Eastern District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Missouri Woman Sentenced to 3 Years of Probation; Ordered to Repay Lottery Scam VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Thursday sentenced a Missouri woman who aided scammers by acting as a money mule to three years of probation and ordered her to repay $1.97 million to victims.
Victims of the scam were contacted by phone or text and told that they had won a lottery but needed to prepay “taxes” and “fees” to “intermediates” and “merchant bankers.” If victims didn’t have enough liquid assets to pay the taxes and fees, conspirators told them to obtain reverse mortgages and home equity loans. Sharon Dolisi, 79, moved more than $1.9 million in proceeds of the fraud through her accounts. She deposited cashier’s checks and personal checks from 28 victims into her personal bank accounts from about April 21, 2023, to June 11, 2025. Less than a week after her first deposit, one bank closed her account. On Oct. 28, 2024, Dolisi lied when she told law enforcement officials that she was not receiving money from or sending money to other people. Four days later, in response to an inquiry by bank representatives about three large cash withdrawals totaling $64,500, Dolisi falsely claimed that she buys and sells gold. On June 27, 2025, Dolisi told a bank representative that she immediately needed $54,000 in cash to buy gold and collectibles.
Dolisi supplied debit cards to co-conspirators in Jamaica, who used those debit cards to withdraw victims’ money.
Dolisi, of Phelps County near St. James, pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
“Sharon Dolisi engaged in a scheme where she accepted and transmitted money that was provided by vulnerable elderly victims under false pretenses,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron McCullough with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (OIG). “As a result of this scheme, many elderly victims lost their entire life savings. HUD OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to diligently pursue and hold accountable those who take advantage of vulnerable members of our communities.”“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others in order to enrich themselves. Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including those most vulnerable,” said Inspector in Charge, Nicholas Bucciarelli, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Domicile Office.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Former Executive Extradited from Israel to Face Bank, Wire Fraud Charges in St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man who was indicted nearly six years ago and accused of a $28 million fraud scheme involving apartment complexes in Missouri and Oklahoma was extradited from Israel Thursday.
Michael Fein, now 47, was indicted Aug. 20, 2020, on one count of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud. The indictment accuses Fein of routinely providing false information on loan applications to obtain financing and refinance loans on projects for the company he co-owned, T.E.H. Management and its affiliates.
U.S. authorities were able to locate Fein in Israel and submitted a request for his extradition. On May 14, Minister of Heritage Amichar Eliyahu – acting by designation in place of the Minister of Justice – approved the extradition of Fein to the United States to stand trial. He arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport Thursday morning and was then flown to St. Louis Lambert International Airport. He is expected to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Friday.
“I’m very pleased that Michael Fein will be returned to St. Louis to face trial on the accusations that he fraudulently obtained millions of dollars,” U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus said.
“This case reflects the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General’s (FHFA-OIG) steadfast commitment to investigating and bringing to justice those who defraud Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, or the financial institutions engaged in the housing mortgage market. We are thankful to HUD OIG and the FBI for their partnership in this investigation, and to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service for their extraordinary efforts in securing the extradition of the defendant,” said Special Agent in Charge Korey Brinkman, Central Region, FHFA-OIG.
“No one is above the law,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Machelle Jindra with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “Our office will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate those who threaten the integrity of FHA mortgage programs and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“Michael Fein may have believed that leaving the United States would place him beyond the reach of law enforcement after allegedly swindling millions of dollars from multiple banks," said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. "Bringing Fein back to face justice required years of coordinated effort. This case sends a clear message: no matter where a fugitive runs, the FBI and its partners will relentlessly pursue those who commit serious crimes and attempt to evade accountability."
The indictment says Fein was an owner and vice president of T.E.H. Management, and an owner and manager of T.E.H.-affiliated companies, all of which owned and operated multi-family apartment complexes throughout the United States. Fein was responsible for the day-to-day operations of T.E.H. and the affiliates. T.E.H. and its affiliates owned and operated the 168-unit Pinnacle Ridge apartment complex in St. Louis County, the 304-unit Green Village Townhomes apartment complex in Kansas City, Missouri and the 260-unit Ivy Place Apartments complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The indictment alleges that from 2016-2019, Fein falsely inflated the number of tenants at Pinnacle Ridge and other complexes and submitted false budget and income information for Pinnacle Ridge to obtain a $2.8 million loan to purchase the complex.
In 2016 and 2017, Fein submitted false information to refinance Green Village, inflating rental income as well as the occupancy of the complex from 50% to 88.49%, the indictment says. After the $12.5 million loan closed and the outstanding loan balance was paid off, a T.E.H. affiliate received $6 million, the indictment says.
In 2017, Fein submitted a false application to refinance a loan for Ivy Place, inflating the occupancy of the complex from 66.5% to 96.54% and inflating the income statement, the indictment says. After the $7.7 million loan closed, a T.E.H. affiliate received $977,754, it says.
In 2019, Fein attempted to purchase the 208-unit Hanley Crossings apartment complex in St. Louis County by submitting fraudulent loan documents, including a falsely inflated summary of real estate purportedly owned by T.E.H. and affiliates, the indictment says. The $5.2 million application falsely inflated the occupancy rates of twenty-six of the listed multi-family apartment complexes by approximately 18% each, the indictment says. The loan was not approved.
The indictment seeks the forfeiture of at least $23 million in proceeds linked to the alleged scheme.
Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
During March 2020, as a result of substantial tenant complaints concerning substandard living conditions in T.E.H. apartment complexes, the federal government suspended taxpayer-subsidized housing contracts and funding to T.E.H. affiliates in the St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri areas. As many of the residents living in T.E.H. apartment complexes were members of low-income households that were receiving federal housing assistance, the federal government provided transfer vouchers to those residents to assist them in moving to appropriate housing.
This case was investigated by the FHFA – OIG, HUD OIG and the FBI. With the cooperation of Israeli authorities, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in securing Fein’s extradition. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
United States Reaches $1 Million Settlement over Waived Pharmacy CopaysRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri has finalized a civil settlement to resolve allegations that SSM Health Care, at its Saint Louis University Hospital’s pharmacy, improperly waived patient copays, causing Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) to overpay for prescriptions.
SSM has agreed to pay $939,290, or double the amount of the restitution owed. SSM will also pay $150,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs to the whistleblower who filed a qui tam suit in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in 2023 (4:23-cv-1396). The whistleblower will receive $159,210 of the settlement amount.
The settlement contains no admission of liability by SSM, which fully cooperated in the investigation and took appropriate remedial action.
The qui tam suit alleged that from Sept. 1, 2020, through Feb. 28, 2023, employees of the retail pharmacy at SSM-SLUH, including the pharmacist-in-charge, routinely waived and failed to collect copays. Routine waivers of copays are improper because they are viewed as improperly inducing patients to use a specific pharmacy. They also misrepresent the actual cost of the prescription, resulting in Medicare and FEHBP paying inflated costs for the prescriptions in violation of the False Claims Act.
“Consistently failing to collect patient copays in any instance, other than a well-documented case of financial hardship, violates federal law and inflates the prescription costs that federal health care programs must pay,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “Without the willingness of whistleblowers to shed light on allegations of fraud, preserving government funds would be far more challenging.”
“Routinely waiving copays is not a minor oversight—it misrepresents the true cost of prescriptions and leads Medicare to pay improperly inflated amounts,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These improper financial incentives undermine fair competition and weaken federal program safeguards. HHS-OIG will continue to pursue individuals and entities whose actions compromise the integrity of the Medicare program.”
This civil settlement was a result of the combined work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, a private party can file a civil action on behalf of the United States, thereby bringing allegations of fraud to the Government’s attention, and share in any financial recovery.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sex Acts with TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a Jefferson County, Missouri man who engaged in sex acts with a 13-year-old and requested and obtained nude photos of her to 20 years in prison.
Anthony A. Moore, now 49, engaged in sex acts with the victim in 2023 and 2024, beginning when she was 13 and he was 46. The victim’s father reported to law enforcement that he went through her cell phone and discovered communications between Moore and his daughter, including Moore’s requests for nude photos of her. Investigators found images of her on Moore’s phone after his arrest.
