Eastern District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
O’Fallon, Missouri Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison on Child Sex ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a man who engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year-old that he met online and discussed sex with another 15-year-old to 25 years in prison.
Andrew Haller, 34, met two 15-year-old girls on Tumblr before moving their conversations to the encrypted app Telegram.
The 15-year-old California victim came forward in October of 2023 and told the FBI that Haller was sexually abusing another teen. She said Haller told her that he had imposed rules on the other victim, and proposed rules for the California victim. The rules included that she would have to ask his permission once a day to urinate, wear a collar and refer to him only as “Sir,” Dad” or “Daddy.” He also asked her for nude photos and sent her photos and videos of the other victim.
After identifying Haller and performing a court-approved search of his home in November of 2023, the FBI identified that other victim. The victim told the FBI that she met Haller in person twice in 2023 and engaged in sexual activity. Haller struck her during the first visit and took pictures and videos of her, his plea says. He also told her he wanted to abuse children too young to talk or remember the abuse. She sent Haller sexually explicit photos at his direction.
In a letter to the court, the second victim said Haller won her trust by claiming that he suffered mental illness, as she did. Then he began controlling her, making demands and ordering her to carve his initial into her thigh. “He wanted me to have kids so he could abuse them,” she wrote.
Haller also possessed 195 images and 92 videos of known or suspected child sexual abuse material and sent that material to others via Telegram and Signal, another encrypted app, his plea says.
Haller pleaded guilty in October to two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes 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 Illinois Police Officer Admits Assaulting Handcuffed ManRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former police officer in Venice, Ill. on Thursday admitted striking a handcuffed man in the face after a police chase.
Justin Gaither, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, namely the right to be free from the use of unreasonable force. He admitted that on Nov. 20, 2022, while working in full uniform and on duty with the Venice Police Department, he began pursuing a car that was displaying stolen license plates. The car drove over spike strips that Gaither deployed, then over the McKinley Bridge and into St. Louis. A Brooklyn (Illinois) Police Department officer was also pursuing the car. The pursuit ended in the 3800 block of Parnell Avenue in St. Louis and all of the vehicle’s occupants ran away from the car. Gaither and the Brooklyn officer, accompanied by that officer’s K9, chased the driver. The driver was bitten while climbing over a fence, fell and was then handcuffed by the Brooklyn officer. As Gaither lifted the driver from the ground to escort him to a police vehicle, he struck the driver twice in the face without justification and without a legitimate purpose, the plea agreement says. The driver suffered a broken nose.
Gaither is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2. The charge carries penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and fine.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug is prosecuting the case.
Washington, Missouri Woman Accused of Embezzling from Her EmployerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from Washington, Missouri has been indicted and accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from her former employer.
Victoria Isgriggs, formerly known as Victoria Denise Missey, was indicted on February 13 with two counts of bank fraud and four counts of wire fraud. She was arrested Wednesday and is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in St. Louis the same day to plead not guilty.
The indictment says Isgriggs, 44, worked at a Franklin County nursery and florist as an office manager and accountant from approximately Nov. 26, 2023, through April 29, 2024. The indictment accuses Isgriggs of using a company bank account and company credit cards to pay personal expenses, including credit card debt, cell phone expenses, utility bills, and rent. The indictment also accuses Isgriggs of using company credit cards to make personal purchases that included luxury items and airfare.
The indictment seeks the forfeiture of jewelry, Christian Louboutin footwear and Louis Vuitton bags and accessories.
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 U.S. Secret Service and the Washington (Missouri) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Roy prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Area Doctor Sentenced, Ordered to Repay $742,000Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday sentenced a doctor who ran two urgent care centers in the St. Louis area to 35 months in prison for defrauding Medicare and Missouri Medicaid and ordered him to repay $742,528.
Dr. Sonny Saggar, 57, will also be on supervised release for three years after he leaves prison.
Saggar pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to one count of conspiracy. He admitted that while operating St. Louis General Hospital (SLGH) locations in downtown St. Louis and near Creve Coeur, he and his office manager hired assistant physicians (APs) to see patients but billed Medicare and Missouri Medicaid as if Dr. Saggar had seen them, even when he was out of town. APs are medical school graduates who have not completed a residency program. To legally practice medicine in Missouri, they are required to be closely supervised by a licensed physician under written collaborative practice arrangements (CPAs) that restrict the AP's ability to provide medical services and limit their practice areas to medically underserved rural or urban areas.
Dr. Saggar admitted hiring “numerous” APs from July 2018 to July 2023 to work at the SLGH locations, which he and office manager Renita Barringer advertised as both urgent and primary care facilities and as a “residency prep” program and a “stepping stone” for the APs. Dr. Saggar admitted that APs were not properly trained or supervised and that he and Barringer advised them to consult each other on their medical questions. One physician can legally supervise no more than six APs, so Dr. Saggar offered stipends of up to $480 per month to various physicians to induce them to sign up to be collaborating physicians, and then submitted CPA forms to the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts to falsely make it appear as if the APs were being properly supervised. He admitted that the Creve Coeur location is not medical underserved and thus APs are not permitted to work there.
Finally, Dr. Saggar admitted that in January of 2022, he hired a doctor who had been indicted in another case to be the sole collaborating physician at the Creve Coeur location but did not disclose to Medicaid that the co-conspirator was performing services there. That physician’s billing privileges with Medicaid had been suspended.
The conduct of Dr. Saggar and Barringer caused a loss to Medicare and Missouri Medicaid of $742,528.
"Today's sentencing underscores our commitment to ensuring that providers are held accountable for submitting fraudulent claims for financial gain and for deliberately concealing critical information about healthcare professionals,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies, will continue working together to safeguard the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs."
“This crime went beyond bilking taxpayer funded healthcare programs. Dr. Sonny Saggar risked the well-being of patients with urgent medical needs. He knew his assistant physicians were not qualified to see patients without supervision,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “To add further insult to injury, Dr. Saggar falsely claimed he was the one who saw the patients so he could bill Medicare and Medicaid.”
“Doctors are expected to follow a certain code of conduct and obey the laws and regulations put in place to protect their clients,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “Our investigation shows that Dr. Saggar broke with protocol and endangered lives with his negligence. As a result of his misconduct, he was arrested, surrendered his DEA Certificate of Registration, can no longer prescribe controlled substances and faces nearly three years in federal prison.”
Barringer, 51, pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Accused of Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Northwoods, in St. Louis County, Missouri, has been accused of child sex trafficking.
Rodarius Servick, 50, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday on one count of child sex trafficking and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He appeared in court and pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
The indictment accuses Servick of recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting or providing a minor for a commercial sex act between August 19, 2024, and Sept. 13, 2024, and transporting that minor across state lines for the purpose of prostitution on August 19.
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.
A motion seeking to have Servick held in jail until trial says law enforcement learned on Sept. 13, 2024, of a runaway juvenile that was being trafficked. Detectives found an advertisement with her picture online, and the St. Louis County Police Department conducted an undercover operation that recovered the girl days later.
The FBI, the St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards 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.
Undocumented Immigrant Indicted on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A undocumented immigrant living in St. Charles County, Missouri was indicted Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and accused of receiving images containing child sexual abuse material.
