Eastern District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Judge sentences Arkansas man to 18 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Jerrell West, 32, of Forrest City, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
On August 12, 2021, West was found guilty by jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. He was sentenced by the Honorable Chief Judge Rodney Sippel.
According to the government’s evidence, the minor victim met West through an online application which allows users to utilize video chat and text communication. Over a period of multiple months, West communicated with the minor victim daily. Many of these conversations were friendly and causal in nature, ultimately leading to conversations that were sexual in nature. In April 2020, West informed the minor victim that he wanted her to live with him and would drive to the Saint Louis area to pick her up. West traveled from Forrest City, Arkansas to the Saint Louis area to pick up the minor victim from her home. West then drove to a rest stop area approximately 60 miles away and sexually assaulted the minor victim. West then drove back to the minor victim’s home to drop her off. West was arrested in May 2020 and detained pending trial.
“A child who is sexually abused will be forced to deal with that trauma for life. We hope today's 18-year sentence will empower the victim to see that 100% of the blame sits squarely on child predator Jerrell West,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI St. Louis Division. “I commend Pagedale Police Department for notifying us immediately. Their quick action enabled agents to use a large number of advanced techniques to produce overwhelming and undeniable evidence against the perpetrator.”
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Dianna R. Collins and Assistant United States Attorney Colleen Lang led the prosecution team.
Ferguson man pleads guilty to the production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey accepted a plea of guilty from Mark Bennett on today’s date, for the production of child pornography. Judge Autrey set sentencing for June 13, 2022. At sentencing, Bennett is subject to imprisonment of not less than fifteen years and not more than thirty years, and a fine of not more than $250,000. The Court may also impose a period of supervised release of not more than life and not less than five years.
According to the plea agreement, on December 11, 2019, Bennett attempted to download child pornography from a Microsoft search engine. Due to material sought, Microsoft reported the activity as a cyber tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on December 12, 2019. This cyber tip led to a law enforcement investigation by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the residence of Bennett.
A subsequent search of Bennett’s electronics revealed over fifteen hundred files of child sexual abuse material. It was learned that Bennett had been abusing his adopted daughter and he had digitally recorded and photographed the abuse. Bennett was found in possession of five hundred and eight-nine images and videos of the aforementioned sexual abuse of his adopted daughter.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
St. Louis man sentenced to 10 years in prison for enticement of a minorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Jason Draggs, Jr., 24, of St. Louis, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on today’s date and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the coercion and enticement of a minor. Draggs previously pleaded guilty in November.
According to the plea agreement, Between the dates of April 1, 2020, and May 9, 2020, Draggs communicated with three teenaged females using internet-based communication including social media applications such as Snapchat. During these communications, Draggs requested, persuaded, induced and enticed the minors to send him nude images and engage in sexual contact with him. Draggs knowing one victim was a minor, engaged in multiple sexual acts with her. Multiple videos were produced of this sexual contact and were exchanged and stored via the internet-based social media application Snapchat.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Farmington man sentenced to 16 years in prison for receipt of child pornography and enticement of a minorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – James L. Rodgers, age 42, of Farmington, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on today’s date and was sentenced to 16 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for the receipt of child pornography and the coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to the plea agreement, on or between May 1, 2019, and October 9, 2019, in St. Francois County, Missouri, Rodgers utilized the internet and social media websites to communicate with multiple victims under the age of ten. Rodgers used the social media sites to request the victims to engage in sexual acts and that they produce and send to him images and videos of such sexual acts over the internet.
An examination of the Rodger’s cell phone by law enforcement also revealed he was distributing child pornography with others over the internet. On September 22, 2019, Rodgers shared eleven videos and nine images of child pornography and again on September 27, 2019, Rodgers exchanged five videos and sixteen images of child pornography over a social media platform.
The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Judge sentences Webster Groves man to 10 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Jonathan Wells, age 39, of Webster Groves, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark on today’s date. Based on a previous plea of guilty, Wells was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for the receipt of child pornography followed by a lifetime of supervised release and a $5000.00 assessment to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking fund.
According to court documents, on or about November 29, 2019, and January 4, 2020, Wells uploaded from the internet, ninety-four (94) image files of child pornography to an editing software program called "Adobe."
Adobe Systems Inc. reported Well's download of child pornography to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on or about December 2, 2019, and January 6, 2020. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Well’s residence and determined that Wells possessed numerous items of child sexual abuse material that he had downloaded from the internet. Specifically, Wells possessed over twenty-three thousand (23,000) images of child pornography on his Lenovo Tower computer that had been downloaded from the internet.
This case was investigated by the Saint Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Judge sentences St. Louis man to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – David Whitener, age 30, of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on today’s date. Based on a previous plea of guilty, Whitener was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography as a prior offender to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
According to court documents, Whitener was convicted in 2016, in the Circuit Court of St. Louis for promoting child pornography and possession of child pornography and was sentenced to five (5) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. On or about September 23, 2019, Whitener uploaded via the internet ten (10) videos and seven (7) images depicting child sexual abuse to a social media application.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence of Whitener, located in the City of St. Louis. The search revealed Whitener to have possessed a cellular telephone that contained seventeen (17) videos and hundreds of images of child sexual abuse depicting child pornography involving minors. Whitener also possessed a Dropbox internet-based cloud storage account in which he knowingly stored and possessed forty-five (45) videos and twenty-one (21) images of child pornography.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Judge sentences St. Louis County man for robbery and weapon violationsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Collis Lee, age 25, of St. Louis County, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey on today’s date. Based on a previous plea of guilty, Lee was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for the armed robbery of O’Reilly Auto Parts store in Jennings, Missouri.
According to the plea agreement, Lee and a co-defendant entered the O’Reilly Auto Parts store on Jennings Station Road on December 5, 2020, with guns and announced a robbery. With the robbers’ attention on the two employees, an O’Reilly’s customer fled the store, went to an adjacent store, and asked employees there to call 911. Meanwhile, Lee and his co-defendant proceeded to force the clerks to open as many cash registers as they could. During the robbery, Lee pistol-whipped the clerk several times.
While this was going on, police were responding to the 911 call. Because the St. Louis County SWAT team happened to be on patrol in the area, many police vehicles were nearby, and four police vehicles were in the O’Reilly’s parking lot before Lee even left the store. As Lee entered a getaway car to flee, witnesses began pointing officers to the suspects. With Lee driving the sedan he fled the parking lot while being pursued by police. Lee lost control of the sedan while attempting to make a right hand turn at high speeds. The car drove over the median and t-boned the second car of a three-car funeral convoy. The car into which he crashed was a funeral limousine transporting grieving family members to a funeral home for a funeral service scheduled that morning. Five of the individuals in that limousine were injured in the accident.
This case was investigated by the Saint Louis County Police Department.
Grand Jury indicts former St. Louis school principal and co-conspirator in murder for hire plotRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Cornelius M. Green and Phillip J. Cutler on March 9, 2022, for conspiracy to commit murder for hire and murder for hire that resulted in the death of Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child in 2016.
