KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – A California man who specialized in building secret compartments in autos used by a drug traffickers who operated in Kansas has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison.

The case was one of the first in the nation against a specialist who served drug traffickers but didn’t directly handle drugs, Grissom said.

“Evidence showed the defendant installed sophisticated hidden compartments in dozens of vehicles,” U-S Attorney Barry Grissom said. “He knew he was working for drug traffickers.”

40-year-old Alfred Anaya, of San Fernando, Calif., was sentenced to 292-months in federal prison and forfeiture of 3.2-million dollars. He was convicted on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, as well as methamphetamine and marijuana, and two counts of attempting to intimidate a witness.

Also sentenced in the same case was 29-year-old James Anthony Clark, of Overland Park. He was sentenced to 292-months in federal prison and forfeiture of 3.2-million dollars. He was convicted on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine as well as methamphetamine and marijuana.

30-year-old Curtis Crow, of Leawood was sentenced to 147-months. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and posse

In February 2011, a jury convicted Anaya and Clark on the charges. Crow pleaded guilty. During trial, prosecutors presented evidence they were members of a California-based drug trafficking organization that from June 1, 2008, through Sept. 22, 2009, operated a drug distribution center in Kansas that distributed cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana in Kansas and Missouri.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Anaya installed secret compartments including a 20-kilogram compartment in a Ford F-150, a 10-kilogram compartment in a Honda Ridgeline, a 3-kilogram compartment in a Toyota Camry and a 10-kilogram compartment in a Toyota Sequoia.