Eastern District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Convicted Murderer Sentenced to 110 Months in Prison for New Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a convicted murderer caught with a firearm in St. Louis to 110 months in prison.
Lucky B. Miner, 51, was in a stolen Hyundai stopped by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers on July 20, 2022, amid a rash of thefts of Kias and Hyundais. The vehicle had no rear license plate and a heavily damaged steering column allowing it to be driven without a key. When Miner got out of the vehicle, officers recognized him from prior interactions. They called to Miner, who walked away and up a ramp towards a home, taking a chrome pistol out of his waistband. After first trying and failing to open the home’s door, Miner dropped the gun. He then began repeatedly hitting the door with his right shoulder to force it open. Police detained Miner before he could succeed. The driver of the Hyundai had a .22-caliber revolver in her purse.
Miner pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In 1998, Miner was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of second-degree murder at a bench trial in St. Louis Circuit Court.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel prosecuted the case.
Testing Laboratory Co-owner Admits $3.8 Million in Fraudulent BillingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former St. Louis County health care company owner on Friday admitted submitting more than $3.8 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid and private health care benefit programs.
Carlos Himpler, 44, now of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to a felony conspiracy charge.
Himpler, who at the time lived in St. Louis County, described himself as a “business development strategist” and owned or operated a series of health care-related businesses. Himpler’s co-defendant, Dr. Franco Sicuro, also owned businesses including Advanced Geriatric Management LLC (AGM) at 10199 Woodfield Lane in Creve Coeur. In the fall of 2014, Himpler and Dr. Sicuro decided to open an in-house testing lab at AGM. They also decided to open Genotec DX, which they held out as a clinical testing laboratory, and agreed to split profits 50-50. Genotec was in the same building and used the same testing machine as AGM’s lab.
Their goal was to maximize their profits from the lab testing business. Himpler and Dr. Sicuro sought accreditation for both labs under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), which set forth quality standards for laboratories that test blood, body fluid, and tissue taken from humans for diagnosis, prevention or treatment of disease. The pair did not disclose that both labs would employ the same part-time employee who would perform tests using the same machine, Himpler admitted in his plea. To convince CLIA to grant Genotec a final certificate of compliance in November 2015, Himpler participated in causing Genotec to make misrepresentations to CLIA, including that Genotec’s testing hours “changed” so that they no longer overlapped with AGM, Genotec and AGM kept separate laboratory logs and AGM stopped lab running samples and transferred its employees to Genotec in July of 2015, when Genotec began running urine toxicology tests, the plea says.
They also concealed Sicuro’s co-ownership of Genotec from Medicare, Medicaid and private health care insurers, while referring urine specimens from Sicuro’s own practice, AGM, to Genotec.
Himpler and Sicuro and other health care providers at AGM ordered urine toxicology tests for patients and referred those tests to AGM’s lab and Genotec, which in turn sent the samples to outside “reference” laboratories. Both men knew AGM and Genotec did not have the necessary testing equipment to confirm the amount of given toxin in the urine testing to a high degree of certainty, Himpler’s plea says. They then billed health insurers for the testing, despite knowing that Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurers bar “pass-through billing,” or billing for tests performed by others.
In March of 2015, Himpler and Sicuro incorporated another laboratory company, Midwest Toxicology Group LLC, but never obtained a CLIA certification or any lab equipment. Midwest was a lab in name only and was not authorized to perform tests on human specimens. When health insurers began scrutinizing claims submitted by Genotec and became resistant to paying them, Himpler and Sicuro created Midwest for the purpose of billing health insurers, the plea says. In many instances, each lab submitted a claim for the testing of the same specimen obtained from the same person on the same day of service, which is known as “split-billing.” The pair used Genotec’s CLIA number.
Himpler admitted in his plea agreement that Medicare, Medicaid and private health care insurers paid $1.4 million in pass-through billing and $2.4 million in split billing.
“Today’s announcement of an additional guilty plea in this investigation demonstrates that HHS-OIG will continue to hold individuals who exploit federal health care programs accountable,” said Curt L. Muller, Acting Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. "Health care providers have a responsibility to submit accurate and honest claims to federal health care programs, to ensure that these resources are available for eligible patients.”
Himpler is scheduled to be sentenced May 15. The conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
Dr. Sicuro pleaded guilty in November 2022 and was ordered to pay restitution. He also agreed to forfeit $3.1 million in assets.
The FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the IRS investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Sestric and Kyle Bateman are prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 13+ Years in Prison for Violent Store RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a man from St. Louis County, Missouri who committed a robbery during which a clerk was shot to 13 years and 10 months in prison.
Monya Jones, now 23, and James Furlow, 20, of St. Ann, Missouri, robbed a Quick Mart in St. Louis County on Dec. 26, 2021. Furlow shot the store clerk in the mouth during the robbery, seriously injuring him.
Earlier that day, Furlow carjacked a 2017 Kia Sorrento SUV at gunpoint. He then tried to break into an ATM by shooting at it as Jones waited in the stolen Kia.
Four days later, Furlow stole 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.
“Monya Jones was sentenced to 166 months in federal prison for taking part in a violent armed robbery that netted a hundred bucks after the store clerk was shot,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “This case demonstrates the commitment and effective partnerships between local and federal law enforcement to combat violent crime.”
Jones pleaded guilty in July to one robbery charge and one charge of possession, brandishing and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Furlow is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27 after pleading guilty last year 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.
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.
Missouri-Based Defense Department Contractor Admits FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Defense Department contractor from St. Charles County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted illegally obtaining parts for the military overseas, undercutting domestic suppliers.
David Murar, 73, waived his right to indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Murar admitted that from roughly April through October of 2022, he bid on and received at least nine U.S. government contracts by way of fraudulent misrepresentations, including that he would provide parts from domestic sources. Murar actually provided parts from China and other foreign countries. By doing so, Murar was able to underbid domestic suppliers. Murar broke the law by providing “military critical technical data,” which was restricted and protected information, to foreign individuals and/or entities. Murar also admitted to fraudulently using his wife’s name to gain a competitive advantage for one of his companies as a woman-owned small business, when he was really the actual owner and operator.
Murar fraudulently obtained contracts worth at least $333,465 for parts including nuts, bolts, washers, sleeves, and tools.
“Some of the parts that Murar’s companies supplied were designated as ‘critical,’ meaning they are essential to weapon system performance or the preservation of life or safety of personnel,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “Murar and his companies have already been suspended from government contracting and he has now pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy charge. This case should serve as a stern warning to those whose actions could endanger members of the armed forces or who supply confidential data on military equipment to overseas entities.”
"The safety and readiness of the warfighter is the top priority of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS)," said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Gregory P. Shilling of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. "We remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of the DoD supply chain, and we will pursue any company that supplies substandard products. Along with our partners, we are likewise committed to protecting sensitive technology and seek to hold those accountable who subvert export controls, exposing technology to adversaries."
“Knowingly removing export control markings and illegally transmitting export-controlled military technology data overseas to produce substandard components for vital DOD contracts, while purporting the same to be made in America, puts U.S. warfighters at risk and undermines our national security. BIS is committed to vigorously investigating illicit technology transfers and holding violators accountable,” said Aaron Tambrini, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, Chicago Field Office.
“We will work with law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue cases involving anyone who provides false information in government databases to fraudulently win government contracts,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Ryan of the Midwest Investigations Division of the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General. “Legitimate woman-owned businesses deserve a level playing field when competing for contract opportunities.”
“Product substitution is a serious threat to Air Force assets, and negatively impacts aircraft safety and readiness,” said Special Agent in Charge William A. Rouse, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Procurement Fraud Detachment 4, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Murar owned three businesses: Midwest Metals, St. Louis Loft Metals, and Florence Metals.
