Eastern District of Missouri

ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Jeffrey M. Bauza on November 17, 2021 with numerous counts of willful failure to collect or pay taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.   

 

The indictment charges Jeffrey M. Bauza willfully failed to collect, account for, and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service all the Federal income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes withheld and due to the United States.  Bauza owned and operated CDL Training Service & Consulting and CDL Training Services of Missouri.   

 

The indictment alleges that beginning in 2015 through 2018, as owner and operator of CDL Training Service & Consulting and CDL Training Services of Missouri, Bauza withheld payroll taxes from his employees continuously, but he did not file the required quarterly Forms 941.  In addition, Bauza failed to pay over any of the associated payroll taxes to the IRS.  

 

Despite owing a substantial amount of money to the IRS and being aware of his employment tax obligations, Bauza maintained his lifestyle making substantial payments toward his primary residence, his Florida vacation home, a luxury vehicle, and private universities for his children’s education, among other things.  Bauza even expanded his business, opening additional CDL schools and engaging in other business ventures which required him to put up substantial capital.

 

CDL Training Service & Consulting and CDL Training Services were operated and controlled by Bauza, and he was responsible for paying the companies’ taxes.  He exercised financial control over the businesses’ financial affairs and was the only person who had the authority to file and pay the payroll taxes.  Additionally, Bauza was the only person in the companies who had the authority to authorize payments and sign checks, and he alone decided which of the companies’ liabilities to pay.

 

In total, Bauza failed to pay over approximately $1,173,424 in employment taxes withheld from employee paychecks and due to the IRS.

 

“IRS Criminal Investigation is entrusted to enforce the nation’s tax laws. When taxpayers go to work they trust that their employers are following the law and paying their withheld taxes over to the IRS. When greedy employers keep these funds for their own personal use as shown in the indictment of Jeffrey Bauza, it can cause detrimental harm to employees. This indictment sends the message that IRS-CI will work tirelessly to detect non-compliance and protect innocent workers and the integrity of our nation’s tax system,” said Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge, St. Louis Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation.

 

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

 

The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation.

ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Steven Bell for charges that include conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine in a large-scale nation-wide drug ring.  The group transported and distributed illegal narcotics in numerous states to include California, Michigan, Missouri, Kentucky and Texas. 

The indictment alleges that Bell knowingly and intentionally possessed 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and knowingly possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment further alleges that Bell knowingly possessed a firearm, having previously been convicted of crimes that prohibited possession of said firearm. 

Beginning at a time unknown but including February 2021, in the Eastern District of Missouri, Bell and others were involved in the distribution of controlled substances.  The indictment alleges Darius M. McCullum was the primary source of supply for the organization in California.  The drug trafficking organization used various means to transport illegal narcotics and or bulk cash, to include the mail and the use of several “mules” or couriers.  Agents identified several “stash” houses in numerous cities, to include Detroit, Michigan, Lexington, Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri. 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Marshals Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service. 

ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced Jody Brison to 114 months in prison today.  Brison had previously pleaded guilty for his role in a carjacking and weapons charges.

 

On November 21, 2019, a driver for the Medicine Shoppe was delivering medicine to an apartment in the City of St. Louis, within the Eastern District of Missouri. Upon returning to her vehicle, two men with guns got out of a nearby car.  The suspects took the victim’s vehicle at gunpoint and drove away. 

 

A short time later, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers located the vehicle.  Observing police, Brison attempted to run from the carjacked vehicle but was caught after a brief foot pursuit.  During the attempt to evade police, Brison discarded a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine along with the victim’s cell phone which was left in the carjacked vehicle.  Brison was previously convicted of crimes that prohibit his possession of said handgun.

 

The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Dionneshae Forland with four counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of theft of government property and five counts of aggravated identity theft.  The indictment also charges Dwayne Times with one count of wire fraud, and one count of theft of government property. 

 

The indictment alleges that Forland and Times submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications and a fraudulent Missouri Small Business Grant Program application that falsely inflated the number of employees and payroll costs of various businesses Forland and Times operated in order to receive loan proceeds.  The indictment alleges that Forland and Times received in total over $700,000 in fraudulent loan proceeds.

 

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Derek Rockette for charges that include conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.   The indictment also alleges in a money laundering conspiracy charge that Rockette, Norma Corina Armenta-Lizarraga, Jian Zhong Fang, Yuede Zheng and Wai Ming Mak, did knowingly combine, conspire, and agree with each other and with other persons known and unknown to knowingly conduct and attempt to conduct financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce, which involved the proceeds of a specified unlawful activity, that is conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. 

 

Beginning at a time unknown but including 2016 to on or about the date of the indictment, in the Eastern District of Missouri, Rockette was involved in the distribution of controlled substances including cocaine and fentanyl.  Rockette owed a substantial drug debt to the source of supply in Mexico for controlled substances which had been fronted to him.  This debt would vary as payments were made and new drug shipments were sent to Rockette.  It is alleged in the indictment that several methods of money laundering were used by those in the conspiracy.

 

One such method was the use of ATMs throughout the St. Louis area to make deposits of cash drug payments.  Over eight and one half million dollars ($8,500,000) was deposited in ATMs in approximately 14 states into one of two accounts between June 4, 2018 and September 12, 2019.  The money was then transferred to banks in Mexico. 

 

Also, the indictment alleges that, Rockette did knowingly and intentionally distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and did knowingly and intentionally possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.   The indictment further alleges that Rockette knowingly possessed a firearm, previously been convicted of crimes that prohibited possession of said firearm. 

 

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location.  This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.  The specific mission of the St. Louis OCDETF Gateway Strike Force is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

 

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

 

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Gregory Dixson, Jr., Gregory Dixson III, Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Carlos Gonzalez, Quintin D. Adkins and Ruben Sanchez Blanco to knowingly combine, conspire, agree, and confederate together with each other and with other persons known and unknown to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. 

   

The indictment alleges that beginning at a time unknown but including 2015 to on or about the date of this indictment, in the Eastern District of Missouri, and elsewhere, Gregory Dixson, Jr., Gregory Dixson III, Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Carlos Gonzalez and Quintin D. Adkins conspired to distribute five (5) kilograms or more of cocaine. 

 

Additionally, Gregory Dixson, Jr. and Ruben Sanchez Blanco are accused in the conspiracy of distribution of four (400) grams or more of fentanyl. 

 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

 

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

 

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

ST. LOUIS – As you know, Veterans Day (November 11) is right around the corner. The United States Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, has teamed up with AARP for the Operation Protect Veterans program, which is working to educate veterans, their families and loved ones on scams targeting them.

Scammers are creating schemes specifically targeting veterans. An AARP survey shows veterans are twice as likely as the general public to be the victim of a scam.  78% of our retired military men and women have been targeted by schemes specifically crafted to exploit their military service. 

There are a variety of scams specifically targeting our veteran community, including the following:

-VA Loan Scam: Offers to refinance VA loans at extremely low rates

-Pension Poaching Scam: Scammers will offer veterans lump sum payments up front, in exchange for signing over all their future monthly benefit checks.

-Update Your File Scam: An imposter, claiming to be from a government agency, attempts to get a veteran’s personal information to “update their file” so they can maintain their benefits. 

These are just a few examples of the many scams out there targeting veterans. 

“Operation Protect Veterans,” https://www.uspis.gov/veterans, was created by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the AARP as a means of providing valuable information and resources to veterans and their loved ones and friends about these scams and many more.

