Eastern District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Man Admits Fraudulently Obtaining Student Visa, Other DocumentsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted fraudulently obtaining a student visa and admission to the University of Missouri and admitted using the visa to obtain a Social Security card, a driver license, a bank account and an apartment.
Mercy Ojedeji, 24, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of unlawful use of fraudulent immigration documents and one count of wire fraud.
Ojedeji admitted using counterfeit academic transcripts, recommendations, a resume and a report about his English language proficiency to obtain a student visa from the University of Missouri and admission to the chemistry PhD program in the fall of 2023. Ojedeji also obtained a stipend and a tuition waiver worth more than $49,000. Ojedeji presented his student visa and other documents to the Social Security Administration to obtain a Social Security card and used the fraudulently-issued Social Security number and other documents to open a bank account. He also used the Social Security number and documents produced by his paramour to rent an apartment. After Ojedeji failed to attend classes, his assistantship or join a research group, the university terminated him from the graduate program in January 2024. This also resulted in the termination of his student visa. On Feb. 26, 2024, Ojedeji used his fraudulently-obtained and now invalid visa and other documents to obtain a Missouri driver license.
The investigation into Ojedeji began when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service received complaints that romance fraud victims were mailing packages containing cash and gift cards to the home of Ojedeji’s paramour. Between Dec. 19, 2023, and Jan. 4, 2024, 35 Express Mail packages that had been tracked by Nigerian internet protocol addresses were delivered to the paramour’s address. A court-approved search of the home resulted in the discovery of packages sent pursuant to a Nigerian romance fraud scheme. A total of 193 packages were sent to the home through the Postal Services Express Mail, Federal Express, and United Parcel Service during Ojedeji’s relationship with the woman. At sentencing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will argue that the total intended loss is more than $1 million, based on the $94,150 contained in the 17 packages seized by law enforcement. Ojedeji continues to deny any involvement in romance fraud.
A judge will ultimately determine the loss amount at Ojedeji’s sentencing hearing, scheduled for July 10. Wire fraud carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The immigration charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the same fine.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to defending the nation’s mail system from criminal activity, preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail, and protecting United States Postal Service employees. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners for supporting our mission to protect the integrity of the U.S. Mail,” said Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with the assistance of the FBI and the Town and Country Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Man Accused of Setting Fires at St. Louis County HotelRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man was indicted Wednesday and accused of setting fires at a hotel near Ferguson, Missouri last month.
Brandon Dallas Smith, 40, is now facing an arson charge. The indictment accuses Smith of setting a fire at a hotel in the 2700 block of Target Drive on March 26, 2025. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in St. Louis the day after the fire says patrons were awakened by a fire alarm at 2:48 a.m. to find two fires in front of hotel rooms and a third on the second-floor stairwell. The complaint alleges that Smith purchased gasoline a nearby gas station and convenience store shortly before going to the hotel and setting the fires.
A charge set forth in an indictment or a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge is punishable by at least five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis County Bomb and Arson Squad investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Admits Fraudulently Obtaining Mortgages Worth More Than $1.2 MillionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday admitted fraudulently obtaining home mortgages totaling more than $1.2 million.
Edward James Mitchell Jr., also known as Musa Muhammad, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of bank fraud. He admitted participating in four fraudulent home mortgages from October 2021 through November 2023 totaling $1,225,550. Three of the homes are in St. Louis and one is in Florissant. Mitchell’s company, Home Team Solutions LLC, originally purchased the homes. Mitchell pretended to be one of his relatives to purchase two of the homes from his own company, submitting fraudulent mortgage loan applications and false employment and financial information and using his relative’s Social Security number and birthdate, Mitchell’s plea agreement says. He bought another home himself and sold another to his paramour, again submitting false or fraudulent documentation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office believes lending institutions lost $490,946 when Fannie Mae purchased the four home loans. Mitchell’s position is that only two of the loans incurred losses, with a loss amount of $226,950.
Mitchell, 37, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8. Each bank fraud charge carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine.
In October 2023, Mitchell legally changed his name to Musa Muhammad.
The FBI and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
Resources for St. Louis Area Crime Victims, Gun Locks Both Available WednesdayRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Victim advocates will be available by phone Wednesday to help St. Louis area crime victims and survivors seek justice and obtain assistance.
This is the third year of the hotline, which connects victims and survivors of crimes and online harassment to information about their rights and services. Those services include treatment, counseling, compensation and other support. Each year, dozens of people have called the hotline.
The phone bank, at 314-539-6855, will be open from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also have 100 gun locks available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. all week. Anyone interested should come to the reception area on the 20th floor of the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse, at 111 South 10th Street in downtown St. Louis.
The initiative comes during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme is KINSHIP, a call-to-action to recognize that shared humanity should be at the center of supporting all survivors and victims of crime. Kinship is a state of being with survivors that drives vital connections to services, rights, and healing. Kinship is where victim advocacy begins.
Former Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced to 65 Years in Prison for Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced a former Phelps County Sheriff’s deputy to 65 years in prison for soliciting and/or receiving sex acts and child sexual abuse material from multiple minors and destroying evidence to impede the FBI.
Judge Schelp also ordered Justin Bradley Durham, of Rolla, to pay $79,160 in restitution to victims. Durham pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in October to one count of production of child pornography, two counts of receiving child pornography and three counts of destroying records in a federal investigation.
Durham admitted requesting and receiving a sexually explicit video from a 15-year-old in 2013. He later provided $200 to the victim after she engaged in sex acts with him. He also admitted engaging in sex acts multiple times with a 17-year-old victim, including in his patrol vehicle. He exchanged sexually explicit images and videos with her. Durham met the second victim in 2016 when her friend contacted the police and he responded to the call.
The FBI interviewed Durham in 2023 after learning that his PayPal account had been used to send money to another account associated with the sale of child pornography. Durham denied purchasing child pornography and claimed that he hadn’t accessed his Dropbox account for years. He refused agents’ request to search his cell phone. Two days later, Durham bought a new phone, destroyed his old phone and deleted about 37 gigabytes of data in his Dropbox account before deactivating it. Among those files were hundreds of sexually explicit images and videos, including files containing child sexual abuse material. Durham was terminated by the Sheriff’s Department on Aug. 9, 2023, and arrested by them. In jail, he told FBI agents that he also destroyed a laptop computer, threw away his phone and conducted a “digital footprint scrub” of his online accounts, his plea agreement says.
Durham also sent sexual letters to inmates at the Phelps County Jail, solicited sexually explicit images from other women, including a woman who was on parole, according to a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman.
"Justin Durham avoided detection by exploiting what he knew about law enforcement. He often targeted vulnerable victims, some of whom suffered from mental health issues, poverty, or sexual abuse,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “We applaud the bravery of the two victims who came forward to help end Durham’s disgraceful abuse.”Sheriff Michael P. Kirn expressed his firm belief that accountability and transparency are essential in maintaining public trust. “The actions of individuals like Justin Durham are not representative of our dedicated law enforcement community. We will continue to ensure that justice is served and that ethical standards are upheld,” he asserted.
“This case serves as a reminder that the law applies equally to all, and the commitment to justice remains paramount. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to advocate for integrity and accountability within the law enforcement community and beyond,” Sheriff Kirk said.
The FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.Missouri Man Admits Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from O’Fallon, Missouri, on Friday admitted possessing child sexual abuse material on multiple electronic devices and in a cloud account.
