Western District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Operation LeGend Results in 355 Arrests, Including 33 Murder SuspectsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison announced today that 355 arrests have been made by local and federal law enforcement officers in Operation LeGend.
Among those arrested since the launch of the operation, 88 are federal defendants in the Western District of Missouri and 21 are federal defendants in Kansas (18) and Texas (3). Among the remaining 246 arrests, 33 were homicide cases and 62 were fugitives with either state or federal warrants for their arrest. The remaining 151 non-fugitive arrests were either supervised release violators or were referred for prosecution in state court.
In addition to the arrests, agents and officers have seized 122 firearms during Operation LeGend.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is not able to track cases that are referred for prosecution in state court or in other districts. Defendants have been charged in the Western District of Missouri with the following federal crimes:
- 35 defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
- 26 defendants have been charged with drug trafficking;
- Five defendants have been charged with being a drug user in possession of a firearm;
- Six defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
- Five defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of violent crime;
- Two defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition;
- Four defendants have been charged with armed robbery;
- Three defendants have been charged with carjacking; and
- Two defendants have been charged with arson.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Former KC Fire Captain Pleads Guilty to Illegally Selling Firearms to FelonsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former captain in the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department pleaded guilty in federal court today to charges related to illegally selling 77 firearms over a five-year period, and to selling firearms to convicted felons.
“Our gun laws exist to make it hard for violent criminals to obtain the tools of their trade,” Garrison said. “Felons, illegal aliens, domestic abusers, drug users, and other prohibited persons cannot purchase or possess firearms — unless someone breaks the law to put guns in their hands. These criminals may not pull the trigger, but they profit by making violent crime possible in our neighborhoods.”
James Samuels, 54, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to one count of conspiracy to make false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, four counts of selling firearms and ammunition to persons prohibited by law from possessing them, and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. Samuels, who has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest on Oct. 4, 2018, remains in federal custody until his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.
By pleading guilty today, Samuels admitted that he purchased 77 firearms from November 2013 to August 2018. Of those 77 firearms, 57 were Jimenez pistols. Samuels transferred 47 of those 77 firearms to third parties (including 43 Jimenez pistols). During this time, Samuels was not a licensed dealer of firearms.
Samuels also admitted that 10 to 20 of those firearms were sold to persons who were forbidden by law from possessing them. Samuels bought the firearms at a low price and sold them for a $40 to $50 profit.
Samuels conspired with others to make false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers by misrepresenting the identity of the actual buyer of firearms. Samuels purchased firearms then transferred ownership to another person, who later reported the firearms had been stolen.
Samuels was arrested on Oct. 4, 2018, following an undercover operation in which he sold an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Samuels’s residence the same day and seized 28 firearms (including 22 handguns, five rifles and one shotgun). Among the firearms seized was a Glock .40-caliber pistol with a TAC Isran GLR 440 stock installed, which was not registered to Samuels, and a Colt .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen. In addition to the firearms, officers seized approximately 12,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as firearm parts and accessories.
The Oct. 4, 2018, transaction is one of four instances cited in today’s plea agreement in which the same confidential informant, whom Samuels knew was a felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, purchased a firearm and ammunition from Samuels. In each of those four instances, Samuels accompanied the confidential informant and an undercover federal agent to a licensed firearms dealer, where the undercover agent completed the paperwork for the straw purchase of the firearm on behalf of the confidential informant. In each instance, the straw purchase was at the direction of Samuels.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Samuels acknowledges that he has the ability to pay a fine and agrees that $11,282 seized by law enforcement officers during the execution of the search warrant at his residence will be applied to any fine imposed by the court.
Under federal statutes, Samuels is subject to a sentence of up to 60 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 Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.Virginia Man Sentenced for $3.2 Million Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Dumfries, Virginia, man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies as part of a $3.2 million romance fraud scheme.
Henry N. Asomani, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Ghana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Tuesday, Aug. 25, to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Asomani to pay $3.2 million in restitution to his victims, and to forfeit to the government the money he profited from the scheme.
On Dec. 13, 2019, Asomani was found guilty at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering.
Asomani was the middle man who received the proceeds of the fraud conspiracy from victims and transferred the proceeds to unknown co-conspirators. Asomani transferred the funds among various accounts; he kept a portion of the proceeds for himself, and funneled the rest of the proceeds to co-conspirators in Ghana. Asomani operated five different companies with 16 different accounts at eight different banks.
Asomani received funds sent by more than a dozen victims across the United States, including three victims in the Kansas City metropolitan area, from Sept. 15, 2015, to Oct. 17, 2017. Although bank investigators and FBI agents warned Asomani that his bank accounts were receiving the proceeds of a fraud scheme, he continued to receive the funds and simply opened new accounts when funds were frozen, or accounts were closed by the banks.
Unknown co-conspirators targeted victims through online dating websites with various romance frauds. The unknown co-conspirators impersonated individuals who were involved in businesses overseas. They convinced the victims that they needed funds to help with moving gold from a foreign country, orphanage expenses, and school and travel expenses. The co-conspirators told the victims they would share the profits when the gold was returned to the United States. In fact, none of the victims received any profit or received any gold from the co-conspirators.
According to court documents, some victims suffered substantial financial hardship as a result of the fraud scheme. Some victims lost their retirement savings and some victims were forced to declare bankruptcy. Some victims borrowed money or took cash advances from credit cards in order to send money.
The trial testimony from 13 victims established a loss of over $3.2 million. For example, one victim who resided in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, set up a profile on ChristianMingle.com following the death of her husband to brain cancer. In October 2015, an individual claiming to be “Larry B. White” initiated contact with her. Following numerous conversations by email and telephone, “White” convinced the victim to invest in a Ghana gold mine. “White” promised a 40 percent return on the investment of money. From November 2015 through January 2016, under the direction of “White,” the victim sent funds to multiple entities by check and wire totaling approximately $3,292,000. Of that amount, $2,292,000 was transferred to accounts controlled by Asomani. Asomani spent $50,000 of those proceeds to make a down payment on a 2019 silver Lexus NX300. The victim never received any money or gold profits from “White.”
Another victim, who resides in Kansas City, Missouri, met “Bradley Fischer” on ChristianMingle.com. “Fischer” convinced the victim to send funds for school expenses, travel expenses, and to start a new life in Kansas City. On July 19, 2017, the victim wired $24,000 to Asomani’s bank account. “Fischer” promised to pay the victim back when he got to Kansas City. The victims received $1,000 back from “Fischer” after she realized she was being defrauded and confronted the individual.
Other victims reside in New Jersey, Alaska, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, Kansas, and Iowa.
Asomani wired $1,789,416 from his bank accounts in the United States to bank accounts in Ghana. He spent approximately $342,278 on auto purchases and auto- or shipping-related expenses as part of the money-laundering scheme. Asomani shipped 18 vehicles to Ghana, having a declared value of approximately $284,190.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul S. Becker and Matthew Blackwood. It was investigated by the FBI.
KC Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Drug Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been sentenced in federal court for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm.
Robert J. Thomas Jr., 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner on Thursday, Aug. 27, to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 20, 2019, Thomas pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Kansas City police officers contacted Thomas on Dec. 1, 2017, during an investigation of a pedestrian hit-and-run earlier that day by a Chevrolet pickup truck after his address was identified through the license plates of the truck. Thomas confirmed that he owned the truck and was taken into custody.
On Dec. 4, 2019, officers searched Thomas’s vehicle, which was in the impound lot. They found a loaded Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol and a black Nike backpack that contained a total of 684 grams of marijuana, a Ziploc plastic baggie that contained various colors of pills, and two small clear plastic baggies that contained a total of 19 grams of cocaine. A warrant was issued for Thomas’s arrest.
A Kansas City police officer saw a silver 2007 Chevrolet Impala with expired tags on Feb. 22, 2018, and conducted a traffic stop. The vehicle came to a stop along with a second vehicle, a 2006 green Ford Mustang driven by Thomas, which was in front of the Impala. Thomas got out of his vehicle, ignoring the officer’s directions, and stated that his 15-year-old daughter was driving the Impala. Thomas got back into the Mustang and both vehicles began traveling, with the officer following until they pulled into a driveway. The officer detained Thomas and his daughter.
The officer searched the Impala and found several clear baggies that contained a total of 354 grams of marijuana, 22 individually-wrapped clear baggies that contained seven grams of cocaine, and three baggies that contained unknown white and green pill/powdery substance.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
KC Man Charged in Church ArsonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was charged in federal court today with the arson fire at Beyond Thee Four Walls Ministries this week.
Christopher A. Durant, 38, was charged with arson in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo.
Today’s complaint alleges that Durant set fire to the building at 5910-5916 East U.S. Highway 40 in Kansas City, which housed Beyond Thee Four Walls Ministries, on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
The Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department was dispatched to that location at approximately 3:25 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy fire inside the one-story commercial structure.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, investigators reviewed video surveillance footage that depicted an unknown man – later identified as Durant – throwing chunks of asphalt at the front windows of the building at about 12:54 a.m. A few minutes later, the affidavit says, Durant returns and lights an unknown object and places it in through what appears to be the mail slot in the front door. He then lights what appears to be a piece of paper and places it in through the mail slot. He then lights another unidentified object and places it in through the front window previously broken out by the chunks of asphalt. Duran then leaves at approximately 1 a.m.
At about 1:30 a.m., the affidavit says, video surveillance footage depicts Durant returning to the church, lighting what appears to be a piece of paper, and placing it through the front window. Approximately two minutes later, Durant walks up to the front window with an object in his hand and leans in through the broken window, which is then followed by a large flash consistent with the introduction and subsequent ignition of an ignitable liquid.
During the fire scene examination, an accelerant detection canine was used to process the scene to determine if an ignitable liquid was present. The canine indicated an area on the floor inside the church, under the same window Durant allegedly had broken and appeared to introduce an ignitable liquid. This area was also later determined to be the area of the fire origin.
On Thursday, Aug. 27, ATF agents noticed Durant, who matched the description of the unknown suspect depicted in the church video surveillance footage, walking on Van Brunt Boulevard and arrested him. At the time of his arrest, Durant was in possession of marijuana.
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 Emily Morgan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Unit.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Three KC Men Charged in Armed Carjacking That Resulted in Police Pursuit, Fatal CollisionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Kansas City, Missouri, men have been charged in federal court for their roles in an armed carjacking Monday night that led to a high-speed chase and a collision that killed another motorist.
Derrell M. Wade, also known as Derrelle, 19, Curtis R. Daniels, 18, and Michael A. Brown, 18, were charged in a two-count complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Aug. 26. They remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.
The federal criminal complaint charges each of the defendants with participating in a carjacking that occurred on Monday, Aug. 24. The complaint also charges Wade with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Wade pointed a gun at the victim, identified in court documents as “T.R.,” as he was walking away from his parked vehicle, a gold 2007 Prius, at approximately 10:35 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24. Wade allegedly pressed the barrel of his gun against T.R.’s forehead, and demanded, “give me your keys.” Another person took T.R.’s cell phone from his hand. T.R. was repeatedly struck in the back with an unknown object by a third person, and told to stay on his knees. The three men then fled in T.R.’s vehicle, the affidavit says.
