Kansas prosecutors issue report on Marion newspaper raid; former chief to face charge

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett and Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson have issued a final report on the raid on the Marion County Record.

Officers raided the newspaper’s offices and the home of the publisher, Eric Meyer, on Aug. 11, 2023. They seized equipment and personal cell phones. Gideon Cody, who was police chief then, said he was investigating whether the newspaper committed identity theft or other crimes in accessing a local restaurant owner’s state driving record.

The report is 124 pages long. In conclusion, the report says one criminal case will be filed against former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody later this week. It is for alleged violation of K.S.A. 21-5905, interference with the judicial process, (a)(5)(A), a severity level 8 nonperson felony. Sentencing could be from seven and 23 months in prison or probation.

The prosecutors who reviewed the case found no evidence of criminal intent among all others involved, including the journalists of the Marion County Record and several other Marion County law enforcement officers.

Since then, several lawsuits have been filed against Cody, the City of Marion, the former mayor, and other government officials.