Western District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Two KC Residents Plead Guilty to K2 Conspiracy, Must Forfeit $10.5 MillionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two former Kansas City, Mo., residents pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a $10.5 million conspiracy to distribute synthetic cannabinoids, commonly referred to as K2, to customers nationwide.
Derek A. Williams, 35, and Ashli Adkins, 31, both of Laguna Beach, Calif., but formerly of Kansas City, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of conspiracy to mislead by causing the introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate and foreign commerce and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Williams and Adkins admitted they sold at least 2,000 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids during the conspiracy. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Williams and Adkins must forfeit to the government their Laguna Beach residence, a $10.5 million money judgment (including nearly $3.4 million seized by federal agents during the investigation), a 2011 Ford F-150, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Walther .22-caliber pistol, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun and a Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle.
Williams and Adkins admitted that they participated in a conspiracy to market synthetic cannabinoids, which were misbranded drugs because their labeling was false and misleading, from March 1, 2011, to Nov. 27, 2012.
Labeling identified the products as “incense,” and “not for human consumption,” and failed to bear adequate directions for use. Synthetic cannabinoid products were packaged in foil packets and sold at retail establishments throughout the United States under the brand name “SynIncense.” Williams and Adkins admitted they used the term “incense” in the product brand name when, in fact, his “SynIncense” products were synthetic cannabinoids intended for consumption in order to obtain a physiological effect of a “high.”
Each of the synthetic cannabinoid products was misbranded in at least one of the following respects:
a. The synthetic cannabinoid products’ labeling did not bear adequate directions for use;
b. The synthetic cannabinoid products had false and misleading labeling in that they were labeled in a manner indicating they were not for human consumption when, in fact, the synthetic drugs were intended for human consumption; and
c. The synthetic cannabinoid products did not bear a label containing the name and place of the business, the manufacturer, packer or distributor.
Williams and Adkins sold synthetic cannabinoids to an unindicted co-conspirator doing business as Main Stop in Neosho, Mo., who then resold the misbranded drugs to consumers. They also shipped or transported misbranded synthetic cannabinoids to another unindicted co-conspirator, doing business at the website Commonscents.com, who then resold the misbranded drugs to consumers.
Williams and Adkins also admitted that, from March 1, 2011, to July 8, 2012, they participated in a money-laundering conspiracy that involved financial transactions of funds derived from criminal activity.
Williams and Adkins are among four defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case. Co-defendant Daniel R. Williams, 31, of Kansas City, was sentenced to three years in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Charidy Blankenship, 31, of Kansas City, has also pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Two KC Men Indicted for Drug Trafficking as Part of National TakedownRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two Kansas City, Mo., men have been indicted, in separate cases, as part of a nationwide enforcement action related to the distribution of opioids and other dangerous narcotics.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price, M.D., announced earlier today the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, involving 412 charged defendants across 41 federal districts. Many of the defendants included in today’s national announcement are medical professionals, including doctors and nurses. In the two local cases, however, the defendants are not medical professionals but are charged with conduct related to the possession and distribution of controlled substances.
USA v. Toombs
William E. Toombs, Jr., also known as “Zorro” or “Big Z,” 59, of Kansas City, was charged in a 10-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on June 29, 2017. That indictment was unsealed and made public upon Toombs’s arrest and initial court appearance on Tuesday, July 11, 2017.
The federal indictment charges Toombs with nine counts of possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute. On June 19, 2015, Toombs allegedly possessed crack cocaine, Oxycodone, Morphine, Hydrocodone, Codeine, Alprazolam and Diazepam with the intent to distribute. On April 25, 2016, Toombs allegedly possessed heroin with the intent to distribute. On May 4, 2016, Toombs allegedly possessed Oxycodone, Methadone, Hydrocodone and Alprazolam with the intent to distribute.
Toombs is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Toombs, who has a prior felony conviction, allegedly possessed a Taurus .45 Long Colt/410 gauge revolver on June 19, 2015.
USA v. Cunningham
Josef Cunningham, Jr., also known as Carl Thomas, 31, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a six-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on June 29, 2017.
The federal indictment charges Cunningham with one count of possessing Oxycodone between April 25 and June 10, 2015, with the intent to distribute. Cunningham is also charged with five counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Cunningham allegedly obtained Oxycodone and Codeine using fraudulent prescriptions.
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. They were investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
Raytown Man Sentenced for Stealing $86,000 from Two ChurchesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Raytown, Mo., man who worked or volunteered at two area churches was sentenced in federal court today for embezzling more than $86,000 from those parishes.
David Townley, 60, of Raytown, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to one year and one day in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Townley to pay $86,297 in restitution.
On Feb. 14, 2017, Townley pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of tax evasion.
Nativity of Mary (Wire Fraud)
Townley admitted that he engaged in a scheme to defraud Nativity of Mary church and school in Independence, Mo., from 2007 through 2013.
Townley was employed by the Nativity of Mary church and school as the business manager from December 2006 through June 2013. Townley handled the payroll and had access to both cash and check collections/donations, and school tuition payments. From 2011 through 2013, Townley skimmed money from cash tuition payments made by parents. Townley recorded accurate tuition deposits in the school’s log but deposited a lesser amount into the church’s bank account.
Townley is responsible for a loss of $52,166, which includes $32,194 in unauthorized checks deposited into Townley’s personal account and $19,971 in cash from tuition payments deposited into Townley’s personal bank account.
Townley’s bank records revealed frequent cash deposits separate from his and his wife’s salary payments. Nativity of Mary banked at the Blue Ridge Bank and Trust in Kansas City, Mo. The processing of checks through the Federal Reserve System from Nativity of Mary constituted the wire fraud.
Sacred Heart of Guadalupe (Mail Fraud)
Townley stole $34,131 from Sacred Heart of Guadalupe church in Kansas City, Mo., in a fraud scheme that lasted from 2006 through 2013.
Townley was a volunteer at Sacred Heart of Guadalupe from 2002 through 2013. Townley was in charge of paying the church’s bills, making QuickBooks entries, reporting to the financial committee and filing the church’s tax returns. From 2006 through 2013, Townley negotiated more than 20 checks, totaling $47,705, and deposited them into his personal bank account. Some of these checks were unauthorized salary payments and others were made out to third parties, such as the “Society of the Precious Blood” and the Diocese of Kansas City.
Sacred Heart of Guadalupe banked at U.S. Bank in Kansas City, Mo., which mailed statements to the church and constituted the mail fraud charge.
The total loss amount from the two fraud schemes was $86,297. According to an analysis of his bank records, Townley used the money he embezzled mostly to pay off credit card debt.
Tax Evasion
Townley admitted that he failed to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2005 through 2013. During those years, Townley had taxable income that ranged from $54,633 to $115,721. The total federal tax loss for those years is $59,322. The total tax loss to the state of Missouri is $30,117.
Townley attempted to conceal his true sources of income at Nativity of Mary and Sacred Heart of Guadalupe. The acts of evasion in those years included making false entries in the accounts of Nativity of Mary and skimming cash from tuition payments made by parents at the Nativity of Mary school.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
KC Man Sentenced for Marriage FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in leading a marriage fraud conspiracy.
Delmar Dixon, 49, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to three years in federal prison without parole.
Dixon pleaded guilty on March 8, 2017, to leading a conspiracy to assist African nationals in circumventing immigration laws by arranging fraudulent marriages. Dixon also pleaded guilty to falsely swearing in an immigration matter.
Dixon admitted that he arranged 30 to 40 fraudulent marriages, including his own. Dixon charged the African nationals $1,000 upfront for his services, which included providing them U.S. citizen spouses. The African nationals were additionally required to pay $500 to the spouse at the time of the wedding, and an additional $500 immediately after completion of the wedding. They were required to pay their spouses $250 each month after the weddings until the immigration process was complete. The African nationals were coached by Dixon on how to make their marriages appear legitimate.
In addition to arranging fraudulent marriages, Dixon engaged in a fraudulent marriage himself. Dixon obtained a marriage license on March 19, 2008, and married a Kenyan national who had entered the United States as a B2 nonimmigrant visitor but overstayed her visa.
Co-defendant Traci R. Porter, 45, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to two years in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Tierra Ofield, 24, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison without parole. Co-defendants Kakeland Barnes, 37, Shakeisha Harrison, 37, and Stephanie Harris, 22, all of Kansas City, Mo., have pleaded guilty to their roles in the marriage fraud conspiracy and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Moore. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Fraud Detection and National Security.
Former Honeywell Employee Sentenced for $50,000 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Honeywell employee was sentenced in federal court today for engaging in a fraud scheme that caused a loss of more than $50,000.
Trent L. Christie, 37, of Olathe, Kan., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one year and one day in federal prison without parole. Christie has also fully paid $50,480 in restitution to Honeywell.
Christie was employed at the Kansas City branch of Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies, a management and operating contractor for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which is the agency under the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science.
On Dec. 15, 2016, Christie pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud. Christie admitted that, in his capacity as a Honeywell employee with purchasing authority, he submitted purchase orders for approximately 129 pieces of equipment, all without the permission or knowledge of either Honeywell or the NNSA. None of the equipment was classified.
Christie engaged in his fraud scheme from June 15, 2010, to Aug. 27, 2014. The costs to Honeywell and subsequently to the NNSA of the unnecessary equipment was approximately $50,480.
After receiving the equipment, Christie advertised the items for sale on eBay. If sold, he removed the items from the Honeywell facility and shipped them, often from his personal residence, to the purchaser. Total sales by Christie netted him approximately $20,847.
This case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Gregg R. Coonrod. It was investigated by the Department of Energy, Office of the Inspector General.
Former Aurora Business Owner Indicted for $26 Million Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a former Aurora, Mo., business owner has been indicted by a federal grand jury today for fraud schemes by which he stole more than $26 million, as well as money laundering and other charges.
Russell Grundy, 48, of Hilton Head Island, S. Carolina, formerly of Aurora, was charged in a 30-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Tuesday, July 11, 2017. Grundy was arrested today.
Grundy was the owner of several companies that focused on advanced technologies, ranging from software development to computer security to addressing the software and hardware technological needs of its clientele. Grundy’s companies included Innovative Objects, LLC, PILR Technology, LLC, Choice Technologies, LLC, Wyerless, LLC, and Audio Input, LLC.
Land O’Lakes/Nutra Blend Fraud Scheme
Grundy (through his company Innovative Objects) was contracted by Land O’Lakes, Inc., and its subsidiary, Nutra Blend, LLC, from January 2004 to Sept. 27, 2015, to create propriety software to inventory, track, and coordinate the disbursement of products. Grundy also contracted with Land O’Lakes and Nutra Blend to provide equipment and technical support for the use, upkeep and maintenance of the software.
The indictment alleges that Grundy falsely told Land O’Lakes and Nutra Blend that third party software programs were built into that proprietary software and were essential to the successful operation of the software. Grundy allegedly claimed that some of the payments made to Innovative Objects were remitted to third party license holders. In reality, the indictment says, there were no third party licensee fees; instead, Grundy kept those payments for his personal or unrelated expenses.
The indictment charges Grundy with six counts of wire fraud related to a series of payments from August 2013 to April 2015, totaling $862,856.