T.R. immediately contacted law enforcement, and used his wife’s cell phone to track his stolen cell phone, using the Find My Phone app. Police officers saw the stolen Prius driving southbound on Lister Avenue, passing over the main thoroughfare of East 23rd Street, at about 11:09 p.m. Officers pulled behind the vehicle, which the affidavit says was being driven by Wade, and the vehicle accelerated a high rate of speed away from the officers. Officers activated their emergency equipment and initiated a pursuit of the vehicle.
According to the affidavit, Wade drove at speeds up to 75 miles per hour and ran several stop signs during the pursuit. When Wade ran the stop sign at 23rd Street and Lawn Avenue, the Prius collided with another vehicle. This collision resulted in the fatality of an occupant from that vehicle.
Wade left the driver’s seat and attempted to run away. Wade, who appeared to be limping, fell to the ground. As he was falling, the affidavit says, he pulled a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and threw it in the grass.
Brown got out of the passenger side rear door of the Prius and began running toward Elmwood Avenue. He was found hiding near a grill in a residential backyard and arrested.
Daniels, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the Prius, was arrested without incident.
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 Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Joplin Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for the Sexual Exploitation of a 4-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Missouri, man has been sentenced in federal court for the sexual exploitation of a 4-year-old child victim.
Anthony Leon Helsel, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Tuesday, Aug. 25, to life in federal prison without parole.
On Sept. 24, 2019, Helsel pleaded guilty to one count of the sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of the sex trafficking of a minor.
The investigation began in September 2018 when law enforcement received two CyberTips that Helsel was offering a 4-year-old child for sex through the KIK application, and that Helsel had uploaded suspected child pornography to his Facebook account. In October 2018, Kentucky law enforcement provided information that Helsel also offered images of child pornography to an undercover law enforcement officer in Kentucky, as well as to other members of a KIK group.
Officers executed a search warrant at Helsel’s residence on Oct. 2, 2018. Helsel admitted that he had taken pornographic photos of the child victim, that he had been sending child pornography to others and receiving child pornography from them, and that he had talked to others about them having sex with the child victim. Helsel also admitted that he had shared videos of him sexually assaulting the child victim to multiple users on KIK.
According to court documents, Helsel created hundreds of images and videos of the child victim’s sexual abuse. He repeatedly sent images and videos of him sexually assaulting her to many other KIK users over the internet. Investigators also found images of child pornography produced by Helsel with a one-year-old infant.
At the time officers arrived at Helsel’s residence to execute the search warrant, he was conversing with another user on KIK, Gary McKinney of Joplin.
McKinney was sentenced on Feb. 26, 2020, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. McKinney, who pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography, was an officer with the Joplin Police Department for about seven years until May 20, 2006. He also worked for a short time as a police officer in Webb City, Missouri, and Duquesne, Missouri. He owned and operated Gary McKinney Plumbing Services at the time of his arrest.
According to court documents, the child victim reported that both Helsel and another individual sexually assaulted her.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Joplin, 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."Operation LeGend Results in 288 Arrests, Including 24 Murder SuspectsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison announced today that 288 arrests have been made by local and federal law enforcement officers in Operation LeGend.
Among those arrested since the launch of the operation, 61 are federal defendants. Among the remaining 227 arrests, 24 were homicide cases and 72 were fugitives with either state or federal warrants for their arrest. The remaining 131 non-fugitive arrests were referred for prosecution in state court.
In addition to the arrests, agents and officers have seized 89 firearms during Operation LeGend.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is not able to track cases that are referred for prosecution in state court. In addition to the arrests of federal defendants charged in other districts, or who were arrested for violating their supervised release, the following 38 defendants have been charged in federal court in the Western District of Missouri:
Edward Latimore, felon in possession of a firearm;
G’aunte Butler, drug user in possession of a firearm;
Chase Lewis, drug user in possession of a firearm;
Romeny Aubrey, felon in possession of a firearm;
Robert Jordan, felon in possession of a firearm;
Harun Rimson, felon in possession of a firearm;
Anthony Meneses, felon in possession of a firearm;
Lance Saenz, felon in possession of a firearm;
Scott Yount, drug trafficking;
Crystal Smith, drug trafficking;
Aurora Page, felon in possession of a firearm;
Crystell Smith, drug trafficking;
Devonte Bowman, arson;
Jamahl Jones, felon in possession of a firearm;
Michael Moore, felon in possession of a firearm;
Tylor Lack, felon in possession of a firearm;
Dominic McDaniel, felon in possession of a firearm;
Cameron Smith, felon in possession of a firearm;
Charles Bai, felon in possession of a firearm, drug trafficking;
Federico Yanez-Saldivar, felon in possession of a firearm, drug trafficking;
Manuel Vazques, felon in possession of a firearm, drug trafficking.Previously reported federal defendants:
Terrell L. Releford, felon in possession of a firearm;
Dustin M. Jordan, felon in possession of a firearm;
Zackory Phillips, felon in possession of a firearm;
Travis J. Pipes, heroin trafficking, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime;
Dylan Pruett, felon in possession of a firearm;
Chase M. Murphy, armed robbery conspiracy, armed robbery, brandishing firearms during a crime of violence.
Monty Ray, unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm;
Steven Younce, felon in possession of a firearm, meth trafficking, possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime;
Daniel Briscoe, methamphetamine trafficking, heroin trafficking;
Leamandreal Dorsey, felon in possession of a firearm;
Shannon Walz, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition;
Maricela Lozano, carjacking, using a firearm during a crime of violence;
Gary Dorch, felon in possession of a firearm;
Patricia Nelson, felon in possession of a firearm;
Bobby Lynn King, felon in possession of a firearm;
Logan Tanner Laws, unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm;
Michael Glen Zeigers, felon in possession of a firearm;
Nelson, King, Laws, and Zeigers are co-defendants also charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, money laundering, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Jury Convicts Federal Inmate of AssaultRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An inmate at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, has been convicted by a federal jury of assaulting another inmate at the facility.
Earl F. Love, 55, was found guilty of one count of assault causing serious bodily injury.
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Love walked into the cell of another inmate, identified in court documents as “D.W.,” on Dec. 30, 2018. Love and the victim were in an argument over a sports gambling bet. Love struck D.W., fractured his nose and other bones in his face, and knocked him unconscious. Afterward, the victim requested medical assistance and was transported by ambulance to the emergency room. D.W. was admitted to the hospital and spent several days in the Intensive Care Unit.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for three hours before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Tuesday, Aug. 18, ending a trial that began Monday, Aug. 17.
Under federal statutes, Love is subject to a sentence of up to 10 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 Patrick Carney and Casey Clark. It was investigated by the FBI.
Springfield Man Involved in Nightclub Shooting Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm.
Keyshaun Isaiah Jackson, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Wednesday, Aug. 19, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Jackson was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.
On July 24, 2018, Jackson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Jackson was involved in a shooting at Martha’s Vineyard night club, 219 West Olive, Springfield, Mo., on April 11, 2018. Jackson and another individual exchanged gunfire in the parking lot as pedestrians in the parking lot began running away or taking cover. Both men ran from the scene when police officers arrived.
Officers found eight .40-caliber spent shell casings in the parking lot and noted a bullet hole in the front driver’s side fender of Jackson’s black 2010 Nissan Maxima, where he had been sitting when the shooting began. Officers also found a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol inside the car.
The next day, April 12, 2018, police officers responded to a disturbance at a Springfield residence. Jackson had barricaded himself inside for some time, but eventually left the residence and was arrested.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Jackson has prior felony convictions for forgery, receiving stolen property, burglary, resisting/interfering with arrest, and was on probation at the time of this federal offense.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert and Assistant U.S. Attorney William L. Meiners. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Independence Man Charged with Illegal Firearms, Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man was charged in federal court today with illegally possessing firearms and with drug trafficking after twice leading officers on high-speed vehicle pursuits.
Charles V. Bai, 27, was charged in a three-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City.
Today’s federal criminal complaint charges Bai with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, an Independence police officer spotted a Toyota 4Runner parked in the garage at Bai’s residence on March 17, 2020. The officer recognized the vehicle, which was stolen, as the same vehicle Bai had been driving during a high-speed chase a few days earlier. In that earlier incident, on March 11, 2020, federal agents with the U.S. Marshals Service had attempted to apprehend Bai on a felony arrest warrant. Bai struck a Marshals Service vehicle and was able to elude law enforcement after a brief vehicle pursuit was terminated due to Bai traveling at excessive speeds.
When Bai left the residence driving the Toyota 4Runner, officers attempted to stop him but he fled and a pursuit was initiated. The pursuit continued for several minutes through Independence and ended on Blue Ridge Cutoff at Interstate 70 after Bai’s vehicle was involved in a single car accident, rendering the vehicle inoperable. Bai fled on foot but was apprehended by officers. During the apprehension, law enforcement received an emergency call regarding a gun that was lying in the road on eastbound Interstate 70, outside of the center lane, west of Noland Road. An officer recovered the Ruger 9mm pistol with an extended magazine. The extended magazine of the handgun had been run over by passing motorists and approximately 26 9mm bullets were spread across Interstate 70. When officers searched the Toyota 4Runner they found four handgun magazines, 24 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and a handgun holster. Investigators also found Facebook messages from Bai offering the pistol for sale.
The affidavit also refers to a road rage incident that occurred on March 8, 2020. A motorist reported his/her vehicle being shot while driving on 24 Highway and Sterling Avenue in Independence. The victim reported that the shooter, driving a Toyota 4Runner, pulled up beside the driver’s side of his/her truck, brandished a black handgun with an extended magazine, and fired three shots at him/her, striking the victim’s vehicle with all three rounds.
According to the affidavit, Bai told investigators after his arrest that he purchased large quantities of methamphetamine on multiple occasions.
Bai was stopped by Kansas City police officers on Wednesday, Aug. 19. He was driving a 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, but was unable to provide a driver’s license or proof of insurance on the car. The license plate on the Monte Carlo was registered to another vehicle. Bai was issued a municipal summons and released. Officers prepared to have the car towed, but found a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol in the driver’s side door panel (in a cavity where a speaker had been removed). Officers determined the pistol had been stolen.
Officers then located Bai, who was driving another vehicle, and arrested him. Bai had a bag of 3.6 grams of methamphetamine in his front pants pocket and had been holding a box that contained items associated with drug distribution.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Bai has prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, resisting arrest by fleeing and creating a substantial risk of injury or death, unlawful use of a weapon, resisting/interfering with an arrest, possessing a controlled substance, and unlawfully transporting firearms.
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 Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Updates on Operation Legend at Press Conference in Kansas City, MissouriRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison introduced U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr at a press conference in Kansas City. He was joined by LeGend's mother, Charron Powell, and Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith.KANSAS CITY, Mo. – At a press conference in Kansas City, Missouri, today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation Legend.
