Eastern District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Darknet Vendor Who Sold Millions of Counterfeit Xanax SentencedRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Wednesday sentenced a man who sold millions of counterfeit Xanax pills on the Darknet to 24 months in prison, fined him $10,000 and ordered him to forfeit nearly $1 million.
Brandon Adams, 27, will also be on supervised release for three years after he gets out of prison.
Adams pleaded guilty in September to three felony counts: conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance via the internet, conspiracy to sell misbranded/counterfeit drugs and selling counterfeit drugs. Adams admitted that between at least October 2019 and May of 2021, he sold millions of counterfeit and/or misbranded pills on the Darknet using the name “BenzoBoys.”
Adams primarily sold counterfeit Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug, and its generic equivalents. He used a pill press with imprints that were substantially indistinguishable from those used by pharmaceutical companies selling generic forms of Xanax and the color, shape and size pills designed to deceive or confuse buyers. Adams maintained a manufacturing operation at a secluded lake house outside Sullivan, Missouri. Customers placed orders using an encrypted messaging service and paid with cryptocurrency. Adams would then mail the pills or place them at “dead drop” sites for customers to pick up, his plea agreement says.
Adams sold millions of pills, including hundreds of thousands to customers who would then re-sell the pills.
After investigators made undercover purchases from Adams, they conducted a court-approved search of his apartment in Sullivan and the lake house. They found the pill press, tens of thousands of misbranded pills and bags labeled alprazolam, the active ingredient in Xanax, and clonazolam, a derivative benzodiazepine. They found about $630,000 in cash and two rifles at his apartment and seized about $330,000 in Bitcoin. Adams has agreed to forfeit the gun, cash and Bitcoin.
“Brandon Adams was one of the most prolific manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit Xanax pills in the United States,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Counterfeit pills often contain unknown substances and pose a huge risk to consumer health because they evade regulatory oversight.”
“The pervasiveness of these fake pills is a problem that cuts to the core of Missourians and the American public,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dixon of the Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division. “DEA remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle and destroy these types of enterprises that hide in the shadows and operate in the dark corners of the web. I urge people to talk to their loved ones about the threats and dangers of fake pills.”
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware prosecuted the case.
Sex Offender Caught in Halfway House with Child Pornography Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a registered sex offender who was caught in a halfway house with child sexual abuse material to 15 years in prison.
In 2017, Eric Michael Swancutt was sentenced in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis to 97 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
On Aug. 17, 2022, after his release from prison, a staffer at the residential reentry center near Farmington, Missouri found a cell phone hidden in Swancutt’s sock during a pat down search. A court-approved search of the phone uncovered child pornography and evidence that Swancutt had searched for child pornography.
Swancutt, now 46, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receiving child pornography.
The FBI 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.
Felon Caught with Guns and Pounds of Marijuana in St. Louis County Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon who was caught with six kilograms of marijuana and two guns to 10 years in prison.
On March 1, 2022, St. Louis County Police Department officers pulled over a 2008 Bentley that Jamie Jeffrey was driving. The officers saw a box in the in the backseat that contained bags of marijuana totaling about six kilograms. There were also two pistols in the car and $1,030 cash in Jeffrey’s pants pocket.
Jeffrey later told police that the marijuana was what was left of 100 pounds that he obtained in trade in California for a 1969 Firebird in November of 2021. He said he then traded some of that marijuana for the guns. Jeffrey is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing firearms.
Jeffrey, 47, of Eureka, California, pleaded guilty in July to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris 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.
Texas Man Admits Selling 1.4 Kilos of Methamphetamine to the DEARead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Texas on Friday admitted selling 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent, and giving the agent another kilogram of cocaine to sell.
On August 16, 2022, Marco Chavira met with the agent in El Paso. Chavira believed the agent was a driver who would transport the drugs to St. Louis and Chicago. Chavira sold 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine to the agent and “fronted” the agent a kilogram of cocaine, meaning he expected to be paid later for the cocaine.
Chavira, 35, of El Paso, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chavira’s sentencing is set for August 9. The charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years. He could also face a fine of up to $5 million.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Casey is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Caught with Gun and Methamphetamine Sentenced to 160 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon caught with a rifle and methamphetamine to 160 months in prison.
Antwon Fulton was a passenger in a car with no front license plate and an expired temporary license tag on the rear when he was pulled over by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers on May 6, 2021. Officers found a Chinese SKS semi-automatic rifle in the rear of the car, which belonged to Fulton, and a bag containing 27.05 grams of methamphetamine in the vehicle’s center console. Fulton is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing firearms.
Fulton, 33, of St. John, Missouri, pleaded guilty in December to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris 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. Louis Carjacker Sentenced to 105 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced a man to 105 months in prison for a 2022 carjacking.
On July 7, 2022, outside a Family Dollar store at 6440 West Florissant Avenue in Jennings, La’Vontray Hayes-Williams pulled out a handgun and told the driver of a 2018 Nissan Sentra to “give me the car.” He then drove away with his girlfriend. The victim called police, who quickly spotted Hayes-Williams. Hayes-Williams fled, sparking a chase that lasted nearly ten miles and reached speeds of over 100 mph.
Fulton pleaded guilty in January to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Four Admit Bank Fraud Linked to Stolen MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Four people from Warren County, Missouri have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the theft of mail, checks and other personal information.
Elijah Briggs, 42, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Jessica Kirkpatrick, 44, pleaded guilty in a separate hearing Wednesday to two counts of bank fraud.
Reuben Kim, 36, pleaded guilty April 2 to two counts of bank fraud. Holly Naylor, 41, pleaded guilty in August to two counts of bank fraud.
Briggs admitted stealing U.S. mail from mailboxes and blank checks from homes while working as a contractor. In 2019, he accessed a couple’s online bank account and transferred money to a PayPal account and accounts in the names of other victims of identity theft. He also stole a check from the couple’s neighbor’s mailbox and deposited the altered check, causing a loss of $1,264.
Briggs was later caught with stolen mail belonging to dozens of people, more than 30 stolen debit or credit cards and over 100 checks in the names of other people. The total dollar amount on the stolen or fraudulent checks was $116,279. Briggs also had a notebook containing the names and personally identifiable information of several other people.
In 2021, Briggs stole and used a credit card from the home of his employer’s client, and then tried to cash his payroll check multiple times. He also created fraudulent checks that were deposited by Kirkpatrick, Naylor and Kim. His laptop contained images of fraudulent checks totaling $35,098.
In October of 2021, St. Charles Police Department officers stopped Briggs and found drugs, blank check paper and stolen or fraudulent checks totaling $40,423.
In their guilty pleas, Kirkpatrick, Naylor and Kim admitted cashing fraudulent checks created by Briggs.
Bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. Each aggravated identity theft charge is punishable by two years in prison, consecutive to any other charge.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, the St. Charles Police Department, the St. Peters Police Department, and the Wentzville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke prosecuted the case.
Registered Sex Offender Admits New Child Sex CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from northeast Missouri on Wednesday admitted crossing state lines to engage in sex with a minor.
Joshua T. Wilson, 23, of Monroe County, Missouri, pleaded guilty to a charge of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in sexual activity. As part of his guilty plea, Wilson admitted that he met a 16-year-old girl in the spring of 2022. Wilson and the victim began interacting on an almost-daily basis via online apps. They engaged in sexual conversations and exchanged sexual images. Wilson also met the teen for sex, and took her to Kansas, where he engaged in unlawful sexual activity with her.
Wilson is a registered sex offender.
The charge against Wilson carries a mandatory prison term of 10 years, and is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
The FBI and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Missouri Woman Admits Theft of Federal Retirement BenefitsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Missouri woman on Tuesday admitted taking more than $75,000 in retirement benefits to which she was not entitled after the death of her mother-in-law.
