Eastern District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Slovakian Man Admits $730,000 Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A man from the Slovak Republic pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Tuesday and admitted fraudulently obtaining pandemic relief loans totaling $730,550.
Mark Ethan Jermain, 41, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. He admitted submitting three fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications from April 26, 2020, to July 16, 2021, using his prior legal name, Arsene Millogo. The PPP loans were intended to help struggling American businesses and jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money was supposed to be spent on payroll and other business expenses.
On April 26, 2020, Jermain submitted a fraudulent $80,000 loan application for Crazyeats LLC, a company he’d established in Missouri in 2017. He falsely and fraudulently inflated the average monthly payroll he’d listed for Crazyeats. After the loan was approved, Jermain transferred the money to a Slovakian bank account.
On May 13, 2020, Jermain submitted another fraudulent PPP loan application, this time for a company he’d set up called Unimentors LLC, in the amount of $325,275. The application contained similar false information, and the resulting loan money was also transferred to Slovakia. On Feb. 5, 2021, Jermain submitted a Second Draw PPP loan application for $325,275. After the application was approved, the money was also transferred to Slovakia.
The loans were later forgiven because Jermain falsely claimed that he’d used all the money for payroll purposes. He actually used the money for personal purchases and other unapproved purposes.
Jermain was in the Slovak Republic when he committed his crimes. Jermain returned to the U.S. on August 17, 2023, and was arrested by FBI agents on September 7, the day he was scheduled to leave the country.
Jermain is scheduled to be sentenced January 8. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting 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.
Former St. Louis School Principal Sentenced to Two Consecutive Life Terms in Prison for Teacher’s MurderRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a former St. Louis middle school principal to two consecutive life terms in prison for hiring a friend to kill his pregnant schoolteacher girlfriend.
Cornelius M. Green, 42, pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of murder-for-hire in the deaths of 30-year-old Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child, Micah Leigh, in 2016.
A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in March found Phillip J. Cutler, 46, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, guilty of the same charges. Judge White sentenced Cutler last week to two consecutive life terms in prison.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Peters’ mother, Lacey Peters, said Green was supposed to be Peters’ protector but became her executioner. “All she ever did was love him,” Lacey Peters said, adding “and she loved that baby so much.”
Peters’ cousin, Dedra Peters, said “Jocelyn had a light around her at all times,” and “touched the heart of anyone she came in contact with.” Peters’ death has left the “family empty and heartbroken,” she said.
Peters had miscarried before and terminated one pregnancy at Green’s urging, but was determined to keep Micah Leigh, according to a sentencing memo filed by prosecutors. But she mistakenly believed she was the only woman in Green’s life, and that Green was divorcing his wife. Peters did not know about the multiple other women, including at least one who was also being duped by Green into believing they were building a life together. She also did not know that Green was researching ways to secretly poison Micah Lee by crushing pills and hiding them in oatmeal or yogurt. When that plan failed, Green contacted his longtime friend, Cutler, and stole money from the dance team’s fundraiser at the school where he worked, Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School, to pay Cutler.
“He literally stole from children to pay for killing his own child,” said Dr. Nicole Conaway, the principal of Mann Elementary when Peters worked there. Dr. Conaway said she had to tell Peters’ class about her murder. “I will never forget the pain in their eyes,” she said. “This trauma will follow them for the rest of their lives.”
Green and Cutler planned the murder in a series of phone calls and Green sent Cutler a UPS package containing $2,500 cash on March 7, 2016. On March 21, Cutler arrived in St. Louis.
Green took a train trip to Chicago to establish his alibi for the murder, giving Cutler the keys to his Kia Optima and Peters’ apartment.
On March 24, Cutler drove Green’s car to Peters’ apartment in the 4200 block of West Pine in St. Louis, let himself in using Green’s keys, and shot Peters in the eye using a potato as a silencer. Peters was working on baby shower invitations at the time she was killed. Green had Peters buy potatoes days before her own murder.
Court exhibitAfter Cutler confirmed that Jocelyn and the baby had been killed, Green bought a return train ticket.
When Green got back to St. Louis, he first tried to get Peters’ mother to “check on her,” knowing what she would find, the memo says.
“The depravity of asking a mother to go find Jocelyn’s body, knowing she was dead, can’t be matched,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker said during Tuesday’s hearing.
Only after he learned that she was unavailable did he go to Peters’ apartment and call 911 to report her death. He pretended he had no knowledge of the circumstances leading to the deaths, lying to police and getting Cutler and others to conceal evidence. Cutler was detained for questioning that same night, after he attempted to retrieve the Kia Optima from the crime scene at Green’s direction.
When told he was being detained, Cutler ate two pieces of paper from a notebook in his pocket.
“The devastating actions of one depraved individual continue to impact the victims’ family, colleagues, friends and young students,” said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “We are grateful for the resources provided by the U.S. Attorney’s office to help bring closure to this heartbreaking case.”
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) and the FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted in cooperation with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Becker and Zachary Bluestone are prosecuting the case. Former SLMPD Homicide Detective Mark Biondolino was the case agent. The case against Green was initially prosecuted by Chief Trial Attorney Marvin O. Teer, Jr. and Assistant Circuit Attorney Rob Huq in the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
Victims of domestic and family violence seeking help can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or contact one of the agencies listed here: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/live-work/community/help/domestic-violence.cfm.
St. Louis County Woman Caught with Gun, Drugs Sentenced to 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced a woman who was caught with a gun and drugs to seven years in prison and ordered her to pay a $15,000 fine.
Judge Schelp also ordered Charity Ward’s sentence to run consecutive to any sentence she receives for pending cases in St. Charles County Circuit Court and St. Louis County Circuit Court.
Ward, 35, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. She admitted that on Jan. 2, 2023, St. Louis County Police officers found her at a motel in Ferguson. They also found fentanyl, cocaine base, methamphetamine, $3,000 and a Glock 29 10mm semi-automatic pistol in the motel room. Ward is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm.
Ward told officers that she sold the cocaine base to acquaintances and distributed the fentanyl to others during parties.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke 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.
St. Charles Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Recording Sexual Abuse of 2 GirlsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a St. Charles, Missouri man who recorded his sexual abuse of two young girls for years to 40 years in prison.
Ronald C. Lawrence sexually abused two girls for years, starting when one was just 7 years old. He recorded that abuse and shared those images with others online.
The victims’ mother spoke in court, saying Lawrence had destroyed their lives and violated the trust they once had in him.
Lawrence also downloaded and possessed child sexual abuse material involving other children, and Judge Pitlyk ordered him to pay restitution of $3,000 to one of those children whose identity is known. Lawrence directed a third juvenile victim that he met via social media to create and send him videos of child pornography and asked the victim and another person to send him exploitative images of their younger siblings.
Lawrence, 25, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of production of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography.
The FBI, the St. Charles Police Department, the St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis County Man Admits Armed Robbery of Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted committing the armed robbery of a convenience store in Jefferson County in 2023.
Matthew Ortega, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of robbery and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted pointing a Glock handgun at the clerk of a convenience store and gas station on Hillsboro-House Springs Road in Jefferson County, Missouri and demanding money from the cash register. Ortega was wearing a motorcycle helmet at the time of the robbery and left on a distinctive Suzuki motorcycle. Three days later he was involved in an accident while riding the Suzuki and wearing the same helmet and hard knuckle motorcycle gloves he wore for the robbery. Police later recovered the gun he used in the robbery.
Ortega is scheduled to be sentenced September 18. Both sides have agreed to recommend 11 years in prison.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Illinois Bank President Admits Falsifying RecordsRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – The president of a bank in southern Illinois on Thursday admitted a scheme to falsify bank records to facilitate real estate loans.
Steven Cook pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Benton to three felony counts of aiding and abetting the making of a false bank entry. Cook was the president of SouthernTrust Bank at the time, which has branches in Marion, Vienna and Goreville, Illinois. Cook was also on the bank’s board and was a member of its loan committee.
Cook admitted fraudulently facilitating three different sales of real estate to Lawler and Maze Properties LLC in 2022.
In one transaction, Cook approved a loan that funded the sale of seven commercial rental properties in Williamson and Franklin counties from Results Home Buyers 2 to Lawler and Maze, the plea agreement says. The transaction was a new purchase of real estate, not a refinance, and the buyers were not using any cash to fund the purchase.
