Eastern District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
St. Louis Area Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Distributor Sentenced to 19 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a man involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in the St. Louis area to 19 years in prison.
Neil Phifer, 40, was one of 13 defendants charged with drug conspiracy in 2023. All have pleaded guilty. Phifer was the last to be sentenced.
Phifer pleaded guilty on August 5, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. He admitted receiving multiple kilograms of meth and fentanyl from his supplier in California and distributing those drugs in the St. Louis area through his network. Investigators repeatedly conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Phifer and seized cocaine, meth and fentanyl from someone who bought it from Phifer. Investigators also intercepted a total of $40,300 in proceeds of drug sales being mailed back to California and 5.8 kilograms of meth that were being shipped to St. Louis.
During an August 2022 court-approved search of an apartment in St. Louis, investigators found 5.4 kilos of fentanyl, 1.4 kilos of meth and other drugs as well as Phifer’s handgun and $16,850 in drug proceeds. After Phifer moved apartments, he was caught with cocaine base, fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, drug proceeds and 1.6 kilos of meth, his plea agreement says. At his next apartment, investigators found cocaine base, 1.5 kilos of fentanyl and another pistol.
California-based drug supplier Stanley Harris, 51, is serving a 200-month sentence and another supplier, Victor Medina, 43, of Los Angeles, is serving a sentence of 120 months. During the investigation, packages mailed by Harris containing more than 14 kilos of meth and two kilos of fentanyl were seized and more than $90,000 in cash from drug sales heading to Harris were intercepted.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate those utilizing the U.S. Mail for illicit activities, including the distribution of narcotics. Today’s sentencing reflects the diligent investigative work by Postal Inspectors, and our law enforcement partners,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, Mary Johnson, who leads the Chicago Division, which includes the St. Louis Domicile Office.
“The exceptional work of the DEA’s agents and partners broke down a criminal drug trafficking network stretching from California to Missouri,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. "Our investigation led to the removal of kilogram quantities of poisonous drugs and firearms from an organization known for inciting fear. Now, Neil Phifer is staring down a 19-year sentence in federal prison for his role pushing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine into our communities. Our agents work tirelessly to save American lives and reduce violent crime fueled by drug trafficking and this sentencing is a testament to our resolve.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case with assistance from officers with the North County Police Cooperative and police departments in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Shrewsbury, Ballwin and St. Charles City.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Undocumented Romanian Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Fraud of Nearly $200,000 in 22 StatesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Monday sentenced a Romanian national to 21 months in prison and ordered him to repay the almost $200,000 he stole from a nationwide retailer via “sleight-of-hand” schemes.
Bobi Covaciu, 39, tricked store cashiers in at least 22 states into believing that he had paid the full amount of cash for a purchase. Covaciu counted out cash matching the purchase price and then took the cash back from cashiers and secretly pocketed bills, shortchanging the retailer by hundreds of dollars or more per transaction. Covaciu would then return the merchandise to a different store for a full cash refund. In at least 90 fraudulent transactions from February 2022 to September 2024, Covaciu stole about $196,220 in money and property.
Covaciu will be deported after his release from prison.
Covaciu’s criminal history shows that he became involved in the fraud scheme as early as December 2016, just one month after he illegally entered the U.S., a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf says.
Covaciu pleaded guilty in December in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
Psychiatrist Reaches Civil Settlement of $360,000 to Resolve Allegations of False Claims to Federal Health Care ProgramsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri and a Missouri psychiatrist have reached a $360,000 civil settlement that will resolve False Claims Act (FCA) allegations, U.S. Attorney Thomas C Albus announced Monday.
The settlement resolves allegations that from Jan. 1, 2019, through May 31, 2024, Dr. Shazia Malik falsely indicated to both Medicare and Missouri Medicaid that she provided face-to-face psychotherapy to patients, including by submitting false claims for payment for services when she was out of town and for services that were provided by other practitioners. Dr. Malik was employed at Behavioral Health Services LLC which was owned and operated Psych Care Consultants in St. Louis, Missouri.
The settlement with Dr. Malik consists of $155,000 in restitution to Medicare and $25,000 to Missouri Medicaid. The restitution amount is doubled under the FCA.
The civil settlement contains no admission of liability. In December of 2025, Dr. Shazia Malik pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements related to health care matters.“Health care professionals who knowingly submit false claims to federal health care programs undermine the financial integrity of those taxpayer-funded programs,” stated Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Today’s settlement reflects HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring Medicare and Medicaid are billed only for services actually provided and to continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect the well-being of patients and to safeguard public funds.”
Dr. Malik’s brother, Modh Azfar Malik, was part-owner of Behavioral Health Services. In July of 2025, he entered a civil settlement resolving similar conduct and paid $501,556. In April of 2025, he pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a federal health care program. In January, his medical license was revoked for four years as part of a settlement with the Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts.
This investigation was a result of the combined work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, HHS-OIG Office of Investigations, the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the FBI.
Former St. Louis Lawyer Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for $379,900 Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Monday sentenced a former St. Louis lawyer who committed $379,900 in pandemic fraud to 21 months in prison and fined him $50,000.
John J. Diehl Jr., 60, has already repaid the loan money.
Diehl applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) on behalf of his law firm, the Diehl Law Group, on March 30, 2020, and obtained $94,900. In March of 2022, Diehl requested an EIDL loan modification. In both applications Diehl pledged that Diehl Law Group would use the funds “to alleviate economic injury caused by disaster.” He received $285,000 from the second loan, for a total of $379,900. The EIDL program was designed to help struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing deferred, low interest loans for working capital, payroll and other fixed debts of businesses caused by the pandemic.
“This defendant’s law practice didn’t suffer at all during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith said in court, adding that Diehl did not use any of the loan for the firm. Diehl, he said, “saw a way to make some easy and cheap money.” Diehl transferred a total of about $200,000 of the EIDL proceeds to the Diehl Law Group’s retirement plan. He was the only participant in the plan. Diehl used loan proceeds for personal Tesla, Audi and Jeep vehicle payments, personal credit card bills, residential mortgage payments, fees paid to a St. Louis law firm for a personal legal matter, a family member’s college tuition, pool maintenance, country club expenses and cash withdrawals for personal expenses.
Diehl pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to one count of wire fraud.
“Although he legitimately obtained pandemic relief loans for his law practice, Diehl diverted those funds for personal use rather than the purposes Congress intended,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. "Relief programs like these were created to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic—not to line someone’s pockets.”
Diehl formerly served as an alderman for Town and Country, Missouri, the Chairman of the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners and the Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives. He resigned as speaker in 2015.
In 2023, Diehl entered into a consent order with the Missouri Ethics Commission after improperly using $6,762.70 of campaign committee funds to pay for personal expenses unrelated to any political campaign and failing to report additional expenditures of campaign committee funds, including at least $28,700 of personal expenses. Diehl was fined $47,392.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case.
New Federal Prosecutor Targets Social Security, Other Government FraudsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The addition of a specially-funded prosecutor has resulted in the indictment of 14 people in the Eastern District of Missouri accused of defrauding the government out of $1 million via disability fraud, pandemic fraud and the theft of Social Security and other benefits.
Those charged include a home health aide accused of stealing a client’s Social Security retirement and Veterans Administration benefits, the owner of a pest control business who has been accused of fraudulently receiving disability benefits and others who stole benefits being paid to people who died.
“This new position is allowing us to expand our prosecutions of Social Security and other frauds and will mean that we can recover hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money in the short term alone,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “These programs are designed to aid those who desperately need the money, and fraud and abuse will not be tolerated.”
“SSA OIG special agents work closely with prosecutors and our federal law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of Social Security fraud and hold offenders accountable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, SSA OIG, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant. “These cases demonstrate the value of dedicated resources focused on identifying fraud schemes and ensuring that those responsible face justice.”