These additional links provide more details on the fraud aimed at veterans and the general public. 

https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/81832/partnership-postal-inspection-service-helps-veterans-avoid-scams/

https://link.usps.com/2021/05/03/defensive-measures/

For further information on this important program and our partnership with the U. S. Postal Inspection Service to investigate and prosecute such egregious crimes against our veteran community please contact:

Inspector Matthew Villicana                or                 Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Berry

Mail Fraud/Money Laundering                                United States Attorney’s Office

United States Postal Inspection Service                   Eastern District of Missouri

1106 Walnut Street                                                   111 S. 10th Street

St. Louis, MO 63199                                                St. Louis, MO 63102

(314) 539-9347 (Office)                                           (314) 539-2550

ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark accepted a plea of guilty from Glenda Seim, 81 years old of Kirkwood, Missouri on November 2, 2021 for two counts of identity theft related to her participation as a “money mule” in various fraudulent schemes on behalf of her online romantic interest.  A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Seim for the charges.  A “money mule” is a person who receives fraudulently obtained money and merchandise on behalf of a scammer, and then forwards the proceeds to the scammer.

Sometime during 2014, Seim began an online relationship with an individual who claimed to be a United States citizen with business interests in Nigeria. Throughout the years, Seim’s purported romantic interest would ask for her assistance in paying fees, taxes, and penalties to the Nigerian government or his business associates. He claimed that he could not leave Nigeria unless he paid those funds. Despite having never met her romantic interest in person or communicated with him in any form other than texting, Seim began sending him money from her Social Security retirement benefits and pension. He later asked her to pawn electronic equipment that he had others send to her in the mail and forward the funds to him.

Because the return was not as high as he wanted, Seim began participating in other fraudulent schemes including: receiving MoneyGram wire transfers from senders she did not know; depositing counterfeit and fraudulently obtained checks into financial accounts she opened; allowing her romantic interest to fraudulently transfer funds from the financial accounts of various businesses into her financial accounts; and accepting unemployment insurance benefit payments on behalf of individuals she did not know.  A check drawn on the retirement account of a romance fraud victim in the amount of $100,000 was among Seim’s fraudulent deposits. Seim kept a portion of the funds fraudulently obtained before providing the balance to her online romantic partner.

Despite warnings by wire transfer agencies, local police officers, federal law enforcement representatives, and bank representatives and the forced closing of her financial accounts, Seim continued to facilitate the transfer of funds on behalf of her online romantic interest. Between June 2014 and February 2021, Seim attempted to conduct fraudulent transactions between $550,000 and $1,500,000.

Seim is scheduled to be sentenced on February 10, 2022.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service.

ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk accepted a plea of guilty from Wesley Kimble, age 24, on today’s date for interstate transport of a minor for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct.   A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Kimble on the charge. 

In the fall of 2019, Kimble met the 15-year-old minor victim through an online dating site. Kimble engaged in online messaging with the victim, with many of the messages being sexual in nature.  In December 2019, Kimble, with an intent to engage in sexual activity with the minor, drove from St. Louis, Missouri to Springfield, Illinois and picked up the victim.  On the return trip to St. Louis, Kimble engaged in sexual activity with the victim.  Kimble also provided the victim with illegal drugs and engaged in unprotected sex with the victim once they arrived at his apartment in St. Louis County. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark accepted a plea of guilty from Andrew Hotchkiss on today’s date for the production of child pornography.  A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Hotchkiss for the charge. 

 

Between the dates of March 1, 2019 and May 13, 2019 in St. Francois County, Missouri, Hotchkiss sexually abused the victim, who was six years of age at the time. Hotchkiss used his cellular telephone to video record and produce images of his sexual abuse of the victim. 

 

Hotchkiss distributed the images and videos of his sexual abuse of the minor via the internet to one or more others including a resident of the State of Oregon. On May 13, 2019, law enforcement officers with the Oregon State Police located the above-reference images and videos on a cellular telephone belonging to the Oregon resident who was in police custody after attempting to meet an eleven-year-old for sexual contact. It was the Oregon State Police investigation and their recovery of the images and videos produced by Hotchkiss that initiated the investigation that gave rise to the charges against Hotchkiss in this case.

 

The case was investigated by the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Secret Service.

ST. LOUIS – Tony K. Sanford, age 39, of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge John A. Ross on October 27, 2021.  Sanford was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by lifetime supervision upon his plea of guilty to the offense of enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. From January 20, 2020 to January 30, 2020, Sanford directed and facilitated prostitution transactions involving a seventeen-year-old minor in the city of St. Louis.

This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.

ST. LOUIS – This week the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Marshals Service, and United States Postal Inspection Service arrested 17 people in Missouri, Arizona, California, and Mexico linked to an organized multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy.

 

According to the previously sealed sixteen count indictment, returned on October 13, 2021, this was a long-running drug distribution conspiracy operating in the Eastern District of Missouri and with ties to California, Arizona, and Texas.  According to a court document, law enforcement officers seized items including:  (1) approximately 50 pounds of fentanyl; (2) 500 pounds of methamphetamine; (3) 50 firearms; and (4) more than $400,000 in drug proceeds.  The conspiracy included the mailing and shipping of packages containing large amounts of the illegal drugs to be distributed in the St. Louis area and other cities in the United States.  Three defendants are also charged with firearms violations.  Among the defendants indicted in this case are: 

 

Stephen Griffin: M, St. Louis, 27

Kenny Thomas: M, St. Louis, arrested in Mexico, 38

Raymundo Deleon: M, in custody in Los Angeles, 40

Kyanna Canales: F, arrested in Phoenix, 19

Ariel Navarez-Gonzalez: M, arrested in Phoenix, 20

Troy Mills: M, St. Louis, 30

Arieawn Dillon: M, St. Louis, 26

Daveon Barnes: M, St. Louis, 27

Dalvin Wiley: M, St. Louis, 29

Crystal Miller: F, St. Louis, 27

Latoya Wilson: F, St. Louis, 40

Steven Hilliard: M, St. Louis, 30

Andrew Prout: M, in custody in Missouri, 28

Ariel Randall: F, St. Louis, 26

Jessica Alvarez: F, arrested in Los Angeles, 40

Larry Martinez-Soto: M, arrested in Phoenix, 24

Sanela Demirovic: F, St. Louis, 31

 

“The individuals arrested earlier this week for their involvement in drug related crimes and activities provide an example of the threat the drug industry imposes in our communities,” DEA St. Louis Division Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey said. “The drug cell we dismantled with operations in various states in the United States and Mexico has no regard for the people around them and will take whatever actions necessary to protect their profit and themselves. This fact is evident by the significant amount of drugs, weapons and money seized in the multi-state, multi-agency operation.  It’s important for everyone to keep in mind that no city is immune from the threat of drugs. The only way we can keep our streets safe is by working together to educate those around us on the dangers of these illegal substances and the threat associated with them.”

 

For the past three years, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners have tenaciously investigated this multi-state drug trafficking network operated largely by violent gangs around the country,” stated Inspector in Charge William Hedrick who heads the Postal Inspection Service’s Chicago Division, which includes the St. Louis field office.  “The resulting indictment and arrests should serve as a warning to all criminals who see fit to utilize the U.S. Mail to conduct their illegal drug business.” 

 

John Jordan, the United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri, provided the following statement:  The United States Marshals Service serves as the United States Government’s primary fugitive investigation and apprehension agency.  Empowered through federal law, the USMS also serves as a charter agency within the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.  The focus of the USMS within the OCDETF program is to “destabilize and disrupt the most serious crime organizations through joint and collaborative fugitive investigations.”  In this case, USMS personnel were contacted by our partner agencies, conducted fugitive investigations, and coordinated arrests across several metropolitan areas and with the assistance of multiple USMS investigative assets.  The USMS remains committed to the OCDETF goal of dismantling dangerous national-level drug trafficking organizations.

