WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has easily passed the farm bill, a massive legislative package that reauthorizes agriculture programs and food aid.

The legislation has already passed the Senate and is now headed to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it.

The measure is the result of months of negotiations by lawmakers. It does not make any significant changes to the food stamp program that serves nearly 40 million low-income Americans. Trump and conservatives had pushed to create new work requirements for food stamps, but the Senate rejected the idea.

The bill reauthorizes agriculture and conservation programs, funds trade programs, expands support for struggling dairy farmers and legalizes the cultivation of industrial hemp. The House vote was 369-47.

NEWARK, N.J. – A former Bergen County, New Jersey, man was arrested today in Park City, Kansas, on charges that he defrauded at least 20 people by soliciting investments in what he claimed were highly successful financial instruments, but which was actually a Ponzi scheme, according to U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.

Thomas Lanzana, 51, formerly of Midland Park, New Jersey, and now residing in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, was charged by complaint with one count each of wire fraud and commodities fraud. He is scheduled to have his initial court appearance today in Wichita federal court.

According to the criminal complaint:

As early as 2013, Lanzana fraudulently solicited approximately $900,000 from at least 20 customers to invest in algorithm-based trading pools in foreign currency derivatives (forex) and other financial instruments. He falsely claimed to prospective customers that he was a successful forex trader. Lanzana allegedly took several steps to keep his customers’ trust: he sent them false account statements; he posted false monthly account statements to his companies’ websites showing balances, some in excess of $800,000, for forex trading accounts that did not exist; and he sent false tax documents to customers reporting earnings that did not exist.

Lanzana misappropriated at least $350,000 in customer funds, using some to repay earlier investors in the manner of a Ponzi scheme and to pay for his personal expenses, including purchases on Amazon, payments to a luxury car dealer and a jewelry retailer, and golf expenses.

The count of mail fraud with which Lanzana is charged carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the scheme. The count of commodities fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $1 million, or twice the gross gain or loss.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of John R. Tafur, with the investigation leading to the arrest. He also thanked the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Enforcement for its role in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Feder of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Cyber Crime Unit.

The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A 29-year-old Kansas man is charged with posting a nude photograph of a former intimate partner online just months after pleading guilty in a similar crime.

Matthew David Delair, of Overland Park, was free on bond and scheduled to be sentenced next month after he pleaded guilty in August to three counts of breach of privacy for posting nude pictures of a woman online.

Delair was arrested Tuesday and on Wednesday was charged with a new count of breach of privacy. Court records indicate the charge involves the same woman from the previous case.

Delair’s bond in the new case is $50,000.

Johnson County records show Delair also is on probation in two indecent exposure cases involving four different victims in Olathe in 2017.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov.-elect Laura Kelly’s inaugural committee on Wednesday slashed the prices of premium seating for her inaugural ball after facing questions about 10-person packages it was offering for $10,000, which is five times the legal limit for contributions.

The Associated Press obtained an email in which the committee’s chairwoman said the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission had “reversed” its approval of the committee’s earlier plans. The commission’s executive director cited “confusion” about a long-standing rule on how the limits on contributions to inaugural festivities applied to tickets for the traditional ball and dinner.

The inaugural committee is now offering its “gold” package for $3,000, which gives the buyer a premium table with 10 seats and six tickets to a VIP reception with the new Democratic governor and Lt. Gov.-elect Lynn Rogers.

Kansas governors rely on private funding to pay for such festivities and a 1994 law limits contributions by a single individual, business or group to $2,000. The ethics commission said in a 1994 legal opinion that when tickets are sold, the value of food, entertainment and other services are subtracted from the ticket price to determine the size of the contribution.

Had the inaugural committee wanted to keep its $10,000 price, it would have had to value its food, entertainment, administrative costs and other services, such as security, at $800 per person.

“They’ve been reaching out very actively throughout the process and have worked with us pretty closely,” said Mark Skoglund, the ethics commission’s executive director. “I’m confident this is a good solution.”

Kelly is due to be sworn in Jan. 14 at a Statehouse ceremony and the ball will be held that evening, with a single ticket costing $100. The inaugural committee has said it is planning a VIP reception for the day before and a series of free community events and a day of service on Jan. 12.

The inaugural committee announced its change in ticket-package-prices the day after the AP reported on its plan to offer a $10,000 package.

Kelly’s staff on Tuesday provided to the AP a copy of a Dec. 7 email in which Skoglund said the text of a committee email to prospective donors outlining ticket packages “looks fine,” while including a link to a copy of the 1994 legal opinion online.

“We worked closely with their staff — including getting their written approval of our prices — to ensure it followed the law,” Kelly spokeswoman Ashley All said Wednesday. “Unfortunately, yesterday they reversed this approval causing us to revise the packages and ticket prices.”