Davie John Metzger, 55, of O’Fallon, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of receipt of child pornography. He admitted possessing 369 images of child sexual abuse material on a flash drive, 24 images on a hard drive, 211 in an online cloud storage account and 343 on a cell phone. Metzger’s conduct had triggered three CyberTipline reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The June 30, 2023, tip was triggered when he uploaded an image depicting a girl between the ages of 3 and 7. A subsequent court-approved search of his online account revealed photos that he’d surreptitiously taken of women and girls in public places.
Metzger is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8. The crime carries a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and a maximum of 20 years.
The FBI and the St. Charles County Cybercrime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Kansas Doctor Admits Accepting Kickbacks to Commit Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A medical doctor from the Kansas City, Kansas area on Friday admitted accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks to order medically unnecessary health care for thousands of patients.
Dr. Scott Taggart Roethle, 47, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of health care fraud. He admitted that from 2017 until 2020, he conspired with health care companies and others to order medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, pain creams and genetic tests for thousands of patients in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks.
Dr. Roethle contracted with multiple health care companies as a telemedicine doctor. Using electronic portals to review patient information and documents, Dr. Roethle ordered health care services for patients without evaluating them or their actual medical needs. He did not have a prior doctor-patient relationship with the telemedicine patients and admitted providing no follow-up care after ordering the health care services.
Dr. Roethle was typically paid about $30 for each of his fraudulent orders. He admitted receiving payments of $674,000 from five companies. He also admitted that Medicare paid out at least $1.5 million while relying on his fraudulent orders. At the time of Dr. Roethle’s sentencing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will argue that the total loss due to the health care fraud is between $7 million and $9.5 million.
Dr. Roethle was licensed to practice in 22 states during the time of his crime and worked primarily as an anesthesiologist.
The trial of Dr. Roethle, of Leawood, was scheduled to begin Monday. His sentencing is set for July 17.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman and Justin Ladendorf are prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Convicted of Charges Related to Five Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Thursday found a St. Louis County man guilty of all nine charges related to five armed robberies in Missouri and Illinois in 2023.
Ronald O. Perkins, 29, of Black Jack, Missouri, was found guilty of four counts of robbery, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony.
According to evidence and testimony at trial, Perkins was armed with a handgun during each of the robberies, and often banged the gun on the counter while demanding money or pointed it at victims, who were left shaken and afraid.
Perkins robbed a gas station and convenience store on Riverview Drive in St. Louis on Sept. 8, 2023. He entered the store, banged a pistol on the countertop and demanded money. He then grabbed money out of the register and fired several shots.
On Nov. 8, 2023, Perkins robbed a gas station on Clayton Road in Richmond Heights, stealing cash and a pack of cigarettes. Less than two hours later, he robbed a 7-Eleven on Hoffmeister Avenue in St. Louis County, stealing cash.
Four days later, he robbed a gas station on Fee Fee Road in St. Louis County of cash.
Five days after that, he robbed a liquor store on St. Louis Road in Collinsville, Illinois, again stealing money from the register.
Investigators obtained surveillance video showing each robbery, and later found clothes matching those worn by the robber in Perkins’ home and in one of the vehicles used by him to commit the robberies, evidence and testimony at trial showed. A distinctive scar on his hand matched the robber’s scar. The vehicles he drove matched those spotted in surveillance video from all five robberies. Officers recovered the gun that was a ballistic match to the firearm used in the first robbery from Perkins’ pants. Finally, Perkins’ left an electronic trail from his home to each robbery.
“Taken together, it is a staggering amount of evidence,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone told jurors during a closing statement Thursday. The trial began Monday.
Perkins is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3. Each robbery charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The discharge of a firearm charge carries a penalty of at least 10 years consecutive to the other charges. The brandishing charge carries a penalty of at least seven years consecutive to any other charge. The transporting charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Altogether, Perkins is facing at least 31 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Richmond Heights Police Department, the Columbia (Illinois) Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Tiffany Becker are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Thursday sentenced a registered sex offender who sold child pornography online to 17 years in prison.
Patrick Mayberry, now 46, of High Ridge, told investigators that he’d received over $2,000 by selling child pornography that he’d obtained on the dark web. Mayberry had multiple videos containing child sexual abuse material in his MEGA cloud-storage account.
The investigation began with a CyberTipline report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that Mayberry had uploaded child sexual abuse material to his Google account.
Mayberry pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to one count of possession of child pornography as a prior offender.
Mayberry is a registered sex offender and was on probation at the time of the offense. He was convicted of one count of failure to register as a sex offender in 2021 in Jefferson County Circuit Court in Missouri. In 2008, he was convicted of one count of attempting to procure child pornography for seeking nude photographs of a nine-year-old. In 2003, he was convicted of second-degree rape of a victim under age 16 in Oklahoma.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former School Custodian Admits Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former high school custodian on Wednesday admitted possessing child sexual abuse material.
Bernard Ray Mennemeier, 58, of O’Fallon, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of child pornography. Mennemeier admitted possessing both child pornography and child erotica.
The investigation began on Jan. 2, 2024, after Mennemeier uploaded five videos containing child sexual abuse material to Dropbox. An FBI agent traced the Dropbox account to Mennemeier, and then conducted a court-approved search of the Dropbox account, and then Mennemeier’s home. In an interview at the O’Fallon Police Department, Mennemeier admitted messaging someone on Twitter who would sell him child sexual abuse material. Mennemeier said he purchased those materials “numerous” times, his plea agreement says.
Mennemeier is scheduled to be sentenced July 9. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
“This crime came to light thanks to a CyberTip reported to our partners at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Bernard Mennemeier thought he could anonymously obtain and possess child sexual abuse material,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “When it comes to protecting children, the FBI is even more diligent in identifying, locating and arresting such perpetrators.”
The FBI investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis Man Admits Possession of Drugs, Machine GunRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday admitted being caught with a fully automatic pistol, fentanyl and cocaine base after a police chase.
Mario Mitchell, 22, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.
On Oct. 16, 2023, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted a silver Nissan Sentra violate the stop sign at Euclid Avenue and East Lee Avenue in the Penrose neighborhood of St. Louis. Mitchell sped off when officers activated their lights and siren. After officers used spike strips to disable the Sentra, Mitchell got out and ran, discarding a Glock 10mm fully automatic pistol with an extended magazine. When officers caught and arrested Mitchell, he had a bag holding 40 multi-colored capsules containing fentanyl and a bag with several off-white chunks of cocaine base totaling 2.97 grams, he admitted as part of his plea agreement. The pistol was equipped with a conversion device, or “switch,” making it a machine gun under federal law.
Mitchell is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10. Each charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
St. Louis Man Admits Armed Robbery of StoreRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis on Tuesday admitted robbing a store with a shotgun in 2023.
Divontay Scott, 34, pleaded guilty to three felony counts: robbery, possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Scott admitted entering the Family Dollar store on South Grand Boulevard in St. Louis on Oct. 17, 2023, armed with a shotgun. Scott ordered an employee to open the cash register and stole about $114. Although Scott’s face was partially covered, witnesses recognized him as a regular customer. He was also caught on video during a visit to the store earlier that day. A witness spotted him that evening at a nearby business and called police. Scott had texted his paramour his plans to rob the store, as well as a picture of the money that he took, his plea agreement says.
Scott is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8. Both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Scott’s lawyer have agreed to recommend a sentence of 11 years in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former Official of St. Louis County Charity Admits Stealing Nearly $700,000Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former official of a charity that houses adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities on Tuesday admitted embezzling about $690,000 over more than a decade.
Joelle Fouse, 57, pleaded guilty to three felony counts of wire fraud in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Fouse was the manager / director of finance and human resources for the charity and was responsible for payroll, expense reimbursement and maintaining the charity’s books and records. She admitted stealing from the charity in multiple ways.