Miami Nations Enterprise Fraud Scheme
Grundy engaged Miami Nations Enterprise in negotiations to provide financial assistance in the form of loans, and for Miami Nations Enterprise to purchase a controlling interest in all of Grundy’s technology-based companies.
According to the indictment, Grundy falsely told Miami Nations Enterprise that his companies had been awarded a $3.5 million contract from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., to develop and provide information technology services. Grundy allegedly presented numerous e-mails, invoices, conditional award letters and other documents to support his false claims. From May 19, 2014, to June 24, 2015, Miami Nations Enterprise loaned Grundy the money to cover the costs associated with software and hardware purchases and training necessary to obtain the $3.5 million Wal-Mart contract.
On Aug. 24, 2014, Miami Nations Enterprise paid an additional amount to purchase a 70 percent interest in Grundy’s companies.
Officials with Miami Nations Enterprise later discovered that neither Grundy nor any of his companies had been awarded any contract with Wal-Mart, and determined that the e-mails, conditional contract award, invoices and bank deposits Grundy had used to support his claims were fraudulently created.
The indictment charges Grundy with 10 counts of wire fraud related to a series of payments from May 19, 2014, to April 12, 2015, totaling $5,990,000.
Additional Charges
In addition to the wire fraud schemes, the indictment charges Grundy with four counts of making a false statement on a loan application. Grundy applied for three loans from UMB Bank on Oct. 17, 2014, totaling $11,390,800. Grundy applied for a $1,850,000 loan from the People’s Bank of Seneca on Aug. 27, 2015. Grundy allegedly made material false statements in each of those loan applications.
Grundy is also charged with 10 counts of money laundering.
The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Grundy to forfeit to the government any property obtained as a result of the alleged wire fraud violations, including a money judgment of at least $26,060,000.
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Carney and Casey Clark. It was investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Raymore Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Raymore, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the armed robbery of United Missouri Bank in Raymore.
Charles O. Jones, 53, of Raymore, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 19 years and seven months in federal prison without parole.
Jones, who pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2017, admitted that he stole $1,330 at gunpoint from United Missouri Bank, 315 S. Dean, Raymore, on April 4, 2016. Jones brandished an air soft pistol, which the tellers believed was a handgun. Jones demanded money and threatened to shoot if they didn’t comply with his demands. A teller gave Jones money from her drawer and he fled from the bank.
The air soft gun was recovered from a trash can located in a nearby Lowe’s Home Improvement store. Jones was arrested the next day.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the FBI and the Raymore, Mo., Police Department.
St. Joseph Mother, Daughter Plead Guilty in $1.5 Million Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a St. Joseph, Mo., mother and daughter pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a $1.5 million tax fraud scheme as well as individual tax fraud.
Dawn Langlais (formerly Ankrom-Brown), 59, and her daughter, Jennifer Sturgis, 38, both of St. Joseph, pleaded guilty in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to the charges contained in a July 20, 2016, federal indictment.
Langlais pleaded guilty to failing to pay over employee payroll taxes to the IRS. Sturgis pleaded guilty to making false statements on a tax return.
From 2001 through early 2010, Langlais assisted in the operation of Homeward Bound Health Services, Inc., a home health provider located in St. Joseph. In 2010, Homeward Bound’s name was changed to Silver Linings, Inc., and nominee owners were put in place who signed the checks but made no business decisions. Langlais continued to assist in the operation of Silver Linings, which closed in 2013.
Langlais employed her daughter, Sturgis, and other relatives at Homeward Bound and Silver Linings.
Homeward Bound and Silver Linings withheld and collected federal income taxes, Social Security taxes, and Medicare taxes from employees and then kept those withheld taxes instead of paying them over to the IRS. The total criminal tax loss attributed to Homeward Bound and Silver Linings for failure to pay employment taxes due and owing from 2001 to 2012 is $1,459,727.
Homeward Bound and Silver Linings also withheld from employee paychecks and kept child support payments, employee IRA contributions, and medical and dental insurance payments. The theft of these payments had negative collateral consequences for their employees.
By pleading guilty today, Langlais and Sturgis admitted they received income from Homeward Bound and Silver Linings, which they failed to report on their individual federal income tax forms, and as a result, underpaid their federal income taxes.
Langlais willfully failed to make an income tax return or pay personal income taxes from 2010 to 2012, for a total personal tax loss of $56,860. Sturgis was married and filed joint individual income tax returns from 2007 to 2012. Her unreported income from 2010 to 2012 was at least $150,193, resulting in a federal individual income tax loss of at least $26,523. Her unreported income from 2007 to 2009 was at least $420,418, resulting in a federal individual income tax loss of at least $102,437, and a state individual income tax loss of $19,387, for a total personal tax loss of $148,347, including relevant conduct.
Additionally, from 2009 to 2012, Sturgis claimed personal federal income tax refunds, knowing that Homeward Bound and Silver Linings had not paid any income taxes to the IRS.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by IRS – Criminal Investigation.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Danny Lee Dumas, 43, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Dumas to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration.
Dumas pleaded guilty on Nov. 9, 2016. Dumas admitted that he received and distributed child pornography between Jan. 1 and April 9, 2015.
An investigation began in Suffolk County, New York, when another person told law enforcement officers that he e-mailed images of child pornography to Dumas. Law enforcement officers also received two CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children involving online chats with another person, to whom Dumas sent images of child pornography.
Local law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Dumas’s residence on April 9, 2015, and seized his computer and other digital storage devices.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force and the Suffolk County, N.Y., 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."
Springfield Man Sentenced for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine that was shipped from California to Springfield, Mo.
Michael E. Ford, 38, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 11 years in federal prison without parole.
On Feb. 9, 2017, Ford pleaded guilty to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy from June 1 through Sept. 11, 2015, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Co-defendant Lisa Renae Thompson, 39, of Springfield, also pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison without parole. Co-defendants John R. Waits, 46, of Springfield, and Romulo Frank Delatorre, 36, of Downey, Calif., have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and await sentencing.
Delatorre shipped methamphetamine from California to Springfield in two- to two-and-a-half-pound increments to Thompson. Thompson picked up the packages at various hotels in the Springfield area then contacted Ford. Ford picked up the methamphetamine from Thompson and distributed it to others.
After a few days, Ford would then meet with Thompson and give her $10,800. Thompson kept $800 and sent $10,000 to Delatorre.
Thompson admitted that she received approximately 24 pounds of methamphetamine, which she gave to Ford. Thompson also kept some of the methamphetamine and sold it directly to others with the assistance of Waits. Waits sold methamphetamine to an undercover agent on several occasions in June and July 2015. He participated in the conspiracy for six weeks and is responsible for the distribution of 12 pounds of methamphetamine.
After Thompson was arrested on Sept. 11, 2015, Ford began receiving methamphetamine shipments from Delatorre. On Sept. 30, 2015, the Springfield Police Department received a phone call from a FedEx employee about a suspicious package. Police officers delivered the 2.2-pound package of methamphetamine to Ford at a Springfield residence, where he was arrested. Ford had a Ruger .22-caliber handgun in his possession.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull II. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Attorney Sentenced for Fraud Conspiracy That Stole $1.2 Million from St. Luke'sRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Lake Lotawana, Mo., attorney was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a fraud conspiracy in which he and his former law partner stole more than $1.2 million from St. Luke’s Health System, a client of their former law firm.
Mark J. Schultz, 57, of Lake Lotawana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to one year and one day in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Schultz to pay $400,500 in restitution to St. Luke’s.
On Feb. 10, 2017, Schultz pleaded guilty to participating in a wire fraud and mail fraud conspiracy. His former law partner, Alan B. Gallas, 65, of Kansas City, Mo., also pleaded guilty in a separate but related case and was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Gallas to pay $1,224,264 in restitution to St. Luke’s.
Schultz and Gallas were attorneys and partners in the law firm of Gallas & Shultz in Kansas City, Mo., which specialized in collection work for corporations. Schultz and Gallas have each surrendered his license to practice law.
Gallas admitted that he engaged in a scheme from 2009 through July 2015 to defraud a client, St. Luke’s Health System, of monies collected by his law firm totaling $1,224,264. Schultz admitted that he participated in the conspiracy from January 2014 through July 2015.
Gallas was the attorney responsible for the St. Luke’s account at the law firm. After attempting to collect on patient accounts for a period of time, St. Luke’s would transfer its larger outstanding patient accounts to Gallas & Shultz for collection. As payments on patient accounts were received, the payments were logged into the case management system for the appropriate patient account. The monies were then deposited into the law firm’s trust account. On a periodic basis, often monthly, the firm would remit the patient payments collected to St. Luke’s.
Gallas admitted that he caused personnel at the law firm to withhold money from payments made to St. Luke’s by placing thousands of payments on “hold” status, then directing those funds be transferred from the trust account to the firm’s operating account. The pattern of not remitting some payments to St. Luke’s escalated significantly from 2012 to 2015. According to court documents, the firm withheld 601 payments totaling $211,391 in 2012. The firm withheld 699 payments totaling $266,696 in 2013. The firm withheld 625 payments totaling $227,892 in 2014. Through the month of July 2015, the firm withheld 625 payments totaling $216,845.
Schultz admitted that he agreed with Gallas and others to transfer funds from the trust account into the law firm’s operating account. According to court documents, Schultz was informed by his office manager in January 2014 that she was going to quit because she could no longer agree to move money out of the trust account. Schultz nevertheless continued to profit from the diversion of funds from the trust account until the discovery of the scheme in July 2015.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. They were investigated by the FBI.
KC Man Sentenced for Threatening Federal JudgesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for mailing death threats to three federal judges.
Bruce DeWayne Jensen, 40, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to seven years in federal prison without parole.
On March 20, 2017, Jensen pleaded guilty to three counts of mailing threatening communications. Jensen admitted that on Nov. 19, 2014, and again on Aug. 17, 2016, he mailed threats to three U.S. District Court judges in the Western District of Missouri. Jensen, who mailed the letters while he was incarcerated in the federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind., has several prior convictions for similar criminal conduct. Jensen threatened in his letters to kill the judges and their families.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin G. Davids. It was investigated by the FBI.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Following High-Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man who led a state trooper on a 107-miles-per-hour chase on Highway 65, pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.
Clinton J. Haynes, 27, of Springfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Haynes has remained in federal custody since his arrest.
Haynes was arrested on Feb. 2, 2017, following a high-speed pursuit on U.S. Highway 65 by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper. The trooper attempted to stop Haynes’s vehicle, a gold Chevrolet Impala with expired plates and an illegally tinted driver’s side window. When the trooper activated his lights and siren, Haynes accelerated to 107 miles per hour. The trooper pursued Haynes as he overtook 31 vehicles, ignored a red stop light and passed a vehicle on the acceleration ramp.
Haynes’s vehicle eventually stopped on the shoulder of U.S. Highway 65 near Evans Road. Haynes fled on foot across the highway with the trooper in pursuit. Haynes then returned to his vehicle and sat in the driver’s seat. The trooper, with his service pistol drawn, ordered Haynes to get out of the vehicle, but Haynes refused. The trooper removed Haynes from the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs.