The indictment alleges that Green and Cutler had a longstanding and close friendship and Green, already legally married to another was involved in an ongoing romantic relationship with Jocelyn Peters. In 2015, Ms. Peters became pregnant, with Green being the father of the unborn child.
Beginning at an exact time unknown but including February 29, 2016, through October 11, 2016, within the Eastern District of Missouri and elsewhere, Green devised a plan to murder Peters and her unborn child. Part of that plan was that Green offered cash to Cutler for the murder of Peters and her unborn child.
It is alleged on or about March 7, 2016, Green sent a package via United Parcel Service containing $2500.00 to Cutler, who accepted the package at an address in Oklahoma. As part of the conspiracy, it is alleged that Cutler traveled to St. Louis on March 21, 2016, staying at a residence occupied by Green. The next day, Green traveled to Chicago, Illinois allegedly to distance himself from the homicide.
It was further part of the conspiracy that on or about March 24, 2016, Cutler traveled to the area of 4236 W. Pine in Green’s 2013 Kia Optima, unlawfully entered Jocelyn Peters’ apartment, Unit #201, found Peters in her bed, shot her with a .380 caliber firearm in the head while using a potato as a silencer to muffle the sound of the shot.
Green and Cutler were both charged for a variety of crimes related to the murder of Peters and her unborn child by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office and are currently incarcerated awaiting trial.
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 St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted in cooperation with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
St. Louis man enters guilty plea for being a felon in possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –On March 9, 2022, Steven Huffman, age 52, pleaded guilty in front of District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, on December 2, 2020, a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) detective designated as a federal task force officer and others were conducting surveillance operations in the 7200 block of Pennsylvania. Detectives had been informed that Huffman, a previously convicted felon that was prohibited from possessing firearms, was in the area armed with a gun.
Detectives observed Huffman in the area as he was rummaging around in a backpack. As they approached, he fled on foot, discarding the backpack. Huffman was eventually taken into custody. Discovered in the discarded backpack was a loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Huffman faces a maximum term of incarceration of not more than 10 years, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both such imprisonment and fine. The Court also may impose a period of supervised release of not more than 3 years. Sentencing is set for June 14, 2022.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
St. Louis County man sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Scott Reinhardt II, age 36, to 25 years in federal prison to be followed by a lifetime on supervised release for the production of child pornography. Reinhardt previously pleaded guilty in December 2021.
According to the plea agreement, between the dates of February 1, 2020, and December 13, 2020, in Jefferson County, Missouri, Reinhardt sexually abused the victim, who was under the age of ten at the time. Reinhardt used his cellular telephone to video record and produce images of his sexual abuse of the victim. Reinhardt also used the same cellular telephone to secretly record a second minor female victim while nude in the bathroom of the residence he shared with the victims’ mother.
Reinhardt had been previously convicted on November 12, 2014, of one count of statutory rape second degree and two counts of statutory sodomy second degree for sexual contact perpetrated against a minor, who was fourteen years of age at the time. The defendant was sentenced to 5 years in prison in the Circuit Court for Jefferson County, Missouri.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Poplar Bluff man sentenced to 228 months in federal prison for carjackingRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that CARLOS WALLACE, age 33, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was sentenced to 228 months in federal prison for the offenses of carjacking, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Wallace 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, on December 11, 2019, Carlos Wallace committed a carjacking in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. The victim was stopped at an intersection when Wallace opened the rear door of the vehicle and climbed into the back seat. Wallace ordered the victim to drive and directed him down several city streets and onto a gravel road where Wallace told the victim to exit the vehicle. The victim initially refused to do so. Wallace then pointed a firearm at the victim and shot him in the leg. After the victim exited the vehicle, Wallace entered the driver seat and drove off in the vehicle.
On December 23, 2019, an officer with the Poplar Bluff Police Department attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle being operated by Carlos Wallace. Wallace refused to stop and accelerated at a high rate of speed. A police pursuit ensued, until ultimately the vehicle became stuck in an alleyway. Wallace was ordered from the car and was taken into custody. As Wallace was being arrested, he volunteered to law enforcement officers that there were two firearms in the vehicle. A search warrant was obtained and Wallace’s vehicle was searched. Two fully loaded firearms were located.
Wallace has a prior conviction for felony domestic assault and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Poplar Bluff Police Department, Butler 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.
St. Louis man pleads guilty for three separate incidents involving drug and gun crimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey accepted a plea of guilty from Carlos D. Bell, Jr. on March 3, 2022, for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Bell in November 2020. Judge Autrey set sentencing for June 8, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, Bell’s first encounter with law enforcement was on September 8, 2020, when Bell was arrested for outstanding warrants by members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD). A subsequent search of Bell’s vehicle revealed a loaded .40 caliber pistol with a large capacity magazine. On October 3, 2020, Bell was stopped by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department after violating a stop sign. Deputies located a clear plastic baggy with 196 capsules filled with white powder during this encounter with Bell. The substance was later determined to be fentanyl.
After Bell was federally indicted in November 2020 for the conduct noted above, SLMPD detectives conducted surveillance to arrest Bell on the warrant. Detectives saw Bell conduct a hand-to-hand transaction in front of his residence. Bell was confronted and arrested without incident. A search of the home revealed a Glock pistol with a large-capacity magazine, a Davis Industries pistol, and 24 capsules containing fentanyl. Police also found plates and grinders with drug residue, empty capsules, and two loaded firearm magazines with ammunition in the kitchen.
The maximum possible penalties provided by law for the crimes to which Bell is pleading guilty are imprisonment of not more than imprisonment of not more than twenty years, a fine of not more than $1,000,000, or both such imprisonment and fine. The Court shall impose a period of supervised release of at least three years.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Bluestone.
Judge sentences California man to life in prison for being the leader of a large-scale fentanyl distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Gerald Hunter, 56, of Los Angeles, appeared today before United States District Judge John A. Ross and was sentenced to life in federal prison. Hunter was convicted of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine, and two counts of money laundering. A federal jury returned the verdicts after a week-long trial in October 2021.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a long-term investigation of a fentanyl and cocaine distribution organization in St. Louis. Agents identified Hunter of Los Angeles as an out-of-state source of supply for the St. Louis organization. On April 27, 2017, DEA agents seized approximately 27 kilograms of fentanyl in Florissant, Mo. Hunter was in possession of the bags containing the fentanyl, and his fingerprint was recovered from packaging material. However, Hunter ran from investigators, and made good his escape.
The jury found that Hunter conspired to distribute fentanyl in St. Louis, but also that he possessed the fentanyl with the intent to distribute the drug in St. Louis. The evidence at trial established that the fentanyl was the equivalent of 270,000 usage units before being diluted, with a street value of $1 million. Hunter evaded arrest for three years before the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him. At the time of his arrest, Hunter was in possession of $220,000 in United States currency, 11 cellular phones and two identification cards with someone else’s name. Flight records established Hunter’s frequent pattern of travel to St. Louis from Los Angeles.