Fouse caused 181 unauthorized expense payments totaling $407,186 to be transferred into bank accounts she controlled by providing false expense reimbursement information to a third-party payroll processing company. She provided false payroll information that triggered 71 other unauthorized payments totaling $139,810. Her theft, and the unauthorized payments, caused the charity to overpay payroll taxes by approximately $10,694. Fouse also used her company credit card to make 184 unauthorized purchases totaling $133,210. She attempted to cover up her crimes by falsifying financial and accounting records.
Fouse admitted using the money to pay for personal expenses for herself and relatives including travel, clothing, entertainment, restaurants and rent payments. Fouse’s fraud limited the charity’s ability to provide services to the disabled adults it served.
Fouse worked for the charity from October 2012 through December 2023, when she was terminated and her employer contacted federal authorities.
Fouse is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10. Each wire fraud charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
Ferguson Man Sentenced to 93 Months in Prison for Drug SalesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man from Ferguson, Missouri who sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to undercover St. Louis County police officers to 93 months in prison.
Theodise Reece, 37, has been in custody since his arrest on Aug. 30, 2023, bringing the total he will likely serve for the crime to about nine years.
After receiving several tips in June of 2023 that Reece was selling illegal drugs, the St. Louis County Police Department set up a series of undercover purchases, Reece’s plea agreement says. Reece sold $100 worth of fentanyl on June 14, 2023, then $150 worth of methamphetamine six days later, Reece admitted in his guilty plea.
After making four more undercover purchases and witnessing Reece make another sale, investigators sought a search warrant for Reece’s home. They arrested him during an undercover buy on Aug. 30, 2023, and found a semiautomatic pistol in his car loaded with one chambered round and 18 more in an extended magazine. Inside a satchel slung across his chest, police found nearly 40 grams of fentanyl and 225 grams of meth as well as ecstasy, cocaine base and marijuana. Reece admitted that he sold drugs for a living. Investigators found an AR-style rifle in Reece’s home.
Reece pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to three felonies: distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Drug Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Tonia Haddix Admits Lying Repeatedly to Court About Death of Tonka the ChimpanzeeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Missouri woman on Monday admitted lying in U.S. District Court and in court filings about the purported death of “Tonka,” a chimpanzee that was one of the subjects of a long running federal civil suit.
Tonia Haddix waived her right to indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three felony charges: two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. She admitted that her false statements influenced and obstructed the administration of justice in the pending civil suit.
That suit, originally filed in 2016, involved allegations by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) over the care of primates, including Tonka, at a facility near Festus, Missouri.
On October 2, 2020, the District Court entered its consent decree requiring that Haddix, who was then operating the Festus facility, take certain steps relative to Tonka. What followed, based upon Haddix’s failure to comply with the provisions of the District Court’s consent decree, were a series of motions seeking civil contempt against Haddix filed by PETA. The District Court entered a number of orders granting temporary restraining orders against Haddix, finding Haddix in civil contempt relative to the District Court’s consent decree. On March 26, 2021, the District Court issued a temporary restraining order against Haddix requiring that Haddix not transfer Tonka and continue to provide appropriate caregiving to him. On July 14, 2021, the District Court found Haddix in violation of that order and entered an additional order requiring that Tonka and six other chimpanzees be transferred from Haddix’s possession to the Center for Great Apes. During that July 14, 2021 hearing, Haddix falsely claimed that Tonka had died, but failed to provide the Court with proof of death. The District Court’s July 14, 2021 order provided that the transfer of Tonka and the six other chimpanzees to the Center for Great Apes be carried out by representatives of PETA, representatives of the Center for Great Apes, and Deputy U.S. Marshals. On July 28, 2021, access was only provided to the six chimpanzees which were duly transferred to the Center for Great Apes, but no information was provided by Haddix as to the whereabouts of Tonka.
On August 2, 2021, PETA filed its fourth motion seeking civil contempt against Haddix for failing to transfer Tonka as ordered by the District Court. On August 16, 2021, Haddix filed her declaration with the District Court, under penalty of perjury, which contained the materially false statement that, “On May 30, 2021, Tonka died. On that same date, [my husband] cremated Tonka’s body. After the cremation, he gave me Tonka’s cremated remains. Since then, I have retained—and continue to retain—Tonka’s remains.” Haddix well knew at that time that Tonka was not dead, but alive and living in a known location. On December 27, 2021, Haddix filed in the District Court her pro se motion to dismiss with prejudice PETA’s fourth motion seeking civil contempt. In that motion, Haddix again made numerous materially false representations that Tonka was dead. Her materially false statements influenced, obstructed and impeded the due administration of justice in that pending civil case.
On January 5, 2022, the District Court convened a hearing during which Haddix gave sworn testimony and again made materially false statements, including that on May 30, 2021, “…and then I went in and I opened the cage door and [Tonka] was dead. He was dead.” “…we took him around and let the chimps say good-bye. Then we put him in the Gator and we backed the Gator up against the truck, the bed of the truck, the tailgate, and then we put his body over into the truck and then he left.” “…and I waited for [my husband] to call me, to let me know [that he had completed his cremation.]” “…I wanted to keep trying to save Tonka if I could. But then he just died on his own, so there was no saving him.” Based upon her false testimony, the District Court denied PETA’s motion for civil contempt.
On June 2, 2022, based upon newly discovered evidence presented to the District Court that Tonka was alive, the District Court entered its temporary restraining order requiring Haddix to cooperate in the transfer of Tonka from her possession to a facility designated by PETA. On June 8, 2022, representatives of PETA and representatives of the Save the Chimps Foundation, with the assistance of Deputy U.S. Marshals, were finally able to transfer Tonka from where he was being held in a cage in Haddix’s basement to a Save the Chimps sanctuary, where Tonka continues to live to this date.
“Despite repeatedly being warned by the District Court about the consequences of flouting the consent decree and court orders and being given ample opportunity to come into compliance, Haddix continued to defy the Court,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “She then repeatedly lied about Tonka’s death while she was under oath.”
"Tania Haddix swore to tell the truth under oath and then proceeded to blatantly lie to a federal judge," said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “There is no excuse."
Haddix is scheduled to be sentenced July 16. Each perjury charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The obstruction charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the same fine range.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
Participant in Nationwide Rental Car Theft Scheme Sentenced to 75 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a man who participated in a nationwide scheme that stole $1.17 million worth of luxury rental cars to 75 months in prison.
James E. McGhaney, 36, of New York City, was also ordered to repay $938,963.
McGhaney recruited and supervised others who picked up the rental cars by using false driver’s licenses and counterfeit credit cards. The vehicles had been reserved using stolen identities. In all, the conspirators used the identities of at least 23 victims to steal 19 rental vehicles. McGhaney was one of eight defendants who have pleaded guilty in the case.
Tyrell A. Oliver, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the scheme’s organizer. He was sentenced in February to 90 months in prison after pleading guilty in October to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. McGhaney pleaded guilty to one conspiracy count and three counts of wire fraud.
Rashad Holder, 35, of New York, was sentenced to 65 months in prison and ordered to repay $581,711. Steven B. Matthews, 40, of Atlanta, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to repay $107,072. Reginald M. Glenn, 36, was sentenced to 13 months in prison. Marlique J. McGhaney, 35, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and ordered to repay $237,447. Daquasia M. Robinson, 33, was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay $119,805. Shawnta B. Fonseca, 34, is scheduled to be sentenced in April. Glenn, Marlique McGhaney, Fonseca and Robinson are all New York residents.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Admits Five Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted committing five bank robberies and one attempted robbery.