Moore pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in March to one count of receipt of child pornography.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Illinois Man Admits Bank Fraud Conspiracy Involving Checks Stolen from the MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – An Illinois man on Wednesday admitted engaging in a conspiracy to steal checks from the mail and deposit them into fraudulently-opened bank accounts.
Isaiah W. Douglas, 24, of Champaign, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of stolen mail matter. He admitted conspiring with others to deposit checks that had been stolen from the mail by opening unauthorized bank accounts in the names of the businesses that were listed as payees on the checks. Douglas admitted that he and his co-conspirators intended to cause a loss of at least $581,123, based on the value of stolen checks deposited into unauthorized business accounts and the stolen checks recovered by police.
Luis A. Franco-Gonzalez, 26, of Rantoul, Ill., and Isaiah B. Handford, 28, pleaded guilty on May 20 to one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.
Douglas’ plea agreement says that he and others stole checks, or caused them to be stolen, from collection boxes in and around St. Louis. Douglas then offered money to Handford and Franco-Gonzalez to fraudulently open bank accounts and supplied them with false business documents to do so. On June 12, 2023, Handford entered a St. Louis bank and applied to open a business bank account in the name of one of the victim businesses by falsely claiming that he was an owner and registered agent of the business. Suspicious bank officials refused to open an account. That same day, Franco-Gonzalez was successful in opening an account at a different bank in Chesterfield and depositing a $312,677 check.
The following day, Handford and Franco-Gonzalez tried to open an account at a bank in Creve Coeur. Franco-Gonzalez entered the bank while Handford waited in the parking lot in the getaway vehicle, a tan Mercedes sedan. The bank refused to open an account for Franco-Gonzalez and he fled the bank on foot. Police spotted the Mercedes nearby and arrested Handford. Officers went to a nearby Drury Hotel, saw Franco-Gonzalez in a white Ford Explorer in the parking lot and arrested him. The Explorer contained a handgun and fraudulent paperwork in the name of one of the victims. Officers encountered Douglas at the hotel, carrying a backpack and a duffel bag that contained more fraudulent paperwork, a handgun and 53 loose checks, money orders, and envelopes that had been stolen from collection boxes. In hotel rooms used by the conspirators, police found more stolen mail and an additional stolen check.
All three are scheduled to be sentenced on September 2.
The Creve Coeur Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Felon Admits Selling Methamphetamine, Cocaine in Homeland Security Task Force CaseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis on Monday admitted selling nearly two pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover federal agent and being caught with cocaine, guns and more meth.
Anthony Watkins, 37, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to seven counts: four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted selling a total of 814 grams of meth, or about 1.8 pounds, to an undercover agent on four occasions between June and August of 2024. When federal agents conducted a court-approved search of Watkins’ home on Sept. 4, 2024, they found about 3.1 pounds of meth, about one pound of cocaine, a stolen .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol, a 9mm pistol and an AR-style rifle. As a felon, Watkins is banned from possessing firearms.
Watkins is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF St. Louis comprises agents and officers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Untied States Marshal Service (USMS); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); and United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
St. Louis County Felon Admits Robbing BankRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon on Monday admitted robbing a Creve Coeur bank in 2025.
Matthew Parker, 48, of Hanley Hills, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of bank robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted robbing a bank in the 11400 block of Olive Boulevard in Creve Coeur on June 16, 2025. Parker handed a note demanding money to a bank employee while holding one hand in the front pocket of his sweatshirt. The employee handed over cash and Parker left. Multiple images of Parker were released to the public and several people contacted law enforcement to provide his name, phone number and address. On July 1, 2025, officers conducted a court-approved search of Parker’s home and found a pistol. Parker is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms. After Parker’s arrest, he said he robbed the bank because he owed someone money.
Parker is scheduled to be sentenced on September 28.
The Creve Coeur Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole Frankenberg is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
St. Peters Man Charged After Toddler Suffers Apparent Fentanyl OverdoseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Peters, Missouri was charged with drug and gun crimes Wednesday after a toddler suffered an apparent fentanyl overdose.
Kevin Lamar Knowles, 50, was charged by complaint in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was arrested Wednesday and appeared in court Thursday.
An affidavit filed in support of the complaint says that first responders called to the family’s St. Peters home at about 4:30 p.m. on June 16 discovered a 12-month-old suffering from an apparent fentanyl overdose. They administered Narcan and took the boy to the hospital. When Knowles brought the victim’s twin brother to the hospital, staff determined that he had also been exposed to fentanyl, xylazine and tramadol, the affidavit says. St. Peters police then found an assault rifle, a pistol and bulk cash in the home and about 1.5 pounds of raw fentanyl in the trunk of a car in the driveway, the affidavit says. Knowles is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms.
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.
“I applaud the quick thinking and professionalism of law enforcement and the health care workers who administered care for the children, and we hope the health of the children continues to improve,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “This case is more proof that fentanyl is poison and should be treated as such.”
“This case is a stark reminder that fentanyl continues to pose a serious threat to the community, particularly to our young people and children,” said Chief Andrew Ramirez of the St. Peters Police Department. “The swift actions of the St. Charles County Ambulance District, combined with the outstanding work of our patrol officers and detectives, helped save lives and led to the seizure of a significant quantity of fentanyl. This case also demonstrates the value of our strong and continuing partnership with the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Our commitment to protecting the community and pursuing those who traffic deadly drugs remains unwavering.”
“Two young children came into contact with a substance that no individual young or old should be around, let alone ingest,” Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Field Division Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey said. “Fentanyl, even amounts small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil, can be life threatening. We’re grateful for the work of those who performed life saving measures on these children. It’s imperative that we raise awareness and continue having conversations in our communities about the lethality of this drug. These efforts, combined with the work of our agents and law enforcement partners are necessary to prevent another life from being lost to this terrible poison.”
The St. Peters Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating the case.
St. Louis Sex Offender Caught Again with Child Pornography Sentenced to 140 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis sex offender who was caught again with child sexual abuse material to 140 months in prison.
Sandor Spies, 39, pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of child pornography. He admitted that while on supervised release for a prior child pornography possession offense, probation officers found multiple unauthorized electronic devices during a home visit. A later forensic exam of the devices revealed pictures and videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the devices, as well as evidence that Spies was using the devices to view CSAM, communicate with individuals involved in the distribution of CSAM and to buy and sell drugs. The devices also contained chat messages in which Spies and others shared fantasies of violently raping minors, Spies’ plea agreement says.
The U.S. Probation Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis Felon Admits Being Caught with 17 Guns after Fleeing Police, StandoffRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis, Missouri on Wednesday admitted being caught with 17 guns after fleeing from police and triggering a standoff at his home.
Demond Spruill, 51, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On March 12, 2024, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents, assisted by members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department SWAT team, were planning to conduct a court-approved search of Spruill’s home in the 4400 block of Lexington Avenue. Prior to serving the search warrant, law enforcement encountered Spruill and pulled his red Dodge Charger over near the 2800 block of Marcus Avenue. Spruill refused to get out of the car and instead sped off. When officers and agents arrived at Spruill’s home, he was leaving the home and walking toward his car. Spruill then ran back inside the house and refused to leave. After negotiating with law enforcement via telephone, Spruill surrendered. During a search, officers and agents found 17 firearms, including two that were stolen. They also found five bullet-resistant vests and a large quantity of assorted ammunition inside his bedroom.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
St. Louis County Felon Sentenced to 47 Months in Prison for Crime Linked to Toddler’s Accidental ShootingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon who lied about the accidental shooting of a toddler to 47 months in prison.
On March 6, 2025, Rodrick Miller and his girlfriend cleaned an Anderson Manufacturing, AM-15 semiautomatic pistol and left it unattended on a couch in the girlfriend’s Wellston home. After the girlfriend’s son was shot in the calf, she and Miller took him to the hospital. On the way, Miller hid the gun behind a tree in a wooded area. They then told North County Police Cooperative officers that the boy had been shot by a stray bullet during a gun battle between two vehicles while the girlfriend was walking home. Police later recovered the gun.
Miller, 36, of Pine Lawn, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in March to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, he is barred from possessing firearms.
The North County Police Cooperative, the St. Ann Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franks prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Southeast Missouri Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a man caught with more than four pounds of meth to 10 years in prison.
