Eastern District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
St. Louis woman admits $291,000 pandemic loan fraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from St. Louis on Friday admitted fraudulently obtaining a $291,000 loan meant to help businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
Porshia L. Thomas, 31, pleaded guilty to a felony bank fraud charge and admitted that between April and September of 2020, she executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain a Paycheck Protection Program loan.
Thomas registered a company called Couture Trading Inc. in Montana on April 7, 2020. On July 15, 2020, she applied for a PPP loan by making a series of false claims. She claimed the company had a Beverly Hills address, had been in operation for five months, had 15 employees, had an average monthly payroll of $120,000 and that the loan would be used on expenses permitted under the program, including payroll and mortgage, lease and utility payments.
The company had few, if any, employees or payroll expenses.
Thomas also submitted Internal Revenue Service forms listing false information about employees and wages, bogus Wells Fargo bank statements and a fake letter from a Wells Fargo branch manager verifying that Couture Trading had an account.
On Sept. 8, 2020, Couture Trading received $291,600.
Thomas used some of the loan for a 2018 Audi S5 Sportback Quattro, paid someone whose name was listed in company documentation $75,000, and used more for living expenses and for purchases at Neiman Marcus, Ulta Beauty, Bath and Body Works and Victoria’s Secret.
Thomas is scheduled to sentenced on September 21. She will be ordered to repay any of the money that has not been recovered.
“Law abiding citizens are frustrated with those who lie and cheat to get access to money not intended for them,” said Charles Miller, assistant special agent in charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s St. Louis field office. "Anyone engaging in this type of financial fraud should be put on notice. They will not go undetected and will be held accountable.”
IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman 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.
St. Louis County man sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug crimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis County man to 10 years in prison for drug and gun crimes.
Bryant Taylor, 31, sold oxycodone, heroin and fentanyl to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent and a person working for the DEA in August and September of 2019.
On March 28, 2020, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers saw what appeared to be a drug transaction, and officers found fentanyl, cocaine base and a 9mm Taurus handgun in a Mercedes Benz with Taylor.
On Oct. 1, 2020, after Taylor was charged in St. Louis Circuit Court and a U.S. Marshals task force went to his home to arrest him, they found fentanyl, $12,795 in cash, a Glock 19 handgun with a drum magazine, a Kel-Tec rifle, a Kimber .45-caliber handgun and drug paraphernalia. Taylor admitted selling fentanyl and cocaine base and admitted that the cash came from drug sales, his guilty plea says.
Taylor pleaded guilty in March to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl and heroin.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department conducted the investigation.
St. Charles man sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison for possessing thousands of images of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a St. Charles man to six and one-half years in prison for possessing thousands of images and hundreds of videos containing child pornography.
Marcus E. Gardner, 48, was also ordered to pay $78,000 in restitution to victims who have been identified by law enforcement in the approximately 11,000 images and 500 videos of child sexual abuse investigators found on Gardner's computer and external hard drives.
Gardner pleaded guilty in March to a charge of possession of child pornography. He admitted being one of the customers of an overseas website that offered child pornography for a fee. Gardner accessed the website 1,132 times between Sept. 2, 2015 and Dec. 3, 2018 and purchased child pornography at least twice, agents with Homeland Security Investigations determined. They also determined that the website had collected the equivalent of at least $19 million in profit from users paying to access and download content.
The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations. 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. 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. Charles County man sentenced to seven years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Court Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a St. Charles County man to seven years in prison for selling methamphetamine.
Adam Lee Jones, 41, pleaded guilty in January to a felony charge of possession with the intent to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine.
Between May and July of 2020, members of the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a total of five undercover purchases of methamphetamine from Jones. In addition, on July 15, 2020, Jones had approximately one ounce of actual methamphetamine when his car was stopped by law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
St. Louis man sentenced to 17 years in prison for distributing fatal fentanyl doseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis man who sold a fatal dose of fentanyl to 17 years in prison.
On March 6, 2020, Markquis Bryant sold fentanyl to a Florissant man who was found dead early the next morning in his home by his father.
Florissant police officers determined the fentanyl came from Bryant, and then conducted an undercover operation in which fentanyl was purchased from Bryant at his home in the 5300 block of Queens Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri.
During the execution of a federal search warrant on March 26, 2020, investigators found five firearms as well as heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine, and paraphernalia consistent with drug sales.
Bryant pleaded guilty in February to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
The case was investigated by the Florissant Police Department with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Drug Enforcement Administration Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration's St. Louis Division execute a search warrant in March of 2020. The house was suspected of hosting a fentanyl and heroin milling operation. Drug Enforcement Administration During a search of Markquis Bryant’s residence, Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized eight ounces of suspected fentanyl/heroin, one ounce of crack cocaine, one fully loaded AR-15 semi-automatic pistol, three 9mm pistols with extended 32-round magazines and one revolver.Armed Career Criminal sentenced to 15 years for St. Louis gun crimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis man with a long and violent criminal history to 15 years in prison for a gun crime.
On Dec. 2, 2020, Steven D. Huffman was caught by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers in the 7200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in St. Louis with a Taurus 9mm pistol in his backpack. A tipster said Huffman was always armed, despite being a convicted felon, and was causing issues in the neighborhood. He was also on parole from a prior criminal conviction. Huffman initially ran from police before resisting arrest and threatening to kill at least two officers. Huffman threatened to shoot one officer in the face and then murder his family, he admitted in his plea agreement.
Huffman, 54, pleaded guilty in March to a felony charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Fleissig determined on Tuesday that due to his extensive criminal history involving a series of violent incidents, Huffman qualified as an “armed career criminal,” which meant he faced a 15-year mandatory prison term.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Man sentenced to 8 years in prison for stealing firearms from Hannibal farm supply storeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a man who stole firearms from a Hannibal farm supply store and sold one to an undercover federal agent to eight years in prison.
Dalton Culp, 29, of Hannibal, was also ordered to repay more than $5,000 to the Farm and Home Supply store in Hannibal. Culp and others stole seven guns from the store early on the morning of June 26, 2020. A special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives later learned that Culp had a gun for sale. The agent, working undercover, bought a Kimber 9mm pistol from Culp on Sept. 3, 2020. The serial number of the gun had been partially obliterated, but it appeared to match one of the guns taken in the burglary.
After his arrest, Culp, 29, of Hannibal, admitted participating in the burglary and keeping the Kimber pistol for himself, his plea agreement says.
Culp, who has prior felony convictions, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court March 7 to three felonies: theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee, possession of a stolen firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On March 30, Judge Fleissig sentenced Culp’s cousin, Cory Culp, 28, of Ralls County, to 21 months in prison.
A charge of possession of a stolen firearm is pending against a third defendant, Kyle Stolberg, 22.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hannibal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce prosecuted the case.
Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A photo captured during the theft of firearms from Farm and Home Supply in Hannibal, Missouri on June 26, 2020.St. Louis rappers, others indicted on fentanyl conspiracy, other chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –St. Louis rappers and others are among 14 people indicted on federal charges accusing them of running a fentanyl distribution ring in the St. Louis area.
Davante “Jizzlebuckz” Lindsey, 25, of St. Louis, Andre “Luh Half” Pearson, 25, of St. Louis County, and five others were originally indicted in April. Seven other defendants were added in a superseding indictment on Wednesday, including Edward “Edot” Hopkins, 20.
All defendants face a felony charge of conspiring to distribute fentanyl. Some are also charged with fentanyl possession, fentanyl distribution, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, conspiracy to tamper with a witness or other crimes.
The forfeiture of nine pistols, two vehicles and more than $84,000 in cash seized during the investigation is also being sought in the indictment.
According to a detention motion filed by prosecutors, Lindsey and Pearson are leaders of the “55 Boyz,” an organization responsible for drug trafficking and gun violence throughout St. Louis, but particularly along the Interstate 55 corridor.