During an April 6, 2022, meeting with the seller and buyer, Cook and the others agreed to fraudulently make it appear as if the loan was a refinancing, however, and the bank would supply the cash to make the purchase. They agreed to backdate documents to falsely indicate the buyer purchased the properties on Feb. 1, 2022, for a falsely inflated price of $545,152. The documents also falsely indicated that the bank was refinancing 80% of that loan, with the buyers bringing 20% in cash to the sale. The real sales price for the properties was $436,122, and the buyers were not bringing any cash to the transaction. The bank’s loan to the buyers was approved by the bank’s loan committee based upon the false information.
Results Home Buyers 2 is partially owned by former Williamson County State’s Attorney Brandon Zanotti, who was sentenced in May to two years of probation, a $5,000 fine and 20 hours of community service for his role in the scheme.
In August of 2022, Cook facilitated a second real estate transaction with Lawler and Maze involving four properties. Cook, Lawler and Maze and the seller agreed that the real estate contract would falsely list the sales price of $413,000 instead of the actual price of $330,400, and falsely stated that the buyer would supply $82,600 in cash.
Finally, during November of 2022, Cook facilitated an additional loan to Lawler and Maze for the purchase of a property in Marion. Bank documents falsely stated that the borrowers would supply $21,500 cash, and Cook was aware that the false loan details were presented to the bank board for approval.
“The lack of professional responsibility demonstrated by Steven Cook diminishes the faith consumers place in the banking process,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Shannon Fontenot. “Financial fraud is a serious crime with serious consequences and the FBI will investigate anyone who takes advantage of their trusted position of employment for their own personal gain.”
“The Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA OIG) is committed to investigating and prosecuting allegations of mortgage-related fraud, including fraud committed by officers of financial institutions who have a duty to conduct honest business,” said Korey Brinkman, Acting Special-Agent-in-Charge of FHFA OIG’s Midwest Regional Office. “We are proud to have partnered with our FBI colleagues on this case.”
Cook’s sentencing hearing has been set for September 19. His ultimate sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Lawler and Maze is owned by Justin Maze and David Lawler, who entered into a pretrial diversion program in which they acknowledged their involvement in the criminal conduct by aiding and abetting Zanotti and Cook. As a condition of pretrial diversion, Maze was required to resign from his position as Williamson County Circuit Clerk and agreed not to seek re-election to any public office. Lawler’s conduct was reported to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.
The FBI Springfield Office and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case. The prosecution was handled by Special Attorney Hal Goldsmith from the Eastern District of Missouri. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois was recused from the case.
St. Louis Teacher’s Killer Sentenced to Two Consecutive Life Terms in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced the man who fatally shot a pregnant St. Louis schoolteacher at the behest of her boyfriend to two consecutive terms of life in prison.
Judge White called Phillip J. Cutler’s crime the “most heinous” he had seen in his career.
A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in March found Cutler, 46, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, guilty of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and the murder-for-hire of Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child, Micah Leigh, in 2016.
Peters’ boyfriend, Cornelius M. Green, 42, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2024, to the same charges and admitted hiring Cutler, his longtime friend, to kill Peters. Peters was 31 weeks pregnant with Green’s child. Green was principal of Carr Lane Middle School and used cash stolen from the school to fund the murder.
Green, who was also involved in sexual relationships with several other women and was separated from his wife, researched ways to secretly end the pregnancy after learning that Peters was pregnant, according to a sentencing memo filed by the government. When that plan failed, he contacted Cutler, a childhood friend, and they planned the murder in a series of phone calls.
On March 7, 2016, Green sent Cutler a UPS package containing $2,500 cash.
On March 21, Cutler arrived in St. Louis. Green took a train trip to Chicago to establish his alibi for the murder, giving Cutler the keys to his Kia Optima and Peters’ apartment.
On March 24, Cutler drove Green’s car to Peters’ apartment in the 4200 block of West Pine in St. Louis, let himself in using Green’s keys, and shot Peters in the eye using a potato as a silencer. Peters was working on baby shower invitations at the time she was killed.
Green ensured there would be potatoes in the residence prior to Cutler’s arrival by going shopping with Peters.
At 6:14 a.m. the next morning, Cutler confirmed to Green that Jocelyn and the baby had been killed. Green then bought his return train ticket, and Cutler then went to North Riverfront Park in St. Louis to dispose of evidence.
Upon arriving back in St. Louis, Green got his car back from Cutler and went to Peters’ apartment, where he called 911 to report her death. He pretended he had no knowledge of the circumstances leading to the deaths. Cutler was detained for questioning that same night, after he attempted to retrieve the Kia Optima from the crime scene at Green’s direction.
When told he was being detained, Cutler ate two pieces of paper from a notebook in his pocket.
Peters’ friends and family repeatedly described her as “magic,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker said in court Tuesday. Peters’ mother and aunt spoke about the impact of her death on their family. Dr. Nicole Conaway, principal at Mann Elementary School when Peters taught there, also spoke. She called Peters a “natural teacher” who was a “bright light” wherever she went and would start each school day “full of joy.” Dr. Conaway, who had to break the news of Peters’ murder to her 23 third-grade students, said little seemed to console the children or adults at Mann in the days after her death. She said she was called to Peters’ former classroom one day to find a student threatening to throw himself off a balcony in the stairwell, saying he “hated life and wanted to go be with Ms. Peters.”
Green is scheduled to be sentenced June 25. As part of the plea, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office has agreed to dismiss their case against Green for the murders if he is sentenced to life in federal prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) and the FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted in cooperation with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Becker and Zachary Bluestone are prosecuting the case. Former SLMPD Detective Mark Biondolino was the case agent.
Former University IT Director Admits $2.1 Million FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The former IT director of a St. Louis-area university on Tuesday admitted defrauding both his employer and an IT equipment supplier in a $2.1 million fraud scheme.
Ronald Simpson, 54, of St. Peters, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of wire fraud.
As director of information technology for the university, Simpson was responsible for repairing and replacing defective IT equipment used at his employer’s multiple locations. Beginning about Nov. 29, 2018, Simpson devised a scheme to enrich himself at the expense of the University and their equipment supplier. After receiving approval to purchase hundreds of items of IT equipment by falsely claiming the equipment would be used or installed at university locations, Simpson sold that equipment to a third-party. Simpson misappropriated at least a million dollars from the university with this part of the scheme.
He also fraudulently obtained 56 items from the university’s IT supplier by falsely claiming that the equipment they originally had supplied was defective. Simpson then sold both the original equipment and the replacement gear. The supplier sent a total of $780,233 worth of replacement IT equipment to the university based on Simpson’s misrepresentations.
Simpson was paid a total of $2,188,704 for IT equipment belonging to the university and its supplier.
Simpson is scheduled to be sentenced September 17. The wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine.
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 is prosecuting the case.
St. Peters Man Admits Selling Fatal Dose of FentanylRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Peters, Missouri on Friday admitted selling the fentanyl that killed one woman and sent another to the hospital in one day in 2019.
Zachary Hovis, 24, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of distribution of fentanyl. Hovis admitted supplying fentanyl to a woman in the parking lot of a country club in Weldon Spring, Missouri on Nov. 16, 2019. The victim drove to a nearby businesses’ parking lot, where she was found unconscious about an hour and 15 minutes later. Despite a bystander’s attempt to aid the victim by administering naloxone, the victim died. 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. That woman would testify that she wanted to buy oxycodone from Hovis and that Hovis said he was supplying oxycodone, Hovis’ plea agreement says. That woman later went to the hospital, believing she was overdosing. She was treated and released.
Hovis is scheduled to be sentenced October 3. Each charge is punishable by a prison term of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $1 million or both prison and a fine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Charles County Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Admits Producing Child Sexual Abuse Materials Involving Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Wednesday admitted producing child pornography involving at least eight victims.
Tracy Jenkins, 59, pleaded guilty 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. He admitted sexually abusing five children and recording the abuse. The series of videos have been circulating online since at least 2022. At this point in the investigation, three other victims have also been identified, Jenkins’ plea agreement says.
