Western District of Missouri
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Blue Springs Man Sentenced to 20 Years for PCP ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Blue Springs, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute PCP as well as a money-laundering conspiracy.
Walter Deandre Sorrells, also known as “Juice,” “Waterboy,” and “Walt,” 39, of Blue Springs, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays on Monday, May 16, 2016, to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
On Aug. 13, 2015, Sorrells pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of PCP from Jan. 1, 2007, to March 13, 2013, as well as a conspiracy to conduct financial transactions that involved the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
Co-defendant Stephon Donte Williams, 32, of Lynwood, Calif., supplied Sorrells with PCP. Williams, who pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies, was sentenced on May 13, 2016, to 20 years and two months in federal prison without parole.
Sorrells admitted that he purchased large quantities of PCP from Williams and re-sold it in smaller quantities in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Thirteen controlled drug purchases, totaling well in excess of one kilogram of PCP, were made directly with Sorrells. Additionally, at least two shipments of PCP (and other controlled substances) were taken by law enforcement before they were delivered to Sorrells and containers of another shipment were recovered from Sorrells. These shipments, in total, exceed one kilogram of PCP.
Sorrells and Williams are among 20 defendants charged in the indictment, all of whom have either been convicted at trial or pleaded guilty.
According to the indictment, at least 10 law enforcement-controlled purchases of PCP, cocaine and crack cocaine were conducted with at least five of the defendants. At least 10 arrests or searches of co-conspirators occurred where PCP, cocaine or crack was recovered, the indictment says, and on multiple occasions during the conspiracy, defendants were found in possession of hundreds or thousands of dollars in cash, with no known legitimate income.
All of the co-defendants are severally and jointly liable to forfeit to the government $814,000, which was received in exchange for the unlawful distribution of PCP, cocaine or crack cocaine. According to the indictment, that is based upon a conservative street price of $200 per ounce of PCP (3,099 ounces distributed), $1,000 per ounce of cocaine (129 ounces distributed) and $1,100 per ounce of crack cocaine (60 ounces distributed).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Two Columbia Men, Arizona Man Sentenced for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that three men were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine after law enforcement officers seized several pounds of methamphetamine from a Columbia, Mo., hotel room.
Todd Michael Zazilenski, 40, of Phoenix, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Ryan Roger Ellingboe, 41, of Columbia, was sentenced to six years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Shane Alan Callahan, 30, of Columbia, was sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole.
Zazilenski, Ellingboe and Callahan each pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Boone County and elsewhere from April 2015 to May 14, 2015.
A deputy with the St. Charles County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department stopped a Cadillac Escalade driven by Ellingboe for a traffic violation on May 14, 2015. Callahan was a passenger in the vehicle. The deputy smelled burnt marijuana upon approaching the vehicle and conducted a search of the vehicle. The deputy found a vacuum-sealed bag that contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine behind the glove box.
Ellingboe and Callahan told law enforcement officers they had traveled from Columbia that morning to meet a customer in St. Charles, Mo., who wanted to purchase the methamphetamine. Callahan stated that he was brokering the methamphetamine transaction between Ellingboe and another individual. Ellingboe had access to a pound of methamphetamine and had asked Callahan if he knew of a customer. Callahan located a customer in St. Charles who wanted to purchase one pound of methamphetamine.
When Ellingboe picked up Callahan in Columbia that morning, he was already in possession of the one pound of methamphetamine. Ellingboe and Callahan then began driving to St. Charles to complete the transaction.
Zazilenski admitted that he provided the methamphetamine to Ellingboe to sell in St. Charles. Ellingboe was supposed to pay Zazilenski $8,000 for the methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers searched Zazilenski’s room at the Howard Johnson Inn in Columbia and found three bags, each containing approximately one pound of methamphetamine, for a total weight of 1.369 kilograms.
Zazilenski also admitted that he provided an additional 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine to Ellingboe during a visit to Columbia on April 17-19, 2015.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Miller. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the St. Charles, Mo., Police Department and the St. Charles County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Jefferson City Man Sentenced for Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Jefferson City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute.
Herbert Rogers, Jr., 41, of Jefferson City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to six years and three months in federal prison without parole.
On Sept. 15, 2015, Rogers pleaded guilty possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute.
On Jan. 16, 2015, Jefferson City police officers executed a search warrant at Rogers’s apartment. Rogers was in the bathroom, attempting to flush cocaine and crack cocaine down a toilet. Officers handcuffed Rogers and were able to preserve the evidence in the toilet and on the bathroom floor. In total, approximately 97.5 grams of crack cocaine, 205.4 grams of cocaine and 24 grams of heroin were recovered from the residence. Officers also found digital scales, baggies, six cell phones and $2,035.
According to court documents, Rogers was being investigated for drug trafficking throughout 2014. In January 2015, Rogers had been stopped in Foristell, Mo., and during the stop, he threw something out the window of his vehicle. An officer later found a bag in the same area that contained approximately 325 grams of cocaine.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department and the MUSTANG Task Force.
Jefferson City Man Sentenced for Child PornRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Jefferson City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and attempting to distribute child pornography over the Internet.
Dustin Clay Trail, 35, of Jefferson City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to five years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Trail to a term of supervised release for 10 years following incarceration.
Trail, who pleaded guilty on Aug. 13, 2015, admitted that he received child pornography over the Internet on Sept. 3, 2013. Trail also pleaded guilty to attempting to distribute child pornography over the Internet on Sept. 4, 2013, and to possessing child pornography from May 2013 to Oct. 31, 2013.
The investigation began in May 2013 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received CyberTip report regarding child pornography being sent by e-mail. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Trail’s residence and seized a desktop computer, three hard drives and compact discs, which Trail must forfeit to the government. Investigators discovered 14,675 thumbnail images on the desktop hard drive that contained possible child pornography. Additionally, 20 web video fragments were recovered. A total of 65 images containing child pornography associated with e-mail exchanges were recovered.
According to court documents, Trail was a prolific user and exchanger of child pornography. Trail admitted that he had been trading child pornography for a couple of years with approximately a dozen individuals online. According to court documents, Trail exchanged images depicting extremely young, prepubescent females engaged in graphic sexual acts with adults.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the FBI, the Boone County Cyber Crimes Task Force and U.S. 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."
Former St. Clair Sheriff's Deputy Pleads Guilty to Stealing Public FundsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former St. Clair County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy and a former county jail inmate each have pleaded guilty to their roles in a wire fraud scheme.
Michael E. Mullaney, 54, of Lowry City, Mo., pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to stealing public money. Co-defendant William E. Parker, 54, of Fort Ritchie, Fla., formerly of Urich, Mo., pleaded guilty on Feb. 5, 2016, to wire fraud.
Mullaney was a deputy with the St. Clair County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department who arrested Parker for first degree burglary on Feb. 20, 2010. While Parker was incarcerated, he and Mullaney devised a scheme to defraud Work Force West Virginia to claim unemployment benefits for Parker to which he was not entitled.
Mullaney admitted that he obtained personal information from Parker in order to make Parker’s claim for unemployment benefits through Work Force West Virginia. Mullaney completed an Internet form with Parker’s personal information to fraudulently certify Parker’s eligibility for unemployment benefits. Parker was not eligible for unemployment benefits because he was not available and willing to accept full-time suitable work while he was incarcerated.
As a result of the fraud scheme, Parker received $5,388 on a bank debit card between Feb. 25 and May 10, 2010.
Under federal statutes, Mullaney is subject to a sentence of up to one year in federal prison without parole. Parker is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. 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 Abram McGull II. It was investigated by the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the St. Clair County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Work Force West Virginia Unemployment Compensation Division.
Columbia Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm Used in Shoot-out with Rival GangRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., man who was injured during a shoot-out with a rival gang was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Coty Thomas Galbreath, 26, of Columbia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to six years and five months in federal prison without parole.
On Dec. 1, 2015, Galbreath pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Columbia police officers responded to a reported gunfight at the intersection of Garth Avenue and Texas Avenue at about 1 p.m. on July 3, 2013. Investigators determined that there had been an exchange of gunfire between the occupants of two cars. More than 30 shell casings were seized at the scene. Several homes in the neighborhood had been hit by bullets fired during the exchange of gunfire.
No suspects were present at the scene of the gunfight when officers arrived, but a short time later medical personnel notified the police that Galbreath was being treated for a gunshot wound to his shoulder. Galbreath admitted to his involvement in the shoot-out and told investigators that the persons with whom he was exchanging gunfire were gang members sworn to kill him for shooting one of their members in 2008.
Galbreath told investigators that he and his girlfriend were being followed by a carload of Hispanic males. When he heard the first shot and saw his car window shatter, Galbreath said, he stopped, got out of his car and returned fire, emptying his .45-caliber Hi-Point semi-automatic handgun. Galbreath said he was shot when he was getting back in his car to flee the neighborhood. While speeding away, he handed the gun to his girlfriend, and told her to throw it out of the window.
A citizen found the gun on the sidewalk along the route Galbreath took and called the police.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Galbreath was on parole for a prior shooting at the time of this offense. According to court documents, Galbreath stole a firearm in 2007, broke into a home and stole a computer from the home. In November 2007, while the firearm theft and burglary cases were pending, Galbreath acquired another firearm and fired it at a person with whom he was quarrelling. The court placed Galbreath on probation. Galbreath then stole a bottle of vodka and assaulted the victim when that victim tried to retrieve the stolen property.
On Dec. 21, 2008, Galbreath drove past a car containing several juveniles with whom he was feuding. Galbreath fired seven shots into their car, hitting one juvenile in the chest.
On Feb. 6, 2013, nearly four months after he was paroled for the 2008 felony assault on the juvenile, he attacked his child’s mother by hitting her in the face and enlisting the aid of two women to kick her and pull her hair.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Gonzalez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.
Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to child sex trafficking.
Kenyata D. Miles, 35, of Columbia, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to the charge contained in a March 19, 2014, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, Miles admitted that he booked two rooms for two nights at the Quail’s Nest Inn in Osage Beach, Mo., in April 2013. Law enforcement officers found a 16-year-old female who had been reported as missing in one of the rooms; Miles and two women were in an adjacent room.
According to today’s plea agreement, advertisements had been posted on Backpage.com advertising the availability of the child victim and one of the women for sexual services. Miles arranged hotel reservations and provided transportation to hotels for their prostitution activities.
Under federal statutes, Miles is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the FBI, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Osage Beach, Mo., Police Department in conjunction with the Human Trafficking Rescue Project.
KC Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing an extensive collection of child pornography on his computer.
Colin J. Michael, 35, of Kansas City, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to a federal information that charges him with possessing child pornography.
By pleading guilty today, Michael admitted that he was in possession of child pornography on Aug. 20, 2014. Michael must forfeit to the government an Apple iMac computer and a Hitachi hard drive, which were used to commit the offense.
According to today’s plea agreement, an officer with the FBI Dallas Child Exploitation Task Force identified Michael’s computer on Feb. 16, 2014, as sharing child pornography over the Internet via peer-to-peer file-sharing software. The officer downloaded 2,749 files of possible child pornography from Michael’s computer.
On Aug. 20, 2014, Kansas City FBI Task Force officers executed a search warrant at Michael’s residence. They seized his computer and hard drive from his home office.
