Western District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Two KC Area Brothers Indicted for Possessing Machine GunsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Mo., area men have been indicted by a federal grand jury, in separate cases, for illegally possessing machine gun conversion devices.
Demetrius Harris, also known as “Meech,” 24, of Kansas City, Mo., and his brother, Darius R. Harris, also known as “D” and “D2,” 22, of Raytown, Mo., were charged in two separate indictments returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Those indictments were unsealed and made public following the arrests and initial court appearances of the defendants.
The initial court appearances were held today for Demetrius Harris and on Thursday, Nov. 14, for Darius Harris.
Demetrius Harris was charged with one count of illegally possessing and transferring machine guns – an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 multi-caliber rifle with an AR-type machine gun conversion device and two AR-type machine gun conversion devices – on Jan. 24, 2024.
Darius Harris was charged with two counts of illegally possessing and transferring a Glock-type machine gun conversion device on two separate occasions, on Oct. 30, 2023, and on Nov. 9, 2023.
Machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto searsa,” are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law. It is therefore illegal to possess, sell, or use machine gun conversion devices.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. They were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
KC Woman Charged in $1.9 Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman has been charged in federal court for a scheme to use stolen identities to deposit fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks totaling more than $1.9 million into her bank accounts.
Briauna L. Adams, 28, was charged in a seven-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Adams was arrested today and, following an initial court appearance, remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Adams used a stolen identity to open a bank account on March 12, 2024. Approximately two hours after the account was open, the affidavit says, Adams deposited a stolen U.S. Treasury check in the amount of $10,590. The bank flagged the check as suspicious and did not credit the account. A Louisiana woman told investigators she had been expecting a check from the Internal Revenue Service and had been a recent victim of identity theft.
On June 18, 2024, Adams allegedly deposited a fraudulent U.S. Treasury check in the amount of $450,504 into an investment account she had recently opened. The bank placed a 10-day hold on most of the balance, however, access was granted to a percentage of the funds for “good faith” investing. Adams transferred $12,000 from the account to two personal bank accounts, the affidavit says. Hours after both transfers were complete, the bank received notification that the U.S. Treasury check Adams deposited was fraudulent and reversed the deposit from Adams’s account, leaving a negative balance and causing the bank to suffer a financial loss.
Investigators traced the IP address that was used to access the accounts and learned that Adams allegedly had used the stolen identity of a Texas woman, including a driver’s license, when she rented an apartment in Kansas City, Mo. Adams moved out of the apartment in July 2024 after failing to pay more than $14,000 in rent.
On Aug. 15, 2024, Adams allegedly deposited a U.S. Treasure check worth $1,445,443 into another investment account with a different firm. Over the next two days, Adams accessed the account online eight times. Fraud investigators with the firm determined the U.S. Treasury check was fraudulent and reversed the deposit before suffering a financial loss.
Investigators traced the IP addresses that were used in an attempt to gain access to the illicit funds and learned that Adams allegedly had used the stolen identity of a second Texas woman, including a driver’s license, to rent a townhouse in Raymore, Mo.
The federal criminal complaint charges Adams with one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, three counts of wire fraud, and two counts of money laundering.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Former IRS Employee Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former IRS employee pleaded guilty in federal court today to preparing fraudulent tax returns that illegally claimed more than $200,000 in refunds for her clients.
Sandra D. Mondaine, 64, of Grandview, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of aiding and abetting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns.
Mondaine previously worked for the IRS as a contact representative before retiring.
By pleading guilty today, Mondaine admitted that she prepared federal income tax returns for clients that contained false and fraudulent claims. The indictment charged her with assisting at least 11 individuals to file at least 39 false and fraudulent income tax returns for the tax years 2019 through 2021. The tax loss associated with those false returns is approximately $237,329. The parties do not agree on the total tax loss.
By including fraudulent items on her clients’ tax returns, Mondaine was able to manufacture substantial refunds to her clients that they would not have been entitled to if the returns had been accurately prepared. Mondaine charged her clients a fee, which was either a fixed dollar amount and/or a percentage of the tax refund.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Mondaine must pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, as determined by the court, representing the total tax loss associated with the conduct to which she is pleading guilty. Mondaine also consents to a permanent injunction in a separate civil action, under which she will be permanently enjoined from preparing, assisting in, directing or supervising the preparation or filing of federal tax returns for any person or entity other than herself.
Under federal statutes, Mondaine is subject to a sentence of up to three years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Ozark Business Owner Sentenced for Social Security Fraud, PerjuryRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Harrisonville, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for Social Security fraud and for committing perjury when he testified at his trial.
Michael Sylvara, 39, who currently lives and owns a business in Ozark, Mo., but lived in Harrisonville at the time of the offense, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark on Wednesday, Nov. 6, to two years and three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Sylvara to pay $42,369 in restitution to the government.
Sylvara is the co-owner of Volleyball Beach Ozark, the second largest indoor sand facility in the world, and maintains a real estate license.
On March 23, 2023, Sylvara was found guilty at trial of one count of Social Security fraud and one count of perjury.
Sylvara was originally indicted for Social Security fraud. Sylvara, who oversaw his disabled father’s Social Security benefits from 2016 to 2019, converted $42,369 of his father’s benefits to his own use. Sylvara testified in his own defense during a trial in October 2022, which resulted in a hung jury.
Sylvara was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment on Nov. 17, 2022. The superseding indictment contains the original charge of Social Security fraud and adds the perjury charge.
Sylvara was designated as the representative payee for his father, who is now deceased. As the representative payee, Sylvara was legally obligated to use all of the benefit payments to meet his father’s needs. Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Sylvara instead converted some of his father’s benefit payments for his personal use to pay his utility, insurance and student loan bills, as well as his realtor association fees, over a period of 30 months.
A witness at the trial in October 2022 testified that she purchased basic necessities for Sylvara’s father, including clothes, underwear, socks, and a pair of shoes, without being reimbursed. She also testified that the only items in his father’s refrigerator were water, bread, cat food, and condiments. She described seeing Sylvara’s father eat cat food.
Sylvara presented testimony that he knew was false while under oath during his first trial in October 2022. Sylvara attempted to justify multiple cash withdrawals (totaling over $23,000) he made from the representative payee account. He claimed under oath he had a written agreement with the Social Security Administration that he could be paid $14 an hour for taking care of his father. Subsequent investigation showed there is no such agreement and there never has been.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley Cooper, Amanda Hanson, and Courtney Pratten. It was investigated by the Social Security Administration.
KC Woman Sentenced to 45 Years for Sexual Exploitation of Two Child VictimsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for the sexual exploitation of two children.
Jessica Ann Young, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 45 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 11, 2024, Jessica Young pleaded guilty to two counts of the sexual exploitation of a minor. Her husband, Houston Wade Young, 37, was sentenced on July 30, 2024, to life in federal prison without parole. Houston Young pleaded guilty to one count of the sexual exploitation of a minor on Jan. 30, 2024.
Houston Young, while an inmate at the Vernon County jail, was found to be in possession of a cell phone that contained images of child pornography on March 5, 2020. Young was being detained pending a civil proceeding to determine whether he should be civilly committed as a sexually violent predator for his prior sex offense convictions.
On March 7, 2020, law enforcement officers received information that Jessica Young had sent pornographic images of a 7-year-old child (identified in court documents as “John Doe 1”) to Houston Young’s cell phone. Investigators found text messages on the cell phone between Jessica and Houston Young that discussed sexually abusing John Doe 1. During the text messages, Jessica Young sent Houston Young two pornographic images of John Doe 1. Multiple other images of child pornography sent by Jessica Young also were found on Houston Young’s cell phone.
Jessica Young admitted she had sexually abused two child victims, John Doe 1 and 13-year-old John Doe 2, on multiple occasions. Jessica Young also admitted that she had recorded video of herself sexually abusing John Doe 2.
A forensic analysis of Houston Young’s cell phone determined that he sent images of child pornography to Jessica Young and a 16-year-old child victim (identified in court documents as “Jane Doe”). Houston Young sent pornographic images of himself to Jane Doe, solicited pornographic images of her that she sent to him, and engaged in sexual conversations. Jane Doe told investigators she met Houston Young on a game room chat, League of Legends, and started talking via that forum. They communicated via text, the Kik and Whatsapp applications, and video chat.
Houston Young was involuntarily committed to the Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Sex Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services program in February 2021. He has two prior felony convictions related to the sexual exploitation of children. He was convicted of child molestation in Wright County, Mo., in 2005 and of possessing child pornography in Jackson County, Mo., in 2016.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Vernon County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Kentucky Department of Criminal Investigations.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Jury Convicts Militia Members of Conspiracy to Murder Border Patrol Officers, Attempted Murder of FBI AgentsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Two members of the 2nd American Militia have been convicted by a federal trial jury for their roles in a conspiracy to murder U.S. Border Patrol agents and, related to their shooting at FBI agents at the time of their arrest, of attempting to murder federal agents.
Jonathan S. O’Dell, 34, of Warsaw, Mo., and Bryan C. Perry, 39, of Clarksville, Tennessee were found guilty on Thursday, Nov. 7, of conspiracy to murder officers and employees of the United States government. They planned to travel to Texas to shoot at illegal immigrants crossing the United States – Mexico border. They also planned to murder officers and employees of the U.S. Border Patrol who would attempt to stop them.
O’Dell and Perry also were found guilty of a conspiracy to assault federal officers and employees and a conspiracy to injure federal officers and employees. They were found guilty of seven counts of the attempted murder of FBI special agents, seven counts of assaulting FBI special agents with a deadly weapon, three counts of assaulting FBI special agents, 14 counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of damaging federal property.
Additionally, O’Dell was found guilty of one count of threatening to injure another person. On the morning of the first day of trial, O’Dell also pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a firearm while subject to a court order of protection, one count of making a false statement to a federal agent, and one count of escaping from custody. O’Dell escaped from the Phelps County Jail in Rolla, Mo., on Sept. 29, 2023, while being detained in this case. He stole a car and fled to Ray County, Mo., where he was recaptured following a high-speed flight from law enforcement on Oct. 1, 2023.
Additionally, Perry was found guilty of two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possessing body armor by a violent felon, and one count of threatening to injure another person.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Perry has a prior felony conviction for aggravated robbery.
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that, throughout the summer, and fall of 2022, Perry and O’Dell recruited and attempted to recruit other individuals to join the 2nd American Militia, a group they co-founded. They advertised a recruitment event in Warsaw prior to leaving for the United States – Mexico border.
On Sept. 5, 2022, Perry, bringing at least two stolen firearms, body armor, and gas masks with him, traveled from Tennessee to Warsaw to live with O’Dell. They used O’Dell’s residence as a staging site as they prepared for their trip to the border and collected firearms, paramilitary gear, ammunition, and other supplies.
Perry posted several videos on TikTok in an attempt to recruit other members into their conspiracy. O’Dell and Perry also communicated with several individuals outside the state of Missouri.
On Sept. 12, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he discussed illegal immigrants coming into the United States from Mexico. Perry stated that the U.S. Border Patrol was committing treason by allowing these illegal immigrants to enter the United States, and that the penalty for treason was death. Perry posted another video on TikTok the next day in which he stated that he was “ready to go to war against this government.”