While checking the path that Haynes fled, in the grass of the median, the trooper found a loaded Jimenez 9mm semi-automatic pistol. The trooper also searched Haynes and found a plastic bag containing 45.64 grams of marijuana in his pants.
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 a prior felony conviction for robbery.
Under federal statutes, Haynes 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 Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Resulting in MurderRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, which resulted in the murder of a Mexican national, Oscar Adan Martinez-Gaxiola.
Anthony Edward Donovan, 20, of Springfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to the charges contained in a July 20, 2016, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, Donovan admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Dallas County, Webster County and Christian County, Mo., which ran from April 28, 2015, to April 26, 2016.
Donovan is the fourth defendant to plead guilty in this case. Brooke Danielle Beckley, 20, and Jourdan Ashley McGinnis, 28, both of Nixa, Mo., and Nathaniel Austin Lee, 19, of Seymour, Mo., have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy.
McGinnis admitted that, on April 8, 2016, he and Beckley possessed at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in a hotel room, which they intended to distribute to another person.
In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Donovan, Beckley and Lee each pleaded guilty to using a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, resulting in murder. They admitted that the murder of Martinez-Gaxiola on April 25, 2016, in Webster County was willful, deliberate, malicious and premeditated. Aiding and abetting each other, the conspirators used several handguns to ambush Martinez-Gaxiola in rural Webster County as he was attempting to collect a drug debt owed by Beckley.
Under federal statutes, Donovan, Beckley, Lee and McGinnis are each subject to sentences of up to life in federal prison without parole for these crimes. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are 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.
Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Garrison. It was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Lawrence County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Seymour, Mo., Police Department, the Rogersville, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Combined Ozarks Multijurisdictional Enforcement Team (COMET).
Sedalia, Independence Men Indicted for $7 Million Marijuana ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two men were indicted by a federal grand jury today for their roles in a $7 million conspiracy to distribute marijuana in Pettis, Cooper, Boone, Morgan, Pulaski and Jackson counties.
Zachary Scott Nutt, also known as “Tuna,” 35, of Los Angeles, Calif., and Sedalia, Mo., and Nicholas Anders Glaholt, 34, of Independence, Mo., were charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces federal criminal complaints that were filed against Nutt and Glaholt on June 14, 2017.
The federal indictment alleges that Nutt and Glaholt participated in a conspiracy to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana in Pettis, Cooper, Boone, Morgan, Pulaski and Jackson counties from Oct. 5, 2001, through June 13, 2017.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Nutt and Glaholt – who have leadership roles in the conspiracy – obtained marijuana from multiple sources, including a grow operation in California. They have directly supervised and executed the transportation and distribution of the marijuana obtained from California, the affidavit says. Business and financial records establish that, since early 2010, Nutt and Glaholt have travelled between California and Missouri on commercial flights and/or in rented vehicles.
On Aug. 18, 2016, the affidavit says, investigators seized approximately eight pounds of marijuana supplied by the defendants and others. On Nov. 6, 2016, investigators seized approximately 40 pounds of marijuana supplied by the defendants and others. On Nov. 7, 2016, investigators seized approximately four pounds of marijuana supplied by the defendants and others. On Dec. 15, 2016, investigators seized approximately four pounds of marijuana supplied by the defendants and others.
According to the affidavit, investigators learned that another person transported approximately $73,700 to Nutt for the purchase of marijuana in California for distribution in Missouri. On April 5, 2017, investigators in California observed Nutt loading a vehicle with what was believed to be marijuana. On April 8, 2017, Nutt flew back to Kansas City and Glaholt picked him up at Kansas City International Airport. Nutt and Glaholt drove directly to Glaholt’s residence, where the “load” vehicle arrived from California shortly thereafter. On June 5, 2017, investigators seized approximately 11 pounds of marijuana supplied by the defendants and others. A person arrested by investigators in the aftermath of the seizure of marijuana reported that the person had received approximately 440 kilograms of marijuana from Nutt over a period of approximately two years.
Nutt and Glaholt were arrested on June 13, 2017. Glaholt was found to be in possession of approximately two pounds of marijuana in his vehicle. Nutt was in possession of approximately two ounces of marijuana in his vehicle.
Law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Glaholt’s residence and another residence in Kansas City, Mo., on June 13, 2017. At Glaholt’s residence they seized approximately $20,000 believed to be drug proceeds, several individual packages of marijuana, marijuana wax, digital scales, vacuum sealers, ledgers, computers, tablets and notes. At the Kansas City residence investigators seized approximately 261 pounds of marijuana (including packaging), cell phones, digital scales, drug packaging equipment, eight empty duffel bags, .22-caliber ammunition and drug ledgers from a safe.
Today’s indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Nutt and Glaholt to forfeit to the government $7 million, which represents the total amount of money involved in the conspiracy.
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Sedalia, Mo., Police Department, the Cooper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the East Central Drug Task Force and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Columbia Man Indicted for Enticing a Minor for SexRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for attempting to entice an undercover officer, whom he believed was a 14-year-old girl, to meet for illicit sex.
Darren Wade Lasley, 28, of Columbia, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Lasley on June 22, 2017.
The federal indictment alleges that Lasley attempted to entice a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity between June 14 and June 21, 2017.
According to an affidavit that was filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a detective with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department posted an undercover online advertisement in an attempt to seek out potential sexual predators. On June 14, 2017, the decoy began receiving e-mails from Lasley. The decoy told Lasley she was 14 years old and they exchanged photographs.
In e-mail exchanges over the course of the next several days, the affidavit says, Lasley described his plans for a sexual encounter with the decoy. Lasley allegedly proposed visiting the decoy’s residence while her mother was at work or out of town. On June 21, 2017, Lasley asked the decoy if she could sneak out of her house to meet him for a sexual rendezvous. When Lasley arrived at the arranged meeting location, he was arrested.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.
Two Joplin Men Sentenced for Attempted Armed Bank Robbery Foiled by CustomerRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two Joplin, Mo., men were sentenced in federal court today for the attempted armed robbery of Pinnacle Bank in Joplin.
Sean LaDue, 30, and Jimmy Eisenhour, 37, both of Joplin, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough. LaDue was sentenced to 15 years 10 months in federal prison without parole. Eisenhour was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison without parole.
LaDue and Eisenhour both pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in the robbery of Pinnacle Bank, 1316 E. 32nd Street, Joplin, on Nov. 14, 2016. They each also pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Eisenhour and LaDue entered the bank at approximately 3:50 p.m. and announced, “This is a robbery, get down!” Eisenhour jumped behind the bank counter while LaDue, who was armed with a .22-caliber handgun, stayed near the front of the bank. The sole customer of the bank struggled with LaDue in an attempt to disarm him. During the struggle, LaDue fired multiple shots. Both robbers then fled from the bank without taking any money.
Police officers located and arrested both Eisenhour and LaDue two days later, on Nov. 16, 2016.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James J. Kelleher and Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Joplin, Mo., Police Department and the FBI
Springfield, Nixa Men Sentenced for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Springfield, Mo., man and a Nixa, Mo., man have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine.
David Miller, 40, of Springfield, Mo., and Corey A. Stienbarger, 27, of Nixa, Mo., were sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Thursday, June 29, 2017. Miller was sentenced to 11 years and six months in federal prison without parole. Stienbarger was sentenced to four years and four months in federal prison without parole.
Miller and Stienbarger both pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from June 1, 2013, through Nov. 29, 2014.
Beginning in 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration, assisted by other agencies, investigated one of the largest methamphetamine distribution rings in southwest Missouri. The investigation resulted in the indictment of 28 co-defendants.
In 2013 through 2014, Daniel and Kenna Harmon, 38, of Republic, Mo., distributed in excess of 45 kilograms of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri. Kenna Harmon obtained methamphetamine from several sources and provided distribution amounts of methamphetamine to Miller and others. During the investigation law enforcement seized a total of 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine from Miller.
Investigators learned that Jonathan A. Heredia was distributing methamphetamine from his business, Hot Shot Motors in Rogersville, Mo. When law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the business on March 5, 2014, Heredia and Miller, an employee of Hot Shot Motors, were present. Inside the business, officers discovered approximately 75.59 grams of methamphetamine contained in various plastic bags inside Heredia’s desk in his office. Officers also found a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson handgun under his desk and $48,757 in his office.
Officers found approximately 518 grams of methamphetamine inside a bathroom shower at the business. Both Heredia and Miller told investigators that methamphetamine belonged to Miller, who had purchased it earlier in the day from Kenna Harmon.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Miller’s residence on April 7, 2014. Agents found approximately 569 grams of methamphetamine, 31 grams of crack cocaine, 28.2 grams of heroin, 34 grams of unknown white pills, 63 grams of marijuana and 48.7 grams of mushrooms. Officers also found a drug ledger type notebook, two digital scales, smoking pipes, other types of drug paraphernalia, cell phones and $10,937.
Miller admitted that he had been obtaining methamphetamine from the Harmons for about a year prior to his arrest. Beginning in the late summer of 2013, Miller received one to two pounds of methamphetamine every few days from the Harmons. Miller paid over $15,000 per pound for the methamphetamine.
Miller was stopped by law enforcement officers on Feb. 9, 2015. During the stop, officers searched his vehicle and found 146 grams of methamphetamine in six separate baggies, 31 grams of marijuana, and a glass pipe.
Stienbarger’s role in the conspiracy was to distribute methamphetamine that he obtained from co-defendant Anthony J. Van Pelt, 38, of Springfield. Van Pelt also provided methamphetamine to Kenna Harmon. On Aug. 19, 2014, Stienbarger, under Van Pelt’s direction, distributed approximately 450 grams of methamphetamine in Springfield to a person who had traveled from St. Louis.
Kenna Harmon was arrested in November 2014. Agents searched various residences and vehicles belonging to Kenna Harmon and her co-conspirators and seized approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately $128,674. Kenna Harmon has pleaded guilty to being a leader in the drug-trafficking conspiracy as well as a money-laundering conspiracy and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Daniel Harmon was indicted in the Eastern District of Missouri and pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Following his arrest and incarceration, Kenna Harmon continued to lead the drug-trafficking organization.
Van Pelt was sentenced on May 31, 2017, to 21 years in federal prison without parole. Heredia pleaded guilty in a separate case and was sentenced on March 8, 2016, to four years in federal prison without parole.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randall D. Eggert, Nhan D. Nguyen and Cynthia J. Hyde. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Grandview Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Grandview, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute.
Michael T. Johnson, 60, of Grandview, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 17 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 7, 2016, Johnson pleaded guilty to possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute.
Johnson was arrested on April 3, 2014, following a traffic stop by Kansas City police officers. When Johnson got out of his vehicle, an officer saw two clear plastic baggies on the driver’s seat that contained a total of .4 grams of crack cocaine. Officers also found a white grocery sack containing a clear plastic bag with 22.9 grams of crack cocaine in Johnson’s hoodie pocket.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney R. Pratten. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Jefferson City Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearms After Posting Photos on FacebookRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Jefferson City, Mo., man who posted photos of stolen property, illegal drugs, guns and cash on his Facebook page was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing two firearms.