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe’s position is being funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and is one of nearly two dozen new positions across the country, bringing the total to 47 in 43 offices. More hires are expected. On April 15, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum entitled Preventing Illegal Aliens from Obtaining Social Security Act Benefits. That memorandum authorized the expansion of a longstanding partnership with the Justice Department in which attorneys are detailed to U.S. Attorney Offices throughout the country. SAUSAs typically receive investigative referrals from SSA Office of Inspector General special agents and work with the agents to develop the referrals into prosecutable cases.
The memorandum has expanded SSA’s full-time fraud prosecution program to at least 50 U.S. Attorney Offices. It also requires SSA to “prioritize assigning new detailees to the 10 U.S. Attorney Offices whose jurisdictions encompass the largest known populations of illegal aliens, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.”
The memorandum also established a new fraud-prosecutor program between the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “with regard to programs administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.” HHS provides direct funding for these positions, enabling dedicated prosecution of beneficiary fraud within CMS programs.
March 5 was National “Slam the Scam” Day, meant to raise awareness of fraudsters who pretend to represent the SSA or other government agencies, and part of the Federal Trade Commission’s National Consumer Protection Week. More information on protecting yourself from imposter fraud is available at ssa.gov/scam/. Information on how to avoid, report and recover from scams is available at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
Please help investigators, and other scam victims, by reporting Social Security-related scams to oig.ssa.gov or 1-800-269-0271. Report other scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Charges set forth in indictments are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases were investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Kansas Doctor Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for $8 Million Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Friday sentenced a Kansas anesthesiologist to three years in prison for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks to order medically unnecessary health care for thousands of patients.
She also ordered Dr. Scott Taggart Roethle, 48, to pay restitution of $8.3 million.
From 2017 to 2020, Dr. Roethle played a central role in a massive telemarketing scheme that billed Medicare for medically unnecessary orthotic braces. Overseas call centers collected Medicare information from unsuspecting elderly patients. Doctors, including Dr. Roethle, signed fraudulent orthotic brace prescriptions without evaluating patients or their actual medical needs and while falsely claiming to be their treating physician and having examined and diagnosed them. The brace suppliers mailed out the braces and billing companies then submitted the fraudulent claims to Medicare. Dr. Roethle admitted providing no follow-up care after signing the orders.
Dr. Roethle was typically paid about $30 for each of his fraudulent orders and received a total of $674,000 from five companies for thousands of prescriptions. Medicare paid out at least $8 million while relying on his fraudulent orders.
“Dr. Roethle used his medical license to facilitate a scheme that exploited vulnerable Medicare patients and drained millions from a program meant to provide medically necessary care,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ashley L. Collins of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “By ordering expensive medical equipment without ever examining patients, he betrayed his professional responsibilities and violated the trust of his patients. Today’s sentence demonstrates HHS-OIG’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who put personal profit above patient safety and the integrity of federal health care programs.”
Roethle, of the Kansas City area, pleaded guilty in April of 2025 to one count of health care fraud.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek Wiseman and Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
Bookkeeper Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Embezzling $580,000 from ChurchRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday sentenced the former parish secretary and bookkeeper who embezzled from a DeSoto, Missouri church to 33 months in prison and ordered her to repay $581,337.
Corie M. Boyer, 50, of Jefferson County, Missouri, stole the funds from the parish in multiple ways from 2017 to 2024, while she was responsible for maintaining the parish's books and records, organizing certain parish fundraisers and assisting in the collection and counting of the weekly offertory. She misused parish credit cards that were intended for fundraising expenses, wrote parish checks to herself and cashed them, used parish bank accounts to pay down the balance on her personal credit cards and stole parishioners’ cash donations from the weekly offertory. She gambled some of the money away and used more to pay for a family vacation, go shopping, pay her taxes and rent and fund a relative’s college tuition. Boyer covered up the theft by falsifying parish records.
“Corie Boyer betrayed her parish when she abused her position of trust for personal gain. She stole funds from the church, spent the money on herself and others, and took steps to cover up the theft,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation St. Louis Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “IRS-CI remains deeply committed to investigating such abuses of trust and will work with our law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue justice on behalf of the victims.”
Boyer pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of wire fraud.
The FBI and IRS - Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Tax Preparer Admits Stealing Client FundsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A tax preparer from St. Louis on Thursday admitted stealing at least $52,000 in clients’ tax refunds and COVID-19 stimulus payments.
Mark A. Murphy, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property. Between 2016 and 2020, Murphy prepared tax returns for clients but did not list himself as the paid return preparer, instead making it appear that the taxpayers themselves had submitted the returns. He also signed the taxpayers’ names and opened bank accounts for clients without their knowledge or authorization. Murphy then used these unauthorized bank accounts to collect his tax preparation fees from clients’ tax refunds.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Murphy stole Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) that were issued by the IRS to his clients. The EIPs were issued directly to taxpayers and deposited into the bank accounts designated on the 2018 or 2019 federal income tax returns. Murphy withdrew the EIP funds in cash from the bank accounts he had secretly set up and used debit cards linked to the accounts to make personal purchases. During this period, Murphy also kept some clients’ entire tax refunds for himself. Murphy stole a total of at least $52,080 in EIPs and refunds from clients from April 2020 to March 2021.
Murphy is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9. The theft charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He will also be ordered to repay the money.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and IRS – Criminal Investigation handled the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Woman Who Had Her Fiancé Murdered Sentenced to 225 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Thursday sentenced a woman who secretly took out insurance on her fiancé before having him killed to 225 months in prison.
Victoria Rena Williams, 67, pleaded guilty in September to one count each of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, aiding and abetting murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Michael Grady, 70, was convicted by a jury on Monday of the same three counts.
Charles Harris III, who worked for an alarm company, was described in court as a churchgoing man who was about to open his own clothing store when he was killed.
According to Williams’ plea and the evidence and testimony at Grady’s trial, the conspiracy began in 2010. It was at that time that Grady suggested obtaining a $250,000 accidental death policy. Williams did so in 2010 without Harris’ knowledge and after confirming that it would pay out if he was killed during a robbery.
In October of 2011, she arranged a meeting between Harris, who sold suits out of his home on the side, and two potential customers. She told jurors at Grady’s trial that she backed out twice, but Grady told her it could be “bad for you,” when she tried to back out again.
Harris was fatally shot in his home on Langford Drive on Oct. 5, 2011. After a dispute with the insurance company, Williams eventually received $224,444 and then obtained a cashier’s check for $110,000 payable to Grady’s wife. Williams also received $175,762 from another insurance policy.
The shooter or shooters, who were hired by Grady, have not been identified, according to trial testimony.
Grady is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4 and faces life in prison without parole. He is already serving a 226-month federal prison sentence for aiding a large-scale, violent drug conspiracy by trying to determine who was cooperating with investigators and prosecutors.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Finlen, Nino Przulj and Donald Boyce are prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Tax Preparer Admits $1.2 Million in Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A tax preparer from St. Louis County on Thursday admitted fraudulently obtaining a total of least $1.2 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans for herself and others from 2020 to 2021.
Nacole M. Taylor, 43, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction.
Taylor submitted at least 15 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of eight corporations registered with Missouri for which she was the registered agent. Only two, Accurate Tax LLC and 4th Generation Home Care Services LLC, had any income. Taylor created the other businesses and opened bank accounts for them for the sole purpose of applying for PPP loans. She submitted fraudulent applications with inflated payroll and income figures and fraudulent tax forms purporting to have been prepared by Accurate Tax. Taylor obtained approximately $255,114 in PPP loans. Taylor then submitted applications for loan forgiveness for many of the loans, falsely claiming that she’d spent the loan money on payroll. Taylor spent the PPP loan proceeds on personal expenses, including luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Vincent’s Jewelers, Fendi and Nordstrom.