Francisco J. Ocana-Talamantes, 46, was indicted on one count of receiving child pornography. The indictment accuses him of receiving those images via the internet between Feb. 11, 2020, and March 14, 2024.
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.
Ocana-Talamantes is already in custody.
A motion seeking to have him held in jail until trial says that Ocana-Talamantes is in the country illegally.
“The FBI and our local law enforcement partners had been investigating Franscisco Ocana-Talamantes for his alleged crimes against children,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Because this defendant had entered the country illegally, the FBI was able to expedite his federal indictment and arrest by leveraging our assistance to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement action.”
The charge carries a potential penalty of at least five years in prison, with a maximum of 20 years.
The FBI, the St. Charles Police Department and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force 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.
Man Once on FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives List Appears in Court in St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Donald Eugene Fields II, who was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list until his arrest on January 26 in Florida, pleaded not guilty Friday to child sex charges in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
Fields, now 60, of Franklin County, Missouri, was originally indicted on Dec. 7, 2022. He now faces a child sex trafficking charge and a charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The indictment accuses him of knowingly attempting to recruit, entice, provide, patronize and solicit a minor into engaging in a commercial sex act from about January 2013 until June 2017 and traveling to Florida in 2016 to engage in sex with a minor.
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.
Fields was arrested during a traffic stop by police in Lady Lake, Florida after officers learned that he was on the Most Wanted list.
“Donald Fields II will finally answer federal charges thanks to the outstanding work by the Lady Lake Police Department,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “We applaud the bravery of the alleged victims, who showed up in court today to face the defendant for the first time since he became a federal fugitive more than two years ago. The FBI will continue to provide victim services to support their emotional journey through the legal process.”
The case was investigated jointly by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, with assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $23.5 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2024Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced today that the Eastern District of Missouri collected $23.5 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $11 million was collected in criminal actions and $12.5 million was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Eastern District of Missouri worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect $16.9 million in cases pursued jointly by these offices, the majority of which was collected in civil actions.
Among the civil settlements were two cases involving allegations of false claims for medical services. Total Access Urgent Care (TAUC) paid $9.1 million and a Festus pain management doctor, Dr. Nehal Modh paid $1.2 million.Nearly $1 million of the total collected in criminal actions came from a continuing case against two Jefferson County chiropractors who aided their clients in committing disability fraud. So far, 27 patients have pleaded guilty and been ordered to repay fraudulently-obtained disability payments.
More than $880,000 was recovered in fiscal year 2024 from the garnishment of the retirement accounts belonging to two doctors who pleaded guilty in separate criminal cases. About $628,000 was recovered from Dr. Amy Swegan, who admitted accepting kickbacks from telemedicine companies involved in a nationwide fraud scheme. Nearly $255,000 was collected from Dr. Ashu Joshi, who distributed child pornography involving the daughter of a former patient.
“These cases show that our Financial Litigation Unit will aggressively pursue restitution for victims and taxpayers, even if it takes years after a case is resolved,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $5.6 million in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Four Admit Selling Machine Gun Conversion Devices, MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Four people have admitted selling methamphetamine or multiple machine gun conversion devices to an undercover federal agent.
Reginald Smith, 28, of Jennings, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of possession of one or more machine guns, one count of unlawfully dealing in firearms and one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
Three others have also admitted their roles in the case. Delance Bland Jr., 20, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of one or more machine guns. Kevin Burrow, 26, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine and two counts of distributing methamphetamine. Tamika Patterson, 45, of Jennings, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
After learning that Smith was selling machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) on Facebook, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began an investigation. MCDs, also known as switches or auto sears, convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon.
On Dec. 5, 2023, an undercover ATF agent bought a Glock pistol and two Glock switches from Smith in St. Louis. On December 11, Smith sold another pistol to the agent and introduced him to his mother, Patterson, who said she could sell him meth. On December 13, the agent and Patterson met with Burrow, Patterson’s source of meth, and the agent bought 55.5 grams of the drug. Smith sold the agent a stolen pistol. Smith claimed he and Bland were the main dealers of MCDs in St. Louis, and that they ordered them 10 at a time from China.
The agent then purchased a total of 35 MCDs in a series of transactions.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15. The machine gun charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The unlawful dealing of a firearm charge carries a penalty of up to five years. The aiding and abetting the distribution of meth carries a penalty of up to 20 years.
Burrow is scheduled to be sentenced March 19, and Patterson’s sentencing is set for May 7. Bland was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service 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.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for $3 Million Pandemic Fraud, Witness Tampering, Clean Air Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a Farmington, Missouri business owner who committed bank fraud, Clean Air Act violations and witness tampering to 108 months in prison.
Judge Pitlyk also ordered Christopher Lee Carroll, 55, to pay restitution of $3 million.
Carroll was convicted by a jury in August of three counts of bank fraud, three counts of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, 13 violations of the Clean Air Act and two counts of threatening a witness.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Carroll and his business partner, George Reed, were owners of a time share exit company called Square One Group LLC. In April of 2020, they submitted a false and fraudulent application for a $1.2 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The loan application falsely stated that the spouses of Reed and Carroll owned the company in order to conceal Carroll’s status as a paroled felon, which would have precluded his company from receiving PPP funds. Carroll also used his wife’s name to avoid any potential liability for the fraud, a sentencing memo filed by prosecutors says.
The PPP loan was supposed to help save businesses and jobs, but Carroll did not use the money to pay dozens of employees who were out of work or keep paying for health insurance for 17 of those employees. Instead, he used it to start a trucking company, Whiskey Dix Big Truck Repair LLC. Carroll and Reed then applied for loan forgiveness, falsely claiming that they’d spent the money on payroll and other permitted expenses.
Reed and Carroll later sought a second loan of more than $1.6 million, taking a total of $660,000 in “owner draws” from the company after the loan was approved, the evidence showed.
The Clean Air Act violations relate to emissions control equipment designed to reduce pollutants. Carroll had that equipment taken off Whiskey Dix’s fleet of diesel trucks. Carroll asked one employee to “take the fall” for his crimes and told another that he would stop paying for the employee’s lawyer if he talked to federal agents, evidence and testimony showed. Carroll did stop paying for the lawyer.
Carroll is a “consummate fraudster,” the government sentencing memo says, who ran a company that preyed on elderly victims before committing the pandemic loan fraud and other crimes. Carroll is also “a dangerous, violent person,” the memo says, citing prior convictions including felonious restraint and forcible sodomy and evidence of Carroll’s participation in a murder-for-hire scheme.
“This prosecution reinforces our office’s priority of going after the worst pandemic fraudsters,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “People like Christopher Carroll took advantage of a once-in-a-generation crisis to enrich themselves at the expense of struggling Americans. This office will continue to make sure that defendants like Carroll are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This latest conviction is the tip of the iceberg for this career criminal,” said FBI St. Louis Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson. “In addition to defrauding the taxpayer-funded loan program in this latest case, Chris Carroll bailed on customers to line his own pockets with the millions of dollars they paid him to help exit timeshares. Furthermore, Carroll’s violent criminal history includes being a convicted sex offender for forcible sodomy.”
Whiskey Dix was also found guilty of 16 Clean Air Act violations. Judge Pitlyk sentenced the company to three years of probation.
