Eudora men arrested on suspicion of firearm, drug offenses in North Lawrence

Two Eudora men were booked into Douglas County jail Monday on suspicion of several firearm- and drug-related charges after one of them was allegedly seen waving a gun around in North Lawrence.

Johnathan David Bichelmeyer, 23, and James Lester Rocha DeGraffenreid, 22, sit in jail on suspicion of eight felonies. Their bonds are set at $23,000 and $28,500, respectively.

According to Sgt. Trent McKinley of the Lawrence Police Department, officers were initially called to the 100 block of Perry Street at 9:40 a.m. Monday for a disturbance with weapons. A suspect allegedly waved a gun around in public.

A short time later, McKinley said, officers located the suspect inside a vehicle along the 200 block of Locust Street with another individual. McKinley said police were present at the scene for “quite some time” because “the people were armed and we took people out of the car very slowly and carefully.”

They later conducted a search of the car, McKinley said. Nobody was injured.

Bichelmeyer was arrested on suspicion of felony criminal possession of a firearm, felony cultivation or distribution of a controlled substance, felony criminal possession of a firearm while using a controlled substance and possession of stolen property.

DeGraffenreid was arrested on suspicion of felony cultivation or distribution of a controlled substance and felony obstruction of legal process. Prior to the incident, he already had an outstanding arrest warrant for no proof of liability insurance, felony cultivation or distribution of a controlled substance, felony possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.