Tremaine Cordell Smith, also known as “Sak Boy Fatt Maine,” 28, of Jefferson City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 12 years in federal prison.
On Feb. 14,2017, Smith pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.
Jefferson City police officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence on Jan. 7, 2016. The warrant was based upon a Columbia, Mo., Police Department investigation of stolen property. Smith had posted photos of several stolen items on his Facebook profile.
During the search, several stolen items were recovered, including two stolen handguns – a Ruger 9mm pistol and a Springfield 9mm pistol.
Smith posted a picture on his Facebook profile on Oct. 5, 2014, that showed a pistol covered up with $100 bills. The handgun in the picture appeared to be a Springfield 9mm like the stolen firearm recovered from Smith’s residence. Smith also posted photos on his Facebook profile between Nov. 12, 2011, and Dec. 15, 2015, that showed what appeared to be large quantities of money, marijuana and firearms. One photo showed Smith with money inside a bag that appeared to be the same bag that contained the stolen firearms located during the search of his residence.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Smith has three prior felony convictions in Cole County, Mo., for distributing a controlled substance.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.
California Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a California man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to mail large quantities of methamphetamine to Columbia, Mo., for distribution.
Kameron Terrell Howard, 26, of Compton, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On Jan. 19, 2017, Howard pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Co-defendants Melissa Guerra, 35, Jeremy Dennis Maxwell, 31, and his wife, Stephanie Anne Maxwell, 34, all of Columbia, and Calvanisha Yvette West, 28, of California, have also pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy and await sentencing.
Postal inspectors identified a suspicious parcel mailed from California to Guerra’s address on Nov. 6, 2015. After a drug canine alerted to the package, investigators found 444.8 grams of pure methamphetamine. A second suspicious parcel identified on the same day, mailed to a different address, contained almost 1.4 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
Postal inspectors executed a controlled delivery of the first parcel on Nov. 10, 2015. When federal agents and the Boone County Sheriff’s Department Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) approached the residence, a co-conspirator who had just arrived ran to the front door of the residence, opened it, and shut the door behind him. SWAT members were unable to breach the door as it had been reinforced. SWAT members entered at another location. Guerra was apprehended inside the residence. Agents saw Howard and co-conspirators running out the back door of the residence attempting to evade law enforcement.
Approximately 30 minutes later, canine units with the Columbia Police Department were able to track Howard to a shed located inside a locked gate at a nearby residence and he was arrested.
A woman who lives at the address to which the second intercepted parcel was addressed reported to investigators that she was contacted by Howard prior to Nov. 6, 2015, and advised that a package was being sent to her residence.
West admitted that, following Howard’s arrest, and in an effort to have his cell phone locked and cause it to be unavailable to investigators, he called her and instructed her to contact Sprint and tell them that his iPhone, which had been seized by investigators, had been stolen. West also admitted that she accompanied Howard when he traveled to Columbia in September 2015 and assisted in the conspiracy.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Four More Indicted in Conspiracy to Lure Robbery Victims with Online Ads for EscortsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that four additional defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury today for their roles in a conspiracy to use online escort and massage ads to lure robbery victims.
Rodney E. Brock, 20, of Blue Springs, Mo., Melissa C. Cummins, 23, and Daphne J. Fruean, 37, both of Independence, Mo., and Michele R. Shatto, 34, of Kansas City, Mo., were charged in a 12-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. The second superseding indictment replaces a Nov. 1, 2016, superseding indictment and contains additional defendants and charges (bringing the total number of defendants to 10). Today’s second superseding indictment also includes Kenneth W. Sexson, 33, of Sugar Creek, Mo., Ray J. Mahurin, 34, of Blue Springs, Serina M. Campos, 23, of Independence, with the same charges contained in the previous indictment, but does not include three co-defendants who have pleaded guilty.
Today’s indictment alleges that Sexson, Brock, Cummins, Fruean and Shatto participated in a conspiracy to commit armed robbery from April 1, 2015, to June 7, 2016. They allegedly used several websites (including craigslist.org, backpage.com and skout.com) to make connections with their victims and arrange meetings at local hotels, residences and apartments. When customers arrived for the meetings, the indictment says, conspirators would be lying in wait, armed with firearms, and rob the customers.
The indictment specifically refers to seven armed robberies that occurred in September and October 2015 at various locations in Kansas City, Mo., Independence, and North Kansas City, Mo. Six of the robberies in October 2016 were included in the earlier indictment. A Sept. 26, 2016, robbery at an Independence hotel is added in the current indictment.
In one of those robberies, a victim jumped from his moving vehicle on the highway in fear of his life and was transported to the hospital. According to court documents, conspirators lured a victim to meet Cummins at a Kansas City, Mo., apartment on Oct. 9, 2015. When he arrived at the apartment, court documents say, he was greeted at the door by Cummins. Sexson, Brock and a third person, armed with handguns, allegedly pulled him into a room and threw him on the bed. They demanded his phone and money, then took him to his vehicle (a Chevrolet Silverado pickup) and searched it. Afterwards, Brock directed the victim into the passenger seat and drove off in the vehicle. While driving, Brock allegedly demanded the title to the vehicle and threatened to shoot the victim, who jumped from the moving vehicle in the area of I-670 and 71 Highway in fear for his life.
Brock was arrested on Nov. 5, 2015, when an Independence police officer saw him driving a stolen vehicle. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but Brock began to flee at a high rate of speed, driving into opposite lanes of traffic to avoid stop sticks. After a lengthy pursuit into Kansas, Brock bailed from the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. He entered a nearby body of water, and was later recovered from that body of water. Inside the stolen vehicle, officers discovered a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun.
The indictment charges Sexson, Mahurin and Campos together in one count of being unlawful users of a controlled substance who aided and abetted each other to possess firearms and ammunition. The indictment alleges they were in possession of a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, a Marlin 30-30 caliber rifle, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Springfield 9mm pistol, and ammunition.
In addition to the conspiracy, Sexson, Brock and Cummins are charged together with one count of aiding and abetting an armed robbery. Sexson and Brock are charged together with one count of aiding and abetting an armed robbery. Sexson and Fruean are charged together with one count of aiding and abetting an armed robbery.
Sexson is also charged with three additional counts of aiding and abetting an armed robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Brock is also charged with one count of carjacking (related to the Oct. 9, 2015, armed robbery) and one count of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm. Brock allegedly possessed a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol when he was arrested on Nov. 5, 2015.
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew P. Wolesky. It was investigated by the FBI, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department, with assistance from the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the North Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department.
Texas Woman Indicted for MethRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Texas woman traveling through Kansas City by bus was indicted by a federal grand jury today after more than five kilograms of methamphetamine was found in one of her bags.
Perla Ayerim Haro, 30, of El Paso, Texas, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Haro on June 16, 2017.
The indictment alleges that Haro possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on June 15, 2017.
According to an affidavit that was filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers contacted Haro at a Kansas City, Mo., bus terminal on June 15, 2017. Her bus ticket indicated her trip originated in Laredo, Texas for a destination in Minneapolis, Minn. When officers searched a black duffle bag that belonged to Haro, the affidavit says, they found a rolled-up pair of pants that contained a package wrapped heavily in plastic. Officers then arrested Haro and continued searching the bag, the affidavit says, where they found a total of 10 bundles that contained a total of approximately 5.26 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Kansas City Interdiction Task Force and the Missouri Western Interdiction Task Force (MoWIN).
Republic Man, Ava Woman Sentenced for Mail Theft, Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Republic, Mo., man and an Ava, Mo., woman were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a conspiracy to cash checks that were stolen from mailboxes.
D.J. Gideon, 26, of Republic, and Katelyn Elizabeth Emrick, 22, of Ava, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark. Gideon was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison without parole. Emrick was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Gideon and Emrick to pay $23,945 in restitution, for which they are jointly and severally liable.
Gideon and Emrick engaged in a mail theft and bank fraud scheme that, over five months, victimized 15 households, 24 businesses, 16 financial institutions, a church and a charity organization across three states. Additionally, they engaged in high-speed police chases, including one in which they injured a law enforcement officer.
Gideon and Emrick each pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud from June 18 to Nov. 6, 2015. They each also pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Gideon and Emrick attempted to obtain approximately $40,535 from victims’ bank accounts by stealing checks from business and residential mailboxes and unlawfully using their victims’ personal identification information to cash or deposit the stolen checks, or use them to make purchases. Gideon and Emrick actually cashed and deposited nine fraudulent checks totaling $6,120. They purchased approximately $17,322 worth of merchandise and goods with 38 fraudulent checks.
Checks were stolen from the mailboxes of the Springfield Muscular Dystrophy Association, two businesses in Greene and Wright County, and a number of individuals. One of the stolen checks was from a West Plains, Mo., church. Some of the stolen checks were blank checks that were mailed to bank account holders, and some of the checks were written to other individuals or organizations. Gideon and Emrick altered the payee and the amounts payable on the checks and forged the signatures of their victims.
On Oct. 7, 2015, Gideon and Emrick stole a check in Wright County, Mo., and altered it to be payable to Casey’s General Store in the amount of $47.44, which they presented to the Casey’s store in Seymour, Mo. Store employees recognized Gideon and called the police. Officers arrived at the store as Gideon was walking out. Police Chief Ron Wright instructed Gideon to “come here,” but Gideon instead ran to his vehicle (a Dodge Grand Caravan). Gideon got into the driver’s seat and Chief Wright reached into the window and grabbed his arm in an attempt to take custody of him. Gideon put the van in drive and accelerated, pulling Chief Wright a few feet before he was able to pull his arms out of the window. Chief Wright recognized Emrick in the passenger seat of the van.
Gideon’s van sped out of the parking lot with its tires squealing and officers pursued them. Several vehicles in and around the entrance to Casey’s had to take evasive action to avoid being struck by Gideon’s van. Gideon ran a red light, fled west bound and escaped the pursuit of the officers. Chief Wright sustained bruising and swelling to his right arm and a back strain from being pulled by the van.
On Oct. 27, 2015, Gideon and Emrick attempted to cash a check at the drive-through of American Bank in Baxter Springs, Kan. Bank employees called the police. When officers arrived, the van accelerated out of the bank drive thru and an officer activated the emergency lights and siren of his patrol vehicle. Gideon and Emrick continued to flee, driving in the middle turn lane of a street and reaching speeds of over 80 miles per hour on a 35-miles-per-hour street. The officer pursued them into Oklahoma, where the pursuit was taken over by Oklahoma law enforcement at the Quapaw city limits.
The pursuit continued into Oklahoma and then crossed back over into Kansas, where Baxter Springs officers resumed their pursuit. While in Kansas, Gideon drove the van off the road and abandoned it on foot. During the pursuit, the van caught on fire and was on fire when Gideon abandoned it. Officers arrested Emrick but Gideon escaped.
During the pursuit, Gideon and Emrick threw several pieces of mail out of their vehicle’s window. That mail was recovered by officers, as well as stolen mail, checkbooks and checks, and receipts found inside the van.