Reed, now 70, pleaded guilty to bank fraud in September of 2022 and admitted fraudulently applying for, obtaining and using the two PPP loans. Reed admitted as part of his guilty plea that the company failed to pay a “significant number” of employees, despite the PPP loans, and that Carroll terminated the health insurance benefits of at least 17 employees. Reed was sentenced last month to time served and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution.
The FBI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwendolyn Carroll and Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.
St. Charles Man Sentenced to Prison, Ordered to Pay $170,500 to Child Pornography VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a man from St. Charles, Missouri to 72 months in prison and ordered him to pay $170,500 in restitution to victims who appeared in the child sexual abuse material he collected.
Judge Fleissig also fined Brian Larkin $10,000 and ordered him to pay a $20,000 assessment that will go to child pornography victims. After his release from prison, Larkin will be on supervised release for life.
Larkin, now 54, pleaded guilty in October to one felony count of receiving child pornography. He admitted possessing over 972 image files and 962 video files containing child sexual abuse material on a thumb drive that he kept in a safe.
The investigation began in September of 2023, when the FBI’s St. Louis office learned of Larkin’s chat room communications about child sexual exploitation. Larkin had also been the subject of two Cyber Tipline Reports to the National Center for Exploited & Missing Children reporting that he’d used Kik Messenger to upload a total of five files containing child pornography.
During a Nov. 29, 2023, court-approved search of Larkin’s home, agents found the thumb drive in a gun safe.
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.
Missouri Sex Offender Admits Possessing, Sending Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from Farmington, Missouri on Friday admitted possessing child sexual abuse material and sending it to his girlfriend’s father.
Stephen Curtis Mincey Watters, 39, of Farmington, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of child pornography as a prior offender. He admitted sending four images containing child sexual abuse material via Facebook on Aug. 3, 2023, to the father of his girlfriend. That triggered a cyber tipline report to law enforcement from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children.
On Sept. 28, 2023, Missouri State Highway Patrol investigators conducted a court-approved search of Watters’ home. Watters admitted searching for and viewing child pornography. Investigators also recovered communications between Watters and his girlfriend’s father, Brandel Lee Akers.
Akers told investigators that Watters had been sending him child sexual abuse material for about one year via text messages and Facebook.
Watters is scheduled to be sentenced May 7. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will recommend a sentence of 12 years in prison.
Akers, now 55, of St. Francois County, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
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.
Slovakian Man Sentenced for $738,000 Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man from the Slovak Republic who fraudulently obtained pandemic relief loans to 38 months in prison and ordered him to repay $738,118.
Mark Ethan Jermain submitted three false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications from April 26, 2020, to July 16, 2021, while he was in the Slovak Republic. Jermain used his prior legal name, Arsene Millogo. The April 26, 2020, application sought $80,000 for Crazyeats LLC, which Jermain established in Missouri in 2017. On May 13, 2020, Jermain sought $325,275 for a company he’d set up called Unimentors LLC. After the loan was approved, Jermain submitted a Second Draw PPP loan application for $325,275 on Feb. 5, 2021.
Jermain transferred the loan money to Slovakia. The PPP loans were intended to help struggling American businesses and jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jermain instead used the money for personal purchases and other unapproved purposes.
“Mark Ethan Jermain fraudulently applied for and received PPP loans for businesses that didn’t exist anywhere but on paper. Furthermore, he used the identity of a former business partner, unbeknownst to the partner, to defraud the taxpayer funded program out of nearly three quarters of a million dollars,” said FBI St. Louis Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson. “Jermain is being held accountable in timely fashion after FBI special agents nabbed him at the airport in New York before he tried to fly out of the country.”
Jermain returned to the U.S. on August 17, 2023. He was indicted on August 30 and arrested by FBI agents on September 7, the day he was scheduled to leave the country.
Jermain, now 42, pleaded guilty in June to three counts of wire fraud.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about pandemic fraud should call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or report via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Organizer of Nationwide Rental Car Theft Scheme Sentenced to 90 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Thursday sentenced a man who organized a nationwide scheme that stole $1.17 million worth of rental cars to 90 months in prison.
Tyrell A. Oliver, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia, was also ordered to repay the money. Oliver hatched a scheme in which he reserved luxury rental vehicles using stolen credit card information and stolen identities. Oliver and others then picked up the rental cars by assuming the stolen identities and presenting false driver’s licenses and counterfeit credit cards at the rental location.
Oliver began the scheme in August of 2021 by trying to steal three rental vehicles, according to a sentencing memo filed in his case. On the third attempt, staff of the rental car company suspected fraud. Oliver fled and was arrested while trying to board a flight back to Atlanta. That arrest did not dissuade Oliver. Instead, he expanded his operation, recruiting others “to do his dirty work,” the memo says. Oliver paid his co-conspirators to fly to airports around the country, including in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, to steal cars on his behalf.
In all, Oliver and his co-conspirators used the stolen identities of at least 23 victims to steal 19 rental vehicles, Oliver’s plea agreement says.
Oliver pleaded guilty in October to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. James E. McGhaney, 36, of New York, New York, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. McGhaney recruited and supervised some of the other participants in the scheme, his plea agreement says. He is scheduled to be sentenced February 19.
Steven B. Matthews, 40, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. New York residents Shawnta B. Fonseca, 34, Reginald M. Glenn, 36, Marlique J. McGhaney, 35, and Daquasia M. Robinson, 33, each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Rashad Holder, 35, of New York, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Holder was sentenced to 65 months in prison in December and ordered to repay $581,711. Marlique McGhaney was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $237,447. Matthews was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to repay $107,072. Glenn was sentenced to 13 months in prison. Fonseca and Robinson are scheduled to be sentenced in March.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Tax Preparer Admits Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis tax preparer on Monday admitted preparing at least 41 fraudulent tax returns for the tax years 2017-2021.
Shasherese M. Reed, 53, pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns. Reed admitted using a tax preparation business, Majac Money, which was opened by her daughter because the IRS revoked the Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) assigned to Reed and her business, Sha-Sha Taxes, in 2015. Reed falsely identified her daughter as the paid preparer on the tax returns that Reed prepared at Majac Money. On these returns, Reed commonly included a false Schedule C that reported tens of thousands of dollars in business expenses, when the taxpayer either had substantially smaller expenses or did not own a business at all. Reed also claimed false and fraudulent deductions for things like state and local taxes, medical and dental expenses and mortgage interest, her plea agreement says.
Reed also admitted preparing a fraudulent tax return for an undercover agent with IRS Criminal Investigation who was posing as a potential client of Majac Money. Without ever asking if the agent had a business, Reed prepared a return that included a false Schedule C showing $26,242 in business expenses, the plea agreement says.
Reed charged clients hundreds of dollars in fees for preparing returns, making about $378,026 in fees for the 2017-2021 tax years. Her plea says she prepared at least 41 false tax returns for 13 different taxpayers, costing the IRS at least $312,192.
Reed is scheduled to be sentenced May 6.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Admits Drug Robbery, CarjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted possessing a machine gun and committing a drug robbery and a carjacking.
Walter C. Moore, 19, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Tuesday to charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a machine gun, robbery, carjacking and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Moore admitted using Facebook to arrange for the purchase of $900 worth of the painkiller Oxycodone on April 25, 2024. The seller drove to Moore’s house and invited him to sit in her 2014 Mazda6 to complete the sale. Moore pulled out a handgun, grabbed the Oxycodone pills and ordered the seller out, threatening to shoot her. Moore then sped off in her car.