Taylor also recruited others, including clients of Accurate Tax, to allow her to submit fraudulent applications for PPP and EIDL loans in their names in exchange for kickbacks. Taylor and her co-conspirators either used a pre-existing business or created a fictitious business to apply for the loans. She fabricated payroll and income information and supplied fraudulent tax forms to bolster the applications. In all, Taylor submitted at least 24 fraudulent applications and obtained at least $986,659 in loans for coconspirators. She was paid at least $152,205 in kickbacks.
Taylor, of Breckenridge Hills, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9. Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and the unlawful monetary transaction charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. She will be ordered to repay the money.
IRS – Criminal Investigation and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
California Siblings Convicted of Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – Jurors on Thursday convicted Lorenzo A. Marquez, 32, and Adam A. Marquez, 27, for their role in a large-scale conspiracy to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine to a drug-trafficking organization in Southeast Missouri. The verdict was reached following a nine-day trial before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that the Marquez brothers were California-based suppliers of illegal drugs that were shipped to Southeast Missouri via couriers using checked baggage on commercial airlines. Drugs and cash were seized by law enforcement officers at airports in Detroit, Memphis, and Nashville, as well as during a traffic stop in Perry County, Missouri.
During an airport seizure on March 3, 2022, three drug couriers were intercepted in Detroit on their way to Southeast Missouri with approximately 60 pounds of methamphetamine and almost three pounds of cocaine. Lorenzo Marquez had provided the couriers with suitcases containing the drugs in Los Angeles. Evidence at trial showed that the couriers had made several flights between Southeast Missouri and Los Angeles, California, transporting drugs and cash.
The trial began on February 23. The Marquez brothers are scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2026. They both face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Department of Public Safety, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, the Cape Girardeau Police Department, Memphis (Tennessee) Airport Police, the Nashville (Tennessee) Airport Police, the Detroit (Michigan) Airport Police, and Cobb County (Georgia) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Shelton and Paul Hahn are prosecuting the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Laundering Fraud MoneyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Maryland man has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison and ordered to repay $5.45 million to victims of a series of frauds, U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus announced Wednesday.
James Marcus Dyett, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy in November. He admitted conspiring with at least seven other people to conceal the source of funds obtained via fraud and transfer that money into cryptocurrency accounts or other accounts. The conspirators received at least 34 wire transfers totaling $8.3 million from at least 36 victims of business email compromise (BEC) wire fraud schemes or romance fraud.
Dyett began communicating with “Victoria” via WhatsApp in October of 2022. Victoria hired Dyett for a job at Coins2Trade, which she described as a cryptocurrency transaction processor, in exchange for a 3.5% commission on transactions he processed. Victoria provided paperwork to the defendant to form JMD Consultant Services LLC in Maryland and then introduced him to Richard Charles Appelbaum and “E.S.” They trained him via WhatsApp messages and phone calls, telling him to create business entities and open numerous business and personal bank accounts and accounts at various cryptocurrency exchanges under his own name. They told Dyett to provide the account information to Victoria and E.S. and move funds from the bank accounts into cryptocurrency accounts as soon as possible. Dyett and his conspirators falsely claimed on the corporate organization documents that the businesses would be involved in auto purchasing consulting, boating supplies, real estate management and life skills consulting when their real purpose was attempting to appear legitimate and receive large wire transfers. Between February 2022 and April 2023, the conspirators opened at least 24 business bank accounts at various institutions.
Dyett’s co-defendant, Lisa Mae Burnett, was listed on the corporate documents of JMD and met him at a bank in April of 2023, where they tried to arrange for a fraudulent $2 million wire transfer.
Burnett, 64, is serving a five-year prison sentence. She was also ordered to repay $5.45 million.
Appelbaum, 41, is serving a three-year sentence. He was ordered to repay $2.3 million.
The FBI and the Baltimore County (Maryland) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.
Report fraud to ic3.gov, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Jury Finds Man Guilty of 2011 St. Louis County Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Monday found a man guilty of conspiring with a woman to have her fiancé killed at his St. Louis County home in 2011.
Jurors convicted Michael Grady, 70, of one count each of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, aiding and abetting murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Evidence and testimony at the trial, which began last Monday, showed that Grady hatched the idea to kill Charles Harris III so that he and Harris’ financially struggling fiancée, Victoria Rena Williams, would receive an insurance payout. Grady also hired the person or persons who shot Harris in his home on Langford Drive on Oct. 5, 2011, telling Williams, “I have two young shooters,” the trial showed.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Grady was at the center of this,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj told jurors Monday.
Williams, 67, pleaded guilty in September to the same three counts and is awaiting sentencing.
Wiliams said that Grady witnessed an argument over money between her and Harris in the summer of 2010 and told her she “shouldn’t be going through that.” Prompted by Grady, Williams called an insurance company that he recommended and asked if an accidental death policy would pay out in the event of a fatal robbery. On Aug. 27, 2010, Williams started the application process for a $250,000 policy for Harris.
The murder occurred after the pair knew the policy was in effect and after Grady learned a different insurance scheme was not likely to pay out. Harris worked for an alarm company and sold suits out of his home to people he knew or through trusted referrals. Williams told Harris that the shooters were interested in buying suits. She told jurors that after backing out twice, when she tried to back out again, Grady told her that they were too far along, and it could be “bad for you” if she did.
Williams eventually received $224,444 from one life insurance company and then obtained a cashier’s check for $110,000 payable to Grady’s wife. Williams also received $175,762 from another insurance policy.
A trail of electronic evidence detailed the communications between Williams and Grady while they planned the murder and between Williams and Grady and one of the shooters before and after the murder was carried out, as well as the movements of the shooters and Grady. The shooter or shooters have not been identified. Only Grady knows their identity, Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce told jurors in his opening statement.
Grady is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4 and faces life in prison. He is already serving a 226-month federal prison sentence for aiding a large-scale, violent drug conspiracy by trying to determine who was cooperating with investigators and prosecutors.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald Boyce, Nino Przulj and Ryan Finlen are prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for $300,000 Kohl’s Cash ScamRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a man who stole nearly $300,000 worth of online merchandise from Kohl’s to 87 months in prison.
Judge Autrey also ordered Marshall Lampkin, 36, to pay the retailer $301,713 and forfeit the stolen items that have been recovered.
According to evidence and testimony at Lampkin’s trial in August, Lampkin carried out his scheme by first using Kohl’s Cash to purchase merchandise in a Kohl’s store, generally for more than $1,000. He would then immediately use the same Kohl’s Cash to order merchandise online, knowing that the in-person transaction had not yet registered. Lampkin returned the items he bought in the store for Kohl’s Cash so he could repeat his scam. Lampkin used the scheme hundreds of times at dozens of stores in more than a dozen states, evidence and testimony showed. Kohl’s asked Lampkin to stop, deactivated his online account and alerted stores, but Lampkin continued by recruiting multiple accomplices, Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf said during Thursday’s hearing.Lampkin had $293,000 in online purchases, which included flooring, furniture, small appliances and other items, shipped to storage units in St. Louis and a relative’s house in Illinois. He then sold or tried to sell those items by advertising them on Facebook.
The Kohl’s Cash scam was part of a series of escalating scams lasting nearly 20 years, Ladendorf said. Lampkin began by illegally selling MetroLink tickets in 2007. He shoplifted from big box stores from 2010-2011 and then targeted a national pharmacy chain’s rewards program beginning in 2013 and continuing through 2023, Ladendorf said. When confronted by store staff, Lampkin would become violent, he said.
The U.S. Secret Service and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Ladendorf and Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.
Washington, Missouri Embezzler Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday sentenced a woman who embezzled more than $160,000 from her employer to 18 months in prison and ordered her to repay the money.