“Operation LeGend is working,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison in introducing Attorney General Barr. “In just four weeks, it has resulted in the arrests of 18 homicide suspects and the seizure of over 70 illegal firearms. In June, Kansas City had more than three killings every four days. Since our announcement on July 8, that rate has been reduced to fewer than three killings every five days. There is much to be done, but to use the parlance of our day, we are flattening the curve in Kansas City.”
“We are grateful here in Kansas City for these additional resources,” added Garrison, who was joined by U.S. Attorneys from across the United States who have launched Operation LeGend in their districts, “and we are gratified to see Operation LeGend expand to other cities represented by my colleagues here.”
Since the operation’s launch, there have been more than 1,000 arrests, including defendants who have been charged in state and local courts. Of those arrests, approximately 217 defendants have been charged with federal crimes. These numbers exclude Indianapolis, whose operation was just announced last Friday. In addition, nearly 400 firearms have been seized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Attorney General launched the operation on July 8, 2020, as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. The initiative is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City.
Launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, the operation was expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020, to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020, to St. Louis and Memphis on August 6, 2020, and to Indianapolis on August 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district, with the exception of Indianapolis, is below.
Kansas City, MO.
43 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses. In addition to the federal charges, the operation has led to the arrests of 17 state defendants on homicide charges.
- 20 defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
- 17 defendants have been charged with drug trafficking;
- Four defendants have been charged with being a drug user in possession of a firearm;
- Six defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
- Four defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of violent crime;
- One defendant has been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition;
- Three defendants have been charged with armed robbery;
- One defendant has been charged with carjacking; and
- One defendant has been charged with arson.Chicago, Ill.
61 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses.
34 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses;
26 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
One defendant has been charged with possession of machine gun;
One defendant has been charged with illegally dealing firearms without a license;
One defendant has been charged with the illegal sale of firearm to prohibited person; and
One defendant has been charged with bank fraud.Albuquerque, NM.
16 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses.
Six defendants have been charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
Four defendants have been charged with distribution of controlled substances;
Six defendants have been charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance;
Four defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
Eight defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
One defendant has been charged with being in possession of a stolen firearm;
Two defendants have been charged with Hobbs Act violations; and
One defendant has been charged with carjacking.Cleveland, OH.
32 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses. Two defendants remain fugitives.
22 defendants have been charged with federal drug trafficking charges;
Nine defendants have been charged with federal firearms violations; and
One defendant had been charged with carjacking.Detroit, MI.
22 defendants have been charged with federal offenses outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses.
14 defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
Two defendants have been charged with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances;
Two defendants have been charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
Three defendants have been charged with receipt of a firearm while under indictment;
Four defendants have been charged with making false statement to a licensed firearm dealer; and
Two defendants have been charged with carjacking.Milwaukee, WI.
11 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses. In addition, thus far, 28 firearms have been seized.
Eight defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm;
Five defendants have been charged with possession with intent to distribute narcotics;
Four defendants have been charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
Two defendants have been charged with making false statements to a licensed firearm dealer;
One defendant has been charged with possession of a firearm while being an unlawful user of narcotics;
One defendant has been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition; and
One defendant has been charged with distribution of narcotics.St. Louis, MO.
25 defendants have been charged with federal crimes, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses.- One defendant has been charged with drug trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime following the USMS’s execution of a state arrest warrant;
- One defendant has been charged with robbery of an item effecting interstate commerce and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence following an joint ATF, SLMPD-initiated undercover operation targeting a known shooter;
- One defendant has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm following ATF’s execution of a federal search warrant directed towards the residence of a suspected murderer;
- 21 defendants have been charged with drug trafficking offenses; and
- One defendant has been charged with being a drug user in possession of a firearm.Memphis, Tenn.
Seven defendants have been charged with federal offenses, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses.One defendant has been charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm while illegally or unlawfully in the United States;
- One defendant, who lives in Memphis, was charged in an out-of-district federal case with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
Two defendants have been charged with being unlawful users of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and making a material false statement when acquiring a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL); and
Two cases remain under seal, but the charges are as follows:
One defendant has been charged with bank robbery
Two defendants charged with theft from an FFL.
Two KC Men Charged with Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Missouri, men were charged in federal court today with illegally possessing firearms following a brief armed standoff with police officers and a foot chase.
Michael D. Moore, 30, and Jamahl D. Jones, 33, each were charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in a two-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo.
Masterpiece Arms 9mm pistol seized by law enforcement officersMoore and Jones were arrested on Monday, Aug. 17, following a brief standoff and foot chase. Officers who had been surveilling Moore followed him into a parking lot near 2310 E. 9th St., Kansas City, Mo., in order to arrest him on an outstanding felony arrest warrant for robbery and armed criminal action. As officers drove into the parking lot with their red and blue lights flashing, Moore got out of the BMW SUV, took cover behind the vehicle, and drew a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun from his waistband. Moore pointed his firearm directly at police officers as he attempted to take a position of cover behind his vehicle. Moore fled as additional police cars entered the parking lot, throwing away his handgun. Moore then laid on the ground about 15 feet away from the firearm, and was taken into custody. Officers recovered the firearm, which was loaded with 16 live rounds in the 16-round high-capacity magazine and one live round in the chamber. Officers identified the firearm as having been reported stolen.
Jones, who was standing beside the vehicle as officers approached, was also detained. Officers found marijuana in Jones’s front shorts pocket. Inside the vehicle, officers found a Sadarius 9mm semi-automatic handgun, which contained a magazine and 16 live rounds of ammunition with a live round in the chamber. Officers also found a box that contained 18 live rounds of 9mm ammunition, a 9mm handgun magazine, and a small safe that contained a 9mm handgun magazine and approximately 123 grams of marijuana.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s criminal complaint, Moore was involved in two armed robberies that led to the issuance of the arrest warrant and surveillance.
Masterpiece Arms 9mm pistol seized by law enforcement officersThe victim of an armed robbery on July 1, 2020, told police officers that Moore, his brother-in-law, is an organizer for the “Honk for Peace” group that typically assembles at the intersections of 35th Street and Prospect Avenue as well as 55th Street and Prospect Avenue. Moore invited the victim to join the assembly at 55th Street and Prospect Avenue, the affidavit says. When the victim arrived with another person as a passenger in his vehicle, he contacted Moore, who directed him to drive across the street to meet him. After parking his vehicle, the victim told officers, two unknown men approached the passenger side door and Moore got into the rear passenger seat. Moore allegedly put a Taurus .40-caliber handgun against the left side of the victim’s head and ordered him to “give me everything.” One of the other men leaned inside the window and began going into the passenger’s pockets as Moore did the same. Moore removed $407 from the victim’s pants pocket, the affidavit says, and grabbed a pink backpack that contained a .40-caliber handgun.
On July 21, 2020, Moore allegedly approached another victim who was putting oil in his car outside a gas station on East 39th Street, Kansas City, Mo. Moore allegedly approached him with a gun and ordered him to “empty your pockets.” Moore and another man stole approximately $140 and fled the scene.
Moore was later identified through surveillance photos at the gas station, the affidavit says.
On July 29, 2020, police officers stopped a BMW SUV that also was captured in the gas station surveillance photos. Jones, the only occupant of the vehicle, was arrested. Officers found a Masterpiece Arms 9mm pistol with a high-capacity extended magazine inside the vehicle, as well as 146 grams of marijuana packaged in multiple individual baggies in the driver’s side floorboard.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Moore has a prior felony conviction for robbery. Jones has two prior felony convictions for burglary, and prior felony convictions for theft, tampering with an airplane/motor boat, possession of a controlled substance, and tampering with a motor vehicle.
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 Matthew Moeder. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Sarcoxie Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearms, Including Machine GunRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Sarcoxie, Missouri man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing firearms, including a machine gun.
Leng Lee, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Thursday, Aug. 13, to nine years in federal prison without parole.
On Aug. 26, 2019, Lee pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and to one count of illegally possessing a machine gun.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers participated in the controlled delivery of an international mail package from China addressed to Lee at his residence on April 23, 2019. The parcel contained seven parts (selector switches) that are used to convert a Glock semi-automatic pistol to fire in full-automatic mode. Lee is a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms and is not licensed to possess a machine gun.
Officers executed a search warrant at Lee’s residence and found numerous firearms, more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition, firearm suppressors, methamphetamine, and marijuana. A total of 18 firearms were seized from Lee by law enforcement officers. Lee told officers that a couple of the firearms were given to him by his deceased father, but the others were purchased by him at gun shows or during hand-to-hand transactions. None of the firearms were purchased from a licensed firearms dealer.
Lee admitted to placing the order for the selector switches and told officers that he had 10-15 past deliveries of the selector switches. Lee said he was able to convert and successfully fire a Glock pistol as a fully automatic firearm.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Lee has two prior felony convictions for burglary, and prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, vandalism, and grand theft auto. Lee faces pending charges in Newton County, Mo., that include the illegal use of firearms and assault against a family member.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Newton, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
New Billboards Urge Community ActionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – New billboards at several Kansas City, Missouri, locations will encourage the community to take action to reduce violent crime as part of Operation LeGend.
Digital billboards at five locations starting today urge citizens to “Help Stop Violent Crime in K.C.” by calling the anonymous Tips Hotline, 816-474-TIPS.
“Witnesses and those who have information about a crime should know their tips are completely anonymous through 474-TIPS,” Garrison said. “If we’re going to solve the problem of violent crime in Kansas City, we need the community’s support.”
Lamar Advertising is providing digital billboards at I-29 and Barry Road, I-670 and I-35, I-35/29 and Armour Road, I-70 and I-470, and I-35 and I-435. The billboards feature the TIPS Hotline number, along with the #OperationLegend hashtag and the seals of each of the agencies involved in Operation LeGend.
“On behalf of all of the law enforcement partners participating in Operation LeGend,” Garrison added, “I want to express our gratitude to the FBI, Crime Stoppers, and Lamar Advertising Company for their contributions to this public awareness campaign.”
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Statement from U.S. Attorney Tim GarrisonRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison participated in a press conference today with Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (center) and Charron Powell, the mother of LeGend Taliferro, to announce state charges in the fatal shooting of LeGend.KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison participated in today’s press conference with Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker to announce state charges against Ryson Ellis in the fatal shooting of 4-year-old Legend M. Taliferro, who was asleep at home the morning of June 29, 2020, when a shot was fired into his residence and struck him.
“We are all pleased that we’re now a step closer to finding justice for the tragic murder of LeGend Taliferro,” Garrison said. “This case underscores the effectiveness of state, local, and federal law enforcement working together to reduce violent crime in Kansas City. Operation LeGend has resulted in significant numbers of arrests and seizures of dozens of firearms and illegal drugs. Today’s arrest is one of 16 homicide-related arrests under Operation LeGend.
“The alleged killer of LeGend Taliferro is in custody, but there are still too many armed and violent criminals roaming the streets of Kansas City. Operation LeGend will continue to provide federal support to assist our local law enforcement partners so that more criminals will be taken off the street, more victims will receive justice, and our neighborhoods will be more safe.”
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.KC Man Charged with Illegal Firearm Used in Fatal ShootingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court with illegally possessing the firearm he accidentally fired in a fatal shooting at the Kansas City Zoo.