 

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime.  The OCDETF program facilitates complex, joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Marshals Service with assistance from officers at the following police departments: Bellefontaine Neighbors, Shrewsbury, St. Louis Metropolitan, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Ballwin and Maryland Heights.  This investigation was also supported by DEA’s Special Operations Division under Operation Isolated Culture.

ST. LOUIS – Larry Deutsch, age 55 of Lake St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge John A. Ross on October 21, 2021.  Deutsch pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for coercion and enticement of a minor and receiving child pornography. 

 

The defendant met the minor victim while he was serving as the Bishop for a Mormon

church attended by the minor and her family.  The family moved out of state and Deutsch maintained contact with the minor as a trusted adult in her life and that of her family.  In October 2019, the defendant via the internet and cellular telephones convinced the minor to create and send to him nude images of herself.  Deutsch also sent the minor nude images of himself.  The family discovered the inappropriate conduct and took steps to prohibit further contact.  In February 2020, the defendant flew across the country and picked up the minor, violating an order of protection the family had previously obtained.  Without the consent of the parents, Deutsch and the minor responded back to St. Louis where he provided the minor an apartment. 

 

Law enforcement officers in St. Louis were contacted to assist in locating the minor and contacted Deutsch.  It was determined that Deutsch was keeping the minor in an apartment he had rented in St. Louis County.  The investigation revealed on the personal electronics belonging to the defendant, numerous child pornography images of the minor victim.  

 

 

This case was investigated by the St. Charles County Police Department, the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

ST. LOUIS – Ronald Gales, 54, of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge John A. Ross and was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison today.  Gales previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

Pursuant to the plea agreement, beginning in 2018, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and St. Louis County Police Department began an investigation into Gales, who was the principal supplier of a drug trafficking organization supplying cocaine to other distributors operating in the St. Louis area.

 

During the investigation, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at various residences of individuals supplied by Gales, where they recovered distributable amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine.  Investigators also conducted controlled purchases of cocaine from Gales and conducted surveillance of Gales’ operations before ultimately executing a federal search warrant at Gales’ residence in October 2019. Investigators found two .40 caliber handguns, $46,000 in cash, and drug trafficking paraphernalia, as well as distribution quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine.

 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case.

ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk accepted a plea of guilty from Paul Eric Latham on October 14, 2021 for aiding and abetting a carjacking in January 2020.

A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri indicted Latham in May 2021 for aiding and abetting Antwan Jones in carjacking a victim in St. Louis the previous year. According to the plea agreement, Latham stopped his SUV next to the victim on January 15, 2020. Latham waited in the SUV while his co-defendant approached the victim at gunpoint and demanded her purse. The carjacking victim surrendered her purse, which contained the keys to her car. Latham and his co-defendant drove around the area and used the victim’s key fob to locate her Mercedes Benz. Once they found the car parked nearby, Latham used the victim’s keys to drive her car away while his co-defendant drove away in Latham’s SUV.

Later that night, police tracked the victim’s phone to East St. Louis, Illinois. There, police discovered Latham’s SUV parked in the 1800 block of Boismenue Avenue with the victim’s purse still inside.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Kourtney Bell and Ryan Finlen are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey accepted a plea of guilty from Shannon Nenninger on October 12, 2021 for the crimes of conspiracy involving health care fraud, making false statement to a government agency, theft of government funds, and social security fraud.

 

In September 2020, a federal grand jury indicted Nenninger and others.  According to the plea agreement, Nenninger, who was a former Anheuser-Busch In-Bev employee learned that Dr. Thomas Hobbs could assist her in obtaining disability payments from the Social Security Administration, Prudential Insurance of America Companies, and MetLife by exaggerating her medical conditions and claiming that she was totally and permanently disabled.  As a result, between January 8, 2013 and November 28, 2017, Nenninger paid Dr. Hobbs $6,100 for his efforts in exaggerating Nenninger’s medical conditions to qualify her for the disability payments. These fees were in addition to those charged by Dr. Hobbs for any medical treatments.

 

While Nenninger claimed to be so disabled that she could not work, she was travelling internationally and throughout the United States, attending concerts, working in her yard, washing her car, going to various social events, and going fishing. Believing the misrepresentations to be true, the Social Security Administration and the private insurers granted Nenninger disability benefits. Between January 8, 2013 and September 30, 2021, Nenninger fraudulently received more than $457,104 in disability benefit payments and caused the payment of $3,501.88 by Blue Cross Blue Shield to the chiropractors for their medically unnecessary tests and treatments.

 

The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Dorothy McMurtry and Tracy Berry are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey accepted a plea of guilty from Keith A. Kos, Jr., on October 12, 2021, for the crimes of distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and knowingly possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Judge Autrey set sentencing for January 18, 2022.

 

According to the plea agreement, the case began on January 6, 2020, when the St. Charles County Police Department were dispatched to an area residence for an overdose death.  A subsequent examination and toxicology analysis revealed the victim’s cause of death was the result of fentanyl and methamphetamine intoxication. 

 

The investigation led to the identification of Kos.  The investigators obtained a state search warrant for Kos’s residence.  Investigators executed the search warrant and seized items including a pistol, more than 400 capsules of fentanyl and other drug paraphernalia.  A subsequent lab analysis revealed the capsules contained 40 grams or more of fentanyl. 

 

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Kos acknowledged and admitted that he knowingly distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine, knowingly possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possessed a firearm while doing so. 

 

The case was investigated by the St. Charles County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White accepted a plea of guilty from Kevin Karll on today’s date for the crimes of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.   Judge White set sentencing for January 11, 2022. 

 

Kevin Karll is the first defendant to plead guilty in a multi-defendant conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  According to the plea agreement, for more than a year, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Jefferson County Municipal Enforcement Group, investigated a drug trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of crystal methamphetamine in the St. Louis region, with a network connected to Los Angeles, California. Karll was identified as one of many street-level distributors for the illicit drug organization. 

 

The indictment alleges that from January 2019 until the date of the indictment (January 6, 2021) Brendon Thomas, Joe Holliman, Dedrick Jordan, Terry Williams and others, both known and unknown, to include Kevin Karll conspired to distribute methamphetamine and other controlled substances in the Eastern District of Missouri and elsewhere.

 

On June 18, 2020, investigators joined with the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to execute search warrants at locations associated with the conspiracy.  Investigators seized more than $140,000 in cash, crystal methamphetamine and high-grade marijuana, as well as two assault rifles and four handguns. Investigators stopped a vehicle on its way to St. Louis and seized 28 pounds of methamphetamine and a firearm from a hidden compartment from within the vehicle.  

 

The investigation involved the following law enforcement agencies: DEA, HSI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, St. Charles City and County Police, Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, Arnold Police Department and the Normandy Police Department, all in Missouri.

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ST. LOUIS – Tracey Ray, 48, of Center, Missouri, was sentenced today to eighteen months in federal prison and ordered to make restitution to the City of Center, Missouri in the amount of $314,889.59.  Ray appeared before United States District Court Judge Rodney W. Sippel.

 

Ray was the City Clerk of Center, Missouri for many years, since 2004. Beginning in January 2015 and continuing through July 2019, Ray engaged in a scheme to defraud and obtain money from Center, Missouri and its residents in an approximate amount of $315,000, by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises.

 

As part of her fraudulent scheme, on approximately 30 occasions, Ray used Center bank funds to pay for charges on her personal credit card. Center funds used to pay for personal charges on Ray’s GM credit card totaled approximately $206,342.53 and were for such personal expenses as retail vendor charges, entertainment, lodging and travel, hair salons, restaurants and grocery store charges. These personal credit card payments were made either by Ray’s issuance of Center bank checks, or by Ray’s wire transfer of Center bank funds. Further, through these unauthorized credit card charges and payments, Ray earned and spent an additional approximately $1,911.00 in reward funds. Further, on approximately 39 occasions, Ray issued Center bank account checks in the approximate total amount of $62,537.76 to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to pay for the premiums on a family health insurance policy, as well as on life and disability policies for her and her family members.    