On Sept. 22, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we’re out to shoot to kill” and that “our group is gonna go protect this country.” On Oct. 3, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we were going out huntin’,” that his group was taking their “full kits,” and that they were leaving for the United States – Mexico border on Oct. 8, 2022.
O’Dell and Perry continued to conduct preparatory steps to further their conspiracy, including continuing to recruit others, attempting to acquire other gear, and practicing shooting at targets with firearms.
On Oct. 7, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at O’Dell’s residence. Federal agents approached the property at about 6 a.m. in vehicles with red and blue lights activated. As the FBI approached, an agent utilized a loudspeaker in the lead armored vehicle, the “Bearcat,” to announce they were with the FBI and that they had a search warrant for the residence. Seven agents were inside or behind the Bearcat. The FBI agent began to repeat the announcement, again stating that they were with the FBI, when gunshots were fired from a front window at the lead FBI vehicle. Perry fired 11 shots from his Voodoo Innovations multi-caliber rifle with an AM-15 lower receiver. Several rounds hit the lead FBI vehicle.
Agents responded by deploying flash bangs around the residence. Agents used the Bearcat to conduct a breach of the front door of the residence using an affixed ram. Agents did not return fire and, after the gunshots ceased, the FBI established a perimeter and began communicating with the persons inside the residence to come out.
O’Dell and his girlfriend came out of the residence and surrendered to authorities. Perry eventually came out of the residence. Perry took down an American flag from the front porch of the residence and walked down the steps while waving the flag. After beginning to walk to the agents, Perry then turned around and moved back to the residence. Agents pursued Perry, who began to fight and swing his fists, striking the agents several times and causing injury to at least one agent before he was taken into custody.
Agents then searched the residence and found six firearms, 23 magazines filled with ammunition, 1,770 rounds of various other ammunition, 11 spent casings, two sets of body armor with corresponding plate carrier vests, one handheld radio, two sniper rests, two gas masks, two ballistic helmets, multiple containers of a binary explosive mixture commonly sold as an exploding target, zip ties, and two 2nd American Militia patches. Agents also found two go-bags that contained food, provisions, and other gear.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., deliberated for about two hours and 23 minutes before returning guilty verdicts yesterday to U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, ending a trial that began Monday, Oct. 28.
Under federal statutes, O’Dell and Perry each are subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, and up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Clark and Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Ray County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Lee’s Summit Man Indicted for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for producing child pornography.
Markel Anthony Price, 34, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Price used a minor victim to produce child pornography on Nov. 18, 2023. The indictment also charges Price with one count of possessing child pornography that depicts a prepubescent minor victim and a minor victim under the age of 12.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Lee’s Summit Man Indicted for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for robbing an Independence, Mo., bank after a bank customer attempted to stop him from fleeing.
James K. Kerr, 54, was charged with one count of bank robbery in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Kerr on Oct. 23, 2024.
The federal indictment alleges that Kerr robbed Hawthorn Bank, 17430 E. 39th Street in Independence, on Oct. 21, 2024.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Kerr was wearing a black hood over his head, a hooded sweatshirt with the hood down, a winter hat, sunglasses, a medical mask, and gloves when he walked into the bank at about 10:39 a.m. As Kerr walked behind the teller counter into the employee-only area, the affidavit says, he withdrew a black handgun, which appeared to be an air pistol, from the pocket of his sweatshirt and held it up in the air.
Kerr began yelling at the employees while hitting the counter, according to the affidavit. The victims reported hearing Kerr yell phrases to the effect of “Let’s do this!” and “100s and 50s no bait money!” Kerr went to all three of the victim tellers’ stations and obtained money while holding the handgun. Kerr then fled from the bank and got on a motorcycle parked nearby.
A customer, who was in the drive-through lane at the time of the robbery, followed Kerr as he ran toward the motorcycle. The witness got out of the car and pushed Kerr off the motorcycle. Kerr threatened the customer with a gun, the affidavit says, and fled from the scene on the motorcycle. Another witness was nearby during this altercation and filmed part of it with a cell phone.
Employees of the bank told FBI investigators they recognized Kerr as a customer of the bank.
The next day, investigators established surveillance at Kerr’s residence and saw him leave on his motorcycle. Investigators followed Kerr, whom the affidavit says was driving erratically, until he stopped at a gas station, where he was arrested. Investigators found a Daisy air pistol, which was consistent in appearance with the handgun displayed in the bank robbery, in a saddle bag of the motorcycle. Investigators also found articles of clothing that matched those worn during the bank robbery.
The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
KC Man Indicted for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for producing child pornography.
Leonardo Leon, 25, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Leon on Oct. 14, 2024.
The federal indictment alleges that Leon used a minor victim to produce child pornography from Aug. 1 to Sept. 2, 2024. The indictment also charges Leon with distributing child pornography.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers were dispatched to Children’s Mercy Hospital shortly after midnight on Sept. 3, 2024, when a 15-year-old victim suffered a fatal drug overdose. In the course of their investigation, officers learned that Leon had been communicating on Instagram with the child victim’s best friend. This witness told officers that Leon was having sex with the child victim and, about a week after the child victim’s death, had sent her a video of them having sex.
Investigators searched Leon’s Instagram account, the affidavit says, and found three video clips he had sent to the witness of himself engaging in sex with the child victim.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Federal Employee Indicted for Covid FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A North Carolina woman was indicted by a federal grand jury today for fraudulently obtaining a $20,000 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Lakeysha Day, 43, was charged with one count of wire fraud in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Day, an employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, worked at the V.A. Medical Center in Columbia, Mo., at the time of the offense.
According to today’s indictment, Day applied for a PPP loan for her business on March 20, 2021. The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.
Day claimed to be a sole proprietor of a business which had an average monthly payroll of $8,000. The supporting documents she submitted claimed gross receipts or sales of $114,210, business expenses of $14,685 and a profit of $99,525. In reality, however, Day’s 2019 personal income tax return did not report income and expenses that were claimed in the loan application.
The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Day to forfeit to the government any property derived from the alleged fraud scheme, including a money judgment of $20,000.
The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.
Federal Employee Charged with Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An employee of the federal government has been charged with possession of child pornography.
Joshua E. Peccia, 46, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., was charged in a criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The complaint was unsealed and made public today following Peccia’s arrest and initial court appearance. Peccia remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
Peccia is employed as an operations support specialist in the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The federal criminal complaint charges Peccia with one count of possession of child pornography.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Peccia uploaded eight videos of child pornography to the Verizon Cloud on Dec. 19, 2023. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Peccia’s residence and seized cell phones, computers, external hard drives, digital cameras, and USB media storage devices. Investigators found 630 videos of apparent child sexual abuse material on Peccia’s cell phone, along with 1,600 potential images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Lee’s Summit, Missouri Police Department and U.S. Secret Service.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
‘Mayor’ of Homeless Camp Indicted for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man residing in a homeless encampment near a public school was indicted by a federal grand jury today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute near school property and for illegally possessing a firearm.
Ricky Lee Myers, also known as “The Mayor,” 62, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Myers on Oct. 24, 2024.
Today’s indictment alleges that Myers possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school on Oct. 23, 2024.
The indictment also charges Myers with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and with one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Myers allegedly possessed a Taurus 9mm pistol on Oct. 23, 2024.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Myers’s residence, a small one-room structure built in the middle of a homeless camp on a dirt road extending from East 23rd Street, roughly between Vine Street and Highland Avenue in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 23, 2024. Myers, who was inside the residence, was arrested. Federal agents found the Taurus pistol in a jacket hanging above the bed. Agents found a fanny pack, which contained a bag with approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine, inside a bag hanging on the wall next to the jacket.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Myers has prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery and distributing a controlled substance.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Springfield Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of Two Child VictimsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the sexual exploitation of two child victims.
Connor Wilson Zacha, 28, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield.
Today’s indictment alleges that Zacha used a minor, identified as Jane Doe 1, to produce child pornography from Nov. 1, 2022, to Nov. 15, 2023. The indictment also alleges that Zacha used another minor, identified as Jane Doe 2, to produce child pornography from Oct. 1, 2023, to April 18, 2024.
The indictment also charges Zacha with one count of transporting a minor (Jane Doe 2) across state lines for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Springfield Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of Two Child VictimsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the sexual exploitation of two child victims.
Connor Wilson Zacha, 28, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield.
Today’s indictment alleges that Zacha used a minor, identified as Jane Doe 1, to produce child pornography from Nov. 1, 2022, to Nov. 15, 2023. The indictment also alleges that Zacha used another minor, identified as Jane Doe 2, to produce child pornography from Oct. 1, 2023, to April 18, 2024.
The indictment also charges Zacha with one count of transporting a minor (Jane Doe 2) across state lines for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Richland Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Transporting Minor Across State Lines for Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Richland, Mo., man who sexually abused a victim between the ages of 10 and 17 was sentenced in federal court today.
Robert Norman Kennedy, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 40 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Kennedy to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration. Kennedy will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
On Jan. 18, 2024, Kennedy pleaded guilty to transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The victim told investigators that Kennedy forced her to engage in sex and that he sexually abused her starting at age 10. After law enforcement began an investigation into the sexual abuse, Kennedy forced the victim to leave Missouri, and they traveled from Missouri through several states where he continued to sexual abuse the victim. Kennedy and the victim ended up in Georgia, where the victim reported they had lived in a van parked in the driveway of Kennedy’s brother’s residence and in a tent in the back yard. Law enforcement arrested Kennedy on unrelated charges in December 2022 at which time the victim and Kennedy were living at a motel.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Gallatin Farmer Pleads Guilty to Multi-million Dollar Crop Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Gallatin, Mo., man whose family farming operation is the setting of a reality TV show pleaded guilty in federal court today to a multi-million dollar fraud scheme involving federal crop insurance benefits he was not entitled to receive.
Steve A. McBee, 52, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to a federal information that charges him with one count of federal crop insurance fraud. McBee, the owner of McBee Farming Operations, stars in the reality TV series “The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys” streaming on Peacock.
By pleading guilty today, McBee admitted that he engaged in fraudulent activity from 2018 to 2020 that caused an economic loss to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, McBee must pay restitution as determined by the court. The total loss claimed by the government is $4,022,123. Additionally, McBee must forfeit to the government $3,158,923.
McBee admitted that he made a false report to Rain and Hail, a company reinsured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. McBee submitted fraudulent documents to Rain and Hail that underreported his total 2018 corn crop by approximately 674,812 bushels and underreported his total 2018 soybean crop by approximately 155,833 bushels. As a result of these false reports, McBee received $2,605,943 in federal crop insurance benefits to which he was not entitled, as well as $552,980 in federal crop insurance premium subsidies to which he was not entitled, for a total of $3,158,923.
McBee admitted that his farming operation sold more than 1.2 million bushels of corn and nearly 416,000 bushels of soybeans to another party in 2018. However, McBee’s crop insurance records reported that his farming operations produced only 340,476 bushels of corn and 190,171 bushels of soybeans.
In addition to the specific felony charge to which he pleaded guilty today, McBee admitted he committed additional fraud in 2019 and 2020.
McBee provided false information to Rain and Hail to obtain insurance for the McBee farming operation’s 2019 soybean crop by misrepresenting that soybeans were the first crop in certain fields when wheat had already been harvested from those fields. The Rain and Hail crop insurance policy only allowed insurance coverage on the first crop planted on a piece of land during a given crop year. As a result of the double cropping during the 2019 crop year, McBee was paid federal crop insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.
