Eastern District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
St. Louis County Woman Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Check Scheme that Used Bank Information from Stolen MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from Hillsdale, in St. Louis County, Missouri was sentenced Monday to a year in federal prison for engaging in a scheme to deposit tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of counterfeit checks created with information from stolen U.S. mail.
U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig also ordered Tyra G. Robinson, 21, of Hillsdale, to repay victims $10,859. Robinson will be on supervised release for five years after her release from prison.
In her guilty plea in November to four felony counts of bank fraud, Robinson admitted depositing or attempting to deposit counterfeit checks totaling more than $40,000. She received at least $22,000 via the scheme from at least ten financial institutions. She also admitted possessing counterfeit checks belonging to at least ten victims.
Robinson would deposit counterfeit checks typically ranging from $4,0000 to $10,000 into bank accounts. The information Robinson used on the counterfeit checks came from checks stolen from the U.S. mail. She then withdrew the proceeds before the banks realized the checks were bogus. Robinson recruited bank account holders on Facebook and Instagram with promises of kickbacks if they let Robinson deposit the checks into their accounts. Co-conspirators also recruited account holders for Robinson.
On March 10, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers attempted to pull over a vehicle that Robinson was driving because it was wanted in connection with a burglary. Robinson refused to pull over and fled at a high rate of speed. While trying to get on the highway, she struck another vehicle, causing significant damage to that vehicle. After the crash, officers found a purse with about $11,527 in cash, a gun and multiple bank cards and checks in names other than Robinson's inside her vehicle. Police turned over the evidence to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service who conducted a financial investigation of Robinson’s activity.
“Through her mail theft scheme, the defendant was able to steal thousands of dollars from hard-working postal customers, some of whom continue to deal with the financial repercussions caused by her actions,” said Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Chicago Division. “The swift joint investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department put an end to her illegal activity. Our agencies will continue to work together to bring justice to victimized citizens of St. Louis.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Sikeston Man Sentenced to Serve 125 Months in Federal Prison on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – The U.S. Attorney's Office announced that Cameron Melton Malone, 30, of Sikeston, Missouri, was sentenced Monday to serve a total aggregate sentence of 125 months in federal prison for the offenses of felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Malone appeared for his sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge John A. Ross at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
At a guilty plea hearing in December, Malone admitted that on June 12, 2022, he attempted to flee from law enforcement officers in the City of Sikeston after an officer attempted a traffic stop. During a high-speed pursuit, Malone left the roadway and traveled through a parking lot where numerous people had gathered for a party, causing the crowd to run and scatter to avoid being hit. After the vehicle came to rest, Malone fled on foot and was later apprehended hiding in some bushes. He was taken into custody but struggled with officers when being placed in the patrol vehicle. Malone’s vehicle was searched, and a quantity of marijuana, packaged for sale, and a loaded Diamondback AR-15 semi-automatic rifle was seized from the vehicle. The firearm was loaded and ready to fire, with 35 rounds in the magazine and a round in the chamber. Malone is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law because of his status as a convicted felon, including a prior firearms offense for carrying a concealed weapon in 2012 and an assault conviction in 2019.
After serving the 125-month sentence, Malone will be placed on supervised release for a period of three years.
This case was investigated by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government.
Former Missouri State Worker Admits Stealing $140,000 in Unemployment Insurance FundsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former Missouri state employee on Monday admitted abusing her position to send $140,500 in unearned unemployment benefits to friends, relatives and others.
Vicky Hefner, 63, of Jefferson County, Missouri, was working for the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Division of Employment Security as a benefit program specialist at the time of the crimes, which occurred from July to December of 2020. As part of her guilty plea to one count of theft of public money, Hefner admitted logging into the accounts of approximately eight friends, relatives and associates to either make them eligible for unemployment benefits when they were not otherwise eligible or increase their benefits. She also backdated some claims to increase benefits and changed the status of some who were receiving pandemic-related unemployment assistance to regular unemployment assistance to fraudulently increase the benefits they received, the plea says.
Hefner had worked at the agency since 2009.
At her sentencing, scheduled for June 22, Hefner could face up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. She will also be ordered to repay the money.
The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General at both the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Dowd III is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Admits Making Rape Threats to Five WomenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis pleaded guilty Thursday to five federal felonies and admitted harassing and threatening to rape five women.
Robert D. Merkle, 54, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to all the counts he was facing: two counts of interstate communication of threats and three counts of cyberstalking. He admitted harassing women in the St. Louis area and across the country for months, while he was on parole for similar crimes with different victims.
The federal investigation began in January 2022, after a woman told the Town and Country Police Department that a man she’d met on a dating site more than seven years earlier sent a series of text messages in which he said he’d made a copy of her house key and was planning on breaking into her home two days later and raping her.
The FBI obtained a court-approved search warrant for Merkle’s home and cell phones, and discovered that he’d used emails, multiple cell phones and a service that can send texts anonymously to harass women.
Merkle met several of the women on dating sites and worked with another woman.
Both sides have agreed to recommend the maximum penalty for the crime, five years in prison, at Merkle’s sentencing. That sentencing is scheduled for June 21. Merkle still faces a pending felony charge of harassment in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
Merkle was charged with harassment in 2017 and 2018 in Jefferson County Circuit Court and St. Louis Circuit Court, resulting in a three-year prison sentence. Merkle was living in a halfway house in St. Louis at the time of his federal crimes.
The FBI, the Town and Country Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Glen Ellyn (Illinois) Police Department and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the Gulfport Police Department in Mississippi investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is prosecuting the case.
Southeast Missouri Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr., sentenced Keith Lamar Dunlap to 15 years in federal prison today for robbing the Citizens Bank of Sikeston on October 30, 2020. Dunlap, now 56, was also sentenced to serve a consecutive term of 12 months in federal prison for violating his supervised release in a 2013 bank robbery case.
Dunlap pleaded guilty on October 6, 2022, to the bank robbery charge. He admitted robbing Citizens Bank of Charleston on Oct. 30, 2020 after handing a note to a teller stating, “give me all stacks of $100 and $50 or I will shoot you.”
Dunlap was pulled over by the Missouri State Highway Patrol in Sikeston in a vehicle matching the description of the one used in the robbery. As stated in the plea agreement, a trooper found another threatening note in the vehicle as well as the cash taken in the robbery.
Dunlap was twice previously convicted of bank robbery in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, in 2009 and 2013, for robbing banks in St. Louis and St. Louis County, respectively.
The FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Sikeston Department of Public Safety investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Hahn handled the prosecution for the government.
St. Charles County Man Accused of Pointing Laser at Police HelicopterRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A man from Lake St. Louis, Missouri has been indicted and accused of pointing a laser at a Metro Air Support helicopter in the St. Louis area.
David Gammil, 44, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on March 8 on one count of aiming a laser at an aircraft. Gammil’s indictment says the incident occurred on February 23.
Gammil was arrested Wednesday and made his first appearance in court, where he pleaded not guilty.
The charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. For years, the FBI and aviation authorities have warned that lasers can blind pilots, and the incidents are on the rise. The Federal Aviation Administration reported 9,457 incidents in 2022, including dozens which resulted in reported injuries.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is prosecuting the case.
Ferguson Man Caught with Gun After Police Chase Sentenced to 19 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A felon from Ferguson, Missouri who was caught with a gun after fleeing from police in St. Louis was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
On July 19, 2021, Anthony Willis, now 30, fled from St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers who tried to pull him over after he failed to stop at a stop sign in the Wells Goodfellow neighborhood.
Willis drove past another stop sign before other officers used spike strips to deflate his tires. He kept driving until he hit another vehicle at Goodfellow and Natural Bridge, then got out and ran. He was caught a short distance away. Willis left a loaded .40 caliber Glock handgun in the car.