Michael admitted to investigators that he had been looking at child pornography for a couple of years. Investigators found 1,200 photos and 80 movies containing child pornography on Michael’s computer and computer media.
Under federal statutes, Michael 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 David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI Dallas Child Exploitation Task Force and the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force (Kansas City).
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."
St. Joseph Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Large-Scale Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a St. Joseph, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for role in a large-scale conspiracy that distributed more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine in St. Joseph and across a four-state region.
Shannon Wayne Martinez, also known as “Big Homie,” 39, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Martinez to pay a money judgment of $444,000, which reflects the amount of methamphetamine for which Martinez was responsible (6.8 kilograms, or 240 ounces) at a street price of $1,850 per ounce. In total, the conspiracy was responsible for distributing nearly $1 million worth of methamphetamine.
In 2010, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated an investigation into a drug-trafficking organization distributing methamphetamine in northwest Missouri, northeast Kansas, southern Iowa and Nebraska.
On Nov. 17, 2015, Martinez pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy. Martinez admitted that he procured pound quantities of methamphetamine from sources in Kansas City, Mo., which he then distributed to co-conspirators.
Martinez was the head of a drug-trafficking organization that included co-defendants in the St. Joseph area. Martinez and others used Rick’s Upholstery Shop in St. Joseph, owned by co-defendant Ricky Alan Angst, 59, of Amazonia, Mo., as a front for drug trafficking. Angst has pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug premises and awaits sentencing.
Martinez is among 24 defendants charged in a Nov. 15, 2013, federal indictment, all of whom have either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department and the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
KC Man Sentenced for Meth After Leading Officers on 100 MPH ChaseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man – who led law enforcement officers on a 100-miles-per-hour chase before being arrested – was sentenced in federal court today for distributing methamphetamine.
Aaron N. Whitworth, 31, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 11 years and three months in federal prison without parole.
On Oct. 20, 2015, Whitworth pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine. According to court documents, a confidential informant made multiple purchases of methamphetamine from Whitworth in April 2011. Those purchases led to a search warrant of his residence, which resulted in the seizure of 1.232 kilograms of methamphetamine and of many items associated with the process of manufacturing methamphetamine. Following Whitworth’s indictment, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Whitworth arrived at the Maple Woods Care Center at 724 N.E. 79th Terr., Kansas City, Mo., on the afternoon of April 22, 2015. He fled when he saw several Deputy U.S. Marshals positioning to arrest him. During his attempted escape, Whitworth reversed his vehicle and accelerated rapidly in an attempt to escape capture. He collided with a deputy’s vehicle then accelerated forward and collided with another deputy’s vehicle and forcefully pushed it out of his way. Whitworth then left the parking lot of the Maple Woods Care Center and drove through the grass of Oak Park High School to avoid another deputy, who was also attempting to stop him from escaping. Whitworth led law enforcement officers on an extended chase, during which he drove at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour and forced other motorists to maneuver in order to avoid a collision. Whitworth was captured only after stop sticks were deployed and his vehicle disabled.
Various items of drug paraphernalia consistent with the consumption of methamphetamine were found in Whitworth’s vehicle after his arrest.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Edwards. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Springfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to producing and distributing child pornography.
Tracy Ann Smith, 41, of Springfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to the charges contained in a Jan. 19, 2016, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, Smith admitted that she used a minor, identified as Jane Doe #1, to produce child pornography between Nov. 1, 2014, and Jan. 8, 2016. Smith also admitted that she received and distributed child pornography during that time.
Under federal statutes, Smith is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 50 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 James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department 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."
Jury Convicts KC Man of Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man who was wounded in a shoot-out with police officers was convicted in federal court today of illegally possessing a firearm.
Cahlan A. Clay, 28, of Kansas City, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Clay, who has two prior felony convictions, illegally possessed a Jimenez Arms 9mm handgun on Sept. 23, 2012.
According to trial testimony, two uniformed Kansas City police officers who were working off-duty heard multiple gunshots from the area of the Club Luna nightclub, 1520 Grand Ave., at approximately 2:45 a.m. on Sept. 23, 2012. As the officers approached, Clay raised his firearm and pointed it at one of the officers. The officer saw a muzzle flash but was unable to return fire because of the people running in his direction. Clay began running south on Grand Avenue with the officer in pursuit. Clay turned and pointed the gun in the officer’s direction a second time and the officer returned fire. Clay fell when he reached the corner of 16th and Grand.
As the officer turned the corner at 16th and Grand, he found Clay, who had been shot twice, sitting on the ground and leaning against a building with a gun in his hand, pointed at the officer. Clay complied after being told to drop the gun.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Clay has a prior felony conviction for aggravated battery.
Under federal statutes, Clay 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.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for about an hour and a half before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, May 9, 2016.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Edwards and Courtney R. Pratten. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Hollister Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Hollister, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for producing child pornography.
Michael Shane Tyson, 31, of Hollister, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Tyson to a lifetime term of supervised release following incarceration.
Tyson, a former airline pilot, pleaded guilty on Sept. 10, 2015. He admitted that he sexually assaulted a 9-year-old child over a two-year period and created several videos of the abuse with his cell phone.
According to the plea agreement, a Hollister, Mo., police officer responded to Cox Hospital in Branson, Mo., on April 7, 2015, to a report of child molestation. The mother of the child victim told the officer that Tyson had sexually assaulted her daughter the previous week. The mother also told the officer that the abuse had been occurring over the past two years. The child victim did not report the abuse, she said, because Tyson had threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
The child victim was interviewed at the Branson West Child Advocacy Center. She reported that Tyson made videos of her with his cell phone. When she told Tyson she did not want to engage in sexual activities, the plea agreement says, he became angry and threatened her by brandishing a knife taken from a knife block in the kitchen.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Tyson’s residence and seized seven cell phones, two laptop computers and four flash drives. Investigators discovered several video recordings on one of Tyson’s cell phones in which he placed his phone in the bathroom and secretly recorded two additional child victims, of similar ages to the first victim, undressing, showering and drying off. Investigators also discovered videos and images of the sexual assault of the first child victim on Tyson’s laptop computer, along with 20 images of child pornography that had been downloaded over the Internet.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Blue Springs Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Blue Springs, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to commit several armed robberies at restaurants in the metropolitan area.
Isiah G. Etienne, 21, of Blue Springs, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
Etienne pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy to commit armed robberies, to one count of armed robbery and to one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence.
Etienne is the fourth defendant to plead and guilty and be sentenced for the armed robbery conspiracy and related charges. Mikah M. Labayen, 20, of Blue Springs, was sentenced to six years in federal prison without parole. Renargo L. Martin, 46, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole. Jeremy Hunter, also known as “Heat,” 26, of Kansas City, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
Co-defendant William H. Parker III, 21, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty on April 19, 2016, and awaits sentencing.
Etienne, Parker, Labayen, Martin and Hunter each admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to rob several fast food restaurants in the Kansas City area in the fall of 2014. Parker, Labayen and Etienne were employed at a Chipotle restaurant in Blue Springs. Using their knowledge of procedures commonly used by such establishments, conspirators would wait until the end of a business day, and then rob restaurants by waiting until an employee opened a door to take trash out of the premises. They rushed the door to gain access, and then forced the manager or shift supervisor to give them access to the restaurant’s safe. Conspirators threatened restaurant employees with an assault rifle in order to force their cooperation.
Conspirators robbed a Chipotle restaurant in Lee’s Summit, Mo., on Nov. 3, 2014, taking $1,600; a Burger King restaurant in Independence, Mo., on Nov. 10, 2014, taking $914 and again on Nov. 30, 2014, taking $565; and a Chipotle restaurant in Blue Springs on Nov. 16, 2014, taking $6,800.
Following these robberies, Parker, Etienne and Labayen were captured after an attempted robbery of a motel.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Edwards. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Former Clerk Pleads Guilty to Leaking Information About Drug-trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a former employee of the Boone County Clerk’s Office has pleaded guilty in federal court to leaking information about a drug-trafficking investigation. She is among six more defendants who recently pleaded guilty to their roles in a large-scale conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Boone County, Mo.
Christin Sledd, 25, of Columbia, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth on April 29, 2016, to using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking conspiracy. The father of her child, Ryan Montez Kee, 29, of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to the same charge.
Four additional defendants recently pleaded guilty. Michael Earl Hunt, also known as “Mike Deuce,” 35, of Columbia, pleaded guilty on April 28, 2016 to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Courtney Lashea Thornton, 35, of Columbia, and Ronald Elwood Brown, 40, of Sturgeon, Mo., each pleaded guilty on April 26, 2016, to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Kenneth Scott, Jr., 26, of Columbia, pleaded guilty on April 26, 2016, to using a telephone to facilitate the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
All but one of the 27 defendants charged in this case now have pleaded guilty. The only remaining defendant, Marlon Laron Smith, 35, of Murphysboro, Ill., is a fugitive.
Sledd worked at the Boone County Clerk’s Office in July and August 2014. As a clerk in the Criminal Division, she had access to confidential information, including the fact that search warrants were applied for and signed by judges.
Sledd learned at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2014, that a judge had signed a search warrant for a residence on Coats Street. She called Kee, who then passed along the information. Co-conspirators believed the search warrant was for the residence used by co-defendant Rodney Wayne Arnold, also known as “Rodney O.,” 32, of Columbia to store cocaine.
Law enforcement investigators recorded a phone call at 2:58 p.m. the same day in which co-defendant Malcolm Desean Redmon, also known as “Harp,” 32, of Columbia, was warned in advance about the search warrant. The caller urged Redmon to warn Arnold that the police were preparing to “kick his house in.” Redmon said that he would warn Arnold. Both Redmon and Arnold have pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
The caller indicated that Kee was his source for the information, and said that his source got the information from an employee at the clerk’s office.
For law enforcement officers’ safety, execution of the search warrant was called off once the person monitoring the interceptions heard the conversations and notified the task force that the search warrant had been compromised.
Scott admitted that he knew his father and co-conspirator, Kenneth Scott, Sr., 47, of Columbia, was in the business of distributing cocaine and that he conspired with many individuals to distribute cocaine. One of the ways which Scott, Sr. would get cocaine to his customers was to arrange to have a key left in a car or truck, and once the customer had ordered and paid for the cocaine, the customer was told where the key was located. The customer could then use the key on the car or truck they were directed to, and pick up the cocaine.
By pleading guilty, Scott, Jr. admitted that he received a phone call from his father, who instructed him to get a key and hide it in the back of a truck so that a person could pick it up and use it. Scott, Jr. also admitted that, after he complied with his father’s request to hide the key, he called him on the phone to confirm that he had hidden the key in the truck in a gum box.
Hunt, Thornton and Brown admitted that they participated in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Boone County from November 2011 to August 2014.
Under federal statutes, Sledd, Kee and Scott are each subject to a sentence of up to four years in federal prison without parole. Brown is subject to a sentence of up to 40 years in federal prison without parole. Hunt and Thornton 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. 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 Anthony P. Gonzalez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, MUSTANG (the Mid-Missouri Unified Strike Team and Narcotics Group), the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Boone County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Webb City Man Indicted for Transporting a Minor for Illicit SexRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Webb City, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for transporting a minor across state lines for illicit sex.