The others indicted are Tony Evans, 32, Araven Johnson, 27, Douglas Simpson, 33, of Normandy, Jeffrey Moore, 24, of Riverview, Shawn Liggins, 20, of Wellston, Omar Lewis, 21, Willie Lindsey, 42, Jamond “Huncho” Dismukes, 21, Travon Weatherspoon, 31, Birtha Lindsey, 41, and Erik Simmons, 28.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Company, owners admit bringing more than 100 unauthorized migrant workers to MissouriRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A father and son from Florida and their labor contracting company have pleaded guilty to federal charges and admitted bringing more than 100 unauthorized migrant workers to Missouri in 2018.
Jorge Marin-Gomez, 37, and his father, Jorge Marin-Perez, 67, each pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful employment of aliens. The Marin J. Corporation pleaded guilty April 28 to a felony wire fraud charge.
Marin-Gomez owned the Marin J. Corporation and was in charge of applying for visas for workers from Mexico. Marin-Perez was involved in the oversight and final decision making of the application process.
Marin J. Corp., with the direct knowledge and approval of Marin-Perez and Marin-Gomez, applied for H2A visas stating that the workers would be employed in Florida harvesting watermelons and blueberries, but relocated many of the workers to a farm in Kennett, in southeast Missouri, in violation of the terms outlined on the visa applications. The workers harvested watermelons and cotton there.
Marin-Perez and Marin-Gomez knew that the location of the work was pertinent to approval of the applications, the plea agreements say. They admitted engaging in a “pattern and practice” of using immigrant workers in unauthorized locations from Nov. 17, 2017 through Oct. 20, 2018 and of illegally hiring approximately 104 workers.
The corporation is scheduled to be sentenced August 2 and the individuals September 7.
In a settlement agreement with the Labor Department signed in February, the company agreed to pay $165,805 in back wages to 85 workers once housed in a former county jail in Missouri. The company also agreed to pay a penalty of $75,000 for failing to provide meals, pay the required wage rate and for charging workers to obtain employment.
“Marin J. Corporation and its owners misused the H-2A visa program in order to enrich themselves at the expense of foreign workers and other American employers,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division to vigorously pursue those who commit fraud involving foreign labor certification programs.”
“These agricultural workers, who were likely looking to simply better their lives through hard work and an honest wage, were instead met with deceit from their employers,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Sean Fitzgerald. “I commend the agents and officers whose hard work brought these guilty pleas to fruition.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector general and the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Collins is prosecuting the case.
Former St. Louis correctional officer sentenced to four years for inmate’s attackRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a former correctional officer at the St. Louis jail to four years in prison for allowing two inmates to attack another inmate last year.
Demeria Thomas, 39, pleaded guilty in February to a felony charge of deprivation of rights under color of law. She admitted that on March 22, 2021, while employed by as a corrections officer at the St. Louis Justice Center, she unlocked an inmate’s cell door allowing two inmates inside to attack the occupant. During the attack, Thomas told other inmates to stay away, preventing them from coming to the aid of the victim.
Several minutes later, Thomas walked to the open door of the cell and calmly instructed the attackers to leave. She then closed the door to the cell, making no effort to render aid to the bleeding and incapacitated victim, who lost a tooth while suffering a broken jaw and a concussion. Thomas also failed to disclose the assault and filed no report of the incident.
Jail officials didn’t learn of the attack until two days later.
In court Tuesday, FBI Special Agent Darren Boehlje testified that one of the attackers said Thomas and the victim had a verbal altercation earlier that day. Thomas then threatened to falsely claim he’d exposed herself to her unless he participated in the attack.
In a letter, the victim’s mother said the victim still suffers from PTSD, headaches and seizures from the attack, adding, “The person who was supposed to keep him safe is the one who instigated this attack.”
Judge Schelp called the crime “depraved” and said, “I don’t buy into your excuses for what you did.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Former Southeast Missouri police chief sentenced on civil rights chargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday sentenced the former police chief of a small town in Bollinger County to nine months in behind bars for using excessive force while detaining a woman during a custody dispute.
Marc F. Tragesser, 55, was police chief of Marble Hill at the time. On Nov. 25, 2018, he went to the Marble Hill home where a woman was staying. He was accompanied by the paternal grandmother of the woman’s children, and falsely claimed he had a court order allowing the grandmother to take the children.
When the woman asked to see a copy of the court order, Tragesser shoved her against the wall, knocking off her eyeglasses, and then handcuffed her. He also arrested her boyfriend.
Tragesser detained the woman in his police vehicle for 90 minutes, only releasing her when she agreed to turn over her children to their grandmother, his plea says. The grandmother did not have custody or visitation rights. Tragesser continued to refuse her requests to see the court order. The woman did not see her children again until March of 2019.
Earlier in the day, he’d threatened to arrest the homeowners, and allowed the grandmother to take property from the home, only some of which belonged to her son.
Tragesser pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor charge of deprivation of rights under color of law, which carries a maximum penalty of one year behind bars.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Two sentenced to federal prison for robbery of downtown St. Louis McDonald’sRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former employee of a downtown McDonald’s restaurant and the man who helped him rob the restaurant at gunpoint in 2019 were sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced the former employee, Ronald Scott, 23, of St. Louis County, to nine years and four months in prison. Keith Austin, 26, of St. Louis, received a six-year term. Both pleaded guilty in January to a robbery charge and a charge of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
They admitted that on Sept. 18, 2019, they were caught trying to open a cash register by the manager of the McDonald’s at 1119 North Tucker Boulevard. Scott pulled a gun and yelled “Get back,” before they took a cash register drawer containing about $340 and drove off in a Chevrolet Impala, their plea agreements say.
St. Louis police located the Impala two days later and arrested Austin, who admitted being one of the masked men who robbed the restaurant. Scott was arrested about a year later, and admitted pointing a gun at the manager during the robbery, the plea agreements say
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County employee hatched pandemic relief kickback scheme, indictment saysRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County employee who previously served as the administrative assistant to a former St. Louis County Council member hatched a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds for a local businessman in exchange for a share of the proceeds, an indictment unsealed Tuesday alleges.
Anthony “Tony” Weaver Sr., who is currently employed as the “change management coordinator” at the St. Louis County jail, was indicted May 25 on four felony counts of wire fraud. Weaver has turned himself in and is scheduled to make his first appearance in court Tuesday at 1 p.m.
The indictment alleges that on May 6, 2020, Weaver approached a man who owned several small businesses located in St. Louis County with a scheme to fraudulently apply for grants from the county’s Small Business Relief (SBR) Program. The program used federal CARES Act money to help small businesses located in the county that were closed during the stay-at-home orders by paying some of the costs incurred by the closing.
According to the indictment, Weaver told the businessman, identified in the indictment as “John Smith,” that his former boss on the council, identified as “Jane Doe,” needed to know the names of Smith’s businesses as she made the final decision. Weaver also told Smith that Doe’s office is “going to do what I tell them to do.”
Over the next few weeks, Weaver filled out applications for four SBR loans on behalf of Smith’s businesses, falsely claiming that the businesses were closed during the pandemic, and concealing the fact that Smith had at least 25% ownership in them all because an owner could only apply for one grant, the indictment alleges.
The pair agreed on multiple occasions to split any resulting money, the indictment says. They also discussed ways to avoid getting caught, with Weaver warning Smith against using a check or political donations to pay kickbacks and telling Smith that he didn’t want to use his own cell phone to submit an application because county employees might find out, the indictment says. “They’re trying to get me on something, brother. I’m too powerful, brother…,” the indictment quotes Weaver telling Smith. Weaver also said, “I hope this place is not bugged…that’s how (former St. Louis County Executive Steve) Stenger got caught,” the indictment says.
Smith’s applications were not approved, but Weaver said he could try again with the next round of funding, the indictment alleges.
According to the indictment, Weaver said he helped 10 other companies apply for grants, but only two agreed to kick back any money and only one grant was approved. Weaver told Smith that he received $300 for his help in that case.
Weaver also served as the longtime committeeman of the Spanish Lake Township and on the board of Unity PAC, a north St. Louis County political organization, the indictment says.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
The wire fraud charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and Weaver is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Jefferson County man sentenced to four years on child pornography, explosives chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a Jefferson County, Missouri man who was caught with child pornography and homemade explosive devices to four years in prison.