One of the victims was 6 years old when the abuse began and another was 11. Jenkins provided food, money, clothing and other items of value to some of the victims. Jenkins’ face is clearly visible in many of the videos he produced.
After the FBI’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Unit was able to determine the identity of one of the victims, they contacted the St. Louis FBI office. 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, the plea agreement says.
Jenkins began making videos at least as early as 2013. He was present with one victim the day before the FBI searched his home.
FBI agents also found a Sarsilmaz 9mm pistol in Jenkins’ home. The gun had been stolen in St. Louis County. Jenkins is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing firearms.
Jenkins is scheduled to be sentenced in December. At sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson will ask for a sentence of 40 years, the plea agreement says.
The FBI investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis County Man Accused of Drug Robbery with a Machine GunRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis County, Missouri has been accused of committing a drug robbery while armed with a machine gun.
Walter C. Moore, 19, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a machine gun, robbery and possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a crime of violence.
A June 5 indictment accuses Moore of robbing someone engaged in the sale of controlled substances on April 25.
A motion seeking to have Moore held in jail until trial says he was armed with a Glock equipped with a “switch,” or auto sear, rendering if a fully automatic weapon. The Glock was also equipped with an extended magazine and a laser sight.
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 possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a crime of violence charge carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 30 years.
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.
New York City Man Sentenced to 61 Months in Prison for Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a man from New York City to 61 months in prison and ordered him to repay $30,000 to victims of a bank fraud scheme.
The federal prison sentence for George Sciarrone, 54, will follow a prison sentence he is currently serving on an unrelated matter.
Sciarrone pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, six counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He admitted that sometime prior to September 28, 2022, organizers of a bank fraud scheme located outside of Missouri identified financial accounts of various Missouri residents. They then recruited Sciarrone and others to deposit counterfeit checks into those accounts and then withdraw the money. The organizers produced counterfeit drivers licenses and credit cards bearing the names of the account holders and pictures of those they had recruited.
Sciarrone admitted depositing checks in amounts from $3,800 to $4,000 into five banks by using the names of six different people between Sept. 28, 2022, and Oct. 7, 2022.
Valerie Kelly, 46, of New York City, pleaded guilty in November to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, four counts of bank fraud and three counts of use of a counterfeit access device. She admitted using the identities of six people to deposit fraudulent checks ranging from $3,500 to $4,500 into five banks and attempting to cause losses of over $80,000 to more than 10 victims.
In March, Judge Autrey sentenced Kelly to 15 months in prison and ordered her to repay $69,100.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bridgeton Police Department, the Creve Coeur Police Department, the Florissant Police Department, the Richmond Heights Police Department, the St. Charles City Police Department and the Wentzville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 141 Months in Prison for St. Louis Store RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a man who admitted committing the armed robbery of a Foot Locker in St. Louis, Missouri in 2021 to 141 months in prison.
Demetrius Kirksey, now 35, robbed the Foot Locker at 4651 Chippewa Street in St. Louis on Oct. 6, 2021. He pointed a handgun at the clerk before running behind the counter and stealing cash from the register.
Kirksey pleaded guilty in January U.S. District Court in St. Louis to robbery and possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassandra Wiemken and Jennifer Szczucinski are prosecuting the case.
Jefferson County Man Admits Providing Alcohol, Vapes to Minor for SexRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A man from Jefferson County, Missouri on Thursday admitted exchanging items of value including drugs and vape cartridges with an underage girl in exchange for sexual activity.
Kody L. Willyard, 32, of Barnhart, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of coercion and enticement of a minor. He admitted providing marijuana, alcohol, vaping devices and vape cartridges to a girl when she was 14 and 15 years old in exchange for sexual activity.
The victim’s father uncovered Willyard’s crimes when he reviewed the victim’s social media and digital communications. He then contacted law enforcement. The victim told authorities that Willyard had also provided items of value to another girl in exchange for sexual acts.
At Willyard’s sentencing, scheduled for September, both Willyard’s lawyer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson will recommend 15 years in prison. The crime carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years.
The FBI, the St. Louis County Police Department Special Investigations Unit and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s 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.
United States Reaches $1.2 Million Civil Settlement with Festus Pain Management Doctor over Allegations of False Claims to Federal Health Care ProgramsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced today that the United States has reached a civil settlement to resolve allegations that Dr. Nehal Modh and Modh’s company knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare and Missouri Medicaid.
Dr. Modh is the president and sole owner of Progressive Pain Management in Festus, Missouri.
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Dr. Modh and PPM falsely indicated to both Medicare and Missouri Medicaid that ultrasound guidance was used on certain pain management injections, submitted false claims for payment for facet joint injections that did not meet billing substantiation requirements, and improperly coded claims for payment to receive excess reimbursement.
As part of the settlement, Dr. Modh and PPM will repay the United States $1.2 million, consisting of $600,000 in restitution doubled under the False Claims Act (FCA).
The settlement resolves allegations brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA by Donna Chronister, a former employee of PPM. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Donna Chronister v. Progressive Pain Management, P.C., et al, case no. 4:19-cv-2245 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Chronister will receive $177,707 of the proceeds from the settlement.
“We thank the whistleblower for her courage to bring her concerns forward,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri. “This settlement is an example of our important civil enforcement efforts where we work with whistleblowers to protect the public fisc.”
"Health care fraud is a serious problem that costs taxpayers millions in wasted dollars while often depriving vulnerable beneficiaries of the care and support they need," said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "We will continue to aggressively investigate these cases in an effort to eliminate the corruption in our health care system."
This civil settlement was a result of the combined work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, HHS-OIG’s Office of Investigations and Office of Audit, the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the FBI.
Two Men Admit Involvement in Fatal University City Drug DealRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men have admitted being involved in the fatal shooting of a man in University City, Missouri in 2022 because they thought he bought marijuana with counterfeit money.
Nathaniel Brown-Shatto, 21, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of knowingly discharging a firearm in furtherance of the commission of a drug trafficking crime resulting in death.
Carlos Albert Castellanos Jr., 22, pleaded guilty June 6 to one count of conspiracy to possess one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Brown-Shatto and Castellanos both admitted involvement in a three-person marijuana conspiracy. Brown-Shatto told the others that the victim had previously purchased marijuana from him using counterfeit currency. On Feb. 19, 2022, they were together in a vehicle, selling marijuana. All were armed. When the victim contacted Brown-Shatto to buy more marijuana, the three drove to his home in the 7800 block of Birchmont Drive. Castellanos was driving, Brown-Shatto was in the passenger seat and the third man was in the rear of the vehicle.
When the victim stepped out of his home, Brown-Shatto shot him with a handgun while the third man began shooting him through the vehicle’s sunroof with an AK-style rifle, Brown-Shatto and Castellanos’ plea agreements say. Investigators later recovered a total of 22 spent cartridge casings from both weapons. Both shooters disposed of those weapons, but Castellanos kept his because he didn’t use it, the plea agreements say.
Three days later, University City police stopped Castellanos and Brown-Shatto in a vehicle that matched the description of the one used by the shooters. Castellanos and Brown-Shatto were both armed with handguns and officers found about one pound of marijuana in a backpack in the car.
The third man, Emanuel Benito Vasquez, 21, is facing a marijuana conspiracy charge as well as charges of discharging a firearm in furtherance of the commission of a drug trafficking crime resulting in death and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He has not yet been arrested. Charges are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Castellanos is scheduled to be sentenced in December and Brown-Shatto in November.
The case was investigated by the University City Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 23+ Years for Shooting at PoliceRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man who shot at police and federal task force officers in 2021 to 23 years and 10 months in prison.
On March 18, 2021, Derek D. Brown fired multiple times at police officers, including those who had been deputized as federal task force officers, who were at his sister’s home. He continued to fire through the home’s screen door and then through the closed front door. Brown eventually surrendered.
Officers were there because early that morning, Brown went to confront his wife at a house in St. Louis County. While there, Brown took his wife’s daughter’s .45-caliber pistol. Responding officers learned about the gun and that Brown had an outstanding warrant for a parole violation. Relatives told police that he would probably go to his sister’s house.
Brown, 50, of Jennings, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February to one count of assault on a federal officer and two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce 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.
