Eastern District of Missouri

ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced, Tuesday, Monte Evans to 80 months in prison. The 38-year-old St. Louis resident pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On April 25, 2019, officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department were patrolling in the 1300 block of Montclair Avenue when they saw Evans participate in a drug deal. Officers, still in the patrol car, approached Evans and he started acting suspicious. Officer stopped the car and got out and Evans ran.

Officers chased Evans and caught Evans when he slipped on wet grass. Officers did a pat-down, of Evans, and found a stolen Glock 27 semi-automatic pistol. Officers also found a firearms holster on his belt. During a search of Evans, police found 12.05 grams of heroin and 8.65 grams of crack. Officers arrested Evans.

On May 30, 2019, SLMPD officers saw Evans operating a car without a front license plate. Officers learned the car was registered to Evans, and that Evans had multiple active felony warrants. Officers performed a lawful traffic stop. While talking with Evans, officer smelled marijuana and searched the vehicle.

Officers discovered a satchel containing 3.06 grams of heroin, .39 grams of methamphetamine, 66.42 grams of marijuana, and a Glock 27 semi-automatic pistol loaded pistol with 13 rounds in the magazine.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officers investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dunkel prosecuted the case for the United States Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS, MO –Lynese Cargill (also known as Lynese Hoffman), 51, formerly of St. Louis County, Missouri, pled guilty to three counts of wire fraud related to her former position as vice president and chief financial officer of Common Ground Public Relations, Inc. Cargill appeared today before U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig who accepted her pleas and set sentencing for January 6, 2021. 

According to the Information and Plea Agreement, the defendant, Lynese Cargill ("Cargill), was one of the two founders of Common Ground, and served as the firm’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.  Beginning in or about 2008 and continuing through in or about March 31, 2020, Cargill devised, and knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud and obtain money from Common Ground by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises in the total amount of $785,615.25. 

Cargill issued 80 unauthorized bank checks to herself written on Common Ground’s bank account totaling $198,980.23.  In order to conceal this aspect of her fraudulent scheme, Cargill made false and misleading entries in the internal financial and accounting records of Common Ground, purporting to make these unauthorized bank checks appear to be legitimate when, in fact, she knew they were not. 

Cargill was issued both a Citibank MasterCard credit card and an American Express credit card by Common Ground to be used to pay for legitimate company expenses, such as necessary travel and other business expenses.  Cargill used both of her company issued credit cards to make personal purchases, unrelated to the legitimate business and operations of Common Ground.  Cargill's unauthorized credit card charges were for such personal expenses as airfare, hotels, automobiles, clothing, cosmetics, medi-spas, restaurants and miscellaneous retail purchases.  These company issued credit card purchases were done by Cargill without the knowledge and authority of Common Ground.  During the period of her fraudulent scheme, Cargill made approximately 2,841 unauthorized company issued MasterCard credit card purchases for personal use items and expenses, totaling approximately $351,748.42, and an additional approximately 1,166 unauthorized company issued American Express credit card purchases for personal use items and expenses, totaling approximately $190,200.66.     

Cargill applied for and obtained 2 different $1,000,000 life insurance policies, but instead of naming Common Ground as the sole beneficiary, as required under the shareholder agreement, Cargill named her then husband, B.H., as the sole beneficiary on both policies.  Cargill then made premium payments on both policies, totaling $5,244.00, with funds from Common Ground’s bank accounts.    

Cargill also used Common Ground bank funds to pay for charges on three of her personal credit cards totaling approximately $38,516.94.  None of these charges which were paid for with Common Ground funds were authorized by Common Ground, and they were not for the legitimate business or operations of Common Ground.          

In order to conceal her fraudulent scheme, Cargill moved funds between Common Ground bank accounts to falsely inflate the balance of the firm’s operating account when she provided financial updates to the president and chief executive officer of the firm.   In furtherance of her scheme, Cargill caused unauthorized wire transfers to be made from Common Ground’s bank account to make payments on her personal credit card charges.

Cargill faces a potential statutory maximum sentence as to each count of wire fraud of twenty years’ imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000.  The Court is required to consider the United States Sentencing Commission guidelines in sentencing defendant. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS, MO - The Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Marshals Service and Homeland Security Investigations arrested 10 people Tuesday, including seven in the St. Louis area and three in Phoenix, on charges that include conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Defendants are expected to be presented in federal court today.  Among those charged were:

• Teresa Mejia-Palacios, 31, of St. Louis City;
• Reyman Ordonez Colmenero, 39, of Phoenix, AZ;
• Rafael Leon-Barradas, 37, of St. Louis City;
• Ramon Perez-Alonso, 36, of Collinsville, IL;
• Gavino Pelayo Echevarria, 28, of St. Louis City;
• Omar Ramirez-Villanos, 28, of St. Louis County;
• Luis Alonso Gomez-Celaya, 36, of St. Louis City;
• Cindy Hinojo-Ruiz Ramos, 45, of St. Louis City;
• Norma Leticia Rivera-Hernandez, 33, of Phoenix, AZ; and
• Vanessa Eliserio, 33, of Phoenix, AZ

The previously sealed indictment of August 5, 2020, includes the following charges: (1) Leon-Barradas, Perez-Alonso, Ramirez-Villanos, Gomez-Celaya, and Hinoja-Ruiz Ramos are charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine; (2) Mejia-Palacios and Echevarria are charged with conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine; and (3) Colmenero and Rivera-Hernandez, and Eliserio are charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

The indictment charges Echevarria with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Leon-Barradas is also charged with illegal reentry in to the United States after having been previously removed to Mexico.  Gomez-Celaya is further charged with illegal reentry into the United States after having been previously removed to Honduras. 

“This investigation shows that drug trafficking organizations have networks that extend across the country, and that DEA investigators, along with our federal partners of FBI, HSI and the Marshals, will follow those connections wherever they go,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. Callahan, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division. “With multiple arrests like in this case, the goal is to destroy the network and stop these organizations from peddling their poison in the streets of St. Louis.”

This case is being investigated by the following law enforcement agencies:  The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service. 

As is always the case, 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.

These arrests were made as part of Operation Legend. Operation Legend was launched in Kansas City, Mo., on July 8, 2020, and expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on Aug. 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on Aug. 14, 2020. As part of Operation Legend, Attorney General Barr has directed federal agents from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, DEA and ATF to surge resources to these cities to help state and local officials fighting violent crime.  The Department of Homeland Security is also contributing agents to these efforts in St. Louis.

ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced Miles Davis to 51 months in prison. The 36-year-old St. Louis resident pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession with intent to distribute.

On October 9, 2019, officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) were patrolling the 4000 block of Pleasant and noticed Davis watching their patrol car suspiciously. While watching the patrol car, the officers noticed Davis grab his satchel and hide between two parked cars.

Concerned Davis was either grabbing or getting rid of a weapon, one SLMPD officer got out of the patrol car and approached Davis. As the officer approached, Davis removed a handgun from the satchel and threw it under one of the parked cars. The officer ordered Davis to come from between the parked cars, handcuffed Davis and advised him of his Miranda rights. Davis told the officer that when he saw the police he was scared, because he is a convicted felon.

A computer check verified Davis was a convicted felon. The handgun recovered from under the parked car is a Hi-Pointe 9mm caliber pistol with seven rounds of ammunition. Police also found multiple bags of cocaine base (crack) and fentanyl on Davis. Davis admitted he sold drugs and sold someone drugs in exchange for the pistol.                      

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officers investigated the case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case for the United States Attorney’s Office as part of the Safer Streets Initiative. Missouri Attorney General Schmitt and U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen launched the initiative in January of 2019 as an unprecedented state and federal partnership to prosecute violent crime in St. Louis.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Justice announced today that more than 300 individuals in 29 states and Washington, D.C., have been charged for crimes committed adjacent to or under the guise of peaceful demonstrations since the end of May.

To date, of the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs), more than 40 USAOs have filed federal charges alleging crimes ranging from attempted murder, assaulting a law enforcement officer, arson, burglary of a federally-licensed firearms dealer, damaging federal property, malicious destruction of property using fire or explosives, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, unlawful possession of a destructive device, inciting a riot, felony civil disorder, and others.  Violent opportunists have exploited these demonstrations in various ways. 

Approximately 80 individuals have been charged with offenses relating to arson and explosives.  Approximately 15 individuals have been charged with damaging federal property. In some instances, these individuals are alleged to have set fires to local businesses as well as city and federal property, which will regrettably incur millions of taxpayer dollars to repair damages to the Portland Courthouse, Nashville Courthouse, Minneapolis Police Third Precinct, Seattle Police East Precinct, and local high school in Minnesota; and, to replace police cruisers in South Carolina, Washington, Rhode Island, Georgia, Utah, and other states.

Corporate and local businesses were also targeted, including a Target Corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, Boost Mobile Store in Milwaukee, Champ Sports Store in Tampa, and local restaurants including a pizza parlor in Los Angeles and a sushi bar in Santa Monica.  Through these acts, these individuals have shown minimal regard to their communities and for the safety of others and themselves.

In Washington, D.C., outside of the U.S. Supreme Court, a man was engulfed in flames after he poured a liquid from a gas can onto three U.S. Supreme Court Police vehicles; he suffered severe burns. In Virginia Beach, authorities identified a man who is alleged to have threatened to burn down an African American church.  

Approximately 35 individuals have been charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer and related offenses.  One of these cases was charged in Massachusetts; the rest of these individuals were charged in Oregon.  The assaults have targeted local and federal law enforcement officers.  In Portland, a man is alleged to have approached a U.S. Marshals Deputy from behind and struck the deputy in the upper back, neck, and shoulder with a wooden baseball bat; another man, allegedly assaulted a Deputy U.S. Marshal with an explosive device.  In Boston, a man allegedly shot at least 11 times toward officers, including a deputized federal officer.

Approximately 30 individuals have been charged with offenses related to civil disorder.  In several instances, these individuals leveraged social media platforms to incite destruction and assaults against law enforcement officers.  In Cleveland, two Pennsylvania men are charged with driving to the city with the intent to participate in a riot and commit acts of violence.  In their possession, authorities found a black backpack containing a hammer, two containers of Sterno Firestarter Instant Flame Gel, a can of spray paint, a glass bottle of liquor with a bar-style pour top, a Glock semi-automatic firearm and two magazines loaded with ammunition.  In Knoxville, one individual allegedly instructed his social media followers to, “bring hammers bricks whatever you want.” The same defendant allegedly used a trashcan lid filled with an unknown liquid to strike a law enforcement officer in the head while the officer was seated in a police vehicle.