Skoglund said the commission told the inaugural committee that any pricing plan was fine, so long as it was in line with the commission’s legal opinion.

“There was just some confusion about the application of that decision, which we helped them through, subsequently,” he said. “Everyone was aware of the rules. It was just a matter of making sure everyone was on the same page.”

The new pricing plan treats the first $2,000 of the $3,000 gold package’s cost as a contribution to the committee and the remaining $1,000 as covering the cost of 10 tickets. The committee’s email to donors notes that with a married couple, it still would be legal for the spouse of a person buying the package to contribute another $2,000 separately.

There are also “silver” and “bronze” packages worth $2,000 and $1,500, respectively, also for a 10-person table.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A woman who embezzled a combined $1.5 million from Black & Veatch and Garmin International has lost her appeal of an eight-year prison sentence.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal filed by Patricia Webb. The 46-year-old claimed the sentence handed down in U.S. District Court in Kansas City was unreasonable. It was a departure from federal sentencing guidelines, which called for a maximum sentence of six years and nine months.

Webb was convicted of stealing more than $1.2 million from Garmin International while working in the Olathe-based company’s payroll department. After leaving Garmin, she was hired to a similar payroll position with Overland Park-based Black & Veatch, where she embezzled more than $300,000 from the company.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas lawmaker who was stripped of a committee leadership post after endorsing Democratic Gov.-elect Laura Kelly’s campaign has switched to the Democratic Party.

State Sen. Barbara Bollier of Mission Hills said Wednesday that the Republican Party no longer represents her values. Bollier said she had been a registered Republican for nearly 43 years.

Her move makes the Senate’s partisan split 29-10, with one independent.

In July, Senate President Susan Wagle removed Bollier as vice chairwoman of the Senate health committee after Bollier endorsed Kelly and a Democratic congressional candidate.

But Bollier said a key moment for her came in June when the Kansas GOP adopted a platform with what she sees as an anti-transgender provision. It declares, “We believe God created two genders, male and female.”

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a jail inmate on new charges after an assault on a corrections officer.

Early Monday, Curtis Lee Harris 40, of Chanute, Kansas assaulted a Corrections Officers in an attempt to escape the Montgomery County Department of Corrections, according to a media release from the Montgomery County Sheriff.

Inmate Harris used force to gain control of a Taser from a Corrections Officer. The Corrections Officer acted quickly deploying pepper spray and radioing for backup. When the first backup Corrections Officer arrived to assist Harris deployed the Taser striking the second Corrections Officer. Moments later a third Corrections Officer arrived and deployed his Taser striking Harris causing Harris to fall to the floor.

TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt Tuesday announced that he is part of a bipartisan group of 40 state attorneys general working to stop or reduce annoying and harmful robocalls.

This coalition is reviewing the technology major telecom companies are pursuing to combat illegal robocalls.

“Any meaningful solution to the explosion in unwanted robocalls to homes and businesses must be based on technology, not merely law enforcement,” Schmidt said. “With an estimated 30 billion robocalls made to Americans last year, and more than one-third of those being scams, it is clear that after-the-fact enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. Technology has enabled this harassment, and we need technology to help stop it.”

Since it was formed earlier this year, the multistate group has had in-depth meetings with several major telecom companies. These productive meetings have led to greater information sharing about the technological capabilities currently in existence or in development to fight these unwanted calls.

In October, the attorneys general filed formal comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging several regulatory changes that would enable telecom companies to develop and deploy better robocall-prevention technologies. One type of new technology that they recommended, known by the acronym SHAKEN/STIR, is expected to be deployed next year and is designed to authenticate the incoming phone numbers presented on caller IDs to counter “spoofing” and make call-blocking more effective.

Schmidt and his colleagues are working to:

·         Develop a detailed understanding of what is technologically feasible to minimize unwanted robocalls and illegal telemarking,
·         Engage the major telecom companies to encourage them to expedite the best possible solutions for consumers, and
·         Determine whether states should make further recommendations to the FCC.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged attempted murder.

Just after 9 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting at Hydraulic and Interstate 135, according to office Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, Officers contacted a 36-year-old male victim who had sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The man was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries and is now in stable condition.

The investigation revealed the victim and a 25-year-old woman were staying in the wooded area southeast of Hydraulic and Interstate 135. They were approached by 59-year-old Richard Fagan who was armed with a shotgun. Fagan had also been staying in the wooded area. A verbal disturbance ensued between the three individuals and Fagan fired one shot, striking the victim.

The man and woman ran toward Hydraulic and Fagan retreated into the wooded area.

Police officers responded with the assistance of the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office. A search of the wooded area was done, and Fagan was located and taken into custody without incident.