Justice Department Leaders Meet to Discuss Efforts to Combat Violent Crime in St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Justice Department officials are meeting this week with their local, state and federal counterparts, community groups and others to discuss current and planned efforts to combat violent crime in the St. Louis area, including dozens of upcoming grant opportunities.
Officials met with community groups, law enforcement officials and others in the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program yesterday at Washington University to discuss efforts to combat violent crime, including the Violent Crime Initiative. They also discussed seminars planned for next month to help community organizations, law enforcement and others apply for over 80 funding opportunities. Today, officials are training law enforcement about tools to target complex criminal organizations.
PSN is a nationwide program to address violent crime through community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement and accountability.
In the PSN meeting, U.S. Marshals Service Deputy Director Mark Pittella said, “Partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement, civic leaders, business owners, and local organizations are key to the overall success of law enforcement to reduce violent crime in our communities. The U.S. Marshals Service is committed to leveraging existing relationships and task force partnerships in St. Louis to focus on and apprehend specific fugitives who pose an immediate threat to public safety. Our goal is to provide communities with immediate relief from violent crime by combining our resources and authority with the resources and local knowledge of participating agencies.”
Courtesy of the U.S. Marshals Service.Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General David Rody and others from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division also briefed the PSN group about the Violent Crime Initiative, which relies on partnerships between the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country. The VCI has already brought three highly experienced trial attorneys from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, the nation’s foremost experts in federal racketeering law, to work with prosecutors in the Eastern District of Missouri and investigative agents, analysts, and forensic experts from law enforcement agencies.
First announced in Houston in September of 2022, the VCI model has now been expanded to St. Louis; Memphis, Tenn.; Hartford, Conn.; and Jackson, Miss.
In Houston, over 50 gang members have been indicted on charges including murder, armed robbery and drug trafficking and related crimes via more than ten separate investigations.
Rody said that although violent crime is trending downward throughout the country, it is still a chronic problem primarily driven by guns, gangs and other organized groups.
“The Violent Crime Initiative will target the ‘worst of the worst’ violent offenders using data to focus our efforts,” U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming said. Prosecutors and other law enforcement officials will be using tools like RICO and VICAR prosecutions to target the leaders and most violent members of the criminal organizations that are disproportionately driving violent crime in St. Louis and dismantle those organizations. “While arrests and prosecutions play a significant role in reducing violent crime, a variety of tools, like our PSN partnerships, are necessary to help the community,” she added.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franks, the PSN Coordinator and Director of Community Engagement for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, also previewed a planned collaboration to offer students in the St. Louis Public Schools in-class lessons addressing conflict resolution, decision-making, gang resistance, the justice system and possible careers.
On Tuesday, Justice Department officials are holding a training to aid local law enforcement officials in bringing cases under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) statutes. Although the cases are often more complex, lengthy and resource-intensive, RICO and VICAR allow prosecutors to address the complete picture of a criminal organization’s activities. They can provide federal jurisdiction over some crimes traditionally handled by state prosecutors and result in longer sentences for violent offenders associated with these criminal organizations.
Next month, the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs will be holding two seminars about the many financial resources that are available and how to apply. One seminar will be aimed at law enforcement, hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The other, hosted by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones’ office, will be for community organizations and other non-law enforcement groups.
There are over 80 funding opportunities, including funding for efforts to stop school violence, target crime guns, aid small and/or rural law enforcement agencies, improve outcomes for individuals with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders, buy body worn cameras, help those impacted by illicit opioids and other drugs, address rape kit backlogs, prosecute cold cases using DNA, provide forensics training, reduce law enforcement suicide, address hate crimes, stabilize adults and juveniles in crisis and reduce the injury or death of missing individuals with dementia and developmental disabilities.
The seminars are tentatively scheduled for July 9.
Accused Drug Cartel Broker, 28 Others Indicted in St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man accused of being a broker for Mexican drug cartels and 28 others have been indicted on drug and money laundering conspiracy charges in St. Louis.
Genaro Rosas-Vargas, 39, also known by other names including “Chilango,” and the 28 others were indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on May 24 on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Rosas-Vargas and nine others also face one count of money laundering conspiracy, and others face additional drug and firearm charges.
Twenty-eight of the defendants have been arrested in the St. Louis area, Illinois and other states. Rosas-Vargas was arrested when he crossed the U.S. border. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested the bulk of the defendants this week.
“This long-term investigation represents a significant blow to the drug trafficking cartels trying to profit by poisoning the St. Louis community,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “It also resulted in the interception of large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and meth and the coordinated, masterful arrest of a large number of defendants in multiple states in just a few hours.”
“Mexico-based drug cartels should never be underestimated for their power and global reach,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, head of Drug Enforcement Administration operations in Eastern Missouri. "The lethality of the illegal drugs these traffickers ship into St. Louis communities demonstrates that their greed trumps any concern for the health and safety of our citizens. DEA and our partners are determined to disrupt the cartels’ supply chain and end their horrible business.”
The indictment alleges that since at least 2017, Rosas-Vargas was a Mexico-based broker who obtained fentanyl, meth and cocaine from drug cartels and had it delivered to the St. Louis area and elsewhere. Rosas-Vargas and his co-conspirators wired some drug proceeds back to Mexico and used couriers to transport bulk shipments of cash, the indictment says.
The indictment says Javier Ramos-Garcia, 50, Jose Coronel-Coss, 28, and Theodore Sigite, 47, were large-scale drug traffickers involved in the conspiracy.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of a 2017 Jaguar F-Pace, a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, a 2003 Suzuki GSX motorcycle and more than $131,000 in cash. During the investigation, six kilograms of fentanyl, 44 kilograms of cocaine, 75 kilograms of meth and $250,000 in drug proceeds have been seized, according to a motion seeking to have Rosas-Vargas held in jail until trial.
That motion accuses Rosas-Vargas of organizing the transport of undocumented immigrants from Mexico into the United States, who were then required to work off the $5,000 to $11,000 they owed by participating in drug trafficking operations. Rosas-Vargas also discussed sending firearms from the U.S. to Mexico for use by the cartels, the motion 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 Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, the St. Charles County Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Bridgeton Police Department and the Marion (Illinois) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dane Rennier and James Delworth are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was conducted by the St. Louis Gateway Strike Force, which is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and includes members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. The OCDETF strike forces are permanent, multi-agency, prosecutor-led teams that conduct intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
St. Louis County Man Admits Armed Carjacking in St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted committing a violent carjacking in St. Louis last year.
Ahdaejay Britton, 19, of Bel-Ridge, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of carjacking and one count of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
At about 1:30 p.m. on May 8, the victim parked his Mazda 3 in a garage in the 3800 block of Lindell Boulevard. Britton admitted that he and a juvenile accomplice saw the man parking, then followed him down a stairwell, grabbed him from behind and pulled him down to the ground. While pointing a gun at the victim, Britton demanded the keys to the car, then stole the victim’s wallet and cell phone before following his accomplice to the Mazda.
Police located the car in the 10000 block of New Halls Ferry Road and spotted the juvenile in the driver’s seat. Britton was in a nearby business. Officers found the victim’s phone and a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol in the Mazda. Britton later admitted to police that he’d committed the carjacking and robbery at gunpoint.
Britton is scheduled to be sentenced November 14. The carjacking charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, consecutive to all other charges, and a maximum of life in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin 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.
Felon Who Threatened Gas Station Employees with Gun Sentenced to 100 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry Edward Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon who threatened employees of a St. Louis, Missouri gas station with a gun to 100 months in prison.
Richard Skinner, 45, pleaded guilty in December to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted being caught by police with a semi-automatic pistol on March 27, 2023, after a dispute with employees of a gas station in the 1100 block of South Kingshighway Boulevard in St. Louis. The employees told police Skinner threatened them with the gun during a confrontation. They restrained him after a struggle.
Skinner has prior convictions that include a cocaine conspiracy charge, forgery and robbery, a sentencing memo says.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris 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.
Three Men Admit Robbing Armored Car Driver of Cash, GunRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three men have admitted robbing an armored car driver of cash and a firearm in Overland, Missouri last year.
Herman Leon Woods, 31, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of robbery.