McBee also provided false information when he obtained crop insurance through NAU Country Insurance in 2020. McBee’s farming operation planted corn after the last planting date in 2020, which made the crop ineligible for insurance. McBee provided false plant dates on crop insurance documents to NAU Country Insurance. As a result, McBee received federal crop insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.
Under federal statutes, McBee is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General.
KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in the deaths of three persons.
Luis Manuel Morales, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On May 8, 2024, Morales pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Morales admitted that he was a source of supply of fentanyl pills for co-defendant Tiger Dean Draggoo, 24, of Kansas City, Mo. On occasion, Draggoo also served as a source of supply of fentanyl pills for Morales. Morales also introduced Draggoo to additional sources of fentanyl pills.
Morales sold at least 1,764 pills to Draggoo over 15 separate transactions from Jan. 17 to Oct. 29, 2022, for which he was paid $2,320 through Cash App and an additional amount in cash. Morales also purchased at least 100 fentanyl pills from Draggoo during this time period, for which he paid $750. In total, those 1,864 pills contained approximately 205 grams of fentanyl.
Morales and Draggoo conspired to conceal and disguise the nature of the transfer of funds through Cash App by referring to the payments as “rent,” “food clothes,” “clothes,” “food and beer,” “food,” “apt rent,” “reimbursement for mechanic,” and “reimbursement car payment.”
Morales was on probation at the time that he was supplying Dragoo with fentanyl pills, following his guilty plea in state court to attempted armed robbery after he and another person robbed a victim at gunpoint.
Morales is the first defendant in this case to be sentenced. On Oct. 16, 2024, Draggoo pleaded guilty to his role in the fentanyl conspiracy and to three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death. Five additional defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
Independence Man Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today after being identified in two separate federal investigations sharing videos and images of child pornography online.
Joseph L. Schutz, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 13 years and four months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Schutz to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration. Schutz will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
On Oct. 24, 2023, Schutz pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography.
An FBI task force officer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, posing undercover as an adult female, was conducting an investigation utilizing the Kik Messenger application in May 2020. The undercover officer joined multiple private groups dedicated to individuals interested in child pornography and whose members openly shared such material within the group. Schutz admitted that he received multiple videos and images of child pornography within one of these Kik groups, and also shared multiple videos and images of child pornography within the group.
On May 14, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Schutz’s residence. Investigators found 18 images of child erotica and eight images of child pornography on Schutz’s cell phone.
In July and August 2022, an FBI investigator in Texas communicated online with Schutz while conducting an undercover investigation. The undercover investigator posed as a 13-year-old female. Between July 28 and Aug. 1, 2022, Schutz invited the undercover investigator into a Kik group dedicated to the exchange of child pornography. During that time, Schutz admitted, he shared multiple videos of child pornography within the group.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Independence Man Pleads Guilty to $1.4 Million COVID Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to filing a false claim as part of a scheme to fraudulently receive nearly $1.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the government.
Richard Dean Schiele, Jr., 51, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to a federal information that charges him with one count of filing a false claim.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES” Act) provided for an Employee Retention Credit designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The Employee Retention Credit is available to eligible employers that paid qualified wages to some or all employees after March 12, 2020, and before Jan. 1, 2022.
By pleading guilty today, Schiele admitted he filed nine Employer’s Quarterly Tax Return forms with the IRS on April 22, 2023, for a company he formed the same month called Schiele Family Own Distribution. The returns made a total of $1,392,716 in claims for COVID–19 pandemic era credits against the company’s ostensible employment taxes. In reality, Schiele admitted, the company did not have any employees in 2020 through 2022.
Based on these false claims, the IRS issued checks totaling $478,890 to Schiele. The Treasury Department recovered $348,764.91 from Schiele’s bank account. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Schiele must pay $130,125 in restitution to the IRS.
Under federal statutes, Schiele is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Eastern Jackson County Men Indicted for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Eastern Jackson County men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, with one of the men also charged with possessing six machine gun conversion devices.
Kal J. Nay, 21, of Oak Grove, Mo., and Robert J. Turnage, 20, of Blue Springs, Mo., were charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Oct. 15, 2024. Nay was arrested yesterday and had his initial court appearance today. Turnage has not yet been arrested.
The federal indictment charges Nay and Turnage with participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. They are also charged together in one count of distributing fentanyl from May 2 to June 11, 2024.
Additionally, Nay is charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl and one count of possessing machine guns. The indictment alleges that Nay was in possession of six machine gun conversion devices, commonly referred to as “switches,” on June 18, 2024.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force.
Jury Convicts Mexican National of $4.7 Million Meth, Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national who worked with a drug-trafficking organization tied to the Cárteles Unidos cartel in Michoacán, Mexico, was convicted by a federal trial jury today of his role in a $4.7 million conspiracy to distribute more than 335 kilograms of methamphetamine and 22 kilograms of heroin in the Kansas City, Mo., metropolitan area and throughout the United States.
Luis Eduardo Pineda-Zarao, 29, a citizen of Mexico residing in Lebanon, Tennessee, was found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin from Feb. 28, 2020, to June 1, 2022.
The indictment alleges the conspiracy involved the distribution of more than 335.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, with an average street price of $300 per ounce, and more than 22.1 kilograms of heroin, with an average street price of $1,500 per ounce.
During the investigation, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations conducted two undercover bulk cash pickups totaling $308,775 and seized $610,400 in bulk cash, over 56 kilograms of methamphetamine, 5.5 kilograms of heroin, 2.6 kilograms of marijuana, and at least eight firearms, two of which were stolen. Law enforcement officers also seized $277,863 during a vehicle stop and $114,863 while executing search warrants at four Kansas City, Mo., residences.
Pineda-Zarao is among 44 defendants charged in this case. Nine co-defendants have been sentenced and 34 co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for less than an hour before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Monday, Oct. 21.
Under federal statutes, Pineda-Zarao is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and Megan Baker. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Olmsted County, Minn., Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI, the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
KC Metro Strike Force
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the sexual exploitation of a child.
Ricky Lane Bowers, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 17 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Bowers to 20 years of supervised release following incarceration.
On July 25, 2023, Bowers pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Bowers admitted that he had been in contact with a man who was arrested in Texas, who had sent Bowers images and videos of child sexual abuse. Bowers also admitted that he had taken pornographic photos of a child victim and sent them to the man in Texas.
Investigators seized Bowers’s cell phone that he used to communicate with the Texas defendant. Forensic examiners found files of child pornography on the cell phone, as well as evidence of images and videos of the child victim whom Bowers used to produce child pornography.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
U.S. Attorney Moore Appoints Election OfficerRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - United States Attorney Teresa Moore announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Nicholas Heberle will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Heberle has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Western District of Missouri, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Moore said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
United States Attorney Moore stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Heberle will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (816) 426-4233.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (816) 512-8200.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.
United States Attorney Moore said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
Jefferson City Man Sentenced for $26 Million Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo. man was sentenced in federal court today for a multi-million dollar bank fraud scheme that included fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for four businesses.
Tod Ray Keilholz, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to a total sentence of 12 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 28, 2024, Keilholz pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Keilholz was the sole owner of TRK Construction, LLC, TRK Valpo, LLC, TL Builders, LLC, and Project Design, LLC.
By pleading guilty, Keilholz admitted that he engaged in a bank fraud scheme from Jan. 1, 2018, to Jan. 7, 2021.
Prior to the bank fraud scheme, Keilholz obtained three business loans totaling $3,526,771 from Hawthorn Bank between Aug. 31, 2017, and Sept. 21, 2018. One of these loans financed the purchase of property in Valparaiso, Indiana. As Keilholz’s businesses failed, these loans fell into default and sub-contractors sued him for unpaid invoices during 2019 and 2020. In February 2020, Hawthorn Bank initiated foreclosure proceedings. Keilholz delayed the foreclosure proceedings and paid off these loans and other past due debts with fraudulent PPP loans.
The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the PPP authorized forgivable loans, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration, to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.
Keilholz received a total of $12,430,932 in PPP loans for his four businesses. In each of those loan applications, Keilholz admitted, he failed to disclose his ownership in the other three businesses, and made materially false and fraudulent claims in the loan applications and supporting documentation. Keilholz falsely stated the businesses were in operation on Feb. 15, 2020, and eligible for PPP loans. He inflated the income of those businesses and claimed payrolls for employees who did not exist or no longer worked for him. Additionally, Keilholz applied for a $7,818,705 PPP loan for TRK Valpo but the loan was denied by the bank.
Keilholz received a $1,706,260 PPP loan for TRK Construction, a $3,618,815 PPP loan for TL Builders, a $3,903,857 PPP loan for Project Design, and a $3,202,000 PPP loan for TRK Valpo.
Keilholz admitted that he used PPP loan proceeds for unauthorized purposes other than legitimate payroll, lease and mortgage interest, and utilities as required by the PPP. Keilholz, through TRK Construction, had accrued substantial and delinquent indebtedness to a number of lenders, and all or part of these debts were satisfied by PPP loan proceeds.
The conviction for aggravated identity theft is related to Keilholz’s use of a former TRK Construction employee whose name and Social Security number were used without his knowledge or authorization on wage reports in connection with a fraudulent PPP loan application for TRK Valpo.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Keilholz must forfeit to the government any property involved in, or derived from the proceeds of his bank fraud scheme, including a money judgment of $12,430,932, two properties in Jefferson City, one property in Valparaiso, one property in La Porte, Ind., four vehicles (a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado, two 2021 Chevrolet Silverados, and a 2019 BMW X5), a 2020 John Deer ZTrak, a 2020 John Deere Tractor, a Kubota Compact Track Loader, a Gents 43mm IWC Schaffhausen Perpetual Chronograph wristwatch, two Gents stainless steel Rolex Sea-Dweller self-winding automatic diver’s watches, and a Gents Citizen Eco-Drive Radio-controlled world time self-winding automatic watch with sapphire crystal.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General; the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; the FBI; and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
KC Man Pleads Guilty to Three Fentanyl Overdose DeathsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing fentanyl, which resulted in three overdose deaths in Belton and Raymore, Mo., as part of a drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Tiger Dean Draggoo, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death.
By pleading guilty today, Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl on Sept. 3, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Aug. 22 and Sept. 13, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Dec. 7 and 20, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person.
Draggoo also admitted that the government’s evidence of the total amount of drugs he is responsible for distributing or possessing is at least 22,364 pills that contained a total of 2,460 grams of fentanyl.
Victim #1 Fatality
On Sept. 4, 2022, Cass County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies found a juvenile, identified in court documents as “Victim #1,” deceased in her bedroom. An autopsy report identified “Fentanyl Intoxication” as the cause of death. Investigators determined that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to the victim and had supplied her with fentanyl pills on the evening of Sept. 3, 2022.
Victim #2 Fatality
On Sept. 13, 2022, a deceased person, identified in court documents as “Victim #2,” was found in the Belton residence where she lived with her mother. A blue pill was found in her bedroom, which was tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to Victim #2. Draggoo typically would drop off pills near midnight at Victim #2’s bedroom window, and cell phone GPS information indicated Draggoo was in the area of Victim #2’s residence at approximately 12:20 a.m on Sept. 13, 2022.