Murar signed agreements not to provide access to military critical technical data to anyone other than his employees or other eligible persons and comply with U.S. export control laws and regulations. He also agreed to comply with laws and other restrictions requiring certain items purchased by the Defense Department to be domestically sourced. But Murar admitted scheming to obtain parts from China, Hong Kong and other countries, and sent requests for quotes, including diagrams of necessary parts, to suppliers in those countries. He removed document distribution statements, destruction notices and export control and arms export control warnings from those documents before sending them, his plea agreement says.
Murar wired funds to obtain the parts, which were then manufactured and sent to his home in St. Charles. He discarded their original packaging and repackaged them to conceal their origin overseas, his plea says.
Murar is scheduled to be sentenced May 7. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, Fraud Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Drake and Cort VanOstran are prosecuting the case.
Man Admits Burglarizing Missouri Post Office Twice in Clown MaskRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man admitted breaking into a Franklin County, Missouri post office and twice stealing packages while masked.
Scott Weatherby, 28, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of burglary of a post office. He admitted breaking into the U.S. Post Office in St. Albans, in northeastern Franklin County, on August 6, 2023. Weatherby was wearing a clown mask at the time he stole packages and again the next day when he returned. After he was identified as a suspect, investigators went to an address associated with him in Pacific, Missouri. Weatherby fled out of the back door of the home but was caught after a brief chase. A clown mask and multiple stolen packages were found in his vehicle.
Weatherby is scheduled to be sentenced May 7. Each count is punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Admits Fatally Shooting Driver and Burning Stolen CarRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday admitted fatally shooting his friend before stealing his car in 2022.
Laveal David Jones, 25, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three felony counts: carjacking resulting in death, being a felon in possession of a firearm and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, with death resulting.
After leaving a night club in Sauget, Illinois just after 4 a.m. on Oct. 1, 2022, the shooting victim drove Jones to an area near the 300 block of Walton Place in St. Louis. Jones confronted the victim about money Jones believed the victim owed, leading to a physical fight. Jones suffered a bloody nose. Jones admitted in his plea that he used the victim’s firearm to shoot the victim twice, killing him.
Jones then stripped the victim naked so the blood from Jones’ bloody nose couldn’t be recovered from the victim’s clothing. He left the victim’s body in the street, then drove away in the victim’s 2015 Kia K900 sedan. Jones got lighter fluid and then drove the Kia to West Missouri Avenue and North B Street in East St. Louis, Illinois. He set the car on fire and walked away. An acquaintance picked Jones up in East St. Louis. Jones was still wearing bloody clothing.
On Oct. 17, 2022, while the shooting death was still under investigation, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted Jones in a different stolen Kia. He crashed the car and then fled on foot, discarding a pistol before he was caught, his plea agreement says.
Jones was a convicted felon at the time of the crimes, having been convicted of second-degree robbery, and was thus barred from possessing a firearm.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced May 7. The U.S. Attorney’s office has agreed to recommend a prison term not to exceed 30 years. Jones’ lawyer has agreed to recommend not less than 20 years.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Man Sentenced to Serve 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting MinorsRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – The U.S. Attorney's Office announced that Tony Ray Waites, 47, of Piedmont, Missouri, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. to 30 years in federal prison for the offense of production of child pornography.
According to court documents, the investigation began in March 2022 when a then 11-year-old boy reported that he had been sexually abused by Waites on multiple occasions. The young boy further reported that he believed Waites recorded the abuse. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office immediately obtained a search warrant for Waites’ residence. When officers explained the nature of the investigation, Waites quickly grabbed a knife and cut himself in the throat. He was immediately rushed to the hospital for medical treatment, where his condition stabilized. Meanwhile, officers seized various electronic devices inside Waites’ residence. During an examination of the devices, officers discovered several videos depicting Waites engaging in sexual activity with the 11-year-old boy. The examination further revealed that Waites made sexually explicit recordings of nine additional young boys from the area. At his guilty plea hearing last November, Waites admitted that he produced the video recordings depicting the ten young boys engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
After serving the 30-year sentence, Waites will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. Waites will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Admits Escaping St. Louis Halfway House, Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man on Tuesday admitted escaping from a halfway house in St. Louis, Missouri in 2018 just days after being caught with a firearm.
Bradford Craig Dean, 56, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of escape and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Dean was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2006 after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. After his release from prison, Dean was confined at Dismas House St. Louis.
On Oct. 27, 2018, Dean was stopped for speeding in Normandy, and officers spotted a handgun in the vehicle's cup holder. It was loaded and had been stolen ten days earlier in St. Louis. Officers also found $1,650 in cash, two firearm magazines, two digital scales and 16 bags containing marijuana, indicative of marijuana sales.
Two days later, Dean left Dismas house without permission and did not return. He remained a fugitive until he was located and arrested on Jan. 9, 2024.
Dean is scheduled to be sentenced May 7. The escape charge is is punishable by up to five years in prison. The felon in possession charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Both also carry potential fines of up to $250,000.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the Normandy Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Admits Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County man on Friday admitted fraudulently applying for pandemic loans totaling more than $33,000.
Corvell Wraggs Jr., 34, of Norwood Court, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of wire fraud. He admitted fraudulently applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan on April 11, 2021, falsely claiming that he operated a sole proprietorship in 2020 that generated gross income of $74,000. He claimed he would use the money for payroll to retain workers and other business expenses. He then applied for a second draw loan, claiming that his gross receipts had dropped more than 25 percent. In all, Wraggs fraudulently obtained $33,832.
Wraggs is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8. The wire fraud charges are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Georgia Woman Accused of Defrauding St. Charles County WidowerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman accused of defrauding a 74-year-old widower in a St. Charles County, Missouri nursing home has turned herself in to authorities in Georgia.
Shanita Gray, 51, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Dec. 6, 2023, with ten counts of wire fraud, one count of use of a counterfeit access device and four counts of aggravated identity theft. The indictment was unsealed Friday.
The indictment accuses Gray of using the personal information of the widower and a fraudulently obtained financial power of attorney to access the credit and debit cards and financial accounts of the alleged victim, identified in court documents as “D.H.”
Gray notified the administrators of D.H.'s nursing home that she was seeking emergency guardianship of him, the indictment says, and concealed the existence of D.H.'s half-sister. She told D.H.’s son that she would manage his financial affairs.
Gray searched D.H.'s Berkley, Missouri home to locate personal identifying information, identify his financial accounts, take possession of his debit and credit cards and obtain samples of his handwriting, the indictment says. When D.H. refused to sign a power of attorney authorizing her to manage his financial affairs, Gray added his name to a form in which she sought a court appointment to be guardian and conservator that had already been notarized, it says. She obtained online access to his financial accounts, added herself as a beneficiary, changed his contact information on financial accounts to her Georgia address and emailed the bogus power of attorney document to financial institutions, the indictment alleges.
The indictment says Gray obtained more than $300,000 by selling shares in D.H.’s investment accounts, transferring funds out of his bank accounts, drawing checks for her benefit and the benefit of others, conducting electronic funds transfers to pay her bills and redirecting D.H.'s pension and retirement checks to her personal and business bank accounts.
The wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The counterfeit access device charge carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and the aggravated identity theft carries a penalty of two years in prison, consecutive to all other charges. Each charge also carries the possibility of a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted, restitution would be mandatory.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Admits Stealing Checks from Mail and Committing Check FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted stealing mail from collection boxes and committing fraud with stolen checks.
Tahj K. Boyd, now 21, was caught by police after someone reported suspicious activity at the U.S. Post Office at 1100 Town and Country Commons Drive in Town and Country on Sept. 1, 2023. Two men were spotted running with black trash bags to their vehicle, which was parked in front of Postal Service collection boxes. Police stopped the car Boyd was driving on Highway 141 in Manchester, Missouri, catching Boyd and James R. Townsend with trash bags containing 110 pieces of stolen mail, including about 60 checks in amounts totaling about $32,456, Boyd admitted Thursday.