Ronda G. Oswalt, 58, of Marion County, near Hannibal, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of theft of government money.
As part of her guilty plea, Oswalt admitted that she failed to notify the U.S. Office of Personnel Management about the death of her mother-in-law in December 2018. After the death, federal retirement benefits continued to be automatically deposited into her mother-in-law’s credit union account. Oswalt admitted using that money to cover personal expenses, including by writing checks to herself and paying personal bills. In total, Oswalt took $75,734 in federal retirement benefits between December 2018 and November 2021 to which she was not entitled, her guilty plea says.
Oswalt is scheduled to be sentenced July 25. The theft charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.
Hazelwood Company Owner Admits Contract FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The owner of a steel company in Hazelwood, Missouri on Tuesday admitted committing fraud during a repair project for a Mississippi River lock and dam.
Theodore J. “Ted” Stegeman, 60, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of wire fraud. In his plea agreement, Stegeman admitted that between October and December of 2019, he devised a scheme to defraud the contractor and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by falsely claiming that a part manufactured by his company passed safety tests.
Stegeman is owner and CEO of Industrial Steel Fabrication LLC (ISF), which was a subcontractor on a project to repair Lock and Dam No. 25 on the Mississippi River near Winfield, in Lincoln County, Missouri. ISF was responsible for fabricating and welding cover plates, or flanges, for all 17 bridge spans. The flanges were supposed to undergo ultrasonic tests to identify any defects in the welded joints.
The government believes that these flanges are critical, load-bearing components. If a span weld cracks, there is a possibility the bridge and dam could fail, leading to possible fatalities and major damage to a large crane weighing up to 220,000 pounds that traverses the dam. Stegeman’s position, according to the plea agreement, is that the flanges are not “fracture critical components.”
In October 2019, Stegeman’s company delivered a flange for bridge span #10 that had failed an ultrasonic test. To conceal the failed test, Stegeman re-assigned ISF employees who knew about the failed test. He then altered the ultrasonic testing report to make it appear as if that flange had passed. ISF also supplied a flange for bridge span #12 that had not been tested and Stegeman told others to falsify a test to make it appear as if the part had passed. The contractor installed the flanges on bridge span #10 in October and November of 2019 and the upstream bottom flange on span #12 in December of 2019.
Stegeman’s crime caused a total loss of $238,059, representing the cost of removing, testing and re-installing flanges. He has agreed to repay that money.
Stegeman is scheduled to be sentenced September 12. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
University City Felon Admits Possessing GunRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from University City, Missouri on Monday admitted being caught with a gun after a shooting in 2022.
Sheltkeem Brown, 31, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on June 25, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers heard gun shots coming from the area of North Garrison Avenue and Magazine Street, in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood. At that location, officers saw a maroon Chevrolet Traverse, which sped off. The officers activated their lights and siren, but the Traverse’s driver continued to drive recklessly until he crashed into a parked vehicle at North Sarah Street and Cottage Avenue.
Brown fled on foot but was caught and arrested with fentanyl capsules in his rear pocket. The Traverse had been stolen. Inside the Traverse was a loaded Glock 22 .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number. Brown is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing a firearm.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. 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 Accused of Transporting Stolen Goods from St. Louis CountyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three men from Florida have been accused of transporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen property out of the St. Louis area.
Benjamin Andres Ovalle-Taibo, now 31, Jonathan Vejar-Caro, 31, and Henry Jose Ferreira-Perez, 20, were each indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Nov. 1, 2023, on one count of transportation of stolen goods.
Ferreira-Perez appeared in court Thursday and pleaded not guilty. The other two are in custody in Florida.
The indictment accuses the three men of transporting more than $5,000 in stolen goods. A motion seeking to have Ferreira-Perez detained until trial says he and his associates traveled from Florida to St. Louis County on June 9, 2023, where they stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of items. A detention motion for Vejar-Caro says he arrived in the United States from Chile in February of 2023. In court Thursday, Ferreira-Perez said he is from Venezuela.
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 case was investigated by the FBI and Ladue Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cort VanOstran is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man arrested by police after a shooting in 2023 to 150 months in prison..
Robert Eutz III, 44, pleaded guilty in January to one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped his car shortly after a March 30, 2023 shooting in the 3500 block of Lafayette Avenue. Officers found 10mm ammunition and spent casings in the car and a 10mm Glock handgun, 23.67 grams of raw fentanyl and 111 capsules containing fentanyl in a safe in the vehicle, Eutz’s plea agreement says.
The shooting victim, who had been hit multiple times, identified Eutz as the shooter. Witnesses identified his vehicle. The casings from the shooting scene matched the gun and spent casings recovered from Eutz’s vehicle. As a convicted felon, Eutz is barred from possessing a firearm.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.
Webster Groves Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a man who recorded his sexual abuse of one pre-teen girl and sexually abused two other children to 35 years in prison.
Aaron Pratt, 38, of Webster Groves, Missouri, pleaded guilty in January to one count of production of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography. He admitted that he sexually abused a girl for approximately two years when she was between the ages of 10 and 12 and recorded the abuse on his cell phone. Pratt admitted sexually abusing two other juveniles, ages 7 and 11, at their home in another state.
Pratt also admitted possessing over 28,000 images and videos of other minors on various electronic devices.
The Webster Groves Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the FBI and the Hamilton Township (Ohio) Police Department 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 Man Admits Committing Month-Long Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man on Wednesday admitted committing 12 robberies or attempted robberies that occurred in less than a month in 2021.
James Mayes, 61, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to 10 counts of robbery, two counts of possession, brandishing and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of robbery within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
Mayes admitted committing eight armed robberies and one attempted robbery in St. Louis and three in St. Louis County between Oct. 13, 2021, and Nov. 10, 2021. Among his targets were four cell phone stores and three small markets or convenience stores. Mayes also robbed someone on the grounds of Gateway National Arch Park on Oct. 13, 2021, striking his victim on the shoulder with his gun. The next day, he tried to rob someone in the Laclede’s Landing area. While Mayes and his victim were struggling over his gun, he stabbed the victim and seriously injured him.
In other robberies, he threatened to kill employees of the targeted businesses. He fired his .380-caliber handgun at two different robberies.
St. Louis Robberies
- Oct. 13, 2021: Gateway National Arch Park armed street robbery.
- Oct. 14, 2021: Attempted robbery of a person on Laclede’s Landing.
- Oct. 17, 2021: Armed robbery of the T-Mobile at 4142 S. Grand.
- Oct. 20, 2021: Armed robbery of the Smoothie King at 1211 Pine.
- Oct. 23, 2021: Armed robbery of Kaiser Mart at 5008 S. Grand.
- Oct. 26, 2021: Armed robbery of Crown Food Mart at 300 S. Jefferson.
- Nov. 3, 2021: Armed robbery of Gallery Furniture/Home Accents at 310 N. Sixth Street, the Boost Mobile at 1644 S. Jefferson and Domino’s Pizza at 1428 N. 13th Street.
St. Louis County Robberies
- Oct. 25, 2021: Armed robbery of the Metro PCS at 6731 Page.
- Nov. 5, 2021: Armed robbery of Vapes and Snacks at 8820 Gravois Road.
- Nov. 10, 2021: Armed robbery of the Cricket Wireless store at 1084 Lemay Ferry Road.
A police officer responding to Mayes’ final robbery, at the cell phone store on Lemay Ferry Road, spotted Mayes, who matched the description of the robber. Mayes resisted arrest and bit the officer several times.
Mayes is scheduled to be sentenced on July 23. As part of the plea agreement, both sides have agreed to recommend a 20-year prison term for Mayes.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Pagedale Police Department, the FBI and the National Park Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken is prosecuting the case.