Anthony R. Meneses, 27, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Aug. 11, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Meneses was arrested today and will have his initial court appearance this afternoon.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Kansas City police officers were called to the scene of an accidental shooting in a parking lot at 6800 Zoo Drive, Kansas City, Mo., on Sunday, Aug. 9. The victim, identified in court documents as “J.S.,” had been shot while he was sitting in the driver’s seat of a 2005 Toyota Camry, which was occupied by three other persons.
Meneses, J.S.’s cousin, was sitting behind the driver’s seat. Meneses’s wife was also in the back seat; the victim’s girlfriend was in the front passenger seat. Meneses allegedly grabbed the gun, a Glock 9mm pistol, from the back pocket of the driver’s seat when the gun accidentally fired. The bullet traveled though the driver’s seat, striking J.S. in the chest.
J. S. was transported to Research Medical Center where he was later pronounced deceased.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Meneses has a prior felony conviction for tampering with a motor vehicle.
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 Bradley K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.St. Joseph Man Charged with Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Missouri, man was charged in federal court today with producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography.
Tyler Bradley Wirth, 31, was charged in a four-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., with two counts of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography over the internet, and one count of possessing child pornography. Wirth remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Friday, Aug. 14.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, Wirth communicated online with FBI online covert employees in New York and Kansas City during an investigation into a group of users who expressed a sexual interest in minors. Wirth allegedly sent each of the FBI online covert employees the same image of child pornography depicting a prepubescent girl identified in court documents as “Minor Victim 1 (MV1).”
Wirth sent the FBI employee in Kansas City several videos of child pornography, the affidavit says.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Wirth’s residence on Monday, Aug. 10. Wirth told officers he possessed about 1,000 images of child sexual abuse, including images of MV1 and a second victim, identified in court documents as “Minor Victim 2.” He allegedly produced pornographic images of both child victims and distributed those images to other users via social media in order to receive additional images of child pornography from those users.
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 Kenneth Borgnino. 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."KC Man Charged with Illegal Firearm After Threatening Restaurant EmployeeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court with illegally possessing a firearm after he used it to threaten a restaurant employee.
Edward Latimore, 46, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday, Aug. 10, with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This Sig Sauer .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol was seized from Edward Latimore when he was arrested.According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, an employee at a KFC restaurant at 3014 Independence Blvd., Kansas City, confronted Latimore on the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 8, when Latimore went to the rear of the restaurant to publicly urinate. After they argued, Latimore left the restaurant. But the employee then saw Latimore in the drive-through window area of the restaurant, and they argued again. Latimore allegedly pulled up his shirt and showed the employee a Sig Sauer .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol in his waistband. Latimore drew the firearm from his waistband, the affidavit says, pointed it at the employee, and threatened to kill the employee.
A second KFC employee had taken a photograph of Latimore, which they provided to the police. Officers searched the area for Latimore and found him walking northbound on the east side of Gladstone Boulevard. Officers contacted Latimore, and took the pistol from his waistband and a magazine, loaded with 10 .22-caliber rounds of ammunition, from his left pants pocket.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Latimore has prior felony convictions for assault and armed criminal action.
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 Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Operation LeGend Results in 59 More Arrests, Including Seven More Murder SuspectsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison announced today that 59 additional arrests have been made in the past week by local and federal law enforcement officers in Operation LeGend, for a total of 156 arrests since the start of the operation.
Pastor Darron Edwards welcomed U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison to a meeting with about 20 local pastors at United Believers Community Church to discuss Operation LeGend.Among those arrested since Aug. 1, new federal charges have been filed against six defendants, for a total of 17 new federal cases in Operation LeGend. All of the new federal defendants were charged with firearms-related crimes. Four of the six new defendants were charged with being felons in possession of firearms. One defendant was charged with heroin trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm. One defendant was charged with participating in a conspiracy to commit armed robberies at several local businesses.
Among the remaining 53 arrests in the past week, 35 were fugitives with either state or federal warrants for their arrest. The remaining 18 non-fugitive arrests were referred for prosecution in state court. Seven arrests were for homicides, for a total of 12 homicide arrests under Operation LeGend. Other offenses cited in the arrests included assault (including non-fatal shootings), drug trafficking, illegally possessing firearms, robbery, bank robbery, child molestation, sexual assault, possessing stolen property and possessing stolen firearms.
U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison met with a group of pastors this week to discuss Operation LeGend, listen to their concerns, and respond to their questions.In addition to the arrests, in the past week agents and officers seized 17 firearms (for a total of 52 firearms seized during Operation LeGend); a number of stolen vehicles and motorcycles; 210 THC cartridges; quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana; and $52,000.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is not able to track cases that are referred for prosecution in state court. The following defendants have been charged in federal court in the past week:
Terrell L. Releford, felon in possession of a firearm;
Dustin M. Jordan, felon in possession of a firearm;
Zackory Phillips, felon in possession of a firearm;
Travis J. Pipes, heroin trafficking, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime;
Dylan Pruett, felon in possession of a firearm;
Chase M. Murphy, armed robbery conspiracy, armed robbery, brandishing firearms during a crime of violence.Previously reported federal defendants:
Monty Ray, unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm;
Steven Younce, felon in possession of a firearm, meth trafficking, possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime;
Daniel Briscoe, methamphetamine trafficking, heroin trafficking;
Leamandreal Dorsey, felon in possession of a firearm;
Shannon Walz, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition;
Maricela Lozano, carjacking, using a firearm during a crime of violence;
Gary Dorch, felon in possession of a firearm;
Patricia Nelson, felon in possession of a firearm;
Bobby Lynn King, felon in possession of a firearm;
Logan Tanner Laws, unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm;
Michael Glen Zeigers, felon in possession of a firearm;
Nelson, King, Laws, and Zeigers are co-defendants also charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, money laundering, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
A group of local pastors met with U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison this week at United Believers Community Church to discuss Operation LeGend.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.KC Man Charged with Armed Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to commit at least seven armed robberies of local businesses, primarily fast food restaurants.
Chase M. Murphy, 19, was charged in a three-count criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Aug. 4. That complaint was unsealed and made public today upon his arrest and initial court appearance. Murphy remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing.
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Murphy participated in a conspiracy to commit a series of armed robberies of local businesses from May 28 to July 12, 2019. Murphy is also charged with one count of robbing the Taco Bell at 5925 Independence Ave., Kansas City, Mo., at gunpoint on May 28, 2019. The complaint also charges Murphy with brandishing firearms during a crime of violence.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, a brick was thrown through the drive-through window of the Taco Bell on May 28, 2019, shattering the glass. Murphy and a co-conspirator, both carrying handguns, allegedly entered the restaurant through the broken window. They pointed their guns at the heads of two employees, the affidavit says, and ordered one to open the cash register. They took $300 from the register and fled through the broken window.
The affidavit cites six additional armed robberies, including
• Burger King, 1102 E. 47th St., Kansas City, Mo., on June 18, 2019;
• Family Dollar, 1201 E. Meyer Blvd., Kansas City, Mo., on June 25, 2019;
• McDonald’s, 6996 Eastwood Trafficway, Kansas City, Mo., on June 26, 2019;
• McDonald’s, 6701 E. Front St., Kansas City, Mo., on June 28, 2019;
• Taco Bell, 5925 Independence Ave., Kansas City, Mo., on July 1, 2019;
• Taco Bell, 4017 Blue Ridge Cutoff, Kansas City, Mo., on July 1, 2019.On July 12, 2019, police officers in Raytown, Missouri, responded to a suspicious vehicle that was parked with its lights off. When officers arrived, the driver of the 2003 Ford Escape turned on the vehicle’s lights, placed the vehicle in drive, and accelerated toward and then around the patrol vehicle. Officers pursued the vehicle until it struck a wall and became disabled. The driver and two passengers – one of whom was Murphy – attempted to flee on foot. They were arrested by officers, who also searched the Escape and found two handguns.
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 Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Raytown, Mo., Police Department.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Springfield Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for downloading and distributing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography over the internet.
Rusty J. Rose, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Rose to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration, and ordered him to pay $12,000 in restitution to his victims.
On Nov. 20, 2019, Rose pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography.
On July 24, 2018, law enforcement received a Cybertipline Report of a video of child pornography uploaded to Rose’s Google account. While officers were investigating the report, Rose assaulted a 14-year-old girl by grabbing her buttocks in a Kum & Go gas station in Springfield on Aug. 13, 2018.
On Sept. 27, 2018, law enforcement received another Cybertipline Report of images of child pornography uploaded to Rose’s Tumblr account. On the same day, law enforcement received additional Cybertipline Reports of child pornography videos uploaded to Rose’s Sendvid account and distributed to other users.
On Nov. 21, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rose’s residence. Officers seized Rose’s cell phone and a Samsung tablet they found under the sink in the bathroom. During a forensic examination of Rose’s tablet investigators found 95 images and eight video files of child pornography, 633 image and 73 video files containing material that is sexually exploitative of children, and one image and one video file containing bestiality. On Rose’s cell phone, investigators found 35 images of child pornography, 590 images of children being sexually exploited, and one image and 11 video files of bestiality. In Rose’s Mega account, which was accessed through his cell telephone, investigators found 593 images and 680 videos of child pornography, 1,070 images and 297 videos of children being sexually exploited, and one image and 11 videos of rape and/or bondage.
Also found in Rose’s Mega account was a folder titled “neighbor yng girls.” That folder contained images and videos of children in Rose’s neighborhood, which appear to have been created from Rose’s garage or behind a parked vehicle in his driveway. In another folder titled “pool,” there were images and videos of children at Rose’s neighborhood pool.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Springfield, 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."KC Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm After Being Involved in ShootoutRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grandview, Missouri, man who was involved in a shoot-out on Troost Avenue and subsequently convicted in a separate murder case was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Malliek D. Haynes, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to five years in federal prison without parole. The court ordered today’s federal sentence to be served consecutively to his 22-year sentence on an unrelated Jackson County, Mo., conviction for murder and armed criminal action for fatally stabbing a victim without provocation on the street in front of numerous witnesses.
On Feb. 11, 2020, Haynes pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Haynes admitted that he possessed a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol when he engaged in a shootout on Troost Avenue on April 2, 2017.
According to court documents, Haynes was the instigator of the incident that began with a verbal altercation between Haynes and a group of people at the Troost Market, 8001 Troost Avenue in Kansas City. Haynes loudly proclaimed that he was “a gangster” and lifted up his shirt in a threatening manner, exposing the firearm in his waistband. After the group left the store, Haynes continued to make loud comments to other patrons and again lifted his shirt to show that he was carrying the firearm.
When Haynes left the store and walked to his car, he again engaged in a verbal altercation with the same group of individuals from before, who were now in their vehicles across the gas station parking lot. He took the firearm out of his waistband and they began to shoot at Haynes from their vehicle. Haynes began to wildly return fire, falling to the ground. During the shootout, Haynes was shot in the upper thigh.