As a convicted felon, Willis is barred from possessing a firearm. Willis was convicted of the 2010 robbery of a Del Taco in St. Louis and the robbery of a Popeye’s Chicken manager in St. Louis County on two occasions in 2010. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and was on parole at the time of the police chase. Due to his prior convictions, he was considered an “armed career criminal,” which meant he faced a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.
Willis was found guilty by a jury November 16 of a felony charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Martin and Donald Boyce are prosecuting the case.
Clayton Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Soliciting Child Pornography from 11-year-oldRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Clayton, Missouri who sought and received nude pictures of minors, including pictures of an 11-year-old from Kentucky, was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in federal prison followed by the remainder of his lifetime on supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White also ordered Jason W. Fine, 50, to pay a $50,000 fine and special assessments of $45,000 that will go into a fund for victims and prevention programs. Judge White called Fine’s case the worst case of its type that he’d encountered.
Fine pleaded guilty in November to two felonies: soliciting child pornography and receiving child pornography.
Fine admitted as part of his plea that between July 1, 2021 and Sept. 2, 2021, while pretending to be an 11-year-old girl, he requested and received nude pictures of the 11-year-old Kentucky girl on Kik Messenger.
In an interview with law enforcement on June 14, 2022, Fine said he had communicated online with multiple minors and that a few had sent him child pornography.
In court Wednesday, the victim’s mother told Judge White what it was like to discover that Fine preyed on her daughter by posing as a girl “doing horrific things and asking our daughter to do those same things,” the mother said.
The discovery of his crime wreaked “absolute devastation” on the victim and her family, the mother said, asking for serious prison time for Fine. “Knowing he is behind bars ensures that he can’t take advantage of young girls. He can't prey upon them and use them as toys. He can't manipulate them, solicit or use them,” she wrote in a letter to Judge White.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson pointed out that Fine used his undergraduate degree in psychology to manipulate children into sending him pictures and videos, and did not assist law enforcement in identifying his other victims so they could be helped. Anderson said Fine’s supporters described his crime as pornography addiction, but “It is pedophilia. It is sadistic child abuse.”
The St. Louis County Police Department the Campbell County (Kentucky) Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Missouri Doctor Admits Defrauding Medicare, MedicaidRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A doctor from Moberly, Missouri pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges and admitted falsely using his father’s name to bill Medicare and Medicaid for medical services.
Dr. Justin G. LaMonda, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of making false statements related to health care matters.
Dr. LaMonda admitted as part of his plea that he and his father agreed to bill Medicare and Missouri Medicaid for services performed by Dr. LaMonda as if they had actually been performed by Dr. LaMonda’s father, who was also a doctor.
The Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts suspended Dr. LaMonda’s medical license for 30 days effective Aug. 10, 2017 after he was accused of engaging in sexual activity with his office manager and prescribing her controlled substances “without sufficient examination and outside of the usual course of professional practice,” the plea says.
On Dec. 20, 2018, a Medicare administrative contractor revoked his Medicare Part B privileges after determining that he submitted reimbursement claims for services performed when he was suspended. Then, on Sept. 12, 2019, the Missouri Medicaid Audit and Compliance Unit terminated his Medicare provider number.
Dr. LaMonda admitted that as early as Dec. 20, 2018, he and his father agreed to bill Medicare for services performed by Dr. LaMonda as if they had been performed by his father. After Dr. LaMonda’s Missouri Medicaid billing privileges were terminated, the pair expanded their scheme to include Medicaid claims, the plea says.
Dr. LaMonda instructed his billing personnel to use his father’s unique billing provider number on claims for payment, on referrals to other health care providers and on orders for durable medical equipment, falsely claiming that the father had performed the medical services or ordered additional equipment or treatment, the plea says.
When payments were received for services performed by Dr. LaMonda, his father would transfer the funds to Dr. LaMonda, the plea agreement says.
Dr. LaMonda admitted causing total losses of $537,322 to Medicare and Missouri Medicaid.
At sentencing, Dr. LaMonda could face up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI and the Missouri’s Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric is prosecuting the case.
Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for Cape Girardeau County Gun Store BurglaryRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced Chayce Harrell, 21, of Cairo, Illinois, to 42 months in federal prison for his role in a 2020 gun store burglary in Cape Girardeau County and ordered him to pay $1,700 in restitution.
Harrell pleaded guilty in December in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to the offense of aiding and abetting the theft of firearms from a federally licensed dealer. According to the plea agreement, Harrell and two accomplices broke into a business in Cape Girardeau County known as JSE Surplus in the early morning hours of August 7, 2020. After forcing entry into the building, the group began gathering multiple firearms from the inventory to steal. Unfortunately for the burglars, however, the owner of the business was staying upstairs to keep watch on the property due to several recent reports of gun store burglaries in the area. The owner quickly went downstairs and opened fire at the burglars with a shotgun. The three accomplices escaped unharmed, but dropped all but two firearms as they scrambled out the door.According to court documents, Harrell was identified as a suspect nearly two years later as part of an ongoing investigation. Harrell co-defendant Senque S. Bingham has also been charged. 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. Court documents further reflect that the third accomplice has been identified as a juvenile.
This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester is prosecuting the case. As in all criminal cases, co-defendant Senque Bingham is presumed to be innocent unless and until his guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
St. Louis Man Admits Assaulting Deputy U.S. Marshals, Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Monday admitted assaulting two deputy U.S. marshals in 2021 and selling methamphetamine.
Emilio Justin Sandoval, 34, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of assaulting an officer of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Sandoval’s drug sales in December 2019 and learned that he was storing and selling methamphetamine by the ounce out of his home in the 4400 block of Dewey Avenue in St. Louis. Sandoval sold two ounces of methamphetamine on Oct. 20, 2020 for $1,000, which led to a consensual search of his home and the discovery of five baggies containing a total of 545 grams of methamphetamine as well as three guns and $11,234 in a safe.
After Sandoval was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Aug. 25, 2021, the U.S. Marshals were tasked with arresting him. On Nov. 10, 2021, they found him at his home. While the marshals were watching, Sandoval and his significant other ran to a vehicle and tried to escape, ramming marshals’ vehicles multiple times and injuring two of the deputy marshals. One suffered serious injuries to his left knee, left elbow and left hand. The other was struck by the open passenger door, knocked down and dragged by Sandoval’s vehicle. She suffered serious, permanent and life-threatening injuries to her head, neck and spine.
As part of the plea, both sides have agreed to recommend a sentence of 27 years in federal prison. Sandoval is scheduled to be sentenced June 27.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case.
St. Louis County Tax Preparer Indicted, Accused of Falsifying Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A tax preparer from St. Louis County has been indicted by a federal grand jury and accused of falsifying 11 tax returns from 2018 to 2021 by adding a total of $252,577 in fraudulent deductions.
Elisa Y. Brown, 57, was indicted February 22 on 11 counts of assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. The indictment says she falsely represented that the taxpayers were entitled to deductions for items including medical and dental expenses, gifts and unreimbursed employee expenses.
Each charge carries a penalty of up to three years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
“This indictment serves as a reminder to choose a return preparer carefully, said IRS – Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas Murdock of the St. Louis Field Office. “While dishonest return preparers use a number of ways to cheat the government, it’s still the taxpayer’s responsibility to know what is on their return.”
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by IRS - Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Roy is prosecuting the case.
Nurse at St. Louis County Hospital Sentenced to Four Years of Probation for Fraudulently Obtaining FentanylRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a former nurse at a St. Louis County, Missouri hospital to four years of probation for fraudulently obtaining fentanyl for her own use.
From Jan. 18, 2020 to Feb. 2, 2020, Lindsay J. Maupin, of Cape Girardeau, fraudulently obtained fentanyl from a Pyxis machine for her own use on multiple occasions. Maupin was working at Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis County at the time.