Ricky Raymond Ball, 49, of Webb City, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Ball transported a minor under the age of 17, identified as “Jane Doe,” across state lines for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity.
Dickinson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force, the Webb City, Mo., Police Department and the Kansas 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."
Lebanon Man Indicted for Illegal Firearms Following Standoff with OfficersRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Lebanon, Mo., man was indicted for being a felon in possession of firearms following an eight-hour-long standoff with law enforcement officers while he was in the attic space of a friend’s residence.
Jesse D. Ivey, 39, of Lebanon, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Ivey, having been convicted of a felony, was in possession of a Charter Arms .38-caliber revolver, a high Standard .2-caliber pistol, a Ruger .357-caliber revolver and a Savage .30-06 rifle on Jan. 5, 2016.
The indictment also alleges that Ivey was in possession of a Bushmaster AR-15 .223-caliber rifle on Feb. 10, 2016.
Ivey was arrested on Feb. 10, 2016, after an approximately eight-hour-long standoff with law enforcement officers. Officers entered a residence in Lebanon while searching for Ivey and found the Bushmaster rifle lying on the floor of the second-floor master bedroom. They heard Ivey in the attic space above the bedroom and directed him to come out of the attic space, but he refused to surrender. Ivey finally surrendered about eight hours later, at 8:37 p.m.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Laclede County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jury Convicts Columbia Man of Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., man was convicted in federal court today of his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in Columbia.
Nalenzer Lee Edwards, 47, of Columbia, was found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin from March 17 to June 17, 2015, and of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute.
Law enforcement officers, acting upon information from a confidential informant, followed Edwards from Columbia to a known drug house in Jefferson City, Mo., on June 10, 2015. According to the confidential informant, Edwards was traveling to drop off money to his heroin supplier. After 30-45 minutes inside the residence, Edwards returned to a hotel in Columbia. Later that night offices conducted a trash pull at the Jefferson City residence and discovered numerous items associated with drug trafficking.
On June 17, 2015, law enforcement officers again followed Edwards from Columbia to the Jefferson City residence. After he left the Jefferson City residence, police officers conducted a traffic stop. Officers searched his car and found approximately 19.8 grams of heroin hidden inside the dash. At the same time, a SWAT team executed a search warrant at the residence and seized heroin and crack cocaine.
Edwards told law enforcement officers that he had been obtaining heroin from his Jefferson City supplier on a weekly basis for the past three or four months. Edwards admitted that he packaged the heroin into smaller amounts for sale to customers in Columbia.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., deliberated for more than an hour before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, ending a trial that began Monday, May 2, 2016.
Under federal statutes, Edwards 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 Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, MUSTANG (the Mid-Missouri Unified Strike Team and Narcotics Group) and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.
Joplin Man Indicted for Armed Robbery of Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Joplin, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the armed robbery of a local jewelry store.
Paul Lloyd, 33, of Joplin, was charged in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Lloyd stole cash and jewelry from Select Jewelry, 3120 S. Main St., Joplin, at gunpoint on March 17, 2016.
Lloyd is also charged with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment also charges Lloyd with transporting a stolen vehicle, a 2002 Ford Mustang, across state lines from Missouri to Oklahoma.
Lloyd, after driving the stolen Mustang into Oklahoma, was arrested by Cherokee County, Okla., sheriff’s deputies following a pursuit. A loaded SCCY 9mm firearm was recovered next to the driver’s side door of the Mustang.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the Cherokee County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Texas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Mexican national in Sugarland, Texas, was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Joplin area.
Israel Belmontes-Cisneros, 34, a citizen of Mexico residing in Sugarland, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
According to court documents, Belmontes-Cisneros was part of a drug-trafficking organization identified as a major source of supply in the Joplin, Mo., area as a result of a year-long, multi-agency investigation into an international organization based in Matamoras, Mexico, with members across the United States, including Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri.
On July 8, 2015, Belmontes-Cisneros pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Joplin area. Belmontes-Cisneros also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, which originated in the Southern District of Texas but was transferred to the Western District of Missouri.
Belmontes-Cisneros’s girlfriend, Miriam DeLeon, 35, of Brownsville, Texas, also was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to her role in the conspiracy. Miriam DeLeon was identified as the leader of the drug-trafficking organization.
According to court documents, they transported one to two kilograms of methamphetamine per month to Joplin. Miriam DeLeon and Belmontes-Cisneros drove from Texas to Joplin to transport the methamphetamine, which was concealed in laundry detergent boxes. A kilogram of methamphetamine cost approximately $25,000. Drug-trafficking proceeds were transported back to Texas in the same concealment method.
According to court documents, a confidential source traveled from Joplin to Sugarland to pick up a kilogram of methamphetamine from Belmontes-Cisneros and Miriam DeLeon and transport it back to Joplin. The confidential source was given an eightball of methamphetamine by Miriam DeLeon’s brother, co-defendant Jose Luis Deleon, Jr., 36, of Joplin, as payment for the transportation. The methamphetamine was concealed in a spare tire in the vehicle, which was off-loaded at Jose Deleon’s residence.
Jose DeLeon has pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and to being a felon in possession of a firearm and awaits sentencing. A confidential source told law enforcement investigators that Jose DeLeon sold multiple pounds of methamphetamine each week and had received at least two shipments of firearms in exchange for methamphetamine, each approximately 15 firearms.
According to court documents related to the original charge against Belmontes-Cisneros filed in Texas, a confidential source represented himself as a drug trafficker from the northeastern United States and met with Belmontes-Cisneros and Miriam DeLeon at a restaurant in Houston, Texas, in August 2012. During that meeting, Belmontes-Cisneros told the confidential source they could supply 20 to 30 kilograms of cocaine for $27,000 per kilogram. Belmontes-Cisneros also told the confidential source they could supply methamphetamine. The confidential source later met with Belmontes-Cisneros on two occasions and, at each meeting, purchased approximately a pound of methamphetamine for $9,000.
Seven additional Joplin residents have also pleaded guilty. Jack Holguin, 46, Ashley Lynn Mobley, 32, and Eric Allen Meyer, 32, were each sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Jeremy McClean, 33, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Brian Stark, 41, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison without parole. Juan Leonardo Simmons, 32, was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison without parole. Billy Duane Henson, 61, was sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole. Brian Ashton, 31, awaits sentencing.
Miriam DeLeon was arrested on July 31, 2014, after visiting the Jasper County courthouse for a hearing for her brother and co-defendant, Jose DeLeon, who was being held on state charges at that time. In the courthouse parking lot, she handed Mobley a bag of dog food that was later found to contain 470 grams of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Miriam DeLeon was bringing the methamphetamine to her brother, who planned to distribute inside the Jasper County jail.
Miriam DeLeon had also been stopped in August 2008 by the Texas Department of Public Safety for a traffic violation in Wharton, Texas. The traffic stop resulted in the seizure of $122,300 that was discovered hidden in the vehicle.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ami Harshad Miller and Cindy Hyde. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the FBI, the Jasper County Drug Task Force, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas Bureau of Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigations, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Newton County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney.
Eight Missouri Residents Indicted in $6.6 Million K2 Conspiracy in Callaway CountyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that six Fulton, Mo., individuals, along with a Columbia, Mo., man, a Jefferson City, Mo, man and five individuals in the Sacramento, Calif., area, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a $6.6 million mail fraud conspiracy that distributed synthetic marijuana, also known as K2, at various retail locations in Callaway County, Mo.
Jason Lee Houston, 36, Shawn Michael Browning, 25, Timothy Christopher Sandfort, 30, Brandon Derek Rader, 31, Joshua Adam Sheets, 30, and Dara Leanne Shirley, 30, all of Fulton; Casey Dewayne Miller, 32, of Columbia; Billie L. Bruce, 36, of Jefferson City; Raja Amer Nawaz, also known as “Rex,” 41, a citizen of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and his wife, Sheila Marie Nawaz, 39, both of Roseville, Calif.; Michael James Butler, 39, of Sacramento, Calif.; Curtis Whayne Gonzales, 55, of North Highlands, Calif.; and Aleksandr Polyanskiy, 24, of Citrus Heights, Calif.; were charged in a 14-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City on Wednesday, April 20, 2016.
That indictment was unsealed and made public upon the arrests of Browning, Sandfort, Rader, Sheets and Shirley yesterday. They will have an initial court appearance today. Arrest warrants remain outstanding for Houston, Miller and Bruce. Raja Nawaz, who was arrested on April 13, 2016, remains in federal custody. Sheila Nawaz, Butler, Gonzales and Polyanskiy will self-surrender to authorities in California.
The federal indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against Raja Nawaz on April 12, 2016, and includes additional charges and defendants.
The indictment alleges that all of the defendants participated in a conspiracy to defraud the government and the public from Dec. 18, 2012, to July 16, 2015, by selling synthetic marijuana under various trade names as “incense,” “aroma therapy” or “potpourri” that were “not for human consumption” when, in truth and fact, these products were drugs intended for human consumption as a drug.
According to the indictment, hundreds of shipments of synthetic marijuana were made to Callaway County. Synthetic marijuana was allegedly sold at Inscentives Resale, with one location in Auxvasse, Mo., and two locations in Fulton, and at S&J Smoke Shop in Holts Summit, Mo.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, these retail establishments grossed approximately $6,656,843 from the sale of approximately 799 kilograms of synthetic marijuana.
Undercover purchases of synthetic marijuana allegedly were made by law enforcement officers from these retail establishments. On numerous occasions, the affidavit says, law enforcement officers seized synthetic marijuana from individuals who had just left one of these retail establishments. Additionally, law enforcement officers responded to reported overdoses on synthetic marijuana that involved subjects who had purchased these substances from these retail establishments.
Callaway County Businesses
Houston, Sandfort, Rader, Shirley and Miller operated three businesses: Inscentives Resale (with locations in Auxvasse and Fulton), from which they allegedly distributed synthetic marijauna. The federal indictment alleges that at various times Inscentives Resale, Inscentives Auto and First Stop Last Stop Pawn and Aromatherapy purchased synthetic marijuana from Raja Nawaz, Butler, Gonzales, Polyanskiy and others.
Browning, Sheets and Bruce operated Esscentials Buy, Sell and Trade (also known as Esscentials, or Esscentials Resale) and S&J Tobacco (also known as J&L Tobacco), which purchased synthetic marijuana from Raja Nawaz, Polyanskiy and others and sold synthetic marijuana from locations in Holts Summit.
Houston, Sandfort, Rader, Shirley, Miller, Browning, Sheets and Bruce also periodically supplied each other with packages of synthetic marijuana for resale.
According to the indictment, Houston, Sandfort, Rader, Shirley, Browning and Sheets paid at least $2,866,676 to Raja Nawaz, Polyanskiy, Butler, Gonzales and others for synthetic marijuana between Jan. 16, 2013, and April 18, 2015.
Raja Nawaz (assisted by Polyanskiy) allegedly shipped synthetic marijuana from California and Nevada via FedEx and UPS to Houston, Sandfort, Rader, Browning, Sheets, Shirley, Miller, Bruce and others at least 190 times between Sept. 4, 2013, and Dec. 24, 2014.