Man Involved in Fatal Robbery of St. Louis County Cab Driver Sentenced to 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a man involved in the fatal shooting of a cab driver in Hazelwood, Missouri in 2022 to 17 years in prison.
Coron Dees was one of four teens who robbed Dewight Price, 54, at gunpoint on April 24, 2022. All four have pleaded guilty and three await sentencing.
Dees, now 20, Jeremiah Allen, 20, and Trishawn Jones, 19, each 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.
After leaving a party in downtown St. Louis, the four teens stopped at a gas station in the 700 block of North Tucker Boulevard. At 5:23 a.m., Harris called for a taxi. 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 for the ride, the teens 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. When they arrived, Dees and Jones pulled out firearms and demanded cash from Price. Price begged the teens not to shoot him. After Price handed cash to Jones, he 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 firearm and fired once, hitting Price in the torso. The teens then ran away.
Allen and Jones are scheduled to be sentenced in May and Harris’ sentencing is scheduled for July.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel is prosecuting the case.
Man Charged with Sexual Abuse on Grounds of Gateway Arch National ParkRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Fairview Heights, Illinois was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday and accused of committing a sexual assault in Gateway Arch National Park.
Monte Derrell Boatman, 35, was indicted on one count of sexual abuse. The indictment accuses him of committing the forcible assault on park grounds on Dec. 6, 2023, and placing the victim in fear of death, serious bodily injury or kidnapping.
Boatman is in custody.
The sexual abuse charge is punishable by up to life 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 case was investigated by the National Park Service and the St. Louis Metropolitan police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Tax Preparer Arrested, Accused of Preparing 41 Fraudulent ReturnsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis, Missouri-based tax preparer was arrested Tuesday after being indicted and accused of fraudulently preparing 41 tax returns for clients.
Shasherese M. Reed, 52, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis April 10 on 41 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns.
The indictment says in 2015, the IRS revoked the Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) assigned to Reed and the Electronic Filing Identification Number issued to her business, Sha-Sha Taxes, meaning she was no longer authorized to prepare tax returns for compensation. The indictment says that despite that, Reed prepared tax returns for clients from 2017 to 2022 using a tax preparation business, Majac Money, opened by her daughter and operated out of Reed’s home.
The indictment says Reed prepared 41 fraudulent tax returns that used her daughter’s PTIN and falsely identified her daughter as the paid preparer on the returns. The returns claimed false and fraudulent deductions for things like state and local taxes, business expenses, medical and dental expenses and mortgage interest, it says.
“Return preparer fraud remains a top investigative priority for IRS Criminal Investigation (CI). Our agency devotes a large amount of time and resources to presenting such cases to the U.S. Attorney for prosecution,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock of the St. Louis Field Office. “The IRS encourages taxpayers to be selective and to verify a return preparer’s credentials before enlisting their services for a fee. CI will aggressively pursue those who present corrupt credentials and deceive honest taxpayers into trusting them.”
Each charge Reed faces is punishable by up to three years in prison, a $100,000 fine or both a prison term 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.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Three Carjackings, Including One That Was FatalRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man who committed three carjackings in St. Louis in 2021, including one that killed a 72-year-old man, to 27 years in prison.
Carmain Milton, 50, stole a woman’s 1998 Toyota Camry on Sept. 21, 2021, in the 4500 block of Pershing Place.
A week later, in a parking lot at the intersection of Chouteau Avenue and South Sarah Street, Milton approached two victims and said, “I will shoot you, don’t be a hero, give me your jewelry.” Milton stole debit/credit cards, rings, an iPhone and the Audi A6 belonging to one of the victims.
Later that day, in the 300 block of North Boyle Avenue, Milton carjacked a man’s 2004 Honda Element and then ran the victim over. The victim was severely injured and later died.
Milton had what appeared to the victims to be a handgun. He was arrested a few hours later with a pellet gun and a wallet from the second carjacking.
In court Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken said Milton’s violent behavior was escalating and was the culmination of 30 years of criminal conduct.
The daughters of the third carjacking victim said their father was a “devoted, attentive and loving grandfather” who had a long career in the chemical manufacturing industry, and whose work continues to have a global impact. The crime devastated their mother and left the community fearful that, “It could happen to anyone.”
Milton pleaded guilty in January to two counts of carjacking and one count of carjacking resulting in death.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Woman Admits $100,000 Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A woman from St. Louis County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted fraudulently obtaining five pandemic relief loans totaling $104,163.
Camille N. Foster, 32, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of wire fraud. She admitted that between May 2020 and November 2021, she fraudulently obtained five Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
PPP loans were intended to help struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Foster submitted loan applications on behalf of three businesses, Humble Hearts Home Healthcare LLC, Embellished Jewels LLC and Muse Me Boutique LLC. On the applications, she knowingly misrepresented the payroll and annual income of the businesses, which were not in operation at the time. She also submitted fraudulent tax forms to support the applications. Each application requested about $20,000. In an application for Muse Me Boutique, Foster used someone else’s name and Social Security number on the application, and Foster signed that person’s name on the application without the person’s knowledge or authorization.
Based on the false representations in her PPP loan applications, the lenders approved the applications and transferred the loan amounts into Foster’s bank accounts.
Foster spent the money on personal retail purchases, dining, cosmetic surgery, bill payments, travel, tax payments and payments to others. She then submitted fraudulent applications for PPP loan forgiveness for many of the loans she received, falsely claiming that she had spent most or all the money on payroll costs.
Foster, also known as Foster-Nunley, is scheduled to be sentenced July 18. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. She has also agreed to a $104,163 money judgment.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow 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.
St. Charles County Residents Accused of Forced Labor, Labor Trafficking and TheftRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Four St. Charles County, Missouri residents have been indicted on charges including forced labor, labor trafficking and theft of government funds.
Venkatesh Sattaru, 35, of O’Fallon, Nikhil Penmatsa, 27, of Defiance, Sravan Penumetcha and Nitya Sattaru, both of St. Charles County, were indicted Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
Nitya Sattaru pleaded not guilty Monday. Venkatesh Sattaru, Penmatsa and Penumetcha are scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for their arraignments and detention hearings.
Venkatesh Sattaru, Penmatsa and Penumetcha each face one count of forced labor. The indictment accuses them of obtaining the labor and services of an Indian national through a combination of force and threats of force. Venkatesh Sattaru was also indicted on one count of labor trafficking.
Venkatesh Sattaru and Nitya Sattaru, who are married, face one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government funds and 47 counts of theft of government funds. The indictment accuses them of defrauding the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, also known as the Caregiver Support Program, which provides financial compensation for providing care to qualified military veterans. The indictment says the couple conspired to falsely claim that Venkatesh Sattaru, a veteran of the U.S. Army, was unable to care for himself and needed help walking, bathing, using the restroom and getting dressed. They claimed he was unable to drive, complete housework, cook, shop or manage his own finances or medication allotment, the indictment says. Their fraud triggered monthly payments ranging from $1,405 to $4,723 from April 2020 to February of 2024, the indictment says, totaling $83,776.
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 case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the St. Charles County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case.
Preventing and deterring human trafficking remains a high priority for the U.S. Department of Justice. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888 or by texting “INFO” to 233733. Information is also available on the hotline website: https://humantraffickinghotline.org.
Three Former St. Louis Area Residents Accused of Obtaining 11 Fraudulent Pandemic LoansRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three former residents of the St. Louis area accused of fraudulently obtaining $229,000 in pandemic loans in 2021 turned themselves in to authorities Monday in Fresno, California, where they now live.