Pharmacy staff flagged Maupin for withdrawing two to three times more fentanyl than her peers, and she tested positive for fentanyl, court documents say.
Maupin, 31, pleaded guilty in October to one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric prosecuted the case.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Montgomery City, Missouri was sentenced Thursday to seven years in prison for possessing child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp ordered the sentence to run consecutive to whatever Austin E. Pearson, 23, receives on a pending state case. Judge Schelp also ordered Pearson to pay $39,500 restitution to the victims that have been identified in the child sexual abuse material he possessed. After his release from prison, Pearson will be on supervised release for life.
Pearson pleaded guilty in November to one felony count of possession of child pornography. He admitted possession of over 60 files containing child pornography in a Google account, 68 videos in his Dropbox account and more than 200 files on his iPhone and hard drives. Among the victims appearing in those files were children who appeared to be toddler-age being sexually assaulted, Pearson’s plea says.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Employee Sentenced to 3+ Years in Prison for Embezzling $339,000 from St. Louis County CompanyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man from Waterloo, Illinois who embezzled $339,844 from his employer to three years and five months in prison and ordered him to repay the money.
Ronald Scott Miller, who was the warehouse and labor supervisor for a small floor covering business in St. Louis County, worked for the company for 25 years. Beginning March 27, 2014, he used several schemes over the next six and one-half years to steal, “again and again and again,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman said in court Thursday.
Miller submitted false timesheets for his partner, who did not work for the company. He then collected his partner’s paycheck and forged his partner’s signature to deposit the money in his own account, his plea agreement says.
Miller falsely inflated the hours worked by his son without his son’s knowledge and did the same for himself by falsely claiming he was working on installation projects.
Miller also submitted fraudulent invoices claiming he’d made purchases at two fake companies and paid himself with company credit cards or caused the company to issue checks to pay the fake invoices.
Finally, Miller altered and inflated receipts for legitimate purchases that he made and then sought reimbursement from his company.
Miller, then 54, pleaded guilty in September to one count of wire fraud.
The FBI and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Woman Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine PossessionRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – April M. Rulo, 47, of Branson, Missouri, was sentenced Tuesday to 8 years in federal prison for the offense of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Rulo appeared for her sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
At a guilty plea hearing last year, Rulo admitted that she was in possession of 95 grams of methamphetamine that she had picked up from her supplier in Springfield, Missouri, and was delivering to Piedmont, Missouri, for distribution to others. On June 22, 2022, a confidential source alerted law enforcement officers that Rulo was bringing several ounces of methamphetamine into Wayne County and would be arriving at a convenience store in Piedmont to deliver the narcotics. A Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force Officer made contact with Rulo, and she consented to a search of the vehicle she was traveling in. Officers located four baggies of methamphetamine packaged for distribution, marijuana, and Hydrocodone pills.
This case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government.
Missouri Man Admits Machine Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU– A man from Pemiscot County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted possessing a machine gun after a shootout in 2022.
Jamaal L. Jackson Jr., 20, of Caruthersville, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. to one count of possession of a machine gun.
On Aug. 23, 2022, the Caruthersville Police Department responded to a shootout between two groups in the city. Jackson admitted being among the group standing on a corner and shooting at a vehicle that was driving past. That group then fled to Jackson’s girlfriend’s house, where police later found a backpack containing Jackson’s identification and a Glock 19 pistol with a drum magazine. The pistol had jammed with 16 rounds left in the magazine, Jackson’s plea agreement says. It also had part of a “Glock switch,” which converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon, attached. Another part of the switch was found at the scene of the shooting.
Jackson was indicted in November.
The charge carries a potential penalty of up to ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
The Caruthersville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.
Butler County Man Sentenced to Serve 10 Years in Federal Prison on Methamphetamine, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - Jaleel D. Gipson, 31, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison for the offenses of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Gipson appeared for his sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
At a guilty plea hearing last year, Gipson admitted that following a traffic stop and vehicle search on June 11, 2022 in Ripley County, Missouri, a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol found 233 grams of methamphetamine, 126 grams of marijuana and two 9mm semi-automatic pistols. Gipson further admitted that the firearms, fully loaded with ammunition, were for the protection of the narcotics that he intended to distribute to others. After serving his sentence in the Bureau of Prisons, Gipson will be on supervised release for a period of four years.
This case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government.
East St. Louis Man Accused of Selling Machine Guns, Fentanyl in St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from East St. Louis, Illinois was arrested Tuesday after having been indicted on machine gun and drug charges.
Anton Bolden, 28, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on March 1 and appeared in court Tuesday. He is facing four felonies: possession of a machine gun, possession with the intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
The indictment accuses Bolden of possessing and transferring a machine gun on February 3, the same day he’s accused of the drug and gun crimes.
A motion seeking to have Bolden held in jail until trial says the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives learned in January that Bolden was selling Glock pistols that had been modified to be fully automatic via an aftermarket conversion device, also known as a “Glock switch.” An undercover ATF special agent bought a switch-equipped Glock in St. Louis for $1,400, as well as more than five grams of fentanyl.
In court Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin said 12 firearms were found after Bolden’s arrest, including eight Glock pistols. One of the pistols was equipped with a switch, and three other switches were found that were not installed, Martin said. Glock switches are considered machine guns under federal law, even if not installed in a firearm.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Louis Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 5+ Years for $777,000 Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday sentenced a man from St. Louis County, Missouri who submitted nearly $980,000 in fraudulent applications to a pandemic relief loan program to five years and 5 months in prison.
Terrell Alexander, 46, received $777,400 in loans, but more than $200,000 has been recovered. Judge Ross ordered Alexander to repay the $511,600 remaining.
Alexander admitted submitting 10 fraudulent applications to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans and advances from the Small Business Administration. The applications contained fraudulent information about the size and ownership of the businesses, the number of employees and revenue. Some of the businesses existed but others were fictional or inactive. Alexander used Social Security numbers belonging to others on applications, including one belonging to a child. He also used a fake name and fraudulent driver’s license on other applications and real people’s names and information, sometimes with their knowledge.
The money was supposed to go businesses that had been negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“You weren’t just stealing from the government,” Ross told Alexander in court Friday. “You were stealing from people who needed this money and didn’t get it because there wasn’t enough.”
Alexander pleaded guilty in November to ten counts of wire fraud, five counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of unlawful transfer of an identification document and one count of theft of government property.
“Terrell Alexander misused and fabricated Social Security numbers to defraud CARES Act benefit programs,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “He fraudulently obtained over $770,000 from programs intended to assist businesses and individuals facing economic disadvantages due to the pandemic. This sentence holds him accountable for these egregious acts. My office will continue our work with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice. I want to thank the FBI, SBA-OIG for their work in this joint investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke for prosecuting the case.”
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke is prosecuting the case.
St. Charles County Man Accused of Defrauding Vehicle BuyersRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Peters, Missouri has been indicted and accused of selling the same vehicle multiple times online and defrauding other vehicle owners in a scheme that allegedly cost victims at least $300,000.
Ronald Johnson, 55, was indicted February 15 on two felony counts of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud. He pleaded not guilty February 24 and appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Friday at a hearing that could determine if he is jailed until trial.
The indictment says Johnson owned a car restoration business known as Full Out Customs LLC, and from December 2021 to December 2022 sold a 2002 Ford Excursion to multiple people via social media, including Facebook. He also received payment from people who were seeking repairs on vehicles, but never did the work, the indictment says.
Johnson ordered equipment to repair vehicles but never paid, or post-dated checks drawn on closed accounts or accounts with insufficient funds, the indictment says. He also falsified car titles, emails and other documents to further his scheme, it says.