Woods’ co-defendant, David C. Greenwade, 62, pleaded guilty in April to one count of robbery. Phillip Keith Smith, 65, pleaded guilty in May to one count of robbery and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
All three admitted robbing an armored car driver in the 9400 block of Midland Avenue in Overland, Missouri on April 14, 2023. The driver was making a cash drop at a store when two men wearing all black clothing, ski masks and body armor arrived in a black Jeep. One robber, who has not yet been identified, approached the driver while armed with a pistol and said, “Don’t die over this money,” their plea agreements say. The robber pointed his handgun at the driver when the driver didn’t immediately turn over his gun. After relinquishing his firearm, the driver ran into the store for help. Smith, armed with a rifle, and the unidentified robber took a bag containing $2,000 and a duffel bag containing empty bank bags.
As Smith tried to get back in the Jeep, Greenwade, who was driving, began pulling away, knocking Smith to the ground. Smith dropped his rifle and the magazine shattered, scattering bullets on the ground. Smith got in the Jeep and left the gun behind. Woods owned the Jeep and allowed it to be used for the robbery and for practice runs. Greenwade is Woods’ uncle and planned and led the robbery.
Woods is scheduled to be sentenced September 5, 2024. Greenwade is scheduled to be sentenced in July, and Smith in August. The robbery charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. Smith’s firearm charge carries an additional, consecutive mandatory minimum seven years in prison, but is punishable by up to life in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Overland Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie J. Schneider is prosecuting the case.
Two Men Admit Smuggling Drugs into Jail, Causing Inmate’s DeathRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men have admitted involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the St. Francois County Jail that resulted in the overdose death of an inmate.
Garry W. Triplett, 37, of Bonne Terre, Missouri, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death and one count of distributing of controlled substances.
Timothy L. Noll, 35, of Park Hills, Missouri, pleaded guilty on May 22, to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death and one count of distribution of controlled substances resulting in death.
Both men admitted involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the St. Francois County Jail. Noll arrived at the jail on July 27, 2021, and almost immediately began to try and find someone to smuggle drugs into the jail that he could then sell. After finding an intermediary, Noll instructed the intermediary to get the drugs from Triplett. This initial distribution was captured on a video call:
Noll also advised the intermediary on how to conceal the drugs in a bible.
On August 1, an intermediary dropped off the bible at the jail. The next morning, Noll was being transferred to state prison. When he discovered that he couldn’t bring the bible with him, he had staff give it to his cellmate, who died August 4 of mixed drug intoxication. The victim had 19 ng/ml of fentanyl in his bloodstream. As little as 3 ng/ml can be fatal. He had also taken methamphetamine.
On a shelf in his cell, investigators discovered a clear plastic baggie with methamphetamine residue and a King James Bible with a detached spine.
Triplett admitted providing 3 grams of both fentanyl and meth to the intermediary, and Noll admitted providing these controlled substances to his cellmate. They also acknowledged that these controlled substances caused the cellmate’s death.
Noll is scheduled to be sentenced in August, and Triplett in September. The death resulting charge carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison, with a maximum penalty of life and a $10 million fine.
The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Felon Admits Being Caught with Stolen GunRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A convicted felon from St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday admitted being caught by police with a stolen gun after fleeing from a carjacked vehicle.
Cedric Cross Sr., 42, pleaded guilty to one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on Jan. 30, 2022, he was caught by Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers while armed after jumping out of a carjacked truck. Cross was the passenger, and the driver had led police on a high-speed chase before crashing. Cross’ gun was stolen. He denied being one of two armed men who carjacked the truck earlier that evening at the intersection of Marcus Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive.
In his plea agreement, Cross also disputed shooting a paramour in the Walnut Park West neighborhood of St. Louis the day before the carjacking. The victim said after an argument, Cross pulled out a gun and started shooting, hitting her four times. Ballistics evidence from the shooting matched the handgun found with Cross the next day.
Cross is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday, May 28th, 2024. He also potentially faces additional prison time for violating his supervised release from a prior felon in possession case in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis. In 2017, he was sentenced there to 63 months in prison after being caught with a stolen .38-caliber revolver.
The case was investigated by the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Hoag is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
St. Louis County Man Accused of Pandemic, Disability FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri has been accused in an indictment of fraudulently obtaining $620,000 in COVID-19 pandemic loans and committing a separate fraud involving disability payments.
Preston Randall, 59, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis May 15 with 13 felony charges: five counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, two counts of theft of government property and one count of concealing information from the Social Security Administration about a payment.
On Wednesday, Randall was arrested, appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The indictment says Randall applied for money from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, a Small Business Administration program intended to help struggling business owners during the pandemic.
Between June 26, 2020, and Aug. 5, 2020, Randall filed five fraudulent loan applications using five different company names and the identities of two other people, the indictment says. The loan applications contained false information, including about gross revenue and the number of employees, the indictment says. Those fraudulent applications resulted in loans and advances totaling $620,000 that were deposited into accounts controlled by Randall, it says.
The indictment also accuses Randall of fraudulently obtaining $17,906 in Social Security Administration disability payments from March 2021 through October 2023 by concealing his receipt of the EIDL money and other resources.
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 Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke is prosecuting 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.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Recording Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced a Pevely, Missouri man to 40 years in prison for recording his sexual abuse of a minor.
Matthew Gamel, 36, sexually abused the victim and recorded it on at least four occasions, he admitted in a guilty plea. The victim was under 14 years of age at the time. In addition to the recordings he made, Gamel possessed more than 1,700 media files containing child sexual abuse material that he obtained online.
“We are pleased with today’s sentencing and appreciate the hard work and partnership with the Pevely Police Department to bring justice to the victim,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “We hope this will help with the process of healing the trauma the defendant unconscionably inflicted on a young vulnerable child.”
Gamel pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receipt of child pornography.
The Pevely Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pemiscot County Man Sentenced to 140 Months in Prison for Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a Pemiscot County, Missouri man who sold methamphetamine three times to undercover drug task force officers to 140 months in prison.
Davario D. Taylor, 34, of Caruthersville, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in October to two counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine. He admitted selling a total of about 341 grams of meth to a Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force Officer working with a confidential informant. On March 10, 2023, he sold about three ounces of meth for $250 an ounce. On March 22, 2023, he sold another three ounces. Five days later, he sold six ounces for $1,500.
Taylor has two prior felony drug sale convictions and a prior felony conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm, a sentencing memo says.
The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.
St. Charles Man Admits Buying Child Pornography OnlineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles, Missouri on Friday admitted buying child sexual abuse material online.
Charles Lionel McGilberry, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He admitted making two separate purchases of child sexual abuse material on Aug. 28, 2022. Investigators later found 768 videos and 29 images containing child pornography in his Apple iCloud account and 152 videos and 2 images on his cell phone.
McGilberry is scheduled to be sentenced on October 23. He faces a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison. Each crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman 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 Cab Driver’s Shooter Sentenced to 22 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a man who fatally shot a cab driver in Hazelwood, Missouri in 2022 to 22 years in prison.
Trishawn Jones, 20, was one of four teens involved in the robbery of Dewight Price, 54, on April 24, 2022. All four pleaded guilty and two await sentencing. Coron Dees, 20, and Jeremiah Allen, 20, pleaded guilty to a robbery charge. Jones and Tywon Harris, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting in the commission of a murder. Judge Autrey sentenced Dees to 17 years in prison in April.
After leaving a party in downtown St. Louis, the four teens stopped at a downtown gas station and called for a cab at 5:23 a.m. They planned to take the taxi to a fake address near Allen’s home, then run away without paying. After learning that they would have to prepay, they began discussing plans to rob Price.
They told Price to drive to Hazelwood Central High School, thinking there would be no witnesses there at that time. Dees and Jones then robbed Price at gunpoint. Price begged the teens not to shoot. After Price handed cash to Jones, Price grabbed a firearm he kept in his door. Allen warned the others that Price had a gun.
Price began to get out of the cab, but Harris opened his door, knocking Price to the ground. Jones saw Price’s gun and fired once, striking Price in the torso. The teens then ran away without rendering aid to Price or calling for help.
In a letter to Judge Autrey, one of Price’s daughters wrote that her father “was the happiest joyful person just trying to get his customers to their destinations safely and satisfied.”
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel is prosecuting the case.