“The sentence remanded to Gerald Hunter is a reminder there is a price to pay for those that choose to poison our communities with fentanyl. This drug trafficking organization was dismantled by the hard work of numerous law enforcement agencies working together to stop the spread of fentanyl proliferated by Hunter and others,” said United States Attorney Sayler Fleming. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our federal, state and local partners stand together to protect the community from those like Hunter and his associates.”
“This sentencing today is good news for anyone who seeks justice for the many overdose deaths fentanyl is causing in St. Louis,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, supervisor of DEA operations in Eastern Missouri. “Hunter and his associates are no longer a threat to St. Louis, but our job continues. Drug traffickers should heed the message we delivered to Hunter: DEA and our law enforcement partners will be relentless in dismantling and destroying the drug networks that cause harm to our communities.”
This case was investigated by the DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
St. Louis man convicted during a November trial is sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –On November 2, 2021, a jury convicted Robert Harrison, 41, of St. Louis of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm after a two-day trial. As a result of the jury verdict, United States District Judge John A. Ross sentenced Harrison to 84 months in federal prison on March 2, 2022.
According to court records, on January 8, 2020, Harrison crashed his vehicle into a retaining wall in front of a residence in the City of St. Louis. When officers responded, Harrison tossed a firearm from his waist band and attempted to kick it under the front of his vehicle without officers noticing. Harrison was previously convicted of a felony and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Kourtney M. Bell and Rodney H. Holmes prosecuted the case.
Judge sentences fentanyl dealer who caused overdose death to life in federal prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –Gerald E. Cardwell, Jr., 50, of O’Fallon, Missouri was sentenced today to life imprisonment for Distribution of a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl) Resulting in Death. Cardwell was convicted by a jury in November 2021 of distributing fentanyl to Ryan Leahy, also of O’Fallon, in July 2019. Leahy was found deceased in a room at the Hollywood Casino Hotel.
Evidence presented at trial revealed that Leahy had picked Cardwell up from the Hollywood Casino Hotel on the night of July 25, 2019. In the early morning hours of July 26, 2019, Cardwell gave Leahy a mixture of fentanyl and Adderall, sending text messages to a third-party witness that Leahy was unconscious in the car. Surveillance video obtained from Hollywood Casino Hotel depicted Cardwell, Leahy, and the witness enter the hotel shortly before 2 a.m. The third party left approximately ten minutes later, leaving Cardwell and Leahy in the hotel room. Cardwell departed at 10:00 the following morning. Housekeeping staff found Leahy deceased in the room at approximately 3:15 that afternoon. The St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Leahy died of fentanyl and ethanol intoxication. However, two experts testified that the Leahy’s blood alcohol content at the time of his death was .03. According to the Medical Examiner, that small amount of alcohol could not have caused Leahy’s death.
United States District Judge John A. Ross called the evidence against Cardwell “overwhelming,” and described his conduct as “unconscionable.” Judge Ross specifically noted that Leahy was either dying or already dead at the time Cardwell left the hotel room without summoning help, leading him to question Cardwell as to how he could have abandoned Leahy, who Cardwell had known for years. Cardwell, who refused to make a statement, did not respond. Judge Ross also wondered aloud how Cardwell could continue to sell fentanyl after Leahy’s death, evidence of which was presented at trial.
Judge Ross specifically commended the efforts of Detective Sergeant Kendra House and the entire Maryland Heights Police Department, commenting that law enforcement could have simply dismissed Leahy’s death without investigating it. Instead, Judge Ross noted, the Maryland Heights Police worked diligently to determine who was responsible for providing fentanyl to Leahy and that Cardwell was properly held accountable.
“The sentence imposed today on Mr. Cardwell should serve as a clear message. The death and destruction caused by individuals distributing fentanyl has no limits and must be punished accordingly,” stated United States Attorney Sayler Fleming. “The outstanding investigative efforts of the Maryland Heights Police Department was a large part of the success of this prosecution. I hope the life sentence received by Mr. Cardwell provides some solace to the Leahy family.”
“Opioid addiction and related overdose deaths are a tragedy that impacts all communities, and all levels of society. Our police department takes these cases very seriously and we do everything we can to identify the persons responsible and hold them accountable,” stated Chief Bill Carson. “The detectives involved in this case, Sgt. Kendra House and Cpl. Nick Anthon, put a tremendous amount of work into this investigation. We value the relationship that we have with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we very much appreciate their willingness to prosecute these cases”.
Area man sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his role in carjacking plotRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On March 2, 2022, United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced Antwan Jones to eight years in federal prison for his role in a carjacking, weapons charges and assaulting a federal officer. Jones had previously pleaded guilty in November 2021.
According to the plea agreement, Jones and his co-defendant stopped their SUV next to the victim on January 15, 2020. Jones approached the victim at gunpoint and demanded her purse. The carjacking victim surrendered her purse, which contained the keys to her car. Jones and his co-defendant drove around the area and used the victim’s key fob to locate her Mercedes Benz. Once they found the car parked nearby, they used the victim’s keys to drive her car away.
Later that night, police tracked the victim’s phone to East St. Louis, Illinois. There, police discovered the SUV originally used by Jones parked in the 1800 block of Boismenue Avenue with the victim’s purse still inside.
According to the indictment, Jones was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous criminal conviction.
Days later as federal authorities arrested Jones, he resisted the attempt and physically assaulted a federal officer. Jones’ co-defendant previously entered a plea of guilty in October and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
St. Louis man pleads guilty to distribution of a controlled substance related to overdose death investigationRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge John A. Ross accepted a plea of guilty from Markquis Bryant on today’s date for the crime of distribution of a controlled substance related to an overdose death. Judge Ross set sentencing for June 14, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, Bryant knowingly and intentionally distributed a controlled substance on or about March 6, 2020, within the Eastern District of Missouri. The investigation began on March 7, 2020, when officers with the Florissant Police Department were dispatched to a residence to investigate a fatal narcotics overdose. Investigators were able to determine that the victim had purchased the fentanyl which caused the overdose from Bryant on March 6, 2020.
Investigators then conducted an undercover operation in which fentanyl was purchased from Bryant at his residence in the 5300 block of Queens Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri. On March 26, 2020, a federal search warrant was executed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Florissant Police Department, with assistance from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. While executing the search warrant, law enforcement located five (5) firearms, including a Glock .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Sig Sauer .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Rohm GMBH .22 magnum caliber revolver, a Mossberg International, .22 LR caliber firearm, and an Intratec AB-10 Model .9 mm caliber firearm, as well as an extended magazine. Also seized were large quantities of suspected heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine.