Gideon was arrested on Nov. 6, 2015, after unsuccessfully attempting to pass a stolen check at the Orscheln’s Farm & Home in Marshfield, Mo. Marshfield police officers found Gideon in a men’s bathroom stall of a nearby McDonald’s restaurant. He was holding a paper bag that contained a check book and other items related to the mail theft from two victims in Oklahoma.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Missouri State Highway Patrol; the police departments of Aurora, Marshfield, Seymour, Springfield and West Plains, Mo., Baxter Springs, Kan., and Quapaw,Okla.; and the sheriff’s departments of Christian, Greene, Howell and Stone County in Missouri, Cherokee County, Kan., and Ottawa County, Okla.
KCK Man Indicted for Illegal Firearm Following Police ChaseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Kan., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today following a 46-block-long police chase for illegally possessing a firearm.
Simon L. Smith, 29, of Kansas City, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Smith on June 21, 2017.
The indictment alleges that Smith, a convicted felon, was in possession of a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun on June 20, 2017.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Kansas City, Mo., police officers were dispatched to the intersection of 31st Street and Prospect on the evening of June 19, 2017, in regards to gunshots being captured by the Shotspotter system. When officers arrived, they saw multiple gunshot holes in the glass on the corner bus stop, in a business, and a parked vehicle. A victim at the scene told officers that a Chevrolet Equinox, occupied by three males, had pulled into the parking lot and passed in front of him. The Equinox drove past, then circled back through the parking lot. One of the occupants got out of the vehicle, the victim said, pointed a silver handgun, and fired several rounds at him. The victim ducked for cover and the Equinox fled north on Prospect. Officers recovered two bullet fragments and six spent 9mm shell casings.
At about 11:34 a.m. the following day, a police officer in an unmarked surveillance vehicle saw the Chevrolet Equinox circling in an apartment complex in the area of 93rd Street and Indiana. The officer followed the Equinox until uniformed officers in marked patrol vehicles could pull it over. Officers turned on their lights and sirens, the affidavit says, but the Equinox did not pull over.
Smith, the driver of the vehicle, led police on a car chase that ended approximately 46 blocks north from where it originated, and stopped because both driver’s side tires were deflated by officers using tire deflation devices.
When Smith’s vehicle came to a stop on Truman Road, the affidavit says, he immediately fled on foot southbound on Montgall. An officer who pursued Smith on foot saw he was carrying a handgun, which he allegedly threw away. Smith was apprehended and officers found the loaded handgun, the affidavit says, which had been reported as one of two firearms stolen from a residential burglary earlier this month.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Smith has prior felony convictions for burglary and for possessing a weapon at a correctional facility.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Two Corrections Officers Among Four Charged with Corruption at Jackson County Detention CenterRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center are among four persons charged in a bribery scheme to smuggle contraband cell phones and other items to inmates.
Today’s announcement was made in conjunction with a law enforcement operation at the Jackson County Detention Center, 1300 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo. Approximately 200 law enforcement officers and federal agents participated in the operation at the detention center and the arrests of the four defendants as part of an ongoing investigation.
Andre Lamonte Dickerson, 26, Carlos Laron Hughley, 32, and Janikkia Lashay Carter, 36, all of Kansas City, Mo., and Jalee Caprice Fuller, 29, of Independence, Mo., were charged in a federal criminal complaint that was filed under seal on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. That complaint was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of all four defendants. They remain in federal custody pending their initial court appearance this afternoon. The government will seek to have Dickerson and Hughley detained in federal custody without bond.
Dickerson and Fuller are corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center. Hughley is an inmate at the detention center awaiting trial on charges of domestic assault, armed criminal action, resisting arrest and multiple counts of distributing controlled substances. Hughley is purportedly the father of Fuller’s recently born child. Carter is an acquaintance of Fuller and Hughley.
The criminal complaint charges Dickerson, Fuller, Hughley and Carter for their roles in a bribery and contraband smuggling scheme from May 13 to June 3, 2017, in violation of the Travel Act.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, two confidential informants – an inmate at the detention center (identified in court documents as Confidential Informant 1, or C1) and a relative of that inmate (identified in court documents as Confidential Informant 2, or C2) – assisted in the investigation of corrupt corrections officers. The affidavit describes two undercover operations in which C2 paid bribes and provided cell phones and cigarettes, which were smuggled into the detention center by Dickerson and Fuller and delivered to C1.
In one undercover operation, C2 allegedly paid Dickerson $500 on June 2, 2017, to smuggle two packs of contraband cigarettes, a cell phone and a phone charger (with the items provided to Dickerson by C2) into the detention center. At approximately 1 a.m. the following morning, the affidavit says, Dickerson entered C1’s cell and placed the items on his bed. Dickerson allegedly asked C1 if he would be interested in paying him a monthly fee of $2,500 in exchange for being the only inmate on the fifth floor of the detention center to receive contraband cigarettes, narcotics and telephones. Other inmates would then shop through C1 for their contraband, either paying through food or by putting money on C1’s “books.” Dickerson allegedly told C1 to have C2 call him if he was interested.
Another undercover operation had been initiated in May 2017 when Hughley allegedly told C1 that he could get contraband into the detention center. C2 then coordinated with Carter and an unknown individual named “Cuddy,” the affidavit says. C2 allegedly paid Cuddy $300 on May 18, 2017, and provided a cell phone and charger that Fuller was to smuggle into the detention center. According to the affidavit, video footage obtained from the detention center shows Fuller delivering a paper bag through the cell block door hole to C1 on May 23, 2017. The paper bag delivered by Fuller contained the cell phone and 15 Xanax pills.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Deputy U.S. Attorney Gene Porter. It was investigated by the FBI and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department with assistance from the Missouri Department of Corrections, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Jackson County Detention Center.
The Travel Act
The Travel Act makes it a crime to use a facility of interstate commerce (such as telephone calls) with the intent to further unlawful activity. The Travel Act’s definition of “unlawful activity” includes bribery in violation of the laws of a state. Missouri state law makes it a crime for a public servant to solicit or accept a bribe in return for violating a known legal duty. This crime is known under Missouri state law as acceding to corruption, and it is a companion or sister statute to the Missouri state statute that makes it a crime for someone to bribe a public servant. These two Missouri state statutes criminalize bribery conduct involving a public servant, both for the person paying the bribe and for the public servant taking the bribe.
The federal criminal complaint charges each of the defendants with violating the Travel Act by using a facility of interstate commerce (a telephone) to facilitate the promotion of an unlawful activity, that is, acceding to corruption.
Independence Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for distributing child pornography.
Eric A. Jackson, 53, of Independence, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Jackson to supervised release for the rest of his life following incarceration.
Jackson, who pleaded guilty on Jan. 6, 2017, admitted that he sent images of child pornography to a 16-year-old female in Illinois. An aunt discovered the images on her niece’s cell phone and made a report to the Schuyler County, Ill., Sheriff’s Department. Among the pornographic images sent by Jackson was a 10-year-old female who was “hog tied.”
The 16-year-old to whom Jackson sent the child pornography images told investigators they had been communicating via social media for approximately a year, and had exchanged nude photos of each other.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jackson’s residence and seized a Samsung tablet and a Samsung cell phone. Examiners found 1,028 photos and 130 videos of child pornography on the devices, including the recurring graphic depictions of the rape and sodomy of prepubescent girls, some as young as babies and toddlers, by adult men. Jackson was a prolific distributor of those disturbing images who actively shared them with many other child pornographers utilizing the Kik Messenger app. In online conversations with other child pornographers, according to court documents, Jackson bragged of his experience raping and molesting young children.
Examiners found evidence that Jackson had sent more than 70 attachments to the juvenile victim, which included both adult and child pornography. Examiners also found evidence that Jackson engaged in sexually graphic conversations through numerous text messages with other individuals, who represented themselves as minor females, including one who believed she was in a relationship with Jackson and who expressly shared a mutual desire to meet in person and engage in sexual contact.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and the Schuyler County, Ill., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing MailRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a U.S. Postal employee pleaded guilty in federal court today to stealing mail.
Terry G. Williams, 55, of Kansas City, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to a federal information that charges him with theft of mail by a Postal Service employee.
Williams, a postal support employee at the Processing and Distribution Center in Kansas City, Mo., admitted that he stole such items as greeting cards, gift cards and Netflix DVDs between April 4, 2015, and April 26, 2016. Williams pulled those items from the trays of letter mail he was loading to be processed.
Federal agents watched Williams pull out colored envelopes from the trays and place them in his pockets and into a personal bag that was underneath his work station. When agents approached him at the end of his shift, he dropped the bag on the ground and ran away from the agents. Agents chased Williams, tackled him to the ground and handcuffed him.
Agents seized Williams’s bag, which contained 232 greeting cards. They also seized two gift cards from Williams. Inside the trunk of his vehicle, agents found 104 greeting cards, 34 Netflix DVD mailings and three gift cards.
Under federal statutes, Williams 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 Brent Venneman. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
Former Physician Sentenced for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a former Kansas City, Mo., physician who lost his medical license due to an earlier fraud scheme, has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a fraud scheme that involved disability examinations of veterans.
Wayne W. Williamson, 74, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, to one year and three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Williamson to pay $39,155 in restitution.
Williamson was a medical consultant at Industrial Medical Center (IMC) during various periods beginning at least as early as 2013 through at least March 2015. IMC was a medical clinic in Independence, Mo.; among other things, it was a drug and DNA testing center, had contracts with various entities to provide medical services to patients, and provided drug testing and physical examinations for drivers of commercial motor vehicles.
Williamson was formerly a medical doctor but voluntarily surrendered his medical license in 2010 after he pled guilty to health care fraud; conspiracy to distribute Oxycotin, Percocet, and Xanax; and harassing or attempting to harass an investigator with the Missouri State Board of Healing Arts. Williamson was sentenced to three years in federal prison and permanently excluded from participation in Medicare or Medicaid programs.
Williamson performed disability examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs under IMC’s contract with Logistics Health, Inc., to determine the extent of veterans’ impairments and eligibility for benefits. This was done in violation of Logistic Health’s contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs, which required that disability examinations be conducted by credentialed providers and that the examiners must have a clear and unrestricted license and not be excluded from participation in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. However, after the only trained and licensed provider at IMC left on July 16, 2013, Williamson and another defendant conducted the examinations.
IMC falsely represented that a physician had completed and electronically signed the Disability Benefits Questionnaires. IMC submitted invoices to Logistics Health to be paid for 209 disability examinations on 53 veterans. In turn, Logistics Health submitted invoices to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the disability examinations performed by its subcontractor, IMC. The Department of Veteran’s Affairs paid Logistics Health $39,155 for the disability examinations performed by its subcontractor, IMC.
In April 2014, Logistics Health contacted the Department of Veterans Affairs—Office of Inspector General hotline and reported the fraudulent activity. Because a credentialed provider did not conduct the disability examinations, the Department of Veterans Affairs had to re-adjudicate all those claims. Some veterans had to be physically re-examined, and others had their claim file reviewed.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindi S. Woolery and Senior Litigation Counsel Gregg R. Coonrod. It was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs—Office of Inspector General, the Department of Transportation—Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor—EBSA and the Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General.
Columbia Man Charged with Attempting to Solicit a Minor for SexRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., man was charged in federal court today with attempting to entice a minor, who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer, for illicit sexual activity.