Craig M. Perkins, now 55, pleaded guilty in March to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He admitted as part of his plea that during a court approved search of his home in Howardville, in New Madrid County, on May 21, 2025, investigators found about 4.2 pounds of meth. They found half an ounce of meth and 36 rounds of ammunition in a vehicle in the driveway. His phone contained text messages indicative of drug trafficking and photos of firearms and Perkins displaying large stacks of cash.
A motion filed in July of 2025 seeking to have Perkins held in jail until trial says that he has been a drug dealer in New Madrid County since at least 2002, and supplied dealers who sold meth to customers. The search of Perkins’ home followed seven purchases of meth from two of those dealers, the motion says.
The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Missouri State Highway patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.
Southeast Missouri Felon Caught with Machine Gun Sentenced to 46 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a man caught with a fully automatic pistol to 46 months in prison.
Jadiah Dawontra Hines, 20, pleaded guilty in March to two counts: possession of a machine gun and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted possessing a stolen Glock .40-caliber pistol with a “switch,” or machine gun conversion device, attached, rendering it a fully automatic weapon. Hines had posted a photo on social media of himself with a small child seated between his legs and pointing the Glock in the air over the child’s head. When confronted by a woman about the picture, Hines threatened her, saying he would “shoot her in the face,” Hines’ plea says. The gun had been reported stolen in Scott County. Hines has prior convictions for stealing firearms in New Madrid and Mississippi counties and for stealing a vehicle in Scott County, and awaits sentencing in circuit court for violating his probation in those cases.
The Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
St. Louis Felon Caught with Gun in Stolen Minivan Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon who was caught with a gun in a stolen minivan after ramming a police cruiser to 12 years in prison.
On Aug. 1, 2023, detectives with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department spotted a minivan at a gas station in the 1600 block of South Jefferson Avenue that had been stolen earlier that day. Rodney Patterson was alone in the passenger seat of the vehicle, which was running. Instead of turning off the vehicle, Patterson tried to drive away, striking a police cruiser. He then tried to flee on foot but was arrested. Police found a Ruger LC Charger handgun on the front passenger seat. Patterson is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm.
Patterson, 49, pleaded guilty in February to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to Life + 15 Years in Prison for Killing Two Women, BabyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon to life plus 15 years in prison for shooting four teens, killing two and causing the death of one woman’s baby a month later.
Eddie Marcus Love, 39, fatally shot the two 18-year-old women and wounded the two pregnant 17-year-olds at 1:46 a.m. on May 7, 2023, near the 1900 block of Agnes Street in St. Louis.
Less than a month after being released on parole after being sentenced to 20 years in prison on robbery and armed criminal action charges, “Mr. Love essentially decides to go on a killing spree,” Judge Clark said. Love prefaced the spree by telling his nephew, Charles Webster, that he was in a “killing mood,” Judge Clark said.
That evening, Love arranged to meet up with the teens, who wanted to obtain marijuana and visit a bar. Webster was driving the car and Love was in the passenger seat. The four teens were in the back seat.
Webster and Love twice tried and failed to buy marijuana. When the victims expressed their frustration, Love told them to get out of the car. Love shoved one victim, who told him to stop because she was pregnant. Love then opened fire with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Love and Webster got in the car and drove off before Love told Webster to circle the block and return. He then shot one of the wounded victims twice more in the head. She was 10 weeks pregnant, but her child was not injured. The child of the other wounded victim, who was 30 weeks pregnant, was delivered by emergency C-section and died on June 11, 2023, as a result of gunshot wounds.
In court, Judge Clark cited Love’s lengthy criminal history, which began with assault at the age of nine. When behind bars, Love threatened to kill and rape correctional officers, their relatives and other inmates, including after he pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to four counts: conspiracy to distribute marijuana, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, being a felon in possession of ammunition and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Webster, now 30, pleaded guilty in December to three counts: conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced in May to 25 years in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angie Danis and Don Boyce prosecuted the case.
Missouri Man Admits $284,000 Pandemic Rental Assistance FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Moberly, Missouri man on Wednesday admitted fraudulently obtaining $284,000 that was supposed to provide rental assistance to Missouri residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Steven W. Hendren, 33, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of wire fraud. He admitted submitting a series of fraudulent applications for rental assistance to the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) from March 2021 through June 2024. The MHDC administered the State Assistance for Housing Relief (SAFHR) program, which was designed to provide emergency assistance for rent, utility bills and other expenses during the pandemic.
Hendren submitted numerous fraudulent SAFHR applications, falsely listing himself as a landlord. He included fake lease agreements and financial statements. He submitted other applications in which he fraudulently inflated rent amounts and altered lease agreements and financial statements to back up his lies. The MHDC wired a total of $284,840 to Hendren’s account, much of which Hendren used for personal expenses, including the purchase of a 2020 GMC Yukon.
Hendren is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8. 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. He will also be ordered to repay the money.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Former Circus Official Sentenced to 22 Months in Prison for Stealing $123,000Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced a former St. Louis circus official to 22 months in prison and ordered him to repay $130,905.
George S. Pace, 63, was on the board of directors of the nonprofit circus beginning in 2020 and later became board president. From December 2022 through at least September 2023, he stole from the circus in multiple ways. He used a credit card that he’d obtained without the knowledge or approval of the circus to pay thousands of dollars of personal expenses, including payments to nail salons, restaurants, and for skin care treatments. He used a second card for more unapproved expenses, including horseback riding related expenses and for restaurant meals. When another circus official reviewed the second card’s expenses, Pace lied and claimed the card had been stolen. Pace presented the official with forged account statements falsely showing that he had resolved the charges.
Pace also diverted checks drawn on the circus’ bank account to himself instead of using them to pay down a line of credit. Pace’s diversion of the line of credit payments caused thousands of dollars in interest to be accrued by the circus.
Finally, Pace deposited thousands of dollars of donor checks made out to the circus into his personal account. In the plea agreement, Pace admitted defrauding the circus out of over $123,015. He also will be responsible for repaying fees and interest to two banks totaling $7,889.
Pace also fraudulently applied for two U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance Loans totaling $29,400. The SBA denied the loans.
In court Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll said defrauding a nonprofit was “one of the most offensive types of frauds,” and represented years of deliberate acts by Pace.
Pace, of Ladue, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to four counts of wire fraud.
“The shame should only be borne by George Pace and no one else. He stole from a locally owned non-profit circus that has been creating fun memories for families and children for decades,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Like a typical embezzler, Pace was a wolf in sheep’s clothing and exploited the trust that was given him.”
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Client FundsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Tuesday sentenced a former tax preparer to 27 months in prison and ordered him to repay the $52,080 he stole from clients’ tax refunds and COVID-19 stimulus payments.
From 2016-2020, Mark A. Murphy, 40, prepared tax returns for clients but did not list himself as the paid return preparer. Murphy instead signed the taxpayers’ names on the returns, making it appear that they had submitted the returns instead of him. Without the taxpayers’ knowledge, he opened bank accounts for them that he used to collect his tax preparation fees from clients’ tax refunds.
The bulk of Murphy’s crime concerned Economic Impact Payments (EIPs), which were issued directly from the IRS to taxpayers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of these EIPs were deposited into the unauthorized bank accounts that Murphy set up. Despite knowing that these EIPs were intended for his clients and not him, Murphy withdrew EIP funds in cash and used debit cards linked to the accounts to make personal purchases. During this period, Murphy also kept a client’s entire tax refund for himself. Murphy stole a total of $52,080 in EIPs and refunds from clients from April 2020 to March 2021.
“The Defendant attempted to conceal the fact that he prepared tax returns for his clients and then stole their refunds by opening bank accounts in their names without their knowledge or approval,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation St. Louis Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “IRS-CI remains committed to tracking down fraudsters who exploit the U.S. tax system by stealing from innocent taxpayers and the U.S. Treasury.”
"The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) aggressively investigates tax preparers who attempt to undermine our Nation's tax system," said TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Kelly Moening. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who seek to corrupt federal tax administration are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Murphy pleaded guilty in March to one count of theft of government property.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and IRS – Criminal Investigation handled the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Felon Sentenced to 189 Months in Prison for Robberies, Car Theft, ShootingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Friday sentenced a convicted felon who stole a woman’s gun and car, robbed two men he’d met on a dating app and then used the stolen gun in a shootout to 189 months in prison.