The case was investigated by the Florissant Police Department, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
St. Louis man sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for carjacking pizza driverRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Ryan McDaniel, 25, of St. Louis, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark late yesterday afternoon and was sentenced to 179 months in prison for carjacking a Domino’s Pizza driver in February 2021. McDaniel previously pleaded guilty in November.
According to the plea agreement, on or about February 5, 2021, McDaniel approached the victim who was making a Domino's pizza delivery at The Residences at Forest Park, a location within the Eastern District of Missouri. Brandishing a handgun, McDaniel demanded the keys to the victim's motor vehicle, a 2020 Mazda CX-30. McDaniel reached in the victim's pocket and grabbed the keys before fleeing the scene in the carjacked vehicle.
Minutes after the robbery, officers located the stolen Mazda CX-30 and a lengthy pursuit ensued. McDaniel was eventually taken into custody after the vehicle was disabled. Officers searched the vehicle and found two Springfield XD semiautomatic firearms. One of the firearms, which was located on the driver's seat, was stolen; the other firearm, located in the glovebox, belonged to the victim. McDaniel was also searched, resulting in the recovery of a Smith & Wesson .32 caliber revolver.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Federal charges filed against St. Louis man for robbing multiple QuikTrip storesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On February 23, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Terrence Gleason, age 51, for multiple counts of robbery and weapon charges. Gleason is accused of robbing several area QuikTrip stores while armed with a semi-automatic pistol. Gleason is currently being held in the St. Louis County Jail on unrelated charges.
According to the indictment, beginning on December 5, 2021, and ending on December 12, 2021, Gleason is accused of robbing the following QuikTrip locations while brandishing or indicating he had a firearm:
QuikTrip located at 9099 Natural Bridge (three separate times)
QuikTrip located at 5909 Howdershell
QuikTrip located at 11150 St. Charles Rock Road
Charges set forth 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 Normandy Police Department, Hazelwood Police Department, St. Ann Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Federal charges filed against St. Louis man for robbery and weapon violationsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On February 22, 2022, Mercedes W. Gregory, age 33, made an initial appearance to face federal charges previously filed in September 2021. Gregory is accused of a robbery of Kohl’s department store as well as branding a firearm while doing so. He was additionally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Gregory was being held in the St. Louis County Jail on unrelated charges.
According to the indictment, on July 12, 2021, Gregory entered the Kohl’s located in the city of Manchester and began stealing merchandise. When confronted by a Loss Prevention Officer in the parking lot, Gregory threatened him with a handgun. Gregory is prohibited from possessing a handgun after previously being convicted of a felony. Gregory was taken into custody on unrelated charges in the City of St. Louis on July 23, 2021.
Charges set forth 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 Manchester Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Doniphan man sentenced to 10 Years in federal prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that JAMES TAYLOR, age 45, of Doniphan, Missouri, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in federal prison for the offense of Possession of Child Pornography. Taylor appeared for his sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Matthew T. Schelp at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
According to court documents, law enforcement officials responded to Taylor’s residence in March 2021 after receiving a cyber tip that he was using Facebook to upload files containing child pornography. During an examination of Taylor’s mobile phone, investigators discovered several images of child pornography. At his guilty plea hearing last year, Taylor admitted that he used his mobile phone to obtain the images over the internet. At the time of this investigation, Taylor was already required to register as a sex offender after a 1998 conviction from the State of Illinois for Criminal Sexual Abuse. After serving his 120-month sentence, Taylor will be placed on a lifetime term of supervised release. He will also be required to continue registering as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Poplar Bluff Police Department and the SEMO Cybercrimes Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
Kennett Man Sentenced to Serve 210 Months in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that Travis Crane, age 30, of Kennett, Missouri, was sentenced to serve 210 months in federal prison for the offense of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Crane 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 executed a search warrant at Crane’s residence in July 2020 after receiving a cybertip that he was using Facebook to upload files containing child pornography. During an examination of Crane’s mobile phone, investigators discovered multiple images and videos of child pornography. In addition to material obtained over the internet, investigators also discovered several sexually explicit images of Crane’s own 2-year old daughter taken while she was sleeping. At his guilty plea hearing last year, Crane admitted that he used his mobile phone to produce the images. After serving his 210-month sentence, Crane was ordered to be placed on supervised release for 20 years. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
This case was investigated by the Poplar Bluff Police Department, the SEMO Cybercrimes Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
Grand jury indicts St. Louis woman linked to fentanyl overdose investigationRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On February 16, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Chuny Ann Reed, age 46, for distribution of crack cocaine (cocaine base) and fentanyl, and distribution of cocaine base and fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury to another person. These charges were a result of an investigation that began after a series of fatal overdoses that occurred at 4451 Forest Park Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri on February 5, 2022. A federal criminal complaint was filed in this matter on February 8, 2022.
According to the charging documents, on February 5, 2022, law enforcement was notified about a series of suspected fentanyl related overdoses that occurred at 4451 Forest Park Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, located within the Eastern District of Missouri. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigators responded to assist the SLMPD with the investigation. It was determined at least nine victims suffered fentanyl overdoses at 4451 Forest Park Avenue on the day in question. On February 7, 2022, a federal search warrant was executed at the residence of Reed, where she was located and subsequently arrested.
The offense of distribution of cocaine base and fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury to another person is punishable by imprisonment of not less than twenty years. This investigation remains ongoing.
Charges set forth are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Berkeley, Missouri man pleads guilty to solicitation of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Barry J. Parrott, 55, appeared before United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk today and pled guilty to the offense of solicitation of child pornography. Judge Pitlyk set sentencing for May 18, 2022. This offense is punishable by imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than twenty years, a fine of not more than $250,000, and the Court shall also impose a period of supervised release.
According to the plea agreement, on or between April 21, 2021 and April 26, 2021, in the Eastern District of Missouri, Parrott communicated over the internet via social media and digital communications with an undercover law enforcement officer who the defendant believed to be a fifteen-year-old juvenile female. During the course of those communications, Parrott solicited the purported juvenile to send him a visual depiction of her fully nude and in the shower as well as an image that Parrott requested to be sexy. With these solicitations Parrott intended and was attempting to obtain one or more images of child pornography involving a lascivious display of the purported juvenile’s nude genitals. Parrott further sent the purported juvenile over the internet two videos depicting adult male genitalia.
Parrott solicited child pornography from the purported juvenile via the internet using his cellular telephone that was produced using materials that had been mailed, shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Charles County Police Department and the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
St. Louis man enters guilty plea for being a felon in possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –On February 15, 2022, Horatio Harris pleaded guilty in front of District Court Judge Ronnie L. White to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, on September 4, 2020, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) received a call about a crowd gathered outside a boarding house in the City of St. Louis. When officers arrived, they found a group of fifteen to twenty people in the street. A woman from the crowd explained that she had come to confront their stepfather, Horatio Harris, about the suspicious death of her two-year-old nephew.