Victoria Isgriggs, formerly known as Victoria Denise Missey, worked at a Franklin County nursery and florist as an office manager and accountant from approximately Nov. 26, 2023, through April 29, 2024. Isgriggs embezzled $34,934 from the company’s bank account. She applied for and received a company credit card without authorization and used it to make $76,095 in personal purchases and charged another $46,125 using five co-workers’ cards. She fraudulently increased her salary, stealing another $4,635. Finally, she added herself to the company’s Lowe’s credit card and made $2,666 in fraudulent charges there.
Investigators were able to recover $11,850 in cash, as well as jewelry, Christian Louboutin footwear and Louis Vuitton bags and accessories. Isgriggs has agreed to forfeit the cash and other valuables.
Isgriggs, 45, of Washington, Missouri, pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of wire fraud.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Washington Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Roy prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison on Child Sex ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a Mexican national to 18 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor.
Giovanni Falcon, 41, began messaging a 15-year-old girl on Instagram in 2024 using an alias. In July and August of that year, Falcon sent the victim images of his genitals. Falcon then repeatedly engaged in sexual contact with the victim. On Aug. 13, 2024, the victim’s father contacted the St. Ann Police Department after discovering the explicit Instagram messages. St. Ann police arrested Falcon the next day, and he admitted sexually abusing the victim.
Another juvenile alleged sexual abuse by Falcon several years ago, according to statements at Wednesday’s hearing.
Falcon is not in the country legally and will be deported upon his release from prison.
Falcon pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to transfer of obscene material to a minor and coercion and enticement of a minor.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Ann Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Contractor Who Committed $1.7 Million in Pandemic Fraud Sentenced to 3 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis area contractor who fraudulently obtained $1.7 million in pandemic loans to three years in prison and ordered her to repay the money.
Coretta “Cory” Elliott, 53, owned and operated CMT LLC, a contractor that provided commercial construction, demolition, roofing, landscaping and remediation services. CMT also did business as CMT Roofing LLC. Elliott fraudulently obtained a first draw Paycheck Protection Program loan of $875,000 for CMT Roofing in 2020 and a second draw loan of $833,333 in 2021 by falsely certifying that the loans would be used for business-related purposes. She also inflated her company’s monthly payroll to get larger loans. She later received forgiveness of the loans by falsely claiming in two applications that she used the money for payroll and other legitimate business expenses.
PPP loans were intended to help save businesses and the jobs of their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic by funding payroll, lease payments, utility payments and other business expenses. Elliott saw the loans as a way to “save herself financially,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith said during Tuesday’s hearing. Elliott diverted $200,000 into her investment account and used a total of $559,455 to pay dues owed by her companies to various construction unions. Those union dues pay for health insurance, sick pay and vacation pay. She used more of the PPP loan money for other personal purposes.
"We will never know whether Coretta Elliott’s business would have legitimately qualified for disaster relief funds. However, by submitting substantial false information across multiple applications, she fraudulently secured $1.7 million in funds," said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. "Her deceit not only led to her unlawfully obtaining far more than she may have otherwise been entitled to, but it also gave her an unfair competitive advantage over other local contractors. This type of criminal conduct, driven by greed, undermines the integrity of the disaster relief system and harms those who play by the rules."
Elliott pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court to two counts of wire fraud.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case.
Felon Who Stole 100 Guns Sentenced to 100 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a man who stole about 100 firearms to 100 months in prison.
Jeremy Lorenz, 31, of St. Charles, pleaded guilty in October to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted stealing the guns from a federal firearms licensee’s storage site in St. Louis County on Nov. 15, 2024. Lorenz was arrested four days later and officers found him with a pistol and a shotgun that had been reported stolen. Investigators caught him with a stolen pistol the next day. They found six stolen guns in the car he was driving and 13 more in his girlfriend’s home. In an interview with investigators, Lorenz admitted being a convicted felon and stealing the guns. He also told agents that he’d sold some of the guns, and agents have been able to recover about 75 of the stolen firearms so far.
“Stealing 100 firearms is a brazen act that puts communities at immediate risk,” said Bernard “Butch” Hansen, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Kansas City Field Division. “We recovered most of the stolen firearms, but every weapon taken in this theft had the potential to fuel violent crime. Stolen guns routinely end up in the hands of people who are prohibited from possessing them. We are grateful for the successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the partnership from St. Louis County Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol that ensured justice was served. This case demonstrates that those who traffic in stolen guns will be held accountable.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, St. Louis County Police Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole Frankenberg prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Carjacking 72-Year-OldRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a man to 90 months in prison and fined him $3,000 for carjacking a 72-year-old in 2023.
Kirk Hall, now 25, was one of two men who stole a BMW X5 on July 7, 2023, from a St. Louis County apartment complex. Shortly before 1:00 a.m., the victim parked at the complex. Hall and the other gunman ordered the driver and passenger out. The other gunman then stole the vehicle, taking the driver’s cell phone and other personal items. Hall followed in another vehicle. The unoccupied BMW was found a few hours later.
Hall pleaded guilty in November to one count of carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole Frankenberg prosecuted the case.
Man Admits Choking, Assaulting Woman on Gateway Arch GroundsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – An Illinois man on Wednesday admitted strangling and assaulting a woman on the grounds of Gateway Arch National Park.
Darrion Lamont Evans, 20, of Belleville, Illinois, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of assault by strangulation and two counts of interstate domestic violence.
In the plea agreement, Evans admitted strangling the victim, who he had been dating, on April 28, 2025. National Park Service Rangers encountered the victim near a vehicle that was parked on a service road. She had red marks on her face, neck, arms, legs and feet and injuries to her fingers. The victim told Rangers that the couple began arguing in the car in Belleville, Illinois. During that part of the argument, Evans grabbed the victim by the neck and shoved her head into the driver’s side door, breaking her glasses. A bystander called 911.
Evans then agreed to drive the victim to her mother’s house in Dupo and take a rideshare to his grandfather’s home in St. Louis. He instead began driving directly to his grandfather’s residence. Once the victim realized that Evans was not taking her to Dupo, she began pulling on the emergency brake and grabbing the steering wheel to make Evans exit the highway. After they stopped on the service road, the argument continued and became physical. Evans admitted choking the victim, slapping her and spitting on her. Part of assault was captured on video.
Evans is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3. Each count is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The National Park Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Hoag is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Home Healthcare Company Owner, Associates Accused of $1.46 Million FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The owner of a home healthcare company based in Bridgeton, Missouri and her associates have been accused of fraudulently billing the Missouri Medicaid Program $1.46 million.
Daniell Green, 48, of St. Charles; Dejuan Bingham, 51, of Florissant; Kimberly Diazascencio, 51; and Thomas Keith, 34, of East Prairie, Missouri; were indicted Feb. 11, 2026, in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and four counts of health care fraud. Green turned herself in Tuesday, appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.
From July 2020 through February of 2026, Green, the owner and operator of A&L Angels Home Healthcare Services LLC, and Bingham directed Missouri Medicaid patients, including Diazascencio and Keith, to create false timesheet records showing home health care services that were never provided, the indictment says. Diazascencio is Keith’s mother. Green was in a romantic relationship with Bingham.
A&L Angels billed Medicaid for services on dates when the patients were in the hospital and could not have received home health care services, the indictment says. On other occasions, the company billed for services provided on dates and times when the health care workers were working at a different location for another company, it says. Green and Bingham created fake timesheet records by listing people as health care providers who did not provide the reported services and recruiting Missouri Medicaid patients willing to allow their names to be used to submit fraudulent claims for services that were never provided, the indictment says.
The indictment also says Green submitted a fraudulent participation agreement to Missouri Medicaid, falsely claiming that her company’s health care providers were registered with the Family Care Safety Registry and that their criminal background checks were run through the State of Missouri, as is required to receive reimbursement. Green concealed Bingham’s prior felony drug conviction from Missouri Medicaid, the indictment says.