Investigators found evidence on Boyd’s phone that he’d searched for the locations of post offices and collection boxes as well as communications between Boyd and others discussing the theft of mail.
Boyd and Townsend were indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Sept. 21, 2023. When Boyd was arrested on October 18, investigators found debit cards bearing the names of other people and learned that Boyd had been committing fraud with checks stolen from the mail. Between June 2022 and October 2022, Boyd and his co-conspirators deposited or attempted to deposit approximately 21 checks totaling about $83,517 using the six debit cards found in Boyd’s bedroom. Boyd deposited some of the checks and recruited others to allow their accounts to be used to deposit checks, he admitted in his plea.
Through the deposit of forged and fraudulent checks and his theft of mail, Boyd admitted intending to cause a loss of at least $115,973.
James R. Townsend, 19, of Ferguson, was arrested with Boyd. He pleaded guilty to mail theft in October.
Boyd is scheduled to be sentenced May 8. The mail theft charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Town and Country Police Department, the Manchester Police Department and a U.S. Marshals Service task force that includes the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Sikeston Man Admits Illegally Selling Machine Gun, Other FirearmsRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man from Sikeston, Missouri on Thursday admitted selling a machine gun and other firearms to an undercover federal agent.
Averyoun Quentez Lane, 18, admitted selling two Glock pistols on July 3, 2023, to an undercover special agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). One of the pistols was equipped with an aftermarket “switch” that converted it into a fully automatic weapon. The conversion device alone is defined as a machine gun under federal law. Lane told the agent that he knew what the device did and instructed the agent on how to operate it. Lane also offered the agent a semiautomatic pistol and a stolen .38-caliber revolver on July 11, the day after the revolver was stolen in Sikeston. Lane sold the revolver before the agent could buy it but did sell the agent an AR-15-style weapon that day. After his arrest on an unrelated matter on July 13, Lane admitted obtaining and selling firearms on a regular basis. He did not have the proper license to do so.
Lane pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one felony count of unlawfully transferring a machine gun and one felony count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms.
Lane is scheduled to be sentenced May 16. The machine gun charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. The firearm dealing charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and the same fine.
The ATF and the Sikeston Department of Public Safety investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis is prosecuting the case.
Hannibal Man Who Hid Camera in Bathroom Sentenced to 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a man who hid a video camera in a bathroom to capture images of a young girl to 25 years in prison.
Stephen A. Marquez, 35, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to attempted production of child pornography. He admitted placing a video camera disguised as a cell phone charger in a bathroom. He captured nude images of a young girl, who was 13 and 14 when the videos were made. Marquez also had videos of the girl stored on his iPhone.
The investigation began in August of 2022, when the victim reported to law enforcement that Marquez had been sexually abusing her since she was 9 or 10 and had used his cell phone to record her in the shower. The victim said she told Marquez to stop many times but was scared to tell someone about the sexual abuse. She also said she was scared Marquez would hurt her while he was sexually abusing her.
The Hannibal Police Department, the FBI and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Charges Added Against Former Missouri Police Officer Accused of Sexually Abusing DetaineesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Wednesday returned a superseding indictment accusing a former officer with the North County Police Cooperative of sexually assaulting 19 men that he detained or arrested.
Marcellis Blackwell, 34, of St. Louis, was originally indicted in September. Wednesday’s indictment brings the total to 36 charges: 19 counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, namely the right to bodily integrity, and 17 counts of altering records in a federal investigation.
The new indictment says that between Nov. 8, 2022, and June 5, 2023, Blackwell fondled the genitals of 19 alleged victims who he had detained and/or restrained. Blackwell also is accused in the indictment of sodomizing one of the men with his finger, an act of aggravated sexual abuse. The indictment also says Blackwell’s conduct constituted the kidnapping of the alleged victims. An additional count of altering the records of another arrest brings the number of alleged/charged victims to 20.
FBI St. Louis has established a hotline for potential victims of Blackwell: (314) 589-2682.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI investigated the case, following an initial investigation conducted by the North County Police Cooperative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug is prosecuting the case.
Teen Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Selling Drugs, Guns in St. Louis and FentonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a teen from Jefferson County, Missouri to 70 months in prison for selling guns and drugs in St. Louis and Fenton.
Donye “El Baggo” Peace, 19, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to four counts of distribution of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and one count of dealing firearms without a license.
Peace admitted selling cocaine to undercover agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Aug. 19, 2022, Aug. 26, 2022, Sept. 7, 2022, and Sept. 15, 2022. He also sold a Glock pistol to the agent on September 7 and two more pistols on September 15.
Peace’s publicly accessible Instagram account had a hyperlink to a Telegram group chat page called “Local Pharmacy,” which offered drugs for sale and provided a phone number. He later created a Telegram group chat called “LocalAmmunitions,” which offered firearms for sale.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Buying Stolen Catalytic ConvertersRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Court Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man who bought thousands of dollars’ worth of stolen catalytic converters to 15 months in prison.
In a Facebook post in 2021, Asmir Jasarevic, now 33, of Lakeshire, falsely claimed to be a licensed dealer who wanted to buy catalytic converters. Jasarevic admitted in his guilty plea in September that he made a “significant” number of purchases when he had direct knowledge that the catalytic converters were stolen. Jasarevic offered no receipts and paid only in cash, offering well below market value. He bought converters at his apartment or public places, kept no records and conducted business at night, his plea says.
Jasarevic admitted selling nearly $50,000 worth of converters to a recycling company in Illinois, $20,000 of which came from stolen property. Catalytic converters contain trace amounts of precious metals and have been cut off vehicles around the country by thieves.
Jasarevic pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware prosecuted the case.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for St. Louis Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender caught by St. Louis police with a gun during a domestic dispute was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White Tuesday to 10 years in prison.
Mario Long, 53, was arrested at a home in the 4600 block of Louisiana Avenue on Aug. 6, 2020 by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers. Long’s then-girlfriend had locked him out of the house during a dispute. He then shattered the glass on the home’s front door, assaulted his girlfriend, got a gun from a bedroom and pointed it his girlfriend and her daughter, according to evidence and testimony at Long’s trial in August. The jury found Long guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Long is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing a gun. His prior convictions include unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, assault, child molestation, statutory rape and statutory sodomy.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Hoag and John Ware prosecuted the case.
Missouri Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender on Monday admitted being caught with child pornography.
David Earl Dey, 38, of Randolph County, Missouri near Moberly, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The investigation began in August of 2022, when the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that Dey was in possession of child sexual abuse material that he stored on flash drives. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office also received a tip through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Dey had uploaded child pornography. Dey is a registered sex offender, having been convicted in 2008 of first-degree statutory sodomy, first-degree child molestation and sexual misconduct involving a child.
Dey denied owning flash drives or computers, but a court-approved search of his home found a cell phone and two hidden laptops. The electronic devices contained 102 videos and 764 images containing child pornography, many showing the sexual abuse of toddlers, Dey’s plea agreement says. About 4,000 more files containing “child erotica” were also found.
Dey is scheduled to be sentenced May 1. Both sides have agreed to recommend 15 years in prison.
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Georgia Man Admits Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Norcross, Georgia with connections to St. Louis on Monday admitted fraudulently obtaining a pandemic loan.
Chad E. “JBo” Brown, 51, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of bank fraud and one count of using a false writing or document. As part of his plea, Brown admitted fraudulently applying for and receiving a $20,833 loan from the Paycheck Protection Program, which was intended to help struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 27, 2021, Brown applied for the PPP loan for Popular Music Group LLC. He listed gross income in 2020 of $178,653 and submitting a fraudulent 2020 IRS Schedule C showing the same amount of gross income for the company. On his tax returns for that year, however, Brown reported an adjusted gross income of $7,249, and the only Schedule C was for “towing services.” That Schedule C listed gross income of $8,250. Brown did not file a Schedule C for Popular Music Group in 2019 or 2020.