Corey M. Felton’s two-week crime spree began on Nov. 27, 2024, when he was supposed to be driving a friend home but instead grabbed her gun, pointed it at her and demanded that she get out of her car. The woman had just retrieved her belongings from a boyfriend’s house after a breakup, and Felton drove off with those belongings also.
The next day, Felton robbed a man that he’d met on Grindr. As they walked through an alley in south St. Louis to get a drink, Felton pulled a handgun and stole the victim’s wallet and the $1,200 inside it.
On Dec. 2, 2024, Felton robbed another man he’d met via Grindr. The two agreed to meet at the victim’s house. Once there, Felton produced a handgun and demanded cash. The victim transferred $600 to Felton via Cash App. Felton then stole the victim’s Xbox, Nintendo Switch and phone.
Eight days later, Felton used the stolen handgun to exchange fire with a group in the 3500 block of South Grand Boulevard in St. Louis. The next day, members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted a court-approved search of Felton’s apartment and found the stolen gun and Xbox.
The robberies and shootout “in a densely populated area of St. Louis” risked “the safety and wellbeing of countless individuals,” a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Voss said. Felton’s criminal history also shows that he “lacks any respect for the law and poses a significant risk of danger to the public,” the memo said.
Felton, now 29, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in October to one count of robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Friday, he was also ordered to pay $1,800 in restitution to victims.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Voss prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Southeast Missouri Man Admits Two Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man from southeast Missouri on Monday admitted participating in the armed robbery of two businesses and their patrons in 2024.
Tarrence Raybon, 41, of Kennett, In Dunklin County, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to two counts of robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that while out on bond and wearing a GPS monitoring device on his ankle, he and two other men robbed a tobacco and liquor store in Kennett on Jan. 17, 2024. The two other men were armed. One grabbed a man and threw him to the ground while pointing a gun at him. They stole cash and a cell phone from victims and cash and lottery tickets from the store. GPS data from Raybon's ankle monitor places him at store at the time it was robbed.
Four days later, Raybon and two other men robbed another business in Kennett. One of Raybon’s two accomplices held a gun to a victim’s head while Raybon stole cash from the store’s office. Raybon used bolt cutters to break into video gambling machines and stole cash while his accomplices held employees and patrons at gunpoint. They also stole cash, a gun and a cell phone from victims. Raybon's ankle monitor again put him at the scene of the robbery at the time it was robbed. Both robberies were also captured on video.
On Feb. 27, 2024, Raybon and two other people were in a stolen car and being pursued by Pemiscot County Sheriff’s deputies and officers with the Portageville Police Department. The driver of the vehicle crashed. After Raybon fled on foot, officers found his driver’s license and a distinctive chrome Lorcin .380 handgun used during both robberies. GPS data from Raybon’s ankle monitor placed him in the vehicle during the chase and tracked him as he fled on foot.
The Kennett Police Department, the Dunklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Pemiscot County Sheriff’s Office, the Portageville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.
Raybon is scheduled to be sentenced On September 8. Both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Raybon’s lawyer have agreed to recommend 20 years in prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Southeast Missouri Man Admits Victimizing Five ChildrenRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A Southeast Missouri man on Thursday admitted recording his sexual abuse of five young girls in 2024 and 2025.
Lantz D. Crawford, 26, of Ripley County, near Doniphan, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to five counts of production of child pornography. He admitted recording his sexual abuse of five girls, ages 2, 4, 5, 6 and 6, between the summer of 2024 and late 2025. In December of 2025, the mother of the 4-year-old girl contacted the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office after her daughter reported the abuse. Crawford’s phone was seized and investigators found child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving young children.
Crawford faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison at sentencing, scheduled for September 3. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will recommend 60 years in prison.
The Ripley County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Seeks Potential Victims in Case Against Columbia, Missouri DoctorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – In April of 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Missouri announced that a federal grand jury charged physician Jonathan Wayne Morris with health care fraud and illegal prescribing crimes related to his clinic, located at 619-621 N. Providence Road, Columbia, Missouri 65203.
The indictment alleges that from at least August 6, 2021, to at least April 8, 2025, Morris engaged in a pattern of issuing and causing to be issued controlled substance prescriptions outside of the usual course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose, including by giving controlled substance prescriptions to individuals that, as Morris knew, had substance use disorders and individuals with whom he had sexual relations. The indictment also alleges that from at least May 1, 2019, to at least April 8, 2025, Morris defrauded Medicare and Missouri Medicaid by billing them for services that falsely represented Morris as the rendering provider when, in fact, those services were rendered not by Morris, but by assistant physicians, medical school graduates who have not entered a residency program and therefore require training and supervision by a fully licensed physician.
The indictment alleges that, during the same timeframe, Morris caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement to the Medicare and Missouri Medicaid for controlled substance prescriptions that were not eligible for reimbursement, in that such prescriptions were issued other than in the course and scope of professional practice and in violation of federal law.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On May 27, 2026, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen R. Welby issued an order directing the government to employ alternative victim notification procedures so that any member of the community who believes they may be a crime victim is made aware of their potential rights.
The government is asking members of the community who believe they may be a victim of illegal prescribing of controlled substances or fraudulent billing practices by Dr. Morris to contact the Victim-Witness Unit at [email protected].
Former patients of Morris or their families may still be facing the aftermath of illegal prescribing of controlled substances or fraudulent billing practices. The victim-witness program provides information, services and support to individuals during federal prosecutions.
Case updates will be provided on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr.
Please also be aware of these free, confidential resources that may be of assistance:
- Always call 911 if it’s a life-threatening emergency.
- To find supportive services, dial 2-1-1 to call United Way. Operational hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. If you call after hours, please leave a message. Phone calls will be returned the next business day. 2-1-1 provides information and referral service that connect people to vital community, health and social services provided by a range of nonprofit, government and tribal agencies.
- SAMHSA has a national helpline to assist with finding behavioral health support or substance use management at 800-662-HELP (4357), TTY: 800-487-4889, or online at findtreatment.gov. Calls are manned 24/7 and are routed to the DHSS Division of Behavioral Health during DHSS operational hours.
- Help is available 24/7 through Missouri's Crisis Hotline (https://dmh.mo.gov/behavioral-health/treatment-services/specialized-programs/crisis-services), 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you or someone you know is in a mental health, suicide or substance use crisis; reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or the 988 Lifeline Chat.
Ferguson, Missouri Man Admits Buying 27 Crime Guns Recovered in Three StatesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Ferguson, Missouri on Tuesday admitted unlawfully purchasing firearms, including 27 guns that were later recovered during arrests in three states.
Lamondre Haynes, 33, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. He admitted purchasing 27 firearms that have been recovered by law enforcement in Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri while in the possession of individuals being arrested for drug violations, violent assaults and gun possession crimes. Among those purchases were two Glock pistols Haynes bought from a St. Louis County firearms dealer on April 2, 2025, while accompanied by a convicted felon from Illinois. Haynes identified himself as the “actual transferee/buyer” of each gun on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Form 4473 - Firearms Transaction Record. At least some of the cash for the purchase came from the felon. On May 1, 2025, Haynes bought a Glock pistol and an AK-style pistol from a St. Charles, Missouri gun store and another Glock pistol and AK-style pistol from a different St. Charles, Missouri store. One of the Glock pistols was recovered in Columbia, Illinois after being used in a carjacking during which the victim was shot, Haynes’ plea agreement says.
Haynes is scheduled to be sentenced on September 2. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 47 Years in Prison for Carjackings, Fatal Fentanyl SaleRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis man to 47 years in prison for his involvement in two carjackings, an attempted carjacking and the sale of fentanyl that killed a woman in 2023.
In January, jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis convicted Bobby Lee Jones, 27, of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Evidence and testimony during his trial showed that he sold the fentanyl that killed an 18-year-old woman in 2023. The victim was seeking marijuana. Jones agreed to sell her marijuana and offered her what he claimed was the pain pill Percocet, evidence shows. The pills were manufactured to resemble Percocet but actually contained fentanyl. The victim took one of the pills and her boyfriend found her dead the next day.