Charges have also been filed against individuals accused of committing burglary and carjacking.  In Pittsburgh, two individuals allegedly attempted to burglarize a Dollar Bank.  In Louisville, two individuals were charged with conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances at a local Walgreens. Another Louisville individual was charged with carjacking; at the time of the carjacking, the individual was on a felony diversion as a result of a February 2020 conviction for charges that were initially filed as complicity to murder and complicity to robbery. 

Several of these charges carry significant maximum prison sentences. For example, felony assault of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.  Arson is punishable by up to 20 years in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.

The following agencies and U.S. Attorney’s offices have investigated these cases along with multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies: The FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and United States Attorneys’ Offices (including the District of Arizona, the Central District of California, the Northern District of California, the Southern District of California, the District of Colorado, the District of Columbia, the District of Delaware, the Middle District of Florida, the Northern District of Georgia, the Central District of Illinois, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Western District of Kentucky, the Middle District of Louisiana, the District of Maine, the District of Massachusetts, the District of Minnesota, the Eastern District of Missouri, the Western District of Missouri, the District of Nevada, the District of New Jersey, the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of New York, the Southern District of New York, the Western District of New York, the Eastern District of North Carolina, the District of North Dakota, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Ohio, the District of Oregon, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Western District of Pennsylvania, the District of Rhode Island, the District of South Carolina, the Eastern District of Tennessee, the Middle District of Tennessee, the Northern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of Utah, the Eastern District of Virginia, the Western District of Washington, the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the Western District of Wisconsin).

The ATF and FBI continue to urge the public to report suspected arson, use of explosive devices, or violent, destructive acts associated with the recent unrest.  Anyone with information can call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov, or submit information anonymously via ReportIt.com.

In addition to those who commit fires, the FBI is looking for people who may have incited or promoted violence of any kind.  Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit images or videos at FBI.gov/violence.

An indictment and criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ST. LOUIS, MO –Braylon Roberts, 23, of St. Louis, MO, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in robbing Subway and Papa John’s and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of robbery. Roberts appeared in federal court today before United States District Judge John R. Ross. 

According to court documents, on August 16, 2018, Roberts and co-defendant Terrance Cole entered the Subway restaurant located on Lewis and Clark Boulevard in Jennings, Missouri.  Roberts displayed a handgun. Cole, who was carrying a backpack, walked to the cash register and directed a Subway employee to give him the money in the cash drawer. Upon entering the Subway, Roberts displayed a firearm and knocked a patron to the ground, causing injury to that victim. Roberts then followed Cole to the counter and pointed his firearm directly at the employee. The employee complied with the demand to give Cole money. Cole placed the money in the backpack, after which time Roberts and Cole left the Subway.

On August 18, 2018, Roberts and Cole entered a Papa Johns restaurant located on N. Tucker Boulevard in the City of St. Louis, Missouri.  Roberts displayed a handgun as he entered the Papa Johns and ordered all of the patrons to the floor, dragging one of the patrons along the floor.  Cole, carrying a backpack, approached the Papa Johns employee at the cash register and demanded money from the employee.  The employee gave Cole the money from the cash drawer and he placed the money in the back pack. 

When Roberts and Cole left the Papa Johns following the robbery, they entered a gold Nissan Maxima and departed the scene.  The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (“SLMPD”) Real Time Crime Center was able to review surveillance video of the area surrounding the Papa Johns and capture a photo of the vehicle, including the license plate.  On Sunday, August 19, 2019, SLMPD officers spotted the vehicle and stopped it for further investigation.  The driver of the vehicle was the sister of Braylon Roberts.  A consent search of the vehicle revealed Braylon Roberts’s identification card in the vehicle. Roberts was one of the perpetrators in the surveillance video of the Papa John’s robbery.

Co-defendant Terrance Cole was sentenced in February to 68 months in prison.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Behrens prosecuted this case.

ST. LOUIS, MO – Dr. Franco Sicuro, of Chesterfield, Missouri, and Carlos Himpler, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were indicted on multiple charges of conspiracy and health care fraud charges. The indictment charges that as part of a fraud scheme Genotec DX and Midwest Toxicology Group, owned by Dr. Sicuro and Carlos Himpler, received over $15 million dollars for clinical laboratory tests that Genotec DX and Midwest Toxicology Group did not perform.

According to the indictment, Dr. Sicuro and Carlos Himpler falsely represented to Medicare, United Health Care, Aetna-Coventry, Anthem Blue Cross-Blue Shield, and Cigna that Genotec DX and Midwest Toxicology Group had performed quantitative urine drug tests and genetic tests, although neither laboratory had the equipment to perform the tests. To carry out the fraud scheme, Dr. Sicuro and Carlos Himpler paid other clinical laboratories about $125 to perform tests on a single urine specimen. Genotec DX and Midwest Toxicology Group then marked-up the same tests and billed insurance companies thousands of dollars for the same tests. In many instances, Genotec DX and Midwest Toxicology Group unbundled tests, which should have been billed as one test, billed the tests separately, and were paid $30,000 to $50,000 for a single urine drug test. To avoid detection, reimbursement claims were submitted on different days for the same patient and date of service but included different billing codes.

One business affected by the fraud scheme was UFCW Local #655, which paid Genotec DX $1,086,450.87 for urine drug tests for 7 union members between January and October 2015. UFCW Local #655 also paid Midwest Toxicology Group $150,596.74. Unknown to UFCW Local #655 and the public and private health care insurers, Midwest Toxicology Group was not certified by state or federal agencies to operate as a clinical laboratory and had no testing equipment.

Conspiracy to defraud carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for each count and a fine of $250,000 or both.  The health care fraud violations carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment for each count and a fine of $250,000 or both. Restitution to the victims is also mandatory.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Dorothy McMurtry and Meredith Reiter are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey held a joint plea and sentencing hearing today for Damond Jackson. The 22-year-old defendant, a resident of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 60 months.

According to the plea agreement, on February 3, 2019, officers from the St. Louis County Police Department responded to a vehicular crash at the Exit Ramp of 6299 off Interstate 255. Officers discovered a 1998 Ford Escort that went off the road and into the grass embankment. The driver of the car, defendant Jackson, told officers on scene that his brakes went out and caused him to go off the road. Jackson also told officers he was the only one in the car.  Inside of the vehicle, officers located a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol, with an extended magazine containing approximately 30 rounds of ammunition. While conducting a pat-down of Jackson, officers found an empty, black, mesh firearm holster.  The investigation revealed that the firearm was stolen. Defendant Jackson is a prior convicted felon.  According to the plea, Jackson admits knowing possession of the firearm.          

The St. Louis County Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Ed Dowd prosecuted the case for the United States Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced Juan LaSalle Chase to more than nine years in federal prison. The 49 year old, a resident of St. Louis, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. 

According to the plea agreement, beginning in 2015 and continuing until March 2018, Chase joined in a conspiracy with four co-defendants to acquire and distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and marijuana to distribute. Specifically, wiretaps and other enforcement actions revealed Chase sourced cocaine and marijuana to the co-defendants.

A search of Chase’s home, lead to investigators to among other things, three kilograms of cocaine, three firearms, ammunition, and $105,910 in drug proceeds.  Searches at other locations associated with Chase and the conspiracy revealed bulk marijuana.       

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Casey prosecuted the case for the United States Attorney’s Office.

 

ST. LOUIS, MO – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Darrise Ball to 96 months in federal prison. The 33-year-old St. Louis resident pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, and being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  

On the evening of August 5, 2019, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department detectives were patrolling in the area of Romaine Place and Hodiamont Avenue when a Nissan Rogue ran a stop sign and almost hit the detectives, who were driving an unmarked car. Detectives checked the Nissan’s license plate and learned the Nissan had been reported stolen. St. Louis officers activated their lights and sirens in an attempt to pull over the Nissan. Ball, who was driving the Nissan fled at a high rate of speed, violating traffic signs and causing people to run out of the street to avoid being hit. While turning at the intersection of Ridge and Hodiamont Avenues, the Nissan slid into a vacant lot at 6001 Ridge Avenue and came to a stop.

The front seat passenger fled from the Nissan. Ball crawled from the driver’s seat into the passenger’s seat and out of the passenger’s side door. Ball ran across a field while disobeying officers’ commands to stop. Detectives were able to catch Ball and arrest him.

The detectives searched the Nissan and discovered a 9mm Glock pistol with an extended magazine, loaded with 33 rounds, a .45 caliber Glock pistol with an extended magazine, loaded with 28 rounds, and fentanyl and cocaine packaged in multiple individually wrapped plastic bags. It was further discovered the .45 Glock pistol had been reported stolen.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

ST. LOUIS, MO -Attorney General William P. Barr announced, at a news conference in Milwaukee today, updates on Operation Legend.

Since Operation Legend’s launch in July 2020, more than 3,500 arrests – including approximately 200 for homicide – have been made; more than 1,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 19 kilos of heroin, more than 11 kilos of fentanyl (enough to deliver more than five million fatal doses), more than 94 kilos of methamphetamine, nearly 14 kilos of cocaine, and more than $6.5 million in drug proceeds have been seized.

Of the more than 3,500 individuals arrested, approximately 815 have been charged with federal offenses. More than 440 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while more than 300 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses.

The Attorney General launched the operation as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime.

Breakdown of Operation Legend charges:

The initiative, which was first launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. The operation was subsequently expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on August 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on August 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district is below. 

Kansas City, MO.

147 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 54 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 80 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 13 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Chicago, IL.

150 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 37 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 108 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 5 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Albuquerque, NM.

60 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 23 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 30 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 7 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Cleveland, OH.

72 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 42 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 26 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Detroit, MI.

65 defendants have been charged with federal offenses outlined below. 

• 16 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 46 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Milwaukee, WI.

47 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 24 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 19 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 4 defendant has been charged with other violent crimes.

St. Louis, MO.

205 defendants have been charged with federal crimes.

• 93 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 90 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 22 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Memphis, TN.

27 defendants have been charged with federal offenses.

• 10 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 13 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Indianapolis, IN.

45 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 7 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 33 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 5 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

A United Kingdom national pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit aggravated identity theft and computer fraud, and was sentenced to five years in federal prison. 

U.S. District Judge Ronnie White for the Eastern District of Missouri sentenced Nathan Wyatt, 39, who participated in a computer hacking collective known as “The Dark Overlord,” which targeted victims in the St. Louis area beginning in 2016.  Wyatt was extradited from the United Kingdom to the Eastern District of Missouri in December 2019.  Judge White also ordered Wyatt to pay $1,467,048 in restitution.