 

As a further part of her scheme, Ray issued five additional Center payroll checks to herself in the total amount of approximately $3,580.00, depositing each of those unauthorized checks into her own personal bank account. On 49 occasions, Ray issued checks on City bank accounts, in the total approximate amount of $35,546.85 to directly pay for the purchases of personal items and services. Ray issued these Center checks to make personal purchases at a number of retailers, such as Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Walmart, and Hobby Lobby, as well as to pay for her personal residential mortgage and personal insurance policies. She also issued one or more of these Center checks to her family members, unrelated to the legitimate business and operations of Center. Further, Ray, as Center’s City Clerk, received cash payments from Center residents for various city charges, but Ray failed to deposit those cash receipts into the appropriate Center bank account. Instead, Ray used those cash proceeds, in the total amount of approximately $7,407.45 for her own personal use, without the knowledge and authority of Center and its City Council.

 

In order to conceal her scheme from Center and its Mayor and City Council, Ray falsified the cash balances of one or more Center bank accounts on financial reports she prepared for monthly City Council meetings. Ray also prepared false and incomplete lists of bills to be paid which she submitted for monthly City Council meetings. Further, Ray falsified internal Center financial accounting records to make it appear that the unauthorized checks and wires she issued from Center bank accounts were made to legitimate third party vendors who had purportedly provided actual services or materials to Center.

 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Missouri State Auditor’s Office and Ralls County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith is handling the case.

*****

ST. LOUIS – On October 7, 2002, Robert L. Bolden, Sr., and two other men attempted to rob the Bank of America located in the Halls Ferry Circle in St. Louis City.   Bolden, armed with a revolver, contacted Nathan Ley, 25, the security guard stationed outside one of the bank entrances.  Ley  refused to surrender his firearm to Bolden.  Bolden shot Ley in the jaw and incapacitated him.  Bolden then stepped back and as Ley was going down, Bolden shot him in the head a second time.  Ley died as a result of the second gunshot wound to his head. 

Investigators located three witnesses who identified Bolden as the shooter.  One of the witnesses also identified Bolden’s vehicle at the scene of the bank robbery.  Bolden’s DNA was recovered from a head covering seized at the crime scene.  The murder weapon was recovered outside Bolden’s residence. 

In May 2006, after a lengthy trial, a federal jury found Bolden guilty and recommended sentences of death for the offenses of attempted bank robbery resulting in the death of Nathan Ley, and for using a firearm to murder Nathan Ley. 

During the sentencing phase of the proceedings, a witness at the scene with a law enforcement and military background recounted his efforts to comfort Nathan as he was dying on the parking lot of the bank.  The citizen comforted and prayed with Nathan.  The citizen, who was inside the bank during the shooting, also  said that Nathan was a hero for having kept the robbers out of the bank.  After the crime, the citizen kept a photograph of Nathan over his family’s fireplace because he and his wife viewed Nathan as their hero.  Bank of America also honored Nathan Ley by placing an engraved memorial stone at the bank that recognized him as a hero. 

On September 22, 2021, Bolden’s counsel and the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued one of Bolden’s appeals before the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals.  Within the next week, Bolden died of natural causes while in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons.

Tom, Linda, and Clint Ley recently released the following statement to the U.S. Attorney’s Office:  On October 7,  2002, our hearts were shattered when our son and Clint’s brother Nathan was shot and killed by Robert Bolden.  Nathan was kind, funny, responsible, and hard-working.  He wanted to go into law enforcement to help people and make life safer for everyone.  He was 25 years old.We will be forever grateful to the witnesses who identified his killer, the police who investigated, the U.S. Attorney’s Office who prosecuted the case … and the jurors who found justice for Nathan. We were fortunate that his killer was brought to justice.  Too many families are not so fortunate.  And until witnesses step forward and cases are tried, this terrible scourge of violence will continue.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. 

St. Louis, MO – Brittish “Cierrah” Williams had her initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shirley P. Mensah.  Williams was indicted on September 22, 2001 with five felony charges of misuse of a social security number, four charges of bank fraud, three charges of making false statements to the IRS, three charges of wire fraud, and three charges of aggravated identity theft. 

According to the Indictment, during 2017, Williams used false social security numbers in order to obtain a number of loans, lines of credit, and other funds from banks and financial institutions. Further, during 2018 and 2019, Williams deposited checks, without the knowledge and authority of the actual checking account holders, into several bank accounts she controlled and then withdrew the funds before those deposited checks were returned to the issuing banks for insufficient funds.  The Indictment also alleges that Williams deposited fraudulent checks into bank accounts which she controlled and then withdrew those funds in cash before the fraudulent nature of the checks was discovered.  Additionally, Williams is charged with submitting false information, including the names and social security numbers of individuals, to the IRS during tax years 2017, 2018, and 2019 falsely claiming that those individuals were her dependents on those submitted tax returns.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane Klocke is handling the case for the Eastern District of Missouri.   

Charges set forth in the Indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

ST. LOUIS – A federal jury returned verdicts of guilty late yesterday against Gerald Hunter, 55, of Los Angeles, for the offenses of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and two counts of money laundering. U.S. District Judge John A. Ross presided over the trial and will set a sentencing date. Hunter now faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment and up to life.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a long-term investigation of a fentanyl and cocaine distribution organization in St. Louis. Agents identified Hunter of Los Angeles as an out-of-state source of supply for the St. Louis organization. On April 27, 2017, DEA agents seized approximately 27 kilograms of fentanyl in Florissant, Mo.  Hunter was in possession of the bags containing the fentanyl, and his fingerprint was recovered from packaging material.  However, Hunter ran from investigators, and made good his escape.

The jury found that Hunter conspired to distribute fentanyl in St. Louis, but also that he possessed the fentanyl with the intent to distribute the drug in St. Louis. The evidence at trial established that the fentanyl was the equivalent of 270,000 usage units before being diluted, with a street value of $1 million. Hunter evaded arrest for three years before the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him. At the time of his arrest, Hunter was in possession of $220,000 in United States currency, 11 cellular phones and two identification cards with someone else’s name. Flight records established Hunter’s frequent pattern of travel to St. Louis from Los Angeles. 

“At the time DEA seized Hunter’s 27 kilograms of fentanyl, it was the largest seizure in the region, indicating just how far-reaching his illicit business was,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, supervisor of DEA operations in Eastern Missouri. “We know these drugs could have caused irreparable damage. We also know this is the end of one drug trafficking organization that will no longer wreak havoc in our communities, and Hunter's guilty verdict is vindication of the tireless efforts of DEA and its local and federal partners."

This case was investigated by the DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Granger, Stephen Casey and Jay Redd are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

ST. LOUIS – On today’s date, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Dominick Anderson, 41, of St. Louis, Missouri, to 117 months in prison for robbing a man of methamphetamine and shooting him.  

On July 14, 2021, Anderson pled guilty to robbery and brandishing a firearm during the robbery  that took place on August 25, 2019 in St. Louis City.  The day of the robbery, a woman contacted the victim to buy methamphetamine from him. The woman agreed to pick up the victim and take him to his residence in the 8200 block of Michigan Avenue to complete the purchase. The woman, accompanied by Anderson and another person, drove to the victim’s home. When they arrived, the woman stated she and Anderson did not have enough money to purchase the methamphetamine and would return with money.

The victim showed the methamphetamine to Anderson, at which time Anderson displayed a handgun. Anderson demanded the victim give him the methamphetamine. The victim refused to hand over the methamphetamine and told Anderson to leave the residence. Anderson shot the victim in the abdomen. Anderson then took the methamphetamine from the victim. Anderson and the other person returned to the woman’s vehicle and fled the area. The victim contacted 911 and was taken to a hospital for injuries.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski handled the case. 