Brianna L. Bell-Maple, 23, Jemyla A. Bell, 38, and Leiah A. Vaughn, 22, were each indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis March 27 on two felony counts of wire fraud. The indictment accuses them of submitting 11 fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, which were intended to aid small businesses in paying and retaining employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The three falsely claimed in applications that the PPP loans were for women’s clothing businesses located at addresses in St. Louis and on Scott Air Force Base in Illinois when no such businesses existed, the indictment says. They also submitted false tax documents to support the loan applications, which yielded a total of $229,163 in PPP loans, the indictment says.
The indictment says they spent the money on their rent, shopping, dining, bills, travel, loan payments, pet store purchases and vehicles.
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.
Each wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
St. Charles County Man Admits Child Pornography, Enticement ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles County, Missouri faces at least 15 years in prison after admitting that he engaged in online sexual activity with three teens across the country.
Tristin M. Davis, 27, pleaded guilty to all six counts that he faced: three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor and three counts of receipt of child pornography.
The investigation began with multiple reports to authorities about Davis. It revealed that Davis had been communicating online with multiple minors in a sexual manner and exchanged pornographic images with them. Three juvenile victims have been identified fully by law enforcement.
Davis initially lied about his age when communicating with a 14-year-old girl in New York state, a 16-year-old Connecticut girl and a 15-year-old Tennessee girl. Davis received child pornography from all three victims and induced or persuaded them into engaging in sexually explicit conduct with him via social media. Davis used the screen name “muffinman130020” with the first two victims and “bacontaxi” with the third.
Davis is scheduled to be sentenced July 19. The coercion and enticement of a minor charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years, and a maximum of life. The receipt of child pornography charges carries a term of five to 20 years in prison.
The St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Seattle Man Sentenced for Buying 630,000 Counterfeit Pills on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man who bought 630,000 counterfeit Xanax and other pills on the dark web to 30 months in prison and ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine.
Maximillian Gregory Verbowski will also be on supervised release for three years after his release from prison.
From October 2019 to August 30, 2021, Verbowski used cryptocurrency and cash to buy bulk quantities of counterfeit generic alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug, and other prescription pills on the dark web and resell them. Verbowski’s source bought drug ingredients from China and used a pill press and stamps to mimic the pill markings used by real manufacturers. The supplier then shipped the pills to post office boxes Verbowski opened using aliases.
Courtesy of the Drug Enforcement Administration.Verbowski, now 29, of Seattle, pleaded guilty in June to one count each of conspiracy to sell counterfeit drugs, selling counterfeit drugs and using a fictitious name on mail to commit a crime.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County Man Admits Two CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Jennings, Missouri on Thursday admitted committing two carjackings in October.
Ahmod Samez Moore, 28, of Jennings, pleaded guilty to two counts of carjacking and one count of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted robbing an acquaintance and stealing his 2015 Kia Optima at gunpoint on Oct. 5, 2023. Five days later, he robbed and carjacked a man in St. Louis, stealing his 2003 GMC Envoy.
The Kia owner was heading to a friend’s home to do laundry when he stopped at a liquor store and ran into Moore. Moore told the victim that he was having financial problems and asked for a ride. During the drive, when the victim came to a stop in Country Club Hills, Missouri, Moore pointed a handgun at him and demanded his belongings. The victim initially believed Moore was joking but later believed Moore was going to shoot him. Moore then ordered the victim to strip to his underwear and get out of the car.
On October 10, the GMC’s owner was standing next to his SUV when Moore approached with a firearm. Moore demanded that victim’s belongings and stole the GMC. On October 24, investigators conducted a court-approved search of Moore’s apartment. The GMC was parked in the parking lot and they found the GMC owner’s wallet, gold watch and driver’s license in Moore’s closet. They also found an AR-15-style pistol.
The carjacking charges are each punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The brandishing charges carries a penalty of at least seven years in prison, consecutive to any other charges. Both sides have agreed to recommend a 10-year prison sentence.
The County Club Hills Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.
Hannibal Man Sentenced to 137 Months in Prison for Gun, Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon from Hannibal, Missouri who was caught with methamphetamine and a gun to 137 months in prison.
After a traffic stop of Justin Fuget on March 25, 2022, Hannibal Police Department officers spotted a large safe on the passenger seat of Fuget’s vehicle, according to witnesses and evidence at Fuget’s trial in January. Fuget appeared nervous and a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the vehicle. Police also found a firearm between the driver’s seat and the center console. Fuget is a felon and is barred from possession of a firearm.
During a subsequent court-approved search of the safe, officers found meth, drug paraphernalia and ammunition. They also found text messages on Fuget’s phone that indicated that he was distributing meth.
Fuget, 35, was found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in January of three felony counts: being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The Hannibal Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Hoag and Paul D’Agrosa are prosecuting the case.
Youth Sports Coach Admits Seeking Sex with TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former youth sports coach on Wednesday admitted arranging to have sex with someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl. The “girl” was really an undercover St. Louis County police detective.
Trevor White, 41, of Fenton, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. He admitted as part of his plea agreement that at 10:33 p.m. on Sept. 24, 2023, he initiated a text message conversation with a 13-year-old girl. White was friends with the girl’s parents. White asked for her photo, and in a series of messages about her clothing and their past interactions, sought a “positive response” from the victim. He ended by sending her a photo of himself shirtless.
The victim reported the suspicious conversation to her parents, who then contacted St. Louis County police detectives. The teen’s parents allowed a detective to use her phone, assume her identity and continue the conversation. Over several days, White became increasingly sexually explicit and sought to arrange a meeting so they could engage in sex. He also sent two explicit photos.
On September 29, St. Louis County detectives arrived at White’s home to interview him. White admitted participating in the text conversations, admitted asking the teen for a photo of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct and admitted arranging to pick her up and take her to a park to have sex with her.
White is scheduled to be sentenced July 16. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Shooting, CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a man from St. Ann, Missouri to 18 years in prison for two carjackings and for shooting a store clerk in the mouth during a robbery.
On Dec. 26, 2021, James Furlow carjacked a 2017 Kia Sorrento SUV at gunpoint. He then tried to break into an ATM by shooting at it.
Later that day Furlow and Monya Jones robbed a Quick Mart in St. Louis County. Furlow shot the store clerk in the mouth during the robbery, seriously injuring him.
Four days later, Furlow carjacked a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan at gunpoint. After police spotted him, Furlow fled, first in the stolen SUV and later on foot, but was caught in a basement.
A dating app was used to set up both carjackings.
Furlow, now 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of carjacking and one count each of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, robbery and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Jones, now 23, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty to one robbery charge and one charge of possession, brandishing and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Judge Autrey sentenced Jones in February to 13 years and 10 months in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Ann Police Department, the Overland Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Missouri Woman Admits Attempting $1.6 Million Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from O’Fallon, Missouri on Wednesday admitted submitting a series of fraudulent applications seeking pandemic loans totaling more than $1.6 million.
Dearika L. Binion, now 36, of O’Fallon, Missouri, was successful in obtaining two loans totaling $75,600.
Binion pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday to three counts of bank fraud.
As part of her guilty plea, Binion admitted submitting a false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application to the Small Business Administration (SBA) on April 10, 2020, on behalf of Domi More, a company she registered in 2014. The application falsely inflated the number of employees, the gross revenues and costs of goods sold for the company. As a result of the fraudulent application, the SBA approved the loan and transferred $22,000 to Binion’s credit union account. She withdrew $6,000 in cash from that account on June 17, 2020, the same day it arrived, and another $13,000 the next day.
On July 8, 2020, Binion submitted another fraudulent EIDL application, this time on behalf of MTRLSTC LLC. She again lied about employees, gross revenues and cost of goods sold and falsely certified that she had neither submitted nor received any compensation for disaster losses. The company received a $53,600 loan on Aug. 3, 2020. Binion spent $45,244 on retail purchases and payments for prior retail purchases. Another $5,181 was used to pay a Chase credit card bill and $2,235 was transferred to others via Cash App.