St. Louis County police located the car near the 1800 block of Chambers Road. Moore ran as police approached, but he was quickly located and arrested. He had discarded a Glock handgun equipped with a “switch,” or machinegun conversion device, rendering it a fully automatic weapon. It also had an extended magazine and a laser sight. Moore’s phone contained pictures of him with that gun and others. As a convicted felon, he is barred from possessing firearms.
Moore is scheduled to be sentenced May 6. Both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Moore’s lawyer have agreed to recommend a sentence of 15 years in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone 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.
Arizona Mechanic Admits Defrauding Missouri Customer, Others Out of $1.4 MillionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A purported auto mechanic from Arizona on Tuesday admitted defrauding at least nine victims in Missouri and elsewhere out of more than $1.4 million, including one victim after he was charged.
Andres “Manny” Lopez, 36, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud.
Lopez admitted that from November 2019 through July 2023, while running All Performance Tuning and Diesel Repair LLC in Arizona, he committed fraud by accepting money for vehicle upgrades and parts with no intention of performing the work. Lopez used the advance payments for personal expenses. He also damaged some customer vehicles and loaned vehicles to others without the owners’ consent. Several customers paid Lopez to find and purchase vehicles on their behalf. After receiving up-front payments, Lopez falsely told customers that he purchased their requested vehicles. But he actually used the money for personal expenses and provided customers with myriad false excuses as to why the vehicles could not be delivered.
A Missouri victim wired Lopez $45,000 for a Toyota RAV4 that he wanted to buy for his mother. Lopez falsely claimed that he’d bought the vehicle. He then provided a series of excuses about why it was not being delivered. Lopez claimed delivery delays were due to product recalls, even impersonating the general manager of a Florida Toyota dealership in text messages to the client’s mother.
In the guilty plea, Lopez admitted defrauding one victim out of approximately $567,892 after he was indicted in October of 2023 for the other frauds.
Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced May 9.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting case.
Poplar Bluff Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Recording His Rape of MinorRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a man who recorded his rape of a minor with an intellectual disability to 30 years in prison.
In March of 2024, the 17-year-old victim’s mother contacted the Poplar Bluff Police Department about Jason R. Hicks-Simpson. The victim told investigators that Hicks-Simpson had been sexually abusing her since she was five, his plea agreement says. She also said Hicks-Simpson threatened to kill her and her kittens if she did not keep the secret. Hicks-Simpson told police that it had only happened once several months earlier. Investigators found videos dating back to May of 2023 on his phone, the plea agreement says.
Hicks-Simpson, of Poplar, Bluff, 46, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in October to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Hicks-Simpson will now be transferred to state court to face charges there.
The Poplar Bluff Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter 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.
St. Louis County Felon Admits Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon caught video calling a jail inmate while displaying firearms pleaded guilty to a gun charge Thursday.
In June of 2024, Bruce Donta Robinson, 28, contacted an inmate at a detention facility in Pulaski County, Illinois via video call. During the call, Robinson can be seen with what appeared to be two semi-automatic weapons. Robinson is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms. He was also on supervised release from a prior gun crime at the time.
After reviewing the video call, the FBI obtained a court-approved search warrant for Robinson’s St. Louis County residence. Agents found a loaded Polymer 80 semi-automatic pistol with no serial number and a large capacity magazine, a loaded Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol with a laser attachment and a stolen Rock River Arms AR-15 pistol with a large capacity magazine.
Robinson pleaded guilty to one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison.The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke 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.
East St. Louis Woman Sentenced to Serve 10 Years in Prison for Transporting Controlled Substances to Pemiscot CountyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Thursday sentenced Georgia R. Phillips, 49, of East St. Louis, Illinois, to 120 months (10 years) in federal prison for the offense of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.
Court records reflect that Phillips was pulled over for a traffic violation on Interstate 55 in Pemiscot County last May. During the stop, officers discovered large quantities of controlled substances in her vehicle, including approximately four ounces of crack cocaine. After being placed under arrest, Phillips admitted she was traveling from East St. Louis to deliver the controlled substances to an individual in Hayti, Missouri. The pair met in prison while serving a previous sentence for a drug-trafficking crime. At her guilty plea hearing last year, Phillips admitted that she intended to distribute the controlled substances. After serving her sentence, Phillips will be placed on a three-year term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Pemiscot County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the Government.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Trying to Persuade Minors to Engage in Sex Acts OnlineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a man who tried to persuade minors into engaging in sex acts online to 14 years in prison.
Judge Autrey also ordered Jason Michael Enke to pay a special assessment of $5,300 that will go to victims of child sexual abuse material. Once released from prison, he will be on supervised release for life.
From August to October of 2023, Enke sent a series of sexually explicit messages during online chat sessions and via social media to five people who identified themselves online as minors. He tried to persuade the minors to engage in sexual conduct and shared a video of himself and a 16-year-old engaging in sex acts.
In November of 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) notified the FBI’s St. Louis office that Enke had sent a video containing child pornography to an Instagram user who listed their age as 15. FBI agents performed a court-approved search of Enke’s home near Bourbon, Missouri and found videos containing child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices.
“We thank the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for sharing tips in this case and others,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “As a result, FBI St. Louis, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri have taken another predator off the streets so he can no longer prey on children.”
Enke, 45, of Crawford County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.
The FBI and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office 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.
Maplewood Man Accused of Selling Machine Gun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Maplewood, Missouri has been arrested on charges accusing him of selling machine gun conversion devices.
Tanario Darden, 22, was arrested Monday and pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two felony counts: transporting prohibited weapons without a license and transferring machine guns. He was indicted on those charges January 22.
The indictment says Darden transported and sold one or more machine guns between April 1, 2024, and August 30, 2024.
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.
A motion seeking to have Darden held in jail until trial says he was using a social media account to sell machine gun conversion devices (MCDs).
MCDs, also known as switches or auto sears, convert a semi-automatic firearm into fully automatic weapon, which is defined as a machine gun under federal law.
“These highly dangerous devices can convert a run-of-the-mill firearm into a weapon of war, transforming a street corner into a combat zone, devastating entire communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Bernard G. Hansen of the ATF Kansas City Field Division.
The transporting prohibited weapons charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison. The machine gun charge carries a penalty of 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski 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.
Man Admits Transporting Minor to Super Bowl, St. Louis for ProstitutionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Missouri man pleaded guilty Tuesday and admitted transporting a minor across state lines for sex.
JoeMarius Green, 24, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in prostitution. Green’s co-defendant, Chantel Robinson, 20, pleaded guilty in November to one felony count of possession of child pornography.
Green admitted as part of his plea that he took a female minor and others from Dallas to Kansas City on Feb. 12, 2023, to engage in prostitution during the Super Bowl. After about four days, Green took the victim and others to a St. Louis area hotel for the same reason. Green admitted managing the online prostitution ads, renting hotel rooms, setting price points for sex acts and taking all cash proceeds from the victim’s commercial sex acts.
Robinson admitted engaging in commercial sex acts, taking sexually explicit and sexually suggestive photos of minors and posting online advertisements for commercial sex acts. She oversaw the prostitution activities of minors when Green was absent.