Darren Wade Lasley, 27, of Columbia, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo.
Today’s complaint alleges that Lasley attempted to entice a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Lasley responded to an online advertisement that was part of an undercover law enforcement investigation to seek out potential sexual predators. Lasley allegedly began sending e-mails to the decoy, who advised him that she was 14 years old.
Over the course of the next several days, the affidavit says, Lasley described his plans for a sexual encounter with the decoy through a series of e-mails. Lasley allegedly proposed visiting the decoy’s residence while her mother was at work or out of town.
On Wednesday, June 21, 2017, Lasley asked the decoy if she could sneak out of her house to meet him for a sexual rendezvous. When Lasley arrived at the meeting location in Columbia he was arrested.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the FBI and the Boone County Sheriff’s Department Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
KC Man Sentenced for Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing a stolen firearm.
Timothy R. Day, 49, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to seven years and two months in federal prison without parole.
On Dec. 21, 2016, Day pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen firearm.
On July 30, 2014, Kansas City police officers received information that Day had been driving around and waiving a gun on a daily basis, stating he was going to kill a woman named Sheila. Day was located in a local motel room with a woman who had registered the room in her name. Officers established a perimeter around the room and contacted Day and the woman. After some negotiation, the woman exited the room.
Day told officers that he had a gun on the bed. After several more minutes of negotiation, Day came out of the room and was arrested. Inside the room, officers found a loaded Hafdasa .45-caliber pistol, which Day admitted he stole from his father a few weeks earlier.
While in federal custody awaiting sentencing, Day mailed a threatening letter to his ex-wife, in which he threatened to sexually assault her upon his release from prison. As a result, the court found Day in breach of his plea agreement because he continued to engage in criminal conduct after his guilty plea. The court today granted the government’s request for a sentence above the advisory sentencing guidelines range.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin G. Davids. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Jury Convicts KC Man of Illegal Drugs, FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Kansas City, Mo., man has been convicted in federal court of illegally possessing PCP and a firearm.
Darrell L. Givens, 45, of Kansas City, was found guilty of one count of possessing PCP with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Givens has been detained in federal custody without bond since his arrest on March 31, 2016.
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Givens was in possession of a loaded Jimenez .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun on March 31, 2016. Officers were dispatched to Givens’s residence on that date for a reported disturbance. Upon arrival the officers heard the sounds of screaming coming from within the residence. A woman told the officers, “He’s trying to hide his gun; he’s trying to hide it in the sink.” Givens, who had been in the kitchen, walked towards the living room and told the officers that he didn’t have a gun. One of the officers saw a large red bowl upside down on the left side of the double-sided stainless steel sink; the firearm was hidden underneath the bowl.
When officers searched Givens they found a vial of PCP in the right cargo pocket of his pants. The vial also had small pieces of apparent tobacco floating in the brown liquid, which is indicative of tobacco cigarettes having previously been dipped into the liquid before being smoked. The amount of PCP Givens possessed is not considered a personal use amount and is more commonly found in the possession of individuals who engage in the sale of PCP. Givens was also in possession of $6,999 – in large quantities of multiple denominations (249 one dollar bills, 32 five dollar bills, 30 ten dollar bills, 92 twenty dollar bills, 13 fifty dollar bills, and 38 one hundred dollar bills), which is also commonly associated with sales of illegal narcotics.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Givens has four prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and four prior felony convictions for distributing crack cocaine.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for about three hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips on Tuesday, June 20, 2017, ending a trial that began Monday, June 19, 2017.
Under federal statutes, Givens 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. Attorney D. Michael Green. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jefferson City Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Enticing a Minor for SexRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Jefferson City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for enticing a minor to engage in illicit sex.
Andrew C. Clayton, 38, of Jefferson City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 24 years and four months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Clayton to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration.
Clayton, a computer information technician employed by the state of Missouri at the time of the offense, sought out sexual relationships with juvenile males, some as young as 14. Clayton, who pleaded guilty on Nov. 21, 2016, admitted that he used the KIK instant messaging app on his cell phone to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Clayton used KIK to contact a minor, identified as John Doe #2, on March 19 and 20, 2015. Clayton offered John Doe #2 cigarettes and other items if he would re-connect him with another minor, identified as John Doe #1, with whom Clayton had previously engaged in sexual relations. Clayton wanted to have sexual relations with John Doe #1 (which would constitute a criminal offense). Instead, John Doe #2 contacted the Cole County Sheriff’s Department. Officers executed a search warrant at Clayton’s residence on March 27, 2015. In an interview with officers, Clayton admitted to having sex with several boys.
According to court documents, Clayton also propositioned John Doe #2 while trying to persuade him to contact John Doe #1 on his behalf, and also propositioned another juvenile, identified as John Doe #3.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Cole County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team.
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."
Former Church Youth Leader Sentenced for Enticing a Minor for Illicit SexRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former church youth leader in Iberia, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for attempting to entice a minor for illicit sex.
Jamey Lee Becker, 46, of Iberia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
Becker, who pleaded guilty on Jan. 4, 2017, admitted that he used the Internet and a cell phone in an attempt to entice an individual under the age of 17 to engage in illegal sexual activity between Feb. 1 and June 10, 2016.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Miller County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Three Nixa Residents Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking Resulting in MurderRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that three Nixa, Mo., residents have pleaded guilty in federal court to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, which resulted in the murder of a Mexican national, Oscar Adan Martinez-Gaxiola.
Brooke Danielle Beckley, 20, and Jourdan Ashley McGinnis, 28, both of Nixa, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush. Co-defendant Nathaniel Austin Lee, 19, of Nixa, pleaded guilty on Monday, June 19, 2017, to his role in the conspiracy.
By pleading guilty, Beckley, McGinnis and Lee admitted they participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Dallas County, Webster County and Christian County, Mo., from April 28, 2015, to April 26, 2016.
McGinnis admitted that, on April 8, 2016, he and Beckley possessed at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in a hotel room, which they intended to distribute to another person.
In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Beckley and Lee each pleaded guilty to using a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, resulting in murder. They admitted that the murder of Martinez-Gaxiola on April 25, 2016, in Webster County was willful, deliberate, malicious and premeditated. Conspirators carried a Stoeger .40-caliber pistol and discharged a Glock .40-caliber handgun, a Taurus 9mm handgun and an unknown make and model .380-caliber handgun in the act of aiding and abetting each other and others to commit the murder.
Under federal statutes, Beckley, Lee and McGinnis are each subject to sentences of life in federal prison without parole for these crimes. The maximum statutory sentences are 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.
Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Garrison. It was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Lawrence County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Seymour, Mo., Police Department, the Rogersville, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Combined Ozarks Multijurisdictional Enforcement Team (COMET).
Texas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that Rosenberg, Texas man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine.
Nelson Olmeda, also known as “Diego,” 27, of Rosenberg, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Olmeda to forfeit to the government $21,302.
On Dec. 20, 2016, Olmeda pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Beginning in 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration, assisted by other agencies, investigated one of the largest methamphetamine distribution rings in southwest Missouri. The investigation resulted in the indictment of 28 co-defendants.
In 2013 through 2014, Daniel and Kenna Harmon, 38, of Republic, Mo., distributed in excess of 45 kilograms of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri. Olmeda was a major supplier who distributed large amounts of methamphetamine to the conspiracy. Olmeda was arrested on Nov. 4, 2014, when he delivered approximately two pounds of methamphetamine to a residence in Springfield.
Kenna Harmon was arrested in November 2014. Agents searched various residences and vehicles belonging to Kenna Harmon and her co-conspirators and seized approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately $128,674. Kenna Harmon has pleaded guilty to being a leader in the drug-trafficking conspiracy as well as a money-laundering conspiracy and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Daniel Harmon was indicted in the Eastern District of Missouri and pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randall D. Eggert, Nhan D. Nguyen and Cynthia J. Hyde. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Lexington Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Failing to Pay $1.4 Million in Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Lexington, Mo., business owner pleaded guilty in federal court today to failing to pay over to the IRS more than $1.4 million in payroll taxes.
Randy K. Small, 50, of Lexington, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to a federal information that charges him with failure to pay over to the IRS the payroll taxes of his employees.
Small is the owner of RSB Leasing, a transportation business that provides school bus service to multiple school districts in Missouri (including the Buchanan County R-IV School District, the Lexington, Mo., R-5 School District and the Hardin-Central C-2 School District). Small operated the business under three different names, and failed to fully pay employment taxes for each of the three businesses, resulting in an aggregate tax loss of at least $1,457,483.
Small operated the business under the name Hill Transportation, Inc., from 2005 through February 2010. After accruing over $300,000 in employment tax liability, Small discontinued operations under Hill Transportation and began operating under the name SPYKE, LLC. After accruing over $1 million in employment tax liability, Small discontinued operations under SPYKE in 2012. Finally, Small operated under the name RSB Leasing which has continued to accrue tax liability.
Small admitted that he did not deposit the Federal Insurance Contributions Act and Medicare (FICA) taxes or the income taxes that he withheld from his employees’ wages, nor did he pay the employer portion of FICA.
While accruing employment tax liabilities, Small withdrew significant amounts of cash, purchased new buses and maintained a personal collection of cars. From 2009 through 2011, Small withdrew $286,052 from the business bank account in the form of cash and cashier’s checks payable to himself. Small spent an additional $147,000 to purchase new buses for the business.
Under federal statutes, Small is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole and must pay restitution to the IRS. 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 Brent Venneman. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Springfield Church Music Director Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that the former music director of a Springfield, Mo., church has been indicted by a federal grand jury for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Craig A. Wieneke, 31, of Springfield, was charged in an indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield on June 13, 2017. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Wieneke’s arrest and initial court appearance. Wieneke remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing.
The federal indictment alleges that Wieneke received and distributed child pornography over the Internet between Nov. 10, 2016, and April 4, 2017. Wieneke was the music director at Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Springfield at the time of the alleged offense.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Five Excelsior Springs Men Plead Guilty to $4.3 Million Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that five Excelsior Springs, Mo., men pleaded guilty in federal court this week to their roles in a $4.3 million conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine throughout Jackson, Clay, Ray, Clinton and Buchanan counties.
Marion Eugene Brammer, 53, and Jason Lee Kirtley,44, both of Excelsior Springs, pleaded guilty today in separate appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert E. Larsen. Co-defendants Jackie R. Love, 60, and William Dean Campbell, 36, both of Excelsior Springs, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Co-defendant Steven Lee Schreier, Jr., 32, of Excelsior Springs, pleaded guilty on Monday, June 12, 2017.
By pleading guilty, Brammer, Kirtley, Love, Campbell and Schreier each admitted that he participated in conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They are the last of 26 defendants indicted in this case who have pleaded guilty; four of those convicted defendants have been sentenced.
In 2010, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the DEA initiated an investigation into a drug-trafficking organization distributing methamphetamine in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas. Jose Luis Ruiz-Salazar, 38, his brother, Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar, 34, and Gregory Bullock, 48, all of Kansas City, Mo., and Joshua K. Bowers, 33, of Polo, Mo., admitted that they were the primary sources that supplied co-conspirators with large amounts of methamphetamine during the conspiracy. Co-conspirators then distributed the methamphetamine throughout Jackson, Clay, Ray, Clinton and Buchanan counties in Missouri.