On July 20, 2020, Binion submitted a fraudulent EIDL loan application seeking $59,500 for Bella Skin Spa LLC, but that loan was not approved.
On Sept. 23, 2020, Binion submitted another fraudulent application seeking $264,800 for Bella Skin Spa. This time she listed the company as a sole proprietorship and altered other information in the application but was still not successful in obtaining a loan.
She tried a third time after filing a registration of fictitious name with the Missouri Secretary of State for Bella Skin Spa on Jan. 21, 2021. On Feb. 4, 2021, she submitted a fraudulent EIDL loan application seeking $1.2 million. The SBA did not approve this application.
There are no employment records on file with Missouri’s Department of Labor indicating that Domi More, MTRLSTC, or Bella Skin Spa had any employees during 2020.
Binion is scheduled to be sentenced July 10. Each bank fraud charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and the St. Louis County Police Department.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, violent street gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The St. Louis Gateway OCDETF Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from FBI, DEA, ATF, HSI, IRS, USSS, USPIS, USMS, St. Louis County Police Department, St. Charles County Police Department and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Man Who Committed Three St. Louis Area Robberies Sentenced to 129 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a man from Florissant, Missouri to 105 months in prison for robbing two area banks and a fast-food restaurant with what appeared to be a handgun.
Judge Autrey also sentenced Ricardo L. Rusan, 58, to an additional 24 months in prison for violating his supervised release in a 2005 bank robbery case.
On Jan. 1, 2019, Rusan robbed a Church’s Chicken in Green Park, in south St. Louis County. On April 16, 2019, he robbed a Commerce Bank in Clayton. Two days later, he robbed a Bank of America in St. Peters.
Rusan pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in August to two counts of bank robbery and one other robbery charge.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Peters Police Department, the Clayton Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken prosecuted the case.
Men Admit St. Louis Area Mail Theft, Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men have admitted stealing mail from U.S. Postal Service collection boxes in the St. Louis area to obtain checks that were then used to commit bank fraud.
Dareon Graham, 23, of Ferguson, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Tuesday to one count each of conspiracy to commit mail theft, bank fraud and possession of stolen mail matter.
Tyrell Hardin, 21, of Hanley Hills, pleaded guilty on March 4 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail theft and two counts of mail theft.
Both men admitted in their guilty pleas that between roughly January 2022 and October 2022, Graham organized a conspiracy in which Graham, Hardin and other co-conspirators would steal mail from Postal Service collection boxes to obtain personal and business checks. Graham obtained a stolen key used to open collection boxes and gave that key to Hardin. Graham agreed to pay Hardin to steal mail and told him to target specific collection boxes in and around St. Louis County. Hardin then gave the stolen mail to Graham, who opened the mail and removed checks.
Early on the morning of Jan. 10, 2022, Hardin stole mail from collection boxes outside U.S. Post Offices in Clayton, University City and Richmond Heights, using a stolen Dodge Challenger. Later that same morning, St. Louis County Police found the stolen car near Hardin’s home and recovered a large amount of stolen mail in the trunk.
On Jan. 21, 2022, Hardin stole mail from collection boxes outside U.S. Post Offices in Ferguson, Clayton, Brentwood, Richmond Heights and the Gravois location in St. Louis. On Jan. 25, 2022, Hardin texted Graham a photo of ten checks that he had taken from stolen mail that belonged to businesses and individuals located in St. Louis. The ten checks were made out in various amounts totaling $32,792.
On Oct. 7, 2022, Hardin unsuccessfully tried to steal mail from collection boxes in Wildwood and Chesterfield.
In addition, Graham used the stolen checks to commit bank fraud. Graham altered the checks and deposited them into bank accounts belonging to 11 people he had recruited via Instagram and other means. The account holders provided debit cards, PINs and other banking information to Graham in exchange for a portion of the proceeds from the deposits. Graham would either deposit the fraudulent checks himself, typically in amounts ranging from $2,000 to $12,000, or give the account holders the fraudulent checks. These deposits occurred at ATMs and bank branch locations in St. Louis County, St. Louis City and St. Charles County.
During the scheme, Graham deposited or caused the deposit of fraudulent checks totaling at least $103,457 and obtained at least $46,434 in proceeds, his plea agreement says.
Hardin is scheduled to be sentenced June 4. Graham is scheduled to be sentenced July 3. The charges of conspiracy, mail theft and possession of stolen mail matter are each punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The bank fraud charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Maryland Heights Police Department, St. Louis County Police Department, Chesterfield Police Department, Frontenac Police Department, St. Peters Police Department and Town and Country Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Sikeston Man with over 12 Felony Convictions Sentenced to Serve 200 Months in Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Friday sentenced a Sikeston, Missouri man with over a dozen criminal convictions who was caught with a firearm to 200 months in prison.
Milton Napoleon Porter, 41, pleaded guilty in November to the offense of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and admitted knowing that he was prohibited from possessing a gun because of his status as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, officers with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety were dispatched to a reported vehicle break-in on East Kathleen Street last July. Porter was located at the scene. When he saw the officers, Porter jumped over a fence and ran away. During a foot pursuit, Porter tossed a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol on the ground. He was apprehended moments later. A criminal background check revealed Porter had 13 felony convictions, including multiple convictions for domestic assault.
After serving his sentence, Porter will be placed on supervised release for a period of five years. This case was investigated by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
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.
Canadian Man Sentenced for Cross-Country Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a Canadian man who used sleight-of-hand and other ruses to steal $109,000 from retailers in at least 11 states to 15 months in prison.
Judge Pitlyk also ordered Mohsen Akbari, 38, to repay the money. About $75,000 has already been seized from Akbari’s accounts.
During a nearly six-month crime spree, Akbari targeted retailers in Missouri, Illinois and at least 11 other states. After making a small purchase, Akbari tricked store employees into handing over cash. He sometimes claimed that he and his family collected $100 bills and would ask the cashier if he could examine the bills in the register. Akbari would then surreptitiously place some of the bills into his sleeve or pocket.
Locally, Akbari stole a total of $2,420 from a Walmart in St. Peters, Missouri on June 12, 2023, $6,900 from a Granite City, Illinois store on June 13, $420 from an O’Fallon, Missouri store on June 14 and $900 from a store in Warrenton, Missouri the same day. He stole $580 from a Walmart in Eureka, Missouri and $5,100 from an Arnold, Missouri Walmart on June 15.
Akbari admitted stealing a total of $109,452.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Eureka Police Department and the Arnold Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Six Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Thursday sentenced a man who committed six armed robberies in a three-month period in 2021 to 17 years in prison.
Bruce Franklin, 64, admitted robbing a Family Dollar store and cell phone stores, including two cell phone stores that he targeted twice. Franklin robbed the Boost Mobile store at 3636 Page Boulevard on August 26 and September 10, the T-Mobile at 4167 Lindell Boulevard on September 4 and September 20, the MetroPCS at 3949 Lindell Boulevard on September 17, and the Family Dollar at 11123 Bellefontaine Road in St. Louis County on October 27. Franklin stole cash from registers, and in one case, a handgun belonging to an employee.
Franklin was accompanied by Kristie Meeks during the September 17 and September 20 robberies. Meeks, 48, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty September 27 to two counts of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Judge Ross sentenced her to eight years in prison in February.
Franklin pleaded guilty in October to six counts of robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel 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 County Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Soliciting Sex from MinorsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Thursday sentenced a registered sex offender to 40 years in prison for soliciting sex from two minor victims via social media.
Thomas J. Bowles, now 48, of St. Charles County, Missouri, repeatedly contacting a female minor on social media from Jan. 1, 2020, to Aug. 20, 2020. He offered to become her “sugar daddy” and offered money, a cell phone and clothing in exchange for sex acts and for providing him pornographic pictures and videos.