The indictment says Johnson used victims’ money to take vacations with his girlfriend and to fuel a gambling habit.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Dowd III is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Lawyer Admits Faking Legal Documents for at Least 30 ClientsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A lawyer from St. Louis, Missouri on Thursday admitted faking legal documents and forging judges’ signatures in cases involving at least 30 clients.
Andrew Gavin Wynne, 35, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to five felony counts of identity theft.
Wynne admitted that while representing at least 30 clients, he created fictitious documents with forged signatures of judicial officers in St. Louis and St. Louis and St. Charles counties. Included among those were bogus court orders, judgments and emails authored by at least ten separate judges, Wynne’s plea agreement says, some of which purportedly awarded money to his clients.
In one example in the plea agreement, Wynne sent an email to a client on Feb. 28, 2020 that included a fictitious judgment and decree of dissolution with a forged judge’s signature. That divorce decree said Wynne’s client's marriage was dissolved and the parties would have joint legal and physical custody of the minor children. The decree also said the client was owed $900 per month child support, $5,000, a vehicle and other assets.
On July 21, 2020, Wynne emailed another client an order with a forged judge’s signature that claimed $20,200 in payments were owed to that client.
On both occasions, Wynne told his clients not to discuss the documents that he’d sent.
Wynne admitted that his crimes caused a loss of between $250,000 and $550,000.
On Oct. 27, 2021, the Missouri Supreme Court suspended Wynne’s law license after the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel said there was probable cause to believe he posed “a substantial threat of irreparable harm to the public” due to misconduct. He was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Feb. 9, 2022.
Wynne is scheduled to be sentenced June 1. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 million fine or both.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek Wiseman and Kyle Bateman are prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Gets 8+ Years on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri who served as an administrator in an online meeting room where child sex abuse material was traded was sentenced Thursday to eight years and one month in prison.
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp also ordered Michael Morales, 49, of Manchester, to pay $38,000 in restitution to victims who appeared in the pictures and videos.
Morales pleaded guilty in November to two felonies: receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He admitted that he served as an administrator in a meeting room on the Kik social media app known for trading child sexual abuse material, and posted pictures and videos there in 2020. He also admitted possessing pictures and videos containing those materials on his cellphone.
The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang 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.
Reality Show Star Sentenced to Life in Prison for Arranging Nephew’s MurderRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former reality show star was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for arranging the murder of his nephew in St. Louis, Missouri in 2016 for money.
James Timothy Norman, 43, was found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court in September of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Andre Montgomery Jr. on March 14, 2016.
Norman and Montgomery appeared on the reality show Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s. Norman took out a life insurance policy worth $450,000 on Montgomery, then arranged through intermediaries for his nephew’s murder at 3964 Natural Bridge Avenue in St. Louis.
“Tim Norman sought to make $450,000 by having his nephew, Andre Montgomery, killed. Instead, he was caught and will spend the rest of his life in prison. Although Andre’s family was robbed of their loved one, hopefully this result will provide some measure of peace and justice for them,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming.
“Tim Norman portrayed one image to the public, but there were more sinister intentions lurking underneath,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Angie Danis during Thursday’s sentencing hearing. “And the measure of someone’s character is what they do when they think no one is watching. When he thought no one was watching, he planned the execution of his nephew and carried it out.”
“Five families, especially that of the victim, are suffering and irreparably harmed as a result of Norman’s plot to have his own nephew murdered,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “At least all his co-conspirators have accepted responsibility. To this day, Norman hasn’t accepted responsibility despite the fact 12 jurors unanimously convicted him after seeing and hearing seven days of evidence in trial.”
U.S. District Judge John A. Ross sentenced the shooter, Travell Anthony Hill, of St. Louis, to 32 years in prison in October. Hill now 31, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of murder-for-hire and admitted fatally shooting Montgomery with a .380-caliber handgun after being told of his location by a woman who knew both Montgomery and Norman. Hill was later paid $5,000.
The woman, Terica Taneisha Ellis, now 39, from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced to three years in prison in January. Ellis pleaded guilty to the murder-for-hire conspiracy charge and admitted that Norman paid her $10,000 to find Montgomery and pass on his location. Ellis admitted knowing Norman was going to take some form of action, but she did not know Montgomery would be shot.
A fourth person, insurance agent Waiel “Wally” Rebhi Yaghnam, was sentenced to three years in prison in November. Yaghnam pleaded guilty to a charge of wire and mail fraud conspiracy and admitted fraudulently helping Norman apply for multiple insurance policies beginning in October 2014. Yaghnam then helped Norman file a claim on Montgomery’s life insurance policy after Montgomery’s death.
The FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angie Danis and Gwendolyn Carroll are prosecuting the case.
Man Admits Methamphetamine Sales, Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man arrested at a St. Charles County motel with an assault rifle and a ballistic vest labeled “Police” pleaded guilty to drug and gun charges Thursday.
Brett A. Stone, 42, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel to two counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On July 7, 2020 members of the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force learned that Stone was selling drugs at a St. Charles County motel and had a gun. Investigators conducted surveillance and saw Stone walking around the outside of the hotel, carrying an assault-type weapon and wearing a ballistic vest with the words “Police” on the back, Stone’s plea agreement says.
The investigators then detained someone who left Stone’s hotel room and found about 12 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a firearm.
Stone was taken into custody outside his hotel room, and a woman who told authorities she was there to buy methamphetamine was arrested inside the room. A court-authorized search of that room found a stolen AR-15 rifle, a shotgun, a muzzle loader pistol, the ballistic vest, ammunition, a money counter, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Stone was released while charges were being sought.
On Oct. 13, 2020 a confidential informant bought $300 worth of methamphetamine from Stone.
Stone is scheduled to be sentenced June 1. The methamphetamine charges each carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both. The gun charge carries a penalty of at least five years in prison.
The St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Realty Company Employee Admits $487,000 FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – An employee of a St. Louis County realty company on Tuesday admitted embezzling $487,000 from her employer.
Crystal Hendrix, 49, of Festus, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig to three counts of wire fraud. Hendrix admitted to hatching a scheme to defraud her former employer, a real estate company.
Hendrix handled payroll as part of her duties and had access to the company bank accounts. From about Jan. 8, 2018 to Dec. 9, 2020, Hendrix sent over 140 payments from the company bank account to her own bank account, totaling approximately $483,037. Hendrix used the money at restaurants and to buy a vehicle, her plea agreement says.
As part of her guilty plea, Hendrix agreed to forfeit money and property equal to the amount of her fraud. At her sentencing, set for June 1, she will be ordered to repay the money.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Dowd III is prosecuting the case.
Illinois Woman Admits Stealing $439,000 from BankRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former bank branch manager from Morrisonville, Illinois admitted on Wednesday that she’d embezzled about $439,000 from her employer.
Samantha J. Cherry, 35, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to one felony count of theft or embezzlement by a bank officer.
Cherry admitted that between Jan. 1, 2021 and March 18, 2022, while a manager at a UMB Bank branch in St. Louis, she took cash directly from the vault and moved currency from other cash supplies into her cash drawer totals.
On March 18, 2022, Cherry told co-workers that she stole the money and gave it to her boyfriend, who she said had recently passed away.
Cherry is scheduled to be sentenced June 6. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both, and she will be ordered to repay the money.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Roy is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Accused of Producing Child Sexual Abuse Materials with Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri has been charged by complaint in U.S. District Court with production of child pornography and accused of making and disseminating videos involving multiple victims.
Tracy Jenkins, 57, was charged Friday and appeared in court Monday. Charging documents say the local office of the FBI received information Thursday that FBI headquarters had potentially identified and located one of the victims in a series of videos containing child sexual abuse material that had been circulating online. Investigators verified the identity of that victim and conducted interviews that led to the identification of four other minors who were also subjected to years of sexual abuse by Jenkins that Jenkins recorded, the charging documents say.