“Nathan Wyatt used his technical skills to prey on Americans’ private data and exploited the sensitive nature of their medical and financial records for his own personal gain,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “Today’s guilty plea and sentence demonstrate the department’s commitment to ensuring that hackers who seek to profit by illegally invading the privacy of Americans will be found and held accountable, no matter where they may be located.”

“The Dark Overlord has victimized innumerable employers in the United States, many of them repeatedly, said U.S Attorney Jeff Jensen of the Eastern District of Missouri.  “I am grateful to the victims who came forward despite ransom threats and to the prosecutors and agents who were the first to catch and punish a member of The Dark Overlord in the United States.”

“Cyber hackers mistakenly believe they can hide behind a keyboard,” said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI’s St. Louis Field Office.  “In this case, the FBI demonstrated once again that it will impose consequences on cyber criminals no matter how long it takes or where they are located.”

Wyatt admitted that, beginning in 2016, he was a member of The Dark Overlord, a hacking group that was responsible for remotely accessing the computer networks of multiple U.S. companies without authorization.  Victims in the Eastern District of Missouri included healthcare providers, accounting firms, and others.  Wyatt admitted that The Dark Overlord co-conspirators acted by obtaining sensitive data from victim companies, including patient medical records and personal identifying information, and then threatening to release the companies’ stolen data unless the companies paid a ransom of between $75,000 and $350,000 in bitcoin. 

Wyatt further admitted that he participated in the conspiracy by creating, validating, and maintaining communication, payment, and virtual private network accounts that were used in the course of the scheme to, among other things, send threatening and extortionate messages to victims within the Eastern District of Missouri. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s St. Louis Field Office.  Support was also provided by the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated the extradition of Wyatt.  The department thanks law enforcement authorities in the United Kingdom, including the Metropolitan Police Service, for their substantial assistance in the investigation.

Senior Counsel Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll prosecuted the case.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

ST. LOUIS, MO – A United Kingdom national pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit aggravated identity theft and computer fraud, and was sentenced to five years in federal prison. 

U.S. District Judge Ronnie White for the Eastern District of Missouri sentenced Nathan Wyatt, 39, who participated in a computer hacking collective known as “The Dark Overlord,” which targeted victims in the St. Louis area beginning in 2016.  Wyatt was extradited from the United Kingdom to the Eastern District of Missouri in December 2019.  Judge White also ordered Wyatt to pay $1,467,048 in restitution.

“Nathan Wyatt used his technical skills to prey on Americans’ private data and exploited the sensitive nature of their medical and financial records for his own personal gain,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s guilty plea and sentence demonstrate the department’s commitment to ensuring that hackers who seek to profit by illegally invading the privacy of Americans will be found and held accountable, no matter where they may be located.”

“The Dark Overlord has victimized innumerable employers in the United States, many of them repeatedly, said U.S Attorney Jeff Jensen of the Eastern District of Missouri.  “I am grateful to the victims who came forward despite ransom threats and to the prosecutors and agents who were the first to catch and punish a member of the Dark Overlord in the United States.”

“Cyber hackers mistakenly believe they can hide behind a keyboard,” said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI’s St. Louis Field Office.  “In this case, the FBI demonstrated once again that it will impose consequences on cyber criminals no matter how long it takes or where they are located.”

Wyatt admitted that, beginning in 2016, he was a member of The Dark Overlord, a hacking group that was responsible for remotely accessing the computer networks of multiple U.S. companies without authorization.  Victims in the Eastern District of Missouri included healthcare providers, accounting firms, and others.  Wyatt admitted that The Dark Overlord co-conspirators acted by obtaining sensitive data from victim companies, including patient medical records and personal identifying information, and then threatening to release the companies’ stolen data unless the companies paid a ransom of between $75,000 and $350,000 in bitcoin. 

Wyatt further admitted that he participated in the conspiracy by creating, validating, and maintaining communication, payment, and virtual private network accounts that were used in the course of the scheme to, among other things, send threatening and extortionate messages to victims within the Eastern District of Missouri. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s St. Louis Field Office. Support was also provided by the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated the extradition of Wyatt.  The department thanks law enforcement authorities in the United Kingdom, including the Metropolitan Police Service, for their substantial assistance in the investigation.

Senior Counsel Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll prosecuted the case.

ST. LOUIS, MO – On September 17, 2020, at the conclusion of a four-day jury trial, Travis Broeker, 36, of St. Louis County, was found guilty of the crimes of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.  United States District Judge Henry E. Autrey has set sentencing for January 6, 2021 at 11:30 a.m.

The evidence at trial established that on February 28, 2018, at approximately 7:06 p.m., Broeker met the victim on a parking lot of a convenience store and sold him six fentanyl capsules.  The victim returned to his residence in 2800 block of Telegraph, ingested fentanyl, and overdosed.  The victim’s roommate called 911 at 7:27 p.m.  The victim was successfully treated with NARCAN, and released from the hospital late in the evening of February 28.  While the victim was in the hospital, his roommate confiscated his remaining fentanyl and his cell phone for the victim’s safety. 

The victim returned home around midnight where he and his roommate spoke with each other before the roommate went to sleep.  During the early morning hours of March 1, the victim’s roommate found him unresponsive, in a fetal position.  The same paramedics who treated him the previous night responded a second time, and determined that he was “beyond help.”  The victim was pronounced dead at 6:08 a.m., on March 1. 

St. Louis County Police investigators obtained the victim’s remaining fentanyl and cell phone from his roommate.  The police used an undercover detective purporting to be the victim’s friend to contact Broeker, who agreed to distribute additional fentanyl to the victim and the undercover detective.  Broeker enlisted co-defendant Pamela Barton to deliver 20 capsules of fentanyl to the undercover detective.  Barton unwittingly contacted the police to make the fentanyl delivery and was arrested.  Investigators later arrested Broeker, who admitted distributing fentanyl to the victim.   

On January 15, 2020, Judge Autrey sentenced Barton to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. 

Distribution of fentanyl resulting in death is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 20 years imprisonment up to life.  Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, and the range of punishment for both offenses includes a fine of up to $1,000,000.

The St. Louis County Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nauman Wadalawala prosecuted this case for the United States.  

ST. LOUIS, MO – Dr. Thomas Hobbs and Dr. Vivian Carbone-Hobbs of Jefferson County were indicted with two members of their office staff, a former union representative of Anheuser-Busch In Bev, and five patients with conspiring to fraudulently obtain disability benefits from the Social Security Administration and disability insurance payments from providers of long-term and short-term disability insurance. The indictment charges Dr. Hobbs, Dr. Carbone-Hobbs, Clarissa Pogue, Christina Barrera, James Ralston, Elizabeth Guetersloh, Glenda Johnson, Sheila Huffman, Shannon Nenninger, and Gary Walesky with various violations including: conspiracy to defraud; health care fraud; and, theft of government funds. 

According to the indictment, the defendants exaggerated the patients’ medical conditions and ability to care for themselves in order to qualify for the government disability benefits and the private insurance disability payments. The chiropractors also required their patients to undergo excessive medical treatments and diagnostic evaluations beyond what was medically necessary to pad their medical records. Beginning as early as 2011, AB In-Bev employees sought the chiropractors’ assistance because it permitted them to fraudulently obtain Social Security disability insurance benefit payments, a long-term disability insurance payment of $100,000.00 from Prudential Insurance Companies, and long-term and short-term disability benefits through Met-Life. In exchange, his patients paid him as much as $3,000.00 for each of the types of disability payments they were seeking in addition to insurance payments he collected from Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Health Care and payment for unreimbursed services from the patients.

The losses resulting from the false and fraudulent statements to the Social Security Administration and the private insurance disability providers exceeded $12,000,000.

Conspiracy to defraud carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment for each count and a fine of $250,000 or both.  The health care fraud violations and the theft of government fund violations carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment for each count and a fine of $250,000 or both. Restitution to the victims is also mandatory.

In a separate indictment, the federal grand jury also charged Dr. Thomas Hobbs with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. That violation carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or both.

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

Because the Social Security Administration provides benefits through the Disability Insurance Benefit Program to more than 8.4 million individuals a year at a monthly rate of more than $10.4 million, the Social Security Administration accepts reports of those suspected of committing fraud against the program through the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General Hotline at: 1-800-269-0271 or https://oig.ssa.gov/report/.

ST. LOUIS, MO – On September 17, 2020, a federal grand jury indicted Yvonne Woods on three counts of making false, fictitious or fraudulent claims. The 50 year old is a resident of St. Louis County.

According to the indictment, between January 2014 and May 2019, Woods claimed to be homebound and in need of receiving home health care benefits funded by the Missouri Medicaid program.

The indictment states that Woods arranged to receive and continue to receive home health care from the program through a local home health care company. As part of the arrangement, Woods underwent training and signed timesheets on a regular basis.

Initially, Woods received some health care services from an attendant. However, in October 2014, the attendant obtained a full-time job with another employer and stopped provided services to Woods. Later, Woods set-up a bank account using the attendant’s name with the defendant’s contact information.  Woods submitted false timesheets on a weekly basis, and received the payments. When Medicaid paid the claims, without knowing the false and fraudulent nature, Woods obtained and spent the money from the account using the attendant’s name. Woods used the money to pay for utilities, a cell phone bill, food, and other expenses.

“Medicaid funds are vital to providing beneficiaries with critical health and human services. Therefore, these funds must be carefully guarded,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  “Siphoning money from this program is a disservice to Missouri beneficiaries and the taxpayers who fund such programs.”

For each count, Woods faces a maximum punishment five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Woods is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

 The MO Healthnet program, with assistance from the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.

ST. LOUIS, MO - St. Louis – On September 17, 2020, a federal grand jury indicted Louquincy Carr for four counts of armed business robbery, four counts of brandishing a firearm in connection with those robberies, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The 35-year-old St. Louis resident was previously charged by a federal complaint regarding one of these robberies. 

According to the criminal complaint, on July 24, 2020, Carr entered a T-Mobile store located on South Grand Boulevard in St. Louis. Carr looked at some display phones before approaching the counter. At the counter, an employee showed Carr what appeared to be an iPhone in its box. Then, Carr pointed a silver handgun at the employee and demanded money from the register while also placing the boxed phone into his pants pocket. The employee complied and gave Carr the money. Thereafter, Carr forced the employee into the back office at gunpoint. Carr then fled the store on foot.

According to Court documents, digital surveillance video captured the following image documenting the robbery. 