Attempted Arrest of Draggoo
On Sept. 22, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted surveillance of Draggoo’s apartment and attempted to arrest him. Draggoo got into a Jeep Renegade driven by his brother, co-defendant Colt Justin Draggoo, 21, of Kansas City, Mo. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle, but the vehicle fled. Tiger and Colt Draggoo later returned to the apartment complex, but when an officer drove into the parking lot, Tiger Draggoo ran into the apartment building and was able to escape.
Colt Draggoo was arrested. Officers found a loaded Springfield Armory 9mm handgun sitting on the driver’s seat of the Jeep. A laundry bag in the back seat contained two fire safes that had a total of $184,500 in cash. Colt Draggoo has pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and found 17 firearms, including two machine guns, ammunition of various calibers, $246,769 in cash, a ballistic vest with plates, a money counter, numerous pills that contained fentanyl, eight suspected LSD tabs, and marijuana. The 17 firearms included a Del-Ton 5.56-caliber rifle (converted into a machine gun), a Glock switch (used to convert a Glock pistol into a machine gun), three Marlin .22-caliber rifles, a Norinco 7.62-caliber rifle, a Mosin-Nagant rifle, an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .223-caliber rifle, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, an Armscorp USA .308-caliber rifle, a Century Arms 7.62-caliber rifle, a Herbert Schmidt .22-caliber revolver, a New England Firearms .22-caliber revolver, a Kimber 9mm pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, and a Metro Arms .45-caliber pistol.
Victim #3 Fatality
On Dec. 20, 2022, Raymore police officers were dispatched to a residence in Raymore regarding a non-breathing female, identified in court documents as Victim #3. Victim #3 was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. A small jewelry box in Victim #3’s bedroom contained three broken segments of a blue pill that were tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Tiger Draggoo had been selling fentanyl to Victim #3 since as early as May 31, 2022. The last Facebook Messengers conversation between Tiger Draggoo and Victim #3 occurred on Dec. 7, 2022, when they agreed to meet and an amount of $50 was agreed upon.
Arrest of Draggoo
Tiger Draggoo was arrested at his residence on Jan. 20, 2023. Tiger Draggoo was in possession of almost $2,000 in cash in his billfold and pockets. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and recovered pills from the toilet. Officers also found suspected psilocybin mushrooms, 144 grams of yellow THC wax, and more than $62,000 in additional cash. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s Honda Accord and found three handguns, a Palmetto State Armory multi-caliber rifle, an unregistered short-barreled 12-gauge shotgun, and $1,250 in cash. Officers searched his girlfriend’s Jeep Renegade, which was located at the apartment complex, and found a backpack that contained more than $82,000 in cash.
Under federal statutes, Tiger Draggoo is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
Pineville Woman Sentenced to Consecutive Life Sentences in Prison for Kidnapping, Murder of Pregnant Arkansas Woman and Unborn ChildRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Pineville, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for the kidnapping and murder of a pregnant Arkansas woman and her victim’s unborn child.
Amber Waterman, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to consecutive life sentences in federal prison without parole.
On July 30, 2024, Amber Waterman pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of thereby causing the death of a child in utero. Waterman admitted that she kidnapped Ashley Bush in order to claim her unborn child, Valkyrie Willis, as her own. Waterman transported Ashley Bush from Maysville, Ark., to Pineville. The kidnapping resulted in the deaths of both Ashley Bush and Valkyrie Willis.
Her husband, Jamie Waterman, 44, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of being an accessory after the fact to the kidnapping resulting in death. Jamie Waterman admitted that he knew Amber Waterman had kidnapped Bush, causing the death of her unborn child, and provided assistance in order to hinder or prevent the apprehension, trial, and punishment of Amber Waterman.
Amber Waterman, using a false name, contacted Bush, who was approximately 31 weeks pregnant, via Facebook. Amber Waterman pretended to help Bush obtain employment, suggesting she had a job opportunity for her. That prompted an in-person meeting between the two women on Oct. 28, 2022, at the Gravette, Ark., public library. They agreed to meet again on Oct. 31, 2022.
On Oct. 31, 2022, at roughly 11:45 a.m., Bush met Amber Waterman at the Handi-Stop convenience store in Maysville, Ark. Under the pretext that Amber Waterman was taking her to meet a supervisor to further discuss employment, Bush got into a truck driven by Amber Waterman. Amber Waterman then kidnapped and abducted Bush, driving her from Maysville to the Waterman residence in Pineville.
According to court documents, Amber Waterman led Jamie Waterman to Bush’s body. Jamie Waterman assisted in hiding and disposing of the body.
At about 5 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2022, first responders reported to the Longview store in Pineville for an emergency call of a baby who was not breathing. Amber Waterman admitted that she claimed to first responders that she had given birth to the child in the truck while on the way to the hospital. But in reality, she admitted, the child was Bush’s child, who died in utero, as a result of Amber Waterman’s kidnapping that resulted in the death of Bush.
An autopsy indicated that Bush died as a result of penetrating trauma of the torso and her death was classified as a homicide.
Under federal statutes, Jamie Waterman is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie L. Wan and James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI, the Benton County, Ark., Sheriff’s Department, and the McDonald County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Arkansas and the Benton County, Ark., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Pediatric Physician Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Overland Park, Kansas, pediatric physician pleaded guilty in federal court today to using concealed video cameras to secretly record 13 child victims for the purpose of producing child pornography over a three-year period from Oct. 4, 2020, to Oct. 28, 2023. Aalbers also admitted that he was in possession of child pornography.
Brian Michael Aalbers, 50, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to 13 counts of attempting to produce child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
Aalbers, a pediatric neurologist at Overland Park Regional Hospital in Overland Park, Kan., remains in federal custody without bond.
Concerns were received by both the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office regarding the potential victimization of patients of Aalbers’s pediatric practice. During the investigation, it was determined there was no evidence to indicate any current or former patients were victimized by Aalbers. To protect and maintain the privacy of Aalbers’s victims, no additional information regarding the victims will be released.
According to today’s plea agreement, Kansas City, Mo., police officers investigated a report regarding concealed video cameras that had been found on Oct. 28, 2023. A witness later contacted officers to report that Aalbers was sending suicidal text messages. Lenexa, Kan., police officers located Aalbers and transported him to a local hospital to obtain voluntary mental health treatment. The hospital took possession of two laptop computers, two iPad tablets, and a cell phone that were inside a backpack Aalbers brought with him when he entered the facility.
Investigators obtained search warrants for those devices, as well as other cameras and electronic devices owned by Aalbers. Investigators found more than 50,000 video files associated with the hidden video cameras used by Aalbers, including more than 1,000 videos that contained pornographic depictions of the 13 child victims.
Investigators also obtained a search warrant for Aalbers’s iCloud account, which contained 1,000 additional images and 163 additional videos of child pornography, which included videos of the identified child victims that had been produced by Aalbers.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and Aalbers are jointly requesting a sentence of at least 20 years, but no more than 30 years, in federal prison without parole. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Lenexa, Kan., Police Department, the Merriam, Kan., Police Department, and the Overland Park, Kan., Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Kansas.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Rocheport Husband, Wife Indicted for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Rocheport, Mo., couple was indicted by a federal grand jury for victimizing three children to produce child pornography.
Jeremy James Cudney, 34, and his wife, Cassandra Elaine Cudney, 34, were charged in an eight-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo.
The indictment alleges that Jeremy and Cassandra Cudney participated in a conspiracy to produce child pornography from August 25, 2019, to April 25, 2022. They are also charged together in three counts of producing child pornography involving two child victims, one of whom was under the age of 12 and two of whom were under the age of 16.
In addition, Jeremy Cudney is charged with one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Cassandra Cudney is also charged with one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Missouri State Technical Assistance Team, and the Howard County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Republic Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Republic, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing fentanyl to distribute and several firearms following two instances in which he fled from law enforcement officers.
Tonikko Fewell, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 16 years in federal prison without parole.
On April 22, 2024, Fewell pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On Aug. 16, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Fewell’s residence. Fewell drove by his residence while officers were executing the search warrant. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Fewell dropped off a female passenger and quickly sped away at speeds over 100 miles per hour. Officers discontinued the pursuit over public safety concerns.
Officers searched Fewell’s residence and found approximately 588 grams of fentanyl, $3,420 in cash, and an Anderson .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle, which had been reported stolen, with a fully loaded 40-round magazine. Officers also found a Jimenez Arms 9mm semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen and a Walther 9mm semi-automatic pistol in a vehicle parked at the residence.
On Dec. 8, 2021, a Springfield, Mo., police detective attempted to conduct a traffic stop of an orange Cadillac Fewell was driving. The detective did not pursue the vehicle, but shortly afterward saw the vehicle had been involved in a three-car accident at the intersection of Commercial Street and National Avenue. The detective searched the vehicle and found 54 grams of fentanyl and $4,232 in cash. Fewell, a passenger, and their 2-year-old daughter were transported to the hospital for treatment.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Fewell has a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Republic, Mo., Police Department, and the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Belton Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Belton, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for leading a drug-trafficking conspiracy and for illegally possessing a firearm.
Serjio Diaz, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On April 9, 2024, Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of money laundering.
Diaz admitted that he was the primary organizer of a drug-trafficking conspiracy that lasted from Jan. 1, 2019, to June 22, 2021.
The investigation began on March 18, 2019, when federal agents interdicted and seized a package from California that contained more than 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, which was addressed to Diaz’s residence. On the same day, federal agents also interdicted and seized a package from California that contained more than three kilograms of methamphetamine, which was addressed to the residence of his brother and co-defendant, Tony Diaz, 41, of Raymore, Mo.
During the course of the investigation, investigators conducted 23 controlled transactions from Serjio and Tony Diaz, utilizing an FBI confidential source. Over the course of these controlled purchases, law enforcement purchased more than seven kilograms of methamphetamine, more than six kilograms of heroin, and 468.6 grams of cocaine from Serjio and Tony Diaz for a total of $243,900.
In one transaction, for example, the confidential source purchased a kilogram of methamphetamine for $9,000 from Tony Diaz. In another instance, the confidential source purchased 222.4 grams (7.5 ounces) of cocaine from Serjio Diaz for $7,000.
On June 22, 2021, law enforcement officers arrested Serjio and Tony Diaz and searched Serjio Diaz’s residences and vehicles. Officers found almost nine kilograms of heroin, 166 grams of cocaine, six bags of pills that contained fentanyl and weighed a total of 78 grams, a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol, and $82,250 in cash.
Officers searched Tony Diaz’s residence and found 1,128 grams of suspected heroin, 28 grams of suspected cocaine, a Zastava Arms 7.62x39mm semi-automatic rifle, a Romarm Cugir 7.62x39mm semi-automatic rifle, and $5,461 in cash in Tony Diaz’s bedroom. Officers also found a Remington Arms .22-caliber rifle in a shed, one pound of suspected marijuana in his Lincoln Navigator SUV, and a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol and 3.4 grams of suspected marijuana in his BMW X5.
