16-year prison sentence given to former SEK man

(Cherokee County Sheriff) — A former Cherokee County man will be heading to prison following a sentencing hearing in court Tuesday morning.

63-year-old Charles L. Amos, homeless, received a 16-year sentence after pleading guilty to three counts of Attempted Aggravated Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon.

On July 9, 2023, deputies responded to the rural northwest part of county, after a resident discovered a farm truck had been stolen.

The owner located the truck and Amos nearby, after Amos stopped to siphon fuel out of a van he had previously stolen in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

When the stolen truck owner and family members confronted Amos, he discharged rounds from a shotgun at them, then fled in one of the family members’ truck.

Throughout that day, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Investigators coordinated with law enforcement partners in Southeast Kansas, the United States Marshal’s Service and the Oklahoma City Violent Crimes Apprehension Team, leading to Amos’ capture in Oklahoma City later that night.

Amos was then extradited back to Cherokee County and pled guilty on June 21, 2024, in Cherokee County District Court.

Amos was prosecuted by the Office of Cherokee County Attorney Kurt Benecke.