According to court documents, conspirators sold $4,359,600 worth of methamphetamine and heroin from 2010 to 2015. That estimate is based on a conservative street price of $1,200 for an ounce of 50 percent pure methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of at least 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a conservative street price of $2,500 per ounce of heroin and an overall conspiracy distribution of approximately three pounds.
Brammer and Schreier each admitted that his involvement in the conspiracy was responsible for the distribution of more than 1500 grams of methamphetamine.
Kirtley, Love and Campbell each admitted that his involvement in the conspiracy was responsible for the distribution of more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
In addition to Jose Ruiz-Salazar, Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar, Bullock and Bowers, co-defendants who have pleaded guilty include Bryan D. Carroll, 28, and Caleb Dean Hayes, 36, both of Kansas City, Mo.; Sabrena Lynn Morgan, 40, Ryan A. Battagler, 38, and Elgin Eugene Dothage, 41, all of Kearney, Mo.; Paula Rae Scott, 48, Anthony Ray Stevenson, 45, and Rodney Earl King, 51, all of Excelsior Springs, Mo., Jason Daniel Davis, 43, of Liberty, Mo.; Taylor Lee Syas, 25, of Polo, Mo.; Brian Michael Bowers, 34, of Richmond, Mo.; Franklin Charles Carter, 28, of Grandview, Mo., and Jay Harrison Lee Carder, 31, of Cowgill, Mo.
Four defendants have been sentenced after pleading guilty to their roles in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Gary Dewayne Brown, 37, of Cowgill, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. Ronald Louis Roberts, 54, of Lathrop, Mo., was sentenced to 10 years and six months in federal prison without parole. Brittney James Brehm, 38, of Bland, Mo., was sentenced to six years and 11 months in federal prison without parole. Darin Gene Berry, 51, of Excelsior Springs, was sentenced to four years and five months in federal prison without parole.
Under federal statutes, Brammer, Kirtley, Love, Campbell and Schreier are each 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 Bruce Rhoades, Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Clay County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the DEA.
Joplin Man Indicted for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Joplin, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for producing child pornography.
Richard James York, 26, of Joplin, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that York used a nine-year-old minor (identified as Jane Doe) to produce child pornography from March 1, 2017, to March 16, 2017. York is also charged with one count of receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force and the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Granby Postal Carrier Indicted for Stealing MailRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Granby, Mo., postal carrier was indicted by a federal grand jury today for stealing mail.
James M. Chapman, 57, of Neosho, Mo., was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Chapman took cash from the mail matter entrusted to him as a postal carrier between May 1, 2016, and Feb. 23, 2017.
Chapman is also charged with one count of delaying mail delivery. Chapman allegedly delayed the delivery of mail between Dec. 5, 2016, and Feb. 23, 2017.
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
Former Teacher's Assistant Pleads Guilty to Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former teacher’s assistant at a Buffalo, Mo., elementary school pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving child pornography.
Dalton Cole Sherman, 20, of Buffalo, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to the charge contained in a Dec. 8, 2015, federal indictment.
Sherman was a teacher’s assistant at the DA Mallory Elementary School in Buffalo at the time of the offense. School officials contacted law enforcement officials on June 11, 2015, and reported that a pen camera had been located in a bathroom used by teachers and children. The pen camera was behind a standup mirror in the bathroom and had a light on the camera. Sherman, who had been going in and out of the bathroom for unknown reasons, was detained and transported to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department for questioning.
Sherman admitted he placed the pen camera in the bathroom on top of some plastic totes and behind the mirror that morning. Sherman checked the camera two times, turning it off and on. Sherman stated he transferred the videos to his Nook tablet to watch them at home.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Sherman’s residence on June 18, 2015. Investigators found several videos on the pen camera that depict 5-to-6-year-old children using the toilet. Investigators also found 90 images of child pornography, which had been downloaded from the Internet, on Sherman’s Nook tablet.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, if accepted by the U.S. District Court Judge, Sherman will be sentenced to 12 years in federal prison without parole and a lifetime term of supervised release following incarceration.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Dallas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Technical Assistant Team, and 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."
Springfield Accountant Pleads Guilty to $3 Million Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield accountant and former CPA pleaded guilty in federal court today to two embezzlement schemes totaling more than $3 million and to failing to pay more than $2 million in taxes over the past six years.
David Carl Hayes, 59, of Springfield, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to a federal information that charges him with theft from an organization receiving federal funds, wire fraud and making a false federal tax return.
By pleading guilty today, Hayes admitted that he embezzled $1,965,476 from Alternative Opportunities, a Springfield not-for-profit company that provides mental and behavioral health treatment and counseling, substance abuse treatment and counseling, employment assistance, aid to individuals with developmental disabilities, and medical services. Hayes also admitted that he embezzled $1,029,000 from Carnahan-White Fence and Iron, Inc., a Springfield company, in a wire fraud scheme. And Hayes admitted that he did not report income from Alternative Opportunities on his 2014 federal income tax return, and failed to file tax returns for several years, resulting in a total state and federal tax harm of $2,057,950.
Alternative Opportunities Fraud Scheme: $1,965,476
Hayes served on the board of directors of Alternative Opportunities from 2006 to 2011. He was the coordinator of merger and acquisition activity from 2006 to 2013, and the internal auditor from 2011 to 2013.
Doing business as Dayspring Behavioral Health Services, Alternative Opportunities operated dozens of clinics throughout the state of Arkansas. Hayes embezzled from Dayspring from Jan. 3, 2011, to March 31, 2014, by causing Dayspring to issue checks payable to himself or a person not identified in court documents, which Hayes deposited into his personal checking account.
In May 2015, Alternative Opportunities merged with Preferred Family Healthcare, Inc.
Carnahan-White Fraud Scheme: $1,029,000
Hayes began working as a consultant for Miami Nation Enterprises, an economic development corporation of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, in 2012, was hired as chief financial analyst in 2013 and became the chief financial officer in 2015.
In February 2014, Miami Nation Enterprises acquired majority ownership of Carnahan-White Fence and Iron, a multi-generation family-owned fencing business based in Springfield. The prior owners retained a minority share of Carnahan-White and continued to handle the day-to-day management of the company.
Hayes admitted that he defrauded Carnahan-White in a scheme that lasted from June 9, 2014, to June 26, 2016. Hayes obtained business checks from Carnahan-White, without the knowledge or authorization of Miami Nation Enterprises, which he described as “loans” or “advances.” Hayes then reimbursed Carnahan-White by causing funds to be transferred from Miami Nation Enterprises’s bank accounts into Carnahan-White’s bank account. Hayes directed Carnahan-White to alter the company’s financial records to conceal his embezzlement by re-characterizing the expenditures as “Inventory – Wood.”
Income Tax Returns: $2,057,950
Hayes admitted that he failed to disclose $776,340 of income (from Alternative Opportunities) when he filed his federal income tax return for 2013. Hayes also admitted, as relevant conduct, that he did not file tax returns for the years 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. (For 2016, Hayes filed for an automatic extension, so he has failed to pay taxes due and owing, but not yet to file a return when required.)
As a result, the total tax harm Hayes caused for years 2011 through 2016 was $1,741,788 in federal taxes due and owing, and $316,162 in state taxes due and owing.
Under federal statutes, Hayes is subject to a sentence of up to 33 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 Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI and FDIC-Office of Inspector General.
Lee's Summit Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Lee’s Summit, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Clark H. Henshaw, 36, of Lee’s Summit, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to the charge contained in an Oct. 14, 2015, federal indictment.
The investigation began in July 2013 when federal agents contacted a man in Bangor, Maine, who was trading child pornography on a photo-sharing website. Henshaw was identified as one of his primary trading partners to whom he sent images and videos of his sexual abuse of two 6-to-7-year-old boys. Each of those trading partners, he told federal agents, also claimed to have manufactured the child pornography they were sending to him.
Clark received 34 images of child pornography from his trading partner in Maine, including several images of him sexually molesting two prepubescent boys. Investigators learned that Henshaw sent two e-mail messages to other individuals on Aug. 20, 2013, that contained some of those images of child pornography.
On Feb. 13, 2014, federal agents executed a search warrant at Henshaw’s residence. Henshaw and his mother were home during the execution of the search warrant, however, agents had to force entry because no one would answer the door. They seized Henshaw’s cell phone, which contained 10 child pornography movie file downloads.
Under federal statutes, Henshaw is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 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. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by 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."
14 Defendants Plead Guilty to $4.3 Million Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that 14 defendants pleaded guilty in federal court this week to their roles in a $4.3 million conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine throughout Clay, Ray, Clinton and Buchanan counties.
Sabrena Lynn Morgan, 40, Ryan A. Battagler, 38, and Elgin Eugene Dothage, 41, all of Kearney, Mo.; Jason Daniel Davis, 43, of Liberty, Mo.; Joshua K. Bowers, 33, of Polo, Mo.; and Paula Rae Scott, 48, of Excelsior Springs, Mo., pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Maughmer to the charges contained in a July 7, 2015, federal indictment.
Jose Luis Ruiz-Salazar, 38, his brother, Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar, 34, and Caleb Dean Hayes, 36, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Brian Michael Bowers, 34, of Richmond, Mo.; and Taylor Lee Syas, 25, of Polo, pleaded guilty on Thursday, June 8, 2017.
Gregory Bullock, 48, of Kansas City, Mo., and Anthony Ray Stevenson, 45, of Excelsior Springs, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, June 7, 2017.
Bryan D. Carroll, 28, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty on Tuesday, June 6, 2017.
In addition, co-defendants Rodney Earl King, 51, of Excelsior Springs, Franklin Charles Carter, 28, of Grandview, Mo., and Jay Harrison Lee Carder, 31, of Cowgill, Mo., pleaded guilty last week.
They are among 21 defendants who have pleaded guilty; four of those convicted defendants have been sentenced.
In 2010, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the DEA initiated an investigation into a drug-trafficking organization distributing methamphetamine in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas. Jose and Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar, Joshua Bowers and Bullock admitted that they were the primary sources that supplied co-conspirators with large amounts of methamphetamine during the conspiracy. Co-conspirators then distributed the methamphetamine throughout Jackson, Clay, Ray, Clinton and Buchanan counties in Missouri.
According to court documents, conspirators sold $4,359,600 worth of methamphetamine and heroin from 2010 to 2015. That estimate is based on a conservative street price of $1,200 for an ounce of 50 percent pure methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of at least 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a conservative street price of $2,500 per ounce of heroin and an overall conspiracy distribution of approximately three pounds.
On Jan. 13, 2015, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence regularly frequented by members of the drug-trafficking conspiracies. Approximately one kilo of methamphetamine was recovered along with heroin, firearms, drug paraphernalia, drug sale proceeds and a drug ledger.
Jose and Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar and Bullock each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Under the terms of their plea agreements, Jose and Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar each will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment between 10 to 16 years in federal prison without parole. Bullock is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole.
Morgan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possessing firearms (including a pink, pump-action shotgun) in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and maintaining a drug premises. Morgan admitted that her involvement in the conspiracy resulted in the distribution of more than five kilograms of methamphetamine. Morgan is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole.