Nathan L. J. Baucom, 26, pleaded guilty in October to possession of child pornography and possession of an unregistered firearm or destructive device.
He admitted receiving two images containing child pornography on Nov. 1, 2019 via Snapchat, and being caught by law enforcement on May 18, 2020 with five videos and 34 images containing child pornography on his cell phone. Baucom also had three improvised explosive devices consisting of carbon dioxide cylinders containing a fuse, explosive powder and steel shot, his plea agreement said.
Baucom told law enforcement that he planned to use the devices for fishing.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant United States 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. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jefferson County man gets nearly 5 years for jail escape, gun chargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a man who escaped from the St. Ann jail while awaiting trial on a gun charge to four years and nine months in prison.
Jason W. Woolbright, 48, of Jefferson County, arranged for the purchase of a 1996 red Ford Mustang in June of 2021, and then had Christina Louise Deal stash it near the jail. On the night of July 9, 2021, he and two other inmates escaped through a window.
The U.S. Marshals captured all three inmates within 24 hours.
The felon in possession of a firearm charge stems from an Oct. 1, 2020 traffic stop by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Woolbright, who was on supervised release after being sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison on a 2013 drug charge, told the officer he only had prison ID, not his driver’s license. The officer also spotted a Xanax pill in the van and found a loaded Colt handgun under the driver’s seat.
Woolbright pleaded guilty March 9 to the escape charge and a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Deal, 47, pleaded guilty in April to a charge of assisting an escape and is scheduled to be sentenced in August.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Bateman prosecuted the case.
Collinsville osteopathic physician admits illegally prescribing drugRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – An osteopathic physician from Collinsville, Illinois pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Tuesday and admitted illegally prescribing an anti-anxiety drug.
Matthew Steven Miller, 43, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and one count of making a false statement concerning a health care matter.
Miller admitted illegally writing prescriptions for the anti-anxiety drug Xanax for six people between 2016 and 2018. He did not have a doctor-patient relationship with them, had not examined them, had not determined that they needed the drug and did not document the prescriptions, his plea agreement says. On some occasions, they sold the drugs and split the money with Miller, his plea says.
Miller wrote the prescriptions despite not being licensed by Missouri’s Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and lacking a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number necessary to do so.
Miller was licensed to practice medicine in Missouri, Michigan and New Jersey.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General and the South Central Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dorothy McMurtry is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County man admits selling fentanyl that killed pregnant woman in 2018Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County on Thursday admitted selling the fentanyl that killed a pregnant woman in 2018.
Raymond Blankenship, 27, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to a felony charge of distribution of fentanyl. He admitted in his plea agreement that he sold fentanyl capsules to a St. Louis County woman on Sept. 17, 2018. She died later that day of acute fentanyl intoxication.
The woman arranged to buy the drug via Facebook messages with Blankenship. After her initial inquiry, Blankenship said he was out of the painkiller Percocet but would call someone else to see if they had any drugs, Blankenship’s plea says.
After her death, St. Louis County police detectives posed as the woman and arranged to buy more fentanyl from Blankenship. When police tried to arrest him, Blankenship ran and swallowed some of the capsules containing fentanyl.
Blankenship was indicted June 23, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced in September.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department.
Two current, one former St. Louis aldermen indicted on corruption chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two current and one former St. Louis aldermen, including board President Lewis Reed, have been indicted on federal charges accusing them of misusing their offices on multiple occasions in multiple ways in exchange for cash bribes and other things of value.
Reed, 22nd Ward Alderman Jeffrey L. Boyd and former 21st Ward Alderman John Collins-Muhammad were all indicted May 25. Collins-Muhammad resigned his office on May 12, 2022 due to the ongoing criminal investigation. They are scheduled to turn themselves in and make their first appearance in court Thursday at 1 p.m. Reed is facing two bribery-related charges. Collins-Muhammad has been indicted on two bribery-related charges and one charge of honest services bribery/wire fraud. Boyd is facing two bribery related charges and a separate, two count wire fraud indictment alleging he fraudulently sought $22,000 from his insurance company for damage to vehicles that he falsely claimed to own.
The main indictment alleges Collins-Muhammad and Reed helped a small business owner obtain a lucrative property tax abatement in exchange for a series of cash bribes related to what the indictment refers to as “project A.”
The indictment also alleges that in “project B,” Boyd accepted cash to help the business owner buy a city-owned property for tens of thousands of dollars less than it was worth, and accepted more cash to help the business owner obtain a lucrative tax abatement for that project.
Project A:
The indictment lays out a years-long scheme in which Collins-Muhammad, and later Reed, sought to help the business owner, referred to in the indictment as “John Doe,” obtain a significant property tax abatement for a new gas station and convenience store development in Collins-Muhammad’s ward. Doe estimated that the abatement could be worth $20,000 to $30,000 per year over at least 10 years, the indictment says. In all, Reed accepted $9,000 in cash from Doe, the indictment alleges. Collins-Muhammad accepted $7,000 cash, $3,000 in campaign contributions, a new iPhone 11 and a 2016 Volkswagen CC sedan in exchange for his help, the indictment alleges. Collins-Muhammad and Reed ultimately worked to pass Board Bills which provided the property tax abatement for Project A.
During Reed’s 2021 run for mayor, Doe also gave Reed $6,000 total in cash and $3,500 in campaign contributions for Reed’s help in Doe’s ultimately unsuccessful attempt to obtain Minority Business Enterprise certification for his trucking company, and for help in winning contracts for city construction projects, the indictment alleges.
Collins-Muhammad is also accused of accepting $3,000 after setting up a meeting with a public official who could steer business to Doe’s trucking company. Collins-Muhammad later asked for $2,500 more on behalf of the official, but instead used it to buy a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer, the indictment alleges.
Project B:
A separate scheme set out in the main indictment involved Doe’s purchase of a commercial property on Geraldine Avenue in St. Louis from the city’s Land Reutilization Authority, which owns and sells vacant property. The property was in Boyd’s ward.
Collins-Muhammad introduced Doe to Boyd so Boyd could help in the purchase, telling Doe that he would have to pay cash for Boyd’s help, the indictment says. Through Boyd’s assistance, Doe eventually was able to buy the property from the LRA for $14,000. The LRA valued it at $50,000, and Doe estimated it would have cost $250,000 if privately sold, the indictment alleges. Boyd also submitted and sponsored a board bill which provided a substantial property tax abatement for Doe’s Project B.
Boyd accepted a total of $9,500 in cash from Doe related to Project B, and Doe also made free repairs worth $1,611 to Boyd’s 2006 Chevrolet Impala and $733 to his Kia van, the indictment alleges. Collins-Muhammad received an additional $1,000 cash for introducing Doe to Boyd.
Boyd was indicted in a separate case on two counts of wire fraud for a scheme in which he and Doe are accused of agreeing to split the proceeds of insurance fraud related to a Jan. 17, 2021 vehicle accident at Doe’s used car lot in Jennings, Missouri.
After Doe learned his insurance company would not cover the damage, Boyd suggested falsely claiming that three of the damaged vehicles were owned by his used car company, The Best Place Auto Sales on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in St. Louis, the indictment alleges.
Boyd filled out Missouri Department of Revenue bill of sale and certificate of title forms for the three vehicles, fraudulently backdating the sales dates to Jan. 2 and falsely claiming Boyd’s company had paid $22,000 for the vehicles, the indictment says. Boyd also falsely sought a $50 per vehicle, per day storage fee from Boyd’s insurance company for the damaged vehicles. Boyd’s insurance company ultimately rejected the claim.
If convicted of the main indictment, Reed’s and Boyd’s charges carry maximum penalties of 10 years and five years in prison, respectively, and a $250,000 fine. Collins-Muhammad’s honest services bribery/wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. One of his bribery charges carries a 10-year maximum and the other has a five-year maximum. Boyd’s additional wire fraud charges related to the automobile insurance scheme carry maximum penalties of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. Restitution is also mandatory. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Longtime Missouri juvenile officer indicted on child sex trafficking chargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Hannibal who spent more than 30 years working as a deputy juvenile officer in Missouri state court has been indicted in United States District Court on a felony charge of sex trafficking of a minor.