Derrick Snulligan, now 62, of Velda Village Hills, admitted handing a note demanding money to the teller of a bank in Northwoods, Missouri on April 18, 2023. He did the same thing at the same bank on Aug. 28, 2023. On Oct. 13, 2023, he tried a third time, but a teller activated an alarm and told Snulligan to leave.
In each robbery, Snulligan was wearing a mask.
After being thwarted in that robbery, Snulligan decided to make his notes more threatening. On June 24, 2024, he handed a note to an employee of a Hazelwood credit union that read, “I[f] you don’t want to get hurt, go in your drawer and give me 6-one hundred dollar bills, 4-fifty dollar bills, 10-ten dollar bills, and 20-5 dollar bills as quickly as possible,” his plea agreement says. The teller handed cash to Snulligan, who fled.
Three days later, Snulligan handed a note to the teller of a St. Louis credit union demanding money. After taking cash, he fled in a blue vehicle. That same day, he committed a similar robbery at a Florissant credit union. His note read, “If you don’t want to get shot I suggest you go in your drawer and give me 30 one hundred dollar bill[s], 20 fifty dollar bills, 30, 20 dollar bills and 40, 10 dollar bills as quickly as possible.” Snulligan again fled in a blue vehicle, which was identified as a Buick Encore.
Investigators traced the vehicle to Snulligan, who admitted committing the robberies and returned some of the money. Snulligan is also known as Derrick Jackson.
Snulligan, of Velda Village Hills, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday to five counts of bank robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI, the Florissant Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Northwoods Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Georgia Man Accused of Sex Charges Involving Missouri TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – An underage Missouri girl has been rescued from a Georgia man accused of child sex crimes.
Carlan Travis Penney Jr., 46, was charged by complaint on March 7 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with coercion and enticement or a minor and transportation of a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity. He was arrested the next day in Georgia and indicted on those same charges by a grand jury Wednesday.
Charging documents say the teen’s family alerted the local sheriff’s office when she went missing, and the sheriff’s office contacted the FBI. FBI special agents learned that the teen had been in contact with Penney, who had rented a car to drive to the teen’s home to pick her up and bring her to Georgia, charging documents say. When Penney arrived in Missouri to pick up the teen, he was masked and told the victim he had a firearm in case she turned out to be a law enforcement officer, charging documents say. After her phone and another mobile device were smashed, he took her to Georgia, the documents say. Penney always used cash and always wore gloves during stops on the trip, the documents say. Penney also made threatening statements about “snitches getting snitches” and frequently raised the topic of murder, the documents say.
Investigators found her at a home belonging to Penney’s family, the documents say. The victim told the FBI that after she’d met Penney via a “chat site,” he turned their conversation toward sex and sent her pictures of his genitals, the documents say.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“The victim was rescued quickly because of partnerships. After the FBI became aware, the minor was found in 24 hours hundreds of miles from her home,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “We thank all the various agencies that immediately helped at all hours of the night. Special thanks to the Worth County and Crisp County Sheriff’s Offices that recovered the girl safely after an hour-long standoff with the subject."
The FBI’s St. Louis Division, FBI Atlanta’s Albany Resident Agency, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Worth County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office and the Crisp County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis County Man Caught Sharing Child Pornography with PoliceRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted being caught sharing child sexual abuse material with an undercover police officer
James C. Astorian, 40, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of child pornography. He admitted sharing multiple images and videos containing child sexual abuse material with a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer in January of 2020 via a peer-to-peer network. St. Louis County police conducted a court-approved search of Astorian’s home and recovered electronic devices containing 6,110 images and 728 videos containing child pornography. Astorian told investigators that he has been searching for and downloading child pornography for about two years.
Astorian is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13. The crime carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis Woman Accused of $177,000 Pandemic-Era Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from St. Louis, Missouri has been accused of fraudulently obtaining $177,000 in pandemic-era tax refunds.
Ayana J. Brown, 33, was indicted February 20 on two felony counts of theft of government property. She turned herself in Monday and pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
The indictment says that on Dec. 22, 2022, Brown filed two fraudulent quarterly employment tax returns (IRS Form 941s) with the IRS on behalf of Yaya Flowtiques LLC. Brown falsely claimed the company had five employees and paid approximately $177,321 in wages for the first quarter of 2021 and $145,098 in wages for the second quarter, the indictment says. In fact, Yaya Flowtiques had no employees during this time, the indictment says. Brown fraudulently claimed credits under the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC) program, resulting in two U.S. Treasury checks totaling $177,000 in refunds that were mailed to Brown, the indictment says.
The ERC was a tax credit designed to encourage businesses to retain employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, businesses qualified for the ERC if they were shut down by a government order, experienced a 50% decline in gross receipts or qualified as a recovery startup business and if they paid qualified wages to employees during the pandemic.
Each theft of government property charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and fine
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Sikeston Man Sentenced to Serve 10 Years in Federal Prison for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – The United States Attorney's Office announced Monday that Steven K. Townsend, 33, of Sikeston, Missouri, was sentenced Friday to serve 10 years in prison for distributing fentanyl.
At his guilty plea hearing in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau last year, Townsend admitted that he sold a quantity of fentanyl to an individual in Sikeston in July 2023. Unbeknownst to Townsend at the time, the individual purchasing the fentanyl was working as an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). According to court documents, Townsend was on parole supervision through the State of Missouri for a prior drug trafficking conviction when he sold the fentanyl. After his release from prison, Townsend will be placed on a three-year term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County Man Admits Possessing Gun on School GroundsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County man on Thursday admitted threatening someone with a gun in a St. Louis early childhood education center’s parking lot
Leslie Wilkes, 26, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of a firearm in a school zone. He admitted that on May 5, 2023, he got into dispute with the father of a student at the center on Raymond Avenue in St. Louis. Wilkes was the boyfriend of the student’s mother. Wilkes told the principal that if she released the child to the father, the center would “have problems and he would be there every day.” Wilkes also threatened to shoot the father. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived and told Wilkes to put the gun down before taking him into custody. Wilkes told officers that he grabbed the gun because his hand was injured and he could not physically fight the father. He was carrying a Palmetto State Armory PA-15 semiautomatic pistol.
Wilkes is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nauman Wadalawala is prosecuting the case.
Former Bookkeeper Accused of Embezzling at Least $400,000 from ChurchRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former parish secretary and bookkeeper turned herself in Friday to face an accusation that she embezzled at least $400,000 from a DeSoto, Missouri church.
Corie M. Boyer, 49, of Jefferson County, Missouri, was indicted March 6 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on four counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. She pleaded not guilty in court Friday afternoon.
The indictment says Boyer was responsible for maintaining the parish's books and records, organizing certain parish fundraisers and assisting in the collection and counting of the weekly offertory. From at least January of 2017 through March of 2024, Boyer stole at least $400,000 in parish funds in multiple ways, the indictment says. She used parish funds to pay her personal credit card bills and used parish credit cards for personal expenses including airfare for herself and relatives, cruises, college tuition payments, shopping, taxes and rent, the indictment says. She also wrote checks to herself and stole cash from the offertory, and she covered up her thefts by falsifying parish records, the indictment says.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. Money laundering is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the same fine.
A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI and IRS - Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Man Arrested, Accused of $270,000 Fraud Involving False Concert ClaimsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man was arrested Tuesday in Nashville on an indictment that accuses him of fraudulently obtaining $270,000 from a talent booking agency in St. Louis, Missouri with false claims about a concert appearance by a national recording artist.