When Harris saw the group approaching the boarding house, he went to his room upstairs, retrieved a silver revolver, and answered the door with the gun in hand. Officers determined that Harris was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm, specifically in this case, a .38 caliber Colt Army Special revolver that was recovered by police at the scene. Harris later made admissions knowing he was a convicted felon and that he was prohibited from possessing the firearm.
Harris faces a maximum term of incarceration of not more than 10 years, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both such imprisonment and fine. The Court also may impose a period of supervised release of not more than 3 years. Sentencing is set for May 18, 2022.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Bluestone.
Irondale Missouri man sentenced to federal prison for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced Andrew Hotchkiss to 27.5 years in federal prison to be followed by a lifetime on supervised release for the production of child pornography. Hotchkiss previously pleaded guilty in November 2021.
Between the dates of March 1, 2019, and May 13, 2019, in St. Francois County, Missouri, Hotchkiss sexually abused the victim, who was six years of age at the time. Hotchkiss used his cellular telephone to video record and produce images of his sexual abuse of the victim.
Hotchkiss distributed the images and videos of his sexual abuse of the minor via the internet to others including a resident of the State of Oregon. On May 13, 2019, law enforcement officers with the Oregon State Police located the above-reference images and videos on a cellular telephone belonging to the Oregon resident who was in police custody after attempting to meet an eleven-year-old for sexual contact. It was the Oregon State Police investigation and their recovery of the images and videos produced by Hotchkiss that initiated the investigation that gave rise to the charges against Hotchkiss in this case.
This case was a joint effort between the St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oregon State Police.
St. Louis City corrections officer pleads guilty to violating the civil rights of a prisonerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp accepted a plea of guilty from Demeria Thomas, age 38, on today’s date for deprivation of rights under color of law related to her knowingly allowing inmates to assault another inmate while in his cell at the St. Louis City Justice Center. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Thomas in July 2021. Judge Schelp set sentencing for May 10, 2022.
According to the indictment, on March 22, 2021, Demeria Thomas was employed by the City of St. Louis as a Corrections Officer at the City Justice Center. Thomas was on duty at the City Justice Center on March 22, 2021, and acted, at all times relevant hereto, under color of law.
Thomas was operating a control panel which locked and unlocked cells in her area of responsibility. After engaging in conversation with two inmates, Thomas unlocked a specific cell door. This allowed the two inmates to enter and physically assault another inmate.
In addition, Thomas directed other inmates to stay away, prohibiting them from coming to the aid of the victim. Several minutes after the assault began, Thomas walked to the open door of the cell as the suspects continued the assault. Thomas calmly instructed the suspects to leave the cell. After they had left, Thomas closed the door to the cell, making no effort to render aid to the bleeding and incapacitated victim. Thomas also failed to disclose the assault and filed no report of the incident.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Grand Jury indicts area man for his role in a string of violent crimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted James Furlow on today’s date for numerous counts related to a crime spree during the last week of December 2021.
The indictment charges that Furlow committed three armed robberies, specifically, two carjackings and a commercial business robbery. In addition, it is alleged that Furlow discharged a firearm while committing the business robbery, severely injuring an employee, and that Furlow brandished a firearm while committing both carjackings.
The indictment alleges on December 26, 2021, Furlow carjacked a victim at gunpoint, stealing a 2017 Kia Sorrento. Later that same day, Furlow robbed a Quik Mart store and shot the clerk during the robbery. On December 30, 2021, Furlow carjacked another victim at gunpoint, stealing a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan.
Following the December 30, 2021, carjacking, officers saw the Tiguan. Furlow was driving and fled from officers in the Tiguan, before ultimately fleeing on foot. Eventually, Furlow was found and arrested. Furlow is currently in custody.
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, St. Louis County Police Department, Overland Police Department, North County Police Cooperative, and the St. Ann Police Department.
Federal charges filed against St. Louis woman linked to multiple overdose deathsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On February 8, 2022, federal charges were filed against Chuny Ann Reed, age 46. Reed is accused of distribution of crack cocaine (cocaine base) and fentanyl. These charges were a result of an investigation that began after a series of fatal overdoses that occurred at 4451 Forest Park Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri on February 5, 2022.
According to the charging documents, on February 5, 2022, law enforcement was notified about a series of suspected fentanyl related overdoses that occurred at 4451 Forest Park Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, located within the Eastern District of Missouri. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigators responded to assist the SLMPD with the investigation.
It was determined at least nine victims suffered fentanyl overdoses at 4451 Forest Park Avenue on the day in question. Investigators further determined five of the nine victims died as a result. Agents and detectives developed information that Chuny Reed was distributing crack cocaine on February 5, 2022, from her residence located at 4451 Forest Park Avenue.
Investigators learned that video surveillance footage from inside the apartment complex was available via the SLMPD Real Time Crime Center because the apartment complex is affiliated with the St. Louis Housing Authority. While reviewing the previously mentioned surveillance footage, investigators observed a black male arrive at Reed’s apartment on February 5, 2022. The black male entered Reed’s apartment and stayed for several minutes. He then departed and returned directly to his apartment. Later in the day, this individual was discovered dead inside his apartment from an apparent overdose. At the scene of the overdose death, investigators recovered and seized a crack pipe with trace amounts of a suspected controlled substance inside the pipe. This evidence was taken to the SLMPD Crime Laboratory for analysis on February 6, 2022. Investigators received an analysis report that confirmed the trace substance found on the pipe was in fact a mixture of fentanyl and cocaine base, both Schedule II controlled substances.
On February 7, 2022, a federal search warrant was executed at the residence of Reed, where she was located and subsequently arrested.
Additional federal charges will be considered upon the completion of the current investigation as well as the investigative and toxicology reports forthcoming from the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Charges set forth are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
St. Louis County man pleads guilty to possession with the intent to distribute fentanylRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk accepted a plea of guilty from Jarvis L. Fields on today’s date for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Fields in December 2020. Judge Pitlyk set sentencing for May 3, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, on April 10, 2020, the St. Louis County Police Department received a report of shots fired in the 2400 block of Princess Drive in north St. Louis County, within the Eastern District of Missouri. When officers arrived on scene, they noticed a blue Ford Fusion idling with its brake lights illuminated. The officers decided to investigate due to the suspicious nature of the vehicle and proximity to the shots fired. Officers contacted Fields in the passenger seat of the vehicle which was determined to have stolen license plates.
Fields exited the vehicle while repeatedly ignoring the police officer’s commands. As officers attempted to restrain him, Fields advised he had a gun in his satchel, which was 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. They later discovered approximately 430 clear capsules containing fentanyl and two bags of white powder containing fentanyl in the satchel Fields possessed.
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 pleads guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm after domestic disputeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp accepted a plea of guilty from Marlin Tobius, Jr., today. Tobius was previously indicted by a grand jury for unlawful 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.
The maximum possible penalty provided by law for this offense is imprisonment of not more than ten years, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both such imprisonment and fine. The Court also may impose a period of supervised release of not more than three years.