The $20,833 was deposited into Brown’s credit union on June 29, 2021. Brown did not use the money for expenses authorized by the Small Business Administration. He wired $10,025 to a marketing and promotion company, withdrew $2,703 in cash and transferred money to his sister, his girlfriend and others, his plea agreement says.
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced April 24. The bank fraud charge is punishable by a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both. The false document charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
Brown is currently being held in jail, in part because he is a self-reported member of the “Black Mafia Family” street gang.
The broader investigation into the Black Mafia Family is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the St. Louis County Police Department and other members of the St. Louis Gateway Strike Force.
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. Louis County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison in Connection with Fentanyl DeathRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday found a fentanyl dealer responsible for the overdose death of a 17-year-old in 2021 and sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
Keith Edward “Kesso” Matthews, 24, of St. Louis County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September to four felonies: conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and three counts of distribution of a controlled substance. Matthews admitted selling pills that resembled the painkiller Percocet to his co-defendants, Katlyn Mae Brewer and / or Cameron Luke Houston, up to three times a week. On those occasions Brewer and/or Houston would buy 20 to 40 pills at $10 to $20 per pill.
The investigation began with the fentanyl overdose death of a teen, identified in court documents as “J.G.,” on Feb. 3, 2021. Investigators learned that J.G. had been purchasing “M-30” Percocet pills from Brewer and Houston. On February 3, J.G. was attending an outpatient treatment facility and contacted Houston and Brewer via Snapchat to buy “Percocet pills.” Matthews disputed that he provided the fatal drugs that Brewer delivered to J.G., but Judge Ross on Friday found that he did, based on a preponderance of the evidence.
After J.G.’s death, and during the investigation, confidential informants purchased pills containing fentanyl from Matthews three times between March 31, 2022 and April 12, 2022. Each time they paid $2,000 for just under 200 tablets. Matthews admitted selling between 400 grams and 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl to Houston, Brewer and others over at least a year’s time.
“Once again, someone lost their life because this man sold an illegal product that he knew could kill,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, lead of Drug Enforcement Administration investigations in eastern Missouri. “Fentanyl doesn’t just take the lives of those who use illegal drugs. Their families and friends are left seeking justice, and today justice was served.”
Both Brewer, now 26, and Houston, 22, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and are scheduled to be sentenced February 21.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis County Police Department.
Missouri Man Who Sexually Assaulted Children Sentenced to 199 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man who possessed child pornography and admitted sexually abusing two children to 199 months in prison.
Judge Clark also ordered Kyle Mathew Bray, 32, to be placed on supervised release for life after his prison term ends. Bray, who was living in Lincoln County at the time his crimes were discovered, pleaded guilty in August to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He admitted using the Telegram app to receive child pornography, which he stored on his phone, and join Telegram groups focused on children. Bray also admitted sexually abusing a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old.
The case was investigated by the Troy Police Department, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Boy Scout Volunteer Admits Hiding Cameras in Missouri Camp BathroomsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former Boy Scout volunteer on Thursday admitted hiding cameras in bathrooms at a St. Francois County, Missouri scout camp.
David Lee Nelson, 41, of Redmond, Washington, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of production of child pornography and two counts of attempted production of child pornography.
Nelson admitted hiding two cameras in bathrooms at the S Bar F Scout Ranch in St. Francois County in July of 2021 while there as a volunteer. Nelson hid the cameras in paper towel dispensers and positioned them so they would capture the interior of the bathroom, including a shower stall.
One camera was discovered when a scout leader and scouts were cleaning out one of the restroom stalls. A search uncovered another camera, and leaders then called the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department. Later in the day, a scout leader spotted Nelson near the bathrooms holding his cell phone. Nelson then walked into the restroom stalls where the cameras were hidden.
When questioned later by a sheriff’s deputy, Nelson lied and said he was looking for a cell phone charger that he’d left in the stall after a shower. But Nelson’s own image was captured in the videos he’d recorded with the hidden cameras.
As part of his plea agreement, Nelson has agreed to forfeit computers, tablets, hard drives, other storage devices and two digital cameras that were seized during the investigation.
He is scheduled to be sentenced April 25. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, followed by a term of supervised release of up to life. Both sides have agreed to recommend a sentence of between 15 and 22 years in prison.
The St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Missouri Collects More than $21 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced today that the Eastern District of Missouri collected $21,046,154 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $18,383,768 was collected in criminal actions and $2,662,385 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Eastern District of Missouri worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $10,675 in criminal cases pursued jointly by these offices.
“Our Financial Litigation Unit works tirelessly to identify and recover assets so we can attempt to make victims whole,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming.
Among the money collected in criminal cases last year was millions of dollars fraudulently obtained by two Jefferson County chiropractors and their co-defendants in a long-running Social Security disability fraud conspiracy. At the direction of the chiropractor, the co-defendants falsely claimed they were unable to work and underwent medically unnecessary tests to support fraudulent applications for disability benefits. After sentencing, the Financial Litigation Unit initiated various collection actions by issuing subpoenas, recording liens against the defendants’ property and garnishing the defendants’ wages, bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement and pension accounts, Social Security checks, tax refunds, and other assets. More than $3.5 million has been recovered so far, including $95,684 from Hobbs, $205,214 from Hobbs’ wife and fellow chiropractor Vivian Carbone Hobbs and amounts ranging from $70,603 to $478,336 from individual patients.
Among the civil settlements was one finalized in February with Great Circle, a nonprofit behavioral health provider that admitted making false statements when billing for services that were not actually provided to foster youth. They agreed to pay $1,866,000.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Missouri, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $9,337,250 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Man Who Shared Child Pornography, Fled St. Louis Sentenced to 188 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A man who possessed and shared child pornography and then fled from St. Louis while on house arrest was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years and eight months in prison.
U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday also ordered Daniel Bert, 38, to be placed on supervised release for life after he gets out of prison.
Bert, of St. Louis, Missouri, possessed child sexual abuse material on multiple electronic devices, including laptops, phones and hard drives. After receiving two tips about Bert, the FBI discovered he was discussing his sexual interest in young children on Kik Messenger. An undercover FBI special agent began communicating with Bert on another app, Wickr. Bert sent a picture of his genitals to the agent, told the agent that he had a hard drive full of child pornography and asked the agent to join him in an online video chat during which Bert played videos containing child pornography.
After his indictment, Bert removed his GPS monitoring device while on house arrest and fled St. Louis. He was arrested in Florida on May 11.
Bert pleaded guilty in August to a felony charge of transportation of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the FBI. 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.
Louisiana Bounty Hunter Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Missouri KidnappingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Wednesday sentenced a bounty hunter from Louisiana to 10 years in prison for removing a woman from a St. Peters, Missouri home and taking her across state lines against her will.
Wayne D. Lozier Jr., 45, of the New Orleans area, was convicted by a jury in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
“This sentence should reinforce that those who work in the fugitive recovery industry must comply with state and local laws and regulations and treat those they take into custody with decency,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “They work in a dangerous industry, but that is not a license to go rogue.”
"Wayne Lozier claimed he was just doing his job as a bounty hunter, but a jury convicted him of kidnapping. The evidence presented in trial proved he flagrantly ignored police warnings that he was violating the law and police commands to release his victim," said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. "We commend St. Peters Police for its thorough investigation and collaboration with us in pursuing federal prosecution.”
Testimony and evidence presented at trial showed that Lozier first called and impersonated a deputy with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office to trick the victim, who had an arrest warrant there for two misdemeanor offenses, into revealing her address. Lozier and his partner, Jody L. Sullivan, then drove to where the victim was staying in St. Peters, Missouri.
They had been hired by a Louisiana bail bond company to locate and apprehend the victim. They were not licensed by Missouri’s Department of Commerce and Insurance to operate as surety recovery agents within Missouri. They also did not notify local law enforcement before entering the home.