A court-approved search of Jenkins’ home located a hard drive that contained well over 100 videos that matched those circulating online and containing recordings of the abuse of the identified minors as well as others who have not yet been identified, the charging documents say.
The complaint says Jenkins has a prior conviction for misdemeanor sexual misconduct in a 1997 case in St. Louis Circuit Court.
“The FBI has been continuously working to identify these victims since 2017 when we first became aware this child sexual abuse material,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “In fact, the FBI initiative called 'Operation Rescue Me' has identified more than 600 child victims like these since 2008 using technology and painstaking investigative work.”
“The FBI worked tirelessly to identify and rescue the minors whose abuse was depicted in videos circulating online,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming.
The production of child pornography charge is punishable by 15 to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 or both.
Charges set forth in a criminal complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Burglarizing Missouri Ranger Station and Stealing National Park Service TruckRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced a man who broke into a Shannon County, Missouri ranger station in 2021 and stole a National Park Service pickup to 37 months in prison, which will run consecutive to a probation violation in a state gun case.
Marvin R. “Mark” Remster, 40, was also ordered to pay more than $17,000 in restitution.
Remster admitted in a November guilty plea that he broke into the Round Spring Ranger Station in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways national park. Remster also admitted stealing a Chevrolet Silverado pickup owned by the National Park Service.
The burglary and theft were discovered on the night of Dec. 26, 2021, when law enforcement officials were notified that the ranger station was on fire.
Remster, who was being sought on unrelated warrants, was spotted near a truck outside a home in Crawford County on Jan. 4, 2022. He was arrested after a brief foot chase, and admitted possessing a 20-gauge shotgun that had been found in the truck. He also admitted breaking into the ranger station through a window and looking for items to steal. Remster found the truck keys, stole the truck and then drove it to an acquaintance’s garage.
Remster, of Crawford County, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau November 21, 2022 to charges of burglary, theft of government property and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The National Park Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Nonprofit Admits False Statements About Care of Foster Youth, Agrees to Pay $1.8 MillionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Missouri-based nonprofit behavioral health provider has admitted making criminal false statements in claims for services not provided to foster youth and agreed to a series of compliance measures, federal and state officials announced Friday.
In a separate civil settlement, Great Circle of Webster Groves, Missouri agreed to pay $1,866,000, consisting of $933,000 in restitution that was doubled under the False Claims Act.
“In this non-prosecution agreement, Great Circle admits falsely claiming to have provided enhanced supervision to youth at its residential treatment facility in claims for payment to the State of Missouri,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Reiter, who is leading the team that worked on the case. “A cascade of issues can arise from inadequate supervision, particularly for children with such intensive need for treatment and assistance.”“These agreements hold Great Circle accountable by requiring it to admit false billing and pay a civil false claims settlement, without jeopardizing continued access to residential treatment services for children in Missouri’s foster care program,” Reiter said.
The non-prosecution agreement (NPA) was entered into for, among other reasons, the nonprofit’s past and continuing cooperation, the lack of a prior criminal history and the $1.8 million civil settlement agreement. A major consideration was also the fact that the nonprofit has been providing behavioral health services to children with special needs in the custody of the Missouri Department of Social Services, Children’s Division, and a criminal conviction resulting in exclusion from federal programs could jeopardize that and thus cause hardship to innocent third parties.
The multi-year investigation and these agreements are the result of a coordinated effort among the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Missouri Department of Social Services, the FBI, the Webster Groves Police Department and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department.
“Great Circle falsely submitted bills for services it did not provide but were needed by the children,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Prioritizing profit over safety can put already vulnerable children in peril.”
“To obtain ill-gotten gains, Great Circle knowingly submitted false claims related to services that are intended to benefit children,” stated Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “We commend the efforts of our agents and law enforcement partners to hold Great Circle accountable and safeguard the integrity of our federal programs that support health and human services.”
“I’m committed to enforcing the law as written, and that involves ensuring that anyone who defrauds the state is held accountable,” said Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. “I’m proud of the collaboration between this office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and our law enforcement partners to obtain restitution for the state, and we will continue to ensure that those who cheat the state are brought to justice.”
“Following a multi-year investigation of Great Circle related to allegations of abuse of child health care recipients, allegations of failure to report abuse and Medicaid fraud, we are pleased with the results,” said Lt. Jillian McCoy of the Webster Groves Police Department. “The ultimate goal of serving and protecting vulnerable youth was obtained by cooperative efforts with federal agencies through the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“Our goal is to ensure every child across the state lives in a safe, nurturing environment that will ultimately help them thrive,” said Robert Knodell, acting director for the Missouri Department of Social Services. “The Department of Social Services is pleased to assist in holding Great Circle accountable for its actions without further jeopardizing the care of some of Missouri’s most vulnerable youth. We are sending a strong message regarding the care we expect our children to receive, and we will continue to do whatever it takes to help ensure the safety and well-being of Missouri’s children.”
As part of the agreement, Great Circle admitted falsely claiming to have provided services for six residents between 2019 and 2020. Great Circle is licensed to provide “intensive residential treatment” services to children, also known as Level IV services, and defined as providing a “highly structured and secure environment designed to: (a) prevent emotionally disturbed youth from runaway behavior; (b) address the likelihood of rage and physical aggression by the residents; and (c) minimize the likelihood of youth injuring themselves or others.”
On multiple occasions, Great Circle falsely claimed to have provided services above Level IV, including increased ratios of staff to residents and other enhanced services.
The company agreed to cooperate with the government in any additional health care fraud investigation and to promptly report any credible evidence or allegations of conduct violating U.S. law to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Great Circle also has agreed to implement a compliance and ethics program designed to prevent and detect violations of federal fraud and related statutes and adopt new or modify existing internal controls, compliance code and policies and procedures where necessary. Officers, directors and senior management will have to “provide strong, explicit, and visible support and commitment” to the corporate policy against violations of relevant laws.
Great Circle has locations throughout Missouri and in Kansas. KVC Missouri has announced it will take over Great Circle April 1.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Reiter, Suzanne Moore and Gwendolyn Carroll handled the case.
great_circle_fully_executed_civil_settlement_agreement.pdfSt. Louis Man Indicted on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri accused of involvement in a convenience store shootout was indicted Wednesday on drug and gun charges.
Kennis Body, 25, was indicted on a drug conspiracy count, one count of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession of one or more firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
A criminal complaint and a motion seeking to have Body held in jail until trial accuse him of wielding an AR-15-style rifle during a shootout inside a St. Louis convenience store on January 9. After an altercation, people inside the store drew handguns and appeared to fire them out of the store. Body then walked in with the rifle and fired multiple rounds into the store, the complaint and detention motion say.
During Body’s January 31 arrest, police, U.S. Marshals and Drug Enforcement Administration agents found the loaded AR-style rifle and about 670 capsules containing suspected fentanyl, the motions say. Body was on probation at the time of the arrest and the shooting.
The drug charges each carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both. The firearm charge carries a sentence of five years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ogden is prosecuting the case.
Pair Accused of Two St. Louis CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man and a woman have been indicted and accused of two armed carjackings in St. Louis, Missouri last May.
Jermanine Smith, 48, of St. Louis, and Bianka North, 27, of Illinois, were each indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on two counts of carjacking and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The indictment accuses them of stealing a 2006 Pontiac G6 at gunpoint on May 14, 2022 and a 2009 Toyota Scion the next day.
A criminal complaint filed February 16 says the pair feigned vehicle problems in North Riverfront Park in St. Louis to lure the owner of the G6 out of the car. A female carjacker then pointed a gun at the victim and stole the car.
