Two arrested in sheriff, ATF, SWAT raid on High Hopes dispensaries
Two Wichita men have been arrested after local and federal authorities carried out raids Thursday morning at six dispensaries and two homes as part of a months-long narcotics and firearms investigation.
Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter said that, less than halfway through their search, investigators had already seized more than 30 firearms and a flamethrower.
“(I) can’t get into too much of what we’ve recovered, but we have recovered several weapons, illegal marijuana and other evidence of drug sales,” Easter said at a news conference outside the High Hopes ICT dispensary at 3108 W. 13th St.
The investigation into High Hopes ICT, which marketed itself as “Wichita’s 1st Dispensary,” began several months ago, Easter said, after the Sheriff’s Office received information that indicated the 36-year-old dispensary owner and a 47-year-old business associate were involved in illegal activities, including suspected involvement in the illegal gun trade and the sale of marijuana, methamphetamine and fentanyl. The business, which has several locations in Wichita, marketed “lab-tested THCA, Delta-9, and hemp products” according to its website.
“It’s very common knowledge in these places that they have jars of marijuana that they sell right off the shelf,” Easter said. “That’s illegal in the state of Kansas.”
THCA, or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, is a non-psychoactive substance found in cannabis. Once heated, it becomes intoxicating. It’s also a precursor to delta-9 THC, which is legal only if it comes from hemp and contains no more than 0.3% THC by weight. Marijuana, meanwhile, is completely illegal in Kansas.
Two men, both prior federal felons, Easter said, were taken into custody Thursday morning during raids at two residential addresses and six High Hopes ICT locations. Easter said the case warranted the involvement of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wichita Police Department’s SWAT team, making it one of the larger series of coordinated searches in the department’s recent history.
“Now has there been violence associated with both of these individuals? Yes, and when we release their names, you’ll see what type of violence one of them has been involved in and is currently out on bond for,” Easter said.
The men were taken into custody and have been booked. The High Hopes ICT owner was booked on a charge of distribution of marijuana and the 47-year-old man was booked on charges of possession of narcotics and marijuana. The Wichita Eagle does not name suspects until after they’ve been formally charged.
While High Hopes ICT locations have been open and operating for several years, Easter said marijuana and drug crimes are harder to enforce than in the past, in part due to changing legislation.
“The issue is that they come off as, ‘Oh, this is just legal CBD.’ It’s not even close to being legal CBD. It’s marijuana, which is illegal …” Easter said. “They’ve made it into a business, and that’s what you’re seeing out of this.”
“. . . Law enforcement is in a flux on what actually is legal in these places and what’s not. And so there’s items in there that possibly could be legal that we’ll leave because we cannot show that it’s illegal in the state of Kansas to sell those particular items.”
Easter said he can understand when businesses are duped by out-of-state sellers who may be providing them with products outside of Kansas’ legal THC threshold, but he said he has no sympathy when businesses have “jars of straight bud weed that’s lining their shelves.”
“That’s not CBD — CBD does not come that way,” Easter said.
While law enforcement are still early in their search, Easter said, they had not yet found any fentanyl or methamphetamine. And while Easter said they are not aware of any overdoses as a result of the business, these raids are important in deterring the more intense crime that comes with this caliber of suspected criminal behavior.
“It’s (marijuana) still illegal in the state of Kansas, but you’re also going to see the other stuff that comes with drug sales,” Easter said. “And that’s a lot of weapons, some violent crime and then the hard narcotics: fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine. That goes along with these businesses.”
A message posted on High Hopes ICT’s website Thursday morning said the stores had been closed following “an unexpected issue.
”Thank you for visiting High Hopes ICT. Our storefronts is temporarily closed while we resolve an unexpected issue. We’re truly sorry for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience and support during this time. We’ll be back soon. — High Hopes ICT,” the message read.
This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 10:30 AM.