On May 9, 2019, Lozier told the homeowner he didn’t need her permission to enter the house, according to evidence and testimony, including video from Lozier’s body camera. Lozier went into the basement and handcuffed the victim, who was barefoot and clad only in pajamas. He and Sullivan then took her away in their SUV without her consent, the trial showed.
The homeowner contacted police. St. Peters Police Officer Jeffrey Atkins told Lozier on the phone that he was breaking the law and needed to return the victim, but Lozier refused to do so.
The victim, concerned for her safety after learning that Lozier and Sullivan were not police officers, tried to get help from clerks working at a gas station in Sullivan, Missouri. Inside the store, Lozier shocked the victim multiple times with a Taser and pulled her hair. He and Sullivan then dragged the victim out of the store by the chain that connected her handcuffs and leg shackles. That incident was partially captured in a bystander’s cell phone video. When police arrived, Lozier told them that he was a surety recovery agent and was licensed by the state of Louisiana. The officers were unaware that Lozier and Sullivan had unlawfully taken the victim from the St. Peters residence earlier that day.
Once back in the SUV, Lozier repeatedly threatened the victim, both physically and by telling her that he would arrange for her to be charged with a felony offense. He told her that she would never see her children again and that she was his property, testimony and evidence at trial showed.
Worried about the legality of his actions, Lozier did not take the victim to Louisiana, where her misdemeanor charges were pending. He instead dropped her at a detention facility in Mississippi. She remained there for about a week before she was released.
After Lozier’s indictment and arrest, he violated his pre-trial release conditions by both possessing a firearm and continuing to apprehend fugitives in Louisiana. He also violated his travel restrictions by leaving the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Sullivan, 56, of the New Orleans area, pleaded guilty Sept. 18, 2023, to the conspiracy and kidnapping charges and admitted unlawfully seizing the woman and transporting her across state lines. She was sentenced December 20 to five years of probation.
The FBI and the St. Peters Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Martin and Donald Boyce prosecuted the case.Lincoln County Man Admits Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Lincoln County, Missouri man on Wednesday admitted producing images of the sexual abuse of two victims who were preschool age or younger.
Christopher C. Parker, 32, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography.
The investigation into Parker began on March 21, 2023, when the FBI’s St. Louis office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about Parker’s uploading of child pornography via his Quora account. They obtained a court-approved search warrant and served it the next day, finding electronic devices with image and video files containing child sexual abuse material and an image that Parker produced and sent via Wickr. Parker also admitted sexually abusing two toddler and preschool-aged children and recording that abuse.
Parker is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1. The U.S. Attorney’s office will recommend a sentence of 27 years in prison.
The FBI 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.
Former Professional Basketball Player Accused of Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former professional basketball player has been arrested in Missouri after an indictment accused him of fraudulently obtaining pandemic relief funds.
Lorenzo Gordon, 40, of Chesterfield, Missouri, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis January 17 on three counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government money. He pleaded not guilty to the charges Wednesday.
The indictment alleges that Gordon fraudulently applied for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, which were intended to help businesses and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The indictment says Gordon applied for an EIDL loan for Logo Fitness LLC on June 19, 2020, falsely claiming the company had gross revenues of $96,475 in the 12 months prior to the COVID pandemic. He received a $9,000 advance and a loan of $39,200, the indictment says. On June 22, 2020, Gordon applied for an EIDL loan for Elite 50 Basketball Training LLC, falsely claiming gross revenues of $234,656 in the 12 months prior to the pandemic, the indictment says, and resulting in a $10,000 advance and a $107,300 loan. Both companies were only formed in 2020, the indictment says.
The indictment also says that Gordon applied for a PPP loan on April 16, 2021, falsely stating he was sole proprietor of Lorenzo Gordon, janitorial services. Gordon received a $20,832 loan.
Each wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The theft charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the same 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 Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man who had amassed at least 30,000 images containing child sexual abuse material to 78 months in prison.
Daniel Hass, 66, pleaded guilty in August to three counts of possession of child pornography. He admitted using peer-to-peer file sharing programs to download and view child sexual abuse material. In conversations with St. Louis County Police, Hass estimated that he had 20,000 images containing the material and that he had been viewing such materials for about 20 years. Investigators located at least 30,000 images and hundreds of videos containing child pornography, as well as videos Hass had surreptitiously recorded of adult women undressing.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.St. Louis County Man Who Admitted Elder Fraud Admits Disability FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County, Missouri man who last year admitted financially exploiting two elderly women admitted on Thursday that he was committing disability fraud while doing so.
Gino Rives, 36, of Edmundson, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to five counts of theft of government funds. He admitted fraudulently applying for payments from the Social Security Administration’s Supplemental Security Income Program in 2010. He claimed to have a mental health disorder and pretended to be incapable of answering basic questions during an interview with a SSA representative on May 14, 2010, and during a psychological evaluation with a SSA psychologist on August 30, 2010. He falsely claimed to have difficulty concentrating, following instructions, completing tasks and with his memory. He claimed he had never been employed, could not drive, was unable to handle his financial affairs and had no assets.
Rives admitted concealing his employment in the construction and tree trimming industries, his
participation in competitive mixed martial arts, his ownership of houses and vehicles, and his receipt of more than $721,692 since 2021. Rives fraudulently received more than $91,000 via his disability fraud.In October, Rives pleaded guilty to one count of access device fraud and one count of fraudulently effecting transactions and admitted exploiting two elderly women for years. He obtained four vehicles and checks totaling at least $500,000 from one woman and moved the other woman out of her home and began renting it to his mother.
Rives is scheduled to be sentenced on the disability fraud case on April 17 and the elder fraud case on March 14.
The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about disability fraud is asked to contact the SSA Office of Inspector General fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or submit a report online at oig.ssa.gov/report. Concerns about suspected abuse or neglect of the elderly or disabled should be directed to Missouri’s Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 800-392-0210 or online at health.mo.gov/safety/abuse/.
Richmond Heights Hotel Manager Stole $150,000, Indictment AllegesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A manager of a Richmond Heights, Missouri hotel has been indicted and accused of using her position to steal more than $150,000 from her employer.
Angelique Patterson, 39, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday with five counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges that Patterson defrauded a Richmond Heights, Missouri hotel where she was employed as assistant general manager.
From March through at least October of 2023, Patterson manipulated the hotel’s reservation system and altered the records of customers who had paid using cash or credit cards, the indictment says. Patterson changed those reservations to falsely show that the customers had used the hotel’s loyalty rewards system “points” to pay for their stay. Patterson then added her own credit or debit card information into the system and had the customers’ payments “refunded” to her.
Patterson fraudulently refunded to herself a total of about $ 153,518 during the course of her scheme, the indictment says. On Oct. 4, 2023, although not on duty, Patterson tried to use the hotel's desk computer and a coworker's credentials to fraudulently refund herself an additional $61,998, the indictment says.
Each wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cort VanOstran is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Who Absconded from Federal Supervision Sentenced to 51 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a fentanyl dealer who absconded from federal supervision after his guilty plea to 51 months in prison.
Theodise D. Perkins, 23, of Florissant, Missouri, pleaded guilty on May 18, 2022, to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He admitted being caught with a stolen .45-caliber pistol, 19.77 grams of fentanyl in capsules and baggies and $1,004 during a traffic stop in St. Louis on March 4, 2020. The driver of the vehicle in which Perkins was riding led police on an extended car chase and Perkins attempted to flee on foot before being taken into custody, throwing away a loaded gun in the process.
Following his guilty plea, Perkins allowed to remain out on bond. He repaid this trust by absconding from pre-trial supervision and failing to show up for his sentencing hearing. He was arrested June 27, 2023 and has been held in jail since that time. The recommended sentencing guidelines for Perkins were 21 months higher than they would have been had he not fled supervision.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missouri Department of Public Safety investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone prosecuted the case.