From May 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2020, Serjio Diaz deposited 93 money orders, totaling $82,145, into either his personal bank account or the bank account of his business, Imperial Window & Gutter Cleaning, LLC. Serjio Diaz went to multiple post offices on the same date to purchase money orders; 21 of those purchases occurred soon after a controlled drug purchase was made by law enforcement in this investigation. Serjio Diaz limited his purchase to a maximum of $2,000 at each post office in order to avoid federal reporting requirements.
Tony Diaz has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled for Tony Diaz.
Co-defendant Maria Jasmin Lopez, 24, of Phoenix, Arizona, also pleaded guilty to her role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and was sentenced on Aug. 1, 2023, to 10 years and three months in federal prison without parole.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI and the Jackson County Drug Task Force.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
15 More Defendants Indicted for Meth and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Fifteen more defendants have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy after law enforcement officers seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine and a kilogram of fentanyl pills hidden in a vehicle being transported from San Bernadino, Cal. to Springfield, Mo.
Stevie Delane Logan, Jr., 34, Daron Cortez Kelly, 36, Damion Williams, 34, Necole Jennings, 47, Osric Rashaad Edwards, 25, Shawn Weston Morris, 54, and Rikkita Charnay Tolbert, 37, all of Parsons, Kan.; William Edward McKinzie, 52, Juston Dean Crane, 39, and Gary Jay Watkins, Jr., 54, all of Joplin, Mo.; James Richard Sharp, 55, of Seneca, Mo., Jon Kurtis Smith, 39, of El Dorado, Kan.; Christuffer Allen Roeder, 28, of Independence, Kan.; William Earl Troester, Jr., 45, of Wichita, Kan.; and Kylei Paige Sullivan, 27, of St. Paul, Kan., were charged in an 18-count second superseding indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Tuesday, Oct. 1. That indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of all remaining defendants.
The initial indictment in this case charged Dontrell Anthony Powell, 34, and his brother, Dreshawn Powell, 27, both of Springfield, and Willie Murry, Jr., 42, and Mark Monta Logan, 33, both of Parsons, on Feb. 6, 2024. They remain as defendants in this second superseding indictment.
The federal indictment alleges that 17 of the defendants, with the exceptions of Tolbert and Sullivan, participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in Greene, Jasper, and Newton Counties, and elsewhere, from Jan. 1, 2022, to April 20, 2024.
The federal indictment also alleges that 14 of the defendants, with the exceptions of McKinzie, Crane, Morris, Sharp, and Watkins, participated in a money-laundering conspiracy.
Several defendants also are charged in various counts related to drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearms.
According to court documents, investigation into the drug-trafficking organization began when a Trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol searched a vehicle on a car hauler at a truck stop in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Jan. 17, 2024. The Trooper found approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of fentanyl pills hidden in a subwoofer speaker box in the cargo area of the car, a Dodge Magnum. The driver of the car hauler, who was not involved in the drug shipment, agreed to deliver the Dodge Magnum to its destination at a parking lot in Springfield.
Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration removed the fentanyl pills from the Dodge Magnum and replaced most of the methamphetamine with sham methamphetamine before conducting a controlled delivery of the vehicle the next morning. On January 18, 2024, Dontrell Powell and Dreshawn Powell arrived at the parking lot together in a Mercedes while Murry and Mark Logan arrived together in a BMW. Dontrell Powell met with the driver of the car hauler to sign for the Dodge Magnum and attempted to start the vehicle, but the battery was dead. Murray and Mark Logan helped jump start the Dodge Magnum, and Dontrell Powell drove it out of the parking lot as the other three men followed in their vehicles. Agents followed the three vehicles to Dontrell Powell’s residence, where they were arrested.
Agents also searched Dontrell Powell’s residence and found, in addition to the controlled delivery from the Dodge Magnum, an AM-15 pistol, .223 ammunition, several high-capacity magazines with ammunition, more than $100,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. Agents also found a loaded Glock pistol in one of the vehicles, numerous cell phones, four more large subwoofer boxes (two of which contained shards of crystal methamphetamine), and drug paraphernalia.
Following the controlled delivery of the Dodge Magnum, agents obtained a court order authorizing the interception of wire and electronic communications over three cellular phones being utilized by Mark Logan’s brother, Stevie Logan, in connection with his distribution of methamphetamine.
The investigation culminated on April 20, 2024, when Stevie Logan received a call from McKinzie requesting methamphetamine. Stevie Logan directed Kelly and Williams to retrieve methamphetamine from Jennings’ residence in Parsons, Kan. Kelly and Williams picked Stevie Logan up from a gas station in Pittsburg, Kan., and the three men traveled to a hotel in Joplin, Mo. As McKinzie approached the vehicle, all four men were arrested. Agents searched the vehicle and located approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine inside of a large tub.
Agents also searched McKinzie’s hotel room and located an additional five ounces of methamphetamine and three firearms.
In addition to the two conspiracies, Dontrell Powell is charged with one count of money laundering, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Dontrell Powell allegedly possessed an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 multi-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on January 18, 2024. Dontrell Powell allegedly possessed another Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on June 12, 2022. Dontrell Powell is subject to enhanced penalties resulting from a prior felony conviction for possession of dangerous drugs for sale.
Dontrell Powell, Murry, Dreshawn Powell, and Mark Logan are charged together in one count of attempting to possess methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
Murry and Mark Logan also are charged together in one count of traveling across state lines from Kansas to Missouri with the intent to carry on or facilitate an unlawful activity (possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl).
Stevie Logan, Kelly, Williams, and Jennings are charged together in one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and McKinzie is charged with one count of attempting to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Stevie Logan, Kelly, and Williams are charged together in one count of traveling across state lines from Kansas to Missouri with the intent to carry on or facilitate an unlawful activity (possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine).
McKinzie also is charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. McKinzie allegedly possessed an Arcadia Machine & Tool .45-caliber pistol, a Ruger 9mm pistol, and a Sundance .25-caliber pistol on April 20, 2024.
Sharp also is charged with two counts of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Sharp allegedly possessed a Sig Sauer .45-caliber pistol on May 3, 2021.
Crane also is charged with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Parsons, Kan., Police Department, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, and the Labette County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Carthage Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carthage, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for possessing methamphetamine to distribute.
Robert Marion Nevels, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Thursday, Oct. 3, to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 12, 2024, Nevels pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Nevels admitted that he was in possession of 200.2 grams of methamphetamine and a handgun when he was stopped by Carthage police officers on May 16, 2023.
Nevels, who was on probation and parole at the time for assault and narcotics, was driving a tan 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis when he was stopped for failing to signal. The officer searched Nevels’s vehicle and found a backpack in the trunk that contained a loaded Echasa 7.65-caliber handgun and plastic baggies that contained methamphetamine. There were also four receipts (totaling $6,523) that indicated Nevels had been sending money to Mexico and California, as well as numerous empty baggies with methamphetamine residue.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers seized a total of 598.8 grams of pure methamphetamine. Nevels was responsible for the distribution of at least 1.5 kilograms but less than 4.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Nevels was involved in large-quantity methamphetamine distribution in Jasper and Newton Counties beginning as early as February 2023. Text messages indicate he could purchase one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of methamphetamine for $4,000. He typically sold to customers in quantities between one-eighth ounce to one pound. His distribution prices fluctuated, but text messages indicate he typically sold one ounce of methamphetamine for $300 to $350, and one pound of methamphetamine for $2,300 to $2,500.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Carthage, Mo., Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
KC Man Sentenced in Scheme to Steal Firearms from VehiclesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today as the final defendant in a conspiracy to steal more than 100 firearms from numerous vehicles in the Westport entertainment district and elsewhere in the metropolitan area, which were later sold on social media accounts.
Treyon Bloodsoe, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to seven years three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Bloodsoe to pay $1,500 in restitution, for which all of the defendants in this case are jointly and severally liable.
On Oct. 26, 2023, Bloodsoe pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen firearms and to possessing stolen firearms.
Bloodsoe admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to break into vehicles and steal firearms and other items. Conspirators used social media to advertise the stolen firearms for sale, which included sales to individuals who were prohibited by law from possessing firearms (including Bloodsoe’s sale of a Glock handgun to a juvenile). According to court documents, Bloodsoe and his co-conspirators stole more than 100 firearms obtained from vehicle break-ins from June 18 to Nov. 19, 2021.
Bloodsoe also admitted that he was in possession of a Glock 10mm handgun and a KelTec 5.56x45mm rifle, both of which had been reported as stolen, when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence on Nov. 4, 2021.
Bloodsoe is the fifth and final defendant, all of whom are residents of Kansas City, Mo., to be sentenced in this case. Rayquan Duane Pettaway, 25, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Roy Rushing, 27, was sentenced to nine years and two months in federal prison without parole. Drevion Hooker, 22, was sentenced to seven years and one month in federal prison without parole. Bobby Lamb, 22, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison without parole.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Two KC Men Sentenced in Scheme to Steal Firearms from VehiclesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Mo., men were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in the thefts of more than 100 firearms from numerous vehicles in the Westport entertainment district and elsewhere in the metropolitan area, which were later sold on social media accounts.
Rayquan Duane Pettaway, 25, and Roy Rushing, 27, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays. Pettaway was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in federal prison without parole; the court ordered the federal sentence be served consecutively to Pettaway’s sentence in two unrelated cases in Cass County, Mo., and Harris County, Texas. Rushing was sentenced to nine years and two months in federal prison without parole; the court ordered the federal sentence be served consecutively to Rushing’s sentence in two unrelated cases in Jackson County, Mo., and Cass County. The court also ordered Pettaway and Rushing to pay $1,500 in restitution, for which all of the defendants in this case are jointly and severally liable.
On Oct. 26, 2023, Pettaway pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen firearms and to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Pettaway admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to break into vehicles and steal firearms and other items. Conspirators used social media to advertise the stolen firearms for sale, which included sales to individuals who were prohibited by law from possessing firearms. According to court documents, Pettaway and his co-conspirators stole more than 100 firearms obtained from vehicle break-ins from June 18 to Nov. 19, 2021.
Pettaway also admitted that he was in possession of a Glock 9mm handgun and a Glock .40-caliber handgun when he was arrested on July 11, 2021.
Police patrol cars converged on a location in the Westport entertainment district when officers saw Pettaway and co-defendant Drevion Hooker, 22, of Kansas City, Mo., acting suspiciously. Hooker attempted to flee on foot but was detained. Pettaway fled in a silver Chevrolet Impala at a high rate of speed. Investigators attempted to follow and eventually located the Impala south of 39th Street and Central Street. Pettaway fled from the vehicle — which had sustained damage — and was apprehended. Officers found the Glock 9mm handgun on the floorboard of the driver’s seat and the Glock .40-caliber handgun in the front passenger’s seat of the vehicle.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Pettaway has a felony conviction for felony assault and unlawful use of a weapon.
On July 26, 2023, Rushing pleaded guilty to possessing stolen firearms. Rushing admitted he was in possession of a Radical Firearms AR-type rifle, a Glock .40-caliber handgun, and a Glock .45-caliber handgun, all of which had been reported as stolen, on Nov. 4, 2021. Federal agents found seven firearms, including the three stolen firearms, when they executed a search warrant at Rushing’s residence.
Hooker was sentenced on Sept. 4, 2024, to seven years and one month in federal prison without parole.