The Scion was carjacked in the 1600 block of South 9th Street in St. Louis just after midnight on May 15. The criminal complaint says the G6 was used in the carjacking, the Scion was taken to Smith’s block and Smith tried to use Cash App on the Scion victim’s mobile phone to transfer money to himself.
Surveillance video at an apartment complex showed someone matching Smith’s description accessing the Scion and the G6, the complaint says.
The carjacking charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum of 7 years in prison consecutive to any other charge.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming Announces New Voluntary Self-Disclosure PolicyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri has implemented the new United States Attorney’s Offices’ Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy released earlier today. The policy, which is effective immediately, details the circumstances under which a company will be considered to have made a voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) of misconduct to a United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), and provides transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the concrete benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate and timely and appropriately remediate.
The goal of the policy is to standardize how VSDs are defined and credited by USAOs nationwide, and to incentivize companies to maintain effective compliance programs capable of identifying misconduct, to expeditiously and voluntarily disclose and remediate misconduct, and to cooperate fully with the government in corporate criminal investigations. The policy was developed pursuant to the Deputy Attorney General’s September 15, 2022 memorandum, “Further Revisions to Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies Following Discussions with Corporate Crime Advisory Group” (Monaco Memo), which directed each Department of Justice (DOJ) component that prosecutes corporate crime to review its policies on corporate voluntary self-disclosure and, if there was no formal written policy to incentivize self-disclosure, draft and publicly share such a policy.
Under the new VSD policy, a company is considered to have made a VSD if it becomes aware of misconduct by employees or agents before that misconduct is publicly reported or otherwise known to the DOJ, and discloses all relevant facts known to the company about the misconduct to a USAO in a timely fashion prior to an imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation. A company that voluntarily self-discloses as defined in the policy and fully meets the other requirements of the policy, by—in the absence of any aggravating factor—fully cooperating and timely and appropriately remediating the criminal conduct (including agreeing to pay all disgorgement, forfeiture, and restitution resulting from the misconduct), will receive significant benefits, including that the USAO will not seek a guilty plea; may choose not to impose any criminal penalty, and in any event will not impose a criminal penalty that is greater than 50% below the low end of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG) fine range; and will not seek the imposition of an independent compliance monitor if the company demonstrates that it has implemented and tested an effective compliance program.
The policy identifies three aggravating factors that may warrant a USAO seeking a guilty plea even if the other requirements of the VSD policy are met: (1) if the misconduct poses a grave threat to national security, public health, or the environment; (2) if the misconduct is deeply pervasive throughout the company; or (3) if the misconduct involved current executive management of the company. The presence of an aggravating factor does not necessarily mean that a guilty plea will be required; instead, the USAO will assess the relevant facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate resolution. If a guilty plea is ultimately required, the company will still receive the other benefits under the VSD policy, including that the USAO will recommend a criminal penalty of at least a 50% and up to a 75% reduction off the low end of the USSG fine range, and that the USAO will not require the appointment of a monitor if the company has implemented and tested an effective compliance program.
In cases where a company is being jointly prosecuted by a USAO and another DOJ component, or where the misconduct reported by the company falls within the scope of conduct covered by VSD policies administered by other DOJ components, the USAO will coordinate with, or, if necessary, obtain approval from, the DOJ component responsible for the VSD policy specific to the reported misconduct when considering a potential resolution. Consistent with relevant provisions of the Justice Manual and as allowable under alternate VSD policies, the USAO may choose to apply any provision of an alternate VSD policy in addition to, or in place of, any provision of its policy.
The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams, requested that the White Collar Fraud Subcommittee of the AGAC, under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, develop policies in response to the Deputy AG’s memo. The policy announced today was prepared by a Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policy Working Group comprised of U.S. Attorneys from geographically diverse districts, including U.S. Attorney Peace, as well as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica Aber, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Clare Connors, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Stephanie Hinds, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Christopher Kavanaugh, and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip Sellinger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Riedel, White Collar Crimes Coordinator for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, also participated in the development of the policy.
University City Man Admits Missouri Medicaid, Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from University City, Missouri on Tuesday admitted fraudulently obtaining a $135,000 pandemic loan and defrauding the Missouri Medicaid program.
Deandre D. Horne, 32, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah. E. Pitlyk to one count of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud.
Between July 6, 2017 and March 18, 2021, Horne, owner of Serenity Home Health Care CDS, fraudulently billed Missouri Medicaid for services that were not supported by valid timesheets or electronic visit verification (EVV) documents. EVV is a system in which personal care attendants electronically clock in and out by phone. Horne also created false EVV documentation to support bills, Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Reiter said during Tuesday’s plea hearing.
Horne admitted falsely claiming to be the personal care attendant for multiple Missouri Medicaid beneficiaries and billing for times when he was traveling elsewhere in the country or to foreign locations.
At sentencing, prosecutors will argue that the Missouri Medicaid program lost between $550,000 and $1.5 million due to Horne’s fraud.
In the other scheme, on July 15, 2020, Horne applied for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, which was intended to help small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Horne falsely claimed to be the sole owner of Budget Towing & Recovery LLC, inflated the number of employees and falsely claimed a monthly payroll of $40,000. He also falsely claimed that the money would be used to retain workers or pay business expenses. Horne received a $135,707 loan.
Horne is scheduled to be sentenced May 22. The health care fraud charge carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both and the wire fraud charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. Horne will also be ordered to repay the money.
The case was investigated by the Missouri Attorney General’s office, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Reiter is prosecuting the case.
Two from St. Louis Area Accused of Nearly $500,000 Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two people from the St. Louis, Missouri area have been indicted and accused of fraudulently obtaining nearly $500,000 in pandemic business loans.
Pamela S. Hubbard, 45, of St. Louis, and Irwin Coats, 43, of Florissant, were each indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They each appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The indictment says that during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hubbard and Coats hatched a scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program loans that were intended to help struggling small businesses. The pair planned to use the money to open a “Wing Strip” restaurant in Florissant, the indictment says.
On May 8, 2020, Coats applied for a $53,125 loan in the name of Abounding Protection LLC, a company he set up in 2007. Coats falsely claimed that the company had 12 employees and an average monthly payroll of $21,250 when there were no employees, wages, company operations or revenue, the indictment says.
On June 11, 2020, Hubbard electronically submitted a PPP loan application for Star Shyne LLC, a company she helped set up in 2019. She made false claims about employees and payroll, and submitted fake business, tax and lease paperwork and an altered check to bolster her claim, the indictment says. She eventually received $371,245.
On March 5, 2021, Coats submitted another application for Abounding Protection, seeking and receiving $24,166 with more false claims, the indictment says.
Hubbard and Coats used the money to construct the Wing Strip and for improvements on a condominium in Florissant, the indictment says.
The indictment seeks the forfeiture of any assets linked to the fraud, including money from the sale of the condominium.
The conspiracy charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
Charges set forth in a criminal complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
To report suspected pandemic fraud, go to the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud or call the Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721.
Man Stopped on Interstate 70 Admits Transporting 10 Undocumented ImmigrantsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Mexico pleaded guilty to 11 federal charges Tuesday and admitted that he was caught on Interstate 70 in St. Peters while transporting 10 undocumented immigrants.
Francisco Ibarra-Hernandez, 36, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel to one count of illegal reentry of an alien and 10 counts of transporting illegal aliens.
Ibarra-Hernandez admitted knowingly transporting the undocumented immigrants to work in the construction industry, or recklessly disregarding the fact that the men were in the country illegally.
The 2011 Toyota Sienna overloaded with 11 people was headed east on Interstate 70 on August 24 when it was stopped by officers with the St. Peters Police Department for a traffic violation.
Ibarra-Hernandez told officers that he was taking the men to Ohio to work, and that he was paid to take Illegal immigrants from Phoenix to job sites around the country, the plea agreement says.