St. Charles Sex Offender Admits Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from St. Charles, Missouri on Thursday admitted possessing child pornography and contacting a child via Snapchat.
Ronald L. Thurber, 73, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to possession of child pornography as a prior offender. He admitted searching for child sexual abuse material online and possessing that material in a Google account. He also had hundreds of pictures and videos on his laptop computer and cell phone. Investigators have identified the child victims in 190 of those files.
Thurber also admitted masturbating while corresponding with a 10-year-old in Washington state via Snapchat.
Thurber was required to register as a sex offender after being convicted in a 1979 rape and sodomy case in St. Louis County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.
The investigation began after the material in his Google account triggered multiple tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Thurber is scheduled to be sentenced April 3. The charge is punishable by between 10 and 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The FBI 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. For information about keeping kids safe online, please visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s NetSmartz program.
Mother, Son, Sentenced for Selling Fentanyl in St. Louis AreaRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A mother and her son have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in the St. Louis area.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced Frederick Mopkins, 32, to 10 years in prison. Mopkins pleaded guilty in October to four felonies: a fentanyl conspiracy charge, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempting to destroy evidence.
Last week, Judge White sentenced Vera Mopkins, 46, to 33 months in prison. She pleaded guilty to a fentanyl conspiracy charge.
Both admitted involvement in fentanyl trafficking beginning in 2020. The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department began investigating in February of that year and made a series of fentanyl purchases from Frederick Mopkins and others at an extended stay hotel in Hazelwood. A search of four hotel rooms on Oct. 2, 2020, found meth, pill presses, digital scales and empty pill capsules. Some of the rooms were registered in Vera Mopkins’ name. A search of a St. Louis home associated with Frederick Mopkins that same day caught him with two pistols, fentanyl, $3,000 cash, multiple cell phones that had been used to arrange drug sales and a 60-round drum magazine for a firearm.
At least one of the drug sales was coordinated by Vera Mopkins. Frederick Mopkins coordinated others. Vera Mopkins also helped prepare and package fentanyl at least once. The drug sales continued at locations in St. Louis after the hotel search.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Caught on MetroLink with Gun Sentenced to 33 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon who was caught with a gun on a MetroLink train to 33 months in prison.
Lamont Walker, 30, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted possessing an American Tactical Omni Hybrid AR-15 pistol on a MetroLink train on Feb. 27, 2023. Riders alerted Metro security, who contacted St. Louis police.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Walker is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Admits Three Carjackings, Including One That Was FatalRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri pleaded guilty Wednesday and admitted committing three carjackings in St. Louis in 2021, including one that resulted in the death of a 72-year-old man.
Carmain Milton, 50, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of carjacking and one count of carjacking resulting in death.
Milton admitted stealing a woman’s 1998 Toyota Camry on Sept. 21, 2021, in the 4500 block of Pershing Place. Milton had what appeared to be a gun and demanded that the victim start her car and give him her purse.
Early in the morning of Sept. 28, 2021, in a parking lot at the intersection of Chouteau Avenue and South Sarah Street, Milton approached two victims with what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun 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 keys to an Audi A6 belonging to one of the victims. He then stole the Audi.
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 with his own car. The victim died. Milton was arrested a few hours later with a pellet gun in his bag and a wallet belonging to one of the victims from the second carjacking.Portions of the carjackings were captured by surveillance cameras.
Milton is scheduled to be sentenced April 16. The carjacking charges are each punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The carjacking resulting in death charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or the death sentence. Both sides in the case have agreed to recommend a sentence between 18 and 27 years in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken is prosecuting the case.
Arizona Man Appears in St. Louis Court to Answer Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – An Arizona car repair business owner pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that accuse him of defrauding at least four customers out of more than $500,000.
Andres “Manny” Lopez, 35, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Oct. 11, 2023, on two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He was arrested December 11 in Arizona and appeared in court in St. Louis Wednesday.
The indictment says Lopez ran All Performance Tuning and Diesel Repair LLC in Arizona but solicited customers across the country. The indictment alleges that Lopez defrauded at least four customers, including a Missouri man, out of more than $500,000 by falsely claiming that he would obtain cars for them at a discount and perform vehicle repairs and upgrades. After obtaining upfront payments, Lopez spent the money on personal expenses, the indictment says.
The Missouri victim wired Lopez $45,000 for a Toyota RAV4 for his mother. Lopez then repeatedly falsely claimed that he’d bought the vehicle and that it would to be delivered, the indictment says. The indictment also alleges that Lopez impersonated the general manager of a Florida Toyota dealership in text messages to the client’s mother, falsely claiming that delivery delays were due to recall issues.
The wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The aggravated identity theft charge is punishable by two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, 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 FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison on Drug Distribution, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a man who was caught with drugs and guns and admitted distributing drugs to 12 years in prison.
Christopher A. Calicott, 43, pleaded guilty in April to three felony counts: possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime.
After a multi-agency investigation, a court-approved search of the home of Calicott and his wife, Jodi L. Calicott, in an RV park near Sikeston, Missouri, found drugs, cash and guns. Investigators found two bags that contained a total of 60 grams of cocaine, two bags that contained a total of 247 grams of meth, two bags containing 124 grams of marijuana, a 9mm semiautomatic pistol loaded with 15 rounds, a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with five shotgun shells, $6,600 in cash and drug paraphernalia. Both Calicotts admitted involvement in the drug trade and Christopher Calicott admitted possession of the firearms.
Jodi L. Calicott, 38, was sentenced in June to five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.
Illinois Man Accused of Seeking to Arrange Florida MurderRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man from Illinois appeared in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau Tuesday to face a criminal complaint that accuses him of trying to hire someone to kill a business associate in Florida.
Ben Patrick Mullavey, 64, of Mechanicsburg, in Sangamon County, was charged with one felony count of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.
A criminal complaint and affidavit filed Tuesday accuses Mullavey of offering up to $10,000 for the murder of the Florida man. Mullavey claimed the man owed him $200,000 and a lawsuit over the money was not going well, the charging documents say.
The affidavit says the man Mullavey allegedly tried to hire began working with the FBI on January 3, after meeting with Mullavey in Sikeston, Missouri and hearing about his plans. Mullavey would eventually discuss the manner of the murder and supply the name and description of his business partner, a Florida license plate to help the hit man blend in, a crossbow and arrows, expense money, a $1,000 “prepayment” and directions to the restaurant next to the target’s wine bar, the affidavit says.
The murder-for-hire charge is punishable by up to 10 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 FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Indicted on Armed Robbery, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri was accused in an indictment Wednesday of the armed robbery of a store in October.
The indictment accuses Divontay Scott, 33, of the Oct. 17, 2023, armed robbery of a Family Dollar store in St. Louis. Scott was indicted on three felony counts: robbery, possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The robbery charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The felon in possession charge is punishable by of up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The possession and brandishing charge carries a penalty of at least seven years in prison, consecutive to the other charges.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Accused of Two CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Jennings, Missouri on Wednesday was indicted in connection with two carjackings in October.
Ahmod Samez Moore, 28, of Jennings, was indicted on two counts of carjacking and two counts of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The indictment alleges that Moore stole a Kia Optima at gunpoint on Oct. 5, 2023, in St. Louis County and a GMC Envoy five days later, also at gunpoint, in St. Louis.
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.
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 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.
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 Area Doctors Accused of Illegally Administering Ketamine, Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two doctors from the St. Louis, Missouri area were indicted Wednesday and accused of illegally administering ketamine to patients and fraudulently billing Medicare for certain services related to a psychiatric clinic.
Dr. Asim Muhammad Ali, 53, and Dr. Mohd Azfar Malik, 70, were each indicted on 22 felony counts: conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances and to maintain a drug-involved premises, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, 12 counts of illegal distribution of a controlled substance, seven counts of making false statements related to health care matters and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises.