Green is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25. The charge carries a penalty of 10 years to life in prison. Robinson is scheduled to be sentenced April 8. Her charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards 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.
Richmond Heights Hotel Manager Sentenced to 39 Months in Prison for Financial FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced the former assistant general manager of a Richmond Heights, Missouri hotel to 39 months in prison for committing multiple frauds and ordered her to repay $226,882.
From March to October of 2023, Angelique Patterson, 40, manipulated the hotel’s reservation system to alter the records of customers who had paid using cash or credit cards. Patterson retroactively changed those reservations to falsely show that the customers had used the hotel’s loyalty rewards system “points” for their stay. She then added her own credit or debit card information into the system and had the customers’ payments “refunded” to her.
On Oct. 4, 2023, although not on duty, Patterson tried to use the hotel's desk computer and a coworker's credentials to fraudulently refund herself an additional $61,998.
Patterson also used hotel customers’ credit card information from August through September of 2021 to make fake charges via the entertainment company she owned, Angel Entertains LLC. She obtained or tried to obtain $109,000 that way.
Patterson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to five counts of wire fraud.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwen Carroll and Cort VanOstran prosecuted the case.
Missouri Man Admits Transporting Minor for SexRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Missouri man has pleaded guilty and admitted transporting a minor across state lines for sex.
Scott M. Arnold-Micke, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a minor to engage in a criminal sex act. He admitted in his plea agreement that in 2021, he took the 17-year-old victim to Chicago, where they used drugs and engaged in sexual acts. Arnold-Micke met the victim that summer they used drugs on an almost daily basis after Arnold-Micke moved from Sullivan, Missouri to Rolla, Missouri.
Arnold-Micke is scheduled to be sentenced April 30. Both the U.S. Attorney’s office and Arnold-Micke’s lawyers have agreed to recommend 230 months in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Rolla Police Department, and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards 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.
Former Professional Basketball Player Sentenced for Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Monday sentenced a former professional basketball player to five years of probation, 200 hours of community service and $308,354 in restitution for pandemic loan fraud.
Lorenzo Gordon, now 41, fraudulently applied for two loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and three from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program in 2020. Both programs were intended to help businesses and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gordon fraudulently applied for loans in the name of three companies: Logo Fitness LLC, Elite 50 Basketball Training LLC and Elite Health and Fitness Company LLC. Gordon received $107,074 in PPP loans and $165,700 in EIDL loans and advances. The restitution total includes fees and interest.
Gordon “took advantage of these programs for his personal gain despite suffering no such economic injury,” harming “those who truly needed those funds,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke wrote in a sentencing memo.
Gordon pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of theft of government money.
The Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke prosecuted the case.
Man who Stole Guns, Other Items from Farm and Home Store Sentenced to 77 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a St. Francois County man who stole firearms and other items from a farm and home store in Potosi, Missouri to 77 months in prison.
Judge Autrey also ordered Gregory Snyder, 46, to pay $11,484 in restitution for the stolen items.
On Sept. 19, 2021, Snyder hid in the store, emerging after closing time. He stole power tools, camping gear and 13 guns, including eight rifles and five shotguns. Snyder took the guns and some of the other stolen goods to a river in eastern Washington County. He returned early the next morning for more, but by then, Potosi Police Department officers had spotted evidence of the burglary. They stopped and questioned Snyder, who no longer had the stolen goods in his car. They arrested Snyder later that day.
Snyder, of Bismarck, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and possession of body armor by a violent felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Potosi Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Nino Przulj prosecuted the case.
Two of the shotguns have been recovered. Anyone with information about the rest of the stolen firearms is asked to contact the ATF at 314-768-3120 or online at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips or the Potosi Police at 573-438-5468.
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 Convicted of Recording Minor Victim in BathroomRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday found a southeastern Missouri man guilty of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor after a one-day bench trial.
Rayford Evans, 52, used his cell phone on Nov. 17, 2022, to record a 15-year-old girl while she was bathing and using the bathroom by holding it up to a window above the bathroom door, evidence and testimony at trial showed. The victim saw the phone and told a friend, the friend’s father and then her own father, who contacted police.
Evans, of Doniphan, in Ripley County, will be sentenced later this year. The charge carries a penalty of 15 to 30 years in prison.
The FBI and the Doniphan City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter 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.
Man who Defrauded Investors in Sports Betting Fund Sentenced to 48 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Wednesday sentenced a man who stole $650,000 from investors in a sports betting fund to 48 months in prison and ordered him to repay the money.
Elijah A. Goshert, 48, defrauded investors in the “Magellan Sports Fund” from at least Feb. 1, 2017, through Nov. 15, 2023. Goshert falsely claimed that he was using a “sophisticated computer algorithm” that substantially reduced betting risks. Goshert sent false performance updates claiming substantial investment profits while spending most of the victims’ investments on unauthorized expenses. Goshert stole about $654,861 from at least 12 victims.
In a letter to the court, one of Goshert’s victims said he lost $60,000 and spent another $20,000 in legal fees over years trying to get his money back. Another, who invested $50,000, wrote that he’d suffered severe emotional and psychological damage due to chronic anxiety and stress and the betrayal of trust by someone he considered a close friend. Goshert repeatedly lied to the victim about why he couldn’t access his money, even falsely claiming that he’d sold the betting fund to a private equity firm.
In court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman said Goshert’s crime was “a yearslong sophisticated scheme” not a “one-off lapse in judgment.”
“Scamming people who trust you is especially loathsome,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Unfortunately, the way Elijah Goshert targeted his victims is not unique. When white-collar criminals exploit the trust that already exists within their social circles, it’s known as affinity fraud.”
Goshert pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of wire fraud.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.
Former School Bus Driver Admits Recording Sexual Abuse of MinorsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former school bus driver on Wednesday admitted recording his sexual abuse of two young children.
Robert W. Stillwell, 67, of St. Peters, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. Stillwell admitted filming his sexual abuse of one girl, born in 2016, and another, born in 2022. Stillwell abused the victims while they were both asleep and awake, and coerced the older girl into complying with his demands by promising toys and money as well as by threatening her. She said Stillwell would become angry and scream when she did not cooperate. He also modified his voice to resemble that of two elementary school-aged girls and recorded messages to the older victim in which the “girls” encourage her to comply with his demands.
The parents of the older victim contacted the St. Peters Police Department in December 2023 after their daughter said Stillwell was drinking her urine, claiming it was medicine for him. Investigators then found recordings of his abuse of the victims.Stillwell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22. The government will recommend a sentence of 30 years in prison.
The FBI, the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force and the St. Peters 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 Woman Sentenced for Stealing Dead Grandmother’s Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday ordered a woman who stole government benefits intended for her dead grandmother to repay the money and sentenced her to five years of probation and 40 hours of community service.
Shamari Jackson, 33, of St. Louis, used her grandmother’s debit card to access $13,047 in Social Security benefits that continued to be paid by direct deposit into her grandmother’s account after her death was not properly reported to the Social Security Administration. Jackson also used a $1,200 COVID-19-related stimulus payment intended for her grandmother, her guilty plea says.
Jackson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of theft of government money.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Admits Carjacking and Shooting IncidentsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday admitted committing an armed 2018 carjacking, a 2021 shooting and two other incidents involving guns.
