Wichita man sentenced to prison for his part in Jan. 6 Capitol breach
9 March 2023
SUMNER COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) — A former Sedgwick County Sheriff deputy has pleaded guilty to two counts of electronic solicitation in Sumner County. Derick Chandler initially faced five charges, but the county attorney agreed to dismiss the other counts in exchange for the guilty plea.
The case allegedly involved something that happened in Sumner County in May, June and July of 2019. As a result, the Wellington Police Department and the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation.
Then, in August 2019, Chandler went missing after being identified as an alleged suspect in the case. And the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office warned that Deputy Chandler might be a danger to himself or others. Police in Wellington said he took guns from his home before disappearing.
A few days later, Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter announced that Chandler had left the U.S. and was possibly headed to Turkey to join the French Foreign Legion. The sheriff also suspended Chandler without pay for missing three shifts.
In April 2020, while Chandler was still missing, the Sumner County Attorney’s office filed five charges against him.
Chandler was found in Budapest, Hungary, in early 2021 and extradited to Kansas. A judge set his bond at $1 million.
Last week, Chandler signed the guilty plea to the two counts of electronic solicitation. Sentencing is scheduled for March 20.
The plea document says the possible sentence for one count is anywhere from 12.25 years to more than 54 years in prison.
The defense plans to ask that Chandler be allowed to serve his sentence in an out-of-state prison for his safety due to his background as a law enforcement officer.