The indictment says Dr. Ali, an internal medical specialist, defrauded Medicare when he falsely used Dr. Malik’s name and Medicare billing number to bill for health care services, including annual wellness visits. The indictment also says Dr. Ali illegally administered intravenous ketamine and a nasal spray version of the drug without authorization.
Among businesses owned by Dr. Malik, a psychiatrist, was COPE Ketamine Clinic in south St. Louis County, the indictment says. COPE was created to provide intravenous ketamine infusions for serious mental health illnesses, such as treatment-resistant depression, anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Dr. Malik had a Drug Enforcement Administration registration authorizing him to administer controlled substances but not at the office suite housing COPE, the indictment says. He was also enrolled in the Spravato Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy Program (REMS), which authorized him to administer the prescription esketamine nasal spray Spravato. Spravato is used to treat treatment-resistant depression and depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder with suicidal thoughts or actions. Due to the risks of the drug, Spravato is only available through REMS and must be administered under the direct supervision of a healthcare provider who is onsite for at least two hours to monitor patients.
Dr. Ali did not have a DEA registration and thus was not authorized to administer ketamine unless he was being directly supervised by and in the physical presence of a practitioner with a DEA registration, and only if the ketamine was being administered in a DEA-registered location, the indictment says.
Dr. Ali was also suspended from participation in the Missouri Medicaid program in December 2020 and had a duty to report that to Medicare, it says. The indictment says he failed to do so and failed to fulfill his obligation to inform Medicare that he was providing services to Medicare beneficiaries through Dr. Malik's businesses.
The indictment alleges that beginning in December 2020, Dr. Malik and Dr. Ali agreed that Dr. Ali would use Dr. Malik's DEA registration to administer ketamine infusions to patients without direct supervision by Dr. Malik and outside of Dr. Malik's physical presence. Dr. Malik knew that Dr. Ali could not lawfully dispense controlled substances, including ketamine, without Dr. Malik's physical presence and supervision, it says. Dr. Ali and Dr. Malik also determined that Dr. Malik could simply "say hi" to the ketamine patients, typically via telephone, as a purported justification for Dr. Ali handling their ketamine treatment, the indictment says.
The indictment also alleges that Dr. Malik and Dr. Ali unlawfully stored ketamine and esketamine at COPE.
“Our agency is committed to investigating medical providers who undermine our federal health care programs and the well-being of patients by submitting alleged fraudulent claims. This case serves as a reminder that health care professionals have a duty to bill for services and prescribe controlled substances responsibly”, said Acting Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
"The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Program is dedicated to patient safety and oversight of all medical professionals registered with DEA,” said Diversion Program Manager Kim Daniels, DEA’s lead for the Diversion program in Missouri, Kansas and southern Illinois. “With the support of our enforcement partners, DEA will investigate to the maximum extent of our ability to ensure these individuals are prevented from risking lives within our communities.”
The conspiracy charges each carry the possibility of a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine. The illegal distribution of a controlled substance charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or both. The false statements charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. The charge of maintaining a drug-involved premises carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and/or a $500,000 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 FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Man Who Tried to Sell ‘Spy Videos’ of Teens Sentenced to 17 ½ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Thursday sentenced a man from Lincoln County, Missouri caught trying to make and sell “spy videos” of teenage girls to 17 and one-half years in prison.
James Dean Kukan, 39, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to two counts of attempted production of child pornography. He admitted producing “spy videos” of two teenage girls in the bathroom using a hidden camera between October 2021 and February 2022. He also admitted trying to sell those videos online via Kik, Snapchat, Telegram and WhatsApp.
On Feb. 14, 2022, Kukan entered a Kik group and began communicating with an undercover FBI agent. He offered to sell videos of the teens for between $60 and $100, his plea says.
The FBI 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.
Felon Admits Robbing St. Louis Pizza Delivery DriverRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon on Thursday admitted robbing a pizza delivery driver at gunpoint in St. Louis last year.
Antione L. Shockley, 26, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to robbery and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
Shockley admitted arranging to have Domino’s Buffalo wings and two pizzas delivered to a vacant home in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis on April 13, 2023. When the driver arrived, Shockley stepped out of a gangway and demanded the food at gunpoint.
Shockley also admitted firing a handgun into the air in a school zone on June 24, 2023. After St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived, Shockley gave the handgun he was holding to a woman. He then pulled a stolen Ruger from his waistband and a rifle from inside his pants and dropped them on the ground. Shockley is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms. After he was arrested and while he was being booked by police, Shockley struck an officer, injuring the officer’s head. As part of his plea agreement, Shockley has agreed to plead guilty to a gun charge and resisting arrest in St. Louis Circuit Court.
Shockley is scheduled to be sentenced April 9. Both sides have agreed to recommend 10 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts Hannibal Man of Gun, Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Tuesday found a man from Hannibal, Missouri guilty of a methamphetamine offense and two gun crimes.
At the end of the second day of his trial, Justin Fuget, 35, was found guilty 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 a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to evidence and testimony during the trial, officers with the Hannibal Police Department made a traffic stop on March 25, 2022 and spotted a large safe on the passenger seat of Fuget’s vehicle. Fuget also appeared nervous. A drug-sniffing dog alerted to the vehicle, and police then found a firearm between the driver’s seat and the center console. Fuget is a felon and is thus 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 is scheduled to be sentenced April 9. He faces at least 10 years in prison for his crimes.
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.
Second Man Admits Robbing St. Louis Foot LockerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A second man has pleaded guilty and admitted the armed robbery of a Foot Locker in St. Louis, Missouri in 2021.
Demetrius Kirksey, 35, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to robbery and possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted robbing the Foot Locker at 4651 Chippewa Street in St. Louis on Oct. 6, 2021. Kirksey admitted pointing a handgun at the clerk before running behind the counter and stealing cash from the register. Kirksey’s guilty plea interrupted his trial, which started Monday.
Marion Jones, 49, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in August to robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In his plea agreement, Jones admitted stealing shoes while Kirksey took cash. Jones was caught by police two days later in a Waffle House parking lot in St. Charles, Missouri with a .22 caliber pistol. Jones is a convicted felon and barred from possessing a firearm.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced February 9. Kirksey is scheduled to be sentenced April 11. The robbery charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The firearm charge is punishable by at least seven years in prison, consecutive to any other charges.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassandra Wiemken and Jennifer Szczucinski are prosecuting the case.
Kansas City Men Accused of St. Louis County CarjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men from Kansas City, Missouri have been arrested after being indicted in connection with a 2022 St. Louis County carjacking.
Ki’Juan Calhoun, 26, and Reginald Hudson, 27, both of Kansas City, Missouri, were each indicted December 6 on one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Hudson was arrested December 20 in Texas and had his first appearance in St. Louis Monday. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Calhoun was arrested December 19 and pleaded not guilty that same day.
The indictment accuses both men of stealing a 2019 Ford Fusion on Jan. 12, 2022. A motion seeking to have them held in jail until trial says two armed men stole the victim’s purse, phone and car keys as she was walking into her apartment complex on Marbella Drive. One of the men was holding a handgun equipped with a drum magazine. The victim’s car was found the next day by the Kansas City Police Department. Officers then found the victim’s purse, and Hudson in a nearby home, the motion says.
The carjacking charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or both. The brandishing a firearm charge is punishable by at least seven years in prison, consecutive to other charges.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Walker is prosecuting the case.
Father, Son, Admit Trafficking Cocaine to St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A father and son from St. Louis, Missouri have pleaded guilty to federal drug charges and admitted trafficking kilograms of cocaine to St. Louis for years.
Gregory Dixson Jr., 53, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and conspiracy to launder money.
Gregory Cornell Dixson III, 32, pleaded guilty January 4 to the same cocaine conspiracy charge as his father.