Darnell L. Clemons, 38, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of carjacking, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
On May 16, 2018, Clemons and another man carjacked the manager of a University City, Missouri restaurant, stealing her 2015 Toyota Corolla, cash and her phone. On July 29, 2021, after Clemons’ nephew tried to steal someone’s gun at a convenience store, Clemons shot the man in the back while the victim struggled with Clemons’ nephew. On Aug. 4, 2021, following an apparent shootout with unknown individuals in a car, Clemons jumped through a stranger’s window in the O’Fallon neighborhood in St. Louis. Police found an empty, stolen 9mm pistol with him. On Dec. 8, 2021, he was arrested on outstanding warrants and officers found a 9mm Glock loaded with a large capacity drum magazine.
Clemons is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24. The carjacking charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The firearm and ammunition charges each carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the University City Police Department, the Florissant Police Department and the St. Louis County Crime Lab investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Matthew Martin 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.
Second Man Convicted in 2022 St. Louis Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Jurors on Thursday found a St. Louis County, Missouri man guilty of the murder-for-hire of a New Jersey man in 2022.
Moreion Lindsey, 35, was found guilty of on one count each of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire.
Evidence and testimony at Lindsey’s trial, which began Monday, showed that he fatally shot Titus Armstead on April 21, 2022, in Penrose Park in St. Louis. Lindsey had been hired for the murder by Jerome Williams, at the behest of a New Jersey man, Ray Bradley, who trafficked cocaine and marijuana to St. Louis and other cities. Armstead counted drug proceeds and watched Bradley’s “stash” house, and Bradley blamed him for the theft of drugs and millions of dollars in cash from that house. Bradley arranged for Armstead to fly to St. Louis. Armstead thought Bradley was sending him to St. Louis to protect him from possible harm, but Bradley was sending him there because Williams said he knew someone who could kill Armstead. Lindsey met Armstead at the airport at about 9:15 p.m. and then immediately drove him to Penrose Park, where he fatally shot Armstead with a .45-caliber handgun, evidence showed. He took a photo of the body using a prepaid “burner” phone to provide proof of the death to Williams and Bradley.
Lindsey was later paid $15,000 by Williams. Williams disposed of evidence, including the burner phone, Armstead’s Social Security card and other belongings. Lindsey had the SUV that he used to drive Armstead to the park reported stolen. He used $5,000 of the money the next day to buy a Chevrolet Suburban.
Lindsey is scheduled to be sentenced April 24. The crimes carry a mandatory life sentence in prison.
Bradley, 46, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in June to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of murder-for-hire. He was sentenced in September to 25 years in prison.
Williams, 52, pleaded guilty in December to a charge of destruction of evidence to obstruct a federal investigation.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Atlanta Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angie Danis, Ryan Finlen and Nathan Chapman are prosecuting the case.Oklahoma Man Caught with a Machine Gun and Methamphetamine in Missouri Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Thursday sentenced a man caught with a fully automatic handgun and methamphetamine to 10 years in prison.
On August 16, 2022, officers with the United States Marshals Service, the Dunklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force located Darius R. Clark at a home in Kennett, Missouri. Clark had two backpacks at the time of his arrest. One contained a Glock .40-caliber pistol that had been equipped with a selector switch that converted it into a fully automatic weapon. The firearm was fully loaded and there were additional magazines in the backpack, including an extended capacity magazine that was loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition. The backpack also contained $1,120 in cash. The second backpack contained 84 multicolored tablets containing methamphetamine and 17 tablets containing a mix of meth and other controlled substances.
Clark, 36, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty in September to one count of possession of a machine gun.
Clark’s arrest warrant was triggered by charges of first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, two weeks before his arrest, according to a sentencing memo. Clark will now be returned to Oklahoma.
The United States Marshals Service, the Dunklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter 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 Woman Arrested and Indicted for ArsonRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment today charging a St. Peters, Missouri woman, with arson.
According to court documents, on or about January 2, 2025, Danielle Bertothy, 36, maliciously damaged and destroyed, by means of fire, a building and other real and personal property used in interstate and foreign commerce and in activities affecting interstate and foreign commerce, to wit: a commercial building consisting of a retail store, a restaurant, a bar, and a hotel located at Road 3301 KM 2.9 Combate Beach, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
“This defendant will be held accountable for her dangerous actions that caused significant damage and put many lives at risk,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with federal, state and local law enforcement partners will continue to vigorously enforce federal laws and bring to justice criminals who engage in violent crimes.”
“This arrest shows the commitment of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in the fight against violent as well destructive criminal behavior, regardless of where it manifests - on the mainland or the U.S. Territories,” said Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Miami Field Division.
Bertothy is charged with the use of fire to destroy any building affecting interstate commerce (arson) 18 U.S.C. § 844(i). The defendant is scheduled for her initial court appearance on Friday, January 17, before a magistrate judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and up to twenty years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) are investigating the case. Special thanks to the Puerto Rico Department of Justice District Attorney’s Office in Mayagüez and the PRPB-Explosives Unit in Mayagüez for their unwavering collaboration during this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) Jonathan Gottfried, Chief of the Violent Crimes and National Security Division, Jeannette Collazo, Deputy Chief of the Violent Crimes and National Security Division, and Corinne Cordero-Romo are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Missouri Man Admits Recording Sexual Abuse of 8-Year-OldRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from O’Fallon, Missouri on Thursday admitted recording his sexual abuse of an 8-year-old.
Jacob J. Hampton, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography. He admitted that after investigators were alerted that Hampton had child sexual abuse material stored online, they found videos of Hampton placing a hidden camera in a bathroom to record an 8-year-old girl, as well as other images of that victim. Police found images on Hampton’s phone of Hampton abusing the victim, as well as child sexual abuse material that he’d obtained online, his plea agreement says.
Hampton is scheduled to be sentenced April 22. Both sides have agreed to recommend a sentence of 25 years in prison.
The FBI, the St. Charles County Police Department and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force 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 University IT Director Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison, Ordered to Repay $3.9 MillionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced the former IT director of a St. Louis-area university to 46 months in prison and ordered him to repay $3.9 million to his employer and an IT equipment supplier that he had defrauded.
Ronald Simpson, of St. Peters, Missouri, was responsible for repairing and replacing defective IT equipment used at the university’s multiple locations. Beginning about Nov. 29, 2018, Simpson sold hundreds of items of IT equipment to a third party. The items had been approved for purchase after Simpson falsely claimed they would be used or installed at university locations.
He also fraudulently obtained items from the university’s IT supplier by falsely claiming that the equipment they originally supplied was defective. Simpson sold both the original equipment and the replacement gear.
Judge Autrey ordered Simpson to pay $3.19 million to the university and $780,233 to the IT supplier.
In a victim impact letter, a university official said Simpson’s crime “struck a serious blow to our financial stability,” forcing the university “to redirect money away from essential programs and resources that directly benefit our students.” Simpson also harmed the university’s reputation, betrayed the trust of coworkers and damaged their morale.
The IT supplier said in their own letter that Simpson took advantage of the company’s practice of providing replacement products on an expedited basis to customers to repair critical IT infrastructure, before the defective product is returned.
“In addition to bringing perpetrators to justice, the FBI has a dedicated process to try to make victims whole by seizing assets gained from a fraud or theft,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “In this case, there were no substantial assets to seize because Ronald Simpson frivolously blew away millions of dollars on himself without any regard to how his crimes would damage the university, its employees and its students.”