According to court documents, on August 4, 2020, Carr entered the same T-Mobile store and looked around for a short time. He approached an employee, produced a silver handgun and demanded money from the register. The employee compiled and removed money from the cash drawer. After taking money and the wallet, Carr led two employees and two customers into a back room at gunpoint.

According to Court documents, digital surveillance video captured the following image documenting the robbery.

According to Court documents, on August 14, Carr entered a Boost Mobile store, located at 3706 South Grand Boulevard and approached the employee at the register. After the employee and Carr had a conversation, Carr produced a silver handgun and demanded money.  The employee complied and removed money from the register.  After taking the money from the first employee, Carr turned to a second employee and demanded money from the second employee. Carr then ordered the two employees to a back office, at gunpoint. Once in the back office, asked where the “good phones” were and forced an employee, at gunpoint, to put multiple phones into a bag Carr had with him. After the bag was filled, Carr ordered the two employees into the bathroom and ran out the back door. 

According to Court documents, digital surveillance video captured the following image documenting the robbery.

According to Court documents, on August 25, 2020, a male entered a Wingstop Restaurant, located at 3626 South Grand Boulevard, in St. Louis. Carr entered the restaurant and walked near the counter. Carr waited for a short period of time, walked behind the counter, removed a silver handgun from his pocket and pointed it employees. Carr ordered an employee to open the register and remove the money. The employee complied and handed the money from the register to Carr. Carrt then ordered an employee to open the safe. The employee complied and handed Carr money from the safe. Carr took the money and ordered all store employees into a back room of the restaurant. Once all employees were in the back room, Carr ordered two employees to open the back door at which time the male fled from the restaurant. 

According to Court documents, digital surveillance video captured the following image documenting the robbery.

According to court documents, forensic evidence led to the identification of Carr.  Court documents further reflect that on September 10, 2020, Carr was taken into custody by law enforcement and search warrants were executed at two different residences at which the Carr is known to stay. Located during the execution of the search warrant was a silver handgun that appeared to be consistent with the gun the Carr used during the charged robbery.

This investigation is part of Operation LeGend, which is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in St. Louis in 2020.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. The case was handled by Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) Jen Szczucinski as part of the Safer Streets Initiative. The initiative was launched by Attorney General Schmitt and U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen in January of 2019 as an unprecedented state and federal partnership to prosecute violent crime in St. Louis.

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, MO – United States District Judge Stephen R. Clark accepted a plea, today, from Donald W. Sanders. The 62-year-old Williamsville resident pleaded guilty to one felony count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and one felony count of Attempting to Intimidate or Threaten a Government Witness. 

According to court records, on January 14, 2019, Sanders was inside a white Ford pick-up truck driven by another person. Officers tried to stop the truck, but the driver drove away. Eventually, the truck crashed and officers arrested Sanders and the driver. Officers found four firearms in the truck and recovered another rifle thrown from the truck during the chase. Officers later found a handgun in a motel room in Poplar Bluff shared by Sanders and the driver. It was determined; all of the firearms were stolen from residences in Butler County, Missouri.

On February 9, 2019, while incarcerated in the Butler County Jail, Sanders had a recorded conversation with a visitor. During the conversation, Sanders learned a female acquaintance was a possible witness against him for the firearm charge. Sanders expressed a concern the charge might be charged in federal court. Sanders made a statement to the visitor that the visitor should tell the woman, “Black River is very cold right now.” Sanders later admitted his statement was an attempt to persuade the woman not to testify as to the facts in the firearm charge.

Sanders has prior convictions for Escape from Custody in the Circuit Court of Wayne County, MO and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. He is prohibited from possessing firearms.

The Butler County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS, MO – Chief United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Roy William Burris, Jr., 40, of Paramount, California, to 25 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.

On February 12, 2020, at the conclusion of a 10-day jury trial, Burris was found guilty of the crime of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and the jury further found that the quantity of cocaine involved in the conspiracy attributable to Burris was five kilograms or more.

Trial evidence established that this was an organized crime conspiracy in which Burris and others purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine in multi-kilogram amounts for further distribution and sale.  As part of the conspiracy, Burris, operating in Southern California and elsewhere, obtained bulk quantities of cocaine from suppliers with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.  Burris then organized multi-kilogram sales of cocaine to others for further distribution.

Burris was originally arrested at the Long Beach Airport in California on February 29, 2016, en route to St. Louis, carrying a loaded handgun, seven cellular phones, drug ledgers reflecting hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of drug transactions, and other indicia of drug trafficking.  Following his release in California, Burris continued to traffic cocaine and was arrested again on March 30, 2016, in Hawaiian Gardens, California, in possession of 5 kilograms of cocaine and approximately $150,000 in U.S. Currency.   Burris was again released and ultimately traveled to Culiacán, Mexico, to meet with members of the Sinaloa Cartel about distributing bulk amounts of cocaine in St. Louis, Missouri.  On September 7, 2016, Burris, along with other members of the conspiracy, succeeded in having approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine shipped via UPS to the Silver Lining bar in South St. Louis.  DEA agents were able to successfully intercept the shipment, and Burris was subsequently arrested in California.

At the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Sippel discussed the seriousness of the offense, including the immeasurable and tragic consequences of Burris’s distribution of over 100 kilograms of cocaine into American communities, and noting the countless families who have lost a loved one to addiction and illegal drugs.  

At the time Burris participated in the instant conspiracy, he was on probation for a prior drug trafficking offense committed in Kentucky.

This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, specifically DEA Chicago, DEA St. Louis, DEA Los Angeles; the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; LA IMPACT (Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force); California State Highway Patrol; ICE (Homeland Security Investigations, Los Angeles, CA); U.S. Customs and Border Protection (San Ysidro, CA); and the Long Beach Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge Catherine Perry sentenced Abayomi Martin to 15 months in prison. The 43-year-old Lake St. Louis resident pleaded guilty, in March, to one count of wire fraud relative to a scheme to defraud and obtain money from Dallas Cowboy’s player Brandon Carr.  Martin was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $261,194.71 

Martin solicited an investment from Brandon Carr for a purported part ownership in a clothing company known as Famous Nobodys. Martin falsely represented to Carr he had an ownership interest in Famous Nobodys, and Carr’s investment would provide Carr a 17.5% ownership interest in the clothing company.

On September 12, 2016, after Martin presented him with what appeared to be a legitimate operating agreement setting out Carr’s purported ownership interest in Famous Nobodys, Carr wired $250,000 to Martin for the purpose of owning as an equity holder and operating Famous Nobodys. However, the true owner of Famous Nobodys never knew of this purported agreement by Martin, never received any of Carr’s investment money and never agreed to turn over any ownership interest in Famous Nobodys to Martin.   Instead, Martin used the investment funds provided by Brandon Carr for his own personal use and expenses, including cash withdrawals and personal credit card payments.  Martin also used a portion of Brandon Carr’s funds to pay for the expenses and training costs of several professional boxers in Las Vegas, Nevada, all without the knowledge and authority of Carr. 

Martin continued the fraud by sending Carr false email communications and text messages purporting to update him on Carr’s purported investment in Famous Nobodys.  Brandon Carr had intended to use any profits from his investment in Famous Nobodys to fund his broad based charitable foundation, Carr Cares.  Instead, Carr never received any funds back from Martin, who fraudulently used Carr’s entire investment for personal expenses and uses unrelated to any true investment in Famous Nobodys.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith is handling the case for the United States Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge John A. Ross accepted a plea, today, from 48-year-old Ashu Joshi. Joshi, a St. Louis resident, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography.

According to a plea agreement, Joshi was 46 years old and a doctor when he began a relationship with a 16-year-old girl. Joshi met the girl through her mother. The mother was a former patient of the doctor’s in Kentucky. The doctor and victim had sex and took pornographic pictures. Both exchanged photos over Facebook messenger.

In October 2018, a St. Louis County Police Officer received four cyber-tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tips were first to the Bowling Green, KY Police Department. The BGPD then asked St. Louis County Police for help after investigators learned one of the parties lived in St. Louis County.

The tip told investigators, between August and September 2018, a Facebook account linked to the doctor uploaded and sent several pictures containing child pornography.

The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of no more than $250,000.

Judge Ross has set sentencing for October 7, 2020.   

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Louis County Police Department and the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Colleen Lang and Investigator Donya Jackson are handling the case for the United States Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced Justin McGee to 18 years in prison for robbing a dozen businesses. The 39-year-old St. Louis resident pleaded guilty in February to 12 robberies.

On September 12, 2018, McGee, armed with a firearm, entered the Cricket Wireless store located at 10006 W. Florissant, approached an employee, and stated that he needed a phone repaired. While the employee was looking at the phone, McGee pulled a firearm from his pocket, pointed it at the employee and demanded he open the cash register. The employee was ordered to the floor as McGee stole money from the register and then fled the store.

On October 10, 2018, McGee entered the Game Stop on Maplewood Commons Drive armed with a firearm, pointed it at the employee and demanded she open the cash register. After grabbing money from the register, McGee ordered the employee to the ground and left.

On October 12, 2018, McGee entered the T-Mobile store on N. Highway 67, engaged an employee in conversation, pointed a firearm at her and told her he would kill her. He then confronted the store manager and had both employees lie on the floor.  McGee had one of the employees crawl to the office to show him where the cash was located. McGee took money and left the store. 

On October 17, 2018, McGee entered the Game Stop located on South Kingshighway, engaged an employee in conversation, pushed him to the floor as he pointed a firearm at him and demanded the cash register be opened. A second employee opened the register. McGee grabbed the store’s money and left the store.

On October 19, 2018, McGee entered the Boost Mobile store on Manchester, rushed toward an employee and pointed a firearm at her. He pushed her to the floor and poked her back with the firearm. She opened the cash register.  McGee grabbed the store’s money and ran out the door. 

On November 23, 2018, McGee entered the Smoothie King on Forest Park as the employees were preparing to close for the day. McGee placed his hand in his pocket as if he had a firearm and told them he wanted no problems. After he ordered the employees to kneel on the floor, McGee grabbed the store’s money and left. 

On December 15, 2018, McGee entered Kings Beauty Supply on Aubert and engaged an employee in a conversation about a hair clipper. McGee produced a firearm and announced a robbery. Pointing the firearm at two employees, McGee ordered one to lie on the ground. He grabbed the store’s money and hair clippers and left the store.

On February 4, 2019, McGee entered the Boost Mobile Store in North Oaks Plaza and engaged an employee in a conversation before pulling out his firearm and walking behind the counter. The employee pulled his own firearm and fired a shot striking McGee in the head. McGee was able to flee. 