The group drove away; Haynes got into the passenger side of his vehicle and a female companion drove him to the hospital. Officers seized the firearm from his 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. Haynes has prior felony convictions for robbery and unlawful use of a weapon.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Purchase Chemical Weapon on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to attempting to purchase a chemical weapon, capable of killing hundreds of people, on the dark web with Bitcoin.
Jason William Siesser, 45, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. to one count of attempting to acquire a chemical weapon and one count of aggravated identity theft.
By pleading guilty today, Siesser admitted that he attempted to acquire a chemical weapon on two occasions between June 14 and Aug. 23, 2018, and that he did not attempt to acquire that chemical weapon for a peaceful or protective purpose. He provided a shipping address in the name of a juvenile, whose identity he used without authorization, to place the orders for a highly toxic chemical in amounts capable of killing many people. Siesser paid for the chemical weapon with the digital crypto currency known as Bitcoin.
Siesser ordered two 10ml units of the chemical on July 4, 2018, and paid with Bitcoin. The seller did not ship the chemical weapon at that time. Siesser continued to contact the seller. On July 19, 2018, Siesser told the seller that, “I plan to use it soon after I receive it.”
Siesser ordered three 10ml units of the chemical weapon on Aug 5, 2018. Siesser again paid for the order with Bitcoin (the equivalent of $150) and provided a shipping address in the name of a juvenile. This quantity of the chemical weapon has the capacity to kill approximately 300 people.
A controlled delivery of a package that contained an inert substance was made to Siesser’s residence on Aug. 23, 2018. Siesser believed the package contained the chemical weapon he had ordered, signed for the package, and took it inside the residence.
Law enforcement officers then executed a search warrant at Siesser’s residence. On top of a shelf in the garage, officers located the inert substance Siesser believed to be a chemical weapon. Officers also located two separate and seemingly unopened shipping boxes on the shelf next to it. They contained approximately 10 grams of cadmium arsenide, a toxic compound, which
can be deadly if ingested or inhaled; approximately 100 grams of cadmium metal;
and approximately 500 ml of hydrochloric acid. An invoice for these products
showed they had been ordered together on March 30, 2018.Writings located within the home articulated Siesser’s heartache, anger, and resentment over
a breakup, and a desire for the person who caused the heartache to die.Under federal statutes, Siesser is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five 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 Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Casey. It was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.
Operation LeGend Results in 97 Arrests to Date, Including Five Murder SuspectsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison announced today that 97 arrests have been made by local and federal law enforcement officers in less than two weeks since the launch of Operation LeGend.
“This is the impact of a targeted initiative to reduce violent crime, carried out by local and federal law enforcement working together,” Garrison said. “Many of those who were arrested were illegally carrying firearms or illegal drugs. By bringing them to justice, we reduce the level of violence on the street and the threat of crime in our neighborhoods.”
“This is our first detailed report to update the public on the progress against violent crime that has been achieved as a result of Operation LeGend,” Garrison added. “We are striving to maintain as much transparency as possible for an ongoing law enforcement operation. I’ve been communicating with local pastors, community leaders, victims of violent crime, and public officials, and will continue to provide regular updates.”
Among those arrested from July 15 to July 31, new federal charges have been filed against 11 defendants. Nine defendants were charged with illegally possessing firearms, one defendant was charged with drug trafficking, and one defendant was charged with carjacking.
Among the remaining 88 arrests, 49 were fugitives with either state or federal warrants for their arrest. The remaining 39 non-fugitive arrests were referred for prosecution in state court. Five arrests were for homicides. Other offenses cited in the arrests included assault, drug trafficking, illegally possessing firearms, robbery, child molestation, and sexual assault.
In addition to the arrests, agents and officers seized 35 firearms, a total of nearly three kilograms of methamphetamine, hundreds of pills (including oxycontin and ecstasy), heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and nearly $40,000 in cash.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.KC Felon Charged with Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was charged in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm that was found in his vehicle along with his infant son.
Gary Dorch, 26, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo.
This Glock pistol and high capacity magazine were seized by federal agents.Today’s complaint alleges that Dorch was in possession of a Glock .40-caliber pistol on Monday, July 27.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s criminal complaint, Dorch was wanted on a federal warrant for violating the terms of his supervised release. Dorch was on federal supervised release following his incarceration for illegally possessing a firearm. Dorch participated in an armed robbery of a Public Storage business in December 2013 and was the passenger in a vehicle that attempted to flee from police officers after the robbery, until it caused a collision with another vehicle. Dorch was released from prison in October 2019 after serving a five-year sentence.
Federal agents saw Dorch and his girlfriend, in separate cars, drive into the Avis Car Rental parking lot at 3412 Main St., Kansas City, Mo., on Monday, July 27. Dorch, who was driving a Nissan Altima, stayed in his vehicle while his girlfriend parked her car and went inside the business.
Deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives approached the Nissan to arrest Dorch on the outstanding warrant. During the arrest, they saw the loaded Glock pistol on the driver’s side floorboard. Dorch was the only adult occupant of the vehicle; his 18-month-old son was in the back seat.
Agents also searched the Toyota Corolla that Dorch’s girlfriend was returning to Avis. They found a high capacity drum magazine with 33 rounds of .40-caliber ammunition in the glove box of the Toyota.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Dorch has a prior federal felony conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The charge contained in this complaint are simply accusations, 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 Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Eleven More Defendants Indicted for $4.1 Million Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Eleven residents in the Kansas City, Missouri, and St. Joseph, Missouri, areas have been added to a federal indictment that now charges a total of 25 defendants for their roles in a $4.1 million drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than 520 kilograms of methamphetamine over three years.
Bobbie Lynn King, 51, and Patricia Gail Nelson, also known as “Mama Pat,” 60, both of Kansas City, Missouri; Michael Glen Zieger, also known as “Lee’s Summit Mike,” 43, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; Amanda Leigh Watson, 33, of St. Joseph, Missouri; and Logan Tanner Laws, 28, of Shelbina, Missouri, were arrested on July 23, 2020, after being charged in a six-count superseding indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on July 21, 2020. That indictment was unsealed and made public following their arrests.
Additionally, Rory Dale Bechtel, 37, of Kansas City, Mo.; Phillip Tra Joseph Hoyt, 43, of St. Joseph, Kenneth James McClure, 41, of Kingdom City, Missouri; Christapher Dean Parton, 31, of St. Joseph, and Marion Douglas McCrorey Jr., 40, of Rich Hill, Missouri, each of whom are already in custody on unrelated state and federal cases, were charged in the superseding indictment. Christopher Brian Rogan, 44, no known address, was also charged in the superseding indictment and is a fugitive from justice.
The superseding indictment replaces an earlier indictment and includes additional defendants. Defendants originally charged in the indictment are Trevor Scott Sparks, 31, Gerald L. Ginnings, 40, Gloria May Jones, 30, Vicente Araujo, 23, Leslie Ladon Walker, 33, and Paul J. Kibodeaux, 37, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Markus Michael A. Patterson, 37, of Grandview, Mo.; David Robert Richards II, 32, of Louisburg, Kan.; Christian Douglas Hansen, 41, of St. Louis, Mo.; and Stephanie Thurmond, 29, Leeanna Michelle Schroeder, 27, and Adam Joseph Mainieri, 32, all of Winfield, Mo.
The federal indictment alleges that all of the defendants, with the exception of Sparks, participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2017, to July 21, 2020. According to the indictment, conspirators received $4,160,000 in exchange for the unlawful distribution of more than 520 kilograms of methamphetamine, based on an average street price of $8,000 per kilogram of methamphetamine.
Sparks is charged with one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that involved the distribution of at least 10 kilograms of methamphetamine. According to the indictment, Sparks was the principal leader of the criminal enterprise and obtained substantial income from the criminal enterprise.
All of the defendants are also charged with participating in a money-laundering conspiracy during that time to use drug sale proceeds to promote the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to conceal the proceeds of that drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Each of the defendants, with the exception of Kibodeaux, Rogan, and McClure, are charged together with possessing multiple firearms in furtherance of violent crimes and drug-trafficking crimes.
Ginnings, Sparks, Patterson, Jones, Hansen, Mainieri, Hoyt, King, Nelson, and Zieger also are charged together in one count of being felons in possession of multiple firearms and ammunition.
Araujo, Walker, Thurmond, Schroeder, Meyers, Hack, Bechtel, Laws, and Parton also are charged together in one count of being drug users in possession of multiple firearms and ammunition.
The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property obtained from the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy, including a money judgment of $4,160,000.
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 Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, and the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s 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.KCK Woman Charged with CarjackingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Kansas, woman was charged in federal court today with stealing a vehicle at gunpoint from the parking garage at the Country Club Plaza.
This Century Arms Draco AK 47-style 9mm pistol was seized from Maricela Delores Lozano at the time of her arrest.Maricela Delores Lozano, 20, was charged with one count of carjacking and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence in a complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, July 28. The complaint was unsealed today following Lozano’s arrest and initial court appearance.
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Lozano used a Century Arms Draco AK 47-style 9mm pistol during the theft of a 2010 Nissan Altima on July 19, 2020.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Lozano approached the owner of the Altima, who was attempting to start her vehicle to leave the parking garage of the Country Club Plaza, at about 5:48 p.m. on July 19, 2020. Lozano brandished the AK 47-style pistol, the affidavit says, pointed it at the victim, and demanded her keys and cell phone. The victim complied and walked away from the vehicle, after which Lozano drove her car out of the parking garage. The victim went to a nearby business and used their phone to call the police.
Lozano, who was standing beside the stolen vehicle, was spotted by a Missouri State Highway Patrol corporal in a driveway in Fulton, Missouri, on July 21, 2020. When the officer drove toward her, the affidavit says, she got into the vehicle and attempted to flee. The officer stopped the vehicle and arrested Lozano and a male passenger. The officer seized the loaded firearm from the floorboard behind the driver’s seat.
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 Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the FBI.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.KC Man Threatened Witness, Charged with Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who threatened a witness has been charged in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Shannon L. Walz, 45, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition in a criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, July 28. The complaint was unsealed and made public following Walz’s arrest and initial court appearance on Wednesday, July 29. Walz remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Walz was arrested following a foot chase by Kansas City, Mo., police officers on May 30, 2020. Officers were called by a resident in the Fairwood and Robandee neighborhood who had been confronted by Walz. Walz knocked on the front door of the person’s residence, the affidavit says, and when the resident opened the door, Walz told the resident to keep their mouth shut regarding a shooting assault that occurred on May 24, 2020. (The victim of the assault died from his injuries on June 10, 2020.) Walz shouted and waved a handgun in a threatening manner, according to the affidavit. The resident closed the door and dialed 911 while Walz walked away from the house.
Police officers responded to the call and saw Walz walking on James A. Reed Road. When Walz saw the officers, the affidavit says, he fled on foot. Walz ran through the property of a church at 9420 James A. Reed Road. He was captured shortly thereafter near the intersection of Bannister and James A. Reed Roads and placed under arrest. Walz had two knives and a .40-caliber handgun magazine (containing 10 rounds) in his pocket.