Butler and Gonzalez allegedly shipped synthetic marijuana from California via UPS to Houston, Sandfort, Rader, Shirley and Miller at least 37 times between June 24, 2014, and April 14, 2015.
Polyanskiy allegedly shipped synthetic marijuana from Nevada via UPS to Houston, Sandfort, Rader, Browning, Sheets, Shirley, Miller and Bruce at least 24 times from Jan. 8 to April 14, 2015.
Additional Drug-Trafficking Counts
The federal indictment also alleges that all of the defendants participated in two additional conspiracies – a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and a conspiracy to distribute controlled substance analogues.
In addition to the three conspiracy counts, the federal indictment charges Browning, Sheets and Bruce together in one count of aiding and abetting each other and others to distribute controlled substances.
Browning, Sheets and Bruce are also charged together in count of aiding and abetting each other and others to possess controlled substances with the intent to distribute.
Houston, Sandfort, Rader and Miller are also charged together in one count of aiding and abetting each other and others to distribute controlled substances.
Houston, Sandfort, Rader and Miller are also charged together in one count of possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute.
Houston, Sandfort and Rader are also charged together in three counts of maintaining a place for the purpose of storing and distributing controlled substances at Inscentives Resale, with one location in Auxvasse and two locations in Fulton. Browning and Sheets are also charged together in one count of maintaining a place for the purpose of storing and distributing controlled substances at S&J Smoke Shop in Holts Summit.
Money Laundering Counts
Raja Nawaz, Butler, Gonzales, Houston, Browning, Sandfort, Sheets, Rader and Shirley are also charged together in one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. They allegedly conspired to conduct financial transactions that involved the proceeds of illegal activity in order to promote the criminal activity and to conceal the nature of the proceeds.
In addition to the money-laundering conspiracy, Raja Nawaz, Houston, Sandfort, Rader and Shirley are charged together in two counts of money laundering.
The indictment alleges that Raja Nawaz engaged in numerous financial transactions through which he transmitted approximately $387,114 in proceeds from the distribution of synthetic marijuana from the United States to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in order to conceal these proceeds.
California Businesses
The federal indictment alleges that Raja Nawaz utilized his businesses (MOJO Distribution, LLC, Aromatic Novelties, Inc., and Top Notch Novelties, Inc.) to send FedEx packages containing synthetic marijuana to wholesale customers, including Butler and Gonzales.
Polyanskiy allegedly assisted Raja Nawaz in the distribution of synthetic marijuana by fulfilling orders placed by customers in the Western District of Missouri and elsewhere. Polyanskiy also established ANOP, Inc., (in which Raja Nawaz was a silent partner) to send UPS packages containing synthetic marijuana to customers in the Western District of Missouri and various other locations in the United States.
Sheila Nawaz was the president of Ecomm Organix, Inc., which allegedly purchased synthetic marijuana from MOJO Distribution and then distributed it to retail customers throughout the United States, including the Western District of Missouri. Ecomm Organix and MOJO Distribution shared websites and telephone numbers used to market synthetic marijuana. Employees of MOJO Distribution were paid by Ecomm Organix. Ecomm Organix employees worked for MOJO Distribution.
Butler and Gonzalez worked for MOJO Distribution. They also established Butler-Whayne Industries, LLC, which allegedly sent UPS packages containing synthetic marijuana to wholesale customers, including Inscentives Resale in Auxvasse and Fulton, and Esscentials/S&J Tobacco in Holts Summit.
Forfeiture Allegations
The indictment also contains several forfeiture allegations, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offenses or any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged offenses, including a $6,656,843 money judgment, which represents the amount of money involved in the conspiracy to defraud the government and the public, and a $321,585 money judgment, which represents the amount of money involved in the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Forfeitures would also include the property of Inscentives Resale at 601 Airway Dr., Fulton, as well as $3,070 seized by law enforcement officers from Inscentives Resale, $9,581 seized by law enforcement officers from S&J Tobacco, $3,028 seized by law enforcement officers from Browning and various bank accounts.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by 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.
Six Southern Missouri Residents Indicted for Large-Scale Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that six southern Missouri residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine.
Michael Ryan Nevatt, 26, Kara Rene Baze, 23, and Scott Bryan Sands, 51, all of Springfield, Mo., Kenneth Bryant Lake, 55, of Strafford, Mo., Jerry Lee Brown, 43, of Lebanon, Mo., and Travis Lee Bethel, 45, of Urbana, Mo., were charged in an indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday, April 21, 2016. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of Sands and Bethel. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Nevatt, who is already in federal custody, on March 30, 2016.
The federal indictment alleges that Nevatt, Baze, Sands, Lake, Brown and Bethel participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2013, to April 21, 2016.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a cooperating defendant was arrested by Buchanan County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies in St. Joseph, Mo., on July 20, 2015. The cooperating defendant, who was in possession of approximately 500 grams of methamphetamine and $5,000, allegedly identified Nevatt as his source. The cooperating defendant also told investigators that s/he accompanied Nevatt to Dallas, Texas, on multiple occasions to obtain multiple-pound quantities of methamphetamine, which was then transported back to Missouri for distribution.
According to the affidavit, Nevatt was the middle man between Mexican methamphetamine suppliers and southern Missouri distributors Lake and Brown. A second confidential informant told investigators that s/he had traveled to Dallas, Texas, with Nevatt to pick up pound levels of methamphetamine approximately 20 to 30 times between October 2014 and July 2015. The methamphetamine allegedly was transported back to Springfield for distribution.
According to the affidavit, Lake told investigators that he was the “safe house” and received a percentage for keeping the money safe until he delivered it to Nevatt at a Springfield hotel. Nevatt would then deliver the money to the Mexican suppliers.
Springfield investigators conducted a traffic stop on Nevatt’s motorcycle on July 29, 2015. During an inventory of the motorcycle saddle bags, the affidavit says, officers recovered approximately $66,000. This allegedly was money Nevatt owed to the Mexican suppliers.
On Aug. 28, 2015, officers executed a search warrant at Nevatt’s hotel room in Springfield and recovered methamphetamine and more than $100,000. Baze and Lake were in the hotel room at the time of the search. When Nevatt arrived at the hotel, officers approached him and he fled in his vehicle but was taken into custody.
On March 29, 2016, Nevatt was arrested following a traffic stop conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol in Webster County, Mo. Troopers seized approximately $39,000 that had been rolled up and wrapped in rubber bands in a plastic shopping bag. A dog alerted on the bag for the odor of controlled substances.
The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged offense, including a money judgment of $530,000. According to the indictment, this represents the amount received in exchange for the unlawful distribution of methamphetamine based on a conservative average street price of $1,000 per ounce and the total conspiracy distribution of at least 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Hartville Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Hartville, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for producing child pornography.
Edward Penn, 32, of Hartville, was sentenced by U.S District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Penn to supervised release for the rest of his life following incarceration. Penn has been in federal custody since his arrest on Dec. 10, 2014.
On Nov. 18, 2015, Penn pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of a child. Penn admitted that he used a minor, identified as Jane Doe #1, to produce child pornography from Jan. 1, 2013, to Oct. 3, 2014.
Penn admitted that he used his cell phone to take nude photographs of a child under the age of five. Penn took the pictures of the child while she was lying on his bed. Penn sent the images of the child to another individual via MMS messaging on his phone.
Penn also admitted that he had received images of child pornography on his cell phone from a co-worker.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cybercrime Task Force and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Two More Men Plead Guilty to Drug-trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two more defendants pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a large-scale conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Boone County, Mo.
Ronnie Lee Gillette, 55, of Kingdom City, Mo., and Tyrone Dewayne Jackson, 36, of Boonville, Mo., pleaded guilty in separate hearings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Boone County from November 2011 to August 2014. Gillette also pleaded guilty to using a telephone to facility the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
By pleading guilty today, Gillette admitted that he worked for co-defendant Kenneth Scott, Sr., 47, and assisted him in transporting cocaine and in delivering and selling crack cocaine to others, including co-defendant Malcolm Desean Redmon, also known as “Harp,” 32, of Columbia.
On June 20, 2014, Gillette made a trip to Kansas City to pick up powder cocaine for Scott and delivered it to the residence of co-defendant Teka Hayes, 51, Columbia. Scott and Redmond then converted the powder cocaine to crack cocaine at the residence. On July 22, 2014, Gillette went to Hayes’s residence again and picked up cocaine.
Jackson admitted that he ordered powder cocaine from Scott, and it would either be delivered to Jackson by Scott or Gillette, or Jackson would make arrangements to pick it up. According to today’s plea agreement, Perez also would deliver some controlled substances to Jackson, including marijuana and a small amount of cocaine.
Jackson admitted that, while involved in the conspiracy, in addition to the amounts he received from Perez, he was directly responsible for receiving at least eight ounces of powder cocaine from Scott and then reselling it. Jackson admitted that he also acquired at least two ounces of powder cocaine and three pounds of marijuana for resale from Perez during his participation in the conspiracy.
Gillette, Jackson, Scott, Redmon, Perez and Hayes are among 20 defendants who have pleaded guilty.
Under federal statutes, Gillette and Jackson 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. 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 Anthony P. Gonzalez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, MUSTANG (the Mid-Missouri Unified Strike Team and Narcotics Group), the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Boone County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Springfield Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Structuring Financial TransactionsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Springfield, Mo., business owner has pleaded guilty in federal court to structuring financial transactions in an effort to evade federal reporting requirements.
Douglas Gooch, 55, of Springfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Thursday, April 22, 2016, to structuring financial transactions to evade federal reporting requirements. Gooch owns and operates a wholesale business selling antiques, jewelry and coins in Springfield. Gooch purchases and sells antiques, jewelry and coins.
Gooch made 18 withdrawals from his bank account between June 29 and Nov. 1, 2011. Each withdrawal was for an amount under $10,000. Most withdrawals were made on consecutive days or within days of each other and most withdrawals were for $9,000. Collectively, if the withdrawals were conducted as one financial transaction, the amount of the single withdrawal would total $137,200.
Under federal law, any financial institution that engages in a currency transaction (such as a deposit or withdrawal) in excess of $10,000 with a customer must report the transaction to the Department of the Treasury by filing a Currency Transaction Report. Gooch admitted to bank personnel that his withdrawals were purposely done in amounts under $10,000 in order to avoid filing a Currency Transaction Report.
Gooch also admitted that he made 10 withdrawals from his credit union account between July 25 and Oct. 6, 2015. Each withdrawal was for an amount under $10,000. Collectively, if the withdrawals were conducted as one financial transaction, the amount of the single withdrawal would total $85,000.
In total, during the two time periods in which Gooch knew of the Currency Transaction Report threshold and expressed his desire to withdraw monies in amounts that evaded this reporting requirement, Gooch’s structured withdrawals totaled $222,200.
Under federal statutes, Gooch 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 Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Restaurant Owner Indicted for Cocaine Conspiracy, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that the owner of Danny’s Big Easy Cajun restaurant was indicted by a federal grand jury today on additional drug-trafficking and firearms charges.
Paul Danny Gosserand, 57, of Kansas City, Kan., was charged in a three-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s superseding indictment replaces a Dec. 17, 2014 federal indictment and includes additional charges. Gosserand is the owner of Danny’s Big Easy Cajun at E. 18th and Vine in Kansas City, Mo.