On March 7, 2019, McGee entered the BP gas station on Olive Road and began to climb over the counter to open the cash register. As he climbed over the counter, he pointed an air pistol at the employee. A fight ensued. The employee was able to grab the air pistol and McGee ran from the store. 

On March 26, 2019, McGee entered the Family Dollar on North Grand, approached a cashier and told her to open her cash drawer. When she told him she could not, he pointed a caliber firearm at her. At that time, the manager opened the cash register. McGee took money and fled the store.

On March 29, 2019, McGee entered the Qdoba Restaurant on Lindell and approached the cashier as if to place a food order. McGee brandished a firearm and demanded money. McGee took money and left the store. 

On April 7, 2019, McGee entered the Dollar Tree on Aubert, approached the cashier and told him not to “trip” as he pointed a firearm at him. The cashier gave McGee money and McGee left the store. 

The Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Mehan is handling the case.

ST. LOUIS, MO – United States Judge John A. Ross sentenced Ryan Palmieri to 80 months in prison for child enticement. The 37 year old is a resident of Charleston, South Carolina.

Palmieri traveled, in January 2019, from South Carolina to the St. Louis area to meet the victim who he had previously met through a cellular phone application. The victim, at the time, was 13 years old. During his six-day stay in the St. Louis area, Palmieri rented an Airbnb and engaged in several sexual acts, including sexual intercourse, with teenager.  

On April 29, 2019, Palmieri traveled from South Carolina to the St. Louis area to meet the 13 year old for a second encounter. Again, Palmieri rented an Airbnb and engaged in several sexual acts, including sexual intercourse, with the victim. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Louis County Police Department, Jefferson County Police Department and the St. Louis Child Exploitation Task Force diligently investigated this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Dianna Collins prosecuted the case.  

St. Louis– U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen announced that Bayless Consolidated School District, Maries County R-1 School District and Schuyler County R-1 received $532,265 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP).  Nationally, the COPS Office SVPP awarded nearly $50 million in school safety funding. SVPP provides up to 75% funding for school safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools and school grounds.  The amounts awarded in Eastern Missouri are:

Bayless Consolidated School District - $416,746

Maries County R-1 School District - $88,568

Schuyler County R-1 - $26,951

“With the new school year underway, the safety of our nation’s students remains paramount,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith.  “Although this school year may look different at the start, now is the ideal time to make preparations to enhance school safety for when all of our children are back in the classroom.”   

The Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (STOP School Violence Act of 2018) gave the COPS Office authority to provide awards directly to states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and public agencies (such as school districts and law enforcement agencies) to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the jurisdiction of the grantee through evidence-based school safety programs.  The three awards announced today can be used for coordination with law enforcement; training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence; metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures; technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; and other measures that provide a significant improvement in security.  The full list of SVPP awards can be found here: https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2020AwardDocs/svpp/Award_List.pdf.

In addition to the school safety grants announced today, the COPS Office School Safety Working Group, which is composed of representatives from eight national law enforcement organizations, has identified 10 essential actions that can be taken by schools, school districts, and law enforcement agencies to help prevent critical incidents involving the loss of life or injuries in our nation's schools and to respond rapidly and effectively when incidents do occur. The Ten Essential Actions to Improve School Safety are applicable to school shootings as well as to other areas of school safety, including natural disasters and traumatic events such as student suicide. Adopting policies and practices based on the recommendations in this publication can help make school communities safer and save lives.

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The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide.  Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 134,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. 

St. Louis – Louquincy Carr, 35, of St. Louis, Missouri, was charged by a federal complaint for robbery in connection with an armed robbery at a T-Mobile Store.  Carr will be presented in court today in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Nannette A. Baker for his initial appearance.                

According to the criminal complaint, on July 24, 2020, Carr entered a T-Mobile store located on South Grand Boulevard in St. Louis.  Carr looked at some display phones before approaching the counter.  At the counter, an employee showed Carr what appeared to be an iPhone in its box.  Then, Carr pointed a silver semi-automatic handgun at the employee and demanded money from the register while also placing the boxed phone into his pants pocket.  The employee complied and handed over United States currency.  Thereafter, Carr forced the employee into the back office at gunpoint.  Carr then fled the store on foot.  Forensic evidence led to the identification of Carr. 

According to court documents, on September 10, 2020, the Carr was taken into custody by law enforcement and search warrants were executed at two different residences at which the Carr is known to stay.  Located during the execution of the search warrant was a silver handgun that appeared to be consistent with the gun the Carr used during the charged robbery.

This investigation is part of Operation LeGend which is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in St. Louis in 2020. The operation honors the memory of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the youngest fatalities during a record-breaking year of homicides and shootings. Additional federal agents from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, DEA and ATF to surge resources to these cities to help state and local officials fighting violent crime.  The Department of Homeland Security is also contributing agents to these efforts in St. Louis.

These charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

St. Louis, Missouri – Daquan Sanders, 20, of St. Louis, was sentenced to 104 months in prison for his involvement in an armed carjacking committed in April 2019.  In June 2020, Sanders pled guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  Sanders appeared today before U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry. 

According to court documents, on April 1, 2019, Sanders and co-defendant Terrance Brew approached two individuals in a park in St. Louis County.  The victims were playing basketball within the park.  Sanders and Brew, each armed with a firearm, approached the victims and demanded their belongings.  One victim gave his cell phone and the other victim stated that he had nothing but his car keys.

While Sanders held the two victims at gunpoint, Brew reached into the victim’s pocket and removed his car keys.  Sanders and Brew then fled the scene in the victim’s car. 

Later that evening, St. Louis County Police located the carjacked vehicle.  Brew was driving the vehicle, and Sanders was in the front passenger seat.  Police tried to perform a traffic stop, but Brew failed to pull over which resulted in a fifteen-mile police chase through St. Louis City.

The vehicle chase ended when Brew crashed into concrete barriers that blocked off a residential street to vehicular travel.  Brew and Sanders then fled on foot and both were apprehended. 

Co-defendant Brew pled guilty on September 10 and will be sentenced in December. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis County Police Department   investigated this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dunkel handled this case for the United States Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS – Brian Lawrence, 33, of St. Louis County, was sentenced yesterday to 70 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel after pleading guilty to his involvement in conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and to assaulting a federal law enforcement officer.

According to the plea agreement, in April 2019, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents with the Department of Homeland Security in El Paso, Texas, posing undercover as suppliers of illegal drugs, made contact with co-defendant Terrell Reid, who was seeking to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine for further distribution in the St. Louis area. The undercover agents agreed to sell the cocaine to Reid at a price of $29,000 per kilogram and that they would bring the cocaine to St. Louis.

Undercover agents agreed to meet Reid at a Best Western hotel in St. Charles, Missouri, on April 16, 2019, to deliver the cocaine.  Prior to the April 16, 2019, meeting, Reid had brokered a deal with several individuals looking to purchase the cocaine in the St. Louis area, including Lawrence and co-defendant Bobby Robinson.  Lawrence agreed to purchase one kilogram of cocaine through Reid, for $30,500, which he then intended to distribute to others.

On April 16, 2019, Lawrence met with Reid in the parking lot of the Best Western, where undercover agents were posing as suppliers of cocaine and additional HSI agents were conducting surveillance.  After Reid met with the undercover agents and examined the cocaine inside the hotel, Reid returned to the parking lot, where Lawrence provided Reid with $30,500 in cash to purchase the kilogram of cocaine on Lawrence’s behalf.  Reid also collected $61,000 in cash from Robinson in the parking lot to purchase two kilograms of cocaine.  Reid then took the money into the hotel and provided it to the undercover agents, who agreed to deliver the cocaine to Reid’s customers waiting outside.

As delivery of the cocaine was made to Robinson, HSI agents arrested him.  Observing the arrest of Robinson, Lawrence attempted to flee in his vehicle. While speeding off the Best Western parking lot to escape, Lawrence drove directly at an HSI agent who trying to stop him.  Fearing for his life and the life of another agent in Lawrence’s path, the agent fired his firearm at Lawrence’s car, striking the hood of the vehicle.

Both co-defendants Reid and Robinson are awaiting trial, and are presumed innocent of the charges.

Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this case with assistance from the St. Charles Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Yemm is handling this case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced Charles T. McRoberts to 120 months in prison. The 50-year-old Wentzville resident was charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

On July 12, 2019, McRoberts and co-defendant Gernell Armour possessed with intent to distribute approximately one kilogram of fentanyl.   The day before, St. Louis Police Officers inspected packages for suspected illegal narcotics at the United Parcel Service Shipment Sorting Center. During the inspection, investigators discovered a suspicious package addressed to a person in St. Louis sent from Las Vegas, Nevada. investigators searched the sender’s name and address and found the information to be a fake company.

Believing the package to contain illegal narcotics, investigators used a K-9 to positively identify the presence of illegal narcotics within the package. The investigators obtained a warrant, opened the package and found clothing, a light bulb and vacuum-sealed bags containing suspected heroin/fentanyl.
 

A decoy package was created by investigators and a search warrant was obtained for the residence where the package was addressed. On July 12, 2019 a UPS employee attempted delivery of the decoy package. A person within the residence accepted the package, but later denied knowing its contents. Investigators observed McRoberts inside the residence during the decoy package delivery and watched him leave. McRoberts returned later to pick-up the decoy package, at which time he was taken into custody.  

Co-defendant Gernell Armour is awaiting trial and presumed innocent of the charges.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Metro Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nauman Wadalawala handled this case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS, MO – A federal grand jury indicted Brandon Vandoren for carjacking causing serious bodily injury and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The 23 year old is a resident of Mehlville.  The grand jury also indicted Matthew Carver for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is a 27-year-old St. Louis resident.

According to court documents, on May 20, 2020, Vandoren and Carver stole a vehicle at the MotoMart in Jefferson County.  Vandoren got into the victim’s vehicle while Carver remained in the vehicle he and Vandoren arrived in at the MotoMart.  As Vandoren and Carver began to drive away, the victim left from inside the MotoMart and chased the defendants on foot. Vandoren then ran over the victim, nearly killing him.  Both Vandoren and Carver left the scene, leading police officers on a high-speed chase.  Law enforcement took Carver into custody after Carver crashed the vehicle.  Law enforcement arrested Vandoren the next day, in a hotel room, and found him with a firearm and narcotics. Facebook LIVE videos, from earlier in the day of the carjacking, show Vandoren and Carver each flashing what appears to be the same firearm discovered during Vandoren’s subsequent arrest. 

Vandoren faces a maximum term of 25 years in prison if convicted of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury.  Both Vandoren and Carver face a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years if convicted for being felons in possession of a firearm.   Both defendants are presumed innocent.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.  