Man Admits Phelps County Carjacking and Gun Store BurglaryRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Phelps County, Missouri man on Thursday admitted carjacking someone at knifepoint in 2023 and stealing pistols from a gun store.
Martavious Jones, 19, pleaded guilty to one carjacking charge and a charge of stealing a firearm from a federally licensed dealer. He admitted that on Sept. 11, 2022, he and another person broke a window at a Rolla gun store to get inside. They stole four handguns, including an AR-style pistol, as well as a large quantity of ammunition and firearm accessories. Two of the guns were later found in a bag near Jones’ home.
Jones also admitted that on March 1, 2023, in Rolla, he asked a man for a ride in his 2013 Nissan Altima. The driver agreed. Once they were moving, Jones pulled out a large knife and held it to the driver’s throat. He told the victim to turn over his keys and get out the car. Jones took the driver’s cell phone, telling him he would drop it out of the window before driving away. Jones did, but also dropped his own phone. He was later spotted by police and fled in the car before fleeing on foot. He left his wallet and the knife behind.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21. The carjacking charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine. The stealing charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The Rolla Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
Felon Who Threatened Mail Carrier Sentenced to 10 Years on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a man who threatened a mail carrier when he hadn’t received a package containing marijuana to 10 years in prison.
Marquis Melton, 31, pleaded guilty in January to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Melton admitted that on Feb. 27, 2023, he confronted a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in the 4700 block of Farlin Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri, demanding a package that he expected. After being told by the carrier that he did not have that package, Melton followed the carrier back to the Post Office and again tried to locate the package.
The next day, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped the vehicle Melton was riding in the day before. They found a .40-caliber pistol. Melton is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing a firearm. He was also wanted by police on other matters.
Evidence photo.Melton denied threatening the carrier with a firearm and claimed there was no evidence that the gun he purportedly had while interacting with the carrier was the same one police found a day later.
But based on testimony and evidence presented during a sentencing hearing Wednesday, Judge Ross found that Melton did have the gun and did threaten the mail carrier. Melton was impatient about shipment of marijuana that he was expecting, evidence and testimony showed.
Evidence photo.The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane 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.
Former Williamson County State’s Attorney SentencedRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – Former Williamson County State’s Attorney Brandon Zanotti was sentenced Wednesday to two years of probation, a $5,000 fine and 20 hours of community service for a scheme to sell seven commercial rental properties by falsifying loan and other bank documents.
The suspension of Zanotti’s law license is pending before the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.
Zanotti pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court in Benton to one felony count of aiding and abetting the making of a false bank entry. He admitted that in an April 6, 2022, meeting with a bank president and the buyer, they all agreed to fraudulently make it appear as if the loan to buy the properties in Williamson and Franklin counties was actually a refinancing. Documents were backdated to falsely indicate the buyer purchased the properties on Feb. 1, 2022, for the falsely inflated price of $545,152. The documents also falsely indicated that the bank was refinancing 80% of that loan, with the buyers bringing 20% in cash to the sale. The real sales price for the properties was $436,122, and the buyers were not bringing any cash to the transaction. The bank’s loan to the buyers was approved by the bank’s loan committee based upon the false information.
Zanotti resigned as State’s Attorney later that year.
The FBI Springfield Office and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case. The prosecution was handled by Special Attorney Hal Goldsmith from the Eastern District of Missouri. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois was recused from the case.
Father, Son, Sentenced for Trafficking Cocaine to St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie. L. White on Wednesday sentenced a father and son who brought kilograms of cocaine to St. Louis for years to more than 10 years in prison.
Judge White sentenced Gregory Dixson Jr., 53, to 15 years in prison and ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine. He will also be on supervised release for 10 years after he gets out of prison. His son, Gregory Cornell Dixson III, 33, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison.
Beginning in at least 2015, the Dixsons conspired with others to bring cocaine to St. Louis. Dixson Jr. admitted that at least 450 kilograms of cocaine could be attributed to his conduct and the conduct of others. For Dixson III, that figure was 50 to 150 kilograms of cocaine.
In late 2016 or early 2017, Dixson Jr. and/or Dixson III sent couriers to Texas to buy kilograms of cocaine from Miguel Angel Gonzalez, who bought it from Carlos Gonzalez. Dixson Jr. was at one point buying as much as eight to 16 kilograms per week.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers intercepted or seized cocaine and cash. In September of 2015, 31 kilograms of cocaine was found hidden inside a vehicle. The cocaine was supplied by Omar Pena Vargas.
In August of 2018, Gonzalez was found in a hotel with two bags containing a total of $634,770 in cash, representing a partial payment for 75 kilograms of cocaine being sold to Dixson Jr.
Drug Enforcement AdministrationOn Oct. 28, 2018, eight kilograms of cocaine bound for St. Louis were seized.
In March of 2020, 23.6 pounds of a mix of heroin and fentanyl was seized from Ruben Sanchez Blanco. Some of those drugs were intended for St. Louis, Dixon III’s plea says.
Drug Enforcement AdministrationIn July of 2021, $161,845 was found hidden inside a vehicle that Quintin Deforest Adkins drove to Texas to buy six kilograms of cocaine.
Dixson Jr. pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and conspiracy to launder money. Dixson III pleaded guilty to the same cocaine conspiracy charge as his father.
Drug Enforcement AdministrationDixson Jr. agreed to forfeit $135,265, the proceeds from the sale of a home in Texas, a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali, a customized 2015 Harley Davidson Road Glide and cash in lieu of a 2018 Dodge Challenger Demon.
Vargas is in federal prison. Miguel Gonzalez, 59, pleaded guilty in November to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 400 grams of fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June. Adkins, 63, pleaded guilty in November to the cocaine and fentanyl conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges and was sentenced in February to 87 months in prison. Blanco, 46, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced in June to five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Carlos Gonzalez is deceased.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Two St. Louis Men Accused of Murder-for-Hire in Teen's ShootingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men from St. Louis, Missouri have been accused of a role in the murder of an 18-year-old St. Louis man in 2021.
Anthony Stewart, 25, and Patrick Robinson, 23, were each indicted May 8 on one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of murder-for-hire.
The indictment accuses them of conspiring to murder Dwayne Wysinger Jr., who was killed Aug. 14, 2021, in St. Louis.
A motion seeking to hold Stewart and Robinson in jail until trial says they were told there was a bounty on Wysinger’s head. After locating Wysinger’s vehicle, they waited until he appeared and got into the car before opening fire, striking him multiple times.
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 St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
Felon Admits Illegally Possessing Gun Used in Bar FightRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon on Monday admitted illegally possessing firearms twice, including when he used one in a bar fight in Overland, Missouri.
Kenneth Jordan, 63, of University City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on Feb. 22, 2023, he got into a fight over a pool game at a bar in Overland, Missouri. Jordan struck a bar patron in the head with a revolver before threatening him with the gun.
Police identified Jordan as the attacker. During a search of his home on March 7, 2023, they found the revolver used in the assault as well as three shotguns. Jordan is a convicted felon and barred from possessing firearms.
Jordan is scheduled to be sentenced August 14.
The Overland Police Department and the St. Louis County Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj 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.
Three More Accused of Role in Scamming Elderly NationwideRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three people from California have been federally indicted and accused of participating in a conspiracy that used Taiwanese passports, fraudulent immigration documents and bank accounts and “money mules” to scam elderly victims nationwide, joining four others also accused of a role.
On May 8, Bowen Chen, 21, of Monterey Park, Jiacheng Chen, 19, of East San Gabriel, and Vianne Chen, a.k.a. Tingting T. Chen, 41, were added to an indictment in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Four other Californians have already been indicted on charges including conspiracy to commit mail, bank and wire fraud: Liang Jin, 24, of Walnut, Tsz Yin Kan, 41, of Chino Hills, Kaiyu Wen, 25, of Irvine, and Yu-Chieh Huang, 22, of Chino Hills.