Bowles also offered to be the “sugar daddy” to a second minor via Snapchat, and claimed he could mentor her in the modeling industry. In 2020, he met the victim multiple times and gave her cash, liquor, clothing and prescription drugs in exchange for sexual contact. He also made video recordings of those sex acts on two occasions.
In a victim impact statement to the court, both victims said Bowles was relentless in his attempts to contact them. “He was obsessed with me, and no matter how hard I tried to get rid of him he would always find another way,” the first victim wrote. He contacted her friends, left voicemails, drop things off at her house and drive by. “It got to the point where I felt like I was always being watched. I was scared for my life because he knew where I lived and who I hung out with,” she wrote, adding that she was in constant fear that he would kidnap or kill her.
The second victim said she had left home and was couch hopping and had no way on her own to get to work “so I was easily persuaded to cave into the nonsense that I was being fed on SnapChat by Thomas.” She wrote that she tried to stop. “I completely lost myself. I was talked into some crazy stuff that breaks my soul to live with.”
Bowles used aliases that prevented the victims from discovering that he is a registered sex offender. Both victims told Bowles that they were underage.
In court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson said Bowles intentionally manipulated and exploited “particularly vulnerable children.”
Bowles pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to one count of sex trafficking of a child, two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of production of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography.
The FBI, St. Charles County Police Department, St. Louis County Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jillian Anderson and 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.
Man Accused of Secretly Recording Women in St. Louis AreaRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man has been indicted on a federal charge and accused of secretly recording women in the St. Louis area.
Erik Elsasser, 37, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis March 27 on one felony count of distribution of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty Thursday.
The indictment accuses Elsasser of distributing images and videos containing child pornography online between August 2022 and August 2023.
A motion seeking to have Elsasser held in jail until trial says he surreptitiously recorded a partially nude 17-year-old female in a store changing room on Aug. 18, 2023. Investigators found other videos made in changing rooms, as well as nearly 200 successful or attempted “upskirt” recordings and three recordings of a woman using a residential bathroom, taken through a window, the motion says. There were also indications that some of those videos, as well as child sexual abuse material, had been distributed online via Telegram.
The distribution charge carries a penalty of five to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
Charges set forth in a criminal complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Brentwood Police Department, the St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI. 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.
Webster Groves Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Wednesday sentenced a man who was caught with a methamphetamine in a carjacked vehicle to 10 years in prison.
Taylor Aellen Foster, 26, of Webster Groves, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Foster was found unconscious by St. Louis County police on August 7, 2022, in a parking lot at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. When he got out of the vehicle, officers spotted a handgun on the driver’s seat behind Foster and a catalytic converter in the trunk area that had been cut off a vehicle and stolen. As a convicted felon, Foster is barred from possessing firearms.
On March 12, 2023, officers at a convenience store on Page Avenue in Overland spotted Foster getting into a 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse that had been carjacked the day before. The officers tried to pull the vehicle over, but Foster sped off, traveling from Page Avenue onto Interstate 170. After reaching speeds as high as 120 m.p.h., Foster crashed into a Volkswagen, causing that vehicle to hit a Pontiac. Foster ran away but passed out while police were pursuing him. Officers found nine counterfeit $100 bills, marijuana and the Eclipse owner’s work identification in Foster’s bag. They found almost 80 grams of meth in the Eclipse.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the Maplewood Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker 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. Louis County Man Sentenced to a Total of 10 Years in Prison for Drug, Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man caught with a gun and fentanyl after a police chase to a total of 10 years in prison.
Antwan Boothe, 33, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in December to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted fleeing a traffic stop near the intersection of Jennings Station Road and West Florissant Avenue in St. Louis County on April 21, 2022, with his 9-year-old son in the car. While speeding away in a Chevrolet Camaro, Boothe hit multiple parked cars. After the Camaro became disabled, Boothe ran through the rear yards of homes adjoining the Jennings Senior High School campus, discarding a gun as he fled.
After officers caught and arrested Boothe, they found a plastic bag with nearly 200 capsules containing fentanyl. They retraced his steps and found a stolen .40-caliber Glock pistol and its magazine. They also found over $7,000 in the car. As part of his plea, Boothe admitted that he intended to sell some or all of the fentanyl.
Judge Perry sentenced Boothe to nine years in prison for the 2022 incident, and one more year for violating his supervised release in a 2015 federal case in which he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
If Boothe is caught and charged again with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Florissant Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced a man who possessed more than 1,700 images containing child sexual abuse material to eight years in prison.
Sheldon S. Dokes, now 31, uploaded files containing child pornography in March and April of 2022 from his mother’s home in Florissant, Missouri, using the screen name “Sin Frost.” Dokes told investigators that he first viewed child sexual abuse material in a group chat on the Kik app.
Dokes possessed over 1,700 unique images and two unique videos containing child pornography on his phone. Dokes had three images containing child pornography on his Instagram account and another three on his Facebook Messenger account as attachments to messages. Dokes received four images containing child sexual abuse material and distributed two images to others via Kik Messenger.
Dokes pleaded guilty in December to one count of possession of child pornography.
Judge Pitlyk ordered the sentence to run consecutive to the four years Dokes is serving after he was convicted in two gun cases in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department 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 Man Caught with Gun and Drugs After Chase Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man who was caught after a police chase with a fully automatic Glock handgun and cocaine base to 10 years in prison.
Anthony Wooten, 41, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Jan. 2, 2024, to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and admitted being caught with the gun and drugs.
On May 30, 2023, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers initiated a traffic stop of a Hyundai Veloster near the intersection of Goodfellow Boulevard and Natural Bridge Avenue. Wooten initially stopped, but sped away when officers got out to approach him. He drove at high speeds through residential neighborhoods, and at one point drove up on a curb to avoid spike stripes, endangering both residents and officers. Next to the driver’s seat, Wooten had a .40-caliber Glock pistol that was equipped with a conversion device, commonly referred to as a Glock switch, that converted it into a fully automatic weapon. The Glock had an extended magazine loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition and Wooten had a second, drum-style magazine loaded with 41 rounds. He also had more than 20 grams of cocaine base.
The chase ended in the 5900 block of Hamilton Terrace. Wooten ran inside an apartment and refused to come out. He later fled to another unit inside the same building before surrendering.
In a sentencing memo, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin pointed out Wooten’s extensive criminal history, including a 2001 conviction for first-degree assault and armed criminal action after he shot someone six times. He fled from police in 2010 and was caught with a firearm in 2012. In 2017, he escaped from a halfway house and was on supervised release in that case when he fled from police again.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Supplying the Fentanyl that Killed 19-Year-OldRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Tuesday sentenced a man who supplied the fentanyl that killed a 19-year-old in Jefferson County, Missouri to 22 years in prison.
Judge Perry also ordered William Edward Martin, 23, to pay restitution to the victim’s family for her funeral expenses.On June 23, 2022, Martin met the 19-year-old victim in the parking lot of a Walgreens in Arnold, Missouri. She got into the black BMW he was driving, and Martin gave her fentanyl. A short time later, he took the incapacitated teen and concealed her upside down in the backseat of her locked car.
After the victim failed to come home, her father began searching for her. He found her dead in her car early the next morning.
Martin would later admit that he could have called 911 or brought the victim to the hospital. In text messages, he discussed the strength of the fentanyl he was selling and the overdose danger it posed. He also continued to sell fentanyl after the victim’s death.
Arnold police spotted the BMW during the death investigation. The driver, Tanisha Payne, said she’d dropped Martin off at a gas station. Officers found a safe inside the car that contained fentanyl, hallucinogens, prescription drugs and drug paraphernalia. They caught Martin behind a supermarket with a loaded pistol.