Co-defendant Bobby Lamb, 22, was sentenced on July 27, 2024, to 11 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy and to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possessing a stolen firearm.
The final defendant in this case, Treyon Bloodsoe, 22, of Kansas City, Mo., is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, Oct. 3. Bloodsoe pleaded guilty on Oct. 26, 2023, to his role in the conspiracy and to possessing a stolen firearm.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Physical Therapist Sentenced to 12 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A physical therapist who owns a clinic in California was sentenced in federal court today for distributing child pornography.
Esteban E. Manale, 47, of Hacienda Heights, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 12 years in federal prison without parole.
Manale, the owner of a physical therapy clinic in Bellflower, Calif., pleaded guilty on May 3, 2024, to three counts of distributing child pornography. Manale admitted that on three separate occasions in August 2022 he sent images of child pornography to an undercover FBI task force officer whom he believed to be a Missouri woman he met online through a dating application.
Manale originally contacted a woman in Missouri on a dating application in August 2022. He told her that he worked at a physical therapy clinic primarily dealing with athletes, including minor females who were cheerleaders and volleyball players. He stated that he would get touchy with the athletes and liked to flirt with all of the girls who came to the clinic, and disclosed that he has had sex with patients at the clinic. He indicated that he liked children and had slept with a 13-year-old girl he met at the beach. He talked about his fascination with Ted Bundy, said he wanted to “use a rope to choke a young one,” use “knife play,” and “rape a young virgin girl while her mom watches me” while the mother is tied up.
The Missouri woman contacted law enforcement. An undercover officer assumed her identity and continued to communicate with Manale. In those conversations, Manale told the undercover officer that he had sexual contact with “preteens about 10 times,” defining them as being between 10 and 13 years old, and claimed to also have sexual contact “with older teens and about 20 plus.” In one communication, Manale claimed that he visited malls to “hunt” for young, cute girls over the weekend.
Manale discussed his desire to come to Kansas City to meet the undercover officer’s purported 8-year-old niece and have her record the encounter. He sent images of child pornography to the undercover officer via social media from Aug. 22, 2022, through Nov. 9, 2022.
On Dec. 14, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Manale’s residence and seized three cell phones. Two of the phones were hidden on top of the bathroom vanity, in a small space that was difficult to access. Investigators found 507 images and 154 videos of child pornography on those two cell phones.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Los Angeles, Calif., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Mexican National Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than 60 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Juan Hernandez-Guzman, 31, a citizen of Mexico who is a permanent resident of the United States, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Hernandez-Guzman to forfeit to the government $13,048 that was seized by law enforcement officers, which represents the proceeds of drug trafficking.
On April 16, 2024, Hernandez-Guzman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from April 10 to April 23, 2023.
Police officers executed a search warrant at Hernandez-Guzman’s residence on April 23, 2023. Officers found a loaded Glock .357-caliber handgun, which had been modified so that it was capable of firing automatically, and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun, and a non-functioning .22-caliber revolver. Each of the Glock handguns had an extended magazine loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition. Officers also seized $4,048 in cash. Officers took protective custody of two children who were present.
Officers also found 10.9 kilograms of methamphetamine inside a cardboard box in the back seat of Hernandez-Guzman’s Tahoe. The vehicle also contained $9,000 in cash.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
KC Metro Strike Force
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
‘Swatting’ Phone Call Targeted IRS Employee, Led to LockdownRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been charged in federal court with making a hoax telephone call that led to an IRS employee being detained and the IRS office on Pershing Road being locked down.
Anthony M. Alford, 46, was charged in a criminal complaint that was filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, Sept. 27. The complaint was unsealed and made public today following Alford’s arrest and initial court appearance. Alford remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Friday, Oct. 4.
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Alford placed a hoax telephone call to emergency services, falsely claiming that an individual was armed with a firearm and was threatening to shoot people in an IRS building.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Alford called 911 on Sept. 10, 2024, and reported that a person identified in court documents as “Victim One” had a gun and was threatening to shoot up the Internal Revenue Service building at 333 W. Pershing Road in Kansas City, Mo. Victim One is an employee of the IRS.
Kansas City police officers were dispatched to the building, where they contacted IRS security and Federal Protective Service officers. Victim One had been detained and searched for weapons based on the 911 call. Following the 911 call, the B-Wing of the IRS building was locked down. The IRS announced that there was an active shooter in the building and told those in the B-Wing to stay locked down.
Victim One was unarmed. Victim One told investigators she had been dating Alford for about a month and was trying to break up with him. Alford had never been violent, she said, but had exhibited controlling, possessive, and jealous behavior. Alford had repeatedly called and messaged her the previous night, she said, and earlier that morning sent her messages threatening to involve the police.
Investigators interviewed Alford afterward, according to the affidavit, and he told them Victim One did not threaten to shoot up the IRS Building, as he had said in the 911 call. Alford stated his intention when he called 911 was to instigate trouble for Victim One at work.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Ozark Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Ozark, Mo., man and a Springfield, Mo., man have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Robert Jason Smith, 48, of Ozark, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 25 years in federal prison without parole. Smith was sentenced as a career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.
In a separate but related case, Aaron A. Keltner, 41, of Springfield, was sentenced on Thursday, Sept. 26, to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
On Feb. 15, 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Smith admitted that he sold 25.17 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on June 22, 2021. The next day, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop while Smith was driving a black GMC pickup. An officer searched the truck and found a small black backpack on the rear floorboard behind the driver’s seat. Inside the backpack was a Ziploc bag that contained 217.98 grams of methamphetamine and $4,000 in cash. The officer found another backpack, which contained hundreds of rounds of assorted handgun, rifle, and shotgun ammunition, in the bed of the pickup.
Officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence the same day, on June 22, 2021. In the master bedroom, officers found a Ziploc bag that contained 53.86 grams of methamphetamine as well as a Taurus .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol under the mattress.
Smith told investigators he purchased a pound of methamphetamine each week from a co-defendant who was working with Keltner, for which he paid $5,000, and a pound of methamphetamine every two or three weeks from a separate source of supply.
According to court documents, Smith is responsible for the distribution of more than 12 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Smith has 13 prior felony convictions, six of which were for selling drugs.
Smith is the first defendant to be sentenced in this case. Two co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Two co-defendants are scheduled for trial.
Keltner, who was charged separately, pleaded guilty on March 11, 2024, to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Keltner regularly coordinated trips to acquire 14 to 16 kilograms of methamphetamine from Oklahoma per trip, using women to make the trips for him. He would then divide up the methamphetamine for re-distribution.
Keltner admitted that he was in possession of an Anderson Manufacturing AR-15 style .223/5.56mm semi-automatic rifle, a Savage Arms .223-caliber bolt-action rifle, and a Marlin .22-caliber bolt-action rifle. The firearms were found by law enforcement officers when they executed a search warrant at Keltner’s residence.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Keltner has numerous prior felony convictions, including for the distribution, delivery, or manufacture of a controlled substance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Joplin Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for stealing mail from Joplin residents as part of a conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.
Aaron M. Blake, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to three years and seven months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Blake to pay $12,482 in restitution to his victims.
On Feb. 13, 2024, Blake pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Co-defendant Emily Anna-Lee Sturgis, 31, pleaded guilty on July 22, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and to one count of bank fraud and awaits sentencing.
Sturgis and Blake admitted they conspired from December 2022 to Jan. 26, 2023, to steal mail out of residential mailboxes and off porches in Joplin. The stolen mail included credit cards, debit cards, checks, cash, jewelry, and documents that contained personal identifying information (such as names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and bank account information). They stole Pandora jewelry from one victim’s mailbox, and a Christmas card that contained a $500 check from another victim’s mailbox. They used the stolen credit cards to unlawfully make purchases.
Blake, with the knowledge and assistance of Sturgis, used the stolen personal information to open credit card accounts and bank accounts under those stolen names. He then used these fraudulently created credit and bank accounts to make unlawful purchases.
Sturgis and Blake attempted to obtain at least $13,845 from their victims and did obtain at least $12,482 from their victims.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Carthage, Mo., Police Department and the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
KC Man Charged with Possessing Hundreds of Illegal Machine Gun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been charged in federal court with possessing hundreds of homemade devices to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns.
“Law enforcement agencies in our area and nationwide report a disturbing increase in the number of machine gun conversion devices that quickly and easily transform a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machine gun,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Machine gun conversion devices are often cheap and homemade, just a small piece of metal or plastic that converts a run-of-the-mill firearm into a weapon of war. These dangerously lethal and illegal weapons pose a threat to both public safety and the safety of law enforcement officers.
“Using these devices is illegal. Selling these devices is illegal. And being in possession of these devices is also illegal,” added Moore. “The Department of Justice is making it a priority to combat the spread of these deadly weapons as a focus of our strategy to drive down violent crime.”
Dalton R. Johnston, 27, was charged in a three-count criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Sept. 24. That complaint was unsealed and made public today following Johnston’s arrest.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Johnston used his 3-D printer to manufacture machine gun conversion devices, which he sold in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Machine gun conversion devices, or MCDs, also known as a “switches” or “auto sears,” are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law.
“In support of the DOJ’s newly established Action Network to Terminate Illegal Machine Gun Conversion Devices, ATF will continue to work nonstop to disrupt the manufacturing and possession of machine gun conversion devices,” said Bernard G. Hansen, ATF Special Agent in Charge, Kansas City Field Division.
“What ATF saw 10 years ago with the emergence of the ghost gun phenomena,” said Hansen, “is now what ATF is seeing with the emergence of machine gun conversion devices. These highly dangerous devices can transform a street corner into a combat zone, devastating entire communities and the brave members of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day. Machine gun conversion devices are now the most frequently recovered type of illegal firearm. If you are manufacturing or in possession of these deadly devices, we will identify you and arrest you; we will not let up. ATF’s mission is to protect the public from violent crime, and getting these devices off the streets does just that.”
On Aug. 2, 2024, Johnston allegedly sold 10 Glock conversion devices and an AR-type conversion device for a total of $70 to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. At the time of the transaction, the affidavit says, Johnston told the undercover agent the devices were incomplete as he did not manufacture the selector rod for them (though he later provided those to the undercover agent).
Johnston agreed to manufacture and sell 100 AR-type conversion devices for $250 after the undercover agent said he would be trafficking the devices to Chicago and selling them for a large profit. Johnston stated that he printed the machine gun conversion devices himself and it would take him approximately a week. Johnston also explained that he could manufacture AR-type firearms as well, but it would take him weeks to complete them.
On Aug. 15, 2024, Johnston met the undercover agent in a gas station parking lot on Blue Ridge Cutoff and gave him a clear vacuum-sealed package that contained 100 AR-type machine gun conversion devices. The undercover agent paid Johnston $250 for the devices. Johnston allegedly told the undercover agent he could manufacture and sell 300 AR-type conversion devices within the next two weeks for $750.
On Aug. 30, 2024, Johnston met the undercover agent in the same gas station parking lot on Blue Ridge Cutoff for the transaction. The undercover agent told Johnston he/she wanted to purchase 500 AR-type conversion devices in the next few weeks. Johnston said he could manufacture that many in approximately a week. Johnston explained that he can 3-D print 45 AR-type conversion devices at one time, and can print up to three batches per day. Johnston also told the undercover agent he could produce silencers, which he sells for $20, and agreed to manufacture a silencer for the undercover agent.