Joshua Adam Eldridge, 37, was indicted February 26 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of wire fraud. The indictment says that in March and April of 2024, Eldridge made a series of claims, starting with a false claim that he had an existing relationship with the artist and was talking to her about performing at the Afro Nation Detroit 2024 concert. Eldridge sent the booking agency fake screenshots of texts with the artist’s creative director, the indictment says. Although Eldridge did make a request to the artist through a third party, the offer was rejected, the indictment says. After the victim wired $270,000 for the artist to Eldridge, he used the money for living expenses, including airline tickets, clothing and accessories, the indictment says.
When the victim confronted Eldridge about a planned concert by the artist the same month in Detroit, Eldridge promised a return of the deposit, bolstering the false claim with a fabricated refund agreement between Eldridge and the artist’s creative director, the indictment says.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
Pair Convicted at Trial for St. Louis CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Wednesday convicted two men of charges related to multiple St. Louis carjackings.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Quinn Turner and Jaylen Mays stole a 2007 Chevrolet Impala at gunpoint on Nov. 11, 2022, and a 2017 GMC Terrain two days later. A 2015 Malibu was stolen at gunpoint by Mays and others on Nov. 5, 2022, in the downtown business district. Turner drove the Malibu with Mays and a juvenile as passengers to a gas station at the northwest corner of Russell Boulevard and South 7th Street in the Soulard neighborhood, where the GMC was taken. Detectives assigned to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Anti-Crime Task Force utilized spike strips to stop the Malibu as it was leaving the gas station, and found Turner, Mays and the juvenile inside.
Turner, 22, and Mays, 27, both of East St. Louis, Illinois, were each convicted of two counts of carjacking with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm and two charges of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Mays was convicted of an additional carjacking charge.
The trial began Monday. Turner and Mays are scheduled to be sentenced on June 18. The carjacking charges carry a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Martin and Jennifer Szczucinski are prosecuting the case.
Former Rolla Church Volunteer Admits Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former church youth ministry volunteer from Rolla, Missouri on Wednesday admitted possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material.
Bradley Thomas Colvin, 52, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. Colvin admitted searching for, viewing and downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM) for years. Colvin had at least 833 videos and 5,566 images containing CSAM on four computers, a tablet, an external hard drive and five USB thumb drives, he admitted as part of his plea.
The investigation began when Colvin distributed child pornography via a peer-to peer file sharing program to an officer with the Missouri State Highway Patrol who was conducting investigations. After investigators conducted a court-approved search of Colvin’s home, he admitted during a polygraph examination having touched a minor for sexual gratification years earlier at a pool party to celebrate the end of Vacation Bible School.
Colvin is scheduled to be sentenced June 18. The crime carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will ask for 10 years.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Colombian National Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday sentenced a man from Colombia to nine years in prison for possessing child pornography.
Fabio Murillo Sanchez, 51, pleaded guilty in October to one felony count of possession of child pornography. He admitted that in 2023, a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department detective downloaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from an IP address in St. Louis via the BitTorrent peer-to-peer network. Investigators traced the IP address to Sanchez’ home. When they interviewed Sanchez, he admitted possessing CSAM and turned over three computer devices. He also said he’d been looking at CSAM since 2009.
The FBI found 686 videos and 1,392 images containing CSAM and over 19,000 images of "child erotica and nude child modeling," his plea agreement says.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Three Former St. Louis Area Residents Admit $229,000 Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three former residents of the St. Louis area pleaded guilty Tuesday and admitted fraudulently obtaining $229,000 in loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brianna L. Bell-Maple, 24, Jemyla A. Bell, 39, and Leiah A. Vaughn, 23, each pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud. Each defendant admitted participating in a scheme to fraudulently apply for 12 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from March 2021 to August 2021. Each defendant applied for four loans. The loan applications were nearly identical and sought the maximum loan of $20,833 for a sole proprietorship. Each application was filed in the name of a nonexistent women’s clothing store, and falsely claimed the store earned $121,003 in 2019. Bell-Maple, Bell and Vaughn also submitted falsified tax forms.
Eleven of the loan applications were approved, yielding a total of $229,163.
PPP loans were intended to aid small businesses in paying and retaining employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bell-Maple used PPP loan money to lease a new apartment in April of 2021. Bell-Maple and Vaughn moved in. The three spent more loan proceeds on personal expenditures such as shopping, dining, cash withdrawals, and electronic transfers to friends and family. On May 5, 2021, Vaughn and Bell-Maple spent $5,200 on a purebred puppy. Two days later, Bell-Maple and Bell each purchased a vehicle from the same car dealership.
Bell-Maple, Bell, and Vaughn submitted 11 applications for loan forgiveness on Aug. 9, 2021, falsely claiming that they spent the PPP money on payroll. The loan forgiveness applications were approved based on their false claims.
The three, who now live in Fresno, Calif., are scheduled to be sentenced on June 9. Each wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. Each of the defendants has agreed to a money judgment equal to the total value of fraudulently obtained PPP loans.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Felon Admits Gun, Fentanyl Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis County has pleaded guilty to two gun charges and admitted possessing fentanyl.
James C. Taylor, 32, of Velda City, Missouri, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Taylor admitted that on Jan. 16, 2019, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers responding to a “shots fired’ call found a stolen .40-caliber HS Produkt XD-40 pistol that Taylor had hidden in a couch, a digital scale and two bags of fentanyl in the room where Taylor had been. Witnesses told officers that Taylor was cheated out of $300 in a drug deal and began demanding money from the cousin of the purported dealer. Taylor received $600 but wanted more and held the cousin captive while he tried to get another person to bring more money, witnesses reported. Taylor is disputing the witnesses’ accounts but acknowledges the U.S. Attorney’s office could prove the kidnapping incident by at least a preponderance of the evidence.
Taylor also admitted that on Nov. 7, 2020, St. Louis police received calls about a man in a gold Buick LeSabre on Enright Avenue pointing an AR-style firearm at people. Officers arrived and found Taylor in the driver’s seat. When told to exit the car and put his hands on the vehicle, Taylor dropped his phone and ran. He was arrested after a short pursuit. Officers saw a black AM-15 pistol with a large-capacity magazine in plain view on the back floor of the LeSabre and found a baggy containing marijuana.
Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. As part of the plea, both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Taylor’s lawyer have agreed to recommend a prison sentence of 12 years.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Sex Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday sentenced a registered sex offender who was caught with child sexual abuse material to 14 years in prison.
Charles R. Hamilton, 66, of Chesterfield, had 1,288 image files and 185 video files containing child sexual abuse material on his phone. In May of 2023, law enforcement officers in Alabama identified a Kik social media account that was being used to distribute child sexual abuse material. They traced the account to Hamilton, a convicted sex offender. When investigators interviewed Hamilton on May 25, 2023, he consented to a search of his phone. Investigators later found images of child pornography matching those distributed via the Kik account. A forensic examination found that Defendant had used Kik, Instagram and Telegram accounts to receive and transmit child pornography.
Hamilton pleaded guilty in August to one count of possession of child pornography.
The FBI, the St. Louis County Police Department and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Arrested on Child Sex ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Federal agents on Monday arrested a Mexican national accused of illegal sexual activity with a minor.
Giovanni Falcon, 40, of University City, was indicted Feb. 26, 2025, in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with two felonies: transfer of obscene material to a minor and coercion and enticement of a minor. The indictment says that between July 26, 2024, and August 12, 2024, Falcon used the internet to expose his genitals to a minor. It also accuses him of coercing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity between Jan. 1, 2024, and August 12, 2024.