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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Bluestone.
St. Louis man pleads guilty for his role in the armed robbery of a local fast-food establishmentRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark accepted a plea of guilty from Ronald Scott on January 27, 2022, for knowingly robbing a commercial establishment and knowingly brandishing a firearm in furtherance of that crime. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Scott in August 2020. Judge Clark set sentencing for May 10, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, on September 18, 2019, Scott and his co-defendant robbed the McDonald's Restaurant located at 1119 North Tucker, Saint Louis, Missouri, within the Eastern District of Missouri. Scott, a former employee from this McDonald’s location, brandished a pistol in commission of the robbery. Both suspects were wearing masks and one was wearing a grey backpack.
Scott and his co-defendant left the McDonald's in a silver Chevrolet Impala. A few days after the armed robbery, the silver Chevrolet Impala was stopped by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers. Officers discovered McDonald's hats and a McDonald's paycheck stub addressed to Scott in the Impala.
Additional investigative measures to include forensic analysis of items seized from the vehicle lead to the subsequent identification and arrest of Scott.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Park Hills Missouri man pleads guilty to possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Rodney W. Sippel accepted a plea of guilty from Scott E. Reid on today’s date for possession of child pornography. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Reid for the charge. Judge Sippel set sentencing for April 29, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, on or about August 11, 2019, Reid uploaded via the internet multiple images of child sexual abuse material to a website. Uploaded were images including that of a minor female engaged in lascivious behavior.
On December 19, 2019, a search warrant was executed at the residence of Reid in St. Francois County, Missouri. Law enforcement seized computers and electronics on which Reid had downloaded from the internet 3,344 images and 24 videos of child pornography depicting juveniles engaged in sexual conduct. Reid admitted that he has viewed child pornography beginning as early as 1995 through internet chatrooms.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team and the St. Francis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Federal charges filed against Chesterfield, Missouri man for crossing state lines with intent to engage in sexual conduct with a minorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On January 27, 2022, several federal charges were filed against John K. Low. The 38-year-old Chesterfield resident is accused of coercion and enticement of a minor, transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to the charging documents, on January 24, 2022, the Riley County Police Department, located in Manhattan, Kansas, received a report of a missing juvenile. The investigation revealed that the missing 15-year-old child left her residence without her cell phone. Her mother provided electronic devices to Riley County Police, who analyzed the devices for any information about her disappearance. The police department was able to locate conversations belonging to the missing female on a social media messaging application. Discovered in these conversations were plans between the victim and suspect which indicated the victim was to be picked up by the suspect, unbeknownst to her parents.
On or about January 26, 2022, a search warrant was obtained from the District Court of Riley County, Kansas to obtain information pertinent to the investigation from the social
media application used by the victim. Through this information, the Riley County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were able to identify a possible suspect named John Low at a residence in Chesterfield, Missouri.
The St. Louis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified that the victim could be at John Low’s residence in Chesterfield, Missouri. Accompanied by Chesterfield Police, FBI agents knocked on door of the residence. Agents determined John Low resided at this address and discovered the victim in the house.
Charges set forth 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 Riley County Police Department, Chesterfield Police Department as well as the St. Louis and Kansas Division offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
St. Louis man pleads guilty for his role in the attempted armed robbery of Robinson’s JewelersRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig accepted a plea of guilty from Deven Strauther, age 30, on today’s date for knowingly attempting to rob Robinson Jeweler’s on May 25, 2019. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Strauther in July 2019. Judge Fleissig set sentencing for May 4, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, on May 25, 2019, Strauther and at least two other individuals arrived on the parking lot of the Robinson’s Jewelers in a stolen vehicle with the intent to commit an armed robbery. Strauther and another individual were armed as they attempted to enter the jewelry store. The business is equipped with two entry doors that allow entry into the business. As a security measure, the second door must be opened electronically by the staff.
Strauther entered the first door of the business as another suspect followed. Strauther and the other individual were not able to gain complete entry into the business because staff did not electronically open the second door. When Strauther was unable to gain entry through the second door, he kicked out the lower portion of the glass on the door to try and get in.
Fearing for their safety, the business owner and an off-duty police officer, who were both armed with firearms, fired at Strauther. In response, Strauther discharged his weapon as he and the other individual ran from the business. Strauther was located approximately 30 minutes after the shooting at an area hospital with two gunshot wounds to his abdomen.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives are investigating this case.
Judge sentences area man to 36 months for tax crimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced Gary D. Primm, Jr. to 36 months in prison today. After a federal jury trial in October 2021, Primm was found guilty of two counts of tax evasion and one count of failure to file an income tax return.
Primm owned and operated United Auto Defense, LLC, (“United”) located in St. Charles, Missouri, which was a call center that marketed and sold auto warranties. In the tax year 2014, United had taxable income in excess of $620,000, but Primm failed to file an income tax return for the company. In the tax years 2014 and 2015, Primm received over a million dollars in income from United operations, but he did not pay any personal income taxes on that income.
Primm took steps to evade assessment of his taxes by diverting United funds to a nominee bank account instead of his personal bank account and by filing false forms with the IRS. Primm used funds from the nominee bank account to pay personal expenses, including his mortgage payments, jewelry purchases, automobile purchases, and gambling expenses.
“Mr. Primm’s deliberate attempt to evade paying taxes on his income was a violation of an obligation we all have to pay our fair share of taxes,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, St. Louis Field Office. “IRS-CI is committed to enforcing the nation’s tax laws so the system is fair for all taxpayers. This sentence shows there are consequences for criminals who attempt to cheat the system.”
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle T. Bateman and John Ware handled the matter for the United States Attorney’s Office.
Judge sentences St. Louis County man for being the leader of a Webster Groves crack cocaine conspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Marcus A. Beasley, 34, appeared before United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on today’s date. Beasley was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.
Beasley is one of four defendants to have pleaded guilty and be sentenced in a twenty-five-count federal indictment directed towards the members of a crack cocaine drug trafficking organization that operated in an around Webster Groves and other locations within St. Louis County and St. Louis City.
According to the plea agreement, in 2016, St. Louis County Police Department detectives received information that Beasley was selling crack cocaine in the St. Louis, Missouri area. A joint investigation was undertaken by the Saint Louis County and Webster Groves Police Department and FBI.
During the course of the months-long investigation, over twenty-one purchases of crack cocaine were completed with Beasley, or at Beasley’s direction. These illicit drug sales were completed at a variety of locations in St. Louis County and St. Louis City. Several of the transactions were completed at or near a Webster Groves residence. At sentencing, the district court found Beasley to be a manager and supervisor of the drug trafficking organization.
"The Webster Groves Police Department would like to thank the Unites States Attorney’s Office for their successful efforts in the prosecution of this case and eliminating a serious threat to our community" stated Chief Dale Curtis.