The victim’s mother, aunt, friend and a family friend spoke at the sentencing hearing Thursday. In a letter, her best friend called the victim “beautiful, unforgettable, and full of life.”
In December, Jones pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking. He admitted driving his nephew, Labron Collins, and a juvenile, to the scene of a carjacking in the 4100 block of Botanical Avenue in St. Louis on Jan. 25, 2023. Collins and the teen then stole a 2012 Honda Civic at gunpoint.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Clark found by a preponderance of the evidence that Jones was involved in another carjacking and an attempted carjacking. Evidence and testimony showed that Jones and the two others tried to steal a 2022 Dodge Charger an hour before the Civic carjacking. Collins and the juvenile began shooting when the Charger’s driver started to drive off, shattering a rear window and striking her in the back, evidence showed. Later, they were driving and struck the rear of a 2011 Infiniti G37 and then carjacked that driver. Several hours after the owner of the Charger was shot, police pulled over a car in which Jones was a passenger. One of the guns used in the shooting was located under Jones’ seat. Police later found the Infiniti parked behind Jones’ mother’s house.
Jones instigated the crimes and used his 18-year-old nephew and the juvenile to commit them to avoid liability, a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski says. He also has a significant criminal history, the memo says. At 18, police caught Jones with cocaine base and a firearm, the memo says. At 20, they caught him in a carjacked vehicle after a chase and less than three months after his release from custody, he carjacked a BMW and was caught with another gun shortly thereafter, the memo says.
Judge Clark sentenced Jones to 45 years in prison for the fentanyl and carjacking cases and two years for violating his supervised release in a 2019 case in which he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Collins, now 21, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to five counts of carjacking and three charges of possession or brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted the two carjackings and one attempted carjacking that he committed with Jones. He also admitted carjacking a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta on February 11 and a 2013 Acura TL and a 2014 Honda Civic, the next day. He is serving a 15-year prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Szczucinski and Nicholas Lake prosecuted the case.
Four Men Accused of $1.7 Million Water Heater Refund ScamRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Four men have been indicted in St. Louis and accused of a fraudulent scheme involving the return of used water heaters in exchange for $1.7 million in gift certificates.
Aron Suarez-Ruiz, 22, Jose Antonio Alvarez-Raya, 38, Daniel Barreras-Magallanes, 41, and Francisco Aguilar-Ortiz, 27, were each indicted in U.S. District Court on Wednesday with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Alvarez-Raya, Barreras-Magallanes and Aguilar-Ortiz appeared in court Thursday and pleaded not guilty.
The indictment says that from at least March 2026 through May 18, 2026, the men obtained used water heaters in California and transported them on rented trucks to home improvement stores around the country. Using counterfeit labels with false serial numbers, the men returned the water heaters to the stores for a refund in the form of gift certificates, the indictment says. The men then used those gift certificates to purchase power tools, it says. The indictment alleges the scheme to defraud resulted in losses of more than $1.7 million.
In one example provided in the indictment, on May 14, 2026, Alvarez-Raya and Suarez-Ruiz returned hot water heaters labelled with counterfeit serial numbers at stores in Wentzville, Cottleville, St. Charles, St. Louis County and Arnold. On May 18, 2026, Barreras-Magallanes and Aguillar-Ortiz returned two used hot water heaters at store in Wentzville, the indictment says.
A motion seeking the detention of Alvarez-Raya says the men made multiple stops at other stores on the way to Missouri and that Alvarez-Raya recruited Suarez-Ruiz to participate. Aguilar-Ortiz recruited Barreras-Magallanes from Mexico, another motion says. Alvarez-Raya, Aguilar-Ortiz and Barreras-Magallanes are illegal immigrants, the motion says. Alvarez-Raya had been living in Washington state. Aguilar-Ortiz is from the Los Angeles area. Suarez-Ruiz was living in Louisville, Kentucky.
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.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Arnold Police Department and the Wentzville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Webster Groves Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Prison on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a Webster Groves man to 150 months in prison for sending and receiving child sexual abuse material online.
Joseph A. Seiffertt, 44, possessed images and videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his cell phone, as well as AI-powered apps that he used to depict clothed individuals, including minors, in the nude. Seiffertt also discussed the sexual abuse of minors with someone online and shared and received CSAM via the Kik Messenger app.
Seiffertt pleaded guilty in December to one count of possession of child pornography After his release from prison, Seiffertt will be on supervised release for life.
The FBI and the St. Louis County Special Investigations Unit 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.
Missouri Sex Offender Caught Again with Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man residing in a halfway house after serving prison time for producing child pornography on Tuesday admitted being caught again with child sexual abuse material.
Joseph Trahan, 62, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He admitted that in August of 2025, he was on supervised release and residing at a halfway house. After learning that Trahan had an unauthorized electronic device and had been viewing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), Trahan’s probation officer met with him on August 6, 2025. Subsequent investigation discovered conversations between Trahan and another registered sex offender on supervised release in another judicial district about sex with a child, as well as more than 600 images containing CSAM. Trahan also had unregistered and unauthorized accounts on TikTok and Instagram.
Trahan is scheduled to be sentenced on September 9. Both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Trahan’s lawyer have agreed to recommend 10 years in prison.
In 2007, Trahan, originally of Phoenix, Arizona, was convicted of production of child pornography in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and sentenced to 270 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Trahan videotaped himself engaged in sexual activity with a 16-year-old girl and distributed the tapes through the mail in exchange for money.
The U.S. Probation Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Bateman and Sila Karacal are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Cape Girardeau Man Sentenced to Prison for Identity Theft, Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man who used stolen identities to fraudulently apply for pandemic loans, file tax returns and seek state benefits to 39 months in prison.
Judge Limbaugh also ordered Myles Benjamin Depew, 35, of Cape Girardeau, to pay $25,000 restitution to the United States and $10,728 to the State of Missouri.
Depew used the name of someone else to fraudulently apply for and receive an $11,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) in June of 2020. The next month, Depew used another person’s name to fraudulently apply for and receive a $14,000 EIDL loan. Finally, he used a third person’s identity to open a checking account with a West Virginia-based bank. Depew prepared two fraudulent Missouri state tax returns, triggering a refund of $2,060 into the bank account in February of 2022 and $8,668 in April of 2023.
U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration agents interviewed Depew, who estimated that he had spent about $40,000 on casino gambling, $5,000 on food and another $5,000 on methamphetamine. Depew used his job as a tax preparer to gain access to names, birthdates and Social Security numbers.
Depew pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in February to three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Teen Admits Being Caught with Gun After Police ChaseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A teenage felon from St. Louis on Thursday admitted being caught with a machine gun after a police chase.
Juanell Carter, 19, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On the afternoon of Aug. 26, 2025, the St. Ann Police Department was alerted about a stolen 2024 Nissan Altima on Page Avenue. A St. Ann police lieutenant spotted the vehicle backing into a parking spot at a convenience store. Carter was behind the wheel, wearing a yellow and black ski mask. Carter sped away, followed by the lieutenant, who activated his lights and siren. After deploying a Starchase tracker, the lieutenant discontinued the pursuit and monitored the vehicle electronically until it stopped at North Garrison Avenue and Thomas Street in St. Louis. Carter and his passenger ran away, but Carter was later located and arrested.
Carter was wearing a cross-body bag that contained suspected narcotics and a Glock 10mm pistol equipped with a machine gun conversion device that rendered it into a fully automatic weapon. Police found the ski mask in Carter’s pocket. He is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm. He was on parole at the time of his crime.
Carter is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 2, 2026. His crime is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The St. Ann Police Department, the North County Police Cooperative and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Florissant Man Accused of Stealing over $250,000 from Grocery ChainRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Florissant man who has been accused him of stealing more than $250,000 from a grocery chain was arrested Wednesday.
Richard Lind, 39, of Florissant, was indicted with five counts of wire fraud on April 22. He appeared in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty.
The indictment says Lind worked as the site manager for a logistics company at the grocer’s distribution center. Lind’s employer supplied the physical labor and heavy equipment to unload trailers containing the grocer’s inventory, as well as software for tracking shipments.