Simpson, 54, pleaded guilty in June U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of wire fraud.
The FBI investigated the case. Both Simpson’s former employer and the IT supplier worked extensively with law enforcement during this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced, Ordered to Repay Victims of Long-Running Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced a man who ran a refrigerant-based Ponzi scheme for almost a decade to 14 months in prison and ordered him to repay $287,000 to victims.
From October 2014 to May of 2017, Robert F. Rothluebbers, now 68, solicited investments by falsely claiming that he would use the money to purchase R-22 refrigerant in bulk, at a discount, and then re-sell the refrigerant to contractors and others at a 50% profit. Rothluebbers claimed that the gradual phaseout of R-22 would enable him to increase investors’ profits.
Rothluebbers used investors’ money for personal purchases and to pay relatives. He also kept the scheme alive by paying old investors with money from new investors and by repeatedly making false promises that he would return the victims’ money. He then provided bogus excuses for failing to pay his investors, including a claim that the money had been frozen by his financial institution and the Internal Revenue Service. Many of Rothluebbers’ victims were semi-retired and living on fixed incomes. His scheme also forced them to pay considerable sums of money on civil lawsuits and attorneys’ fees in an attempt to reclaim their money.
In all, Rothluebbers raised at least $350,000 from four investors and he never repaid the majority of these funds.
Rothluebbers pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 510 Months in Prison for Recording Sexual Abuse of Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday sentenced a man who produced child sexual abuse material involving at least eight victims to 42 and one-half years in prison.
Tracy Jenkins, 59, recorded his sexual abuse of five children who have been identified by investigators. Three other victims have not yet been identified but appear in the recordings. One of the victims was 6 years old when the abuse began. Another was 11. Jenkins began making videos at least as early as 2013, and the videos are now circulating online.
Judge Clark called Jenkins “a ravenous and insatiable sexual predator of the highest order” after detailing the lengthy history of Jenkins’ sexual abuse of the victims and his production of nearly 1,200 hours of videos recording that abuse.
Jenkins’ crimes were stopped after the FBI’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Unit determined the identity of one of the victims whose image was online and contacted the St. Louis office of the FBI. Agents quickly located Jenkins and conducted a court-approved search of his home, finding multiple electronic devices with thousands of files containing child pornography. They also located about 200 videos that Jenkins produced of his sexual abuse of the victims in this case, ranging in length from seconds to over one hour and 45 minutes, Jenkins’ plea agreement says.
Jenkins pleaded guilty in June in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of production of child pornography and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Investigators found a stolen pistol when they searched his home.
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.
St. Louis County Man Admits Defrauding Online Sellers with Prop MoneyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County on Tuesday admitted using movie prop money to defraud at least 13 online sellers of vehicles and other property, costing them $229,200.
Aaron Montgomery, 41, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and four counts of interstate transportation of stolen vehicles. He admitted that beginning in August 2022, he targeted those who were selling vehicles or other property online. Montgomery contacted the sellers, negotiated a price and then arranged a meeting, often at a bank to make it appear as if he was using real money. Montgomery provided them “motion picture money,” or prop money, often inside a bank envelope or bag. Montgomery would then take the property, which included cars, SUVs, trucks, five pairs of Air Jordans and audio equipment, before the sellers discovered that he had not provided them with real money.
Montgomery transported at least five of the stolen vehicles from the states where the sellers lived, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, back to Missouri.
Montgomery’s sentencing is scheduled for May 22. Both sides agreed to recommend 51 months in prison and full restitution to all victims.
Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. The Missouri law enforcement agencies that investigated include the Lake St. Louis Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Ralls County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland Heights Police Department, the Kansas City Police Department, the Barry County Sheriff's Office and the Richmond Heights Police Department. The Glen Carbon (Illinois) Police Department, the Palatine (Illinois) Police Department, the Holland (Michigan) Police Department and the Gahanna (Ohio) Police Department also investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Recording Sex with MinorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a Missouri man who recorded himself having sexual contact with a minor to 30 years in prison.
Russell Alan Pirkey, now 54, of Linn County, used his cell phone to record his sexual exploitation of a 10-year-old girl. But the abuse lasted months, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman said in court Tuesday. The victim said the abuse began in August of 2022, after Pirkey began grooming her, Chapman said. She was 9 years old at the time.
Pirkey’s crime was discovered on April 8, 2023, when someone with concerns about his contact with the victim contacted the Brookfield Police Department.
Pirkey pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to a charge of sexual exploitation of a child.
The FBI, the Brookfield Police Department and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office 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.
St. Francois County Sex Offender Admits Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from St. Francois County, Missouri, on Friday admitted being caught with child sexual abuse material.
Shane Elijah Bottom, 39, of Bismarck, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography as a prior offender. He admitted being caught by investigators with the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control, who were conducting an online investigation of those sharing child sexual abuse material. On Nov. 19 and 20 of 2023, Bottom distributed numerous files containing child sexual abuse material to the investigator via a peer-to-peer file sharing program. After the files were traced to Bottom, he eventually admitted downloading and viewing the images. At least 904 images were found on Bottom’s phone by an agent with the U.S. Secret Service. Of those, 373 images depicted the sexual abuse of minors who have been identified by law enforcement and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
In 2016, Bottom was convicted in Johnson County (Missouri) Circuit Court with two counts of child molestation first degree for the sexual abuse of a 7-year-old. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Both sides have agreed to recommend a sentence of 20 years in prison followed by life on supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the U.S. Secret Service. 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.
Missouri Man Who Triggered Standoff Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Sarah E. Pitlyk on Monday sentenced a man from Moberly, Missouri who triggered a 19-hour standoff with law enforcement to 10 years in prison.
According to the evidence and testimony presented at the July trial of Stephen J. Thorp, 62, members of a U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force were attempting to arrest Thorp on a warrant issued by the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole. Thorp was on parole after having been convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in Marion County Circuit Court. The warrant was triggered by new charges of resisting arrest in Callaway County.
After learning that Thorp was at another man’s home in Randolph County, near Moberly, members of the Fugitive Task Force and the Northern Missouri Drug Task Force went there on April 11, 2022. Two occupants exited the house and said Thorp was inside. Thorp ignored loudspeaker announcements to leave. A robot and a K-9 were both unsuccessful in getting him out. After a search warrant was obtained, the Moberly SWAT team sent a drone into the home. Thorp fired three shots while the drone was in the house. The drone later captured video of Thorp with a gun in his hand before he used that gun to disable the drone, evidence and testimony showed. Thorp finally left after a Missouri State Highway Patrol SWAT team deployed a chemical agent.
Jurors in July found Thorp guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
After his release from prison on the second-degree murder charge, Thorp grabbed and threatened his mother in 2018 and led police on a high-speed chase in 2021, prosecutors said in a sentencing memo.
The U.S. Marshals Service, the Moberly Police Department, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office aided in the arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Finlen and Paul Rebar 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.
Man Admits Staging Auto Accidents to Commit Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man on Monday admitted staging a series of vehicle accidents and injuries to defraud insurance companies.