Today’s indictment retains the original charge of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of powder cocaine in May 2011. Gosserand is also charged with possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute and with possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Gosserand allegedly was in possession of a Sears Roebuck & Company 16-gauge bolt action shotgun with no serial number and a North American Arms .22-caliber long rifle revolver on May 18, 2011.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Branson Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Branson, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to tax evasion.
Barry Knudsen, 54, of Branson, 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 one count of tax evasion and one count of failing to file a tax return.
Knudsen admitted that, despite earning significant income through several businesses in which he is a shareholder, he repeatedly failed to file and pay federal and state income taxes. Knudsen took affirmative acts to evade paying income taxes for six years, for the tax periods from 2009 through 2014. His gross annual income during those years ranged from $229,271 to $286,642 and totaled more than $1.5 million.
Knudsen’s continued failure to file income tax returns, in conjunction with his failure to have adequate federal income tax withholding, resulted in a total federal tax loss of $217,958 and a total state tax loss of $46,439. The total tax loss for both the federal and state governments amounts to $264,397.
Knudsen was in regular contact with IRS employees regarding his tax liabilities, and received numerous notices regarding his unfiled returns. Despite being contacted by law enforcement in October 2014, Knudsen has not filed federal income tax returns for the years of 2009 through 2013. Furthermore, Knudsen has not voluntarily paid all of federal income tax for the years 2009 through 2014. As of March 8, 2016, through Missouri’s amnesty tax program, Knudsen has satisfied the state’s demand for payment of state income taxes.
Under federal statutes, Knudsen is subject to a sentence of up to six years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Raymore Man Indicted for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Raymore, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the armed robbery of United Missouri Bank in Raymore earlier this month.
Charles O. Jones, 52, of Raymore, was charged with one count of armed bank robbery in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.
Jones allegedly stole $1,330 at gunpoint from United Missouri Bank, 315 S. Dean, Raymore, on April 4, 2016.
Dickinson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the FBI and the Raymore, Mo., Police Department.
KCK Man Charged with 11 Additional Counts Related to Kidnapping Three VictimsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Kansas City, Kan., man who was previously charged with kidnapping and robbing three women was indicted by a federal grand jury today and charged with additional crimes.
Jamerl M. Wortham, 30, of Kansas City, Kan., was charged in a 15-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Wortham on April 11, 2016, and includes 11 additional counts.
The federal indictment retains the original kidnapping charge, but adds an additional kidnapping count and an additional count of conspiracy to kidnap all three victims. Today’s indictment also retains the original complaint’s two counts of possessing a sawed-off shotgun in relation to carjacking and kidnapping but adds three counts of possessing a sawed-off shotgun in furtherance of a crime of violence or a drug-trafficking crime. The indictment retains the original carjacking charge but adds additional charges of an armed robbery conspiracy and attempted armed robbery (related to forcing the victims to withdraw money from ATMs), distributing PCP, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing an unregistered firearm and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Kansas City, Kan., police officers attempted to stop a 2004 silver Jaguar in the area of 3rd and Central on Saturday, April 9, 2016. The Jaguar had been reported as stolen. During the traffic stop the vehicle fled and struck a bridge median. The driver, Wortham, was taken into custody after a foot pursuit. Inside the Jaguar, officers found a loaded sawed-off Coast To Coast Master-Mag 20-gauge shotgun with the serial number filed off.
Also in the vehicle was a woman identified as T.J., who was released from the scene. According to the affidavit, T.J. later arrived at the Central Patrol Division in Kansas City, Mo., to report that she and her roommate, identified as Y.C., were crime victims. She told police that they had been carjacked and that two unidentified men had kidnapped them and forced them to drive around in her roommate’s car, a red 2009 Toyota Camry. She also told police officers there was a third kidnapping victim, identified as M.M. She stated that Y.C. and M.M. were forced to ride with the other two men in Y.C.’s Toyota while T.J. was forced to ride with Wortham in the stolen Jaguar.
T.J. did not mention the kidnapping to police officers at the time of Wortham’s arrest, she said, because Wortham and the other two men had threatened to harm the other girls if anyone spoke to the police. She believed the other two men were watching as Wortham was apprehended and the other two victims’ lives were in danger. T.J. went home after she left the crash scene to check and see if Y.C. was home. When she arrived home and Y.C. was still missing, T.J. contacted the police department to report the carjacking, robbery and kidnapping.
According to the affidavit, T.J. and Y.C. were approached by two unknown men while they were depositing their paychecks at an ATM at about 2 a.m. Saturday, April 9, 2016. One of the men walked up to the driver’s side, grabbed Y.C. and demanded her money. The other man approached the passenger side door and pointed a shotgun at T.J. He forced T.J. into the backseat of the Camry and got into the vehicle. The first man forced Y.C. into the passenger seat as he got into the driver’s seat.
While the second man held the shotgun, the affidavit says, the first man demanded the women’s money, ATM cards and bags. He drove the Camry, with the two women still in the vehicle, to an apartment complex in Kansas City, Kan. They allegedly met Wortham, who was driving the Jaguar he had stolen earlier. Wortham and the third victim, M.M. (who had been in the Jaguar), got into the Camry. They drove to another ATM, the affidavit says, and T.J. and Y.C. were forced to withdraw money using their ATM cards. They drove to a gas station and purchased some drugs, the affidavit says, and made several other stops before eventually returning to the Jaguar.
During the drive, the affidavit says, one of the men forced the victims to smoke PCP as he used methamphetamine. When they reached the apartment complex, T.J. was forced to get into the Jaguar with Wortham, who also took the shotgun. The other two victims remained in the Camry with the other two men. Both vehicles left together. Soon after that, police officers stopped Wortham and arrested him. The other men watched as Wortham was taken into the custody, the affidavit says, and fled in the opposite direction.
According to the affidavit, the two men drove the victims to the Blue Springs, Mo., area, where they again stopped to buy drugs. One of the men was dropped off near a gas station in Kansas City, Kan., and Y.C. was told to get into the driver’s seat and drive to the bus stop. At about 9 a.m. they arrived at 108 Askew Avenue in Kansas City, Mo., where M.M. jumped out of the car and ran away.
After M.M. escaped, the affidavit says, the man told Y.C. to drive away and she did. As they drove away, they began to argue. Y.C. slammed on the brakes and caused the man to hit his face. She attempted to force him out of her car, while at the same time trying to get someone’s attention by hitting the horn with her knee. When that didn’t work, she attempted to run from the car but the man grabbed her by the hair. Once she freed herself from his grip, she ran from the car as he chased her. Y.C. used the keys to set off the vehicle alarm in an attempt to get someone’s attention. She ran several blocks and flagged down a motorist who took her back to her car.
The third victim, M.M., later told police that she was at Harpo’s Bar, 4109 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, Mo., around 11 p.m. on Friday, April 8, 2016. She went outside to wait on the curb and got into a car she thought was her Uber car, but actually was the stolen Jaguar driven by Wortham.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department.
Jefferson City, Columbia Men Plead Guilty to Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Jefferson City, Mo., man and a Columbia, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today, in separate and unrelated cases, to illegally possessing firearms.
USA v. Tyler
Carlton Terron Tyler, 33, of Jefferson City, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge William A. Knox to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
By pleading guilty today, Tyler admitted that he was in possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol on March 21, 2015. According to today’s plea agreement, Tyler was at a residence in Jefferson City on that date when he became involved in an argument and left the residence. He returned a short time later with a firearm and fired two shots, then left the residence in a pickup truck. A Jefferson City police officer, responding to the shots-fired call, saw Tyler drive past him and stopped him. The officer searched the pickup truck and found the firearm in the middle console.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Tyler has prior felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a controlled substance and stealing.
Under federal statutes, Tyler 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 Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.
USA v. Gordon
R’Landis Glenn Gordon, 26, of Columbia, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge William A. Knox to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
By pleading guilty today, Gordon admitted that he was in possession of a loaded Colt .22-caliber long rifle “officer’s model” revolver and ammunition on July 28, 2015. Columbia police officers stopped the vehicle Gordon was driving on that date due to an expired registration. Gordon was arrested for driving with a revoked driver’s license, and officers found a box of .22-caliber long rifle ammunition on him during a search. Officers then searched his vehicle and found the revolver, which was fully loaded and cocked.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Gordon has prior felony convictions for theft, resisting arrest, robbery and armed criminal action.
Under federal statutes, Gordon 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 Anthony P. Gonzalez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.
California Man Indicted for Large-Scale Meth DistributionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a California man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for attempting to sell a large amount of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer.
Javier Corona-Verduzco, 33, of Montclair, Calif., was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Corona-Verduzco on April 4, 2016.
Today’s indictment charges Corona-Verduzco with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Corona-Verduzco was attempting to sell pound quantities of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Corona-Verduzco allegedly told the confidential informant that he had a large quantity of methamphetamine and was looking for customers to purchase multiple pound quantities.
The confidential informant told Corona-Verduzco that he/she knew someone who was interested in purchasing pounds of methamphetamine. According to the indictment, Corona-Verduzco agreed to meet the confidential informant and this acquaintance, who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer, on March 31, 2016. Corona-Verduzco met with the confidential informant and the undercover officer at a location in Kansas City, Kan., the affidavit says, and offered to sell 15 pounds of methamphetamine for approximately $80,000. Corona-Verduzco allegedly agreed to conduct the transaction at a house in Kansas City, Kan.
Corona-Verduzco and the confidential informant allegedly drove to a house in Kansas City, Mo., so that the confidential informant could check the quality of the methamphetamine for sale. At that location, the affidavit says, the confidential informant saw approximately 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine in a bag.
Corona-Verduzco was arrested the next day. According to the affidavit, he had told both the confidential informant and the undercover officer that the 15 pounds of methamphetamine he was attempting to sell them was in a gray Chevrolet Tahoe. Law enforcement officers located the Tahoe parked in front of the Kansas City, Mo., residence where Corona-Verduzco had taken the confidential informant the day before. Law enforcement officers found seven packages of methamphetamine, totaling 6.814 kilograms (approximately 15 pounds), hidden in a hollow compartment behind the driver’s side rear panel. Officers also found 400 grams of methamphetamine inside the residence.
According to the affidavit, Corona-Verduzco had been previously deported after being convicted of a felony.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Jackson County Drug Task Force.
Restaurant Owner Indicted for Illegal Firearms, SilencersRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that an Auxvasse, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing 21 firearms and three firearm silencers.
Billy Bush Owen, 53, of Auxvasse, was charged in a two-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo., on Feb. 10, 2016. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Owen’s arrest and initial court appearance. Owen is the owner of Panhead Billy’s BBQ in Kingdom City, Mo.
The federal indictment charges Owen with one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and one count of possessing three unregistered firearm silencers.
Owen, who has been convicted of a felony, allegedly was in possession of 21 firearms on Dec. 9,2015, including handguns, rifles and shotguns, as well as three silencers. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to possess any firearms (including silencers) or ammunition.
Owen also was charged with possessing three silencers that were not registered to him.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Gonzalez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and MUSTANG (the Mid-Missouri Unified Strike Team And Narcotics Group).