He has been booked on charges of attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and an outstanding warrant.  He has two previous convictions for aggravated sexual battery and convictions for robbery, burglary and DUI, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

KANSAS CITY (AP) – A Kansas City man who told officers he was planning to kill someone and was “kinda glad you guys got me” because “I was about to go away for a long time” has been convicted of a federal firearm crime.

36-year-old Seneca Harrison was found guilty Monday. Blue Springs police stopped him in April for traffic violations and suspicion of driving under the influence.

Police found a shotgun in the vehicle, and because of Harrison’s prior criminal record, he was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Court documents say Harrison told officers that he “was going to kill someone tomorrow” and expressed gratitude that he was stopped.

He faces up to 10 years in prison. His sentencing hasn’t been scheduled.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday for a sweeping agriculture bill that will fund key farm safety net programs for the next five years without making significant changes to the food stamp program.

The vote was 87-13. The House is expected to pass the measure soon and send it to President Donald Trump for his signature.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brought the bill up for a quick vote Tuesday, less than one day after the House and Senate reached an agreement on the final text.

The measure is the result of months of negotiations, and does not make any significant changes — despite pressure from President Donald Trump — to the food stamp program that serves nearly 40 million low-income Americans.

“This is what happens when the Congress works in a bipartisan, bicameral fashion,” said Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., ahead of the vote. “It’s a good bill that accomplishes what we set out to do: provide certainty and predictability for farmers and families in rural communities.”

The legislation sets federal agricultural and food policy for five years and provides more than $400 billion in farm subsidies, conservation programs and food aid for the poor. It reauthorizes crop insurance and conservation programs and funds trade programs, bioenergy production and organic farming research. It also reduces the cost for struggling dairy producers to sign up for support programs and legalizes the cultivation of industrial hemp, an initiative championed by McConnell.

One thing the bill doesn’t have: tighter work requirements for food stamp recipients, a provision of the House bill that became a major sticking point during negotiations.

“We maintain a strong safety net for farmers and importantly, we maintain a strong safety net for our families,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., the most senior Democrat on the agriculture committee. “We said no to harmful changes that would take food away from families, and instead increased program integrity and job training to be able to make sure things should be working as they should and every dollar is used as it should be.”

The House bill would have raised the age of recipients subject to work requirements from 49 to 59 and required parents with children older than 6 years to work or participate in job training. The House measure also sought to limit circumstances under which families who qualify for other poverty programs can automatically be eligible for SNAP, and earmarked $1 billion to expand work-training programs.

By contrast, the bipartisan Senate bill, which passed 86-11, offered modest adjustments to existing farm programs and made no changes to SNAP.

Throughout the negotiation process Trump made his support for work requirements clear, tweeting about the issue multiple times. But negotiators ultimately rejected the most controversial House measures related to SNAP, making no significant changes to the program. The outcome is a victory for Democrats, who refused to support them.

The final bill also preserves states’ ability to provide waivers, and does not change eligibility criteria. It does increase funding for employment and job training programs from $90 million to roughly $103.9 million per year.

The two chambers also clashed over portions of the bill’s forestry and conservation sections. But the most contentious pieces of the House version, such as relaxing restrictions on pesticide use, didn’t make it into the final text.

Negotiations were complicated in recent weeks when the White House asked Congress to make changes to the forestry section in response to deadly wildfires in California, giving more authority to the Agriculture and Interior departments to clear forests and other public lands. The final text doesn’t significantly increase the agencies’ authority.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Monday the bill “maintains a strong safety net for the farm economy, invests in critical agricultural research and will promote agriculture exports through robust trade programs,” but voiced disappointment over the failed changes to the work requirement.

“While we would have liked to see more progress on work requirements for SNAP recipients and forest management reforms, the conference agreement does include several helpful provisions, and we will continue to build upon these through our authorities,” he said.

The bill also maintains current limits on farm subsidies, but includes a House provision to expand the definition of family to include first cousins, nieces and nephews, making them eligible for payments under the program.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Texas, a strong proponent of stricter work requirements, thanked Perdue and the administration for their support.

“America’s farmers and ranchers are weathering the fifth year of severe recession, so passing a farm bill this week that strengthens the farm safety net is vitally important,” Conaway said.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced Monday to three years in federal prison for driving more than five pounds of methamphetamine to Kansas, U.S. Attorney Steve McAllister said.

Titus Gwess, 24, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, Gwess admitted that he was coming home from Arizona when the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped him for speeding in Mullinville, Kan. Troopers found about 5.8 pounds of methamphetamine in the car.

Co-defendant Eric Reyes, 22, Wichita, Kan., is set for sentencing Jan. 28. Defendant Allen R. Killion is set for a change of plea hearing Dec. 17.