This investigation was conducted by the Webster Groves Police Department, the St. Louis County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Judge sentences St. Louis man to 15 years in prison for several child exploitation crimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Nicholas M. Ray to a term of 15 years in federal prison today. Ray previously pleaded guilty to attempting to persuade or coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity and distribution of child pornography in a court appearance held October 2021. In 2014, Ray was convicted in St. Charles County Circuit Court for possession of child pornography and served a three-year prison sentence.
According to the plea agreement, in March 2020, Ray contacted a profile on a social media platform that in reality was an undercover police detective. Over the course of several messages that occurred on the social media application, Ray informed the undercover detective he had a sexual interest in minors as young as eight years old. Ray also stated he was interested in child pornography and that he had previously received such material from others in online chat messages.
Between March 2020 and April 2020, Ray communicated several times with the undercover detective indicating his desire to meet up to engage in sex involving minors. On April 28, 2020, Ray using a separate online application sent the undercover detective a link containing several thousand videos of child pornography.
The undercover detective arranged a meeting with Ray at a local hotel under the guise of having a sexual relationship with a fictitious minor child. Ray was arrested on June 10, 2020, after arriving at the hotel.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis FBI Child Exploitation Task Force.
Judge sentences Cape Girardeau, Missouri woman for Medicare and Medicaid fraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Brandy McKay, 42, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark on January 18, 2022. McKay previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment and ordered to pay $7,520,779.00 in restitution.
According to the plea agreement, between 2017 and 2019, McKay owned or managed multiple durable medical equipment (DME) companies, including three located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The DME companies paid kickbacks for orders and prescriptions signed by telemedicine doctors and nurse practitioners, who in almost all cases did not examine the patients, had no contact with the patients, and did not otherwise determine that the patients needed durable medical equipment.
The DME companies then submitted reimbursement claims to Medicare and Medicaid. Based on the fraudulent claims submitted by McKay and her co-conspirators, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursed the DME companies for the medically unnecessary equipment. In many cases, patients received DME equipment from several DME companies, none of which they had requested or needed.
“Submitting false claims for medically unnecessary equipment diverts funding from the necessary services required to support beneficiaries of federal health care programs,” stated Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable individuals who choose to waste vital taxpayer dollars by participating in health care fraud schemes.”
This case was investigated by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, the U. S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
St. Louis man pleads guilty for his role in the armed robbery of a local fast-food establishmentRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark accepted a plea of guilty from Keith Austin, age 25, on today’s date for knowingly robbing a commercial establishment and aiding and abetting his co-defendant, knowing his co-defendant was armed during the robbery. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Austin in August 2020. Judge Clark set sentencing for May 10, 2022.
According to the indictment, on September 18, 2019, Austin and his co-defendant robbed the McDonald's Restaurant located at 1119 North Tucker, Saint Louis, Missouri, within the Eastern District of Missouri. Both suspects were wearing masks and one was wearing a grey backpack.
Austin and his co-defendant left the McDonald's in a silver Chevrolet Impala. Austin removed the cash in the cash register drawer (approximately $300) and threw the drawer in a nearby sewer.
A few days after the armed robbery, Austin was driving the silver Chevrolet Impala and was stopped by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers. Officers discovered McDonald's hats and a McDonald's paycheck stub addressed to Austin’s co-defendant in the Impala. Officers subsequently searched Austin’s home and located a grey backpack that looked like the backpack worn during the robbery. Located in the backpack were two masks, consistent with the masks worn during the robbery. Austin later confessed to his participation in the armed robbery.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Judge sentences Doniphan man to 148 months in federal prison for attempting to meet juvenile for sexRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU-The United States Attorney's Office announced that JOSHUA J. DAMON, age 35, was sentenced today to serve 148 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to attempted enticement of a minor. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Stephen R. Clark at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
According to court documents, the charges stemmed from an investigation in which a law enforcement officer, posing in an undercover capacity as a 14-year-old boy, began communicating with Damon on a social media platform. During the communications, Damon made repeated requests to meet the minor in person for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. Arrangements were made to meet at a particular location in Doniphan, Missouri on the evening of February 25, 2021. Law enforcement officials established surveillance and Damon arrived at the agreed upon time with a condom and a jar of lubricant. At his guilty plea hearing last year, Damon admitted that he arrived at the location with the expectation of engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy.
After serving the 148-month sentence, Damon was ordered to be placed on a lifetime term of supervised release. Damon will also be required to register as a sex offender for life.
This case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
Judge sentences St. Louis man to 11 years in prison on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
Pursuant to the plea agreement, on January 30, 2019, Ellison was driving in Washington, Missouri and committed several traffic violations. A Washington Police department patrol officer conducted a traffic stop of Ellison's vehicle upon observing these traffic violations.
At the time he was pulled over by the police, Ellison possessed a fully loaded and stolen .22 caliber pistol in a pocket of his coat as well as six rounds of .38 caliber ammunition and a large amount of United States currency. Discovered by police around his waistband, Ellison possessed a plastic baggie containing methamphetamine.
At Ellison’s residence in his bedroom, law enforcement located several other weapons. Law enforcement located these items and Ellison admitted to law enforcement that he had sold some of the drugs that the police had located in his possession. Ellison was previously convicted of a felony which prohibited him from possessing any firearms.
The Washington Missouri Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Missouri Highway Patrol investigated the case.
Judge sentences St. Louis man for identity theft schemeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Arondo Harris to a term of 41 months in federal prison on January 12, 2022. Harris was convicted by a jury in May of six counts of identity theft. This case is of significance because the identity theft arose in connection with Harris’ filing of counterfeit quit claim deeds with the City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds Office.
When property located in the City of St. Louis, Missouri is to be transferred through a quit claim deed, the grantor, the current owner of the property, and the grantee, the future owner of the property, must sign the quit claim deed, and their signatures must be authenticated by a licensed notary public.
According to court documents, between January 9, 2019 and February 6, 2019, Harris presented to the City of St. Louis Recorder of Deeds Office three quit claim deeds that contained the forged signatures of the properties’ true owners. Each of the forged signatures had had been falsely authenticated through the seal and forged signature of a licensed notary public. The property owners of one of the residences had died prior to the forgery of their signatures.
As a result of the false notarization of the quit claim deeds, representatives of the Recorders Office accepted the deeds as legitimate and falsely recorded Harris as the owner of three residences located in the City of St. Louis.
The Court determined that Harris’ conduct resulted in losses of more than $150,000 to the legitimate owners of the properties. It also determined that Harris caused substantial financial hardship to one of the victims because that individual was left homeless by the fraudulent activities.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and was prosecuted based upon a referral by the Circuit Attorney’s Office for the City of St. Louis.
Judge sentences O’Fallon, Missouri man for the receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Jason McCraw, age 47, of O’Fallon, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on today’s date. Based on a previous plea of guilty, McCraw was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for the receipt of child pornography.