The defendants spent fraudulently obtained public funds on personal expenses, including Green’s use of stolen Missouri Medicaid dollars to fund vacations and to purchase home furniture and luxury items from Gucci and Nordstrom, the indictment says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.“Medicaid is designed to provide essential care for those who need it most—not to finance personal luxuries,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These charges underscore HHS-OIG’s commitment to working with our state partners to aggressively pursue those suspected of defrauding health care programs to protect public trust and taxpayer resources."
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Local Home Healthcare Company Owner Admits over $200,000 FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The owner of a home healthcare company on Tuesday admitted defrauding the Missouri Medicaid Program and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs out of more than $209,000.
Natavia Boyd-Wells, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud. She admitted that while owner of Touch of the Heart Home Health Care LLC, she submitted hundreds of fraudulent reimbursement claims to the Missouri Medicaid Program and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care Network. Missouri Medicaid and the VA fund home healthcare services to enable patients to remain in their homes instead of long-term inpatient stays in hospitals and nursing homes.
Boyd-Wells admitted submitting claims for services on dates when the veteran patients were in the hospital and could not possibly have received home healthcare services. She also submitted claims knowing both that the services were not provided and that she did not have any necessary documentation of the services.
In February of 2022, Missouri Medicaid officials conducting an audit requested documentation reflecting services that Boyd-Wells claimed were provided to a Medicaid patient. No documentation existed. Boyd-Wells on Tuesday admitted submitting and causing to be submitted fraudulent documentation to Medicaid in response to their request.
From about June 2020 through November 2024, Boyd-Well’s fraud cost Missouri Medicaid at least $109,751 and the VA at least $100,563.
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Chilean National Sentenced to 75 Months in Prison for Cross-Country Credit Card Theft SpreeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Tuesday sentenced a Chilean national who went on a cross-country crime spree involving stolen credit cards to 75 months in prison.
During the spree, Rene Arviso Velasquez, 51, stole purses or bags containing credit cards and then quickly used the cards to buy gift cards or other items. On Aug. 25, 2024, Velasquez stole one victim’s Lululemon belt bag, which was hanging from her seat at a Cottleville, Missouri restaurant. Less than an hour later, Velasquez used her credit card to purchase five Visa gift cards and a pack of salted nuts for $1,031. Later that day, Velasquez stole a different victim’s purse at a Brentwood restaurant and used her credit card to buy $1,445 worth of gift cards. On Nov. 3, 2024, Velasquez stole a woman’s wallet at a St. Peters restaurant and charge five Visa gift cards and a Pepsi for $1,035.
Velasquez stole at least $40,000 from victims in the St. Louis area and across the country.
Velasquez, who has used the names Miguel Antonio Carrasco-Gomez and Henry Diaz, was living in Tarzana, Calif., but is a Chilean national.
Velasquez pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.
Cape Girardeau Man Admits Identity Theft, Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A Cape Girardeau man on Friday admitted stealing identities to fraudulently apply for pandemic loans, file tax returns and seek state benefits.
Myles Benjamin Depew, 35, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He admitted using the name of one person to fraudulently apply for and receive an $11,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) in June of 2020. The next month, Depew used someone else’s name to fraudulently apply for and receive a $14,000 EIDL loan. Finally, he used a third person’s identity to open a checking account with a West Virginia-based bank. Depew prepared two fraudulent Missouri state tax returns, triggering a refund deposit of $2,060 into the account in February of 2022 and $8,668.49 in April of 2023.
U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration agents interviewed Depew, who said he stole the identities of 10 to 15 people and used those to fraudulently apply for about $50,000 in benefits from the state of Missouri. Depew estimated that he had spent about $40,000 on gambling at the casino, $5,000 on food and another $5,000 on methamphetamine. Depew worked as a tax preparer and had access to names, birthdates and Social Security numbers.
Depew is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, consecutive to other charges, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis is prosecuting the case.
Webster Groves Felon Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison After Chasing Teens While ArmedRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Maria A. Lanahan on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon who chased three teens through a Webster Groves neighborhood while armed to eight years in prison.
Leon Joseph Reitz, 54, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in October to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on March 7, 2025, he began walking toward a car containing two juvenile males and one 18-year-old male that was parked on Greeley Avenue in Webster Groves. The juvenile males were picking up their friend, who lived on that block. Reitz had one hand behind his back. He then accelerated to a jog before pulling a handgun. The terrified teens fled and Reitz pursued them in a Toyota Camry through neighborhood streets at an estimated speed of 85 to 90 miles per hour. Reitz passed the teens and both cars skidded to a stop within sight of a Webster Groves Police Department officer who happened to be in the area. The teens ran to the officer, who arrested Reitz. Police found a loaded handgun under the front seat of the Camry and a spare magazine for the pistol in Reitz’s pocket.
At the scene, Reitz claimed he believed the teens were going to rob him. In his plea agreement, Reitz admitted that there was no evidence to support his robbery claim. As a convicted felon, Reitz is barred from possession of a firearm.
The Webster Groves Police Department and St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
St. Louis Man Accused of Robbery on Gateway Arch GroundsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man has been accused in an indictment of a robbery on the grounds of Gateway Arch National Park.
Thomas Durgins, 19, was indicted Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The indictment accuses Durgins of stealing money and shoes from someone on the Arch grounds on Feb. 1, 2026, at gunpoint. Durgins was arrested Wednesday and appeared in court Thursday, where he pleaded not guilty.
A motion seeking to have Durgins held in jail until trial says he had arranged online to buy shoes, but instead produced a firearm and robbed the seller.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 146 Months in Prison for Attempted Armed Robbery and Attempted Carjacking After Drunk Driving CrashRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon to 146 months in prison for attempting to rob a cabdriver at gunpoint after a drunk driving crash and trying to carjack a good Samaritan who stopped to help.
Judge Divine also fined Cornell Woolfolk $3,000. Woolfolk, 29, pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that early on the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, officers from the Berkeley Police Department and the Woodson Terrace Police Department were dispatched to a crash on Natural Bridge Road near Interstate 70. A 2008 Pontiac had struck a 2017 Dodge Journet taxicab, causing the cab to roll over onto its roof. Officers spotted Woolfolk removing a large bag from the Pontiac and getting into the rear seat of a 2011 Nissan Altima driven by a good Samaritan who stopped to help after the crash. Woolfolk initially ignored officer’s requests to get out of the car. When the car’s driver got out, Woolfolk began chasing him before Woolfolk was caught and arrested by police, the plea says. Officers found a stolen .380 caliber pistol in Woolfolk’s bag and several half-empty liquor bottles in the Pontiac. Woolfolk’s blood alcohol level was 0.14 percent.
Following the introduction of evidence and sentencing testimony from a Berkeley police officer, Judge Divine ruled that Woolfolk attempted to rob the cab driver at gunpoint. Judge Divine also ruled that Woolfolk then attempted to carjack the good Samaritan to escape the scene of the crash. Police intervened before Woolfolk made his escape.
The Berkeley Police Department, the Woodson Terrace Police Department, and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Jefferson County Businessman Admits Failing to Pay Taxes on Behalf of EmployeesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Jefferson County, Missouri businessman on Wednesday admitted failing to pay 10 years of employment taxes totaling $774,081.
Danny L. Nickelson Jr., 54, pleaded guilty to two counts of failure to pay over trust fund taxes.
Employers are required to withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes and federal income taxes. These “trust fund taxes” are held in trust by employers until paid over to the United States on a quarterly basis. Employers are also required to match the Social Security and Medicare taxes and pay that to the IRS. Nickelson owned General Physiotherapy, a manufacturer and distributor of massage and percussion devices used in medicine and physical therapy. For tax years 2013 through 2022, Nickelson withheld money from employees’ pay but did not pay that to the IRS. He also did not pay the employer’s share. Instead, he used the money for the business’ operational expenses and personal expenditures including food, travel, retail purchases and credit card bills.