Falcon appeared in court Monday and pleaded not guilty.
A motion seeking to have Falcon detained until trial says he is not in the country legally and presents a flight risk if released.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The coercion charge is punishable by not less than 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The transfer of obscene material charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the same fine.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Ann Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis County Man Admits Dogfighting ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man pleaded guilty Friday and admitted hosting dogfights in his home and training dogs to fight.
Terrell Williams, 52, admitted hosting dog fights in a wooden “box” setup in the basement of his Riverview, Missouri, home on two occasions in July and August of 2021. Williams also admitted breeding and owning multiple bull terriers or terrier mixes between Sept. 5, 2020, and May 1, 2022, that were used for fights. On June 22, 2022, FBI agents conducted a court-approved search of Williams’ home and seized eight bull terrier mixes and three Yorkshire terriers, as well as equipment used to train and condition dogs, including weighted vests, body-enhancing chemicals and a canine treadmill. Multiple dogs appeared to be aggressive towards humans and other dogs, anxious or fearful. Dogs also bore scars consistent with dog bites or dog fighting.
Williams pleaded guilty to a dogfighting charge, which is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6.
As part of his plea, Williams agreed to give up the seized dogs and the training equipment.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
Men Accused of Embezzling $1.4 Million from St. Louis County RestaurantRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men have been accused of embezzling more than $1.4 million from the restaurant that employed them for years.
Matthew Braasch and Mark Erney were each indicted on Feb. 20, 2025, with two counts of wire fraud. Erney turned himself in Friday and pleaded not guilty. Braasch did the same on February 25.
The indictment says both men were high-level employees of a restaurant in Grantwood Village, in St. Louis County, Missouri, and told company managers that they would only use company credit cards for necessary business expenses. They instead used them for personal purchases, it says. Braasch spent $81,965 at Target, over $31,000 at the Vineyard Vines clothing store, $39,634 at Amazon and over $10,000 on local hotel stays for an acquaintance, the indictment says. He also spent $1,600 on a golf outing, $2,460 to store his RV, $5,425 on St. Louis Cardinals tickets and $2,681 for a vacation at Disney World, the indictment says.
Erney spent $155,696 on personal expenses from Amazon, more than $37,000 at other local bars and restaurants, $5,600 for two couches and $3,943 at a supplier of men’s health products.
The indictment says that due to the embezzlement, the restaurant lacked money to buy food and pay state taxes, including liquor taxes, and Braasch and Erney took out loans to cover the shortfall. Braasch also posed as a restaurant manager when state investigators tried to collect back taxes to keep the real managers in the dark, the indictment says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI, with assistance from the Missouri Department of Revenue, Criminal Tax Investigation Bureau, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Felon Who Triggered Standoff Sentenced to 40 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon who triggered a law enforcement standoff in St. Louis County to 40 months in prison.
Randy Wilkes, 43, pleaded guilty in November to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted being caught with a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol on Oct. 5, 2022, by the U.S. Marshals Service and St. Louis County police.
Deputy U.S. Marshals and police were at Wilkes’ home in the 10400 block of Gardo Court in Bellefontaine Neighbors to arrest him for outstanding felony warrants stemming from two violent domestic assaults, according to a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin. Wilkes refused officers’ commands to come to the door and instead hid in the basement, triggering a standoff that lasted more than two hours, the memo says. After escorting multiple children out of the house, law enforcement officers tried to safely locate Wilkes, using a K-9, a robot equipped with a camera and multiple nonlethal pepper balls and gas canisters to avoid approaching Wilkes in a way that would risk their safety, the memo says. Wilkes was arrested after officers forced entry into an exterior basement door.
After his release from prison, Wilkes will be on supervised release for three years.
The U.S. Marshals Service and St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Men Admit Role in Fatal St. Louis Drug RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men have pleaded guilty to charges connected to the fatal robbery of a drug dealer in St. Louis, Missouri in 2022.
Ralph Ruffin, 21, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two felony counts: conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, resulting in death. Jamie Gore, 37, pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Both men admitted that on Dec. 10, 2022, Gore contacted the victim seeking drugs and asked him to come to Gore’s mother’s house in the 5900 block of Romaine Place. Gore had recently purchased drugs from the victim, and told the victim that he could obtain two guns in exchange for more drugs. Ruffin and an associate were waiting inside the home and began firing at the victim when Gore led him inside. The victim, who fired shots as well, was fatally shot in the throat. Ruffin and his associate then stole the victim’s gun, cash and fentanyl.
Gore admitted aiding Ruffin and others in “numerous” prior drug robberies. Ruffin would give some of the drugs to Gore and sell the rest.
Ruffin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4. Both sides have agreed to recommend 20 years in prison. Gore is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23. He faces at least seven years in prison.
The Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoff Ogden is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Area Non-Profit Leaders Accused of $7 Million School Meal Fraud and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A couple who ran a local non-profit were arrested Tuesday after having been accused in an indictment of stealing more than $7 million that was supposed to feed low-income Missouri children.
FBI special agents also seized a pickup truck, two vans and a minivan that were purchased with what the indictment calls fraudulently-obtained funds.
Diarra Williams, 30, and Nicholas Warford, 31, both of Edwardsville, Illinois, were indicted on Feb. 26 with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of obstruction of an official proceeding. They are scheduled to enter a not guilty plea Tuesday afternoon.
The indictment says the couple defrauded Missouri’s At-Risk Afterschool Program and Summer Food Service Program, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meals are served by schools and non-profit organizations. Williams ran a non-profit called The Bailey Foundation, which fraudulently claimed it served more than 2.2 million meals, the indictment says. Williams and Warford then laundered the meal money through a company owned by Warford, Warford’s Classic Catering LLC, by creating fake invoices that showed meal purchases that were never made, the indictment says.
The indictment says the scheme lasted from March 2020 through July 2022. An April 2021 invoice falsely claimed that 208,456 meals were served, each of which included an eight-ounce serving of milk, the indictment says. Warford’s company bought no milk and paid less than $5,000 for food, it says.
The indictment says Williams and Warford used the money to buy a $1.4 million home in Edwardsville, a 2018 Lincoln Navigator, a 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel pickup, a 2011 Mercedes Benz Sprinter, a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica and two 2021 Ram Promaster vans. They also spent $140,000 on extravagant vacations, $100,000 on furniture, home electronics and landscaping for their new home, more than $50,000 in school tuition payments and $460,000 on Warford's mother, the indictment says.
The couple falsely claimed in reports to the state that they’d spent the money on feeding children and told the IRS that their lavish spending represented legitimate business expenses of Warford’s company, the indictment says. They also tried to impede the investigation by producing phony invoices in response to a federal grand jury subpoena, the indictment says.
The indictment seeks the forfeiture of vehicles and the couple’s home.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“The alleged fraud is beyond despicable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “The defendants allegedly stole millions in taxpayer dollars meant to feed low-income children in Missouri for their own use.”
“The defendants are accused of stealing money meant to feed low-income school-aged children and using the funds to live a lavish lifestyle. It’s hard to put into words how egregious these accusations are,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation St. Louis Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “But this arrest means their actions have been disrupted and they can now be held accountable.”
The FBI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and IRS – CI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Poplar Bluff Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Attempting to Sell MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man from Poplar Bluff, Missouri who tried to sell methamphetamine shortly after his release from prison to 12 more years in prison.