Officers subsequently obtained surveillance video from the church, which depicts Walz fleeing from officers and throwing a Hi-Point .40-caliber handgun into some bushes near the front entrance of the church. Officers returned to the church on June 10, 2020, and found the loaded handgun.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Walz has prior felony convictions for statutory rape and burglary.
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 Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Columbia Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal Firearms, Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms and methamphetamine.
Matthew Alan Eads, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Eads was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.
On Jan. 7, 2020, Eads pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Eads was driving a 1997 Lincoln on March 39, 2018, when he ran a red light at the intersection of Paris Road and Brown Station Road in Columbia, causing a collision with a pick-up truck. Officers were called to the scene of the crash. An officer smelled marijuana while retrieving Eads’s proof of insurance from his vehicle, and Eads admitted he had a small amount of marijuana.
Officers searched Eads’s vehicle and found a gray backpack on the rear passenger seat that contained a Bersa .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a prescription bottle that contained methamphetamine. In the Lincoln’s trunk officers found a drawstring athletic bag that contained a Phoenix Arms .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun and two plastic baggies that contained approximately 12 grams of methamphetamine. Also inside this bag was a marijuana pipe, suspected THC wax, and two loaded magazines for the Bersa handgun.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has a prior felony conviction to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Eads has prior felony convictions for assault (injuring his victim with a utility knife), possessing cocaine with the intent to deliver, stealing, drug trafficking, and distributing psilocin (mushrooms – a controlled substance).
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Jolly. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Camdenton Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Camdenton, Missouri, man with a history of predatory financial crimes against women was sentenced in federal court today for a $78,000 fraud scheme in which he used his victim’s credit cards without authorization.
Ivan Joseph Stark, Jr., 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Stark to pay restitution to his victim.
On Jan. 7, 2020, Stark pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Stark became romantically involved with his victim, identified in court documents as “C.H.,” after they met on a dating website. Stark, who used an alias and omitted details regarding his past prison sentence, obtained C.H.’s credit cards on March 1, 2018. Stark obtained the credit cards by falsely telling C.H. he intended to repair an electronic sign and sell the sign for a profit. Stark falsely claimed he already had a buyer for the sign. Stark promised to repay C.H. for purchases he made with C.H.’s credit cards using the proceeds from the sale of the sign. Stark also promised to split a portion of the proceeds of the sale with C.H. In reality, there was no electric sign or project to repair any sign.
Stark obtained more than $78,000 through this scheme. One of the credit cards, for example, was used to make a $10,180 down payment on a 30-foot trailer from Flying A. Motorsports. Another credit card was used to make a $1,500 down payment on a Dodge Ram truck, which was made over the phone with another woman who purported to be the victim.
Stark opened a Square account under the name AVR Industries. Stark falsely represented to Square that AVR was a taxicab and limousine business, when in fact, no such business was in operation. Stark conducted approximately $43,000 in transactions through Square, using C.H.’s credit cards, to make payments to AVR. As a result of these transactions, $41,817 was deposited into Stark’s personal bank account.
Stark, without C.H.’s knowledge or consent, requested a credit limit increase on two of C.H.’s
credit cards.Stark ultimately charged one of C.H.’s credit cards to a balance above $43,000. Stark made an electronic payment from his personal account in the amount of $21,947, payable to C.H.’s credit card, knowing that his account contained insufficient funds to cover the payment. Before his unfunded payment was reversed, however, Stark made approximately $21,154 in charges to C.H.’s credit card. This resulted in a statement balance of $43,607, which was $21,607 over the card’s credit limit.
The government’s sentencing memorandum cites a history of predatory financial crimes against several more victims. Stark’s past relationships show a pattern of systematic victimization, the memorandum states, in which Stark deliberately chooses his victims, uses them, and leaves them financially ruined and emotionally traumatized.
According to court documents, Stark’s criminal history is staggering. From the age of 19, he has either been under supervision, an active warrant or incarcerated. His crimes have been almost exclusively financial and fraudulent in nature and have only escalated over time, despite periods of incarceration.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley S. Turner and Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the FBI and the Camden County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Two Men Charged in Violent KidnappingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two men were charged in federal court today for kidnapping a woman who was rescued from her attackers at a Neosho, Missouri, hotel room.
Freddie Lewis Tilton, 47, of Joplin, Missouri, and Alvin Dale Boyer, 35, of Rogers, Arkansas, were charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo. Tilton was arrested at a Joplin residence today. He was taken into custody after shooting at Newton County Sheriff’s deputies who were executing a state search warrant in an unrelated case. Officers responded with tear gas and there were no injuries.
Tilton has an initial court appearance on Wednesday, July 29. He remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. Boyer remains a fugitive.
Today’s federal criminal complaint alleges that Tilton and Boyer kidnapped the victim, identified in court documents as “S.T.,” on July 19, 2020.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, an employee at Boonslick Lodge in Neosho, Missouri, called police at approximately 11:50 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 climbed out the back window and escaped.
S.T. told investigators she had arrived at the hotel to meet Boyer (who had rented the room) but found Tilton waiting for her. S.T. had separated from Tilton and had an order of protection against him. When she found Tilton in the room, she said, she tried to leave but was dragged back in by Tilton. She had a Walther 9mm handgun in her waistband but lost it during the struggle. Tilton picked up the handgun and used it to strike her. At one point, S.T. made it to the door but was dragged back inside by Tilton. Tilton had the handgun with him when he climbed out the hotel room window. Tilton attempted to climb down a vertical rain gutter, the affidavit says, but fell to the ground as the guttering broke then ran away.
Officers searched the hotel room and found numerous indications that a violent, physical struggle
had taken place inside the room, according to the affidavit, in addition to blood on the room floor and door. Inside the hotel room, 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, drop cloths, a Taurus 9mm handgun, and a Kimber .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle.S.T. was transported to a hospital for treatment of her injuries.
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 Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Neosho, Mo., Police Department, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Independence Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Jose D. Drew, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 30 years in federal prison without parole. Drew was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.
On Jan. 16, 2020, Drew was found guilty at trial of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Drew was in possession of a loaded Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine on July 13, 2018. Agents stopped a vehicle when it pulled into a parking spot in front of an apartment building and arrested Drew. When agents searched the vehicle, they found the Glock pistol between the passenger seat (where Drew was sitting) and the center console. A DNA comparison later confirmed that Drew’s DNA was located on the trigger guard area of the pistol.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Drew has three prior felony convictions for robbery and armed criminal action, each of which involved the possession and use of a deadly weapon. According to court documents, Drew was on parole for two of these offenses when he committed the federal crime. While under supervision for these offenses, Drew incurred 31 conduct violations.
According to court documents, while in custody in this case Drew stabbed another inmate with a sharpened piece of metal, slammed a correctional officer’s head into a food tray port, which resulted in the officer’s hospitalization, struck an assistant shift supervisor, and attempted to strike correctional officers with a homemade weapon.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Smith and Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Government's Response in Opposition to Motion for Reduction in SentenceRead the Press Release
The United States opposes Defendant’s request for a reduction in sentence and compassionate release. Consideration of the issues taken into account in evaluating a compassionate release application leads to the conclusion that Defendant’s motion should be denied.
Government's ResponseKC Man Who ‘Terrorized His Neighborhood’ Charged with Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
This Glock .40-caliber handgun attached to an extended drum magazine was seized by law enforcement officers at the time of Dorsey's arrest.KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who was arrested after he allegedly shot three victims in an incident this week has been charged in federal court with illegally possessing a firearm during an earlier firearm incident.
“Court documents cite a long history of gun violence and drug trafficking by this defendant who terrorized his neighborhood, allegedly shooting several victims this week,” Garrison said. “This is his second federal charge for illegally possessing firearms. Operation LeGend is successfully taking armed, violent criminals like this off the street to make our neighborhoods safer.”
Leamandreal Dorsey, 40, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in a complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. That complaint was unsealed and made public today following Dorsey’s arrest and initial court appearance.
Today’s federal criminal complaint charges Dorsey with illegally possessing a firearm following a threat to shoot event that occurred on April 1, 2020. Dorsey is charged with possessing a Glock .40-caliber handgun attached to an extended drum magazine that contained 40 live rounds of ammunition.
On April 1, 2020, Kansas City, police officers responded to a reported weapons disturbance in the 2500 block of East 68th Terrace. One of Dorsey’s neighbors told officers that Dorsey pointed a gun at him and threatened him. Officers contacted Dorsey at Dorsey’s residence, sitting on the roof of a black Mercedes-Benz C300. According to the affidavit, Dorsey jumped into the driver’s seat when officers approached. Dorsey was removed from his vehicle and taken into custody. The owner of the vehicle provided consent for the officers to search the car, and they found a backpack in the passenger’s seat that contained the Glock .40-caliber handgun attached to an extended drum magazine, as well as a spare magazine.
Although this incident occurred on April 1, Dorsey was arrested following a separate shooting incident that occurred this week in which three individuals were wounded by gunfire.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Kansas City, Missouri, police officers were dispatched to the 2500 block of E. 68th Terrace at about 1 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22, concerning a shooting. Six individuals were on the front porch of a residence, the affidavit says, when an individual later identified as Dorsey started shooting at them. According to the victims, Dorsey walked away, but returned minutes later and began shooting again, then fled on foot. Three of the individuals were struck by gunfire and transported to Research Medical Center. Investigators found 31 spent shell casings at the scene.
Later the same day, investigators received a Crime Stoppers tip that identified Dorsey as the shooter.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Dorsey has a prior felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, for which he served three years in federal prison. He also has two prior felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon, two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, and a prior felony conviction for drug trafficking.
Today’s affidavit also cites four previous instances in which Dorsey pointed firearms at people and threatened them. Among those incidents, the affidavit says, Dorsey shot a man in the hip who was running from Dorsey’s residence following a disagreement.
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 Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.KC Man Charged with Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was charged in federal court today with illegally possessing methamphetamine to distribute and two firearms.
Law enforcement officer seized this Bushmaster .223/5.56-caliber rifle while executing a search warrant at Younce's residence.Steven L. Younce, 38, was charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s criminal complaint, deputies with the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Younce, who had outstanding municipal warrants, at his residence on Thursday, July 23.
Law enforcement officers seized this Glock 9mm handgun while executing a search warrant at Younce's residence.Detectives from the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service executed a search warrant at Younce’s residence on the same day. In Younce’s bedroom, they found 696 grams of methamphetamine on top of the bed, 39 grams of methamphetamine in a dresser drawer, a loaded Bushmaster .223/5.56-caliber rifle, and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun. Additional ammunition, several glass smoking pipes, and drug paraphernalia were found throughout the residence.
Law enforcement officers also seized a stolen 2019 Harley Davidson motorcycle and a stolen Suzuki motorcycle.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Younce has prior federal felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing methamphetamine to distribute. He has prior state felony convictions for forgery, tampering with a motor vehicle, possessing a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a weapon.
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 Mary Kate Butterfield. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.KC Man Charged with Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was charged in federal court today with illegally possessing firearms, the first arrest under Operation LeGend, a federal partnership with local law enforcement agencies to address violent crime.