The expansion of the initial case in St. Louis was part of the Money Mule Initiative, an annual campaign to identify, disrupt, and criminally prosecute networks of individuals who transmit funds from fraud victims to international fraudsters. Fraudsters rely on money mules to aid a range of fraud schemes, including those that predominantly impact older Americans, such as lottery fraud, romance scams and grandparent scams as well as those that target businesses or government pandemic funds. This year, law enforcement took action to stop over 3,000 money mules. These actions ranged from criminal prosecutions to letters warning those who may have been unknowingly recruited by fraudsters. Agencies are also educating the public about how fraudsters use money mules and how to avoid unknowingly assisting fraud by receiving and transferring money.
The St. Louis indictment accuses Kan of setting up "USA You Yi Sheng Inc." as an education service business in California. Kan then produced fraudulent immigration paperwork known as the Form I-20, or "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status," the indictment says. Vianne Chen, a bank employee, as well as Kan and others opened student checking accounts using the fake I-20 forms and Taiwanese passports that had been shipped to Kan, the indictment says.
Other scammers targeted older Americans with tech support fraud, romance fraud, and imposter schemes and tricked their victims into collecting and delivering large amounts of cash to money mules like Huang, the indictment says. Using the fraudulently-opened bank accounts, couriers converted the cash they collected from fraud victims and others engaged in criminal activity into cashier’s checks that they deposited into a bank account that has received more than $7 million, the indictment says.
Bowen Chen was the largest depositor into that account, accounting for $1.3 million, the indictment says. Jiacheng Chen deposited approximately $615,000 and Kan deposited $440,000, it says.
Huang was the first to be charged in the case. In August, an elderly Missouri man was told via a pop-up ad that his computer was infected with a virus. He and his wife were then falsely told that someone had been accessing child pornography through the computer and they would have to pay $88,000 to avoid prosecution, according to charging documents. The Missouri couple gathered the money, but got suspicious and contacted police, who arrested Huang.
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.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Berry and Kyle Bateman are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. The Federal Trade Commission also provides a hotline at 877-FTC-HELP and a website at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov to receive consumer complaints.
More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. The Justice Department provides information about a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which are available at www.ovc.gov.
Three Admit Half-Million Dollar Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –The former owner, office manager, and business manager of a St. Louis County, Missouri-based home health care company pleaded guilty to a federal charge Monday and admitted involvement in a health care fraud conspiracy that fraudulently billed the Missouri Medicaid program more than $552,000.
Doriann Morgan, 58, of St. Louis County, Thalisa Walton, 46, of Hazelwood, and Barbara Jackson, 59, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in three separate hearings in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
They each admitted that from roughly January 2018 to August 2021, they conspired to submit fraudulent reimbursement claims to Missouri’s Medicaid program for personal care services that were never provided. They admitted receiving $552,659.
Jackson was business manager of A Mother’s Touch In-Home Care LLC, responsible for recruiting clients and assigning employees to provide care. Morgan owned the company and submitted Medicaid claims. Walton was office manager.
Morgan, Walton and Jackson are no longer affiliated in any way with A Mother’s Touch In-Home Care LLC, which continues to do business under new ownership.
The three submitted fraudulent claims for personal care services purportedly provided by Jackson for a woman who did not live in Missouri and received no services, their plea agreements say. They also submitted claims for providing services for clients at times when their own social media posts showed them doing something else.
In a separate civil settlement, Morgan, Walton and Jackson agreed to pay $910,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by billing Missouri Medicaid using false timesheets and payroll records for in home services that were never provided. The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Michele Bickley. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Ms. Bickley will receive $90,090 of the proceeds from the settlement.
“HHS-OIG is committed to protecting our communities and taxpayer funds from schemes targeting Missouri's Medicaid program, which provides necessary services to vulnerable populations,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working proudly with the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and our other law enforcement partners, our agency will continue to investigate those who threaten the integrity of federal and state health care programs and the people served by them.”
The three are scheduled to be sentenced August 26. The charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Suzanne Moore and Derek Wiseman are prosecuting the case.
Chinese National Accused of Defrauding the ElderlyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from China has been indicted and accused of taking $95,000 from a 79-year-old Missouri woman who was victimized by scammers.
Dongyi Guo, 27, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on May 8 with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty Monday.
The indictment says the conspirators contacted elderly victims via telephone calls and electronic messages and tricked them into turning over cash. Couriers such as Guo were paid to pick up the cash from their victims, the indictment says.
Guo was arrested after scammers contacted a 79-year-old woman in Knox County, Missouri, claiming in multiple conversations to be representatives of financial institutions and the Social Security office, the indictment says. They told her that her accounts had been compromised and she needed to pay cash to prevent her money from being stolen, the indictment says.
Guo collected $40,000 from the victim on March 4, another $35,000 the next day and $20,000 on March 6, the indictment says. He was arrested on March 7 trying to take another $15,000, it says.
The conspiracy charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
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 Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting and provide resources and referrals. Reporting frauds can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. The Federal Trade Commission also provides a hotline at 877-FTC-HELP and a website at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov to receive consumer complaints.
St. Louis Man Convicted of the Robbery / Attempted Robbery of Four RestaurantsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A jury on Wednesday evening convicted a St. Louis man of the robbery or attempted robbery of four restaurants in one week in 2020.
Jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis found Kammeron Davis, 33, guilty of three counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery and three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Evidence and testimony presented at the trial showed that Davis robbed a Penn Station restaurant in St. Louis on Sept. 13, 2020, by pointing a gun at employees and demanding money. Three days later, he tried to rob a Subway restaurant in Maplewood but was chased off by an employee with a broom.
Court exhibit.About 15 minutes later, Davis robbed a Subway in St. Louis by leaping over the counter and stealing money from the cash register while armed. On September 20, Davis and another person robbed a different Subway in St. Louis.
The robberies were captured on video, as was the car Davis used. Three people also identified Davis as the robber in court.
Davis is scheduled to be sentenced October 22. He faces a mandatory term of 21 years in prison for the firearm charges. The robbery and attempted robbery charges are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Maplewood Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald Boyce and Cort VanOstran are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Fatally Carjacking FriendRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon who fatally shot his friend before stealing and burning his car to 30 years in prison.
Judge White also ordered Laveal David Jones to pay $9,074 to his victim’s family for funeral costs.
Early on the morning of Oct. 1, 2022, the victim drove Jones from a night club in Sauget, Illinois to an area near the 3000 block of Walton Place in St. Louis. After the victim dropped off a third person, Jones confronted the victim about money Jones believed he was owed, leading to a physical fight. Jones suffered a bloody nose before using the victim’s firearm to shoot the victim twice, his plea agreement says.
Jones left the victim’s body in the street, stripped naked so Jones’ blood couldn’t be recovered from the victim’s clothing. Jones got lighter fluid and then drove the victim’s 2015 Kia K900 sedan to West Missouri Avenue and North B Street in East St. Louis, where he set it on fire and walked away.
On Oct. 17, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted Jones in a different stolen Kia. He crashed the car and then fled on foot, discarding a pistol before he was caught, his plea agreement says.
Five of the victim’s relatives spoke of the impact of his death during Tuesday’s hearing, including his mother and sister.
The murder occurred less than three months after Jones was released from prison. In October 2016, he stole cash and a 2009 Sonata from a pizza delivery driver by ambushing the driver and repeatedly shocking him with a taser.
Jones, 25, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in February in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three felony counts: carjacking resulting in death, being a felon in possession of a firearm and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, with death resulting.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen 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 Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for New Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a registered sex offender who sought child pornography from a 13-year-old to 20 years in prison.
Jace Chandler Hickman, now 42, of Washington County, Missouri, was a registered sex offender in October of 2019, when he began using Facebook messenger to communicate with a 13-year-old girl. Hickman told the victim that he was 19, and later said he was 16. He engaged in sexually explicit communications with her and repeatedly asked her to video chat and to meet him in person. He did convince her to send him an explicit photo.
Hickman, who used the names Chandler Scott and Chandler Dickman on Facebook, was convicted in Maries County, Missouri in 2018 of two counts of possession of child pornography.
Hickman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February to one count of possession of child pornography. Due to his prior conviction, the crime carried a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years.
The FBI, the St. Clair Police Department, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman 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.
Dunklin County Man Caught with Nearly 2 Pounds of Methamphetamine Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man caught with nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and other drugs to 10 years in prison.