Scott F. Burow, 62, was indicted May 18. The indictment alleges that between March 25, 2020 and April 2, 2020, he solicited a minor to engage in a commercial act.
A detention motion says the female victim was 15 years old and was a ward of the state of Illinois. The motion alleges that Burow met the victim via a dating app, where he used the name “buffaloanchovie.” Burow then picked her up and brought her to his home in Hannibal, where he committed the offenses of statutory rape and statutory sodomy while secretly videotaping her, the motion alleges.
Investigators traced information on the dating app to Burow, and searched his home on August 20, 2020, the motion says. They found “numerous explicit photos and videos of women” that appeared to have been recorded by Burow, the motion alleges.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking assistance from the community to identify other potential victims. Anyone with information about Burow is asked to call the FBI’s Kirksville Resident Agency at 660-665-6020.
The case was investigated by the Palmyra police Department, the Hannibal Police Department and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and Burow is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
St. Louis man sentenced to two years in prison for N-95 mask scam, PPP fraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced Prince Vamboi, 40, to two years in prison for $212,848 worth of frauds including a N-95 mask scam and a $18,750 fraudulent loan through the Paycheck Protection Program.
Vamboi opened multiple bank accounts in the St. Louis area in 2019 using aliases and counterfeit identification documents that he then used to facilitate a series of frauds, his plea agreement says.
In 2019, he deposited a $35,098 check that had been altered to replace the name of a Texas company with the name of one of Vamboi’s companies.
In 2020, a Vamboi co-conspirator convinced a Wisconsin company to send $159,000 to a Vamboi-controlled bank account to pay for N-95 masks. The company, Verona Safety Supply, never received the masks.
In 2021, Vamboi fraudulently obtained a $18,750 loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, which was intended to help companies avoid layoffs. He also deposited fraudulently-obtained unemployment insurance benefits from the state of Washington.
“The United States Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate those who deal in checks stolen from the U.S. Mail as part of their fraud schemes,” said Inspector in Charge William Hedrick, head of the Inspection Service’s Chicago Division, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
Vamboi pleaded guilty February 22 to three felony counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one bank fraud count.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Diane Klocke prosecuted the case.
Belleville man caught in sex sting sentenced to 25 years in prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark on Monday sentenced Kenneth Rogers, 24, of Belleville, Illinois, to 25 years in prison on child sex-related charges.
Rogers was caught in a sex sting in 2020 after traveling from Illinois to Brentwood, Missouri, thinking he would be having sex with a 14-year-old boy. Rogers had contacted the purported boy’s older, adult brother on the dating app Grindr on March 31, 2020, not realizing the older brother was actually a sergeant with the St. Louis County Police Department investigating online child sexual exploitation.
Rogers continued the conversation into June using a variety of apps and sent child pornography to the officer before the meeting. After his arrest, investigators found conversations on Kik Messenger in which Rogers sent and received child pornography. They also found 199 images and 88 videos containing child pornography on Rogers’ phone.
Rogers pleaded guilty in United States District Court in St. Louis in November to one count of receiving child pornography and one count of travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Rogers is also facing charges of production and distribution of child pornography in United States District Court in the Southern District of Illinois.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States 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. 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 woman admits $267,000 COVID-19 rental assistance fraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County woman who pretended to be a landlord to get $267,239 in pandemic-related financial assistance pleaded guilty to a felony charge of wire fraud in United States District Court Monday.
Semaj Portis, 42, admitted in her plea agreement and in court that she took advantage of Emergency Rental Assistance and COVID-19 Emergency Solutions Grants, designed to help both landlords and their financially struggling tenants.
On Jan. 15, 2021, Portis registered a company called Forever Riding with the Missouri Secretary of State. From that date until October 18, 2021, she filed a total of 52 applications for rent assistance to the Missouri Housing Development Commission, which administered the assistance programs. Portis listed herself or Forever Riding as the landlord and submitted fraudulent rental leases, her plea agreement says. Portis was not the landlord for any of the tenants listed in her fraudulent applications. In court Monday, she said she worked as a nurse for 12 years and then as a medical dispatcher.
Portis used the money for vacations, for purchasing real estate and for other personal expenses.
Wire fraud carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. At her sentencing, scheduled for August 26 in front of United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig, Portis will also be ordered to repay the money.
United States Attorney Sayler Fleming said, “Financial fraud is particularly egregious when it takes advantage of programs intended to help victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our office and law enforcement have been aggressively investigating and prosecuting these cases.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about rental assistance fraud should contact the FBI at [email protected] or (314) 589-2500.
St. Louis County man sentenced to nearly five years in prison for fentanyl possessionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Monday sentenced a St. Louis County man who possessed fentanyl and a stolen gun and struggled with police to four years and nine months in prison.
Judge Pitlyk said in court that the prison sentence Jarvis L. Fields, 28, faced was longer because he assaulted a police officer during a 2020 arrest.
On April 10, 2020, Fields was the passenger in a vehicle that was being investigated by St. Louis County Police Department officers after a report of shots fired in the 2400 block of Princess Drive in north St. Louis County. The car was displaying license plates that were stolen.
Fields got out of the car while repeatedly ignoring the police officer’s commands. As officers attempted to restrain him, Fields told them he had a gun in a satchel strapped across his shoulder. After a struggle, officers brought Fields to the ground. They were able to secure him only after cutting a strap on the bag and forcibly removing it. Officers found a stolen Glock handgun, 430 clear capsules containing fentanyl and two bags of white powder containing fentanyl in the satchel.
Fields was indicted by a grand jury in December 2020. He was arrested on a warrant by St. Louis County police on May 20, 2021. Police found another pistol and pills containing methamphetamine, alprazolam and hydrocodone, Fields’ plea agreement says.
Fields pleaded guilty in February to a felony charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Bluestone.
St. Louis man shot during jewelry store robbery sentenced to over eight years in prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man who was shot while trying to rob a jewelry store in 2019 was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig Thursday to eight years and four months in prison.
Deven Strauther and at least two others tried to rob the Robinson Jewelry Company on Chippewa Street in St. Louis on May 25, 2019, Strauther admitted in his plea agreement.
Strauther and another man, who were both armed, approached the store and opened one door, but employees did not allow the pair through a second, electronically-controlled door.
Strauther kicked out the lower portion of the glass on the door to try and gain entry. Fearing for their safety, the store owner and an off-duty police officer working security fired at Strauther, who was hit twice in the abdomen. Strauther fired back as he ran away.
About 30 minutes later, Strauther arrived at St. Louis University Hospital, where he was treated by staff and questioned by police. He did not make any admissions about his involvement in the attempted robbery, but police later found the Infiniti sedan used by the robbers. Strauther’s blood was inside, and the car’s hard drive showed it was at Robinson’s on the date and time of the attempted robbery. Strauther then admitted his involvement in the crime to police.
Strauther, 31, pleaded guilty in January to one count of attempted interference with commerce with threats of violence.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Jen Szczucinski prosecuted the case.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
St. Louis man facing murder charge in toddler’s death gets 46 months on federal gun chargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced Horatio T. Harris Wednesday to 46 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm during a domestic dispute sparked by the death of a toddler.
In Harris’ plea agreement, he admitted that on Sept. 4, 2020, a crowd of 15 to 20 people gathered outside a boarding house where Harris lived. Harris’ stepdaughter and others in the crowd wanted to confront Harris about the death of her two-year-old son.
When Harris saw the group, he retrieved a .38 caliber Colt Army Special revolver from his room and answered the door with the gun in hand. Harris argued with his stepdaughters, who later fled in fear from Harris.
Harris admitted knowing he was a convicted felon and that he was prohibited from possessing the firearm.
After Harris was indicted, he fled St. Louis and was eventually located by the United States Marshals in Louisville, Kentucky.
Harris pleaded guilty in February to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Harris is facing a pending second-degree murder charge and three counts of child abuse in St. Louis Circuit Court related to the death of the two-year-old and the alleged abuse of that boy and his twin brother.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Bluestone.
St. Louis County woman sentenced to nine years for methamphetamine dealingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced a significant dealer of methamphetamine Thursday to nine years in prison.