Martin pleaded guilty in November U.S. District Court in St. Louis to four felonies: conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl with a resulting death, distribution of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also admitted selling fentanyl to others.
"This investigation was particularly tough as nothing could be more tragic than a parent finding their child dead," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, head of Drug Enforcement Administration operations in Eastern Missouri. "Illicit fentanyl is the worst drug DEA has encountered. The damage it caused to this family cannot be repaired by sending this defendant to prison, but DEA hopes it sends a message to other fentanyl dealers that we will do everything we can to make sure they face the same penalties."
Steven “Lemon” Littler, 34, and Jacqueline Williamson, 34, admitted supplying fentanyl to Martin and Payne. Littler had been selling the drug to Martin for several months, Martin’s plea says. Littler also warned Martin of the potency of his fentanyl, calling it “deadly strong” and “dangerous.”
When Williamson was arrested, investigators found fentanyl, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in her St. Louis home. Payne, now 23, also had fentanyl and drug paraphernalia when she was arrested.
Littler pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl and is serving a 210-month prison sentence. Williamson, who pleaded guilty to a fentanyl distribution charge, was sentenced to 72 months. Payne, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, was sentenced to time served.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Arnold Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service and the St. Louis County Police Department.
Missouri Man Admits Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Warren County, Missouri man on Tuesday admitted possessing hundreds of images containing child sexual abuse material on phones and a laptop.
Jacob D. Beauchamp, 45, of Wright City, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Beauchamp admitted possessing 146 images containing child sexual abuse material on his Apple iPhone, about 1,800 on his Samsung phone and numerous images on a screensaver that was running on his laptop. The investigation was sparked by a minor female who said Beauchamp sexually abused her and recorded that abuse. Beauchamp denied that in his plea agreement.
Beauchamp is scheduled to be sentenced July 17. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The Wright City Police Department and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Repeatedly Robbing QuikTrip StoresRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man who repeatedly robbed St. Louis area QuikTrip stores to 20 years in prison.
Terrence Gleason, now 53, of Bel Ridge, Missouri, stole cigarettes from or robbed three QuikTrip stores, including one in Bel Ridge that he victimized three times.
On Dec. 5, 2021, at about 2:30 a.m., Gleason entered the QuikTrip at 9099 Natural Bridge in Bel Ridge, walked behind the counter and began filling a bag with cartons of cigarettes. When the clerk tried to activate an alarm, Gleason lifted his shirt to show a holstered handgun. Gleason then left with the stolen cigarettes.
Gleason returned about 24 hours later. The same clerk was working. Gleason had one hand in the front pocket of his coat and the clerk believed Gleason was armed because of his actions the night before. Gleason demanded cigarettes and left with multiple cartons.
On Dec. 10, 2021, at about 3:00 a.m., Gleason and another man entered the QuikTrip at 5909 Howdershell Road in Hazelwood. The pair walked behind the checkout counter and began removing cartons of cigarettes. When an employee tried to trigger the alarm, Gleason’s accomplice pulled back his jacket, displayed a firearm and said, “Press something, I dare you.” Gleason and the man left with multiple cartons of cigarettes.
On Dec. 11, 2021, at approximately 4:12 a.m., Gleason returned to the Bel Ridge QuikTrip, walked up to the counter, reached over it, and opened a drawer where cigarette cartons were stored. He grabbed several cartons, then approached the clerk who witnessed the two prior incidents and said, “I need Newports,” while grabbing at his waistband. The clerk, who believed Gleason had a gun and tried to comply, said they were out. Gleason walked behind the counter, grabbed several packages of other cigarettes and left.
On Dec. 12, 2021, at about 4:30 a.m., Gleason entered the QuikTrip located at 11150 St. Charles Rock Road in St. Ann and robbed the store at gunpoint, taking $85 from one cash register.
Gleason pleaded guilty in August in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three robbery charges, one charge of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The FBI, the Normandy Police Department, the St. Ann Police Department, and the Hazelwood Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.
Missouri Man Caught in Overseas Sting Admits Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Kirksville, Missouri on Thursday pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge after being caught by an undercover police officer posing as a 12-year-old girl.
Corey Alexander Wadel, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. Wadel admitted that he possessed more than 600 images containing child sexual abuse material and exchanged that material with others online. He also admitted taking pictures of himself exposing his genitals to two young children.
The investigation began after law enforcement in the United Kingdom notified Homeland Security Investigations that someone in the United States, later identified as Wadel, was talking to an undercover officer posing as a twelve-year-old female. Using Kik Messenger, Wadel sent explicit images and videos of himself to the officer.
As part of the plea agreement, both sides have agreed to recommend 12 years in prison when Wadel is sentenced in July.
Homeland Security Investigations 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.
Man from Hawaii Admits Sextortion of Missouri TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A resident of Hawaii pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and admitted the sextortion of a 14-year-old Missouri girl, as well as the distribution of explicit images of other minors.
Gerardo Javier Montes, 33, pleaded guilty to one felony count of distribution of child pornography.
Between Dec. 6, 2021, and Jan. 14, 2022, Montes communicated with the 14-year-old Missouri girl via numerous private messages on Reddit. She initially believed he was 21 but later found out that he was a decade older. Montes often turned the conversation to sexual matters. He provided advice on how to create nude images. He also sent her an explicit image of a 15-year-old. At one point she sent him an image of herself in a bra and a picture of herself topless. She later told Montes her full name and directed him to an online profile.
On Jan. 13, 2022, the victim tried to cut off contact with Montes. He responded by threatening to post nude photos of her on various social media sites and send them to “every school in the state.” He demanded more pictures, providing a detailed list of what he wanted, and tried to get her to engage in sexual activity with a dog. He also created a fake Reddit account, pretending to be a 15-year-old girl, to try and trick the victim into providing nude images. On Jan. 15, 2022, he sent images of the victim to someone else via Discord.
An investigation began after the FBI received a tip about the sextortion and traced the blackmailer to Hawaii. They performed a court-approved search of his home and seized electronic devices that contained child sexual abuse material.
Montes admitted as part of his plea that he traded child pornography with others online, including images of his former girlfriends when they were minors and other child victims that he provided with money, gift cards, clothes, sexual toys or electronics in exchange for nude images. Those victims include one girl in Oklahoma, one in Texas and one in Colorado.
Montes made posts and comments in teen-focused Reddit groups, as well as groups discussion depression and rape fantasies. He also admitted seeking child sexual abuse material from other minors online. In February of 2021, he asked someone who said she had been sexually abused as a minor for nude images of herself when she was 13. In December 2021, Montes asked a 12-year-old girl if she wanted to see his genitals and asked to see her nude.
Montes is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15. The distribution charge carries a mandatory minimum prison term or five years, and a maximum of 20 years.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has detailed information on resources for sextortion victims, including videos and discussion guides to help explain the problem to children and adults. They also have a step-by-step guide on how to report pictures or videos of children to social media companies and flag pictures so that the companies will seek out and remove the images.
To report sextortion, contact local law enforcement or the FBI by calling Call 1-800-CALL-FBI, contacting your local FBI office, or reporting it online at tips.fbi.gov or cybertipline.org.
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 Carjacker Sentenced to 27 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man who was caught on camera carjacking a truck in 2020 to 27 years in prison.
James Blakemore, now 37, was convicted by a jury at a November trial of three felonies: carjacking, possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Trial evidence and testimony showed that on Sept. 16, 2020, the victim was napping in his company’s 2016 Dodge Ram at the Convention Center MetroLink Station in downtown St. Louis when Blakemore opened his door and demanded the victim’s cash, phone and the truck at gunpoint.
Blakemore’s picture was captured by an in-car camera video recording and the truck’s location was trackable with a GPS device. When police arrived, a man jumped out of the stolen truck and ran away, but left a backpack behind with a pistol and both a debit card and EBT card in Blakemore’s name. Blakemore’s DNA was found in the truck and on the gun and the victim identified him in a photo lineup.