The passengers admitted illegally crossing the border in various locations in Arizona over the prior month.
At sentencing, both sides have agreed to recommend a sentence of a year and a day in prison for Ibarra-Hernandez. He will then be deported. He was removed from the country more than 15 years ago, when he was using another name.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Peters Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake is prosecuting the case.
Man Shot While Robbing St. Louis Market Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a man who was shot while robbing a St. Louis market to 15 years in prison.
John L. Smith, 43, of Florissant, pleaded guilty in November to a robbery charge and a charge of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted entering the market in the 4500 block of Athlone Avenue on Aug. 19, 2020 and pulling a small black pistol before demanding, “Give me all you got!”
Smith threatened to kill one employee if he didn’t move faster to the register. Another employee retrieved a handgun and shot Smith. Smith fled the store with $30, but left his phone and his DNA behind. Police and the FBI found a black Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic pistol in a court-authorized search of his home.
Judge Autrey ordered the 15-year sentence to run consecutive to any sentence he receives for violating his probation in a 2002 robbery case and a 2003 robbery case in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted the case.
Cape Girardeau Man Admits Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man from Cape Girardeau, Missouri on Tuesday admitted being caught with a fully automatic Glock pistol during a traffic stop in October.
Kaydence K. Robertson, 21, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp to one count of possession of a machine gun. Robertson admitted that he was inside a speeding vehicle that was pulled over by the Cape Girardeau Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 23, 2022. A deputy found a .45-caliber Glock pistol modified with an illegal 3D-printed “switch” to make it fully automatic. The deputy also found marijuana, suspected crack cocaine, oxycodone and a 9mm Glock pistol, Robertson’s plea says.
Glock switches, sometimes referred to as “auto sears,” are considered machine guns under federal law, even if not installed in a firearm.
Robertson is scheduled to be sentenced May 15. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
The case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.
Two Indicted After Drug Shipment Intercepted on Interstate 44 in St. Louis CountyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Texas and a woman from St. Louis, Missouri were indicted Wednesday on drug conspiracy charges after multiple kilograms of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine were found during a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in St. Louis County.
Francisco Manuel Mata-Martinez, 41, of El Paso, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The grand jury indicted Maricela Vazquez-Vargas, 38, on the conspiracy charge and a charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On February 6, Mata-Martinez was identified as a possible courier of narcotics and stopped on Interstate 44 in St. Louis County, according to a criminal complaint filed prior to the indictment. After a narcotics detection dog alerted to the vehicle, officers found a duffel bag with seven packages containing a total of 8.5 kilograms of suspected fentanyl, 40 packages containing 25.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine and 1.2 kilos of suspected ketamine, the affidavit says.
DEA agents and police watched as a St. Louis woman, Vazquez-Vargas, then arrived in the 4200 block of Delor Street in St. Louis to meet the drug delivery, the affidavit says.
A kilogram of suspected cocaine was later found in her home, the affidavit says.
Both are scheduled to be in court on February 23.
The conspiracy charge and the charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl carry a penalty of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, or both. The other charges are punishable by five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, or both.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Louis County Police Department and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dane Rennier is prosecuting the case.
Three Illinois Men Admit 2020 St. Louis CarjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three men from Illinois pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges and admitted carjacking a St. Louis, Missouri woman in front of her house in 2020.
Lamont Carter, 28, of East St. Louis, Jerray Jackson, 25, of Washington Park, and Montez Wicks, 27, of East St. Louis, each pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
They admitted that on June 1, 2020 a woman preparing to leave for work was getting into her 2013 Ford Explorer. A black Audi pulled up and two men got out, pointed guns at her and ordered her out of her SUV. The two men stole the Ford while the third man followed in the Audi.
Four days later, the Audi was spotted by Richmond Heights police in a caravan of vehicles near the Galleria Mall. Police followed the Audi into St. Louis, where it crashed near Forest Park Community College. Carter, Jackson and Wicks ran but were eventually caught by officers with the Clayton Police Department. They left a Ruger 9mm pistol and a stolen Glock .40-caliber pistol behind in the Audi.
The Ford’s owner identified all three men as the carjackers, their plea agreements say.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Richmond Heights Police Department, the Clayton Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce is prosecuting the case.
Woman Who Lied About Romance Scam Sentenced to 2 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E, Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a woman from Ohio who lied to U.S. Postal Inspectors to conceal her involvement with romance scammers to two years in prison.
On April 29, 2020, U.S. Postal Inspectors found $50,000 that had fallen from an Express Mail package sent by Linda Matson, now 62, of Xenia, Ohio to a post office box being used in a romance fraud scheme. They later found a second package containing the same amount.
The inspectors reached out to Matson, who acknowledged that she had been scammed by someone claiming to be a lieutenant general in the U.S. Army. On May 10, 2020, three days after admitting she had been duped in that romance scam, Matson began inducing her relatives to send her money on behalf of her fictitious military officer. In an effort to conceal her continued involvement in the romance fraud scam and to expedite the return of the seized funds, on May 18, 2020 she sent multiple text messages to a postal inspector falsely claiming that she needed the money to buy posters and T-shirts to help find her missing 18-year-old niece. Matson also sent links to news articles and Facebook stories about a missing Ohio teenager to deceive the inspector into acting quickly.
Believing Matson’s statements to be true, between June 1, 2020 and August 3, 2020 relatives gave Matson $590,000 that was to be used to help the fictitious military officer obtain an imaginary portfolio containing cash and diamonds valued at $20,000,000. Instead of providing the funds to the United States Customs Service as she promised, Matson mailed the money to post office boxes controlled by the romance scammers.
Matson pleaded guilty in August to a charge of making false statements to a federal agent and admitted she intended to use the money for reasons she was concealing from the postal inspector. She also admitted lying to the inspector and the FBI.
In a related case, Bonmene Sibe and Ovuoke Frank Ofikoro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a mail fraud and wire fraud scheme that used the same false claims about military officers to deceive women into mailing $844,070 to post office boxes in St. Louis. Judge Pitlyk sentenced Sibe, 43, to five years and three months in prison in May and Ofikoro, 43, to four years and two months in prison in June. Both men were also ordered to repay their victims.
The U.S. Postal Inspection service and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
St. Charles County Man Who Hid Camera in Bathroom Sentenced to 16 ½ Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a St. Charles County, Missouri man who received and distributed child pornography via social media and placed a hidden camera in a bathroom to record nude minors to 16 and one-half years in federal prison.
Scott A. Falkner, 38, will also have to pay $21,000 to victims depicted in the child sexual exploitation material.
A search of the Walker's home on March 21, 2021 led to the discovery of 423 images and 91 videos containing child sexual abuse material on his cellphone, all but five of which Falkner had downloaded. Falkner admitted creating those five videos by secretly recording girls ranging in age from 10 to 17 in his bathroom.
The investigation was triggered when Falkner sent six files containing child pornography via Kik Messenger, leading to a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Falkner pleaded guilty in January to a felony charge of receiving child pornography.
“We are proud to have such strong law enforcement partnerships to be able to bring child predators like Scott Falkner to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Unfortunately, exploitation of children is so despicably prolific, the FBI relies on task forces where local law enforcement officers are deputized as special federal officers to help address such crimes.”
The case was investigated by the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force and Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children in partnership with the FBI St. Louis Child Exploitation Task Force. 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.
Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Drug-Linked St. Louis MurderRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Wednesday sentenced a man from St. Louis, Missouri who participated in a 2017 murder on behalf of a drug gang to 18 years in prison.
Tremayne Silas, 30, was one of four men who fired more than 100 rounds at Alexander Noodel on May 8, 2017 in an attempt to claim a bounty for his death. Maurice Herbert Lee II, 34, a dealer of fentanyl and crystal methamphetamine, had placed the bounty of between $5,000 to $15,000 on rival gang members, Silas’ plea agreement says.