Anne R. Jekel, 42, of St. Louis County, was caught multiple times in possession of methamphetamine and guns. On Nov. 29, 2016, Maryland Heights police officers arrested her on outstanding warrants and found a pistol, 100.7 grams of methamphetamine and $4,735 in cash.
On Feb. 5, 2017, Overland police stopped Jekel for a traffic violation and found another pistol, $347 in cash and 97.6 grams of methamphetamine.
On Sept. 25, 2020 an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration task force officer bought two ounces of methamphetamine for $1,200.
On Oct. 26, 2020 DEA investigators found 86 more grams of methamphetamine.
Jekel pleaded guilty January 13 to three felony counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by police in Maryland Heights and Overland and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case
Former Maryland Heights police officer admits child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former Maryland Heights, Missouri police officer pleaded guilty Thursday in United States District Court to a felony child pornography charge.
Nicholas H. Haglof, 30, admitted viewing hundreds of images containing child pornography using his laptop computer and cell phone in 2019 and 2020. Haglof later deleted the images, but a tip from the Bing search engine to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children prompted an investigation.
Investigators seized Haglof’s laptop and cell phone on July 31, 2020.
At Haglof’s sentencing later this year on the charge of accessing with the intent to view child pornography, the government will ask United States District Court Henry E. Autrey for four years in prison. Haglof will also be subject to mandatory restitution of at least $3,000 for each victim who has been identified in the images and who requests the restitution.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department Special Investigations Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States 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. 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.
Drug dealer who mailed methamphetamine to St. Louis area sentenced to more than seven years in prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on Thursday sentenced a drug dealer who mailed crystal methamphetamine to St. Louis from Arizona to seven and one-half years in prison.
Hosea Simpson, 36, pleaded guilty in February to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Beginning in 2019, Simpson and his co-defendant, LeVaughn Neal, obtained methamphetamine in Arizona and mailed it to the St. Louis area, addressed to both vacant and occupied homes. The residents had no knowledge of the shipments. Simpson and Neal would wait in a vehicle for the package to be delivered, grab it and then drive away.
Both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service became aware of the shipments.
On August 21,2019 postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious package mailed from Tempe, Arizona to Des Peres, Missouri that contained 13 pounds of methamphetamine. While the package was being held by investigators, Neal called the postal service twice, inquiring about the package and how to retrieve it, but never picked it up.
On September 4,2019, postal inspectors found another suspicious package headed to Jennings. They watched as Simpson got out of a rental car driven by Neal and retrieved the package. The pair drove off and escaped.
On September 12,2019, DEA agents utilized a confidential source to buy $1,200 worth of crystal methamphetamine from Neal and Simpson.
On October 17 ,2019, postal inspectors again spotted a suspicious package heading to Jennings, and DEA agents arrested Neal after he retrieved it from the front porch of a vacant home. The package contained nearly five pounds of crystal methamphetamine that was 98% pure.
Neal, 36, of Dellwood, was sentenced by Judge White in January to 13 years in prison on the same charge.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Paul D’Agrosa prosecuted the case.
Northwoods man sentenced to 45 years in prison for fatal 2019 St. Louis carjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday sentenced Anthony D. Jones Jr. to 45 years in prison for fatally shooting a St. Louis woman in 2019 before stealing her car.
In Jones’ plea agreement, he admitted shooting Jessica Vinson in the head and the back on May 4, 2019 in an alley in the 5300 block of Vernon Avenue. After dragging Vinson out of her car, he fired another shot at her head, stole her 2015 Dodge Charger and drove over Vinson’s arm.
Jones had befriended Vinson after meeting her earlier that morning outside of a club in St. Louis. Jones gave Vinson’s keys to associates, who used those keys to burglarize her home in the 5300 block of Maffitt Avenue, stealing shoes and two televisions.
Two days later, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) officers spotted Vinson’s car and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Jones fled from police at a high rate of speed and crashed near an Interstate 70 exit ramp at Grand Avenue. Jones fled from the vehicle, leaving a gun behind, but was found hiding in a garage and arrested.
While in jail, Jones threatened to kill two witnesses to his crime.
In court Wednesday, Judge Clark called Jones an “exceptionally ruthless person” and “a danger to society.” Judge Clark ordered Jones’ sentence to run consecutive to any prison time he receives if convicted of charges related to an April 15, 2019 shooting as well as for violating his parole in a 2013 gun case.
A Vinson relative told Judge Clark that the 32-year-old was a “kind soul” who was a nursing student and had a promising future.
Jones, 29, of Northwoods, pleaded guilty in December to felony charges of carjacking resulting in death, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death and two counts of witness tampering.
Two others involved in the carjacking were sentenced to prison in January. Robyn Harrison, who helped clean Vinson’s car, was sentenced to two and one-half years in prison. Tyeishia Adail, who replaced Vinson's license plates with temporary tags, was sentenced to four years in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Jen Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
Ferguson sex offender sentenced to 10 years for possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday sentenced registered sex offender Jimar Jefferson, 26, to 10 years in prison on a charge of possession of child pornography. After his release from prison, Jefferson will be on supervised release for life.
According to the plea agreement, on March 29, 2021, St. Louis County police executed a search warrant at Jefferson’s home on Patricia Avenue in Ferguson that was triggered by nine cyber tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Google had notified NCMEC that someone had uploaded more than 200 videos containing child pornography.
Jefferson admitted to police having used the email linked to the uploads. He admitted receiving child pornography on his cell phone and admitted that the files had been backed up to his Gmail account. Investigators later discovered 46 images and one video containing child pornography on one of Jefferson’s cell phones. His email account contained 1,853 videos and 138 image files containing child pornography, including images featuring bestiality or child bondage.
Jefferson was on probation at the time of the offense. In 2017, he pleaded guilty in St. Louis County Circuit Court to two felony counts of second-degree statutory sodomy in a case involving a 15-year-old male victim. He received 30 days of “shock” time and a suspended execution of sentence (SES) of five years in prison. He was also required to register as a sex offender.
Judge Clark ordered the federal prison sentence to run consecutive to any sentence Jefferson receives for violating his probation in the state case. He was also ordered to pay $11,000 in restitution to victims.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States 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. 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.
Ferguson man shot while searching for his drugs sentenced to over 13 years in prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday sentenced a Ferguson man who was shot while trying to find methamphetamine that had been seized by authorities to 165 months in prison.
Cedric D. Baker, 49, flew to Houston, Texas on July 30, 2020 and bought over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine that had been pressed into pills, then shipped them via Federal Express to his grandmother’s address in the 2300 block of McLaran Avenue in St. Louis, his plea agreement says. Baker’s grandmother did not know about the contents of the package.
The package appeared suspicious and the drugs were discovered and seized. Baker went by the house multiple times to try and find his drugs. On August 12, he went to the address and waved a 9mm pistol when his cousin and his cousin’s friend denied knowledge of the package. The cousin’s friend, who was armed, pulled his own pistol and shot Baker four times, according to court documents.
Baker pleaded guilty in February to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Baker has prior drug and robbery convictions.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
Iron County Man Sentenced to Serve 20 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that Samuel J. Gillam, age 37, of Iron County, Missouri, has been sentenced to serve 240 months (20 years) in federal prison for the offense of Receiving Child Pornography. Gillam appeared for his sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
According to court documents, law enforcement officials interviewed a 16-year-old female during a sexual abuse investigation and discovered, among other things, that she sent sexually explicit images of herself to Gillam. Investigators subsequently seized Gillam’s mobile phone and found the images. At his guilty plea hearing last February, Gillam admitted that he received the images from the minor female. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Limbaugh determined that the aggravated nature of Gillam’s conduct—including the fact that he had been sexually abusing the minor female—justified the statutory maximum 20-year sentence.
After serving his 20-year sentence, Gillam was ordered to be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. Gillam will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Iron County Sheriff’s Office the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the Government.