Adrian Peebles, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. Peebles admitted that from September of 2021 to January of 2023, he staged auto accidents, usually at night in remote areas to reduce his chances of getting caught. Peebles nearly always told the responding police officers that he had been injured. He went to the emergency room complaining of “non-determinative pain that required expensive tests that never identified any particular injury.” Peebles insisted that the resulting payments from the vehicle insurance companies be made to him rather than the hospital and then did not pay his medical bills. Two insurance companies lost a total of $107,951 to Peebles’ scheme.
Peebles is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware is prosecuting the case.
St. Peters Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Selling Fentanyl that Killed One Woman, Hospitalized AnotherRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a man who sold the fentanyl that killed one woman and sent another to the hospital in one day in 2019 to 14 years in prison.
Zachary Hovis, 24, provided fentanyl to an 18-year-old woman in the parking lot of a country club in Weldon Spring, Missouri on Nov. 16, 2019. The victim, who was Hovis’ close friend, drove to the parking lot of a nearby business, where she was found unconscious about an hour and 15 minutes later. She died despite a bystander’s attempt to administer naloxone. A medical examiner later determined that the immediate cause of the victim’s death was fentanyl intoxication.
Later that day, Hovis supplied fentanyl to another person who reported that she thought she was buying the painkiller oxycodone. That woman later went to the hospital, believing she was overdosing. She was treated and released.
In court Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker said Hovis advertised drugs for sale on social media, posted pictures of his cash profits, reached out to the 18-year-old offering drugs on the day that she died and continued to sell drugs after the death of his friend.
“The sentencing of a man who dealt drugs and killed someone brings some justice to the victim’s family and friends,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, head of Drug Enforcement Administration operations in Eastern Missouri. “Overdose death cases are difficult to prove. Fortunately, we have great partners like the St. Charles County Drug Task Force and other state and local partners, and this kind of end result is our reward for the hard work.”
Hovis pleaded guilty in June in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Charles County Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Becker and Cassandra Wiemken prosecuted the case.
Postal Employee Accused of Stealing Checks from the MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former U.S. Postal Service supervisor appeared in court Thursday to answer an indictment accusing her of stealing checks from the mail.
Benita D. Randle, 42, was indicted December 11 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of theft of mail by a U.S. Postal Service employee. She pleaded not guilty Thursday.
The indictment says that on Oct. 31, 2023, Randle stole about 90 checks from mail that had been entrusted to the Postal Service for delivery. Randle was a supervisor at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center in St. Louis at the time, 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 U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Man Indicted for Federal Hate Crime for Racially Motivated Threats Targeting St. Louis NAACPRead the Press Release
A federal indictment was unsealed charging a Missouri man with threatening the St. Louis office of the NAACP.
Darryl Jaspering, 62, of Warrenton, was indicted for one count of transmitting threatening communications and one count of interference with federally protected activities. According to the indictment, Jaspering wrote a message on the NAACP’s contact page “in which he used racially charged threats to physically harm the recipients of his message.” Jaspering, the indictment says, “intimidated and interfered with and attempted to intimidate and interfere with” NAACP employees “because of their race and color” and threatened the use of a dangerous weapon.
Jaspering faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine for the charge of transmitting threatening communications. He also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine for the charge of interference with federally protected activities. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri and Special Agent in Charge Ashley T. Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI St. Louis Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug for the Eastern District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
For more information and resources on the department’s efforts to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Charles County Man Sentenced for Multiple Vehicle-Related FraudsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Thursday sentenced a man to 33 months in prison for selling the same vehicle multiple times online and defrauding other vehicle owners and a welding company.
Ronald Johnson, 57, of St. Peters, pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of wire fraud and admitted owning a car restoration business known as Full Out Customs LLC. He used social media, including Facebook, to advertise vehicles for sale and vehicle repair services.
In 2022, Johnson tricked a victim from Pennsylvania into paying $41,750 for a 2002 Ford Excursion that he’d already sold to a victim in South Dakota for $45,000. He gave the title to the South Dakota buyer and the SUV to the Pennsylvania buyer, meaning the Pennsylvania victim could not lawfully register the vehicle.
Between Nov. 18, 2021, and Jan. 31, 2022, Johnson took $149,843 from another victim by falsely claiming he would use the money for vehicle repairs and parts.
Between September and December of 2021, Johnson ordered $47,088 in welding equipment with no intention of paying for it. He wrote a check from a closed bank account to pay for the equipment. The victim company was able to recover some of the equipment.
Johnson admitted falsifying car titles, emails and other documents to misrepresent the true status of repair work and the ownership of vehicles.
Judge Fleissig determined that Johnson intended to cause financial losses of $315,142. He was ordered Thursday to repay victims.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights and Arson Charges for Setting Fire to Mormon ChurchRead the Press Release
A Missouri man pleaded guilty to federal civil rights offenses for setting fire to a house of worship.
According to court documents, Christopher Scott Pritchard, 48, pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with arson for setting fire to the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on April 28, 2021. Pritchard admitted that he intentionally set fire to the church and that the fire he set caused a complete structural loss and obstructed the church’s congregants in the free exercise of their religious beliefs, as the city had to relocate and rent space from the city to hold its religious services.
“This defendant is being held accountable for viciously setting fire to and burning down the Church of Latter-Day Saints, a house of worship that served as a meeting place for LDS community members in Cape Girardeau,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Before this tragic fire, the church opened its doors to all, helped to feed the hungry, and support the needy. Attacks on houses of worship in our country undermine the fundamental right to practice one’s religion free from fear or violence. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce federal laws that protect all houses of worship from violent, hate-fueled attacks.”
“An attack on a church is devastating, for the community and even more so for the members of that church,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri. “Christopher Pritchard’s guilty plea today is the first step toward bringing justice for this crime.”
“No one should live in fear because of their religious beliefs,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough. “Today’s guilty plea serves as a reminder that justice will prevail when acts of hate threaten our communities. The FBI will vigorously pursue anyone who attempts to infringe upon the ability of congregants to exercise their constitutional right to religious freedom.”
“We are grateful no one was physically hurt when the church was destroyed by arson,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Greg Heeb of the FBI St. Louis Field Office. “The FBI will relentlessly pursue those who try to deny congregants of any house of worship from exercising their rights to religious freedom.”
“ATF will always provide expertise and resources to investigate arsons, and no case is that expertise more critical than a fire such as this,” said Special Agent in Charge Bernard G. Hansen of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kansas City Field Division. “When a house of worship is intentionally destroyed by fire, it is not only that congregation that suffers, but the entire community. Religious centers, churches and mosques are often at the center of our neighborhoods, offering sanctuaries of peace and caring to those in need. Today’s guilty plea is a direct result of local, state, and federal law enforcement working together to ensure justice in this unthinkable act.”
Pritchard will be sentenced on Feb. 18, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for violating the Church Arson Prevention Act and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison for arson of a building affecting foreign or interstate commerce. Pritchard also faces a fine of up to $250,000 with respect to each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI St. Louis Field Office, ATF, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn for the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Missouri Man Convicted of Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – Jurors in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday found a man from Carter County, Missouri guilty of a felony count of production of child pornography.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Clinton Rongey, 52, used the victim, who was three and four years old at the time, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material. Rongey took more than 100 images of the victim between February and November of 2023.
Rongey is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, 2025. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years.
The case was investigated by the Carter County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Hunter and Nathan Chapman are 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.