ST. LOUIS, MO – On August 20, 2020, a federal grand jury indicted Kimberly LeBaron on three counts of mail fraud. The 61 year old is a resident of Kirksville. LeBaron appeared, today, in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Nannette A. Baker for her initial appearance/arraignment.

According to the indictment, between January 2016 and June 30, 2018, LeBaron, Executive Director of Kirksville-based Victim Support Services (VSS), submitted several false and fraudulent invoices for funding under a Department of Justice Victims of Crime Administrators grant. VSS provided services, including shelter and advocacy, to people experiencing domestic violence.

The invoices submitted by LeBaron contained false information, specifically inflated numbers related to shelter stays. In many cases, LeBaron and VSS turned away clients claiming the shelter was full. In fact, the shelter was often not full and sometimes vacant. As a result, of LeBaron’s fraudulent actions, the DOJ paid approximately $173,000 in grant funds to VSS.

For each count of wire fraud, LeBaron faces a maximum punishment of  20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. LeBaron is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Department of Justice and Office of Inspector General investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Box is handling the case.

St. Louis, Missouri – At a press conference in Chicago today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation Legend.

Since the operation’s launch, there have been more than 2,000 arrests, including defendants who have been charged in state and local courts. Of those arrests, approximately 592 defendants have been charged with federal crimes. In addition, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has seized 587 firearms, more than 1.2 kilos of heroin, and more than five kilos of methamphetamine; the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized almost 70 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 16 kilos of heroin, more than 7 kilos of fentanyl, more than 12 kilos of cocaine, 268 firearms, and approximately $5.19 million in drug proceeds; the FBI has recovered 241 weapons; and  the United States Marshals Service have recovered 169 firearms and made 1810 arrests, including 163 for homicide and 120 for sexual assault.

In Chicago, there has been a 50% decrease in homicides in the first seven weeks of the operation, when compared to the five weeks prior to the operation’s launch. In fact, between April 2020 and the end of July 2020, Chicago was experiencing a steady and distressing increase in fatal shootings, which precipitously declined in August.

The Attorney General launched Operation Legend on July 8, 2020, as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. The initiative is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. 

Launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, the operation was expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on August 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on August 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district is below.

Kansas City, MO.

113 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 34 defendants have been charged with narcoticsrelated offenses;
• 68 defendants have been charged with firearmsrelated offenses; and
• 11 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

 

Chicago, Ill.

124 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 30 defendants have been charged with narcoticsrelated offenses;
• 90 defendants have been charged with firearmsrelated offenses; and
• 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

 

Albuquerque, NM.

45 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 17 defendants have been charged with narcoticsrelated offenses;
• 22 defendants have been charged with firearmsrelated offenses; and
• 6 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

 

Cleveland, OH.

66 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 41 defendants have been charged with narcoticsrelated offenses;
• 22 defendants have been charged with firearmsrelated offenses; and
• 3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

 

Detroit, MI.

58 defendants have been charged with federal offenses outlined below.  

• 29 defendants have been charged with narcoticsrelated offenses;
• 26 defendants have been charged with firearmsrelated offenses; and
• 3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

 

Milwaukee, WI.

16 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 2 defendants have been charged with narcoticsrelated offenses;
• 12 defendants have been charged with firearmsrelated offenses; and
• 2 defendant has been charged with other violent crimes.

 

St. Louis, MO.

123 defendants have been charged with federal crimes.

• 54 defendants have been charged with narcoticsrelated offenses;
• 53 defendants have been charged with firearmsrelated offenses; and
• 16 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

 

Memphis, Tenn.

16 defendants have been charged with federal offenses.

• 4 defendants have been charged with narcoticsrelated offenses;
• 9 defendants have been charged with firearmsrelated offenses; and
• 3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

 

Indianapolis, Indiana

31 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 10 defendants have been charged with narcoticsrelated offenses;
• 17 defendants have been charged with firearmsrelated offenses; and
• 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

ST. LOUIS – United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Raymond L. Young, today, to 216 months in prison. The 35-year-old Florissant, Missouri resident, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of a controlled substance.

In December 2018, Florissant Police responded to the 2300 block of Palomino and found a person, J.S., unresponsive. Police took J.S. to a hospital where doctors pronounced him dead. After a medical examiner’s investigation, the medical examiner determined J.S. died as a result of  ‘fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl intoxication.’ Police also learned that another individual, L.M., had been with J.S. that same evening, and that L.M. was involved in an automobile crash after leaving J.S.  L.M. was determined to be overdosing and, after officers administered Narcan, he was taken to a hospital where his blood work revealed the presence of fentanyl and acetyl-fentanyl. Through their subsequent investigation, police learned that J.S. and L.M. had used what they thought was cocaine that evening after a friend had purchased it from Raymond Young. 

On February 6, 2019, officers executed a search warrant at Raymond Young’s residence in the 3600 block of Browning.  Officers located Raymond Young in the residence, and recovered a drug ledger, marijuana, $124,538.00 in currency and approximately one ounce of heroin.  Young subsequently admitted to selling the controlled substance which both J.S. and L.M. ingested, causing J.S.’ death and L.M.’s serious illness.

The Florissant Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Sirena Wissler handled this case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Timothy Lloyd Blaney for production of child pornography. The 57-year old is a resident of Pevely.

According to court documents, between October 1, 2019 and August 14, 2020, Blaney sexually abused a four-year old child and produced visual depictions of that abuse. Blaney was an acquaintance of the child’s family.

Upon conviction, Blaney faces 15 years to life imprisonment and/or a fine of no more than $250,000. Blaney is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Law enforcement is requesting community assistance in identifying further victims. Anyone with information is asked to please contact the St. Louis Federal Bureau of Investigation at 314-589-2500.

"The majority of child sex abuse is perpetrated by individuals known to the victim or the victim's family," said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. "In this instance, the young victim fortunately knew to tell her parents what happened. This highlights the importance of parents engaging early with their children about appropriate boundaries."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pevely Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is handling the case.

ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Thomas J. Bowles, in a five-count indictment, for sex trafficking of a child. The 44 year old is a resident of St. Charles County.

                According to court documents, between January 2016 and August 2020, Bowles used social media (Kik) to knowingly recruit, entice, transport, provide, obtain, maintain, patronize and solicit ‘Jane Doe 1’ and ‘Jane Doe 2’. Both under the age of 18.

Also during the time mentioned above, Bowles used interstate commerce and persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced twos minor, under 18 years of age, to have sex and engage in prostitution.

            Bowles faces no less than 10 years and a maximum of life in prison if convicted. He could also face a fine of no more than $250,000. Bowles is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

"It's not uncommon for child predators to cast a wide net on social media to see who responds and whom they can victimize," said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. "In this case, that's how the defendant met his victims, underscoring just how careful we all need to be when engaging with strangers on-line."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Charles County Police. St. Louis County Police and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is handling the case.

Law enforcement is asking for help identifying other victims. Please contact the St. Louis County Special Investigations Unit at 314-615-8618 with info.

ST. LOUIS – Lawton McKinnies, 31 years old of St. Louis County, is charged being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

According to the criminal complaint, prior to September 1, 2020, St. Louis County Police conducting a fugitive investigation trying to find Dexter McKinnies (brother of defendant), learned the defendant had an active felony warrant for three counts of Assault First-degree and three counts of Armed Criminal Action.

 

On September 1, 2020, police set-up a meeting with McKinnies’ brother, Dexter, under a plan the brothers would be performing maintenance work on a property in Jennings. When Lawton McKinnies arrived, police arrested him on his felony warrant. Police searched McKinnies and found a weapon in his pocket. Police asked him some questions and McKinnies admitted having possession of the weapon and being a felon.

 

Police know the weapon found in McKinnies’ pocket is not made in Missouri and the weapon must have traveled in and affecting interstate commerce to have been in McKinnies’ pocket while he was in Missouri

 

During the course of the investigation, officers discovered McKinnies was previously sentenced to eight years of prison for the offenses of Assault 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action.

 

If convicted, McKinnies faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of no more than $250,000. These charges are the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Donald S. Boyce is handling this case.

 

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

ST. LOUIS - A federal grand jury indicted 41-year-old Ovuoke Frank Ofikoro, 27-year-old Bonmene Sibe, and 27-year-old Trenice Hassel on charges connected to a romance scam targeting dozens of older women residing throughout the United States. Ofikoro and Sibe face several charges including conspiracy to defraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft while Sibe and Hassel face the additional charge of making false statements to a federal agency. 

According to court documents, between sometime around May 2019 until July 31, 2020, Ofikoro, Sibe, and other individuals perpetrated a romance scheme in which the fraudsters pretended to be high-ranking military officers who were deployed overseas.  The perpetrators pretended to be romantically interested in the women whose ages ranged between the ages of 45 and 82.

Investigators believe Ofikoro and Sibe worked with others in enticing the women to send United States currency and electronic equipment to St. Louis area post office boxes from various states that included Hawaii, Illinois, Utah, Mississippi, Maryland, and Florida. The value of the currency and equipment mailed through the United States Postal Service had an aggregate value of more than $500,000 with some of the shipments containing as much as $50,000 in currency. Ofikoro and Sibe transferred some of the funds received to accounts of financial institutions located in the Country of Nigeria.

Co-Defendant Hassel assisted the conspirators in using the name of B.M. to fraudulently open one of the St. Louis post office boxes Ofikoro, Sibe, and the others use in the scheme.

If convicted, the violations of conspiracy to defraud and mail fraud carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and the violation of making false statements carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. For the violation of aggravated identity theft, Ofikoro and Sibe face a mandatory two year sentence of imprisonment that will be run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed. Restitution is also mandatory.

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

The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigations are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Berry and Edward Dowd III are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting financial crimes targeting older adults.  The Eastern District of Missouri Identity Theft Task Force is a group of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together to combat identity theft and its related crimes across the St. Louis Community.

Inspector in Charge William Hedrick, of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said, “The indictments and arrests in this case not only highlight the investigative efforts of the Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners, but also instills public confidence that those who exploit the elderly through the U.S. Mail will be brought to justice.”

"Romance scams prey on people's vulnerabilities and cost victims almost half a billion dollars a year," said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. "If you meet someone online and the person asks you for money, question whether this could be a romance scam. There's nothing romantic about being swindled out of your life's savings."