ST. LOUIS – On today’s date, United States District Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced Bryan Kimble, 32, of St. Louis, Missouri, to 255 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and three counts of distribution of cocaine base.  On May 12, 2021, a jury found Kimble guilty following a three-day jury trial.

The evidence during the trial proved that Kimble distributed cocaine base to an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent on three separate dates. Kimble also conspired with others to distribute cocaine base. In October 2019, ATF Special Agents received information from a confidential informant that Kimble was selling cocaine base. On October 11, 19, and 22, 2019, ATF successfully conducted controlled purchases of cocaine base from Kimble using an undercover agent. On each occasion, Kimble drove to a location to meet the undercover agent and and used a female passenger to complete the drug transactions. In all, Kimble sold more than 30 grams of cocaine base to the undercover agent. Based upon Kimble’s previous criminal history, Judge Clark sentenced Kimble pursuant to the Career Offender provision of the United States Sentencing Guidelines. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Rodney H. Holmes and Special Assistant United States Attorney Ashley M. Walker handled the case. 

ST. LOUIS – Najee Neal, 30, of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on today’s date for sentencing.  Neal previously pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison for carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of that crime, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Pursuant to the plea agreement and statements made in court, on February 27, 2020, Neal approached the driver of a car parked in a Kirkwood, Missouri driveway.  Neal ordered the driver out of the car at gunpoint, and forcibly took the driver’s wallet and key fob.  Neal then ordered the victim to the ground and drove away in the victim’s car.

Kirkwood Police attempted to pull over the stolen car as Neal drove on Interstate 44.  However, Neal began weaving in and out of traffic while reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, and the Kirkwood Officers were unable to stop the car. Officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department spotted the victim’s car about 45 minutes later near the intersection of North Grand and Lindbergh Boulevards. SLMPD officers activated their lights and sirens and tried to stop the car. Neal, again, fled at a high rate of speed while violating traffic signals and driving onto sidewalks. The car became disabled and Neal got out of the car and ran from SLMPD officers. Officers followed Neal into a gangway and noticed him reaching toward a porch of a home. Fearing Neal was retrieving a weapon, an officer ordered Neal to stop and show his hands. Neal ignored the officer and began to walk away from the porch. Officers arrested Neal a short distance away. Officers found a Glock 19 pistol on the porch of the home. A search of the gangway revealed a magazine loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition fitting the Glock 19 pistol.  The victim identified the Glock 19 pistol as the gun Neal pointed at him during the carjacking.

Previously, on September 28, 2019, officers with the St. Louis County Police Department arrested Neal after observing what appeared to be a hand-to-hand drug sale between Neal and another individual on the parking lot of a market in the 12000 block of Bellefontaine Road.  Officers recovered a loaded pistol from Neal’s car.

Prior to September 28, 2019, Neal was convicted of at least one felony crime.

ST. LOUIS – Nautica Turner, a 26 year-old female from St. Louis, made her initial appearance before the Honorable Shirley P. Mensah in federal court today in relation to the charge of conspiracy to commit arson. 

The indictment charges that on June 1, 2020, Turner conspired with others to maliciously damage and destroy, by means of fire, the 7-Eleven building located at 201 North 17th Street, a building used in interstate commerce.  Among other things, the indictment alleges that the conspirators participated in the destruction and looting of the 7-Eleven building.  The indictment further alleges that Turner poured an ignitable liquid on the 7-Eleven building, ignited a box and threw the box in the building, and that Turner committed other acts.    This offense is punishable by up to five years in prison and or a fine of $250,000.

The charge set forth in the indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the St. Louis County Police Department Bomb and Arson Unit and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives. 

ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey accepted pleas of guilty from Thomas T. Taylor, age 35, on today’s date, for the crimes of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, and two counts of interfering with commerce by robbery.  Judge Autrey set sentencing for January 5, 2022.  At sentencing, Taylor is subject to imprisonment of not more than 20 years, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both such imprisonment and fine.

According to the plea agreement, Taylor and others agreed to interfere with commerce by robbing businesses of cigarettes.  Taylor admitted that  between March and August 2020, he was involved in at least 38 separate incidents of theft of cigarettes from gas station convenience stores located in St. Louis and St. Charles County.  Taylor admitted threatening store clerks in some instances. 

On July 28, 2020, Taylor went to the Circle K located in Bridgeton and went behind the counter to take cigarettes.  Taylor, when contacted by a store clerk, said, “Do you want to get shot?”  Taylor took 29 cartons of cigarettes from the store.  On August 16, 2020, Taylor and an accomplice went to the Zephyr Express gas station in south St. Louis County and Taylor went behind the counter.  Taylor, when contacted by the clerk, told the clerk that he was “gonna get shot.”  Taylor took cigarettes. 

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and ten local law enforcement agencies.   

ST. LOUIS – Earlier this week a federal grand jury indicted Michael McCormac with one count of health care fraud and three counts of violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.  The indictment was suppressed until today. 

The indictment charges Michael McCormac, the former owner of GoLiveWell Pharmacy in Creve Coeur, Missouri with one count of health care fraud and three counts of violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.  McCormac is accused of paying kickbacks to marketing companies for referrals of prescriptions for topical creams, oral medications, and antibiotic and antifungal drugs referred to as “foot bath” drugs, which were filled by GoLiveWell and reimbursed by federal health insurance. 

McCormac is accused of paying the kickbacks to marketing companies as various percentages, or “margins,” which are net profits on each prescription.  The indictment also alleges that McCormac was aware that patients often did not have a valid doctor/patient relationship with the providers who signed the prescriptions and that the prescriptions were not medically necessary.

GoLiveWell primarily functioned as a mail-order pharmacy, which filled prescriptions for federal health insurance beneficiaries throughout the United States between on or about March 17, 2017 and November 30, 2019.  Through the health care fraud and kickback scheme alleged in the indictment, Medicare paid at least $4.7 million to GoLiveWell to which it was not entitled, Missouri Medicaid paid at least $490,000 to GoLiveWell to which it was not entitled, and Ohio Medicaid paid at least $330,000 to GoLiveWell to which it was not entitled.

“Individuals who seek to enrich themselves through kickback fraud schemes -- as alleged in this case -- undermine the taxpayer-funded Medicare and Medicaid programs and drive up health care costs for everyone,” said Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “We remain committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to swiftly investigate such fraud allegations.”

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

ST. LOUIS – The United States has reached a civil settlement with Olive Street Pharmacy, LLC (Olive Street) and pharmacy technician Irina Shlafshteyn (Shlafshteyn) resolving a civil complaint bringing claims under the False Claims Act (FCA) and Controlled Substances Act (CSA) for damages, statutory penalties, and injunctive relief related to the unlawful dispensing of controlled substances, including controlled substances that were submitted to Medicaid or Medicare for reimbursement.  As part of the settlement, Olive Street and Shlafshteyn agreed to pay $1,507,808.50, an amount that was based in part on their ability to pay.

According to the civil complaint filed by the United States, Olive Street, a retail pharmacy located in Creve Coeur, Missouri, and Shlafshteyn, its 25 percent owner and managing employee, repeatedly dispensed prescriptions for controlled substances while disregarding warning signs of diversion, or “red flags,” indicating the prescriptions were not legitimate.  The United States alleged that the types of red flags that Olive Street and Shlafshteyn ignored included clear instances of tampering with written prescriptions; dangerous combinations of drugs commonly sought after for recreational purposes; and amounts of opioids that exceeded CDC guidance by as much as 17.5 times the recommended maximum daily dosage.