Iron County Man Sentenced to Serve 20 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that Samuel J. Gillam, age 37, of Iron County, Missouri, has been sentenced to serve 240 months (20 years) in federal prison for the offense of Receiving Child Pornography. Gillam appeared for his sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
According to court documents, law enforcement officials interviewed a 16-year-old female during a sexual abuse investigation and discovered, among other things, that she sent sexually explicit images of herself to Gillam. Investigators subsequently seized Gillam’s mobile phone and found the images. At his guilty plea hearing last February, Gillam admitted that he received the images from the minor female. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Limbaugh determined that the aggravated nature of Gillam’s conduct—including the fact that he had been sexually abusing the minor female—justified the statutory maximum 20-year sentence.
After serving his 20-year sentence, Gillam was ordered to be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. Gillam will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Iron County Sheriff’s Office the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the Government.
U.s. Attorney Fleming Recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS— In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Sayler Fleming will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”
“Each year during the month of May we pay tribute to those in law enforcement that have paid the ultimate sacrifice,” said U.S. Attorney Fleming. “Our law enforcement partners in the Eastern District of Missouri work daily to protect our communities from violence on the federal, state, and local levels. This mission can come with great sacrifice to themselves and their families. I stand in awe of the work these men and women do and it’s my honor to thank the law enforcement community during National Police Week.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19. Two officers who died in the line of duty in the Eastern District of Missouri, will be added to the law enforcement memorial in Washington, D.C.
Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks 1 were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program.
The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
St. Louis man sentenced for unlawful possession of a firearm after domestic disputeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp sentenced Marlin Tobius, Jr., to 65 months in federal prison today. Tobius previously pleaded guilty for unlawfully possessing firearms, which police uncovered while responding to a domestic-violence incident.
According to the plea agreement, on October 21, 2020, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department ("SLMPD") received a domestic-disturbance call from a woman who reported that her boyfriend had pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her. The officers entered the home as Tobius exited the upstairs bathroom, and he was taken into custody. Officers then searched the bathroom and found a loaded 9mm Glock 17 GEN5 handgun with a large-capacity magazine. Additionally, officers recovered a similar 9mm Glock 17 GEN4 handgun, also loaded with a large-capacity magazine, on top of a dresser near the top of the stairs. Tobius was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Tobius also admitted to obstructing justice by repeatedly calling the victim and pressuring to recant while he was in jail.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Bluestone.
Judge sentences East Prairie, Missouri, Woman to 36 months for Wire Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr., sentenced Angelica Woods to 36 months in prison today. The 59-year-old East Prairie, Missouri, resident pleaded guilty on October 7, 2021, to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Woods was employed by an in-home services provider in Mississippi County, Missouri. Part of Woods’ job duties for the service provider included going to homes of elderly clients to provide in-home services for them. Woods devised a scheme to defraud Sallie Mae Bank, and a client of the service provider, to fraudulently obtain a student loan for another person.
On or about November 6, 2018, Woods sent in interstate commerce by wire transmission a false and fraudulent Application Promissory Note fraudulently using the client’s name, date of birth, and Social Security Number, to obtain a student loan from Sallie Mae Bank in the amount of $18,000.00. At the time the loan application was submitted, the client was unaware that Woods had used her identity to guarantee repayment of the student loan, and had not given Woods permission to use the client’s identity to obtain the student loan. Woods fraudulently caused student loan proceeds in the approximate amount of $18,000.00 to be sent to Missouri Welding Institute located in Nevada, Missouri, via wire transfer in interstate commerce as directed by lender Sallie Mae Bank.
The case was investigated by the East Prairie Police Department, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Paul W. Hahn handled the prosecution for the government.
Festus man pleads guilty to stealing mail and fraud chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk accepted a plea of guilty from Ryan Kanzler on today’s date, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, theft of U.S. mail and access device fraud. Judge Pitlyk set sentencing for August 10, 2022. At sentencing, Kanzler is subject to imprisonment of not more than 5 years, for his plea to conspiracy and theft of mail and a fine of not more than $250,000, or both such imprisonment and fine; and for access device fraud is imprisonment of not more than 15 years, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both such imprisonment and fine.
According to the plea agreement, beginning from at least October 14, 2020, Kanzler and a co-defendant were engaged in a scheme to defraud several financial institutions. Kanzler and his co-defendant stole mail from private residence and business mailboxes on a rather large scale.
They would then search the stolen mail for checks and personal identifying information. Stolen checks were often altered to make the payee one of the participants, as well as increasing the amount. Kanzler would then present the stolen and altered checks for payment at various banks in the St. Louis area.
Kanzler also used credit cards fraudulently obtained by utilizing personal identifying information obtained in the stolen mail. For example, in January 2020, a victim reported that his mail had been stolen. Kanzler obtained a Lowe’s credit card and used that card between January 21 and January 29, 2021, to purchase items exceeding $1,000 in that time period at various Lowe’s locations in the St. Louis area.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from St. Louis County, Creve Coeur, Kirkwood, Arnold, Chesterfield and Sunset Hills Police Departments.
Dexter Man Sentenced to Serve 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that Nathan P. Dillinger, age 41, of Dexter, Missouri, has been sentenced to serve 180 months (15 years) in federal prison for the offense of Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Dillinger appeared for a remote sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig.
At his guilty plea hearing last year, Dillinger admitted that he installed multiple hidden cameras throughout his residence for the purpose of capturing nude videos of his girlfriend’s 12-year-old daughter. In his written guilty plea agreement, Dillinger specifically admitted that he secretly placed one of the cameras in an air conditioning vent in the 12-year-old’s bedroom, and another camera was concealed in the bathroom ceiling tile. Footage from the recordings was later discovered on Dillinger’s mobile phone.
After serving his 15-year sentence, Dillinger was ordered to be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. Dillinger will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the Government.
Grand Jury Indicts Former Municipal Prosecuting Attorney for Jefferson County, Missouri on Civil Rights Charge and Lying to the Federal Bureau of InvestigationRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted James Isaac “Ike” Crabtree, former Municipal Prosecuting Attorney for Jefferson County, Missouri, on April 20, 2022, for one count of Deprivation of Rights under Color of Law, and one count of False Statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) related to a March 8, 2021, incident.
Crabtree was the Municipal Prosecuting Attorney for Jefferson County, Missouri until he resigned his position during March 2022 as a result of the federal criminal investigation. The Indictment alleges that, on March 8, 2021, Crabtree met with a female in his courthouse office after regular business hours. At that time, the female, identified in the Indictment as “Victim One,” was a defendant in several pending cases being prosecuted by Crabtree in Jefferson County Municipal Court. The Indictment alleges that, during that meeting, Crabtree subjected Victim One to sexual contact while acting under color of law in his position as Municipal Prosecuting Attorney, thereby depriving Victim One of her Constitutional Right not to be deprived of liberty without due process of law, which includes the right to bodily integrity. The Indictment further alleges that, on March 3, 2022, when interviewed by Special Agents of the FBI concerning the March 8, 2021, incident, Crabtree lied and falsely denied that he kissed Victim One, that he had touched Victim One’s body, and that he had Victim One take a portion of her clothing off during the meeting in his courthouse office. The Indictment alleges that Crabtree knew his statements to the FBI were false because Crabtree had taken those actions and engaged in that conduct.
Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith.
Judge sentences St. Louis man for being felon in possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Arlando Hill of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge John A. Ross on yesterday’s date. Based on a previous plea of guilty, Hill was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, on February 23, 2020, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to a location in the 5900 block of Ridge Ave., within the Eastern District of Missouri for a shooting. Officers conducting the investigation learned that Hill pointed a rifle at a woman and her children after a dispute over Hill smoking marijuana near the children. Fortunately, the victim and her children escaped the encounter without injury. Hill was subsequently entered as wanted for assault by police.
On May 14, 2020, a security guard at a hotel located in the 5700 block of Natural Bridge called 911 after Hill refused to leave the property. The security guard observed what appeared to be a sawed-off shotgun on the front seat of Hill’s vehicle. The guard told Hill to stop and wait as the police were enroute.