“Taking advantage of vulnerable individuals is always awful. In particular, these romance scams often succeed against elderly victims who have lost partners or have been isolated due to the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen. “Making matters worse, elderly victims are frequently unwilling to discuss financial matters with children and are too embarrassed to report their losses to law enforcement. We need to be vigilant and watch for red flags such as: increased use of internet messaging services; frequent trips to banks and post offices; abnormal requests for money; and increased secrecy.”

St. Louis, MO – United States District Judge E. Richard Webber has sentenced Nicholas Simmons, 37, of St. Louis, MO, to 46 months and three years of supervised release for distribution of fentanyl.  Simmons pleaded guilty in June.

FBI Special Agents received information during December of 2018, Simmons was selling capsules of fentanyl in the St. Louis area. Beginning on January 17, 2019 and continuing to April 25, 2019, the FBI made nine undercover purchases of fentanyl from Simmons, purchasing 16 – 20 capsules of fentanyl each time. On May 13, 2019, FBI Special Agents conducted surveillance of Simmons, and observed him make what appeared to be a sale of illegal drugs to another individual. As the Agents approached Simmons’s vehicle, Simmons attempted to flee the area. Simmons crashed his vehicle, at which time the Agents were able to apprehend him. The Agents located a loaded .45 caliber pistol in Simmons’ waistband, as well as 19 capsules of fentanyl in his pants pocket, and an additional 152 capsules of fentanyl in a black plastic bag in his possession.  FBI Special Agents obtained a search warrant for two chases residences associated with Simmons. At one residence the Agents recovered drug paraphernalia and several firearms. At the second residence, the Agents recovered three additional firearms, approximately two kilograms of marijuana, 46 grams of cocaine, and 12 grams of crack cocaine. Agents also recovered hundreds of rounds of ammunition and drug paraphernalia during the investigation.                   

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Sara Koppenaal handled the case for the United States Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO –Larry Arnowitz, 66, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Steven R. Clark to eighteen months imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of mail fraud related to his illegal use of campaign funds for his personal use and expenses. The Court ordered Arnowitz to serve twelve months within the Bureau of Prisons, and six months of home confinement following release from prison.  Arnowitz was also ordered to make restitution to the victims in the amount of $21,197.85.

According to the Indictment and Plea Agreement, Arnowitz served as the Alderman for the 12th Ward of the City of St. Louis, having first been elected during 2011.  Arnowitz maintained his political campaign account under the name “Friends of Larry Arnowitz.”  Numerous individuals and organizations contributed to the Friends of Larry Arnowitz based upon representations that their political donations would be properly and legally used for campaign and reelection purposes.  From June, 2015 through February, 2019, Arnowitz instead used donated campaign funds for personal expenses, unrelated to any legitimate campaign or reelection purpose.  Arnowitz used funds from the Friends of Larry Arnowitz campaign account to make payments towards his personal residential mortgage and for other personal expenses, and he made substantial cash withdrawals from the account for his own personal use and expenses. 

Further, during 2018 and 2019, Arnowitz held fundraising events at the Sugar Creek Golf Course, where participating players donated funds to the “Friends of Larry Arnowitz” campaign committee, either by check or cash.  Following those fundraising events, Arnowitz failed to deposit any cash donations and one or more checks into his campaign committee account, spending those donated proceeds instead on personal expenses unrelated to any legitimate campaign or reelection purpose. 

In order to conceal his fraud, Arnowitz filed false reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission, which reports failed to identify the many cash withdrawals from the Friends of Larry Arnowitz campaign account, and which failed to identify payments made directly from the Friends of Larry Arnowitz campaign account which were made for his own personal use, unrelated to any campaign or reelection purpose.  As one example, on February 13, 2019, Arnowitz withdrew $5,000 from his Friends of Larry Arnowitz campaign account in the form of a cashier’s check, which he then mailed to Ocwen Financial Services in partial payment of his personal residential mortgage. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO –Joshua Matthew Spencer, 30, of Franklin County, MO, was sentenced today to ten years' imprisonment by United States District Judge John R. Ross after pleading guilty to his involvement in conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

According to court documents, Spencer and his co-defendant Reanna Danielle Campbell were engaged in the sale of crystal methamphetamine in the St. Louis Metropolitan area, as well as in Franklin and Jefferson Counties.  Investigators conducted controlled buys of methamphetamine from Campbell and Spencer in and around the area.  Also during the course of the investigation, Spencer and Campbell crashed a vehicle while fleeing from police near the Interstate 44 entrance at South Elm Avenue in Webster, Missouri, and fled on foot.  Two handguns were recovered by law enforcement near the scene of the crash and investigators seized five other firearms from the crashed vehicle, along with knives and additional firearms magazines and drug paraphernalia. Following the federal indictment in this case, Spencer was apprehended by the United States Marshals Service and found in position of additional narcotics and another firearm.

Co-defendant Reanna Danielle Campbell was previously sentenced to sixty-four months’ imprisonment for her role in the offenses.

The Multi-County Narcotics and Violent Crimes Enforcement Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, with assistance from the Kirkwood and Webster Police Departments.  Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Yemm handled this case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO –Tammy Fox, 49, of Carrolton, Illinois, was sentenced today to twenty months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Audrey Fleissig after pleading guilty to 2 counts of wire fraud related to her former position as Office Manager of Explosive Professionals Midwest, Incorporated, also known as ExPro Midwest.  Fox was also ordered to make restitution to the victim company in the amount of $402,213.76.

According to the Indictment and Plea Agreement, Fox served as the Office Manager for ExPro Midwest in St. Louis County, Missouri.  From January, 2011 through February, 2018 Fox schemed to steal approximately $420,000 from the company.  During that time, Fox issued approximately 215 unauthorized ExPro Midwest checks to herself, which she deposited into her personal bank account.  Fox forged the signature of one of the owners of ExPro Midwest to those unauthorized checks.  Fox spent the stolen funds on personal items and services such as clothing, automobile payments, rent payments, as well as making numerous cash withdrawals.  Fox also issued unauthorized ExPro Midwest company checks to a close personal friend, and deposited those checks into her personal bank account as well.  Fox also used the ExPro Midwest corporate credit card to make unauthorized purchases of personal items, such as airline tickets, general retail items, clothing, and sporting goods.  As Office Manager, Fox caused the company to pay the monthly ExPro Midwest corporate credit card bills, knowing that her unauthorized personal charges were contained in the billings.  In order to conceal her fraud scheme, Fox altered the company’s internal financial records, which she then sent to the company’s outside accountants.  Altogether, Fox’s fraud scheme netted her approximately $420,000 in funds stolen from ExPro Midwest.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – During the afternoon of August 25, 2020, four Webster Groves men were arrested for a twenty-five count federal indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (crack) and related charges.  Law enforcement officers arrested the following men, all of whom are from Webster Groves, Missouri:     

Marcus Antonio Beasley, 33;

Kevin Melinek Ingram, Jr., 27;

Jason Marquis Ingram, 35; and

Steven Paul Wright, 39. 

The defendants were presented in federal court yesterday for their initial appearances.

The indictment charges, among other things, that between October 2016 and July 2020, the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base (crack cocaine) and that they distributed cocaine base (crack cocaine).    

The charges against Marcus Antonio Beasley and Kevin Menilek Ingram, Jr., are punishable by imprisonment of not less than five years and up forty years and a fine up to $5,000,000.  The charges against Jason Marquis Ingram and Steven Paul Wright are punishable by up to twenty years imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000.

This investigation was conducted by the Webster Groves Police Department, the St. Louis County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, and the FBI. 

The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

St. Louis, MO – Michael Malone, 44, of St. Louis, MO, pled guilty to three counts of wire fraud connected to a scheme to defraud and obtain education funds from the State of Missouri relative to the operation of the St. Louis College Prep Charter School from 2011 through 2018.  Malone appeared today before U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig, who accepted his plea and set sentencing for November 30, 2020. 

According to the plea agreement and statements made in Court, The St. Louis College Prep Charter School (“SLCP”) was a Missouri Charter School located in St. Louis, Missouri.  From April, 2011 through June, 2015 it operated out of leased premises at 2900 South Grand Avenue, at which time it purchased a building at 1224 Grattan Street, where it operated until the school’s closing in May, 2019.  During its final school year of 2018-2019, SLCP served students in grades six through twelve.  As a Missouri Charter School, SLCP was tuition free and funded by Missouri and federal education funds.  SLCP received its state funding through Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (“DESE”) based upon SLCP’s reported student attendance.  Per-student funding is based on average daily attendance, or how often students are reported to be in the school, rather than enrollment.  Malone founded SLCP and served as the Executive Director of SLCP from the school’s inception during 2011 until his resignation on November 1, 2018.  Malone was actively involved in the day-to-day management and administration of SLCP, maintained his office in the primary school building and was responsible for reporting the SLCP student attendance numbers to DESE in order for DESE to calculate SLCP’s state funding.

As part of his scheme, Malone falsely inflated SLCP students’ average daily attendance in his reports to DESE.  For four of the seven school years between 2011-2012 and 2017-2018, Malone reported students’ average daily attendance in excess of SLCP’s actual enrollment.  For example, during the 2013-2014 school year, Malone reported average daily attendance of 220, when actual enrollment at SLCP was only 191 students.  During the 2016-2017 school year, Malone reported average daily attendance of 326, when actual enrollment at SLCP was only 290 students.  These falsely inflated average daily attendance numbers reported by Malone to DESE resulted in increased state funding to SLCP.

SCLP operated on a year-long school schedule and an extended school day with no summer school and no remedial classes.  However, as part of his scheme, Malone inflated student attendance numbers by falsely claiming regular school days and hours as summer school or remedial hours, increasing the state funding received from DESE.  Malone also falsely inflated actual student daily attendance.  For example, during the 2016-2017 school year, Malone inflated the daily attendance records of 81 out of 333 students, or 24% of the actual SLCP student body.  During the 2017-2018 school year, Malone inflated the daily attendance records of 188 out of 319 students, or 59% of the actual SLCP student body.  Inflated hours totaled approximately 10,044 hours for the 2016-2017 school year and approximately 13,255 hours for the 2017-2018 school year.

Malone used the fraudulently obtained increase in state funding, approximately $2,400,000, to maintain SLCP’s ongoing operations during a period when costs to operate the school were increasing significantly.  Malone also used the increased state funding to give SLCP a competitive advantage over St. Louis Public Schools and other St. Louis Charter Schools when recruiting students.  As Missouri state funding follows the student, each St. Louis resident student successfully recruited to SLCP meant an increase in funding for SLCP and a decrease in funding for St. Louis Public Schools.  The additional funds provided to SLCP were used to pay for resources which were not equally accessible to St. Louis Public Schools and other St. Louis Charter Schools.