Republic Man Sentenced to 15 Years for MethRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Republic, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today after police officers who stopped to help with his stalled vehicle discovered methamphetamine in the back seat.
William Cruz Martinez, 40, of Republic, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole.
On Sept. 28, 2015, Martinez pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Martinez admitted that he was in possession of a total of 148.05 grams of methamphetamine when he was approached by a Springfield police officer on Oct. 1, 2013.
According to court documents, Martinez’s 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe was stopped at a flashing red light at the intersection of Fremont Street and Bennett Avenue in Springfield. The Tahoe appeared to be stalled, so the officer activated his emergency lights to warn oncoming traffic and approached Martinez, the driver. Martinez appeared nervous and stated that he was having car trouble. After checking his identity information, the officer told Martinez that he was free to leave and asked him if he needed his vehicle towed. Martinez said he would have a friend come and help him. The officer told Martinez that he would standby in his vehicle until his friend arrived, so other motorists would not strike him, and Martinez thanked him.
As the officer started walking towards his patrol vehicle, another officer motioned to him to look in the back passenger seat of Martinez’s vehicle. The officer saw in plain view a clear plastic bag containing methamphetamine on the passenger side back seat. Martinez grabbed the plastic bag and attempted to hide or destroy it. Officers pulled Martinez out of the vehicle, at which time he dropped the bag, which was recovered by one of the officers.
During a search of the vehicle, officers found a lunchbox under the hood, inside the air filter box. Inside the lunch box were clear plastic bags containing methamphetamine, individually packaged for distribution. Officers seized a total of 148.05 grams of methamphetamine from Martinez’s vehicle.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Former Greene County Sheriff's Deputy Pleads Guilty to Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a former Greene County, Mo., Deputy Sheriff has pleaded guilty in federal court to receiving and distributing child pornography.
Juan T. Jones, 28, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Monday, April 18, 2016, to the charge contained in a Jan. 19, 2016, federal indictment. Jones was a Greene County Deputy Sheriff at the time of the offense.
An officer with the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force Officer opened the investigation on Sept. 25, 2015, after a CyberTip from Dropbox to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Dropbox had discovered many video and image files that contained child pornography, which had been uploaded by Jones.
Investigators executed a search warrant at Jones’s residence on Jan. 6, 2016. While the warrant was being executed, they contacted Jones at his place of employment, the Greene County Sheriff’s Department. Jones admitted to investigators that he had looked at child pornography for as long as 10 years. Jones also admitted that he had exchanged child pornography images on Tumblr. Investigators discovered numerous images of child pornography on Jones’s cell phone.
Under federal statutes, Jones 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 Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force and the FBI.
Fifth Defendant Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, 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 conspiracy to commit several armed robberies at restaurants in the metropolitan area.
William H. Parker III, 21, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to participating in the conspiracy to commit armed robberies, to one count of armed robbery and to one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence.
Four co-defendants have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the armed robbery conspiracy and to related charges. Mikah M. Labayen, 20, of Blue Springs, was sentenced to six years in federal prison without parole. Renargo L. Martin, 46, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole. Jeremy Hunter, also known as “Heat,” 26, of Kansas City, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Isiah G. Etienne, 21, of Blue Springs, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2016.
Parker, Labayen, Martin, Hunter and Etienne each admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to rob several fast food restaurants in the Kansas City area in the fall of 2014. Parker, Labayen and Etienne were employed at a Chipotle restaurant in Blue Springs. Using their knowledge of procedures commonly used by such establishments, conspirators would wait until the end of a business day, and then rob restaurants by waiting until an employee opened a door to take trash out of the premises. They rushed the door to gain access, and then forced the manager or shift supervisor to give them access to the restaurant’s safe. Conspirators threatened restaurant employees with an assault rifle in order to force their cooperation.
Conspirators robbed a Chipotle restaurant in Lee’s Summit, Mo., on Nov. 3, 2014, taking $1,600; a Burger King restaurant in Independence, Mo., on Nov. 10, 2014, taking $914 and again on Nov. 30, 2014, taking $565; and a Chipotle restaurant in Blue Springs on Nov. 16, 2014, taking $6,800.
Following these robberies, Parker, Etienne and Labayen were captured after an attempted robbery of a motel.
Under federal statutes, Parker is subject to a sentence of up to 40 years in federal prison without parole, plus a consecutive sentence of at least seven years in federal prison without parole for the firearm offense. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Edwards. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Estranged Joplin Couple Sentenced to 20 Years for Child Porn After Reporting Each OtherRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Joplin, Mo., man and woman were sentenced in federal court today for receiving child pornography over the Internet after the estranged couple turned each other in to law enforcement.
Ernest “Andy” Britten, 37, of Joplin, Mo., and his ex-wife, Kendra Britten, 34, of Miami, Okla., formerly of Joplin, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough. Ernest and Kendra Britten were each sentenced to 20 years in federal prison without parole, the maximum statutory penalty. The court also ordered them to each pay a $40,000 fine and sentenced them to supervised release for the rest of their lives following incarceration.
On Jan. 19, 2016, Kendra Britten pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography over the Internet. On Oct. 5, 2015, Ernest Britten pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography over the Internet.
On Nov. 10, 2011, Kendra Britten brought a computer into the Joplin Police Department because there was child pornography on the computer. The computer, a Smildon Raidmax Gaming Deluxe, was utilized by Kendra and her then-husband, Ernest Britten. Kendra Britten decided to turn in the computer after Ernest Britten threatened to report her for possessing child pornography.
Investigators discovered 59 videos and 29 images of child pornography on the computer. The videos included children ages 3 to 14. The videos included bondage. According to court documents, the Brittens utilized a peer-to-peer file-sharing network to download child pornography.
Officers were unable to locate the Brittens and the case was suspended. On Jan. 8, 2014, officers were contacted by the Miami, Okla., Police Department, which requested information for their investigation of the Brittens for manufacturing child pornography and sexually abusing an 8-year-old victim.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force 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."
Clinton Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Clinton, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Benjamin A. Bowers, 27, of Clinton, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to the charge contained in an April 15, 2015, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, Bowers admitted that he shared images of child pornography over the Internet using a peer-to-peer file-sharing network.
Law enforcement officers from the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol were conducting an investigation into peer-to-peer networks that shared child pornography online. In November 2013, they downloaded multiple images of child pornography that were being shared from Bowers’s computer.
Officers with the Clinton Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol executed a search warrant at Bowers’s residence on Dec. 10, 2013, and seized several items, including computers and external components. Examiners discovered approximately 7,699 photos and 177 videos that contained child pornography, as well as 3,032 images of child erotica, on his computers and related media. The content includes depictions of toddlers and prepubescent minors.
Under federal statutes, Bowers 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 David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI, the Clinton, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Clay 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."
Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Arson at Mosque and Attempted Arson at Planned ParenthoodRead the Press Release
Jedediah Stout, 32, of Joplin, Missouri, pleaded guilty in the Western District of Missouri today to the arson of a Joplin mosque and two attempted arsons of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Joplin, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson of the Western District of Missouri.
Stout pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush of the Western District of Missouri to a four-count information that charges him with one count of damage to the Islamic Society of Joplin mosque, two counts of arson at a Planned Parenthood facility in Joplin and one count of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. He remains in federal custody without bond.
Stout, who told investigators that he did not like Islam as a religion, pleaded guilty to setting a fire that destroyed the Islamic Society of Joplin mosque on Aug. 6, 2012. The mosque served families from neighboring states, many of whom provided funding for the operation of the mosque. As a direct result of the fire, many donations made during the Muslim holy period of Ramadan were destroyed.
Stout admitted that he committed the mosque arson using the same kind of incendiary device he later used in two Planned Parenthood arson attempts.
On Oct. 3 and Oct. 4, 2013, Stout was captured on surveillance cameras as he made consecutive attempts to set fire to the Planned Parenthood facility in Joplin. In both instances, he threw items containing an accelerant onto the roof of the facility and then ignited material attached to the accelerant. Stout was apprehended soon after the Planned Parenthood arson attempts. He admitted to investigators that he was responsible for both Planned Parenthood arson attempts and for the mosque arson. Stout further admitted that he targeted Planned Parenthood because they provide reproductive health care services.
“In pleading guilty, Stout admitted that he attempted to burn the Planned Parenthood because it provides reproductive health services, and that he set fire to the Islamic Society of Joplin mosque because of its religious character,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. “The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute violence against reproductive health services providers and crimes motivated by religious animus.”
“I am committed to protecting and preserving the Constitutional rights of all Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Dickinson. “The Islamic Society of Joplin and Planned Parenthood were direct victims of these acts of arson, along with those whom they serve. But our entire community is impacted by hate crimes that strike at the heart of the principles by which we all live in a democracy. We will not tolerate the use of violence by anyone who threatens others in the free exercise of their religious and civil rights.”
Under federal statutes, Stout is subject to a maximum sentence of 61 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 U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Missouri State Highway Patrol; and the Joplin Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Kelleher of the Western District of Missouri in conjunction with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Stout Superseding Information
Stout Plea Agreement
Granby Man Sentenced for Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Granby, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving child pornography over the Internet.
Kyle Christopher Largen, 30, of Granby, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to nine years in federal prison without parole. Today’s sentence must be served consecutively to any sentence Largen receives in state court. The court also ordered Largen to pay $1,000 in restitution to one of the victims whose images of child sexual abuse he received.
On Oct. 20, 2015, Largen pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography.
The case began on Feb. 25, 2015, when a detective with the Joplin, Mo., Police Department became involved in a child sexual abuse investigation regarding Largen following a child abuse hotline report. On April 15, 2015, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Largen’s residence and seized his laptop, which contained images of child pornography. According to court documents, Largen possessed 1,769 images of child pornography and 235,554 images of pornographic anime, many of which depicted sadistic or masochistic conduct.
According court documents, Largen was showing pornography to two 4- and 5-year-old children.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former High School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former teacher at St. Elizabeth High School in St. Elizabeth, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today distributing child pornography.
Stephen Gregory Strobel, 26, of St. Elizabeth, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to the charge contained in a Nov. 5, 2014, federal indictment.
In April 2014 a Wooster, Ohio woman discovered that her 13-year-old daughter had engaged in a sexually explicit Internet chat with Strobel. On May 12, 2014, investigators contacted Strobel at St. Elizabeth High School. Strobel admitted he had exchanged pornographic photos with the 13-year-old victim and that she had sent him pornographic photos and a video.
Strobel also told investigators that he had traded photos of underage girls with various people online. He never asked the ages of the children depicted, but estimated them to be between the ages of 13 and 15. Strobel estimated that he had received 15 photographs of underage children, the youngest being five or six years old. He stated that he had sent approximately 10 photos of underage children to other people and had also shared videos depicting underage children.
Investigators identified a video and approximately 500 images of child pornography on Strobel’s iPhone.
Under federal statutes, Strobel 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 Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the FBI, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Wayne County, Ohio, 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."
Children's Mercy Hospital Honored for Combating Crimes Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
More photos from the event are available in a Photo Gallery
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, presented the Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award today to the SCAN (Safety Care And Nurturing) Clinic at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Dickinson also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to former Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Fincham.