Lind defrauded the grocery chain by creating false records for inventory shipments that had never occurred and false invoices seeking payment from the trucking companies for unloading those shipments, the indictment says. The trucking companies then sought reimbursement from the grocery chain. Lind voided the false records to conceal his scheme from his employer. He used the electronic payment authorization codes that resulted from his scheme to obtain cash payments at truck stops, triggering more than 600 fraudulent payments totaling more than $250,000, the indictment says.
Charges set forth in the 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 Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Recording Sexual Abuse of 8-Year-OldRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a man who recorded his sexual abuse of an 8-year-old to 25 years in prison.
Jacob J. Hampton, 33, placed a hidden camera in a bathroom to record an 8-year-old girl. Police found images on Hampton’s phone of Hampton abusing the victim, as well as child sexual abuse material that he’d obtained online.
Hampton, of O’Fallon, Missouri, pleaded guilty in January of 2025 to one count of production of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography.
The FBI, the St. Charles County Police Department and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Francois County Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Pornography PossessionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Wednesday sentenced a registered sex offender who exchanged child sexual abuse material on Snapchat and raped a woman in 2024 to 20 years in prison.
Michael A. Driemeier, 32, of Bonne Terre, will be on supervised release for life after his release from prison. Driemeier pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February to possession of child pornography as a prior offender.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol was first alerted by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in November of 2024 that Driemeier had distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) via Snapchat. Investigators found Driemeier on Jan. 9, 2025, shopping with a young child. He consented to a search of his cell phone, which revealed CSAM and an exchange of CSAM with another Snapchat user. He later admitted obtaining CSAM and sending it to others, his plea agreement says. Driemeier also admitted as part of his plea that he raped a 20-year-old female acquaintance in a hotel room in February of 2024.
On April 6, 2018, Driemeier was convicted in St. Francois County Circuit Court of second-degree statutory rape and sentenced to five years in prison. The victim in that case was 13.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team and the Bonne Terre Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jefferson County Businessman Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Failing to Pay Taxes on Behalf of EmployeesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Tuesday sentenced a Jefferson County businessman to 18 months in prison for failing to pay 10 years of employment taxes totaling $774,081.
Judge Bluestone also ordered Danny L. Nickelson Jr., 54, to pay the back taxes in restitution to the IRS and imposed a fine of $18,684.
Nickelson owned General Physiotherapy, a manufacturer and distributor of massage and percussion devices used in medicine and physical therapy. For tax years 2013 through 2022, Nickelson withheld Social Security and Medicare taxes and federal income taxes from employees’ pay but did not pay that to the IRS. He also did not match the withheld taxes and pay that amount, as required. Nickelson did the same thing for tax years 2013-2015 for Tomichi Industries, a small plastic distributor and supplier for General Physiotherapy. Nickelson was sole shareholder of Tomichi.
Nickelson used the tax money for the operating expenses of the business and personal expenditures including food, travel, retail purchases and credit card bills.
Nickelson “put at risk his employees’ tax liabilities and future federal benefits” and stole “money from the U.S. tax system that funds the federal government and the social safety net,” a sentencing memorandum by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow says.
Nickelson pleaded guilty in February to two counts of failure to pay over trust fund taxes.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
Woman Accused of Embezzling $1.2 Million from St. Louis County CompanyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from Lake St. Louis turned herself in Monday to face an indictment accusing her of embezzling $1.2 million from her employer.
Kari Bertels, 44, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on April 29 with five counts of wire fraud. She turned herself in Monday, appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.
The indictment accuses Bertels of using her company credit card to make purchases for herself and relatives from Oct. 9, 2018, to Jan. 12, 2026, including $19,815 in beauty products from Red Aspen, $16,512 in fitness coaching, $42,407 in DoorDash deliveries, $59,994 in Amazon purchases, $15,000 in airfare for herself and relatives for domestic and international trips, $27,044 from Instacart, $14,331 in jewelry from Diamonds Direct, and $14,110 at a Sandals resort.
Bertels was an accountant and a senior financial analyst at the St. Louis County company. Her responsibilities included approving expenses reports and paying the company credit card bills and other business expenses with the company checking account, the indictment says. She concealed her embezzlement by refusing to submit monthly expense reports for the unauthorized credit card purchases, re-directing the credit card statements from work to her home and dividing the payments for her unauthorized credit card purchases into smaller amounts in the accounting system, the indictment says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karin Schute is prosecuting the case.
Man Accused of Stealing $735,137 from Retired St. Louis TeacherRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis has been accused of stealing $735,137 from a retired St. Louis teacher.
Michael N. Jones, 40, was indicted April 29 with eight counts of wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty Monday.
The indictment says Jones was named as the victim’s power of attorney in March of 2023, and began stealing from her that same month. He made over $12,000 in purchases using her checking account and used her credit card for OnlyFans purchases, the indictment says. The victim was admitted to an assisted living facility on April 25, 2023. Jones put the proceeds of the sale of her home and two certificates of deposit into her checking account, and used that account to buy four properties in St. Louis, one in Hillsboro and two in East St. Louis, the indictment says. He also transferred $20,000 to his personal bank account and $140,000 to his Cash App account, using the Cash App money for food, trips, life coaching and OnlyFans, the indictment says.
From April 2024 to November 2024, Jones made only one payment to her assisted living facility and the victim was evicted owing $38,535, the indictment says. In November of 2024, Jones moved her into another facility but failed to pay costs that grew to $52,502 a year later, it says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both.
The U.S. Secret Service, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe is prosecuting the case.
Two Illegal Immigrants Indicted in Homeland Security Task Force Investigation, Accused of Hiring at Least 10 OthersRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two illegal immigrants from Honduras were indicted Wednesday and accused of hiring at least 10 other illegal aliens.
Oscar Ruiz-Oliva, 41, and Jorge Manuel Oliva-Paguada, 37, were indicted on one count each of knowingly and intentionally engaging in a pattern of hiring unauthorized aliens, knowingly hiring at least ten unauthorized aliens in a 12-month period and illegal re-entry into the United States after being deported. Ruiz-Oliva was deported in 2009 near Phoenix and Oliva-Paguada was deported in 2013 near Houston. Oliva-Paguada also faces one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, namely a .40-caliber pistol.
A motion to have Ruiz-Oliva held in jail until trial says he employed at least 25 illegal aliens.
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Ware and Kyle Bateman are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF St. Louis comprises agents and officers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Untied States Marshal Service (USMS); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); and United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Slovakian Administrator of Darknet Market that Sold Drugs and Stolen Personal Information Sentenced to 200 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Thursday sentenced a Slovakian man who aided the operation of a darknet market to 200 months in prison.
Alan Bill, 33, of Bratislava, pleaded guilty in January to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and admitted involvement in the operation of Kingdom Market, a darknet marketplace that operated between March 2021 and December 2023. Kingdom facilitated thousands of transactions wherein hundreds of vendors offered dangerous illegal drugs, stolen financial information, fraudulent identification documents, counterfeit currencies and computer malware throughout the world. Buyers made their purchases via cryptocurrency and anonymous or semi-anonymous accounts.
As part of his plea, Bill admitted assisting others in maintaining or operating Kingdom by providing or procuring web-administration services. He also admitted receiving cryptocurrency from a wallet associated with Kingdom, assisting with the creation of Kingdom’s forum pages on websites such as Reddit and Dread, having access to Kingdom usernames that made postings on behalf of Kingdom on social media accounts and communicating with others regarding certain Kingdom transactions.
Although Bill attempted to minimize his role with Kingdom Market in a day-long hearing Thursday, Judge Stevens found that evidence showed that Bill was a leader and/or organizer of the criminal conspiracy and was aware of what vendors were selling.
Kingdom servers show that there were more than 1,500 sales of heroin by dozens of vendors and nearly 600 sales of what sellers claimed was Oxycodone. Bill and his co-conspirators knew that fentanyl was being slipped into other products, a sentencing memo filed by the government says. “The dangerous drugs trafficked by defendant through Kingdom caused harm to untold numbers of people across the world,” the memo says.
After announcing the sentence Thursday, Judge Stevens said, “It’s hard to even imagine the amount of misery that the defendant’s actions have caused.”