Both men admitted as part of their guilty pleas that beginning in 2015 or earlier, they conspired with others to bring cocaine to St. Louis. Dixson Jr. acknowledged in his plea that the amount of cocaine attributable to him based upon his conduct and the conduct of others reasonably foreseeable to him is more than 450 kilograms. Dixson III admitted that 50 to 150 kilograms of cocaine could be attributed to him based on his conduct and the conduct of others.
They also admitted a series of drug and money transactions and seizures during the long-term investigation.
In September of 2015, a vehicle that was ultimately delivered to St. Louis was found to have 31 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside. The cocaine was supplied by Omar Pena Vargas, who supplied Dixson Jr. until the cocaine was seized. Both Dixsons drove by the vehicle several days before someone broke in and accessed a hidden area where five kilograms of cocaine had been stored, their pleas say.
In late 2016 or early 2017, Dixson Jr. and/or Dixson III would send couriers to Texas to buy kilograms of cocaine from Miguel Angel Gonzalez, who bought it from Carlos Gonzalez. Dixson Jr. initially bought three kilograms several times a month, but he later purchased as much as eight to 16 kilograms per week, the pleas say.
In August of 2018, Gonzalez was brokering the sale of 75 kilograms of cocaine to Dixson Jr. He was found in a hotel with two bags containing a total of $634,770 in cash, representing a partial payment for the cocaine, the Dixsons’ plea agreements say.
On Oct. 28, 2018, eight kilograms of cocaine bound for St. Louis were seized.
In March of 2020, 23.6 kilograms of a mix of heroin and fentanyl was seized from Ruben Sanchez Blanco. Some of the drugs were intended for St. Louis, Dixon III’s plea says.
In April of 2021, Miguel Gonzalez and Dixson III coordinated a pickup of two kilograms of cocaine. Later that month, Carlos Gonzalez traveled to St. Louis to pick up drug proceeds and coordinated the delivery of the money by Dixson III with father and son.
In July of 2021, Quintin Deforest Adkins drove to Texas with cash to buy six kilograms of cocaine. That vehicle was seized, and $161,845 was found hidden inside, the pleas say.
Dixson III is scheduled to be sentenced April 3. His father is scheduled to be sentenced April 11. Dixson III’s cocaine conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years, as well as the possibility of a fine up to $10 million. Dixson Jr.’s cocaine conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years due to a prior drug trafficking conviction.
Vargas is in federal prison. Miguel Gonzalez, 59, pleaded guilty in November to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 400 grams of fentanyl. Adkins, 63, pleaded guilty in November to the cocaine and fentanyl conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges and is scheduled to be sentenced February 21. Blanco, 46, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced in June to five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Carlos Gonzalez, 54, is deceased.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.Ponzi Scheme Cost Investors in Missouri, Elsewhere Millions, Indictment SaysRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former Texas-based investment adviser has been indicted in St. Louis and accused of running a Ponzi scheme that cost investors tens of millions of dollars.
Siddharth Jawahar, 36, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Dec. 21, 2023, on three counts of wire fraud and one count of investment adviser fraud.
The indictment was sealed until Monday, when the FBI arrested Jawahar in Miami, Florida. He made an initial appearance later in the day in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida. The government is seeking to have Jawahar held in jail until trial.
Jawahar ran a Texas-based investment company called Swiftarc Capital LLC. From July 2016 through roughly December 2023, Jawahar took in more than $35 million from Swiftarc investors, but spent about $10 million on investments in companies, the indictment says. Jawahar used the money from new investors to repay older investors and to fuel an extravagant lifestyle that included flights on private planes, stays at luxury hotels and expensive outings at lavish restaurants, the indictment says.
“The losses alleged in the indictment would make this one of the largest Ponzi-schemes in the history of the Eastern District of Missouri,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr., said, “At the Manhattan D.A.’s Office, we are laser-focused on combatting white collar crime, just like our federal partners. Our top-notch team followed the money and developed a significant investigation uncovering allegations of fraud that spread far beyond New York. We were pleased to assist the Eastern District of Missouri on this investigation which led to a major federal indictment.”
"Some fraudsters come up with sophisticated schemes that are hard to detect," said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “We still encourage searching the person’s name and company on the internet for any red flags and trusting your gut."
Swiftarc had initially invested in a diverse array of securities, but in 2015, Jawahar began investing the majority of client funds in a single investment, Philip Morris Pakistan (PMP). Eventually, 99% of client funds were consolidated into the PMP investment, the indictment says. Jawahar did not inform investors of a dramatic decline of the value of PMP, instead falsely representing to investors that shares were trading at a much higher price, it says, and misleading investors about their profits.
The indictment accuses Jawahar of misleading someone in eastern Missouri into believing that a series of investments totaling $175,000 would go into specific companies. A New York investor was told the same about $350,000 and an Ohio investor heard the same about $250,000, the indictment says.
On June 7, 2022, the Texas State Securities Board revoked Swiftarc Capital’s authority to conduct investment activities and ordered Jawahar to “cease and desist from engaging in fraud.” The indictment says Jawahar did not notify investors about that cease-and-desist order before taking their money and continued to fraudulently solicit and receive investor funds, including $1 million from an investor weeks after the state board’s order.
The wire fraud charges are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or both. The investment adviser fraud charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, or both.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man County Man Admits 2022 CarjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Friday admitted committing an armed carjacking in 2022.
La’Vontray Hayes-Williams, 20, of Jennings, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Hayes-Williams admitted stealing a 2018 Nissan Sentra on July 7, 2022, outside a Family Dollar store at 6440 West Florissant Avenue in Jennings. Hayes-Williams pulled out his Glock handgun and repeatedly ordered the driver to “give me the car.” He then sped away in the stolen car with his girlfriend. The victim called police, who quickly spotted the vehicle. Hayes-Williams fled, sparking a chase that lasted nearly ten miles and reached speeds of over 100 mph. Hayes-Williams was caught after the car stopped and he fled on foot, his plea agreement says.
Hayes-Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on April 4. The carjacking charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The firearm brandishing charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, consecutive to all other charges, and a maximum of life in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Bankruptcy Attorney Accused of Mail, Wire FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A bankruptcy attorney appeared in U.S. District in St. Louis Wednesday to answer charges accusing him of defrauding the state of Missouri and lending institutions.
Michael Toscano, 42, was indicted Dec. 20, 2023, in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on three counts of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. He turned himself in Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The indictment alleges that from roughly April 1, 2018, though Dec. 19, 2023, Toscano devised a scheme to defraud the state of Missouri and lending institutions by falsely claiming bankruptcy filers’ vehicles had been abandoned, and then selling some through his used car dealership. Toscano also obtained referrals from other bankruptcy attorneys whose clients sought to surrender their vehicles to creditors rather than to continue to pay their vehicle car loans, according to statements made in court Wednesday.
Toscano told debtors to deliver their vehicles to his office in Creve Coeur or to a St. Charles County storage facility, the indictment says. He also picked up some vehicles that were inoperable, it says. Toscano then mailed documents to the Missouri Department of Revenue and the holders of liens on the vehicles falsely claiming that they had been abandoned and that he’d incurred towing and storage fees, the indictment says. He demanded payment, writing that he would seek an abandoned motor vehicle title or mechanic’s lien if the fees were not paid within 30 days, the indictment says. In some cases, Toscano delayed notifying lienholders for as long as 45 days, causing storage fees to exceed $2,300, the indictment says.
If payment was not made, Toscano submitted false and fraudulent documents to the contract license offices of the DOR seeking the issuance of abandoned vehicle titles or mechanic lien titles and then offered the vehicles for sale through his used car dealership, the indictment says. The vehicles referenced in the indictment are a 2006 Audi A8, a 2018 Chevrolet Impala and a 2017 Kia Forte.
The mail fraud and wire fraud charges are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and 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 Missouri Department of Revenue and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.