WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal indictment in southern Kansas accuses 13 people of roles in an identity-theft ring involving more than $3.5 million of thievery.

The 50-count indictment unsealed Thursday in Wichita alleges the conspirators divided up the work of stealing from mailboxes, forging identification documents, obtaining fraudulent credit cards and shopping with stolen identities.

Authorities say some conspirators were paid in drugs for their labor.

Prosecutors said items bought with ill-gotten gains from the scheme included a $43,500 Jaguar car and a $62,000 Dodge Challenger Hellcat.

The indictment’s charges include aggravated identity theft, trafficking in stolen identities, receipt of stolen mail, unlawful production of identity documents, bank fraud, and drug and gun counts.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The city of Lawrence is creating a security plan to comply with a state law allowing people to carry concealed guns.

The city attorney’s office has proposed funds in the 2017 budget to install personnel and equipment security at entrances to public buildings in anticipation of the Personal and Family Protection Act’s expiration in 2017.

The act, passed in 2013, allowed Lawrence and other cities to ban concealed weapons for four years before complying with a state law that says concealed firearms are allowed in public buildings unless the structures are equipped with security measures.

The security measures are being considered at City Hall, the municipal court, the public library and the police department’s investigations and training center.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police said a man is charged with stealing props and costumes of the Blue Man Group while the performance artists were in that south-central Kansas city last week.

Thirty-three-year-old Freddy Gonzalez-Gonzalez of Wichita was arrested Tuesday and charged two days later with aggravated burglary and felony theft.

Police have said the theft involved items worth more than $1,000 from a performance arts center where Blue Man Group was scheduled for two nights of shows.

Police said publicly released photos of the suspect on surveillance video were instrumental in Gonzalez’s arrest.

It was not immediately clear Friday if Gonzalez has an attorney.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A man who owns apartment complexes in south-central Missouri has pleaded guilty to a federal charge stemming from an $18 million fraud scheme.

Federal prosecutors said in a release Friday that 74-year-old James J. Laughlin, of Waynesville, pleaded guilty Thursday to making false statements and reports on a loan application.

The prosecutor’s office said Laughlin admitted providing false information to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Administration in order to obtain a 2012 loan for $18.2 million. The loan was for the operation and maintenance of more than 200 Pulaski County apartments and complexes.

Prosecutors said the scheme involved artificially inflating occupancy levels in order to qualify for the FHA loan.

Laughlin has to forfeit $18.2 million and faces up to 30 years in prison.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri Law School dean is stepping down.

Dean Gary Myers announced Friday that he’s resigning effective Aug. 14. A university spokesman said his move is not related to a lawsuit filed two days earlier against Myers and the university over a public-records request.

Former Republican Rep. Kevin Elmer claims associate professor Josh Hawley conspired with Myers to keep Hawley’s school emails private. Hawley is running for attorney general and faces an Aug. 2 Republican primary.

Myers said in an email Friday to law school faculty, staff and students that he’s been discussing his plans for months. He’ll continue as a faculty member and plans to work on books and other projects.

Myers was named dean in 2012. Senior Associate Provost Kenneth Dean will serve as interim dean.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Health insurance companies would no longer be able to raise rates for Affordable Care Act consumers in Missouri without review by a state agency under a measure awaiting the governor’s signature.

Advocates said the change is long overdue. A spokeswoman for the state agency that governs insurance said Missouri is the nation’s only state that does not receive or review health insurance rates. Without state oversight, the task has fallen to the federal government.

Missouri lawmakers this month approved Senate Bill 865, a provision of which gives the state authority to review any proposed rate increase for ACA consumers. The notification would also give consumers a chance to comment on the rate hike proposals.

The measure must still be signed into law by Gov. Jay Nixon.

DALLAS (AP) — As he leaves the volunteer presidency of the Boy Scouts of America, Robert Gates says the organization is well-positioned for the future after deciding to allow openly gay adult leaders in its ranks.

The former U.S. secretary of defense ended his two-year term Thursday as volunteer president. He was replaced by AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson.

In remarks released by the Boy Scouts, Gates says he supported the policy change on openly gay adults after several local councils disregarded the previous ban and Scout groups in many states faced the prospect of discrimination lawsuits.

Churches can still use sexual orientation in deciding adult leaders.

Gates says that “difficult decision” has allowed the Boy Scouts to “look to the future” and come close to reversing years of decline in Scouting membership.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Democrats vying to challenge Republican Sen. Charles Grassley in his upcoming re-election race have used a televised debate in Iowa to criticize the longtime senator’s involvement in a Supreme Court nomination fight.

The four candidates, including former Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge and state Sen. Rob Hogg, used the hour-long debate Thursday night in Johnston to highlight Grassley’s decision not to hold hearings for President Barack Obama’s U.S. Supreme Court pick. The issue is seen by Democrats as an opening to seriously challenge Grassley in November.

The candidates, including attorney Tom Fiegen and former state legislator Bob Krause, were also asked about their plans to address issues ranging from water quality to the minimum wage.

The debate comes less than two weeks before Iowa’s June 7 primary.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal indictment in southern Kansas accuses 13 people of roles in an identity-theft ring involving more than $3.5 million of thievery.

The 50-count indictment unsealed Thursday in Wichita alleges the conspirators divided up the work of stealing from mailboxes, forging identification documents, obtaining fraudulent credit cards and shopping with stolen identities.

Authorities say some conspirators were paid in drugs for their labor.

Prosecutors said items bought with ill-gotten gains from the scheme included a $43,500 Jaguar car and a $62,000 Dodge Challenger Hellcat.

The indictment’s charges include aggravated identity theft, trafficking in stolen identities, receipt of stolen mail, unlawful production of identity documents, bank fraud, and drug and gun counts.

CHAPMAN, Kan. (AP) — The National Weather Service now says a tornado that damaged or destroyed about 20 homes near the northeast Kansas town of Chapman was an EF4 with estimated peak winds of 180 mph.

Weather service surveyors determined the tornado started at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday and stayed on the ground for 26 miles before ending around 8:40 p.m.

Kansas officials said Thursday numerous power lines and a set of railroad tracks were damaged in the storm.

The photograph used here was shot by Robin Lorenson and is used with her permission.  Click the photograph to visit her Web site

The twister passed just south of Chapman, a community of 1,400 that in 2008 lost more than 60 homes and had several school buildings and churches damaged by a similar-sized tornado that cut through the heart of the town.

The weather service says Wednesday’s tornado was a half-mile wide and completely destroyed a farmstead near Chapman.

Earlier Thursday the weather service had rated the tornado as an EF3.