Undercover federal investigators bought fentanyl, meth and a United States passport from Kingdom that were shipped to the Eastern District of Missouri. Bill was arrested Dec. 15, 2023, at Newark Liberty International Airport in possession of electronic devices that contained evidence of his involvement with Kingdom.
As part of his plea agreement, Bill also agreed to forfeit five different types of cryptocurrency, as well as the Kingdommarket.live and Kingdommarket.so domains, which have been shut down by authorities.
“Alan Bill helped run a darknet market that sold stolen identity and financial information, counterfeit currency and illegal drugs, including bogus prescription drugs containing fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “This sentence should send a message that serious crimes will be punished harshly, no matter where they occur or how hidden they appear to be.”
“Life is a series of good and bad choices. Mr. Bill made a bad choice to start a darknet marketplace that sold misery in the form of illegal drugs, stolen financial information and fake or stolen identification documents,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation St. Louis Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “IRS-CI is committed to using the financial expertise of our special agents to track down and stop criminal organizations such as Kingdom Market. We’re grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their aggressive prosecution of this case.”
“Distributing deadly and highly addictive narcotics is extremely dangerous and has been a major contributor to the ongoing drug epidemic that is destroying communities across the country,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, Nicholas Bucciarelli, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Domicile Office. “Leveraging USPIS unique cross-border authorities and expertise in cyber and narcotics investigations, Inspectors were able to pierce the veil of anonymity that these drug traffickers falsely believed they possessed by operating on the dark web, to expose their conspiracy and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“People often feel a false sense of security and anonymity, like they’re able to get away with something if they conduct business on the dark web,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. Our investigators and agents are well versed in the field of cyber transactions and work routinely to dismantle those organizations looking to profit off others with the sale of illegal drugs.”
IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and the Missouri Department of Revenue investigated the case. The investigation also involved numerous foreign law enforcement agencies, including the German Federal Criminal Police, or Bundeskriminalamt, the Frankfurt am Main Public Prosecutor's Office - Central Office for Combating Internet Crime (ZIT) as well as law enforcement agencies from Switzerland, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Bateman, John Ware and Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Felon Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis felon caught twice with guns, including after a police chase, to a total of 27 years in prison.
After a two-day bench trial in October, Judge Divine found Roosevelt Easley, 40, guilty of two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Thursday, Judge Divine sentenced Easley to 25 years for that case and two more years for violating his supervised release in a 2018 case in which he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, cocaine base and methamphetamine.
Evidence and testimony at the October trial showed that on March 29, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped a vehicle driven by Easley. Marijuana and a firearm were in plain view in the vehicle. On Sept. 10, 2022, St. Louis police again attempted to make a traffic stop of Easley’s vehicle, but he sped off. He eventually crashed into a tree before running away. Officers found two firearms in the vehicle.
Easley also resisted arrest, threatened police officers, intimidated a potential witness and attempted to bribe a police officer, a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce says.
Easley has at least three previous convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses, which subjected him to the enhanced penalty provisions of the Armed Career Criminal Act.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald Boyce and Nichole Frankenberg prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Jennings Felon Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Shooting at Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon who shot at his ex-girlfriend and triggered a police standoff to 13 years in prison.
Judge Divine also ordered Jairell Allmon to pay a $2,000 fine.
On Feb. 18, 2025, Allmon fired a shot at his ex-girlfriend after spending the night in her car, which was parked outside her house in Jennings. The victim told police that Allmon made threats against her and her children throughout the night, and in the morning threatened to shoot her if she tried to get in her car. He fired a shot at her but missed. When St. Louis County Police Department officers arrived, Allmon refused to reply or comply when officers ordered him out of the vehicle, triggering a three-hour standoff. After it ended, police found a 9mm handgun in the trunk of the car, which was accessible from the inside of the vehicle. Allmon is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm.
This is Allmon’s fourth conviction involving a firearm and third involving the possessing and brandishing of a gun, Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke wrote in a sentencing memo, adding that the crime was one of a long string of domestic crimes.
Allmon, 40, of Jennings, Missouri, pleaded guilty in January to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Louis County Police Department, including the Tactical Unit, the Crisis Intervention Team, Crisis Negotiation Team and Special Response Team, handled the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Former Basketball Coach Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Sending Sexually Explicit Photos to StudentsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a former high school basketball coach to 90 months in prison for sending sexually explicit photos to students and engaging in sexually explicit conversations with them.
Lee Anthony Bogan Jr., 29, was working at a St. Louis area high school at the time. Bogan, known as “Coach Teejay,” used a social media application to contact high school students beginning in the spring of 2024. Bogan sent photos of his genitals and expressed romantic and sexual interest in the students, seeking to gauge their responses. Bogan was unaware that the minors took screen shots of the explicit photos before they disappeared.
In court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards said that the students interrupted Bogan’s attempt to groom them by reporting his conduct.
Bogan pleaded guilty in February to one count of attempting to receive child pornography. He will be on supervised release for life after his release from prison.
The Ladue Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis Man Admits Bringing 12-Year-Old from Michigan to St. Louis for SexRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man on Monday admitted driving a 12-year-old from Michigan to Missouri, where he engaged in illegal sex acts with her.
Harold Paul White, 56, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of interstate travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He admitted meeting the girl on social media and driving to Michigan to pick her up. White engaged in illegal sex acts with the minor at his apartment and recorded those acts with a phone. When the victim realized that she had been reported missing, White bought her a bus ticket home.
White is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31. Both sides have agreed to recommend 15 years in prison.
The FBI and local police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. For more information, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Postal Employee Admits Stealing Checks from St. Louis MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former U.S. Postal Service supervisor on Monday admitted stealing 89 checks from the mail.
Benita D. Randle, 43, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of theft of mail by a U.S. Postal Service employee. John W. Harrison, 26, of Black Jack, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2026, to one count of possession of stolen mail matter.
Randle was a supervisor at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center, which processes, sorts and distributes all non-parcel mail for the St. Louis metropolitan areas. She had access to all the mail at the center. Between September and October of 2023, Randle stole mail containing checks and gave that mail to Harrison, who opened the mail and removed the checks.
Randle’s crime was uncovered when her leased Nissan Juke was repossessed for her failure to maintain insurance. The car dealership found Harrison’s backpack, which contained an AR-style handgun, cocaine, fentanyl and loose checks, and called the St. Charles Police Department. After officers arrived at the dealership, so did Randle, who falsely claimed that she did not handle mail in her job. She later lied to investigators with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General that she never drove the Juke and did not have access to mail.
Investigators determined that Randle had stolen 89 checks from mail that belonged to dozens of victims. They also found one counterfeit check that bore the same bank account and payor information as one of the stolen checks. The total face value of the 90 checks was $369,248.
Randle is scheduled to be sentenced on August 20 and Harrison on June 3. They face a penalty of 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 U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the St. Charles Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Two Sentenced to Prison for St. Louis CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men have been sentenced to prison for two carjackings in St. Louis in 2024.
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced Davion Pruitt, 19, of St. Louis, to nine years in prison in prison. Tywone Calvin, 20, of Pine Lawn, was sentenced on April 27 to nine and one-half years in prison.
The pair stole a 2011 Cadillac Escalade at gunpoint on Dec. 23, 2024. Three days later, they carjacked a 2017 Chevrolet Trax.
The Escalade’s driver had met a woman, Mya Reagan, on Facebook. Pruitt and Calvin told Reagan to find someone to rob, and she arranged to meet with the victim on Dec. 23, 2024. Reagan had the victim stop at a gas station for cigars near South Broadway and Interstate 55. When the victim exited the store, he was confronted by two armed men, who stole his SUV. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers found the SUV later that day with three men who said they bought the vehicle from someone matching Reagan’s description.
On Dec. 26, 2024, at about 3:35 a.m., the second victim received an alert from his key fob about his Chevrolet Trax. He went outside to find two armed men by his SUV who demanded the keys and drove away. Later that day, St. Louis County Police Department officers spotted the stolen Trax with Pruitt and Calvin inside. Calvin crashed after letting Pruitt out, and then got out of the vehicle and ran, dropping a handgun. Pruitt was arrested by St. Louis police on Feb. 14, 2025. Officers found a 9mm handgun with a laser sight.