Today’s award ceremony was part of an annual event hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and VictimNet, a coalition of victim service providers and others committed to meeting the needs of crime victims in Jackson County, in conjunction with the observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme – “Serving Victims. Building Trust. Restoring Hope.” – emphasizes the importance of providing needed services at the earliest stage of victimization.
Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award
“Thousands of children, the most vulnerable victims of crime, have been served by the SCAN Clinic at Children’s Mercy Hospital,” Dickinson said. “The SCAN Clinic is a critical resource to protect children from further trauma, provide the resources they need for recovery and prosecute their abusers.”
The SCAN Clinic is designed to provide an unbiased resource to investigate child abuse based on medical evidence. The specialized medical exams can help identify overlooked abuse as well as disprove suspected abuse. The SCAN clinic serves children and adolescents along with the families involved in the allegations of abuse and neglect. The SCAN Clinic has open access and accepts referrals from all sources including physician offices, individuals and families.
The Division of Child Abuse and Neglect at Children’s Mercy Hospital cares for nearly 3,000 children each year by identifying, preventing and treating all forms of child abuse. The division consists of:
- The SCAN Clinic;
- The Child and Family Therapy Department;
- A multi-disciplinary team for kids under 6 years old dealing with any trauma, which is comprised of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Social Work.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Fincham supervised the Computer Crimes and Child Exploitation Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office before retiring last year.
Her 33-year-long career began as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office in 1982. While at the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office Fincham led what was then called the Sex Crimes Unit. She not only handled some of the most difficult and gut-wrenching cases in the office, but she also mentored young attorneys and helped them develop the skills necessary to successfully prosecute sex offenders.
In 1995 Fincham joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office and worked in both the General Crimes Unit and the Narcotics Unit before moving to the Computer Crimes and Child Exploitation Unit. From 2001 until her retirement in 2015, Fincham prosecuted the most serious child exploitation cases in the Western District of Missouri.
“Kathy has helped shape the law when it comes to protecting victims from predators,” Dickinson said, “and has always been conscientious of how a prosecution can affect a crime victim.
“Kathy spent her legal career pursuing justice for victims of crime and has dedicated herself to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society,” Dickinson said. “It is my great pleasure to present this award to a fierce advocate and consummate professional.”
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award is presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office each year during the local observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to recognize the outstanding work of an individual or organization in protecting children from exploitation. The award was presented to the SCAN Clinic at Children’s Mercy Hospital in memory of Crystal Kipper and Ali Kemp, two young women who were both fatal victims of tragic crimes. Roger Kemp, Ali Kemp’s father, participated in today’s presentation; Anna Rhea, Crystal Kipper’s mother, was unable to attend this year’s event.
Today’s event at the Power and Light District also featured comments from Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker and showcased various local victim service providers and a solidarity walk led by the Kansas City Mounted Patrol and Parents of Murdered Children. An art display featured the work of students of MyARTS.
The Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CVRA), enacted in 2004, grants victims in federal criminal proceedings certain enforceable rights, including the right to be reasonably heard at public court proceedings and to receive full and timely restitution as provided by law. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has a dedicated Victim/Witness Unit that serves federal crime victims across the district’s 66 counties. Members of this unit notify victims of significant case events through the Department of Justice’s Victim Notification System (VNS). Such notice enables victims to participate in court proceedings and make their voices heard. Victim/Witness personnel accompany victims to court hearings and trials to ensure that victim participation in court proceedings is meaningful and to answer questions and explain the federal judicial process.
In addition to notification and court accompaniment, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Unit provides essential services to victims, such as making referrals for counseling, securing temporary housing, assisting with access to victim compensation funds, and accompanying victims to court to provide support and guidance during the proceedings. These services provide tools victims need to reshape their futures.
Further information about National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is available at http://www.ovc.gov.
The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award
Crystal Kipper was an 18-year-old Gladstone, Mo., resident who was murdered after her car broke down on Interstate 29, just north of Platte City, on Feb. 24, 1997. Ali Kemp was a 19-year-old Blue Valley North High School graduate who was murdered on June 18, 2002, while she worked at the Foxborough neighborhood swimming pool in Leawood, Kan.
Former KC Attorney Pleads Guilty to $1.2 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Kansas City, Mo., attorney pleaded guilty in federal court today to stealing more than $1.2 million from St. Luke’s Health System, a client of his former law firm.
Alan B. Gallas, 64, of Kansas City, 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 mail fraud. Gallas was an attorney and partner in the law firm of Gallas & Shultz in Kansas City, Mo. He surrendered his license to practice law in Missouri and Kansas in November 2015.
By pleading guilty today, 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. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Gallas must pay $1,224,264 in restitution to St. Luke’s.
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 today 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, Gallas withheld 601 payments totaling $211,391 in 2012. Gallas withheld 699 payments totaling $266,696 in 2013. Gallas withheld 625 payments totaling $227,892 in 2014. Through the month of July 2015, Gallas withheld 625 payments totaling $216,845.
Under federal statutes, Gallas is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the FBI.
KCK Man Charged with Kidnapping Three Victims, Carjacking, Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Kansas City, Kan., man has been charged in federal court with kidnapping and robbing three women and forcing them to drive around with him and two accomplices.
Jamerl M. Wortham, 30, of Kansas City, Kan., was charged in a four-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday, April 11, 2016. Wortham will have an initial court appearance later today.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Kansas City, Kan., police officers attempted to stop a 2004 silver Jaguar in the area of 3rd and Central on Saturday, April 9, 2016. The Jaguar had been reported as stolen. During the traffic stop the vehicle fled and struck a bridge median. The driver, Wortham, was taken into custody after a foot pursuit. Inside the Jaguar, officers found a loaded sawed-off Coast To Coast Master-Mag 20-gauge shotgun with the serial number filed off.
Also in the vehicle was a woman identified as T.J., who was released from the scene. According to the affidavit, T.J. later arrived at the Central Patrol Division in Kansas City, Mo., to report that she and her roommate, identified as Y.C., were crime victims. She told police that they had been carjacked and that two unidentified men had kidnapped them and forced them to drive around in her roommate’s car, a red 2009 Toyota Camry. She also told police officers there was a third kidnapping victim, identified as M.M. She stated that Y.C. and M.M. were forced to ride with the other two men in Y.C.’s Toyota while T.J. was forced to ride with Wortham in the stolen Jaguar.
T.J. did not mention the kidnapping to police officers at the time of Wortham’s arrest, she said, because Wortham and the other two men had threatened to harm the other girls if anyone spoke to the police. She believed the other two men were watching as Wortham was apprehended and the other two victims’ lives were in danger. T.J. went home after she left the crash scene to check and see if Y.C. was home. When she arrived home and Y.C. was still missing, T.J. contacted the police department to report the carjacking, robbery and kidnapping.
According to the affidavit, T.J. and Y.C. were approached by two unknown men while they were depositing their paychecks at an ATM at about 2 a.m. Saturday, April 9, 2016. One of the men walked up to the driver’s side, grabbed Y.C. and demanded her money. The other man approached the passenger side door and pointed a shotgun at T.J. He forced T.J. into the backseat of the Camry and got into the vehicle. The first man forced Y.C. into the passenger seat as he got into the driver’s seat.
While the second man held the shotgun, the first man demanded the women’s money, ATM cards and bags. He drove the Camry, with the two women still in the vehicle, to an apartment complex in Kansas City, Kan. They allegedly met Wortham, who was driving the Jaguar he had stolen earlier. Wortham and the third victim, M.M. (who had been in the Jaguar), got into the Camry. They drove to another ATM, the affidavit says, and T.J. and Y.C. were forced to withdraw money using their ATM cards. They drove to a gas station and purchased some drugs, the affidavit says, and made several other stops before eventually returning to the Jaguar.
During the drive, the affidavit says, one of the men forced the victims to smoke PCP as he used methamphetamines. When they reached the apartment complex, T.J. was forced to get into the Jaguar with Wortham, who also took the shotgun. The other two victims remained in the Camry with the other two men. Both vehicles left together. Soon after that, police officers stopped Wortham and arrested him. The other men watched as Wortham was taken into the custody, the affidavit says, and fled in the opposite direction.
According to the affidavit, the two men drove the victims to the Blue Springs, Mo., area, where they again stopped to buy drugs. One of the men was dropped off near a gas station in Kansas City, Kan., and Y.C. was told to get into the driver’s seat and drive to the bus stop. At about 9 a.m. they arrived at 108 Askew Avenue in Kansas City, Mo., where M.M. jumped out of the car and ran away.
After M.M. escaped, the affidavit says, the man told Y.C. to drive away and she did. As they drove away, they began to argue. Y.C. slammed on the brakes and caused the man to hit his face. She attempted to force him out of her car, while at the same time trying to get someone’s attention by hitting the horn with her knee. When that didn’t work, she attempted to run from the car but the man grabbed her by the hair. Once she freed herself from his grip, she ran from the car as he chased her. Y.C. used the keys to set off the vehicle alarm in an attempt to get someone’s attention. She ran several blocks and flagged down a motorist who took her back to her car.
The third victim, M.M., later told police that she was at Harpo’s Bar, 4109 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, Mo., around 11 p.m. on Friday, April 8, 2016. She went outside to wait on the curb and got into a car she thought was her Uber car, but actually was the stolen Jaguar driven by Wortham.
The criminal complaint charges Wortham with carjacking, using a firearm during the carjacking, kidnapping and using a firearm during the kidnapping.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department.
Two Plead Guilty to Tax Refund ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two defendants have pleaded guilty in federal court to their roles in a tax refund conspiracy.
Theresa R. Gee, 45, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government. Co-defendant Nathaniel J. Justice, 43, formerly of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to the same charge on Thursday, April 7, 2016.
By pleading guilty, Gee and Justice admitted that they participated in a conspiracy from March 29, 2011, to Feb. 10, 2013, to submit false claims for federal income tax refunds.
The tax refund scheme involved the creation of false and fraudulent Form W-2s. The false W-2 forms reported fictitious employer information, fictitious income, fictitious income tax withholdings, fictitious dependents and other false information. Gee and Justice provided false W-2 forms to others (“filers”) who would then use the false W-2s to fraudulently file for federal and state income tax returns. Sometimes they would escort the filer inside H&R Block and assist the filer in the preparation of the fraudulent tax forms.
Gee and Justice recruited filers into the conspiracy through family relationships, friendships and other personal contacts. Conspirators promised each filer a portion or percentage of the illegally obtained refund. Gee and Justice also paid a fee – typically $500 – to those who referred a filer who was willing to participate in the scheme.
At the completion of the tax preparation process Gee and Justice retained the filer’s Emerald Card. (The Emerald Card would access an ATM account upon which the return would automatically be down-loaded.) Gee and Justice withdrew the refunds, gave a portion of each refund to the filer and kept a substantial portion for themselves.
The loss attributable to Gee and Justice is as much as $160,000. Gee and Justice are jointly and severally liable for restitution.
Under federal statutes, both Gee and Justice are 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. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Gregg Coonrod. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Fulton Man, Boonville Woman Charged with Illegal Firearm Following Police Chase, Shoot-out with OfficersRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Fulton, Mo., man and a Boonville, Mo., woman have been charged in federal court with illegally possessing a firearm following a police chase in the Columbia, Mo., area yesterday in which they fired upon pursuing officers.