Silas and Christopher Jerrin Warlick Jr., now 27, Jerome Lamont Fisher Jr., 30, and Charles Dariel Guice, 27, drove to Noodel’s location in two vehicles, jumped out and opened fire, Silas’ plea agreement says. Noodel was struck in the head. His passenger, who returned fire, escaped.
Lee later paid for the killing, Silas’ plea agreement says.
When Silas was arrested by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department on Jan. 24, 2018, he had the rifle he used in the shooting.
Silas pleaded guilty in November to a charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime resulting in death. The other alleged shooters have pleaded not guilty to charges and their cases are still pending.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
Illinois Man Caught with AR-15 in St. Louis Convicted of Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from Belleville, Illinois caught in St. Louis with an AR-15-style rifle after a high-speed chase was convicted Tuesday of a federal gun charge.
Ryan Fleming, 31, was found guilty after a two-day trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 23 and could face up to 10 years in prison.
Early in the morning of Sept. 24, 2021, a Hyundai Sonata being sought by police in Illinois in connection with an alleged assault on a law enforcement officer was spotted and pursued by Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers, according to charging documents. Fleming, who was driving at speeds reaching 100 m.p.h. on Interstate 70, crashed into a concrete barrier while trying to exit in downtown St. Louis. He got out with a Palmetto State Armory PA-15 semi-automatic rifle but dropped it and ran. He was arrested nearby after a foot chase.
Fleming has prior convictions in Illinois including drug possession and two charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The case was investigated by the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.Ballwin Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Supplying Fatal Dose of FentanylRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a man from Ballwin, Missouri who provided the fentanyl that killed a friend and then hid the man’s body to 10 years in prison.
Late in the evening of July 11, 2020 or early the next morning, Quinton O’Bryan Adaway provided several capsules containing fentanyl to a friend. The victim, identified in court documents as “M.C.,” had bought drugs from O’Bryan Adaway in the past or traded drugs with him, and both struggled with drug addiction. O’Bryan Adaway also warned M.C. that the capsules were more potent than the capsules that M.C. had previously used.
M.C. took the fentanyl in his car, overdosed and died. Later that day or the next, O’Bryan Adaway discovered the body and tried to hide it in his backyard by partially covering it. He also removed the SIM card from M.C.’s cellular phone and disposed of the phone.
M.C.’s family and girlfriend began looking for him on July 12. M.C.’s girlfriend contacted O’Bryan Adaway, who denied knowing where he was. The next day, they reported M.C. missing, tracked M.C.’s cell phone to O’Bryan Adaway's house and then contacted the Ballwin Police Department.
Officers found M.C.’s body, the SIM card, two of the victim’s debit cards, drugs and drug paraphernalia in O’Bryan Adaway’s home.
O’Bryan Adaway, 26, pleaded guilty in September to one count of distribution of fentanyl.
The Ballwin Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Sex Offender Admits New Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from St. Louis, Missouri on Monday pleaded guilty to new child pornography charges.
Alimayo R. Darden, 33, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to three felony counts of possession of child pornography. He admitted that on May 11, he tried to hide an item from probation officers who were doing an unannounced home visit in connection to a 2016 child pornography conviction. Probation officers then discovered unauthorized cell phones, USB drives and other electronic equipment that were later determined to contain at least 10 videos containing child pornography.
Darden is scheduled to be sentenced May 16. He faces 10 to 20 years in prison and both sides agreed to recommend a 10-year sentence.
In 2016, Darden pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receiving child pornography and four counts of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison and placed on supervised release for life.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Costantin is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Louis County Sex Offender Admits Online 'Baiting,' Child Pornography PossessionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Monday admitted possessing child pornography and using a fake social media profile to bait people into sending him sexual images and videos.
Christopher D. Gruebbel, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
In 2013, Gruebbel was sentenced to four years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography. After his release from prison, he was placed on supervised release for life.
On multiple occasions in 2021, Gruebbel’s probation officer was unable to find him at his approved residence, later learning that Gruebbel had been evicted and was living with his mother without permission.
Probation officers then discovered that Gruebbel was in possession of multiple electronic devices without permission, including a laptop, a cell phone, an iPad and an iPod,.
An analysis of the devices showed that Gruebbel was using fake social media accounts and posing as a young female named “Hannah” to bait people into sending nude pictures and videos of themselves, his plea agreement says. Gruebbel also participated in chat rooms devoted to “baiting” others into providing sexual images.
A total of 50 images and 14 videos containing child pornography were found on the iPad, as well as 251 images and 117 videos that contained exploitative and/or suspected child pornography on Gruebbel’s electronic devices.
Gruebbel is scheduled to be sentenced in the new case May 16. The possession of child pornography charge to which Gruebbel pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Probation Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Sentenced to 9 Months for Stealing Dozens of Catalytic Converters from Around St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Friday sentenced a man from East St. Louis, Illinois to nine months in prison for stealing 39 catalytic converters from trucks and vans around the St. Louis, Missouri area.
Matthew Jennings, 31, was also ordered to repay $46,001 to victims.
Beginning in December of 2019, Jennings and his co-defendant, D’Ante Carter, stole a total of 39 catalytic converters and tried to steal three more, primarily from pickup trucks and vans parked overnight at landscaping companies, other commercial businesses and an organization that helps those with disabilities.
Carter was the lookout and Jennings used a reciprocating saw to cut away the converters, which contain trace amounts of precious metals. The men then sold the converters to a recycling company in Illinois.
Carter, 38, of Florissant, was sentenced in September to nine months in prison and ordered to repay victims after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods.
Jennings pleaded guilty in November to the same charge.
The FBI and the St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Creve Coeur, Bridgeton, Maryland Heights, O’Fallon, Missouri and Webster Groves police departments investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 26 Years for Double Fatal Shooting During Drug RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a man involved in a triple shooting in 2021 that killed two people to 26 years in prison.
Antaveon Bernard Le'Vell Kent, 22, used Facebook to communicate with his co-defendant, pick the targets and work on the plan to steal and sell their marijuana. When the victims arrived at a meeting spot in the 1100 block of Montgomery Street on March 16, 2021, Kent and his co-defendant opened fire, shooting all three victims, Kent’s plea agreement says.
Kortlin Williams and Johnnie Jones, who were best friends, died. Another man was shot but survived.
Police found 621 grams of marijuana in the victims’ vehicle.
Kent pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to distribute marijuana, attempting to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and two charges of possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime that resulted in the fatal shootings of Williams and Jones.
Demorion Little has pleaded not guilty to drug and gun charges, including a gun charge that accuses him of the fatal shooting of Rocoby Rodgers on Feb. 25, 2021.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police.
St. Clair County Felon Admits Machine Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from Cahokia Heights, Illinois on Thursday admitted being caught with a machine gun at a St. Louis, Missouri hotel.
Henry Miller, 33, pleaded guilty in front of Stephen R. Clark to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machine gun.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers were summoned to the hotel on Dec. 9, 2021 after Miller rented a room using a stranger’s credit card information and a mobile phone app, Miller’s plea says. Later in the day, police found Miller in the lobby with a blue satchel next to him that contained a 9mm Glock pistol that had been modified with a device, sometimes referred to as a Glock “switch,” that converted it into a fully automatic weapon. The Glock had a 29-round extended magazine. A 17-round magazine was also in the satchel. A backpack contained 300 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, $2,889 in cash and another conversion device. The conversion device alone, even if not attached to a weapon, is a machine gun under federal law.
Miller later admitted knowing that the Glock had been modified and admitted testing it to see if it worked.
Miller is scheduled to be sentenced June 8. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.