“Illegal drugs and illegal guns are a lethal combination,” Garrison said. “A fugitive from justice, driving a stolen vehicle and carrying stolen firearms, is a violent crime waiting to happen. Federal and local law enforcement worked together to bring him to justice and protect our community from further violence.”
Monty W. Ray, 20, was charged with being an unlawful drug user in possession of firearms in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. He remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, law enforcement officers saw Ray driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen in the area of 107th Street and Blue Ridge Boulevard in Kansas City, Mo., on July 17, 2020. Officers stopped Ray, who had active warrants for assaulting a law enforcement officer and fleeing (for an incident in which Ray ran over an officer’s foot and rammed his own vehicle into a patrol vehicle before escaping from officers in a pursuit that reached speeds of 110 miles per hour) as well as a probation violation. Ray fled from the vehicle on foot but was apprehended by officers.
Officers saw a loaded Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun lying in plain view on the driver’s seat, the affidavit says. A loaded Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic handgun was found in the center console cup holder. Both firearms had been reported stolen. Officers searched the vehicle and found five rounds of 9mm ammunition and one .223-caliber round in the glove box of the vehicle. They also found a spent 9mm shell casing on the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle.
Ray admitted to officers that he is an habitual user of marijuana, according to the affidavit, and that he has been smoking marijuana daily since he was 12 years old. He also admitted to using methamphetamine, most recently on the day before his arrest.
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 Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors 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.Prairie Village Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Payday Loan Fraud, $8 Million Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Prairie Village, Kansas, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to engaging in two separate fraud schemes related to millions of dollars in false payday loan debt and to tax evasion totaling more than $8 million.
“This well-dressed thief victimized millions of Americans whose personal information was fraudulently sold to debt collectors,” Garrison said. “Some of those victims, in their fear and confusion, actually paid debts they didn’t owe. And by hiding his income and assets then lying about it to federal agents, he victimized every honest citizen who obeys the law and pays their income taxes. His thievery allowed him to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle for a short time, but he won’t be entitled to such luxuries in federal prison.”
“Today, Mr. Tucker admitted he evaded the payment of taxes assessed against him. Despite receiving millions of dollars, Mr. Tucker used such funds to sustain a lavish lifestyle and not fulfill his civic duty,” said Adam Steiner, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the St. Louis Field Office. “We are determined at the IRS and Department of Justice to halt tax evasion, and the facts outlined in today’s plea are strong indicators that we can and will find this fraudulent activity.”
Joel Jerome Tucker, 51, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of transporting stolen money across state lines, one count of bankruptcy fraud, and one count of tax evasion.
Tucker, working through various companies, serviced payday loan businesses. Tucker’s company names changed over the years; the primary company was eData Solutions, LLC. eData, formally registered on July 29, 2009, did not make loans directly to borrowers; it collected loan application information, referred to as leads, and sold those leads to its approximately 70 payday lender clients. As a loan servicer, eData also provided software for payday lenders.
Tucker and the other owners of eData sold the company to the Wyandotte Indian tribe in 2012. However, despite selling his interest in eData, Tucker maintained a file of 7.8 million leads he had acquired through eData, containing detailed customer information (including names, addresses, bank accounts, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, etc.). eData had collected the detailed customer information from online payday loan applications or inquiries to its payday lender clients; the file did not represent loans that were made. In addition, Tucker obtained and retained data regarding defaulted payday loans eData had acquired from a number of different payday lender clients. Tucker used these files to create falsified debt portfolios.
By pleading guilty today, Tucker admitted that he engaged in a fraudulent debt scheme from 2014 to 2016. This scheme involved marketing, distributing, and selling false debt portfolios. Tucker defrauded third party debt collectors and millions of individuals listed as debtors through the sale of falsified debt portfolios. Tucker sold supposed debts which: 1) he didn’t personally own; 2) were not true debts; 3) had already been sold to other buyers; and 4) contained false lenders, false loan dates, false loan amounts, and false payment status. Tucker received as much as $7.3 million from the sale of false debt portfolios.
As part of his fraud scheme, Tucker transferred the proceeds of the fraud scheme across state lines.
Tucker also admitted that he executed a related bankruptcy fraud scheme in 2015. In his bankruptcy fraud scheme, Tucker also sold fraudulent debt, which entered the United States Bankruptcy Courts nationwide. When the United States Bankruptcy Court investigated these purported debts which were presented as claims in bankruptcy cases, Tucker provided false information and testimony to the Bankruptcy Court in order to conceal his scheme.
For tax years 2014 - 2016, neither Tucker personally nor any of his companies filed federal tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Tucker told IRS agents that he had no income and was living on borrowed money, including a lot of borrowed money from his mother. In reality, Tucker used nominee bank accounts to conceal income and assets and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal living expenses such as vehicles, chartered jets, travel and entertainment, and a personal residence. Tucker also submitted a form to the IRS in which he omitted listing as an asset his membership in the Vail Mountain Club, for which he received $275,000 in 2016.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Tucker must pay $8,057,079.95 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Tucker also must forfeit to the government $5,000, which is the amount of stolen proceeds transferred across state lines as referenced in the specific count to which he pleaded guilty.
Under federal statutes, Tucker is subject to a sentence of up to 20 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 Kathleen D. Mahoney and Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee in the Southern District of Texas.
Four Former Corrections Officers Sentenced for Violating Inmates Civil RightsRead the Press Release
Four former corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center in Kansas City, Missouri, have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment for their roles in violating the constitutional rights of an inmate by beating the inmate without any legal justification.
Today, U.S. District Court Judge Gary A. Fenner sentenced former corrections officer Travis Hewitt to 45 months imprisonment and former corrections officer Jen-I Pulos to 30 months imprisonment. On June 29, 2020, Judge Fenner sentenced former corrections officer Terrance Dooley to 36 months imprisonment and former corrections officer Dakota Pearce to 24 months imprisonment.
On Oct. 4, 2019, a federal jury found Hewitt, 30, and Dooley, 39, both of Kansas City, Missouri, guilty of participating in a conspiracy to deprive the victim of his civil rights and one count of deprivation of rights. Co-defendants Jen-I Pulos, 34, and Dakota Pearce, 27, both of Kansas City, Missouri, had pleaded guilty the week prior to the trial. Pearce pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and Pulos pleaded guilty to the deprivation of rights.
“The sentences handed down in this case show that law enforcement officers who break the law, violate their oaths, and deprive inmates of their civil rights will be held accountable for their actions” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division.
“Nobody is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison of the Western District of Missouri. “These former corrections officers abused their authority and violated the civil rights of an inmate by physically assaulting him while he was restrained and not posing any threat. As the prosecution of these former officers demonstrates, the Constitution equally protects the rights of all citizens, and equally upholds the accountability of all citizens.”
Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce were formerly employed as corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center. Hewitt and Pearce served as acting sergeants. Dooley and Pulos served on the Disturbance Control Team, also known as the Correctional Emergency Response Team, which is responsible for intervening in inmate altercations and neutralizing threats posed by inmates.
The victim, identified in court documents as “J.R.,” was an inmate at the detention center. On July 4, 2015, J.R. was detained on a probation violation related to the monitoring of his release conditions for a felony driving while intoxicated conviction. J.R. was placed in the medical housing unit of the detention center because he was severely confused and disoriented, as he was experiencing severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
At about 7 p.m. another corrections officer allowed J.R. to walk in a secure area outside of his cell. J.R., clearly disoriented and unaware of his whereabouts, attempted to exit the secure area. The corrections officer and J.R. then had a brief physical struggle; the corrections officer called a Code 1, indicating to other officers that she needed assistance.
Hewitt and Pearce responded and placed J.R. in a holding cell. Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce were upset that a supervisor decided J.R. would not be placed in a “restraint chair,” which was commonly used to punish unruly inmates, because J.R. was clearly disoriented and unaware of his surroundings. Several hours later, Dooley and Pulos entered J.R.’s cell, purportedly to remove a comb that had been fashioned into a “shank.” They removed J.R. and transported him to a holding cell (which was out of the range of surveillance cameras). In this holding cell, Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce physically assaulted J.R., while he was handcuffed and not posing a threat to anyone, in order to punish him for the earlier incident. At times during the incident, one of the officers stood outside of the cell and served as a lookout in attempt to ensure that the assault was concealed from other witnesses.
Several hours after the second incident, medical professionals at the detention center decided to transfer J.R. to Truman Medical Center out of a belief that his alcohol withdrawal symptoms had worsened. Truman Medical personnel working in the emergency room, however, quickly determined that J.R. had sustained significant injuries unrelated to alcohol withdrawal. Medical personnel ultimately diagnosed J.R. with broken ribs, a punctured lung, facial bruising, and injuries to his wrists.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ketchmark of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Missouri, and Trial Attorney Shan Patel and Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice. It was investigated by the Kansas City Division of the FBI.
Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Launch of Operation LegendRead the Press Release
Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Legend, a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative across all federal law enforcement agencies working in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight the sudden surge of violent crime, beginning in Kansas City, MO. Operation Legend was created as a result of President Trump’s promise to assist America’s cities that are plagued by recent violence.
Operation Legend is named after four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City, the latest in a string violence to plague Kansas City in recent weeks. Kansas City has already reached 100 homicides this year, a 40 percent increase from last year.
“President Trump has made clear: the federal government stands ready and willing to assist any of our state and local law enforcement partners across the nation responding to violent crime. Operation Legend will combine federal and local resources to combat the disturbing uptick in violence by surging federal agents and other federal assets into cities like Kansas City, a city currently experiencing its worst homicide rate in its history,” said Attorney General Barr. “The Department’s Operation Legend is named in honor of one of Kansas City’s youngest victims, four-year old LeGend Taliferro who was shot in the face while sleeping in his bed. LeGend’s death is a horrifying reminder that violent crime left unchecked is a threat to us all and cannot be allowed to continue.”
As part of Operation Legend, Attorney General Barr directed federal agents from the FBI, U.S. Marshal Service, DEA and ATF to surge resources to Kansas City in the coming weeks to help state and local officials fight the surge of violent crime. They will be working alongside state and local law enforcement agencies. Department of Justice assets will include over 100 FBI agents, U.S. Marshals, DEA agents, and ATF agents.
In addition, Timothy A. Garrison, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri will be surging additional resources from his office to ensure he is able to handle an anticipated increase in prosecutions.
LeGend Taliferro, a four-year-old boy who was shot and killed on June 29th in Kansas City, MO.Jury Convicts KC Man of Illegal Firearm, MethRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was convicted by a federal jury today of illegally possessing a firearm and methamphetamine.
Anthony E. Myers, 39, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and of possessing methamphetamine.
Myers was arrested on April 1, 2018, when Kansas City police officers responded at 1:53 a.m. to a reported disturbance in the 5100 block of E. 24th Street. A witness reported that Myers was walking in the middle of the street when he pulled out a gun and fired into the air. When officers contacted Myers, he initially refused to follow their commands and walked away from the officers. He was taken to the ground as he continued to resist.