The federal criminal complaint charges Johnston with three counts of possessing machine guns, that is, 3D-printed machine gun conversion devices. Johnston allegedly was in possession of 10 3-D printed Glock machine gun conversion devices on Aug. 2, 2024; in possession of 100 3-D printed AR-type machine gun conversion devices on Aug. 15, 2024; and in possession of 300 3-D printed AR-type machine gun conversion devices on Aug. 30, 2024.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
KC Tax Preparer Sentenced for Wire Fraud, False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., tax preparer was sentenced in federal court today for a nearly $1 million wire fraud scheme in which he filed federal income tax returns for his clients that contained false information.
Ebens Louis-Loradin, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 20 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Louis-Loradin to pay $722,121 in restitution.
On March 27, 2024, Louis-Loradin pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and 10 counts of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns. According to court documents, Louis-Loradin prepared and filed 154 fraudulent tax returns that inflated his clients’ refunds by a total of nearly $1 million and thereby boosted the fees he charged them.
Louis-Loradin, who has been a tax preparer since 2012, admitted that he engaged in a scheme to defraud the IRS and obtain money by preparing and electronically filing federal tax returns containing false items over a seven-year period from 2013 to 2020. Louis-Loradin claimed items on his clients’ federal tax returns that his clients were not entitled to claim, including dependents, inflated income tax withholding amounts, credits for child and dependent care expenses, American opportunity credits, earned income credits, itemized deductions, and business losses. These false claims had the effect of reducing his clients’ taxable income and increasing his clients’ tax credit eligibility.
Louis-Loradin’s fraud scheme resulted in a total loss of $953,873 to the United States. Many of his clients, who told investigators they weren’t aware of the false items he placed on their tax returns, have been paying back the Internal Revenue Service for the refund overpayments caused by Louis-Loradin’s fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Louis-Loradin failed to file personal federal income tax returns for tax years 2016, 2017, and 2018. He also fraudulently utilized multiple identities, including those of children, in the commission of his fraud scheme. Specificallym Louis-Loradin utilized the identity of at least seven minors to claim them as dependents on various clients’ tax returns.
According to court documents, Louis-Loradin was in Haiti when he was indicted in July 2021. He traveled to Florida in May 2023 and was arrested.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Heberle. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigations.
KC Man Sentenced for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm after he pointed his pistol at an ex-girlfriend’s head and threatened to kill her, then crashed into several vehicles while attempting to flee from law enforcement officers.
Jonathan Good, 33, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 10 years in federal prison without parole, the statutory maximum penalty for this offense.
On March 21, 2023, Good was found guilty at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Good was in possession of a Taurus 9mm handgun on July 29, 2020.
Kansas City police officers were called to a residence on July 29, 2020. A woman at the residence reported that Good had arrived on her front porch, drunk and belligerent, at about 11:24 p.m., waving a gun around and yelling. She told him to leave, after which she heard a single gunshot from the front porch. She followed Good to his car, where he pointed his pistol at her head and threatened to kill her. Good got into his silver Ford Mustang and left as officers were arriving.
A Kansas City police officer was parked in front of the victim’s residence at approximately 11:47 p.m. Good returned to the scene in his Ford Mustang, then shifted into reverse and began driving away. When Good reached the intersection of 72nd Steet and Walrond, he shifted his car into drive and drove south on Walrond. Officers pursued Good, who was driving 60 miles per hour through a residential neighborhood. Good failed to stop at one stop sign before losing control of his vehicle. Good’s vehicle hit the sidewalk then spun and collided with one vehicle parked on Walrond before slamming into another two vehicles parked in a residential driveway, where it was disabled. Good was arrested and transported to a local hospital to check for injuries. While at the hospital, when staff lifted him off the gurney onto the hospital bed, they found three live rounds of 9mm ammunition.
At approximately 1 a.m. on July 30, 2020, officers searched Good’s residence and found the loaded Taurus 9mm pistol hidden inside an old charcoal grill with the legs missing, which was sitting on the grass in the front yard. Forensic investigators indicated a DNA sample recovered from the trigger guard of the pistol implicated Good as a major contributor. The KCPD expert testified the genetic information from the trigger was 7 octillion times more likely to be observed if Jonathan Good and four unknown individuals are the contributors than if five individuals are the contributors.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition. Good has four prior felony convictions for domestic assault, two prior felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon, and prior felony convictions for armed criminal action, violating an order of protection, and stealing/theft of livestock.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stefan C. Hughes and Brandon E. Gibson. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend was a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honored the memory of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the youngest fatalities during a record-breaking year of homicides and shootings. Additional federal agents were assigned to the operation from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Independence Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Drug Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today after law enforcement officers seized 22 firearms and a large quantity of a variety of illegal drugs from his residence and his two campers in Bagnell, Mo.
Jonathan P. Henik, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 19 years and two months in federal prison without parole.
On April 4, 2024, Henik pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms, two counts of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possessing THC with the intent to distribute, two counts of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, and possession of an unregistered firearm.
Independence police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop while Henik, whose driver’s license was revoked, was driving a Dodge Charger on Sept. 1, 2021. However, as officers attempted to contact him after he pulled to the side of the road, Henik accelerated at a high rate of speed and fled the area.
On Oct. 5, 2021, officers executed a search warrant at Henik’s residence. Investigators found 11 firearms in Henik’s bedroom, including two Taurus .45-caliber firearms, a Glock 9mm semi-automatic firearm, a Glock .40-caliber firearm, a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber firearm, a Colt .45-caliber firearm, a CZ 9mm firearm, a Diamond Back .223-caliber firearm, a Freedom Ordnance 9mm firearm, an ATI OMNI .223-caliber firearm, and a KEL-TEC 9mm firearm.
Officers also found two jars of THC wax and drug paraphernalia in the kitchen. Officers found a black duffel bag that contained a Palmetto 7.62 x 39mm firearm, several rounds of ammunition, 105 grams of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia in a closet near the front door.
In the garage, officers found six more firearms, including a Glock .40-caliber firearm, two Glock 9mm firearms, a Sig Sauer 9mm firearm, an SCCY 9mm firearm, a Ruger 9mm firearm, a 9mm extended magazine, a 7.62x39 magazine, and two 9mm magazines. Officers also found 928 grams of methamphetamine, a container of approximately 8.6 kilograms of THC edibles, numerous heat-sealed bags that contained a total of approximately 8.6 kilograms of marijuana, a bag that contained approximately 510.8 grams of marijuana, a bag that contained approximately 166 grams of marijuana, a bag that contained approximately four grams of psilocybin mushrooms, several prescription medications, approximately 40 pills of suspected MDMA (ecstasy), and a bag that contained approximately four grams of THC edibles.
On Aug. 2, 2023, Henik was arrested on a federal warrant related to the original indictment in this case following law enforcement surveillance at his Sandpiper and Catalina campers parked in Bagnell.
Officers searched the campers and found two firearms on the table in the living room of the Cataline camper, a loaded Browning Arms Company .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol with a silencer (which was not registered) and a loaded Polymer80 9mm semi-automatic firearm with no markings. In the Sandpiper camper, officers found a large bag of apparent marijuana on the table. In a black bag in the living room, they found multiple bags of apparent marijuana and a plastic bag that contained approximately 145 grams of cocaine. On a dresser in the bedroom, officers found a gun case that contained magazine and live ammunition, seven explosive devices, and approximately four grams of psilocybin mushrooms. In the dresser, officers found approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine.
The total amount of marijuana recovered was approximately 1,723 grams (3.8 pounds).
Officers also searched Henik’s Lincoln SUV and found a loaded Heckler & Koch 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the driver’s side floorboard, a loaded FMK 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a YETI cup that contained three different types of pills, $662 in cash in the center console, and a large bag of apparent marijuana in the back hatch.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Henik has prior federal felony convictions for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and use of a firearm in connection with a drug offense.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force and the Mid Missouri Drug Task Force.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Independence Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and for illegally possessing a firearm.
Wiser Key, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 25 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 27, 2024, Key pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Key admitted that he engaged in drug transactions with an undercover law enforcement officer. In one transaction, for example, the undercover officer paid Key $8,500 in exchange for 1,000 counterfeit oxycodone tablets, which contained fentanyl. In another transaction, an undercover officer paid Key $6,000 in exchange for 750 counterfeit oxycodone pills, which contained fentanyl.
On April 30, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Key’s residence. Officers found multiple plastic bags that contained tablets, approximately 8 kilograms of suspected THC wax, approximately 39 grams of suspected cocaine, multiple bags of suspected marijuana, an FN handgun, a loaded Glock .40-caliber handgun, a loaded Springfield 9mm handgun, a loaded Sig Sauer .40-caliber handgun, a Harrington and Richardson 20-gauge shotgun, and $24,676 in cash.
According to court documents, Key distributed at least 120,000 counterfeit pills, which contained fentanyl, during the conspiracy. He and a co-defendant purchased 4,000 to 5,000 pills at a time from sources in Mexico.
Key is the first defendant to be sentenced in this case. Co-defendants Nilolas Albright, 30, of Cameron, Mo., and Demasjiay Cruse, 25, of St. Joseph, Mo., have pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen A. Brackett, Stephanie C. Bradshaw and John C. Constance. It was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the FBI; IRS-Criminal Investigation; the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department; the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department; the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department; and the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Defendants Sentenced for Global Darknet ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A citizen of Nigeria, who was extradited from the United Kingdom, was sentenced in federal court yesterday for his involvement in a conspiracy to sell stolen financial information on the darknet from tens of thousands of victims from around the world.
Simon Kaura was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to five years in federal prison without parole. At sentencing, the court found that Kaura’s crimes resulted in an intended loss of $6,338,500.
On May 22, 2024, Kaura pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and one count of access device fraud. According to court documents, Kaura admitted to being part of a sophisticated, global conspiracy to obtain and sell stolen financial information on darknet markets — including a market he helped create and administer with his co-conspirators. Kaura operated under the online monikers “apples,” “applepiecards,” “cartman,” and “dpharoah.”
Kaura and his co-conspirators operated as prominent “carding” (stolen financial information) vendors, sometimes under the moniker brand “ggmccloud” and “ggmccloud1,” on multiple darknet markets. Each market allowed users to buy and sell stolen and fraudulent financial information. The markets operated much like conventional e-commerce websites, except that the goods sold on the markets were primarily criminal in nature. Each market required users to transact in digital currencies, such as Bitcoin. These sites enabled users to distribute illegal contraband to buyers throughout the world to perpetrate fraud.
Kaura and his co-conspirators obtained large quantities of stolen financial information and passed it along to other co-conspirators to check, organize, and sell on numerous darknet markets. Kaura and his co-conspirators possessed card information belonging to victims from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Kaura and his co-conspirators were responsible for conducting tens of thousands of illegal transactions on darknet markets from Feb. 22, 2016, to Oct. 1, 2019.
During the conspiracy, Kaura and his co-conspirators also created, launched, and administered their own darknet market, Skynet. From April 2016 to October 2019, the co-conspirators’ market offered stolen financial information and other contraband for sale. The market also hosted a messaging forum and private messaging service, allowing cybercriminals from around the world to meet and communicate freely about their crimes.