Lonnie C. Hamilton, 40, pleaded guilty in December to one felony count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His plea says that on May 16, 2023, a Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force officer was approached by someone who said Hamilton tried to sell him an ounce of meth on the street. The officer found Hamilton, who removed a baggie containing meth from his pocket, admitted that the substance was methamphetamine and further admitted that he had recently been released from prison. Hamilton said an acquaintance gave him two ounces of methamphetamine to sell so that he could make some money, adding that he’d used some and intended to sell some. Hamilton was caught with about 48 grams, or roughly 1.7 ounces, of meth.
Because he has at least two prior felony convictions of either a crime of violence or a drug offense, Hamilton qualified as a “career offender.”
The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.
Missouri Man Admits Child Pornography Charge, Sexual Contact with TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Overland, Missouri on Tuesday admitted possessing child sexual abuse material and engaging in sexual contact with a teen he’d met online.
James Donald Goings, 36, pleaded guilty to one felony count of receipt of child pornography. He admitted that investigators were alerted by CyberTipline Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after Goings uploaded child sexual abuse material to a Google account. On July 21, 2022, St. Louis County Police Department officers conducted a court-approved search of Goings' house and recovered computer equipment. Investigators then learned that Goings traveled to Illinois and engaged in sexual contact with a 15-year-old that he met via Grindr and was in contact with another teen that he’d also met on Grindr, Goings’ plea says. The second victim told investigators that on multiple occasions he had video calls with Goings during which Goings directed him to perform specific sexual acts, the plea says.
Goings also possessed 2,500 images containing child sexual abuse material on a computer and 190 images in his Google account.
Going is scheduled to be sentenced in June. The charge is punishable by five to 20 years in prison. He has also agreed to forfeit cell phones, computer equipment and storage devices.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the Edwardsville (Illinois) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Cape Girardeau Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man who admitted recording his sexual activity with a child to 30 years in prison.
Steven Lee Brown, 33, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in December to one count of producing child pornography.
According to court documents, the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office received a report that Brown had sexually abused a 10-year-old child last May. The child was interviewed and confirmed the abuse. Officers immediately responded to Brown’s residence. During an interview, Brown admitted that he engaged in various sexual acts with the child. Brown further admitted that he used his cell phone to record some of the sexual activity. Officers seized Brown’s phone and discovered sexually explicit images of the minor child on the device. At his guilty plea hearing, Brown admitted that he used his cell phone to produce the sexually explicit material. After serving his 30-year sentence, Brown will be subject to lifetime supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the Government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis County Man Admits Pandemic-Related Unemployment FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Friday admitted possessing stolen identities and engaging in several schemes, including one in which he falsely obtained COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits.
Daryl Jones Jr., 45, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to three felonies: conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud.
Between June 22, 2020, and July 15, 2020, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania deposited $84,592 in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits on debit cards fraudulently issued in the identities of Jones and four others. Debit cards were issued in the stolen identities of four more people, but no deposits were made.
Jones obtained some of the personal information to set up the accounts from Cheryl Johnson, his girlfriend, who had supervised the victims while employed at various St. Louis area businesses.
On June 3, 2021, Jones submitted counterfeit pay stubs from a fake business associated with Johnson to obtain a $31,700 vehicle loan. He and Johnson submitted counterfeit insurance identification cards to accept delivery of the vehicle. On June 25, 2021, they arrived at the St. Louis County home of James Whitiker in that vehicle, as law enforcement was performing a court-approved search. Investigators found a notebook containing the names, Social Security numbers and birthdates of about 35 individuals, two more pieces of paper with the identifying information of 18 others, three stolen identification documents, nine Pennsylvania unemployment insurance benefit debit cards and stolen credit and debit cards.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29.
Johnson, 44, pleaded guilty February 20 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced in May. Whitiker, 43, pleaded guilty in July to a conspiracy charge and was sentenced in October to three years of prison. He admitted using two debit cards during the conspiracy and knowing that Jones and Johnson were using his home to commit the unemployment fraud.
St. Louis County Felon Who Shot at Police Sentenced to 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Friday sentenced a convicted felon who shot at St. Louis County Police Department officers in 2020 to 25 years in prison.
On Sept. 1, 2020, Dexter McKinnies shot at police, including officers who were members of the FBI Violent Crime Safe Streets Task Force, as they were trying to arrest him. Police had been trying to locate Dexter McKinnies during an investigation of multiple violent crimes and learned that his brother, Lawton McKinnies, had an active felony arrest warrant for three counts of first-degree assault and three counts of armed criminal action.
Officers arranged a meeting as a ruse. The McKinnies went to the meeting believing that they would be performing maintenance work on a property. When Lawton McKinnies arrived, officers arrested him and discovered that he was armed with a 9mm pistol. Dexter McKinnies was across the street and fired multiple shots at officers with a 9mm pistol, striking an FBI truck. Officers returned fire and struck McKinnies.
Both McKinnies are convicted felons and are thus barred from possessing a firearm.
Dexter McKinnies, now 34, pleaded guilty in November to five felonies: one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts each of assault on a federal officer and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Lawton McKinnies, now 36, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to three years in prison. In March, he was sentenced to another year for violating his supervised release.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald Boyce and Nichole Frankenberg prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Missouri Man Admits Stealing Railroad Property 33 TimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Missouri man on Friday admitted stealing railroad equipment on 33 occasions in Missouri and Illinois, costing railroads more than $1.5 million.
Jesse Henry, 21, of Laclede County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of damaging a railroad signal system. He admitted being responsible for a total of 33 thefts out of different railroad bungalows in Missouri and Illinois in 2022 and 2023. Henry stole railroad control equipment, signs, plans and blueprints from the bungalows, which are metal structures that contain railroad gear.
In the Spring of 2023, railroads noticed an increase in thefts and contacted local and federal law enforcement. Among the items that were stolen was a crossing controller at the Seeger Lane crossing in Foristell, Missouri on August 8, 2023. A passing train crew noticed that the crossing signal was not functioning and the gates blocking the road were down, creating a danger if vehicles drove around the gates. The FBI traced the theft to Henry and performed a court-approved search of his family’s home near Richland, Missouri on Nov. 28, 2023. They recovered the crossing controller from Foristell, as well as blueprints, schematics, documents, dozens of signs and other items.
Henry is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4. The crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The FBI investigated the case, with the assistance of the railroads. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is prosecuting the case.
Four Admit Committing Fraud with Checks Stolen from the MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Four Franklin County, Missouri men have admitted using stolen checks from the U.S. Mail to commit bank fraud.
Matthew Cahill, 40, pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and four counts of bank fraud. Cahill admitted that from roughly February 2020 through September 2021, he and others stole personal checks, business checks, bank account information and the personally identifying information of multiple victims by removing outgoing or delivered mail from mailboxes, residences and vehicles. Cahill and the others altered the checks or created counterfeit checks, and then used those checks at retail stores, deposited them or cashed them at banks. Cahill also electronically accessed a victim’s account and sent an unauthorized online ACH payment to an associate. The scheme created an actual and intended loss of $67,807.
Cahill is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29.
Donald Anderson, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and three counts of bank fraud and has been sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to repay $26,527 to victims.
Joshua Hopkins, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to repay $1,395.
Harvey Hale, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of bank fraud and has been sentenced to 12 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to repay $19,550.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the police departments in the cities of Washington, Union, Eureka, St. Clair and St. Charles investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke is prosecuting the case.
Alleged Member of Fraud Ring Targeting Elderly Arrested in FloridaRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man indicted and accused of aiding a scam that cost at least four victims more than $550,000 was arrested Friday in Florida.