While interacting with Hill, the officers learned that Hill was "wanted" for the incident occurring on February 23, 2020. The officers also observed a Kimber .270 Winchester caliber rifle on the driver's seat of Hill's vehicle. The rifle appeared to have had the stock and barrel sawed off. The officers placed him under arrest and seized the rifle. Hill is prohibited from possession of any firearm due to previously being convicted of a felony.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Judge sentences St. Louis man to more than 10 years in federal prison for bank fraud in conjunction with the Payment Protection Program (PPP)Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Robert Williams, age 58, of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp on today’s date. Based on a previous plea of guilty, Williams was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison for numerous counts of bank fraud related to Payment Protection Program (“PPP”) loans.
The United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”) is an executive-branch agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law that was enacted in or around March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
One source of relief provided for in the CARES Act is the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The purpose of loans issued under the PPP was to enable small businesses suffering from the economic downturn to continue to pay salary or wages to their employees.
To obtain a PPP loan, a qualifying business is required to submit a PPP loan application, signed by an authorized representative of the business. The PPP loan application requires the business to acknowledge the program rules and make certain affirmative certifications to obtain the PPP loan.
According to court documents, Williams obtained federal loans provided through the CARES Act that resulted in a loss of up to approximately $2.7 million. Williams applied for these loans at Midwest Regional Bank, PNC Bank and submitted false information to receive funding.
The investigation included a review of numerous PPP loan applications and financial accounts during the summer of 2020. Williams completed and submitted approximately thirty different PPP loan applications that contained materially false statements and false supporting documents related to the ownership of a business and the business’ payroll including the number of employees and monthly payroll expenses.
Investigators also determined that Williams did not use the PPP loan funds for any appropriate business expenses but used funds for his own personal benefit including the purchase of vehicles such as a Maserati Levante and a Jaguar, F-Pace. Williams also assisted several other businesses in brokering and submitting fraudulent PPP loan applications. During the investigation the FBI seized approximately $466,000 and vehicles. Williams has also agreed to an order of restitution for $1,231,491.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration and FDIC of the Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Dowd III.
Chinese National Sentenced for Economic Espionage ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Chinese national formerly residing in Chesterfield, Missouri, was today sentenced to 29 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $150,000 fine for conspiring to commit economic espionage.
Xiang Haitao, 44, pleaded guilty to the charge in January 2022. According to court documents, Xiang conspired to steal a trade secret from The Climate Corporation, a subsidiary of Monsanto, an internationally based company doing business in St. Louis, Missouri, for the purpose of benefitting a foreign government, namely the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
“Xiang conspired to steal an important trade secret to gain an unfair advantage for himself and the PRC,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The victim companies invested significant time and resources to develop this intellectual property. Economic espionage is a serious offense that can threaten U.S. companies’ competitive advantage, and the National Security Division is committed to holding accountable anyone who steals trade secrets to benefit a foreign government.”
“The defendant took advantage of living and working in the United States to steal a valuable trade secret for the benefit of PRC entities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This type of theft threatens employers large and small in every state, and it imperils our economic competitiveness as a nation. Individuals entrusted with valuable trade secrets should be on notice that if they abuse that trust – especially for the benefit of foreign nations – we will hold them accountable.”
“Those who conspire to steal technology from U.S. businesses and transfer it to China cause tremendous economic damage to our country," said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. "The government of China does not hesitate to go after the ingenuity that drives our economy. Stealing our highly prized technology can lead to the loss of good-paying jobs here in the United States, affecting families, and sometimes entire communities. Our economic security is essential to our national security. That’s why at the FBI protecting our nation’s innovation is both a law enforcement and a top national security priority.”
“This is the first economic espionage conviction ever in the history of the Eastern District of Missouri,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of FBI’s St. Louis Field Office. There are less than two dozen such convictions nationwide. Economic espionage convictions are rare because the elements required to prove state-sponsored theft is extremely difficult,” “Today’s sentencing is a culmination of more than five years of tenacity and dedication by our agents and federal prosecutors. I commend their success in protecting the victim company and ultimately our U.S. economy.”
According to court documents, Xiang was employed by Monsanto and its subsidiary, The Climate Corporation, from 2008 to 2017, where he worked as an imaging scientist. Monsanto and The Climate Corporation developed a digital, online farming software platform that was used by farmers to collect, store and visualize critical agricultural field data and increase and improve agricultural productivity for farmers. A critical component to the platform was a proprietary predictive algorithm referred to as the Nutrient Optimizer. Monsanto and The Climate Corporation considered the Nutrient Optimizer a valuable trade secret and their intellectual property.
In June 2017, the day after leaving employment with Monsanto and The Climate Corporation, Xiang attempted to travel to China on a one-way airplane ticket. While he was waiting to board his flight, federal officials conducted a search of Xiang’s person and baggage. Investigators later determined that one of Xiang’s electronic devices contained copies of the Nutrient Optimizer. Xiang continued on to China where he worked for the Chinese Academy of Science’s Institute of Soil Science. Xiang was arrested when he returned to the United States in November 2019.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Drake and Gwendolyn Carroll for the Eastern District of Missouri, Senior Trial Attorney Heather Schmidt and Trial Attorney Adam Small of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Senior Counsel Jeff Pearlman and Assistant Deputy Chief Matthew Walczewski of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty for His Role in Drug Trafficking and MurderRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Jerell Henderson, 31, of Saint Louis, MO, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance; one count of conspiracy to possess one or more firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking; and one count of possession, brandishing, and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking resulting in the death of 26-year-old Ladareace Pool on October 3, 2017. Henderson entered his guilty plea in front of U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey prior to the start of jury selection in Henderson’s federal jury trial slated to begin this morning.
According to the plea agreement, Henderson and his associates were involved in drug trafficking at 4739 Goodfellow Boulevard on October 3, 2017. While there, Henderson and his associates came into contact with victim Ladareace Pool. Henderson and four of his associates agreed to, and did, rob the victim at gun point of drugs and money. Henderson and two others specifically committed the robbery. During the robbery, the victim attempted to run away. As the victim ran, the victim was shot twice in the back and died as a result of his gunshot injuries.
The drug and firearm conspiracy charges carry maximum terms of 20 years imprisonment. Henderson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years to life for the firearm charge resulting in death. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The sentencing date has been set for July 13, 2022. The United States intends to present evidence at sentencing regarding Henderson’s firearm possession and discharge of that firearm at the victim on October 3, 2017.
Three of Henderson’s co-defendants, Stephan Jones, Larenta Jones, and Floyd Barber, have previously been convicted in this matter.
“This investigation exemplifies the hard work and close coordination between our local and federal partners to ensure that each person involved in crime, particularly the most violent crime, is held accountable for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming after today’s proceedings. “Whether a case is five days or five years old, we continue to work with the dedicated members of law enforcement to pursue justice for crime victims and their families.”
This case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating this case.
Grand Jury indicts former Chief Operating Officer of major St. Louis Construction Company in Minority Business Enterprise fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Brian Kowert, Sr., former Chief Operating Officer of the HBD Construction Company, on March 30, 2022, for five counts of wire fraud relative to his falsifying of Minority Business Enterprise (“MBE”) participation on several construction and redevelopment projects from 2014 through 2022.
Kowert, Sr. was an owner, executive vice president, and chief operating officer of HBD Construction Company. Kowert, Sr. was also the project manager on numerous HBD construction and redevelopment projects in St. Louis and throughout the Midwest region. The indictment alleges that beginning during 2014, and continuing through early 2022, Kowert, Sr. engaged in a scheme to defraud the City of St. Louis, the State of Missouri, and several HBD client companies by falsifying records to inflate MBE participation numbers on HBD projects. The MBE participation requirements on those projects sought to address historical social and economic disadvantages experienced by minority group members to reduce minority-based barriers to and foster participation by minority owned businesses.
The indictment alleges that Kowert, Sr. used actual MBE certified companies simply as “front” companies to pass payments to non-MBE certified companies which had actually provided the labor and materials on the projects. The MBE certified companies neither performed work nor provided materials on the projects and had no actual contact with the non-MBE companies which actually performed the work and provided the materials. The MBE certified companies were paid a nominal fee by Kowert, Sr. for acting as a “pass through” for the funds paid to the non-MBE companies. The indictment alleges that Kowert, Sr. provided false information and false reports to the City of St. Louis, the State of Missouri, and several HBD client companies which falsely inflated the actual MBE participation numbers on three separate projects. Those projects were located in the St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas. The indictment alleges that Kowert, Sr.’s scheme and false representations were an effort by him to meet City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, and HBD client company MBE participation requirements and goals. Kowert, Sr. falsely reported hundreds of thousands of dollars as MBE certified work on the projects when, in fact, the work had been performed by non-MBE majority owned and staffed companies.