In the complaint, the United States further accused Olive Street of routinely dispensing prescriptions for Subsys, an oral fentanyl spray, which is subject to heightened FDA restrictions and indicated only for opioid-tolerant patients experiencing breakthrough pain due to cancer.  The United States contended that Olive Street and Shlafshteyn knowingly dispensed high dosages of Subsys to patients who did not qualify for the drug, and that the vast majority of the Subsys Olive Street dispensed was prescribed by Philip Dean, M.D.  Dean, a Warrenton, Missouri neurologist, pleaded guilty to illegally distributing prescription opioids in 2018, including to women with whom he had lived and with whom he had had personal relationships.

The United States alleged that even though Shlafshteyn knew Dean was having intimate relationships with at least one of the women for whom he was prescribing controlled substances, Shlafshteyn and others at her direction continued to dispense Dean’s controlled substance prescriptions to that patient and to other patients of Dean.  Further, according to the civil complaint, as the managing employee of Olive Street, Shlafshteyn had the control and authority to effect compliance with the FCA and CSA.

According to the settlement agreement, effective September 30, 2021, Shlafshteyn surrendered her Missouri pharmacy technician license and Olive Street terminated its enrollment in the Transmucosal Immediate Release Fentanyl Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (TIRF REMS) Program, the FDA-mandated program that had allowed Olive Street to dispense immediate-release fentanyl drugs like Subsys.  The parties further agreed to enter into a consent decree of permanent injunction prohibiting Shlafshteyn from participating in the dispensing of controlled substances or being employed by any establishment that does so, prohibiting Olive Street from seeking enrollment in the TIRF REMS Program, and detailing many additional specific parameters limiting the circumstances under which Olive Street is permitted to continue dispensing controlled substances.

“Medical professionals have the legal obligation to ensure the dispensing of prescriptions are for legitimate medical purposes,” said Inez Davis, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Program Manager for the states of Missouri and Kansas, and southern Illinois. “In this case, the pharmacy abandoned its corresponding responsibility and ignored the clear signs that powerful medications, like oral fentanyl spray, were being prescribed far beyond the recommended guidance. This settlement sends a message that DEA will not accept actions that put people’s lives at risk.”

Under the settlement agreement, Shlafshteyn is excluded from participating in the federal healthcare programs for a period of 10 years, and Olive Street is bound by the terms of a corporate integrity agreement governing its ability to continue participating in the federal programs.

“Health care providers who unlawfully dispense controlled drugs risk the health of their patients and pose a threat to society,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of federal health programs and hold accountable individuals who endanger beneficiaries.”

“The Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit aids in conducting complex investigations and prosecutions to ensure that those who game the Medicaid system for personal gain are held accountable,” added Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt.  “We’re proud of our work in this case, and our work across the state to hold bad actors accountable and save taxpayer money.”

The Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Amy Sestric handled the case.

ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced Lloyd Wings to 252 months in prison today. The St. Louis, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, six counts of armed robbery and two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Wings conspired with others from July 2018 through September 2018 to commit armed robberies at commercial establishments located in the City of St. Louis. The defendant and his co-conspirators would choose a location to rob and drive to the location of the intended business in separate vehicles.  Once there, members of the conspiracy would enter the business, armed with one or more firearms, and demand from the employees, at gunpoint, to provide the contents of the safe and/or cash registers.  Oftentimes, the defendant and his accomplices would forcibly steal the personal property of customers or employees as well.  Wings and the others would then flee in their respective vehicles, meet up at location and divide the proceeds of the robberies. 

“Judge White’s sentence today sends a clear message to those in our community who wish to do harm to others.  These types of violent armed crimes simply will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Missouri.  Although no victims were physically injured in these robberies, the resulting toll and mental anguish is immeasurable,” said United States Attorney Sayler Fleming.  “The United States Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, will continue to do everything in our power to bring perpetrators such as Lloyd Wings to justice.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated this case.

ST. LOUIS – Jermaine Collier of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on September 28, 2021.  Collier previously pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) began an investigation on November 25, 2020, relative to Collier being suspected of a domestic assault which occurred in the City of St. Louis.  During the initial incident, Collier exhibited a black-and-greenish-brown rifle in a threatening manner towards the victim. 

Detectives learned Collier was a convicted felon and had warrants out for his arrest. A series of investigative leads were followed that resulted in the arrest of Collier on December 3, 2020. 

After Collier was secured, he advised that he had a gun in his jacket pocket, where officers found a loaded 9mm Ruger pistol. Collier also indicated that there were two other guns at his residence which were eventually seized by police.  One such weapon seized at the residence was the previously described rifle in addition to another semi-automatic pistol.  The sentence handed out is based in large part on the enhancements for physically restraining a victim, using a firearm in connection with another felony offense (UUW-exhibiting), possessing three or more firearms, and obstructing justice by attempting to conceal a shotgun.  Collier a previously convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing the weapons due to his conviction. 

This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Chris Carroll and George Reed today with three counts of bank fraud and six counts of money laundering. 

The indictment charges Chris Carroll and George Reed with 3 counts of bank fraud and 6 counts of money laundering in connection with their company Square One Group’s receipt of two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, one in the amount of more than $1.2 million, and the second loan in the amount of more than $1.6 million. 

The indictment alleges that Reed and Carroll submitted PPP loan applications in their spouses’ names, rather than their own names, to misrepresent and conceal Carroll’s status as a paroled felon, which would have precluded his company from receiving PPP funds.  It is further alleged, that Carroll and Reed did not use the funds to compensate their employees, but instead, used the funds to start a trucking company and to fund $660,000 in payments to themselves.  The indictment further alleges that the company suspended their employees’ pay and health insurance coverage after applying for PPP funds.

“The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was created for the sole purpose of helping businesses keep workers employed during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. “With finite taxpayer dollars, those who commit fraud against the PPP are taking money from workers who depend on a stable paycheck.”

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark accepted a plea of guilty from Deaunta Miller on today’s date, for the crime of knowingly and intentionally possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute. Judge Clark set sentencing for January 12, 2022. At sentencing, Miller is subject to imprisonment of not more than 20 years, a fine of not more than $1,000,000, or both such imprisonment and fine.

According to the plea agreement, Miller knowingly and intentionally possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl, a controlled substance, on or about December 2, 2020, within the Eastern District of Missouri. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration began an investigation into Deaunta Miller’s narcotics trafficking in June of 2020. During their investigation, agents conducted controlled purchases of narcotics from Miller and later obtained federal search warrants, which authorized them to search two residences in the St. Louis area.

Investigators executed the warrants on December 2, 2020. During the execution of the search warrants a large amount of fentanyl was seized along with cocaine and heroin. Further investigation revealed over $60,000.00 in cash that was seized as illegal drug proceeds and a hydraulic press used in conjunction with the distribution of illegal narcotics.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Stephen R. Clark today sentenced Derek J. Petty to a term of  91 months in federal prison.  Petty was convicted by a jury in April of one count of Conspiracy to Obtain a Controlled Substance by Fraud.  The evidence presented at trial proved that Petty’s co-conspirator, Sierra Price, worked at Delmar Primary Care Associates, a small medical practice located in St. Louis.  Price wrote and signed more than ten prescriptions for Oxycodone in Petty’s name between April 2018 and December 2018.  None of the prescriptions had been authorized by the doctor.  The scheme continued unabated because Price, as an employee of Delmar Primary Care Associates, was able to intercept telephone calls from Schnucks’ pharmacists attempting to verify the prescriptions.  Before they were caught, Petty and Price obtained over 1,500 oxycodone pills unlawfully.

 

At the time of the conspiracy, Petty was on supervised release for 2016 convictions for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, Distribution of Heroin, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.  As part of his guilty plea in the 2016 case, Petty admitted to selling heroin to an undercover police officer, and to selling a dozen firearms (5 of which were stolen) to an undercover ATF agent. 