Trial exhibit.A sentencing memo filed by the government says Blakemore has a violent criminal history and continued to be violent while in jail awaiting trial. He has destroyed jail property and attacked a corrections officer and another inmate.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torrie Schneider and Donald Boyce are prosecuting the case.
Final of Four Teens Pleads Guilty to Charge in St. Louis County Cab Driver’s MurderRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The final of four defendants from St. Louis County, Missouri charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a cab driver in Hazelwood in 2022 pleaded guilty Tuesday.
Tywon Harris, 20, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of aiding and abetting in the commission of a murder.
Coron Dees, now 20, pleaded guilty in April 2023 to a robbery charge. Jeremiah Allen, 20, and Trishawn Jones, 19, pleaded guilty in August to the same robbery charge. Jones also pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting in the commission of a murder.
In their plea agreements, all four admitted involvement in the robbery of Dewight Price, 54. Harris instigated the robbery. Dees and Jones robbed Price at gunpoint, while Allen taunted and threatened Price during the robbery. Jones fired the fatal shot when he perceived Price to be a threat to their escape. Jones was 17 and the others were 18 at the time of the murder.
On April 24, 2022, after leaving a party in downtown St. Louis, the four teens stopped at a gas station in the 700 block of North Tucker Boulevard. Harris and Jones were each armed with semiautomatic handguns, but Harris gave his gun to Dees to carry in his cross-body bag on the walk to the gas station.
At 5:23 a.m., Harris called for a taxi ride home. The four planned to take the taxi to a fake address near Allen’s home, then run away without paying the fare. After learning that they would have to prepay for the ride, the teens began discussing plans to rob Price.
They redirected Price to Hazelwood Central High School, where they thought there would be no witnesses. Allen denied being part of the planning but admitted he knew that a robbery was going to take place. All four teens knew Jones and Dees were armed.
When they arrived, Dees and Jones pulled out their firearms and demanded cash from Price. Price begged the teens not to shoot him. A laughing Allen, who was in the front seat, told Price not to move and said, “You got two 40s to your head,” referencing a popular firearm caliber. Price held up his hands and handed cash to Jones. Price then grabbed a firearm he kept in his door. Allen warned the three 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 firearm and fired once, hitting Price in the torso. None of the teens stopped to help Price. As they ran away, Price fired his own gun multiple times, but did not strike any of them.
Although Harris claims Price fired the first shot, neither the inside or outside of the taxi nor any of the defendants was struck by gunfire. Any shot fired by Price would likely have struck his attackers or the vehicle. Investigators believe Price did not begin firing until after he was mortally wounded, the plea agreements say.
The teens then ran along a wooded path to Allen’s neighborhood, tossing their jackets into a creek and putting on face masks.
Police arrived to find Price dead. That afternoon, the investigation led them to Allen’s house. Allen, Jones, and Harris hid Harris’s .22-caliber Glock 44 handgun and clothing they wore during the shooting above the drop ceiling in Allen’s basement. Police surrounded the house and members of Allen’s family voluntarily left. Police then entered the residence and called for Allen, Harris and Jones to surrender. Allen and Jones left the basement and surrendered. Harris attempted to hide. Police found Harris during a sweep of the basement and then found the gun and clothing. They later found Jones’ .40-caliber Ruger handgun, which he had hidden in a neighbor’s back yard wrapped in a pair of Dee’s jeans.
Dees and Allen are scheduled to be sentenced in April, Jones is set to be sentenced in May and Harris’ sentencing is scheduled for July. The robbery charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,00 fine or both. The aiding and abetting murder charge carries a potential penalty of up to life in prison and the same fine.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel is prosecuting the case.
Final Defendant in St. Louis Area Methamphetamine Ring Sentenced to 235 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS– U.S. District Judge District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced the final defendant in a methamphetamine distribution ring to 235 months in prison.
Dedrick Deshon Jordan, who was sentenced Tuesday, is one of 15 defendants who pleaded guilty in the case.
Jordan, 35, and his co-defendants Terry James Williams, 37, Clifford Dwight Davis Jr., 43, and Maria D. Flores-Cervantes, 36, were connected to the source of supply in the Los Angeles area, plea agreements say. Jordan and Joseph Robert Holliman, 49, were primarily responsible for arranging the supply of meth, which was sent through the mail or brought to the St. Louis area by couriers. Brendon Darnell Thomas, 47, at times supplied the drug to street-level dealers, plea agreements say. Thomas, Holliman and Jordan each had a residence that they used to receive and store drugs and cash proceeds from drug sales.
The investigation was primarily conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Jefferson County Municipal Enforcement Group. More than 15 kilograms of meth were seized during an investigation that began in January 2019. A total of about 1.3 kilograms of nearly pure meth and 8.9 kilograms of marijuana was intercepted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on two occasions in 2020. On April 18, 2020, Davis and Flores-Cervantes were stopped in Phelps County, Missouri in an SUV equipped with a hidden compartment containing a loaded handgun, nearly 12 kilograms of meth and 47.8 grams of heroin.
On June 18, 2020, investigators conducted court-approved searches of the homes of Thomas, Jordan and Holliman. They found $129,776 in cash, 190 grams of meth and a digital scale at Jordan’s residence. At Holliman's residence, they found vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana, electronic scales, ammunition, three firearms and 4.3 grams of meth. At Thomas' residence, they found three firearms, clear plastic bags containing marijuana, a money counter and $17,520 cash.
Thomas was sentenced to 210 months in prison. Holliman received 84 months. Williams was sentenced to 120 months and Davis received 45 months.
The DEA, HSI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, the St. Charles City and County Police, the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, the Arnold Police Department and the Normandy Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa prosecuted the case.
Charleston Man Sentenced to Serve 8 Years in Federal Prison for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced Tuesday that a man from Charleston, Missouri was sentenced to eight years in prison for the offense of distribution of fentanyl.
Kyrron Haynes, 29, appeared Monday before U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau.
At his guilty plea hearing last year, Haynes admitted that he sold a quantity of fentanyl to an individual in Charleston on two separate occasions in March 2023. Unbeknownst to Haynes, the buyer was working as an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). At the time of the offenses, Haynes was on parole supervision through the State of Missouri for a prior drug-trafficking conviction. After serving the 8-year sentence, Haynes will be placed on supervised release for three years.
The DEA, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety and the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester prosecuted the case.
Man Caught with Drugs After his Release from Prison Sentenced to 12 ½ More YearsRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a man caught with methamphetamine and other drugs just weeks after his release from prison to 12 ½ more years in prison.
On May 19, 2023, officers with the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Kennett Police Department conducted a court-approved search of a home in Kennett after hearing that a drug supplier had a pound of meth there. Roderick Omar Wheeler Jr. was staying at the home with his uncle after being released from the federal Bureau of Prisons on April 28, according to Wheeler’s plea agreement and a government sentencing memorandum. During the search, 90 grams of crystal methamphetamine; 280 grams of synthetic marijuana (K2), 33 tablets of ecstasy, 8 grams of fentanyl and three digital scales were found. Wheeler also had $1,520 in cash that had been used earlier by the task force to buy meth.
Wheeler, 27, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to one felony count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Wheeler was sentenced to 78 months in prison in 2016 on gun and drug charges after being caught after a police chase with a pistol and marijuana, the sentencing memo says. He was released in 2021 but later sentenced to 14 more months in prison after violating the conditions of his supervised release. In 2014, Wheeler was found by police in a vehicle with a brick of marijuana underneath the seat. Wheeler had one ounce of meth concealed in his underwear that was discovered while he was being booked into jail.
The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Kennett Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.