The HBD client companies, the State of Missouri, and the City of St. Louis had no knowledge of Kowert’s alleged criminal conduct, and fully cooperated with federal law enforcement in this investigation.
Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Providing Information that Led to Murders and ViolenceRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Charles “Man Man” Thompson to 45 years in prison today. The 35-year-old St. Louis resident pleaded guilty in January 2020 to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine; three counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime resulting in death; and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, Thompson provided information to one or more members of a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization that existed between 2012 and 2016 while Thompson was incarcerated in Missouri state prison. Thompson, who openly associated with and was a member of a group commonly known as the “Blumeyer,” provided information relating to other “Blumeyer” members to this large-scale cocaine trafficking organization, which was a rival to the “Blumeyer.”
Armed with the information provided by Thompson, one or more members of the rival drug trafficking organization committed acts of violence, including murder, against multiple “Blumeyer” members. Thompson provided the information about his fellow “Blumeyer” members in the hope of becoming a significant drug trafficker within the Saint Louis area upon his release from prison. Thompson also expected to be supplied drugs by the rival drug trafficking organization upon release. Through the rival drug trafficking organization’s killing of “Blumeyer” members, Thompson also expected to have a greater ability to spearhead drug trafficking activities within the Saint Louis area.
As a result of information provided by Thompson to one or more members of the rival drug trafficking organization, multiple acts of violence occurred, including, but not limited to: the shootings of Terrell Beasley on July 1, 2013, and August 8, 2013; the shooting of Anthony Anderson on December 23, 2013; the murders of Robert Parker and Clara Walker on December 29, 2013; the murder of Michail Gridiron on January 21, 2014; and the murder of Dion Stovall on March 5, 2014.
After these acts of violence occurred and Thompson was released from prison, Thompson received controlled substances from the rival drug trafficking organization for Thompson to distribute within the Saint Louis area.
“As today’s significant sentence makes clear, you don’t have to be the one who pulls the trigger of a firearm to be a murderer. The acts of Charles Thompson directly contributed to the untimely and unnecessary deaths of many victims,” said United States Attorney Sayler Fleming after today’s sentencing. “I commend the investigative team who worked tirelessly to hold each person involved in these violent acts accountable, including Mr. Thompson. While today’s sentence will not bring back those we have lost or lessen the impact of their injuries, it should send a clear message that anyone’s involvement in violent crime will be pursued to the fullest extent under the law.”
“DEA investigators and our partners are well aware of the connection between drug trafficking and violence,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, head of DEA operations in Eastern Missouri. “But this case shows the absolute depravity of drug traffickers, how little regard they have for human life. We will never stop pursuing these criminals because these lives taken mattered to their families. Stopping drug traffickers in their illegal business really is a matter of life or death.”
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration; Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Marshals Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Former St. Louis police officer sentenced to one year and one day in fraud caseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Brad Stephens to one year and one day in federal prison for 3 counts of Mail Fraud by obtaining taxpayer moneys from the Tower Grove South Concerned Citizen Special Business District (“Tower Grove South”) by means of material false representations. Stephens pleaded guilty on December 6, 2021.
According to court documents, Stephens was employed as a police officer by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (“SLMPD”) in St. Louis, Missouri, and had been employed by the SLMPD since October 6, 2014.
Tower Grove South was established to provide special police and/or security for the protection and enjoyment of the property owners and the public within the district. The administration and operations of the business district are taxpayer funded. City Wide Security (“CWS”) is a private company that contracts with businesses and organizations to provide private security patrols. CWS contracted to provide security patrols in the Tower Grove South Neighborhood beginning during 2010.
Stephens was employed by CWS beginning in approximately 2015 to work during some of his off-duty hours to patrol the Tower Grove South Neighborhood. Stephens falsely represented to CWS 169 day and night patrol shifts he agreed to work as part of the CWS security patrol in the Tower Grove South Neighborhood when, in fact, Stephens did not actually work those assigned shifts. During 2018, Stephens falsely represented that he worked 93 days, and during 2019, Stephens falsely represented that he worked 76 days. CWS was paid approximately $50,000 by the Tower Grove South organization based upon Stephens’ false representations, all taxpayer funds.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Judge sentences Jefferson County woman on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Kietra R. Studdard, age 44, of Fenton, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on today’s date. Studdard pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 115 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Studdard was previously indicted by a federal grand jury on September 3, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, on May 22, 2019, officers with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office were surveilling a known drug house when Studdard arrived in a blue Buick LeSabre. She retrieved several items from the residence and put them in her vehicle. When Studdard left, the officers followed her, eventually stopping her for a series of traffic violations.
When contacted by deputies, Studdard admitted to having a pistol in her purse, and she was arrested after it was determined she was in possession of methamphetamine. A search of the vehicle revealed numerous boxes pseudoephedrine tablets that Studdard admitted would be used to cook methamphetamine.
Studdard is prohibited by law from possessing a weapon due to a previous felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Bluestone.
Washington County man sentenced to 96 months in federal prisonRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that Eli B. Rawlins, age 35, of Irondale, Missouri, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for the offense of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Rawlins appeared for his plea and sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 6, 2021, a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol was investigating a motor vehicle theft of a Chevrolet Tahoe, when he observed the stolen vehicle parked in the driveway of a residence in Patton, Missouri. The victim of the theft had also reported that her firearm was inside the vehicle when it was stolen. Rawlins was located seated inside a Chevrolet Silverado truck parked in the same driveway. After determining that the victim’s firearm was missing from the stolen Tahoe, the trooper approached Rawlins and inquired about the victim’s firearm. Rawlins admitted that he had removed the gun from the Tahoe and placed it inside the Silverado, where it was recovered by the trooper.
Rawlins has prior felony convictions for Assault in the Third Degree in Madison County and Burglary in the Second Degree in St. Francois County and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Bollinger County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government.
Malden Man Sentenced to Serve 7 Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that KEITH D. FARR, age 25, of Malden, Missouri, was sentenced to serve 84 months (7 years) in federal prison for the offense of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Farr appeared for his sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
According to court documents, Farr was pulled over for a traffic violation in the City of Cape Girardeau last August. He was asked to exit his vehicle after the officer noticed drug paraphernalia items in the center console area. A stolen 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a small bag of methamphetamine were subsequently discovered during a search of the interior. A criminal background check revealed Farr had prior felony convictions for burglary, theft, and unlawfully possessing a firearm. At his guilty plea hearing last December, Farr admitted that the firearm belonged to him. After serving his 84-month sentence, Farr will be placed on supervised release for a period of three years.
This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
Judge sentences remaining former St. Louis Metropolitan Police officer regarding undercover officer’s assault from 2017Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Christopher Myers, 30, of St. Louis, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge John A. Ross on today’s date. Myers pleaded guilty to willfully depriving another of their civil rights by damaging the property of former undercover police officer Luther Hall, while acting under color of law. Judge Ross then sentenced Myers to a year of probation.
As a result of the 2017 acquittal of a former police officer on a state murder charge, protests were taking place in downtown St. Louis. In an effort by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to keep peace and order, the victim undercover officer was assigned to the protest detail. During the protest, SLMPD officers, to include Myers, encountered Hall amongst others.
According to the plea agreement, Myers damaged Hall's cell phone by throwing the cell phone, and, in doing so, did willfully deprive Hall of rights and privileges secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States, that is, the right to be secure against unreasonable seizures of property.
Dustin Boone was previously found guilty during trial of aiding and abetting the deprivation of civil rights under color of law and sentenced to 12 months and a day. Bailey Colletta previously pleaded guilty to making false statements to a federal grand jury and was sentenced to probation. Randy Hays, who had earlier pleaded guilty to his role in the matter, was sentenced to a 52-month term of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.