Nickelson did the same thing for tax years 2013-2015 for Tomichi Industries, a small plastic distributor and supplier for General Physiotherapy. Nickelson was sole shareholder of Tomichi.
Nickelson admitted failing to pay 40 quarterly employment tax payments, resulting in a tax loss of $774,081. He has agreed to repay the money to the IRS.
Nickelson is scheduled to be sentenced May 12. The charges carry a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both prison and a fine.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 210 months for Producing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a man to 210 months in prison for child pornography offenses involving three teens.
Dylan James, 26, recorded a sexual act with a 13-year-old in 2024 and then distributed that recording. He also provided alcohol and “possibly some vapes” in exchange for sexually explicit images from a 15-year-old, James’ plea agreement says. James paid a 16-year-old for sexually explicit videos in 2023.
James pleaded guilty in August to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.
“Dylan James preyed on vulnerable children, using gifts to manipulate and sexually exploit them -- a tactic all too common among predators,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “In these cases, there is no ambiguity: the children are the victims, and we will hold accountable those who are responsible.”
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Francois County Man Admits Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material Involving Two VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Francois County, Missouri on Monday admitted producing child sexual abuse material involving two underage girls.
Richard James Miller, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of production of child pornography. On more than five occasions, Miller recorded his sexual abuse of the two juveniles. One victim told investigators that Miller began engaging in sex acts with her when she was 15. The other said she began spending time in his apartment when she was 8 or 9 years old.
Homeland Security Investigations learned of Miller in 2024, when the court-approved search of a New Jersey man’s home uncovered Kik messenger chats with Miller that included images constituting child sexual abuse material. Investigators then spoke with Miller, who admitted engaging in sex acts with young girls at his home in the past, including the older victim. He also admitted exchanging sexually explicit photos with that victim.
Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4. The production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years, with a maximum of 30 years.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Sex Offender Sentenced to 200 years in Prison for New Crime Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a convicted sex offender to 200 years in prison for a new crime against children.
Judge Autrey also ordered Jason Levi Meyrand, 31, of Jefferson County, Missouri, to pay $6,000 in restitution to his victims.
Meyrand pleaded guilty in August to four counts of production of child pornography. He admitted sexually abusing two children in 2022 and sharing images of that abuse in a group devoted to child sexual abuse material on the social media application Kik. A detective with the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force spotted a posting by Meyrand in the Kik group in January 2023, sparking the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang pointed out in court that Meyrand’s criminal conduct happened about six months after he finished his state sentence for the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl. In 2014, Meyrand was convicted in Bates County, Missouri of child molestation and endangering the welfare of a child.
The FBI, the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Basketball Coach Admits Sending Sexually Explicit Photos to StudentsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former high school basketball coach on Monday admitted sending sexually explicit photos to students and engaging in sexually explicit conversations with them.
Lee Anthony Bogan Jr., 29, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of attempting to receive child pornography. He admitted using a social media application to contact high school students beginning in the spring of 2024. In these messages, Bogan expressed romantic and sexual interest in the students, seeking to gauge their responses. He also sent photos of his genitals, believing that the app would cause the messages to disappear shortly after they were received, his plea agreement says. Bogan, who worked at a St. Louis area high school and was known as “Coach Teejay,” was unaware that the minors took screen shots of the explicit photos before they disappeared.
Bogan, of Jennings, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6. The charge carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20.
The Ladue Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Postal Employee Sentenced for Her Role in Conspiracy to Steal Checks from the MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday sentenced a former mail carrier who aided a check stealing and bank fraud conspiracy to a year and a day in prison and ordered her to repay $21,635.
Cambria M. Hopkins, a postal carrier based in Clayton, sold her “arrow key,” which allows access to U.S. Postal Service collection boxes, to Malik A. Jones on March 20, 2022. She also told Jones which boxes the key would open. Jones then paid others to steal mail using Hopkins’ key. Hopkins also sold checks multiple times to Jones that she’d stolen from mail at the Post Office and from mail while on her route. Jones paid her in cash, via CashApp or in groceries. Jones then recruited others who allowed him to use their bank accounts to deposit forged and fraudulent checks.
“The relatively small amount of money for which (Hopkins) was willing to abuse her position, undermine the public’s trust, and harm those whose mail she stole speaks to the selfishness of her actions,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow wrote in a sentencing memo. When confronted, Hopkins “lied to investigators… and attempted to cover up her crimes by then deleting her messages with Jones,” Clow wrote.
Hopkins, 30, of Florissant, Missouri, pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy and one count of unlawful use of a mail key.
Jones, now 28, was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
“The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who steal mail will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Acting Inspector in Charge, Mary Johnson, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes St. Louis. “The Postal Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to bring mail theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions.”
“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Man Admits Sexual Abuse of TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Washington County, Missouri man on Friday admitted sexually abusing a girl and soliciting child sexual abuse material from her.
William R. Murphy, 41, of Washington County, pleaded guilty U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of production of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. He admitted engaging in sexual contact with a juvenile when she was between the ages of 13 and 17. Sometimes Murphy threatened the victim to obtain images from her that constitute child sexual abuse material, his plea agreement says.
Murphy is scheduled to be sentenced April 29. Both the U.S. Attorney’s office and Murphy’s lawyer have agreed to recommend 27 years in prison.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Florissant Man Sentenced to 170 Months on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a man caught with child sexual abuse material, including material that he had produced or solicited, to 170 months in prison.
Patrick Neistat, 24, of Florissant, Missouri, pleaded guilty in October to one count of receipt of child pornography. He admitted possessing images and videos containing child sexual abuse material on multiple cellular phones.
The investigation began on Sept. 8, 2022, when St. Louis County Police Department detectives received an exigent Cyber Tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating that the user of a Skout social media account had uploaded multiple images depicting the sexual abuse of a minor. Detectives traced the account to Neistat’s home. Neistat initially denied having a cellular phone. Detectives learned that he did, and seized the phone.
Neistat had 123 images and 4 videos of child pornography on one phone, as well as 187 images and 18 videos of “age difficult” pornography and 634 CGI/animated images depicting children in sexual acts, his plea agreement says. He also had videos of himself touching a 5-year-old. On a second phone, investigators found 12 images containing CSAM as well as sexually explicit conversations and explicit photos that Neistat had received from a 12-year-old girl and an apparent 14-year-old girl.The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Justice Department Secures Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Missouri Housing Authority and Its Former Executive DirectorRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the Housing Authority of the City of Bloomfield, Missouri, and its former executive director, Eddie Joe Hankins, have agreed to pay $35,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that Hankins sexually harassed a female housing applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in September 2025, alleges that in 2021, Hankins subjected a female housing applicant to unwelcome sexual comments and touching without her consent, and offered to place her on the wait list for housing in exchange for sex. The lawsuit also alleges that the Housing Authority is vicariously liable for Hankins’ unlawful conduct.
“No one should have to endure harassment and discrimination, especially when seeking housing,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will hold housing providers accountable when they target and exploit vulnerable tenants.”
“This settlement contains very important protections for both the woman who alleged that she was asked for sex in exchange for a place to live and current or prospective housing authority tenants in the city of Bloomfield,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus for the Eastern District of Missouri. “Housing discrimination will not be tolerated in Missouri.”
“The Trump Administration will not permit housing providers to prey on vulnerable women and engage in immoral and illegal sexual harassment in violation of the Fair Housing Act,” said Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig W. Trainor of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “The Department is dedicated to vigorous fair housing enforcement and ensuring the right of everyone to feel safe and secure in their homes. This settlement reflects that commitment.”
Under the settlement agreement, the Defendants must pay $35,000 to the housing applicant. The settlement agreement permanently bars Hankins from managing residential rental properties and requires employees of the Housing Authority to complete Fair Housing Act training.
The case was referred to the Division after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received a complaint, conducted an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered more than $17 million for victims of such harassment.