During a traffic stop on Nov. 18, 2022, near Advance, Missouri, a deputy with the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted Lee Roy Foley III trying to conceal a bag containing an assortment of pills. Foley was also driving with a suspended license. The deputy arrested Foley, and discovered 849 grams of meth, about two pounds of marijuana and two chocolate bars containing the psychedelic Psilocybin. Foley admitted engaging in the drug trade in southeast Missouri.
Foley, of Kennett, Missouri, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The Stoddard County Sheriff’s Office and the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.
Lincoln County Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a man who recorded his sexual abuse of two young girls to 27 years in prison.
In addition to recording the abuse, Christopher C. Parker, 32, shared recordings and discussed his abuse of the victims with others online.
Parker’s uploading of the images of child sexual abuse triggered multiple tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which notified the FBI on March 21, 2023. Agents obtained a search warrant and searched Parker’s home in the village of Fountain N' Lakes in Lincoln County, Missouri, the next day. They found child sexual abuse material on electronic devices including a laptop and cell phones. Parker then admitted abusing the girls, his plea agreement says.
Parker pleaded guilty in January to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of distribution.
The FBI, the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force and the Lincoln 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.
Texas Man Admits Stealing $319,000 from Armored CarRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Texas on Thursday admitted stealing $319,000 from an armored car at an Overland, Missouri shopping center in 2022.
On June 16, 2022, Malik Johnson broke into an armored truck that was parked at the Overland Plaza shopping center while the driver was picking up cash from a retailer there. Johnson grabbed three bags that contained a total of $319,179, and then took the money to his home in the Houston suburbs.
Johnson, 26, pleaded guilty Thursday to interstate transportation of stolen property.
He is scheduled to be sentenced August 5. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. He will also be ordered to repay the money.
The Overland Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Former School Bus Driver Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former school bus driver from St. Peters, Missouri, has been indicted and accused of recording the sexual abuse of minors.
Robert W. Stillwell, 66, of St. Peters, Missouri, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with two counts of production of child pornography.
The indictment accuses Stillwell of recording his sexual abuse of two minor victims between Dec. 1, 2020, and Jan. 5, 2024.
Stillwell is currently in custody in the St. Charles County Detention Center.
If convicted, each charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI, the St. Peters 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.
Woman Accused of Bilking St. Louis-Area Company Extradited from ScotlandRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman has been extradited from Scotland to face an indictment that accuses her of embezzling $165,000 from a St. Louis-area company.
Sarah Lynn Tweedie, now 49, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on June 21, 2018, with three counts of mail fraud, five counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. The indictment says Tweedie worked as a controller of a St. Louis area publishing company and was responsible for payroll processing, expense reimbursements and paying all company bills, including company credit cards.
The indictment says that from July through January of 2018, Tweedie stole from her employer in multiple ways. She used her company credit card and a card belonging to a former employee to make $138,137 in purchases, a Scottish kilt and a $1,239 premium seat upgrade on her flight from Chicago to Glasgow. She used the corporate account to purchase $6,400 in Amazon gift cards, the indictment says.
The indictment says Tweedie also fraudulently increased her annual salary from $80,000 to $110,000 and triggered $16,086 in expense reimbursements to which she was not entitled.
Tweedie began a long-distance relationship with a Scottish man in 2015, according to extradition documents, and they became engaged in March of 2017, the month before she began working for the publishing company.
A motion seeking to have Tweedie held in jail until trial says she told her employer in December of 2017 that her fiancée had been injured in a car accident and that she needed to leave to be with him. In reality, Tweedie had applied for and received a visa to live in Scotland and did not plan to return. She was arrested on July 9, 2019, but fought extradition. In March her final appeal was denied and United States Marshals escorted her to St. Louis.
Tweedie, formerly known as Sarah Jauregui, appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Florissant Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Scottish authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Tweedie. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
Poplar Bluff Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison After Being Caught Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Thursday sentenced a Poplar Bluff, Missouri man to 10 years in prison for repeatedly selling methamphetamine and another two years for violating his supervised release from for an earlier heroin distribution case.
Joshua E. Forbes, 31, sold meth to a member of the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and sent other members of his conspiracy to sell the drug on six occasions between June and August of 2023. A total of about 450 grams of meth and 14 grams of cocaine were sold by the conspirators for $3,810.
Forbes was on supervised release at the time of the drug sales, having been convicted of three counts of heroin distribution in 2021.
Forbes pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Poplar Bluff Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter is prosecuting the case.
Former Boy Scout Volunteer Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Hiding Cameras in Camp BathroomsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a former Boy Scout volunteer to 22 years in prison for hiding cameras in bathrooms at a St. Francois County, Missouri scout camp.
Judge Sippel also ordered David Lee Nelson to pay $55,000 in special assessments that will go to a fund for victims and prevention programs and $6,810 to pay for counseling for the victims in this case. After he gets out of prison, Nelson will be on supervised release for life, with special conditions that include a prohibition against any contact with minors without permission.
Nelson hid two cameras in bathrooms at the S Bar F Scout Ranch in St. Francois County in July of 2021 while working there as a volunteer. Nelson hid the cameras in paper towel dispensers, positioning them so they would capture a shower stall and other portions of the bathroom.
One camera was discovered when a scout leader and scouts were cleaning out one of the restroom stalls. A search uncovered another camera, and leaders then called the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department. When questioned later by a sheriff’s deputy after being spotted near the bathrooms, Nelson lied and said he was looking for a cell phone charger that he’d left in the stall.
During Thursday’s hearing, victims and their parents said Nelson was supposed to be protecting the scouts and was supposed to be someone children could trust. Nelson’s crimes, they said, have now left them unable to trust others. The victims also said they now experience fear and discomfort every time they try to use a public bathroom.
Nelson, 41, of Redmond, Washington, pleaded guilty in January to two counts of production of child pornography and two counts of attempted production of child pornography.
The St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a man from St. Louis County, Missouri who sold drugs to a woman who later died to 84 months in prison.
Donald Lawrence Bateman, 28, pleaded guilty in January to distribution of a controlled substance and possession with the intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. He admitted selling illegal drugs to a St. Louis woman who was found dead the next day. In a series of text messages, Bateman and the victim discussed the sale of $90 worth of drugs, and what Bateman had available, including reference to pills referred to by them as “30s.”
The victim’s blood sample contained, among other things, fentanyl and ethanol.
Seventeen blue pills labeled “M30” that contained fentanyl, 14 green pills and a firearm were later found in Bateman’s possession.
Courtesy of the Drug Enforcement Administration.Bateman and his lawyers disputed that the pills were the cause of the victim’s death, but after witness testimony and evidence was presented Wednesday, Judge Ross said that Bateman’s sale of the drugs was central to her death.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cort VanOstran, James Delworth and Samantha Reitz prosecuted the case.
Jefferson County Contractor Admits Aiding Financial Exploitation of Elderly VictimRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Jefferson County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted helping to defraud an elderly St. Louis woman out of more than $500,000.
Austin James, 27, of Hillsboro, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one felony count of identity theft. He admitted knowingly possessing or using, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person to commit bank fraud and the financial exploitation of the elderly.
James admitted aiding Gino Rives in exploiting the 80-year-old victim, who had hired Rives sometime before Jan. 17, 2021 to repair her roof for $7,500. Rives falsely claimed to be a licensed contractor and the victim hired him to renovate the interior of her home. Rives told the woman to write checks to himself, James and others that totaled more than $550,000 for renovations on the one-bedroom, one-bath, 1,100 square-foot home that was worth no more than $135,000 in 2021. James received eight checks totaling $94,606 between January 2021 and March 2023 for purportedly performing work on the victims, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, basement and foundation. But he did not do the work for which he had been paid.
Due to the volume of checks being written on the victim's account and being cashed by Rives, James and others, her bank contacted the St. Louis City Building Inspector’s Office, which determined that any work done on the house was worth no more than $50,000, if it included and plumbing or electrical work.
Rives, 36, of Edmundson, in St. Louis County, pleaded guilty last year and admitted defrauding two elderly victims. He and his mother, Zella Rives, pleaded guilty to separate charges this year and admitted falsely claiming that Rives was too disabled to work. They are scheduled to be sentenced next month.
James is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14. The charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with concerns about suspected abuse or neglect of the elderly or disabled should contact Missouri’s Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 800-392-0210.