Co-defendant Taylor Ross Staats, 41, of Texas was sentenced on Jan. 25, 2024, to 18 months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. Staats’s main role in the conspiracy was to determine, prior to being advertised for sale, whether the stolen payment cards were still active and capable of use. If so, he organized the card information, and it was posted for sale on the darknet. Staats operated under the online moniker “f9ac4”.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice continue to seek forfeiture of more than $4.5 million in criminal proceeds resulting from the co-conspirators crimes.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of the United Kingdom to secure the arrest and extradition of Kaura.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Heberle, Matthew Blackwood, and John Constance of the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorneys Michael Christin and Louisa Becker from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. It was investigated by the FBI.
Jury Convicts Two Men of Violent KidnappingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man who earlier pleaded guilty in a separate kidnapping case has been convicted at trial by a federal jury, along with his accomplice, of kidnapping a woman who was rescued from her attacker at a Neosho, Mo., hotel room.
Freddie Lewis Tilton, 51, of Joplin, Mo., and Alvin Dale Boyer, 39, of Rogers, Arkansas, were found guilty on Tuesday, September 17, of one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of kidnapping. Tilton was also convicted of one count of stalking. This is Tilton’s second conviction in a federal kidnapping case.
Evidence introduced during the trial demonstrated that Tilton and Boyer conspired on July 18 and 19, 2020, to kidnap the victim, identified in court documents as “S.T.”
An employee at Boonslick Lodge in Neosho called police at approximately 11:46 p.m. on July 19, 2020, to report that a woman was being choked and dragged into a room. A police officer knocked on the door of the room, and S.T., bloody and injured, opened the door, and ran out of the room. Tilton had jumped out the back window and escaped.
Boyer rented a room at the motel and invited S.T. to the motel to spend time with him. Unknown to S.T., Boyer had rented the motel room for Tilton and Tilton was waiting in the room for her. S.T. had separated from Tilton and had an ex parte order of protection against him. When S.T. entered the room, she was assaulted by Tilton. S.T. was observed on video surveillance struggling to get out of the room, but she was dragged back in by Tilton. Tilton struck S.T. repeatedly with a firearm and his fist. Tilton attempted to shoot S.T., but the gun jammed. S.T. was assaulted inside the room by Tilton for over eight minutes before law enforcement arrived.
Tilton escaped out of a window inside the motel room with a handgun. Tilton attempted to climb down a vertical rain gutter, but fell to the ground as the guttering broke then ran away.
Officers searched the motel room and found numerous indications that a violent, physical assault had taken place inside the room. In addition to blood on the room floor and door, officers found a chair with rope and zip ties attached, more nylon rope and zip ties, duct tape, a pair of pliers, a blowtorch and lighter fluid, a butane torch, drop cloths, plastic gloves, a Taurus 9mm handgun, and a Kimber .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle.
S.T. was transported to a hospital for treatment of her injuries.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for one hour and 32 minutes before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, ending a trial that began Monday, Sept. 16.
Under federal statutes, Tilton and Boyer each are subject to a sentence of up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ami Harshad Miller and Anthony Brown. It was investigated by the FBI and the Neosho, Mo., Police Department.
USA v. Tilton, et al
In addition to today’s trial conviction, Tilton has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing for his role in a kidnapping just a few days earlier, which resulted in the torture and death of the victim, and for illegally possessing firearms.
Four co-defendants pleaded guilty in that case and have been sentenced. Amy Kay Thomas, 41, of Webb City, Mo., was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison without parole. James B. Gibson, also known as “Gibby,” 42, of Neosho, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison without parole. Russell Eugene Hurtt, also known as “Uncle,” 52, of Greenwood, Mo., was sentenced to seven years in federal prison without parole. Lawrence William Vaughan, also known as “Scary Larry,” 53, of Neosho, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison without parole.
Additionally, Carla Jo Ward, 50, of Joplin, pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 3, 2024.
Tilton admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to kidnap the victim, identified as “M.H.,” in July 2020. Tilton offered Ward and Vaughan $5,000 each to locate and secure M.H. for him. Ward picked up M.H., whom she knew was being sought by Tilton, and took him to Vaughan’s residence.
Tilton, Thomas, and Gibson arrived at Vaughan’s residence in the early morning hours of July 15, 2020. They bound M.H.’s hands with handcuffs, and duct tape was placed around his mouth and other parts of his body. Gibson, Thomas, and others assaulted M.H. for a period of time. M.H. was cut, beaten, and shot at. Gibson burned M.H. with a blowtorch. Tilton fatally shot M.H. in the head. Thomas and others cleaned up the blood and damage created during the assault and shooting of M.H. They wrapped M.H.’s body in plastic wrap and Thomas, Tilton, and Gibson transported it to Hurtt’s property.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hurtt’s property on July 28, 2020, based on information that a deceased body was located on the acreage. When officers attempted to contact the occupants of the residence, Tilton fired multiple shots from inside the residence at the officers. Tilton was apprehended.
Officers found M.H.’s body on the property. Officers searched the residence and found a Rigarmi .25-caliber pistol, an Ithaca .22-caliber rifle, a Remington .22-caliber rifle without a serial number, a Harrington and Richardson 12-gauge shotgun, a Ruger 9mm handgun, and a Taurus 9mm handgun without a serial number.
KC Man Convicted of Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted in a federal bench trial today of illegally possessing a firearm.
Dale D. Mitchell, Jr., 46, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Kansas City, Mo., police officers contacted Mitchell on Feb. 12, 2023, while he was sitting in his Cadillac XTS in a parking lot at 8025 Hickman Mills Drive. Officers told Mitchell, who was in the driver’s seat, to put the vehicle in park and roll down the window. Instead, Mitchell opened the driver’s door. Officers saw an open bottle of alcohol in the driver’s door panel and a Taurus .38-caliber revolver laying on Mitchell’s right thigh. Officers seized the firearm and removed Mitchell from the vehicle.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Mitchell has two prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, three prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, a prior felony conviction for distribution/delivery of marijuana, a prior felony conviction for tampering, and a prior felony conviction for robbery.
At the conclusion of today’s bench trial, U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs ruled that Mitchell was guilty.
Under federal statutes, Mitchell is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on Jan. 29, 2025.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney’s Office to Work with Greene County Partners to Reduce Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore announced today that Greene County, Mo., has been designated by the U.S. Department of Justice to receive additional resources to focus on combating domestic gun violence.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has approved an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022. The Justice Department - through its United States Attorney’s offices and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives field divisions - will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited from owning firearms.
In Greene County, the department is providing additional resources to combat firearm violence against intimate partners and children. Two assistant prosecutors in the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will be cross-designated as special assistant U.S. attorneys to prosecute firearms cases in federal court. “We appreciate the involvement of Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson, Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott, Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams and other local agencies in our coordinated effort to protect victims of domestic violence” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore.
“Working alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Greene County authorities, we are developing strategies and prioritizing prosecutions for offenders who illegally possess a gun and engage in intimate partner violence” said U.S. Attorney Moore.
Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson said, “I am excited to have the United States Attorney’s Office partner with our Domestic Violence Unit, the Springfield Police Department, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, and the Greene County Family Justice Center in the fight to reduce domestic violence in our community. Enforcing existing federal gun laws to prosecute domestic violence offenders will help ensure that those who threaten the safety of their family and household members and our community are held accountable, preventing future harm, and protecting survivors from escalating violence.”
“In April, ATF hosted the first Inaugural Gun Violence Survivors’ Summit to honor those who have fallen to domestic violence and today’s announcement is an example of how ATF will continue to work tirelessly to protect our communities every day,” stated Bernard G. Hansen, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Kansas City Field Division. “ATF’s mission is as critical as it has ever been; we will not stop working to prevent gun violence and will do everything we can to stop the cycle of domestic abuse.”
Communities have been designated in close coordination with community stakeholders. They include rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, and Tribal communities. The Justice Department used data to identify communities that could benefit from increased focus on intimate partner violence resources and where the local jurisdiction is committed to partnering with the Department to increase the use of federal tools to prosecute offenders under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). The designation represents the partnership and coordination between the department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being leveraged effectively to address intimate partner firearm violence.
The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as U.S. Attorney’s Offices continue coordination with their local stakeholders. All U.S. Attorney’s Offices, with or without specific community designations under Section 1103, will continue to combat intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders as part of their Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy and in support of the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.
12 KC-Area Men Indicted for Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A dozen Kansas City metropolitan area men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in at least one death, and to illegally possessing firearms.
Justin D. Rivera, also known as “JD,” 20, Yael Figueroa, also known as “Grit,” 23, Jose R. Lugo, Jr., also known as “El Wey,” 20, Aaron Contreras-Jaquez, also known as “Van Kleefy,” 24, Jose Lorenzo-Medina, 24, and Antonio R. Baeza-Brown, also known as “Tony,” 25, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Simon L. Figueroa, 26, and Jonathan Gonzales, 25, both citizens of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Mo.; Luis Calvillo-Ortiz, also known as “Loc,” 19, of Independence, Mo.; and Marcos Favian Alvarado, also known as “Baby Face,” 20, Chad B. Green, also known as “Gso Yad,” 24, and Crencio Carbajal-Loya, 18, all of Kansas City, Kansas, were charged in a 35-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
The federal indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of several defendants.
Three residential search warrants also were executed today. Law enforcement officers seized 6,738 fentanyl pills, 11 firearms, including a machinegun, five stolen automobiles, and more than $75,000 in cash.
The federal indictment alleges that all 12 of the defendants have participated in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl since Dec. 1, 2022. The indictment also alleges that all 12 of the defendants have participated in a conspiracy to use and carry firearms in relation to that drug-trafficking conspiracy.
In addition to the drug-trafficking and firearms conspiracies, Rivera is charged with distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a victim identified as “M.M.” on May 7, 2023. Rivera is also charged with eight counts of distributing fentanyl, three counts of using and carrying firearms during a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of using and carrying a machine gun during a drug-trafficking crime.
Alvarado is also charged with one count of distributing fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime.
Yael Figueroa is also charged with four counts of distributing fentanyl and one count of using and carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime.
Medina is also charged with four counts of distributing fentanyl.
Contreras-Jaquez is also charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl and two counts of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
Calvillo-Ortiz, Gonzales, and Simon Figueroa each are also charged with one count of distributing fentanyl.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Lee’s Summit Neurologist Pleads Guilty to False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., neurologist pleaded guilty in federal court today to failing to report cash income from her practice on her federal tax returns.
Maria Donato, 55, waived her right to a grand jury indictment and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to a federal information that charges her with one count of making a false declaration under penalties of perjury.
Donato owned and operated Forest Park Neurology, LLC, where she practiced as a neurologist from 2012 to 2019. Donato’s patients sometimes paid cash for her services from 2015 through 2019, but Donato failed to report the full extent of her cash income on her federal income tax returns. Donato specifically pleaded guilty to failing to report more than $120,000 in cash income in 2017.
By pleading guilty today, Donato admitted that she filed her federal income tax returns, or caused her returns to be filed, knowing they were false. Each return included a written declaration whereby Donato acknowledged the return was being filed under penalties of perjury. Donato also failed to properly report her cash income on her Missouri tax returns during those years.
Under federal statutes, Donato is subject to a sentence of up to three years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Heberle. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.