Illinois Church Official Arrested, Accused of Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A church official from Illinois was arrested on a child pornography charge Wednesday and appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday.
Michael William Mohr, 54, of Springfield, was charged by complaint Wednesday in St. Louis with one count of producing child pornography. He will be held in jail until trial after waiving his right to a detention hearing.
The affidavit in support of the complaint alleges that a court-approved search of Mohr’s home in Springfield found storage devices that contained videos of three juveniles in the bathroom. A search of a residence used by Mohr in Vandalia uncovered a hidden camera disguised as a wall clock and one disguised as a Bluetooth speaker, the affidavit says. The investigation began after one of the juveniles told the Vandalia Police Department that he discovered a camera disguised as an electronic device charger in a hotel bathroom. The discovery happened the morning after the juvenile awoke to discover Mohr standing above him and masturbating, believing the victim was asleep, the affidavit says. The juvenile was in shock and acted like he was still asleep, the affidavit says.
Mohr is the president of the Central Illinois District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
A charge set forth in a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI. Submit information via tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
FBI St. Louis and St. Louis County Police investigated the case with assistance from FBI Springfield (Illinois) and the Vandalia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Missouri Kindergarten Teacher Admits Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A former Farmington, Missouri kindergarten teacher on Wednesday admitted possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material.
Erika L. Morton, 37, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of possession of child pornography. She admitted sending child sexual abuse material (CSAM) via the Kik Messenger app.
In February 2025, the Missouri State Highway Patrol received a cybertip reporting that a Kik user had uploaded several video files containing images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Investigators traced the account to Morton and interviewed her on June 17, 2025. Morton admitted that she was the Kik user responsible for sending the CSAM and admitted that she used her cell phone to obtain the material while at her home in Ste. Genevieve County, her plea agreement says.
Morton is scheduled to be sentenced in April. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Official Admits Embezzling from St. Louis CircusRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former official with a St. Louis-based non-profit circus on Wednesday admitted embezzling over $123,000 from December 2022 through at least September 2023.
George S. Pace, 63, of Ladue, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to four counts of wire fraud. He admitted using a credit card that he’d obtained without the knowledge or approval of the circus to pay thousands of dollars of personal expenses, including payments to nail salons, restaurants, and for skin care treatments. He used a second card for thousands of dollars more in unapproved expenses, including horseback riding related expenses and payments to restaurants. When another circus official reviewed the second card’s expenses, Pace lied and claimed the card had been stolen. Pace presented the official with forged account statements falsely showing that he had resolved the charges.
Pace also diverted checks drawn on the circus’ bank account to himself instead of using them to pay down a line of credit. Pace’s diversion of the line of credit payments caused thousands of dollars in interest to be accrued by the circus. Finally, Pace deposited thousands of dollars of donor checks made out to the circus into his personal account. In the plea agreement, Pace admitted defrauding the circus out of over $123,015.94. Pace was on the board of directors beginning in 2020 and later became board president.
In his plea agreement, Pace also admitted fraudulently applying for two U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance Loans totaling $29,400. The SBA denied the loans.
Pace is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4. Each wire fraud charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Undocumented Immigrant Who Stole $161,000 from Stores Across the Country SentencedRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a Romanian national who has repeatedly entered the United States illegally to 27 months in prison for stealing $161,000 from stores across the country with a sleight-of-hand fraud.
Judge Ross also ordered Adrian Stoica, 47, to repay the money.
Stoica conducted at least 170 transactions in stores in 20 states between November 2021 and March 2025. After cashiers scanned merchandise, prepaid gift cards, and electronic money transfers, Stoica would count cash into piles to trick cashiers into believing that he was paying the full price. He collected the piles and then slipped bills from the bottom of the stack into his pocket, short-changing the stores by hundreds of dollars or more in each transaction. Stoica would then move on and victimize a different store. On Feb. 17, 2023, he shortchanged the cashier of a Chesterfield store by approximately $860. On Sept. 7, 2023, his scheme cost a store in O’Fallon, Missouri about $690. The next day, he cost a Fenton store about $660.
Stoica has illegally entered the country three times since 2016. He was ordered removed from the country in May of 2018 and deported in February of 2020. Stoica has used the names Boeri Kvec, Borri Kvec, Boeri Stoica and Adrian Anghel.
Stoica pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of wire fraud and one count of illegal entry into the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations handled the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
Slovakian Man Admits Aiding Darknet Market that Sold Drugs and Stolen Personal InformationRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Slovakian man on Tuesday admitted involvement in a darknet market that sold drugs and stolen personal information.
Alan Bill, 33, of Bratislava, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He admitted involvement in the operation of Kingdom Market, a darknet marketplace that operated between March 2021 and December 2023. Kingdom users sold and bought illegal goods and services, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs, stolen financial information and identification documents, via cryptocurrency and anonymous or semi-anonymous accounts. Bill admitted assisting others in maintaining or operating Kingdom by providing or procuring web-administration services. He also admitted receiving cryptocurrency from a wallet associated with Kingdom, assisting with the creation of Kingdom’s forum pages on websites such as Reddit and Dread, having access to Kingdom usernames that made postings on behalf of Kingdom on social media accounts and communicating with others regarding certain Kingdom transactions.
Beginning around July 2022, undercover federal investigators made purchases from Kingdom market, including fentanyl, meth and a United States passport, that were shipped to the Eastern District of Missouri. Bill was arrested Dec. 15, 2023, at Newark Liberty International Airport after a customs inspection found two cellular telephones, a laptop, a thumb drive and a hardware wallet used to store cryptocurrency private keys. The electronics contained evidence of his involvement with Kingdom.
As part of his plea agreement, Bill also agreed to forfeit five different types of coins in a cryptocurrency wallet, as well as the Kingdommarket.live and Kingdommarket.so domains, which have been shut down by authorities.
Bill is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5. The drug trafficking conspiracy charge carries a penalty of at least five years in prison, with a maximum of 40, and the possibility of a fine of up to $5 million.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and the Missouri Department of Revenue investigated the case. The investigation also involved numerous foreign law enforcement agencies, including the German Federal Criminal Police, or Bundeskriminalamt, the Frankfurt am Main Public Prosecutor's Office - Central Office for Combating Internet Crime (ZIT) as well as law enforcement agencies from Switzerland, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a sex offender who was caught again with child sexual abuse material to 15 years in prison followed by a life term of supervised release.
Paul Lewis Sanders, 41, of Warren County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court to one count of receiving child pornography. He admitted that after an investigation triggered by a complaint to the Warren County Sheriff’s Department in February of 2023, child sexual abuse material was discovered on Sanders’ cellular phone.
In 2004, Sanders was convicted of the felony offense of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Macoupin County, Illinois.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations handled the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collected $16 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2025Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Missouri collected $16,070,376 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, $14,077,382 was collected in criminal actions and $1,992,993 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Eastern District of Missouri worked with other U.S. Attorney’s offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $76,319,861 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $274,366 was collected in criminal actions and $76,045,494 was collected in civil actions.
“Last year, we recovered more than one million dollars for Medicare and Medicaid in one case alone, and millions of dollars more that were fraudulently obtained by faking disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Albus. “Those contemplating fraud in the Eastern District of Missouri should know that the U.S. Attorney’s office will aggressively pursue the recovery of ill-gotten gains and do our best, even years later, to recover assets due to victims.”
Among the collections in criminal actions in the Eastern District of Missouri was a total of $1,323,318 recovered from Michael McCormac to reimburse Medicare, the Missouri Medicaid program and the Ohio Medicaid program. McCormac is the former owner of a mail order pharmacy who pleaded guilty to two counts of violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute and admitted paying kickbacks to marketing companies to generate prescriptions for expensive medications. The office has also continued to recover funds from a disability fraud case involving two Jefferson County chiropractors and more than two dozen patients. About $2.9 million was collected last year in those cases.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $5,420,367 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2025. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. The office also obtained the forfeiture of 334 firearms involved in criminal offenses.