Russell Deane Moore, Jr., 25, of Fulton, and Victoria Ann Buol, 24, of Boonville, were charged in separate but related criminal complaints filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., on Thursday, April 7, 2016. Moore and Buol, who were arrested at the conclusion of the law enforcement pursuit yesterday, will appear in court for a detention hearing this afternoon.
The federal criminal complaints charge Moore with being a felon in possession of a firearm and Buol with possessing a stolen firearm. They allegedly were in possession of a stolen Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Thursday, April 7, 2016.
According to affidavits filed in support of the criminal complaints, a Columbia, Mo., resident reported on Wednesday, April 6, 2016, that her Jeep had been stolen from her residence. Firearms and other items were also stolen from the residence, including the Smith & Wesson pistol. At approximately 2:44 a.m. on Thursday, April 7, 2016, a Boone County deputy sheriff saw the stolen Jeep pull into the Midway Travel Center, 6401 E. Hwy. 40, Columbia. The Jeep appeared to be unoccupied, the affidavit says, but as the deputy approached, he saw Buol move from the front passenger seat into the driver’s seat. She drove away from the deputy, the affidavit says, stopping in the parking lot to pick up Moore, who got into the front passenger’s seat.
The deputy pursued the Jeep with his emergency lights activated. The Jeep turned onto Highway 40 and, as it was crossing Interstate 70, Moore allegedly shot at the deputy multiple times. The Jeep turned onto Highway UU and stopped at the intersection of Sugar Creek Road. Moore got out of the Jeep and started shooting at the deputy, the affidavit says, then got back into the Jeep and the pursuit continued.
The deputy’s patrol vehicle was struck by gunfire and disabled. Other officers continued their pursuit of the stolen Jeep into the southern part of Columbia. The chase eventually moved onto Interstate 70 East, where officers continued to pursue the stolen Jeep into Callaway County, Mo. Throughout the pursuit, the affidavit says, multiple shots were fired from the Jeep at various officers. Shots were also fired from the Jeep at four semi-trailer trucks traveling on Interstate 70, nearly striking one of the drivers.
According to the affidavit, Moore and Buol later told investigators that they fired at the semi-trailer trucks in an effort to cause a serious accident, which would terminate officers’ pursuit of them and aid in their escape.
The pursuit ended when the Jeep ran out of gas on County Road 172 in Callaway County. Buol threw out the pistol from the front passenger seat, the affidavit says, and Moore and Buol were arrested.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Moore has two prior felony convictions for burglary.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in these complaints are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Miller. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Springfield, Illinois Men Plead Guilty to Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two men have pleaded guilty to their roles in a heroin trafficking conspiracy in the Springfield, Mo., area.
Deauntee Q. Mosby, 23, of Oak Lawn, Ill., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Wednesday, April 6, 2016, to the charge contained in a September 30, 2015, federal indictment. Donald D. Johnson, 27, of Springfield, pleaded guilty to the same charge on March 30, 2016.
By pleading guilty, Mosby and Johnson each admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin in Greene County, Mo., between May 29, 2013, and Feb. 12, 2015.
Mosby and Johnson admitted that they bought heroin in the Chicago, Ill., area and had it transported in vehicles to the Springfield area for distribution. Johnson also admitted that he bought heroin in the St. Louis, Mo., area. Mosby and Johnson sold heroin to other co-conspirators.
Mosby was stopped by law enforcement officers on two occasions. On Aug. 28, 2013, he was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped in Nixa, Mo. Mosby, who smelled of marijuana, was asked to get out of the vehicle. The officer searched the vehicle and found a syringe that contained heroin between the front driver and passenger seat, a digital scale with heroin residue, and $2,373 in the driver’s wallet. The officer also found a firearm in the trunk. Mosby was also stopped in Pulaski County, Mo., on Jan. 12, 2015, by a St. Robert, Mo., police officer. The officer smelled marijuana in the vehicle and arrested Mosby for an active warrant. Officers searched the vehicle and found a plastic bag behind a panel below the center console that contained 59.36 grams of heroin.
Mosby also admitted that he sold seven grams of heroin to a confidential law enforcement informant in Springfield for $1,100 on Sept. 13, 2013.
Johnson admitted that he sold heroin to an undercover law enforcement officer and a confidential informant on three occasions. On March 13, 2014, he sold .7 grams of heroin for $275 in a transaction in Springfield. On March 18, 2014, he sold 2.2 grams of heroin for $500 in a transaction in Ozark, Mo. On Feb. 12, 2015, he sold .93 grams of heroin for $270 in a transaction in Springfield.
Law enforcement officers searched a unit rented by Johnson and a co-conspirator at Bradford Mini Storage in Springfield on May 29, 2014. Inside the storage unit they found a Bushmaster .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle.
The plea agreement also contains references to telephone calls between Johnson and a co-defendant who discussed the conspiracy while she was incarcerated at the Greene County Jail.
Under federal statutes, Mosby and Johnson are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up 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. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nhan D. Nguyen and Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
KC Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty to $566,000 Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that the owner of a Kansas City, Mo., restaurant pleaded guilty in federal court today to filing a false tax return as part of a scheme to avoid paying more than $566,000 in corporate taxes.
Roger Geisler, 67, of Lenexa, Kan., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to a federal information that charges him with filing a false tax return.
Geisler has owned and operated two restaurants in Kansas City, Mo. – Domo Sushi bar and Grill in the Brookside area and Matsu Japanese Restaurant (from 1980 to 2010) in the Westport area.
Geisler admitted that, for tax years 2007, 2008 and 2009, he signed and submitted corporate returns for his company, Lee’s Pacific Foods, that underreported his restaurants’ gross receipts. The total unreported income for those tax years totaled $2,297,013. As a result of Geisler’s omissions, the amount of tax due and owing totaled $402,860.
In addition to the 2007 to 2009 income taxes, Geisler admitted that he failed to report and pay over employment taxes from 2007 to 2010. A conservative calculation of employment tax due totals $163,268, bringing the total loss from the overall scheme to $566,128.
Geisler also admitted that he did not file individual tax returns for 2007 through 2010.
After Geisler was contacted by the IRS, his accountant asked him how he thought he would get away with not reporting business income and payroll taxes. Geisler responded “I thought I would be dead before they caught on.”
Geisler spent at least $156,988 in business funds on personal expenses, including a home in Lenexa and a 2004 Lexus SUV. Geisler admitted he has a large gambling problem and gambled extensively at area casinos. For example, he gambled $159,706 in 2007 (at Argosy and Isle of Capri.) In 2010, Geisler gambled $290,175 at the 7th Street Casino.
Under federal statutes, Geisler is subject to a sentence of up to three years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel M. Nelson. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Ozark Man Pleads Guilty to False Tax Claim, Advertised on Craigslist for DependentsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an Ozark, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to filing a false income tax return after he advertised on Craigslist to purchase identity information for children that he could claim as dependents as part of a larger tax fraud scheme.
Raheem L. McClain, 37, of Ozark, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to the charge contained in a Feb. 23, 2016, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, McClain admitted that he engaged in a scheme to defraud the IRS by preparing and submitting false tax returns on behalf of himself and his girlfriend (who is not identified in court documents) between Jan. 28, 2012, and Feb. 4, 2016. McClain prepared and submitted false federal tax returns for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 claiming dependents to which he was not entitled to claim. McClain also prepared and submitted false federal tax returns for his girlfriend for the years 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 claiming dependents to which she was not entitled to claim.
For tax returns filed for the calendar years 2011, 2012 and 2013 McClain admitted that he used the personal information for three dependents from a female he met on an on-line dating website to falsely claim these children as dependents and to falsely claim refunds for himself and his girlfriend. For a tax return filed for the calendar year 2014, McClain falsely listed his grandmother as a dependent on his girlfriend’s tax return.
McClain also admitted that he caused an advertisement to be posted on Craigslist on Jan. 16, 2015, stating:
“WANTED: KIDS TO CLAIM ON INCOME TAXES - $750 (SPRINGFIELD,
MO)
IF YOU HAVE SOME KIDS YOU ARENT CLAIMING, I WILL PAY YOU A
$750 EACH TO CLAIM THEM ON MY INCOME TAX. IF INTERESTED,
REPLY TO THIS AD.”
On Feb. 3, 2015, McClain caused a false federal tax return to be electronically signed and filed in his name for 2014, which listed three dependents by name, Social Security number and supposed relationship (two sons and one daughter). He obtained the personal information for these dependents from a woman who responded to his Craigslist advertisement.
On Feb. 4, 2015, McClain caused two false federal tax returns to be filed through the mail in his name for 2012 and 2013. Each of the returns listed the same three dependents; however, on these two returns the same individuals were listed as one son and two daughters. The woman who responded to the advertisement did not authorize McClain to use the dependent information on his 2012 tax return.
On Feb. 4, 2016, McClain caused a false federal tax return to be electronically signed and filed in the name of his girlfriend for 2015, which listed the same three dependents but claimed them as one nephew and two nieces. The woman who sold the dependent information was unaware that McClain used the dependents on his girlfriend’s 2015 tax return.
The total actual tax loss for this case, including both federal and state refunds, is $21,986. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, McClain must pay restitution to the IRS and to the state of Missouri, including interest.
According to today’s plea agreement, McClain owes $597 in Missouri state income taxes for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 for the fraudulent tax returns he filed in his own name. He also owes $806 in Missouri state income taxes for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 for the fraudulent state income tax returns he filed in his girlfriend’s name.
Under federal statutes, McClain is subject to a sentence of up to three years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Missouri Department of Revenue.
New Mexico Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an Albuquerque, New Mexico, man was sentenced in federal court today for transporting a 13-year-old victim from Henry County, Mo., across state lines to engage in illicit sexual activity.
Raymond C. Vallia, III, 56, of Albuquerque, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 17, 2015, Vallia pleaded guilty to transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity.
On March 29, 2015, deputies with Henry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of a missing 13-year-old female, identified in court documents as MV. During the course of the investigation law enforcement agents determined that MV met Vallia through a social networking Web site and that he had picked up MV at her home with the intent that they would live in an apartment in New Mexico.
New Mexico State Police saw a vehicle matching the description of Vallia’s vehicle on Interstate 40 in New Mexico on March 30, 2015. At that time the vehicle was pulled over, MV was recovered and Vallia was arrested.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the FBI, the Henry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the New Mexico State Police and the Amarillo, Texas, Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Independence Men Plead Guilty to Producing Child Porn, Face at Least 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two Independence, Mo., men pleaded guilty in federal court today to producing child pornography.
Kenneth R. Davis, 35, and Randy Mull, 36, both of Independence, pleaded guilty in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to the charge contained in a July 29, 2015, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, Davis and Mull each admitted that they aided and abetted each other to produce child pornography on July 15, 2010, by taking a series of pornographic photos of a 14-year-old child victim (identified as “John Doe #2) in their bedroom.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Davis must pay $5,000 in restitution to each of five separate victims whose images of child sexual abuse he received or possessed; or $3,000 to each victim if he can pay restitution within 30 days of the sentencing date.
Under federal statutes, Davis and Mull are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Kansas City, Kan., 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."