According to the plea agreement, on November 26, 2019, a social networking application reported its detection of twenty-six images of child pornography on an account belonging to McCraw. On June 10, 2020, a search warrant was executed at the St. Charles County residence of McCraw and multiple electronic items belonging to him were seized.
Additionally, McCraw provided law enforcement with his Apple iPhone cellular telephone and the password associated with the phone. On June 10, 2020, McCraw admitted to law enforcement that he had possibly over one hundred images or videos of child pornography on his cellular telephone and that he had been downloading child pornography from the internet for four to five years.
On the Apple iPhone, law enforcement found 2,398 images and 101 videos of child pornography that had been downloaded by McCraw from the internet onto his phone. Law enforcement also located multiple digital communication over the social networking application Kik Messenger in which McCraw discusses his sexual interest in minors and traded child sexual abuse material and child erotica with others via social media.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Charles County Police Department Cybercrime Unit.
Judge sentences Palmyra, Missouri man for possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Stephen Lawrence, age 70, of Palmyra, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Steven R. Clark on today’s date. Based on a previous plea of guilty, Lawrence was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography.
According to the plea agreement, on or about March 17, 2020, Microsoft reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual, later identified to be Stephen Lawrence, utilized a Microsoft peer-to-peer account to obtain child pornography.
On June 2, 2020, law enforcement contacted Lawrence at his residence in Palmyra, Missouri, where he consented to law enforcement seizing and examining multiple electronic devices. It was determined that on or before June 2, 2020, the defendant possessed over sixty-nine thousand images and over nineteen hundred videos containing child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at the St. Charles County Police Department.
Imperial man sentenced for illegal possession of multiple firearmsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Aaron Jordon of Imperial, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Rodney W. Sippel on today’s date. Jordon was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison. Jordon previously pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of multiple firearms in September 2021.
According to the plea agreement, in December 2019, investigators received information that an individual was distributing narcotics, specifically marijuana, LSD, and “dabs” or butane honey oil (BHO) in the Jefferson County area utilizing a Snapchat account. Investigators subsequently identified the user of the account as Aaron Jordon.
Investigators sought and obtained a lawful search warrant on December 18, 2019. On December 26, 2019, they initiated surveillance on the residence and detained Jordon shortly after he left the residence, conducting a traffic stop of his vehicle. They located a black Taurus .38 special revolver in the center console, as well as suspected narcotics.
Investigators accompanied by Jordon responded back to the residence to complete the search warrant. Additional suspected narcotics and seven firearms were located and seized. Jordon was previously convicted of an offense that prohibited his possession of any firearms.
The above case was investigated by the Jefferson County Municipal Enforcement Group (JCMEG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Economic Espionage ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Xiang Haitao, 44, a Chinese national formerly residing in Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit economic espionage.
According to court documents, Xiang conspired to steal a trade secret from Monsanto, an international company based in St. Louis, for the purpose of benefitting a foreign government, namely the People’s Republic of China.
“Despite Xiang’s agreements to protect Monsanto’s intellectual property and repeated training on his obligations to do so, Xiang has now admitted that he stole a trade secret from Monsanto, transferred it to a memory card and attempted to take it to the People’s Republic of China for the benefit of Chinese government,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “With his guilty plea, Xiang is now being held accountable for this unlawful conduct.”
“Mr. Xiang used his insider status at a major international company to steal valuable trade secrets for use in his native China,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri. “We cannot allow U.S. citizens or foreign nationals to hand sensitive business information over to competitors in other countries, and we will continue our vigorous criminal enforcement of economic espionage and trade secret laws. These crimes present a danger to the U.S. economy and jeopardize our nation’s leadership in innovation and our national security.”
“The American worker suffers when adversaries, like the Government of China, steal technology to grow their economies,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “It’s not just military technology developed in secret labs that adversaries want; in this case, it was agricultural technology used by American farmers to improve crop yields. The FBI will continue investigating the theft of technology from American companies because economic security is national security.”
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.
Xiang pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit economic espionage and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a potential fine of $5 million and a term of supervised release of not more than three years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake 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 of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.
California man pleads guilty and is sentenced for his role in methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey accepted a plea of guilty from Hector Soto on today’s date. Judge Autrey then sentenced Soto to 10 years in federal prison. Soto pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess, with the intent to distribute, actual methamphetamine.
According to the plea agreement, between September 2018 and the date of the indictment, Hector Soto reached an agreement with co-defendants and at least one unindicted co-conspirator
to distribute and possess, with the intent to distribute, actual methamphetamine.
On or about November 8, 2018, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) intercepted a suspicious package being shipped from California to a local residence. USPIS obtained a search warrant for the package, conducted a search, and determined that the package contained approximately six (6) kilograms of actual methamphetamine. USPIS arranged for a controlled delivery of the package to the residence and obtained an anticipatory search warrant for the residence.
A co-defendant of Soto accepted delivery of the package into the residence. Upon the package being accepted a search of the residence was conducted, during which time nothing further was located. The palm print of a co defendant was located on the outside of the package. Hector Soto’s fingerprints were located on the inside of the packaging material that contained the methamphetamine.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
St. Louis man sentenced for drug trafficking charge connected to 2017 murderRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Stephan Jones, 31, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Jones was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey on today’s date.
According to court records, on October 3, 2017, Jones transported himself and his associates in his vehicle to the 4700 block of Goodfellow Boulevard in St. Louis to buy controlled substances from an individual. After the group bought drugs from this individual and left the area for approximately an hour, Jones transported the group back to the same location.
While seated in his vehicle, Jones observed his associates steal drugs, money, and other valuables from that same individual. Jones’ associates were armed with loaded firearms. During the robbery, Jones’ associates shot the victim multiple times. The victim died from his gunshot wounds.
Upon seeing the victim shot, Jones fled the area in his vehicle. Minutes later, Jones returned to the area, looked for his associates, found them, and transported them from the murder scene.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.
Judge sentences previously convicted felon for illegal possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Pierre Phenix, 30, of St. Louis, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey on today’s date and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Phenix previously pleaded guilty to the charge of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm in July 2021.
On March 31, 2021, Phenix was arrested in St. Louis County, within the Eastern District of Missouri, while possessing a firearm. On that day, police were surveilling Phenix to arrest him on active warrants, and to take custody of three minor children who were supposed to be in the custody of the Children’s Division. Police surveilled Phenix, waiting for him to exit his vehicle so that police could arrest him without endangering the children.
As Phenix arrived at a car wash and exited the vehicle, police stopped him and arrested him. He was carrying a handgun in his left armpit. Security camera footage from the car wash showed that when he exited the vehicle, the handgun was in his right pant pocket, with its extended magazine protruding from his pocket. Once he exited the vehicle, the security footage shows him remove the handgun from his pocket and place it in his armpit, between his left arm and torso. When police arrested him, they seized the firearm. A search of Phenix’s car led to the discovery of 4.5 grams of crack cocaine and a spare 50-round drum magazine for the handgun.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.