St. Charles County Man Admits Possessing, Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles County on Friday admitted being caught with 2.7 kilograms of methamphetamine after selling meth twice to someone working with law enforcement.
Christopher P. Decker, 47, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
After learning that Decker was involved in drug trafficking, the Multi-County Narcotics Violent Crime Enforcement Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration bought meth twice from Decker in June of 2021. Each time, Decker sold two ounces of meth for $1,400 from his home. Following the purchases, DEA investigators applied for and obtained a search warrant for Decker’s home and found a large amount of meth in a safe in his bedroom and in his washing machine, totaling 2.7 kilograms. They also found a handgun. Decker was convicted in 2005 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis of conspiracy to possess pseudoephedrine, having reasonable cause to believe that it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine.
Decker’s sentencing has been set for April 22.
Franklin County's Multi-County Narcotics and Violent Crime Enforcement Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Voss is prosecuting the case.
Former St. Louis Alderman Convicted of Fraud, Lying to the FBIRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A federal jury on Friday convicted former St. Louis Alderman Brandon Bosley of charges related to insurance fraud and lying to the FBI.
Jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis found Bosley, 38, guilty of three felony wire fraud charges and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.
Bosley’s 2010 Toyota Prius was hit by another vehicle in September of 2021. The Prius was parked at the time and there was initially confusion over whether the driver was insured. The drivers’ insurance company contacted Bosley in February of 2022 and told him that they would pay for the damage. By the next day, Bosley had hatched a scheme to defraud the insurance company by falsely inflating the cost of needed repairs, evidence and trial testimony showed. He first contacted the auto repair shop owner who had sold him the used Prius in March of 2021 for the steeply discounted price of $500. Bosley then asked the business owner to prepare and submit an inflated repair estimate to the insurance company, hoping that the car would be totaled and the insurance company would pay Bosley its current value, evidence and testimony showed. “Mark that (expletive) all the way up,” Bosley told the business owner during the conversation, which was captured on audio and video. In return, Bosley said that he would pay a bribe to the business owner. Bosley also discussed buying the car back if it was totaled, and then paying for the actual estimated repair costs of $2,000 to $2,200, thus retaining the car while fraudulently netting thousands of dollars.
After the insurance company balked at the initial repair estimate of about $6,800, Bosley caused a second estimate of $4,333 to be submitted. The insurance company did agree to total the car and paid Bosley $7,978.90.
In March of 2023, Bosley was interviewed by FBI agents with his lawyer present. Jurors on Friday found that that he repeatedly lied. He falsely stated to agents that he never saw the two false repair bills that were prepared after the accident. He falsely claimed the repair estimates were not inflated. He also denied asking the repair estimates to be inflated.
The trial began with jury selection Tuesday.
Bosley is scheduled to be sentenced April 28. Each wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The making false statement charge is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hal Goldsmith and Matthew Martin are prosecuting the case.
Ponzi Schemer Admits Bilking Investors in Missouri, Elsewhere out of $25 MillionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former Texas-based investment adviser on Wednesday admitted running a Ponzi scheme that cost investors in Missouri and elsewhere more than $25 million.
Siddharth Jawahar, 38, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of wire fraud.
Jawahar ran a Texas-based investment company called Swiftarc Capital LLC. He initially invested in a diverse array of securities, but in 2015, began investing client funds in a single investment, Philip Morris Pakistan (PMP). Eventually, 99% of client funds were consolidated into PMP. When the value of PMP declined, Jawahar did not tell investors, instead claiming that shares were trading at a much higher price and that they were making profits. Jawahar used money from new investors to repay older investors and to fuel an extravagant lifestyle that included flights on private planes, stays at luxury hotels and expensive outings at fancy restaurants.
Jawahar on Wednesday also admitted misleading investors by falsely entering into agreements in which he agreed to invest their money in a specific company or companies, including one Missouri investor who gave him $175,000, another Missouri investor who gave him $75,000, a New York investor who handed over $350,000 and an Ohio investor who gave him $250,000. Jawahar never made the promised investments.
From about July 2016 through December 2023, Jawahar took in more than $35 million from Swiftarc investors but invested only about $10 million.
Jawahar also managed additional entities that he utilized during his scheme, including Swiftarc Fund LP, Swiftarc LLC, Swiftarc Holdings, SJ Investment Holdings LLC, Order of Magnitude Ventures LLC, Extra Sensory Perception Inc., Swiftarc Growth Fund LP, Swiftarc Opportunities Fund LP, SJ Investment Holdings LLC, SV Labs SPV 1 LP, Swiftarc Venture Labs Fund GP LLC, SJDB Ventures LLC, Swiftarc Ventures LLC, Swiftarc Venture Labs Fund LP, Swiftarc Telehealth Labs Fund LP, NI Stubbs LLC and Swiftarc Beauty Fund LP.
Jawahar is scheduled to be sentenced on April 21. The wire fraud charges are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or both. He will also be ordered to repay investors.
The FBI and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Tennessee Man Sentenced for Stealing Firearms from Vehicles in MissouriRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a man who in 2023 broke into 24 vehicles in Scott County and New Madrid County to steal and stole firearms to 137 months in prison.
Corterian L. Wright, now 42, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in April to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted stealing five handguns from vehicles on Oct. 24, 2023. The thefts were among 24 vehicle break-ins in a 3½ hour span at multiple businesses in those counties, according to court documents. Wright is a felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms.
The Matthews Police Department, the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office, the New Madrid Police Department, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 170 Months in Prison on Drug, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon caught twice with drugs to 170 months in prison.
Quentin Simms, 54, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in September to five counts: possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in connection with drug trafficking crimes and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
He admitted that St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department detectives conducting a court-approved search of a home in the 4000 block of Labadie Avenue on May 31, 2024, spotted Simms nearby, trying to hide in a red Dodge Ram. Officers saw a large baggie of capsules containing fentanyl, $3,668 in cash and a loaded Ruger 5.7 model 5.7x28mm caliber semi-automatic pistol in the truck. They found a bag containing heroin, cocaine and cocaine base and a stolen Smith & Wesson 10mm pistol in a subsequent search. After Simms was indicted on drug and gun charges, Deputy U.S. Marshals arrested him on Oct. 9, 2024, and found about $1,000 in cash and a baggie that contained 27.95 grams of cocaine base, Simms’ plea says.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted the case.
Missouri Man Admits Being Caught Again with Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man from Butler County, Missouri faces at least 10 years in prison after being caught with child sexual abuse material at a halfway house.
Leslie Bryan Clark, 59, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of possession of child pornography. He admitted being caught with child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on June 13, 2025, the day he was to be released from a halfway house in Butler County. A Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children had alerted investigators that Clark had uploaded CSAM via the Kik app. When confronted by a probation officer, Clark handed over his phone, which contained video clips of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
In 2017, Clark pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release.
Clark is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20. The charge carries a penalty of at least 10 years in prison, due to his prior conviction, with a maximum of 20 years. Clark also admitted violating his supervised release in the prior case and faces sentencing for that.
The U.S. Probation Office of the Eastern District of Missouri and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jefferson County Man Accused of Distributing Fatal Dose of FentanylRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Jefferson County, Missouri has been accused of supplying the fentanyl that killed a man in 2024.
Daryn Joshua Odell Karnes, 21, was indicted December 10 with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. The indictment accuses Karnes of supplying a mixture containing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a man in Jefferson County, Missouri on Jan. 5, 2024.
A motion seeking to hold Karnes in jail until trial says the victim and his girlfriend bought capsules containing a mix of fentanyl, xylazine and heroin from someone known as “Luh Daryn.” An investigation led to Karnes, the motion says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohsen Pasha is prosecuting the case.