 

Price, who testified against Petty at trial and who had no previous criminal history, admitted her role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to a term of probation. 

 

United States Attorney Sayler Fleming commended the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration Tactical Diversion Unit and Schnucks’ pharmacists.  “We are grateful for the skilled professionals at Schnucks who identified these prescriptions as potentially fraudulent and made every effort to verify their authenticity. Had these pharmacists not continued to question the legitimacy of these prescriptions, this scheme could well have continued undetected for many months.”

           

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

*****

 

Charles, Missouri to 18 months in prison today. Additionally, Windsor was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $304,296. The defendant had previously been found guilty during a four-day jury trial in May.

The evidence during the trial proved Windsor was the owner of a St. Louis County company that produced mass mailers for its customers. During the years 2013 and 2014, large sums of money, which were business receipts, were deposited into Windsor’s personal bank account. These funds were payments from only one client. All other business receipts from other company customers were deposited in Windsor’s business account. Many of the sales which were deposited into Windsor’s personal account were not reported on his tax returns. This methodology caused the gross receipts to be underreported on Windsor’s tax documentation in years 2013 and 2014. Thus, Windsor assisted in the preparation of personal tax returns that were fraudulent.

The Internal Revenue Service investigated this case which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Box.

*****

ST. LOUIS – Terrell D. Smith of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. on today’s date and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison.  Smith previously pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

 

On or about June 19, 2019, members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department were conducting surveillance on a vehicle being operated by Smith pursuant to an on-going Assault 1st Degree investigation.  As police approached, Smith fled the scene in the vehicle.  Surveillance of Smith was continued with a police helicopter to a residence in which Smith dropped off two firearms which were later recovered and seized by police.  Smith was previously convicted of a felony preventing him from possession of a firearm.

 

On September 12, 2019, law enforcement arrested Smith pursuant to the previous incident after a federal warrant was obtained.  At the time of the arrest, Smith was found in possession of 142 capsules containing over 7 grams of fentanyl, a schedule II-controlled substance.    

 

This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

*****

ST. LOUIS – Justin Cannamore of St. Louis County, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on September 22, 2021.  Cannamore pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and for demonstrating a technique capable of causing injury to persons during the civil disorder in the summer of 2020. 

On the night of June 1, 2020 during a period of civil unrest, the 7-11 located at 201 N. 17th Street, St. Louis, Missouri was set ablaze after rioters smashed windows and broke into an ATM machine.  Cannamore assisted an unidentified individual by spraying a bottle of lighter fuel on the 7-11 building.  In so doing, Cannamore was demonstrating a more effective technique to apply and disperse the lighter fluid to the building in furtherance of the attempt to burn the building.  Cannamore also entered the business and ignited a fire in the aisle that self-extinguished when a firework exploded in the same location. 

Days later, on June 5, 2020, Cannamore was stopped by the St. Louis County Police Department for a traffic violation.  During the stop, police located and seized a .22 caliber revolver, which Cannamore knowingly possessed.  The firearm was stolen and Cannamore, a previously convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing the weapon due to his conviction. 

This case was investigated by the FBI, ATF and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

 

CAPE GIRARDEAU – United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr., sentenced Dexter Elcan to 20 years in prison today. The 36-year-old South Gate, California, resident pleaded guilty, in June, for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Officers from the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force learned that Dexter Elcan was shipping methamphetamine from a United Parcel Service (“UPS”) store in California to people in Southeast Missouri.  Then he would either have those people distribute the drugs or he would fly to Missouri, distribute the drugs, wire the drug proceeds back to California, then fly back home.

On the morning of July 11, 2020, officers learned that Elcan was traveling to Missouri and that he had shipped a package by UPS from California to a residence in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.  The officers watched the UPS delivery person put the package on the porch.  Dexter Elcan came out of the home, picked up the package and carried it back into the home.  Officers went to the home and knocked on a door as Elcan ran out another door and tried to escape.  Elcan was captured a short distance away while trying to break his cell phone and burn the UPS receipt for mailing the package. Officers recovered the package delivered to the home that Elcan picked up.  The package held 446 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.  That quantity of methamphetamine is consistent with distribution and not for personal use.

The district court heard testimony at the sentencing hearing as to the extent of Elcan’s crime.  After hearing that evidence, the Court determined that Elcan was a leader/organizer of his methamphetamine sales and that he distributed over 100 pounds of methamphetamine over the course of his criminal conduct.

The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, and the Poplar Bluff Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Keith D. Sorrell handled the prosecution for the government.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO – United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. sentenced Timothy Sweet to 37 months in prison.  Sweet, a 36-year-old resident of Blytheville, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  

On November 14, 2019, an officer with the Steele, Missouri Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by Timothy Sweet for failing to stop at a stop sign.  As the officer was traveling behind the vehicle, the officer observed Sweet making movements that led the officer to believe he was attempting to conceal something underneath his seat.  The officer looked underneath the driver seat of the vehicle and observed a firearm that was further identified as an Arminius, Model HW, .38 caliber revolver.

Sweet has a prior conviction for the felony offense of Distribution of a Controlled Substance in the Circuit Court of Dunklin County, Missouri, and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Steele Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution.

 

ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Matthew T. Schelp sentenced Yvette Luster to 18 months in prison today. The defendant had previously pleaded guilty in May to embezzlement.

Luster was an employee of Postal Mail Handlers Local 314 labor union. From in or about January 2016 through in or about April of 2020, Luster was an employee of Postal Mail Handlers Local 314 labor union, acting as the local chapter’s Treasurer. In her capacity as Treasurer, Luster had access to Local 314’s bank account. Luster made over 200 unauthorized withdrawals from the union’s bank account for personal expenditures, such as flights and meals for herself and family members unrelated to the business and operations of Local 314. In total, Luster embezzled over $184,000.00 from the union.

The investigation was conducted by the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Labor Management Standards.

*****

 

ST. LOUIS – Landon Whitfield, 26, of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on today’s date and was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison. Whitfield previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On November 6, 2019, members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department observed Whitfield driving a vehicle with heavily tinted windows. Knowing that this vehicle had previously fled from the officers on several occasions, the officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle. Whitfield fled from the officers and committed numerous traffic violations in the process. In an effort to disable the vehicle, the officers successfully deployed spike strips, deflating two of its tires. Undeterred and causing a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury, Whitfield continued to flee in the vehicle and almost struck a police car in the process. Whitfield eventually abandoned his vehicle and fled from officers on foot while armed with an AR-15-type firearm.

Several officers confronted Whitfield in an alley. Whitfield raised his firearm. An officer, fearing for his safety, fired one shot in response. Whitfield then dropped his firearm and a green bag he had over his shoulder. Whitfield tried to continue his escape by climbing a nearby fence but was taken into custody.

The firearm Whitfield possessed was a Matrix Aerospace M556-SC semi-automatic pistol. It was loaded with 22 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. Inside Whitfield’s green bag were 345 capsules of fentanyl weighing approximately 37 grams.

This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

*****

On September 21, 2021, Daryl Wheeler, Age 46, of Chicago, Illinois pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, before United States District Court Judge John A. Ross.

        With his plea Wheeler admitted that he and his associates distributed some 538 grams of heroin in the Charleston, Mississippi County Missouri area between September 14, 2017 and February 23, 2019.

Wheeler faces a minimum sentence of five years incarceration, up to a maximum sentence of forty years imprisonment. Wheeler’s sentencing is set for December 21, 2021 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

The case was investigated by the, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives and Firearms.  Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Willis handled the prosecution for the government.

ST. LOUIS – On September 17, 2021, a jury found Briran Blake, 30, of Jefferson County, Illinois guilty of two counts of bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. 

