KANSAS CITY — A Johnson County man was sentenced to three years in federal prison today for tampering with a witness in a federal criminal case involving the drug death of a Garnett man. A jury found Gary Sparks, 61, Edgerton, guilty of one count of tampering with a witness, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. Prosecutors presented evidence that Sparks tried to persuade a 13-year-old child to lie to investigators who were investigating his daughter, Stacy Ashley, on drug charges. Ashley pleaded guilty to one count of distributing oxymorphone. In her plea, she admitted that on July 30, 2011, she gave oxymorphone to her nephew, Joshua Auclair of Garnett, who died from a drug overdose. Ashley was sentenced to five years in prison. Ashley’s sister, who was Auclair’s mother, Tammy Redel, also got prison time in the case.
Tuesday, May 20, 2 p.m.