Calvin and Pruitt both pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Reagan pleaded guilty to the carjacking charge on April 10 and is scheduled to be sentenced in July.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie J. Schneider is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to Prison for a Series of FraudsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Monday sentenced a man who committed identity theft, check fraud and pandemic fraud to 42 months in prison and ordered him to repay $77,360 to his victims.
For over three years, Darryon M. Sutherlin, now 29, engaged in a series of frauds and financial crimes, including filing a fraudulent application for COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, check fraud and the use of stolen identities to obtain loans and credit. His crimes continued even after he was indicted.
On May 26, 2022, Sutherlin used the stolen identity of a New Jersey resident to finance a $25,850 loan for a 2016 BMW. Sutherlin also used the New Jersey man’s name, Social Security number and a fake ID to obtain a personal loan of $8,500 and two credit cards.
On Dec. 7, 2022, Sutherlin deposited two stolen and altered U.S. Treasury checks, totaling $10,436, into his personal bank account.
On Jan. 31, 2023, Sutherlin’s property manager contacted the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department after seeing pounds of marijuana and driver’s licenses in different names but with Sutherlin’s photo in his apartment. Officers caught Sutherlin with stolen personal and U.S. Treasury checks and unauthorized bank cards and false driver’s licenses, including the New Jersey victim’s license. They found more bank cards, false driver’s licenses, bank paperwork and a large trash bag containing stolen, opened U.S. mail in his apartment. In total, officers recovered roughly 23 unauthorized debit and credit cards, 13 false driver’s licenses and 2 false Social Security cards, all of which bore the information of more than 10 different identity theft victims.
Sutherlin sought a Paycheck Protection Program loan on March 23, 2021, by falsely claiming that he ran a construction business and by submitting a false Form 1040 Schedule C showing bogus gross earnings. After receiving a $20,833 PPP loan, Sutherlin immediately withdrew a large portion of the loan funds in cash and spent the remainder on personal expenses.
After he was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on May 15, 2024, Sutherlin obtained a loan of $8,500 from a credit union branch in Collinsville, Ill. by using the identity of a Massachusetts man whose name appeared on one of the licenses found in his apartment in 2023. Sutherlin’s bond was revoked, and he has been in jail since the new offense was discovered.
Sutherlin pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of identity theft.
“The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Acting Inspector in Charge, Nicholas Bucciarelli, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Domicile. “The Postal Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to bring mail theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions.”
“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Glen Carbon Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Felon Admits Possessing Machine Gun in Stolen Car After ChaseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man on supervised release from a prior carjacking case on Monday admitted being caught with a fully automatic handgun after fleeing from police in a stolen car.
Davell A. Horton, 29, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on July 15, 2024, St. Louis County Police Department officers spotted an Infiniti G37 with no license plates that matched the description of a stolen car. Horton was driving, ignored police attempts to pull him over and instead sped away on a circuitous route around north St. Louis County.
Eventually, Horton crashed the car into a light pole. His passenger fled, dropping a handgun. Horton also ran, leaving behind a .45-caliber Glock equipped with a high-capacity magazine and a “switch,” or auto sear, that modified it into a fully automatic weapon.
Horton was on supervised release at the time, having been sentenced in January of 2021 to 70 months in prison for carjacking.
He now faces up to 15 years in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for August 10.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
St. Francois County Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Recording Sexual Abuse of MinorsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced a man who recorded his sexual abuse of two underage girls to 50 years in prison.
“You’re not going to get out again,” Judge Schelp told Richard James Miller. “You’re not going to get an opportunity to victimize someone else.”
Miller, 41, recorded his sexual abuse of the two juveniles between Jan. 1, 2022, and May 24, 2024. One victim told investigators that her abuse began when she was 15. The other said she began spending time in Miller’s apartment when she was 8 or 9 years old. Miller initially told her to undress so that he could take pictures of her and send them to friends.
In statements read to Judge Schelp Monday, both victims said Miller threatened to kill their relatives. One said he threatened to make her watch as he killed her two dogs.
In court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman told Judge Schelp that although a third juvenile victim was not presenting a statement, she was abused in the same way.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations learned of Miller in 2024, when the court-approved search of a New Jersey man’s home uncovered Kik messenger chats with Miller. Images constituting child sexual abuse material were found in the chats. Investigators located and interviewed Miller, who admitted engaging in sex acts with young girls at his home in the past. He also admitted distributing photos of one of the victims in a Kik group chat.
Miller, of St. Francois County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in February to two counts of production of child pornography.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Park Hills Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control 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. For more information, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Sentenced for Embezzling $434,000Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a man who embezzled $434,000 from a medical business in the St. Louis area to a year and a day in prison and ordered him to repay the money.
Talon Lewis’ embezzlement lasted from Oct. 21, 2019, through at least Feb. 19, 2025. At the time, he was an accounts payable specialist at a medical business. One of his jobs was to upload a list of patients who were owed refunds so the company could generate and mail refund checks to patients. Lewis had refunds sent to himself or to the homes of friends and acquaintances, sometimes using fake names, by adding those people to the patient refund lists. Lewis recruited 14 people to aid his scheme. Those friends and acquaintances then kicked back 30% of the money they fraudulently received to Lewis. He spent his share of the money on personal expenses and at local casinos.
As part of the sentence, Judge Sippel barred Lewis from gambling or entering gambling establishments during his three-year term of supervised release.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others to enrich themselves. Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims including those most vulnerable,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, Nicholas Bucciarelli, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Domicile Office.
Lewis, 33, formerly of St. Charles, Missouri, pleaded guilty in January to one count of mail fraud.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
St. Charles Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Fatal Shooting During 2023 Marijuana DealRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting someone during a marijuana deal in 2023.
The shooting occurred on May 25, 2023, in an alley behind the 4800 block of Farlin Avenue in St. Louis. Trevon Carson, now 32, of St. Charles, drove the marijuana buyer, Earl S. Hill, to the alley. Carson was armed despite having been convicted multiple times of felonies, including assault and robbery. The marijuana seller’s friend stepped out of his own car holding an AR-style firearm and began to approach Carson’s car. Carson got out of his vehicle, fatally shot the victim and took his gun.
“Carson never called for help. Carson never rendered aid. Carson simply left the victim to die in the alley,” a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen says.
On June 13, 2023, the FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, having learned of Carson’s involvement, conducted a court-approved search of his home and found three loaded handguns and an AR-style firearm.
Carson pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and one count of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime resulting in death.
Hill, 33, of Maryland Heights, was sentenced in February to 127 months in prison after pleading guilty to the conspiracy charge and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen prosecuted the case.
St. Charles County Bartender Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a former bartender who admitted possessing child sexual abuse material and installing hidden cameras in the bedroom and bathroom of a former residence to 13 years in prison.
Judge Divine also ordered Anthony Thomas, 49, of St. Charles County, to pay $104,500 to victims who appeared in the child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he downloaded.
Thomas possessed thousands of media files containing CSAM and thousands more containing pornography where the age of those depicted is difficult to discern. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations found Thomas after learning that someone in St. Charles County was making CSAM available for download via the BitTorrent peer-to-peer network.
Thomas also admitted installing hidden cameras in a bedroom and bathroom of a former residence. Both captured images of a 14-year-old girl.
Thomas pleaded guilty in January to one count of receipt of child pornography.
“Anthony Thomas committed egregious crimes that exploited and harmed children,” said HSI St. Louis Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gregory Paris. “I am extremely proud of our agents’ diligent work in bringing his criminal conduct to an end. As a bartender, Thomas interacted with countless individuals who, I imagine, were unaware of the serious crimes he was committing. Parents and guardians can take comfort in knowing Thomas is off the streets”.
Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Charles County Regional SWAT Team investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Wednesday sentenced a Washington County, Missouri man to 29 years in prison for sexually abusing a girl and soliciting child sexual abuse material from her.
William R. Murphy, 41, engaged in sexual contact with a juvenile when she was between the ages of 13 and 17. Sometimes Murphy threatened the victim to take sexually explicit photos of herself.
Murphy pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of production of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.
“William Murphy’s abhorrent crimes were uncovered because a vigilant mother trusted her instincts and took action to protect her child,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Child predators often rely on fear and manipulation to silence their victims. Parents must remain engaged; set clear expectations and monitor your child’s online activity to help keep them safe.”
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.