After Myers was detained, the officers seized a loaded Taurus Millennium 9mm handgun that was sticking out of the pocket of his Carhartt jacket and a gun holster. A glass pipe with residue fell out of his pocket, and officers found a second glass pipe and a plastic bag that contained almost six grams of methamphetamine in an inside pocket of Myers’s jacket. Investigators viewed a surveillance video that showed Myers in the street, and recovered two shell casings in the middle of the street. The head stamps on the two shell casings matched the head stamps on the two rounds of ammunition in the firearm.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition. Myers has prior felony convictions for robbery, domestic assault, and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for two hours before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, July 6.
Under federal statutes, Myers is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole for the firearm conviction and up to one year in federal prison without parole for the drug possession. 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 Emily A. Morgan and Mary Kate Butterfield. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Jefferson City Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Missouri, business owner pleaded guilty in federal court today to tax evasion after failing to pay taxes on more than $600,000 in income over three years.
Ryan M. Phegley, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr., to one count of tax evasion.
Phegley was the owner and operator of Phoenix Freight Lines, Inc., from 2010 to 2014. Phoenix provided truck transportation services, in which it leased trucks, hired drivers, and obtained contracts for transporting goods.
By pleading guilty today, Phegley admitted that he never filed state or federal individual income tax returns or state or federal business income tax returns for Phoenix for the years 2011-2013, despite earning a total of $642,344 in unreported taxable income during those years.
Phegley also admitted that, from January 2011 through April 15, 2012, he willfully attempted to evade income tax owed for the year 2011 by using the Phoenix bank account to pay his personal expenses, such as residential mortgage and utilities, personal vehicles, and remodeling his residence.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Phegley must pay $152,570 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and $31,604 to the Missouri Department of Revenue.
Under federal statutes, Phegley 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 Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Gainesville Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Gainesville, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to coercing and enticing a teenage victim to engage in illicit sexual activity.
Tracy Todd Presson, 54, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of the sexual exploitation of a minor and to one count of the coercion and enticement of a minor.
By pleading guilty today, Presson admitted that he produced child pornography, using a child victim, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1, by recording him and Jane Doe 1 engaging in sexually explicit activity on multiple occasions. Presson also admitted that he used FaceTime to coerce and entice Jane Doe 1 to engage in sexually explicit activity. When law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Presson’s residence on Oct. 3, 2018, they found a SanDisk 32GB SD card that contained child pornography, including 165 images and 68 videos of Jane Doe 1 engaged in sexually explicit activity.
Under federal statutes, Presson is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 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 Ami Harshad Miller and Byron Black. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Ozark County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
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."KC Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving a large quantity of methamphetamine shipped to his residence and to illegally possessing firearms.
Danny Sanchez, 38, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Federal investigators intercepted a 23-pound package shipped from San Diego, California, on Aug. 10, 2018, that was addressed to Sanchez’s residence. Officers conducted a controlled delivery of the package, which contained more than 5.4 kilograms of methamphetamine. After removing a portion of the methamphetamine, an officer posing as a delivery driver left the package on Sanchez’s front porch. When Sanchez carried the package inside, officers executed a search warrant and entered his residence.
Inside the residence, officers found the partially opened box next to an I.O. Inc. 7.62 x 39 caliber semi-automatic rifle. Officers also found a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun in Sanchez’s vehicle.
Sanchez told officers that he received other packages containing methamphetamine, which he delivered for $2,000 per package.
Under federal statutes, Sanchez is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of up to 15 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. Attorney D. Michael Green. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force (MoWIN).
Carthage Couple Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from Joplin BusinessesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carthage, Missouri, husband and wife have pleaded guilty in federal court to their involvement in a four-year-long scheme to embezzle from a Joplin, Missouri, business owner.
Jeanine A. Poe, 51, and William Poe, 57, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Tuesday, June 30, in separate but related cases. Jeanine Poe pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. William Poe pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of a felony.
Jeanine Poe was hired to manage two Doc Stop convenience stores in Joplin. The owner had little to do with the businesses, according to the plea agreements, except to invest his money into both to ensure their financial success. In 2015, Jeanine Poe told the owner the businesses weren’t doing well financially and asked him to invest even more money. The owner invested much of his salary to financially support the businesses.
In October 2019, after the businesses continued to lose money, the owner asked a friend to review the financial affairs of the businesses and learned that Jeanine Poe was embezzling money from his businesses. She had obtained at least seven credit cards in the name of the businesses, conducted transactions on the credit cards, and paid for such transactions with funds from the businesses. All of the credit cards opened by Jeanine Poe had reached their maximum allowable credit limit, and many times were used by Jeanine and William Poe for expenses that were entirely unrelated to the operation of the businesses (such as trips and personal expenses). One of the credit cards was in William Poe’s name. The owner also discovered that large amounts of cash were being fraudulently electronically transferred from his businesses’ bank account to Jeanine Poe’s personal bank account.
William Poe admitted that he was aware of his wife’s embezzlement. He concealed these thefts by convincing the owner his wife was not embezzling, when he knew she was stealing from him. His concealment allowed Jeanine Poe to continue to conduct fraudulent credit card transactions and withdrawals from the business accounts.
Under federal statutes, Jeanine Poe is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. William Poe 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 Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the FBI.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Used in Drive-By ShootingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing the firearm he used in a drive-by shooting.
Javier Guerrero-Garcia, 23, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Monday, June 29, to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
By pleading guilty, Guerrero-Garcia admitted that he fired a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun into a residence early in the morning of Nov. 19, 2017.
According to the plea agreement, a Kansas City, Missouri, resident contacted police officers after Guerrero-Garcia fired multiple shots at her house at approximately 3:45 a.m. on Nov. 19, 2017. When the resident went outside she saw Guerrero-Garica’s red BMW driving away. Shortly thereafter, Guerrero-Garcia returned and fired more shots at her home and vehicles. Police officers arrived at the scene and learned that bullets had entered the home and three vehicles had been struck by bullets.
About an hour later, Kansas City police officers conducted a traffic stop of the red BMW Guerrero-Garcia was driving. When he and two passengers got out of the vehicle, officers saw the Glock handgun as well as an extended magazine inside the vehicle. The handgun had been reported as stolen.
A forensic examination was performed on the .40-caliber shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting and the Glock handgun recovered from the vehicle. This examination confirmed the .40-caliber shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting were fired from the Glock handgun.
Guerrero-Garcia has a prior federal conviction in Kansas for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, for which he was sentenced in 2018 to 14 months in prison.
Under federal statutes, Guerrero-Garcia is subject to a sentence of up to 10 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 Mary Kate Butterfield. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Entering the U.S. for the Seventh TimeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national who was arrested for drunk driving after illegally entering the United States for the seventh time was sentenced in federal court today.
Martin Triana-Perez, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to three years in federal prison without parole.
On Oct. 9, 2019, Triana-Perez pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after deportation subsequent to a felony conviction.
Triana-Perez was arrested by Kansas City police officers on Aug. 19, 2019, for driving while intoxicated. Officers responded to a report that Triana-Perez and another person were in a parked vehicle, creating a disturbance at the park. When officers arrived they saw open containers of alcohol in Triana-Perez’s vehicle and instructed them to leave the park on foot. A short time later they saw Triana-Perez driving the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. This was Triana-Perez’s third drunk driving arrest.
Triana-Perez, who has been deported from the United States six times prior to this case, has four prior felony convictions for illegally reentering the United States.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. It was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Monett Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Monett, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for trafficking methamphetamine at a home with children present.
Victor M. De Santiago, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 27 years and four months in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 21, 2019, De Santiago pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on premises in which children reside.
State troopers and DEA agents executed a search warrant at the residence of De Santiago, who was identified as a major distributor of methamphetamine, on Feb. 28, 2019. In addition to De Santiago and another adult, there were three children present in the residence.
Law enforcement officers found a safe in a bedroom closet that contained approximately two pounds (907 grams) of methamphetamine. De Santiago told officers he recently acquired approximately six pounds of methamphetamine from California and transported it to Monett with the intent to distribute it. The approximately two pounds of methamphetamine found in the bedroom was the remainder of what he had acquired from California.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josephine L. Stockard and Byron Black. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Combined Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team (COMET), the Monett, Missouri, Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
KC Resident Sentenced to 20 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, resident was sentenced in federal court today for possessing child pornography.
Raul E. Villalva, also known as Isabelle Villalva, a biological male who identifies as a female (transgender woman), 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Villalva to 20 years of supervised release following incarceration.
On Oct. 9, 2019, Villalva pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
In July 2018, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a report from an online file hosting service that a user of the service, later determined to live in the Kansas City area, had uploaded 42 files of child pornography. After further investigation, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Villalva’s residence on Oct. 3, 2018. Villalva disclosed that an adult male with whom he shared the residence had previously sent him, by cell phone, videos and pictures of the adult male sexually assaulting a child victim at the defendant’s residence. Investigators seized Villalva’s cell phone, which contained videos and images of child pornography. Some of the child pornography depicted in Villalva’s cell phone depicted the child victim being molested by the adult male, while a single video depicted Villalva also engaging in sexual contact with the same child victim.
Villalva 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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Platte County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
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 Sentenced to 25 Years for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for methamphetamine trafficking and illegally possessing numerous firearms.
Timothy Brian Schutten, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 25 years in federal prison without parole.
On Aug. 8, 2019, Schutten pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Springfield police officers located Schutten, who had an active parole violation warrant, on Aug. 15, 2017. Schutten had a stolen Ruger .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a loaded magazine in one pocket and a cigarette package that contained 4.81 grams of methamphetamine in another pocket. Officers searched the backpack Schutten was wearing and found a Springfield Armory .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol, four bags that contained a total of 693.5 grams of methamphetamine, a bag that contained 1.09 grams of marijuana, a bag that contains .67 grams of heroin, a pill bottle that contained several unidentified pills, $6,430, drug paraphernalia, a box that contained 40 rounds of .38-caliber ammunition, and three cell phones.
On April 25, 2019, police officers located Schutten, who was again wanted in connection with an active parole violation warrant, as he was walking away from his truck at a local hotel. When officers ordered him to stop, Schutten ran back to his truck, started it, and backed into one of the officer’s patrol vehicles. Schutten then put his truck in drive and accelerated toward the hotel. The truck’s tires began spinning in the grass, causing his vehicle to strike the side of the hotel. Schutten continued accelerating until he struck a tree about 10 feet from the hotel. He got out of his truck and began walking toward the hotel entrance. He refused to stop, despite several verbal commands to do so. Schutten entered the hotel and began running toward the lobby, where an officer deployed his Taser. Schutten fell forward onto the floor and immediately began reaching toward his waistband, where officers would later find a loaded 9mm pistol. After ignoring multiple commands to put his arms behind his back, a second officer deployed his Taser. Officers were ultimately able to subdue Schutten and he was placed under arrest.
Officers searched Schutten and found 19 Xanax pills, 34 oxycodone pills, 2.46 grams of methamphetamine, $2,353, and a loaded firearm. Officers searched his vehicle and found six additional firearms, two of which had high-capacity magazines. (Five of the seven firearms seized from Schutten had previously been reported stolen.) Officers also found assorted gun magazines and ammunition, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and two cell phones.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.