

Earlier this year, Congress agreed to an additional $50 million to keep the Southwest Chief, which travels from Chicago to Los Angeles with stops in several small Kansas cities, running through September.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran and a handful of his senate colleagues then pressed Amtrak for answers about future plans for long-distance routes. The rail service responded with a letter this week.

CEO Richard Anderson wrote that Amtrak will not alter or truncate any long-distance routes before the end of the 2019 fiscal year. But he didn’t make any promises beyond that.

Instead, the head of the federally funded rail service pushed questions back at Congress about whether to maintain current routes or make changes.

“While we strongly believe that there is a permanent place for high-quality long-distance trains in our network,” Anderson wrote, “the time to closely examine the size and nature of that role is upon us for numerous reasons.”

Amtrak is slated to submit its proposal for reauthorization later this year.

In his letter, Anderson highlighted the increased demand for services in metropolitan areas, where the majority of its ridership occurs on short-distance routes such as the Northeast Corridor.

The long-distance routes, he wrote, ate up nearly $922 million in the 2018 fiscal year — nearly half the $1.94 billion in federal support for Amtrak’s network, while accommodating a relatively small share of passenger trips, 4.5 million rides annually.

While ridership numbers have fluctuated from year to year, Anderson noted the number of long-distance passengers fell 4 % between fiscal years 2017 and 2018.

The rail service is eyeing the development of new routes to meet demand for shorter trips in areas of the country where the population is growing.

Anderson wrote that routes connecting cities and towns within 400 miles or less are the “sweet spot” for passenger rail. He identified a number of new potential corridors, including a route between Fort Worth, Texas — now a stop along the Heartland Flyer — and Newton, Kansas, which is currently a stop along the Southwest Chief.

Moran said he expects Congress to agree to continued funding for Amtrak to support current long distances routes, but that it would be a “battle.”

“I need to make sure that Amtrak, its board of directors, its management has a commitment to long-term passenger services in places in the country in which it’s not probably ever going to be profitable,” Moran said in an interview.

The senator got some of the assurances for the continued operation of the Southwest Chief he wanted from a meeting with Anderson Wednesday.

But Moran said through a spokesperson later that while the meeting was a, “step in the right direction,” it prompted further questions. The senator is keeping holds on nominees to Amtrak’s Board of Directors while he awaits more answers.

Corinne Boyer is a reporter for the Kansas News Service.  Follow her @Corinne_Boyer or email [email protected]

CLOUD COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an arrest.

Just after 8:30a.m. Thursday, a Cloud County Sheriff’s Deputy located a vehicle where an individual appeared to be slumped over in the driver seat in the 300 block of West 6th  Street in Concordia, according to a Sheriff Brian Marks.

While doing a public safety check, deputies arrested 40-year-old Mark Kearn of Concordia on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Kearn has previous convictions for aggravated endangerment of a child, battery and intro contraband; non firearm, ammo, explosive, controlled substance by non employee, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

He remains  jailed in  Cloud County Law Enforcement Center. 

HAMILTON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Friday in Hamilton County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Chevy Silverado driven by Garland Gould Smith, 57, Syracuse, was southbound on County Road Y three miles south of Kendall. The pickup crossed the center line and collided with a northbound 2012 Chevy Silverado driven by Payton Cole Chambless, 40, Kendall.

Smith was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Don Fellers Funeral Home.

Eagle Med transported Chad Ryan Vanatta, 47, Lakin, from the 2019 Silverado to a hospital.

Chambless, one passenger in the 2012 Silverado Huston Hays, 15, and a passenger in the 2019 Silverado Michael C. William, 48, Kendall, were transported to the Hamilton County Hospital.

A third passenger in the 2012 vehicle Chance Weston Hobrok, 29, St. Francis, was transported to the hospital in Garden City.

None of the occupants in the collision were wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

HASTINGS, Neb — Crews have contained a large fire at a Hastings, Nebraska fertilizer plant and are investigating the cause.

Just after 11:45 p.m. on Thursday, fire crews responded to a reported structure fire at CPI Elevator in the area of Showboat and 6 Hwy near Hastings, according to media release from police.

Crews arrived in less than five minutes to find the facility was fully engulfed in fire.

The blaze forced authorities to close U.S. Highway 6, but the road was reopened early Friday.

Due to building collapse and other structural hazards, the fire has not been able to be fully extinguished. This will cause smoke in the area possibly through the weekend.

Authorities urged residents to keep their windows closed and turn off air conditioners if they have health conditions that could be exasperated by smoke.

The smoke should be considered no more hazardous than smoke from an outside burn, however residents should be prepared to take certain precautions should wind cause smoke in your neighborhood.

Precautions would include washing any exposed surfaces with soap and water, and keeping doors and windows shut until the smoke subsides. Individuals with a predisposition to respiratory and breathing problems may find the smoke to be irritating, and should be prepared to wear a dust mask or relocate until the smoke subsides. If you think you are experiencing a medical emergency, do not hesitate to call 911 for assistance.

No injuries were reported and the extent of damages to the plant weren’t clear. Hastings is located approximately 150 miles north of Salina.