TOPEKA, Kan. — October 21, 2025
A Topeka man with a long felony record was booked into the Shawnee County Jail Tuesday morning on a slate of serious narcotics and weapons charges, including large-scale drug distribution and aggravated child endangerment.
Current Arrest
According to the jail log, L’Rico Lamont Faudel, 34, was taken into custody at 7:55 a.m. on charges that include:
- Distribution of opiates or narcotics between 100 grams and 1 kilogram — a Level 1 drug felony, the most severe under Kansas law.
- Aggravated endangering a child by exposure to the manufacture or sale of methamphetamine or fentanyl.
- Criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
- Driving on a suspended license and other traffic violations.
Faudel is being held without bond, pending his first appearance in Shawnee County District Court.
Prior Convictions
Court records show Faudel has multiple felony convictions dating back nearly a decade:
- 2017 – Shawnee County (17-CR-68):
Pleaded guilty to identity theft for defrauding benefits under $100,000. He received a 19-month prison sentence, suspended to 18 months of supervised probation.
At sentencing, the court determined his criminal-history category was “B”, indicating several prior felonies. He later violated probation but was reinstated before his release in 2019 46449131-8490-4372-b328-de35a78…. - 2019 – Saline County (19-CR-161):
Pleaded no contest to possession of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 32 months in prison with 12 months post-release supervision 72b2998b-8089-4fd2-b9a7-c36aedf…. - 2019 – Saline County (19-CR-211):
Faced a separate methamphetamine and marijuana case that was dismissed as part of the 19-CR-161 plea agreement 3d953319-415f-4a61-bd84-a99d1f3….
These convictions establish Faudel as a repeat drug offender and convicted felon, factors that could sharply increase sentencing exposure in the current case.
Potential Penalties
Under Kansas sentencing guidelines, a Level 1 drug felony combined with a Category B or C criminal-history score carries a presumptive prison term of 10 to 17 years—before adding potential time for the firearm and child-endangerment counts.
If convicted on all counts, Faudel could face decades in state prison.
Context
The case underscores ongoing efforts by Topeka-area law enforcement to address large-scale fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking, particularly where children are present. The aggravated endangering a child statute was strengthened in 2023 to cover exposure to synthetic opioids.
Public Record Notice
All information in this report was obtained from public court and jail records in Shawnee and Saline counties. Charges are allegations only, and Faudel is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