On June 9, 2017, Briran Blake entered a Regions Bank on Hampton Avenue in St. Louis, presented a demand note to the teller, and escaped with almost $2,000 cash.  13 days later, on June 22, 2017, Briran Blake entered a Regions Bank on South Broadway in St. Louis, presented a demand note, and brandished a firearm at the bank teller before escaping with over $4,200 cash.  Blake was indicted in August 2019 following analysis of the demand notes and identification of Blake as the suspect by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Crime Laboratory.

The trial began on Tuesday and concluded with the jury verdict of guilty on all counts on Friday. United States District Judge John A. Ross presided over the trial.  Sentencing will be held on December 15, 2021.  Blake faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Jason Dunkel and Donald Boyce prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States

 

ST. LOUIS – On September 16, 2021, federal charges were filed against Christopher Franklin and Kaniya Sloan. 19-year-old Christopher Franklin and 18-year-old Kaniya Sloan are accused of aiding and abetting a robbery on federal territorial jurisdiction and accessory after the fact of a robbery on federal territorial jurisdiction.

According to the charging documents, on September 13, 2021 at 7:34 p.m., Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) officers were dispatched for a report of an armed robbery. Officers interviewed a male and female victim, and learned that at approximately 7:30 p.m., the victims were on the grounds of the Gateway Arch. While on the Arch grounds, they were approached by a suspect who pointed a black handgun at them and demanded their property. The female victim complied with the demands of the suspect and handed over her purse. The male victim also complied with the demands of the suspect and handed over his iPhone and wallet.

SLMPD officers worked with the Federal Park Service to obtain and review surveillance footage from the area to identify the robber. Detectives followed up on several leads which resulted in the arrests of Sloan and Franklin along with a juvenile suspect on September 15, 2021, in the City of St. Louis.

Charges set forth are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Park Service.

***

CAPE GIRARDEAU – United States District Judge Matthew T. Schelp, sentenced Timothy Ossana to 45 months in prison today. The 53-year-old Doniphan, Missouri, resident pleaded guilty, in November 2020, for felon in possession of a firearm.

 

On January 8, 2020, Missouri State Highway Patrol stopped a Chevrolet Blazer for an expired license registration offense in Ripley County.  During that traffic stop, a citizen brought a pistol to the officer and stated that he discovered the pistol lying near the roadway where Ossana had just driven.  It was a Jennings, .380 caliber pistol, bearing serial number 889316.  Ossana later admitted that he had been assaulted by some people and that he acquired the pistol for his protection. 

  

This case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney Keith Sorrell handled the prosecution for the government.

*****

The United States Attorney's Office announced that MARCO M. DEBOSE, age 39, of Marston, Missouri, was sentenced today to serve 90 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm.  The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.     

According to court documents, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Debose’s residence in September 2020.  Among other things, officers discovered three firearms and various drug paraphernalia items inside the residence.  During a guilty plea hearing earlier this summer, Debose admitted the firearms belonged to him.  Debose was prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law because of his previous felony convictions, including convictions for domestic assault and stealing-related offenses.  After serving the 90-month sentence, Debose will be placed on supervised release for three years.

This case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.

ST. LOUIS – On September 8, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Ronald Scott Miller on four counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. 

 

According to the indictment, beginning on or about March 27, 2014 and continuing through at least September 29, 2020, Ronald Scott Miller devised a scheme to defraud his employer out of at least $300,000.  The investigation revealed Miller fraudulently drafted and submitted false weekly timesheets reflecting work that employees did not perform. The indictment further alleges that it was part of the defendant’s scheme to defraud that he submitted fraudulent invoices and altered receipts so that his employer would pay him money that he was not entitled to receive.

 

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

***

ST. LOUIS – On September 7, 2021, Rotimi Oladimeji and Olumide Akinrinmade appeared before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on a romance scam. The men were arrested in Texas on August 9th after the return of a federal indictment charging mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The grand jury returned the sealed indictment on July 28th. 

 

According to the indictment, in October 2019, a resident of the Eastern District of Missouri began communicating on an internet dating site with Oladimeji, who was purporting to be G.J. As part of the fraud, Oladimeji bolstered his impersonation of G.J. with a LinkedIn profile in the name of G.J., the picture of a different individual, and a completely fictitious background. Shortly after beginning the online romance, Oladimeji, in the guise of G.J., purported to need help with an urgent business issue while he was traveling in the United Arab Emirates.

 

Through the G.J. identity, Oladimeji directed the victim to electronically transfer funds from the Eastern District of Missouri to banks in Saudi Arabia and to send money by Federal Express to Akinrinmade’s residence in Texas. The money was subsequently deposited into financial accounts opened by Oladimeji, Akinrinmade, and others. As a result, between October 23, 2019 and April 26, 2020, the victim electronically transmitted and sent through Federal Express, $1,200,000 to, and on behalf of, Oladimeji and Akinrinmade.

 

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

 

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

***

The United States has reached a civil settlement with Saint Francis Medical Center (Saint Francis) resolving the Government’s claims under the Controlled Substances Act.  According to the United States’ allegations, Saint Francis employed a Farmington, Missouri physician, Brett Dickinson (Dickinson), who wrote prescriptions for controlled substances without legitimate medical purposes and outside the usual course of professional practice.  As part of the settlement, Saint Francis agreed to pay $1,624,957.67.

 

The United States alleged that Saint Francis, through Dickinson’s actions in the scope of his employment, issued invalid prescriptions for opioids such as morphine, hydromorphone, and oxycodone.  According to the United States’ allegations, Dickinson prescribed these opioids to patients simultaneously with muscle relaxers and benzodiazepines.  The United States claimed that such drugs are known to enhance the addictive, euphoric effects of opioids and, as a result, are commonly sought-after in combination with opioids by individuals with substance abuse disorders and individuals who seek to use opioids recreationally.  The United States alleged that Dickinson issued these prescriptions while ignoring warning signs of drug diversion or misuse, including aberrant urine drug test results and patients’ previous hospital treatment for medical problems related to drug misuse.

 

Although not part of the settlement agreement, in August 2021, Saint Francis voluntarily incorporated the Foundation for Opioid Prescribing Education in the State of Missouri.  According to Saint Francis, the Foundation, which it funded with an initial contribution of $1 million, will be used to fund education programs for physicians and other healthcare professionals in Southeast Missouri on best practices in prescribing opioids and managing patients with chronic pain issues.

 

Saint Francis fully cooperated with the United States’ investigation of the case.  Additionally, as part of the settlement, Saint Francis agreed to cooperate with the United States’ investigation of individuals not released in the settlement agreement, including by furnishing documents related to “the prescribing of controlled substances by Dickinson.”

 

“When Dr. Dickinson recklessly prescribed controlled substances without regard for his patients’ well-being, he violated the trust our communities extend to healthcare professionals. We appreciate the steps taken by Saint Francis Medical Center to prevent such illegal behavior by its staff in the future,” said Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Curt L. Muller.  “In coordination with our law enforcement partners, our agents will continue to investigate such fraud schemes and protect the public from unscrupulous prescribers.”

 

The Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Amy Sestric handled the case.

ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury handed down a thirteen-count indictment against Leonard Love, 52, of St. Louis charging Love with having committed six separate store robberies, six acts of using a firearm in furtherance of those robberies and one act of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  

The indictment alleges that during the months of June and July of 2021, Love robbed various businesses, including Walgreens, Mobil On The Run, Circle K, and U-Gas stores, located in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County.    

The charges set forth in this indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The FBI and the St. Charles City Police Department, the Sunset Hills Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, and the St. Ann Police Department are investigating this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Szczucinski is prosecuting this matter on behalf of the United States of America.