Joshua Bowers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Bowers admitted that he was responsible for the distribution of more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and more than one kilogram of heroin. Bowers also admitted that he possessed a Springfield .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun, a New England 12-gauge shotgun and various other firearms during the time of the conspiracies. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Joshua Bowers will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment between 15 and 30 years in federal prison without parole.
Syas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, possessing firearms (including a Springfield Armory .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a New England 12-gauge shotgun) in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and maintaining a drug premises. Syas admitted that her involvement in the conspiracy resulted in the distribution of more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and more than one kilogram of heroin. Syas is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole.
Four defendants have been sentenced after pleading guilty to their roles in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Gary Dewayne Brown, 37, of Cowgill, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. Ronald Louis Roberts, 54, of Lathrop, Mo., was sentenced to 10 years and six months in federal prison without parole. Brittney James Brehm, 38, of Bland, Mo., was sentenced to six years and 11 months in federal prison without parole. Darin Gene Berry, 51, of Excelsior Springs, was sentenced to four years and five months 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 Bruce Rhoades, Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Clay County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the DEA.
Three Canadian Men Plead Guilty to $17 Million Scheme to Traffic Contraband CigarettesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that three Canadian men pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a $17 million scheme to transport hundreds of thousands of cartons of contraband cigarettes from the Kansas City, Mo., area to the state of New York, where they were sold primarily on Indian reservations.
Mark Bishop, 42, and Piotr Hoffmann, 43, both of Montréal, Quebec, Canada, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to aiding and abetting contraband cigarette trafficking. Co-defendant David Bishop, 46 (the brother of Mark Bishop), of Montréal, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, June 7, 2017, to participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud and contraband cigarette trafficking.
David Bishop owned and operated DKB Trade Concepts, a Canadian corporation located in Montréal. David Bishop admitted that he aided and abetted in the sale, possession, transportation, and reception of contraband cigarettes from July 2010 to January 2012. Mark Bishop and Hoffman admitted to transporting contraband cigarettes. They are among 18 co-defendants who have pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme to purchase premium-brand cigarettes in Kansas City and transport them to retailers on Indian reservations in New York, without the appropriate $4.35 per pack excise tax being paid or the appropriate tax stamps being applied to the cigarettes.
Conspirators purchased more than $17 million worth of contraband cigarettes from ATF agents during an undercover operation. Approximately 620,600 cartons of cigarettes – containing 10 packs per carton – were transported to New York without paying the required $4.35 per pack excise tax. The untaxed cigarettes were sold by New York retailers and smoke shops on the reservations in the state of New York. The benefit to those smoke shops was that they did not pay New York state cigarette taxes; thus, they could undercut the prices charged by off-reservation cigarette retailers by over $40 per carton. The total state excise tax lost to the state of New York was more than $8 million, which has been paid in restitution to the state by the perpetrators of the scheme.
David Bishop admitted that he received commissions or “brokerage fees” for coordinating contraband cigarette orders between co-defendant Craig Sheffler of Independence, Mo., the owner of Cheap Tobacco Wholesale, and Gholamreza Tadaiyon of Weston, Fla.
Mark Bishop and Hoffman each admitted that he transported a load of contraband cigarettes from the ATF undercover warehouse in Kansas City. Hoffman was paid $11,000, which he must forfeit to the government. Mark Bishop did not receive any substantial financial benefit or payments for his participation in the conspiracy.
Under federal statutes, David and Mark Bishop and Hoffman are each 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. Attorneys Paul S. Becker and Justin G. Davids. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department with substantial assistance provided by the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs.
Columbia, Jefferson City Residents Among Five Defendants Indicted in Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that four Columbia, Mo., and Jefferson City, Mo., residents and a Compton, Calif., man have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Cole County, Mo.
Shadeed Seifullah Muhammad, 41, of Compton; Javier Rashad Rosser, 30, Robert Istill McNair, 30, and Bria Lanier-Richie, 37, all of Jefferson City, Mo.; and James Alexander Larkins, 37, of Columbia, Mo.; were charged in an 11-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City on May 31, 2017. That indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of all five defendants.
The government is seeking detention without bond for all of the defendants, who remain in federal custody pending detention hearings. Muhammad, who was arrested in Atlanta, Ga., had his initial court appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and is being transported to the Western District of Missouri. The other defendants had their initial court appearance this afternoon in Jefferson City.
The federal indictment alleges that each of the five defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Cole County from Jan. 15, 2016, to Feb. 18, 2017.
In addition to the conspiracy, Muhammad is charged with two counts of distributing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in March and April 2016. Rosser is also charged with attempting to possess 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on March 9, 2016.
Rosser, McNair, Lakins and Lanier-Richie are charged together in one count of attempting to possess 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in April 2016.
Rosser, McNair, Larkins and Lanier-Richie are also charged in various counts of using a cell phone to facilitate the commission of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
KC Man Pleads Guilty to Arson, Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a $235,000 arson and insurance fraud conspiracy.
Joseph Levi Little, 43, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to participating in a conspiracy to commit arson and mail fraud.
Little is the third defendant to plead guilty to his role in the scheme. Tina L. Shonk, 36, of Independence, Mo., was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison without parole. Roy Thieman, 32, of Kansas City, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Shonk and Thieman to pay $242,717 in restitution to their victims and to forfeit to the government $62,364.
Shonk admitted that she led the arson and insurance fraud conspiracy in 2014. Shonk obtained renter’s insurance on a house she rented in the 3500 block of Garfield in Kansas City, Mo., then burned the house with the help of co-conspirators, and made false claims on the insured property. Conspirators also made plans to burn another house.
In January 2014 Shonk obtained renter’s insurance, claiming personal property valued at $82,000, much more than the value of her personal property. At the time, Shonk owed approximately $7,929 in back due rent and the gas had been shut off due to non-payment. On April 2 and 3, 2014, Shonk and her co-conspirators (including Little and Thieman) moved any personal property of value to a storage unit. They also moved damaged and broken electronic equipment and appliances into the house so that it would appear that valuable appliances were destroyed. By this time, Shonk owed $10,356 in back due rent and her landlord had begun eviction proceedings.
On April 4, 2014, Shonk, Little and Thieman set fire to the house by covering a space heater with a blanket and setting fire to the blanket, and then leaving the house. The Kansas City Fire Department extinguished the fire but the house was a total loss.
After the fire, Shonk submitted fraudulent personal property claims totaling $112,789, although several witnesses and Shonk’s landlord estimated Shonk’s property to be valued at only approximately $500. The insurance company paid Shonk $57,364; she paid Little $4,000 and Thieman $2,500.
The owner of the house had an insurance policy that paid out a total of $173,100.
In May 2014, Shonk and Thieman moved into a house in the 3800 block of Pittman Road in Kansas City, Mo., a property managed by a fourth co-conspirator. On Oct. 18, 2014, police arrested this co-conspirator and found a letter from Thieman to Shonk outlining a plan to repeat the arson insurance fraud scheme at the house on Pittman Road. Thieman wrote a letter to Shonk outlining plans to insure their personal property and then burn the house, stating in part, “there can be no evidence, nor signs of foul play, or accelerant.”
Under federal statutes, Little 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 Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Independence Man Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and possessing child pornography.
Darren S. O’Dell, 47, of Independence, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to seven years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered O’Dell to pay $18,000 in restitution to 17 children identified as victims of his crime.
On Jan. 19, 2017, O’Dell pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, a state trooper was monitoring online activity over a peer-to-peer file-sharing network in September 2015 when O’Dell made images of child pornography available. Investigators executed a search warrant at O’Dell’s residence and seized two desktop computers, a laptop computer and an external hard drive.
Investigators discovered more than 27,000 images of child pornography and more than 350 videos of child pornography on O’Dell’s devices. The majority of child pornography depicted children under the age of 12, including adult/toddle rape scenes and prepubescent children in bondage. The recurring theme in O’Dell’s voluminous collection centers around the violent and overwhelming application of sexual force by an adult on a restrained prepubescent child. O’Dell admitted that he had been downloading child pornography for several years.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
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."
Fulton Man Pleads Guilty to $6.6 Million K2 ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Fulton, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than $6.6 million of synthetic cannabinoids, also known as K2, at Callaway County, Mo., businesses.
Jason Lee Houston, 37, of Fulton, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge William A. Knox on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering; both conspiracies were related to the distribution of synthetic cannabinoids.
Houston, who operated First Stop Last Stop Pawn and Aromatherapy in Fulton, admitted that he contributed to the generation of approximately $4,544,700 of the total $6,656,843 in gross proceeds generated by the conspiracy from Dec. 18, 2012, to July 16, 2015.
Houston is among 10 co-defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case. Shawn Michael Browning, 26, Timothy Christopher Sandfort, 31, Joshua Adam Sheets, 31, and Brandon Derek Rader, 33, all of Fulton, and Michael James Butler, 40, of Sacramento, Calif., also pleaded guilty to participating in the mail fraud and money laundering conspiracies. Sheila Marie Nawaz, 40, of Roseville, Calif., Dara Leanne Shirley, 31, of Fulton, pleaded guilty to participating in the money-laundering conspiracy. Casey Dewayne Miller, 32, of Columbia, and Billie L. Bruce, 36, of Jefferson City, each pleaded guilty to distributing synthetic cannabinoids.
According to court documents, the drug-trafficking conspiracy generated $6,656,843 in gross proceeds. Houston acknowledged that his conduct directly contributed to the generation of approximately $4,544,700 of that total, which is subject to forfeiture to the government in the form of a money judgment. Houston also must forfeit his residence, which was proceeds from the conspiracy, to the government.
Houston, Sandfort, Rader, Shirley, Miller and others operated First Stop Last Stop Pawn & Aromatherapy, Inscentives Resale and Inscentives Auto. First Stop Last Stop Pawn & Aromatherapy represented itself as a “pawn shop” and “potpourri store.” Inscentives Resale was represented to be a “buy, sell, and trade business.” Inscentives Auto held a Missouri motor vehicle dealer’s license. Browning, Sheets, Bruce and others operated Esscentials Resale and S&J Tobacco.
These businesses purchased synthetic cannabinoids from co-conspirators in California and Nevada. At least 251 shipments of synthetic cannabinoids were made via FedEx and UPS. Inscentives Resale sold synthetic cannabinoids from locations in Auxvasse, Mo., and Fulton. Esscentials Resale and S&J Tobacco sold synthetic cannabinoids from locations in Holts Summit, Mo.
The packages of synthetic cannabinoids bore misbranded labels that misidentified the contents as “incense,” “aroma therapy” or “potpourri” that were “not for human consumption.” In fact, these products were drugs intended for human consumption as a drug. Conspirators mislabeled packages of synthetic cannabinoids for the purpose of avoiding government regulation over these drugs, and to protect the continued sale of these drugs.
Under federal statutes, Houston is subject to a sentence of up to 40 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 Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the DEA Task Force – Jefferson City, DEA Sacramento, Calif., DEA Reno, Nev., IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the MUSTANG Drug Task Force, the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Cole County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department, the Fulton, Mo., Police Department and the Holts Summit, Mo., Police Department.