Michael P. Garcia, 36, of the Miami area, was indicted on Dec. 18, 2024, in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
The conspirators contacted victims and made various false claims to induce victims to hand over cash or valuables, the indictment says. In one instance, the conspirators claimed to be from a victim’s financial institution and told the victim that her accounts had been compromised and were being used for illegal activity and that the victim needed to give them money to stop that illegal activity. Couriers were then sent to pick up valuables from victims of the scam.
Garcia is accused in the indictment of recruiting and paying a courier to pick up $20,000 in cash and gold bars from two victims in Brooklyn, New York on Oct. 30, 2023. The courier picked up another $30,000 in cash two days later, the indictment says. Garcia is also accused of sending that same courier to Summerfield, North Carolina in November of 2023 to pick up gold bars from a victim there. That same month, Garcia sent the courier to pick up about $200,000 in gold bars from a 76-year-old Fenton, Missouri victim who’d already supplied the conspirators with $20,000 in cryptocurrency, the indictment says. The courier has been arrested and charged.
Garcia will be brought to St. Louis to face charges.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Former Middle School Teacher Admits Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former St. Louis County, Missouri middle school teacher on Wednesday admitted possessing hundreds of images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.
Scott R. Ellis, 38, pleaded guilty to one felony count of possession of child pornography. Ellis admitted possessing 72 images containing child abuse material on his cell phone and about 700 videos and more than 900 images in his Mega cloud storage account.
The investigation began with two cyber tipline reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child pornography in Ellis’ Google account.
Ellis is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Special Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Felon Convicted of New Drug and Gun Charges at TrialRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis, Missouri who was caught twice with guns and drugs was found guilty Wednesday of all seven charges that he faced.
Jurors found Antonio Dixson, 37, guilty of two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a defaced firearm.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that on Dec. 1, 2020, Dixson was stopped in Wentzville, Missouri in a Honda SUV that had fled from St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers two weeks earlier. When Dixson stepped out of the rear seat of the vehicle, a Glock pistol fell from his waist to the ground. A Taurus Judge revolver was visibly protruding from his pocket. Police then found ammunition and drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, PCP and cocaine, in his pockets.
After Dixson was indicted for the Wentzville incident, he was arrested on Feb. 25, 2021, by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers who spotted a Mercury Villager driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Officers found two guns and drugs in the pockets of Dixson’s pants.
Dixson is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms.
Dixson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3. He faces a sentence of at least 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Wentzville Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Dunkel and Hal Goldsmith are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
St. Louis Man Sentenced for Making, Selling Fraudulent IDsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man who produced and sold fraudulent identification documents to two years in prison.
David B. Crosby, 28, pleaded guilty in November to one count of fraud with identification documents and admitted selling stolen and/or fraudulent identification documents and a Social Security number via social media.
Crosby sold a fraudulent Missouri driver’s license in October 2023, bearing the name and information of a victim but the photograph of someone else. He also sold the victim’s Social Security number to the same buyer. That identification document and information was subsequently utilized to attempt to purchase a roughly $70,000 BMW in Texas through a fraudulent loan. Crosby also used false identification documents to try to lease an apartment and obtain a $33,000 automobile loan. Crosby admitted intending to cause a total loss of at least $103,000.
The U.S. Secret Service, the St. Charles Police Department and the Wentzville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll prosecuted the case.
Sex Offender Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a registered sex offender caught with child sexual abuse material to 130 months in prison.
Thomas O. Stroud Jr., 43, of Wappapello, in Wayne County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in November to possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Stroud has a prior federal conviction for possessing child pornography in 2009. Following his release from federal prison, Stroud was required to register as a sex offender. He was also placed on a 40-year term of supervised release. In March 2024, while Stroud was serving his term of supervised release, Stroud’s probation officer discovered that he had been using a cell phone to communicate with someone in Indiana. During the communications, Stroud obtained several images of child pornography.
After serving his 130-month sentence, Stroud will once again be placed on supervised release.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Probation Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts St. Louis Man of Drug Trafficking and Charges Connected to Nine MurdersRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Monday found a St. Louis man guilty of a cocaine trafficking charge and charges related to the death of nine people during a nearly six-year period.
Evidence and testimony presented at trial showed that Anthony “TT” Jordan, 38, was the leader of a cocaine trafficking ring. Jordan committed murders to protect that organization and hinder any investigation by law enforcement. He later committed additional murders to retaliate against a St. Louis gang he held responsible for the murder of a friend, gathering information and targeting gang members with the help of associates. Jordan and his co-conspirators also killed several bystanders, to include Clara Walker, a 51-year-old mother of nine, and Keairrah Johnson. Among those who testified were direct witnesses to the murders.
Jordan was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and nine counts of use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime resulting in death. Those counts relate to the following fatal shootings, with details according to trial testimony:
• The April 19, 2008, deaths of Al Walters, Linnie Jackson, and Keith Burks. Walters was Jordan’s target.
• The Feb. 3, 2010, deaths of Marquis Jones and Keairrah Johnson. Jones was the target.
• The June 25, 2013, death of Anthony “Blinky” Clark.
• The Dec. 29, 2013, deaths of Robert “Parker G” Parker and Clara Walker. Parker was the target.
• The Jan. 21, 2014, death of Michail “Yellow Mack” Gridiron.Jordan was also convicted of a nonfatal shooting on Dec. 23, 2013.
“I would like to thank the jury for their service over the last few weeks and commend all of our law enforcement partners, the Assistant United States Attorneys, and the support staff who worked tirelessly over the years to investigate and prosecute this case,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “With today’s guilty verdict, justice was served. The evidence proved without a doubt that Anthony Jordan is a violent drug-trafficker and serial murderer who needed to be removed from the streets of St. Louis. Our office remains dedicated to working with our local, state, and federal counterparts to bring at least some measure of comfort and resolution to the families of the victims of such violence, as they deserve nothing less.”
“These murders were committed to benefit a large-scale drug trafficking organization that flooded our communities with poison directly sourced from cartels in Mexico. Anthony Jordan is not only a drug trafficker, but a serial murderer whose job was to eliminate competition from other drug dealers,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “St. Louis is a safer place with Jordan and his associates off the streets.”
“Today’s verdict is the culmination of countless hours of investigative work,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “Over a span of several years, we uncovered the extent of Anthony Jordan’s reach into our St. Louis neighborhoods. His acts of violence instilled fear in our communities, while the drugs he pushed destroyed lives. Let this serve as a reminder that no one is above the law. The DEA, in partnership with our fellow law enforcement agencies, will go to great lengths to bring justice to the families impacted by those who inflict pain and suffering in our neighborhoods.”
The trial began with jury selection on January 31. Jordan is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, and faces up to life in prison.
Jordan’s cocaine was supplied by Adrian Lemons, who obtained cocaine in bulk from representatives of a Mexican cartel. Lemons, now 46, of St. Louis, was sentenced in 2020 to 20 years in prison. Lemons, Jordan and 32 others were indicted as part of a long-running investigation by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Granger and Donald Boyce are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Former Employee Admits Embezzling at Least $300,000 from St. Louis County CompanyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Charlotte, North Carolina has admitted embezzling at least $300,000 from a St. Louis County company, U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced Monday.
Scott H. Foster, 48, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of wire fraud. He admitted as part of his plea that he committed the crime from January 2018 to December 2022, while employed as a mid-level executive of the company. Foster manipulated the human resources systems to create an employee account for his paramour, triggering wages and benefits totaling more than $273,000.00 to be paid to his paramour over nearly five years, despite this individual performing little or no actual work for the company. Foster also used a corporate American Express card to pay for more than $33,000 in personal travel for himself, his paramour and other friends and acquaintances.
Foster is scheduled to be sentenced May 22.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.