United States Attorney Jeff Jensen stated, “What the former headmaster did through his deception, repeatedly over many years, was take advantage of the Missouri taxpayers, while obtaining an unfair advantage over the St. Louis Public Schools and other area charter schools. This was not a mistake.  Evidence proved Michael Malone’s actions were intentional and, unfortunately he got away with it for years.”  

"Michael Malone failed more than just students and staff at St. Louis College Prep Charter School," said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. "By siphoning $2,400,000 from a finite pool of education dollars, he robbed students at other public and charter schools of additional resources they should have received."

Each charge of wire fraud carries a maximum possible penalty of twenty years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000 or both imprisonment and a fine.  In determining the actual sentence, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the cooperation and assistance of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Missouri State Auditor’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith is handling the case for the United States Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis – A federal grand jury indicted James Timothy Norman, 41, of Jackson, Mississippi, and Terica Ellis, 36, of Memphis, Tennessee, for the offenses of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire, resulting in death.  The grand jury also charged Norman and Waiel Rebhi Yaghnam, 42, of St. Louis, Missouri, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.  Federal complaints and arrests warrants were previously issued for Norman and Ellis, who were both arrested earlier this week. 

According to the indictment and other court documents, Norman conspired with Terica Ellis and others to use a facility of interstate commerce, namely, a cellular telephone, to commit a murder-for-hire in exchange for United States currency, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1958.  In 2014, Norman obtained a $450,000 life insurance policy on his 20-year-old nephew, Andre Montgomery, on which Norman was the sole beneficiary.  In the days leading up to Montgomery’s murder, Ellis, an exotic dancer residing in Memphis, Tennessee, communicated with Montgomery and informed him that she was planning to be in St. Louis.  On March 13, 2016, the day before Montgomery’s murder, Norman flew to St. Louis, Missouri from his home in Los Angeles, California.  On March 14, 2016, Ellis and Norman communicated using temporary phones activated that day.  Ellis also used the temporary phone to communicate with Montgomery and learn his physical location for the purpose of luring Montgomery outside.  Immediately after learning Montgomery’s location, Ellis placed a call to Norman.  On March 14, 2016, at approximately 8:02 p.m., Montgomery was killed by gunfire at 3964 Natural Bridge Avenue in the City of St. Louis.  Ellis’s phone location information places her in the vicinity of the murder at time of the homicide.  Immediately following Montgomery’s murder, Ellis placed a call to Norman, and then began travelling to Memphis, Tennessee.  In the days after the murder, Ellis deposited over $9,000 in cash into various bank accounts.  On March 18, 2016, Norman contacted the life insurance company in an attempt to collect on the life insurance policy he had obtained on his nephew.

The indictment alleges that prior to Montgomery’s murder, Norman conspired with Waiel Yaghnam, his insurance agent, to fraudulently obtain a life insurance policy on Montgomery.  Beginning in October of 2014, Norman and Yaghnam submitted three separate life insurance applications, all containing numerous false statements regarding Montgomery’s income, net worth, medical history, employment and family background.  In the life insurance policy that ultimately issued, Norman obtained a $200,000 policy, as well as $200,000 accidental death rider that would pay out in the event that Montgomery died of something other than natural causes, and a $50,000 10 year-term rider that would pay out if Montgomery died within 10 years of the policy’s issuance in 2014.

The arrests of Norman and Ellis are part of Operation LeGend which is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in St. Louis in 2020. The operation honors the memory of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the youngest fatalities during a record-breaking year of homicides and shootings. Additional federal agents were assigned to the operation from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Section and Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating these current charges.

If convicted of the conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire or murder-for-hire, resulting in death, the penalty is life imprisonment or death and a fine of $250,000; and conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  In determining the actual sentence, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

As is always the case, the charge in an indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

St. Louis, MO – Michael Fein was indicted today with two felony charges of wire fraud and bank fraud related to bank loans made to T.E.H. Realty connected to the purchase and operations of various multi-family apartment complexes in St. Louis, Kansas City, and elsewhere. 

According to the Indictment, Fein was an owner and vice president of T.E.H. Management, and an owner and manager of a number of T.E.H. affiliated companies which owned and operated multi-family apartment complexes throughout the United States.  Fein was responsible for the day-to-day operations of T.E.H. Management and the various T.E.H. affiliated companies.  T.E.H. Management and its affiliated companies owned and operated the Pinnacle Ridge apartment complex in the St. Louis area, as well as the Green Village Townhomes apartment complex in Kansas City, Missouri and the Ivy Place Apartments apartment complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Between 2016 and 2018, Fein, on behalf of a T.E.H. affiliated company, entered into an agreement for the purchase of the Pinnacle Ridge apartment complex in the St. Louis, Missouri area.  In order to purchase Pinnacle Ridge, Fein applied for and obtained a $2,800,000 loan from a financial institution lender.  In order to obtain the loan, Fein submitted false documents to the lender, including substantially inflated rent rolls for Pinnacle Ridge, inflated income statements for Pinnacle Ridge, and inflated summaries of real estate purportedly owned by T.E.H. affiliated companies.  Fein also submitted a false loan application to the lender which inflated the occupancy rate for Pinnacle Ridge, and inflated monthly net rental income for Pinnacle Ridge.  Based upon the false documents submitted and false representations made by Fein, the purchase loan closed on May 16, 2018, at which time Fein and the T.E.H. affiliated company took over ownership and management of Pinnacle Ridge.

Between 2016 and 2017, Fein, on behalf of a T.E.H. affiliated company, applied for and obtained a $12,500,000 refinance loan from a financial institution and Fannie Mae (the Federal National Mortgage Association) to refinance the outstanding loan on the Green Village apartment complex in the Kansas City, Missouri area.  A T.E.H. affiliated company owned and managed Green Village.  In order to obtain the refinance loan, Fein submitted false documents to the lender and Fannie Mae, including inflated rent rolls for Green Village which falsely inflated the occupancy rates for Green Village, and false operating statements which inflated the rental income for Green Village.  Based upon the false documents submitted and false representations made by Fein, the $12,500,000 refinance loan closed on February 13, 2017.  As part of the refinance transaction, and in addition to paying off the outstanding loan balance on Green Village, the T.E.H. affiliated company received $6,000,080.27 at the time of closing.

During 2017, Fein, on behalf of a T.E.H. affiliated company, applied for and obtained a $7,700,000 refinance loan from a financial institution and Freddie Mac (the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) to refinance the outstanding loan on the Ivy Place apartment complex in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.  A T.E.H. affiliated company owned and managed Ivy Place.  In order to obtain the refinance loan, Fein submitted false documents to the lender and Freddie Mac, including inflated rent rolls for Ivy Place which falsely inflated the occupancy rates for Ivy Place, and false operating statements which inflated the total property income for Ivy Place.  Based upon the false documents submitted and false representations made by Fein, the $7,700,000 refinance loan closed on December 28, 2017.  As part of the refinance transaction, and in addition to paying off the outstanding loan balance on Ivy Place, the T.E.H. affiliated company received $977,754.52 at the time of closing.

During 2019, Fein, on behalf of a T.E.H. affiliated company, applied for a $5,225,000 loan from a financial institution, insured by FHA (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Administration), to purchase the Hanley Crossings apartment complex in the St. Louis, Missouri area.  In order to obtain the loan, Fein submitted false documents to the lender and FHA, including a falsely inflated summary of real estate purportedly owned by T.E.H. affiliated entities, which falsely inflated the occupancy rates of twenty-six of the listed multi-family apartment complexes by approximately 18% each.  This loan was not ultimately funded by the lender and FHA. 

During March 2020, as a result of substantial tenant complaints concerning substandard living conditions in T.E.H. owned and operated apartment complexes, the federal government suspended taxpayer-subsidized housing contracts and funding to T.E.H. affiliates in the St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri areas.  As many of the residents living in T.E.H. apartment complexes were members of low-income households, receiving federal housing assistance, the federal government provided transfer vouchers to those residents to assist them in moving to appropriate housing. 

“A $12.5 million refinance loan for a Kansas City, Missouri, apartment complex was just one part of a $28 million dollar fraud scheme alleged to have occurred in three cities. Today’s indictment alleges the owner of T.E.H. Management and affiliated companies defrauded several financial institutions, illegally enriching himself even as he provided substandard living conditions for his low-income tenants,” said United States Attorney Tim Garrison, of the Western District of Missouri.

United States Attorney Jeff Jensen, of the Eastern District of Missouri, stated, “I want to thank the victims of this defendant’s alleged predatory practices for having the willingness to stand up and speak out.  Without the courage of these tenants, this case may never have come to be.  As a group, they shed light on the unacceptable living conditions being forced upon them and served as the spark that uncovered this entire fraud.”                

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General.  Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith is handling the case for the Eastern District of Missouri, and Assistant United States Attorney Kate Mahoney is handling the case for the Western 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 – Wayne Banks, 42, of St. Louis, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury for felon in possession of a firearm.  He was charged by a complaint on August 17, 2020, is in federal custody, and was presented in federal court this afternoon. 

According to court documents, on August 16, 2020, a Berkeley Police Department officer was on patrol in his police car near an apartment complex in Berkeley, Missouri. He saw a large crowd of individuals in a parking lot of the apartment complex, in violation of the “no loitering” signs posted throughout the complex.  The officer asked the crowd to leave or go back inside the complex because they were loitering.

According to court documents, Banks confronted the officer.  Banks punched the officer in the head.  As Banks and the officer struggled, he pulled a gun on the officer.  The officer managed to turn the gun away from him.  Banks, however, continued attempting to turn the gun on the officer. 

Officers eventually secured Banks, and seized a loaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson Taurus, semiautomatic pistol from Banks.

These charges are the result of an investigation by the Berkeley Police Department and Missouri Department of Public Safety. 

As is always the case, the charge in an indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

St. Louis, Missouri – Deron Mitchell, Jr., 19, of St. Louis, was sentenced to 186 months in prison for his involvement in six armed carjackings committed in 2018.  In February 2020, Mitchell pled guilty to six counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  Mitchell appeared today before U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. 

According to court documents, Mitchell and co-defendant Deandre Moore committed six carjackings – one on September 6, 2018; two on November 4, 2018; and three on November 5, 2018. Both defendants were caught with firearms while occupying a stolen car that contained personal property taken in other carjackings.  Mitchell and Moore were arrested on November 6, 2018, and Mitchell confessed to the carjackings. 

Moore previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced in May to 186 months in prison for his role in these offenses.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Maplewood Police Department investigated this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Paul D’Agrosa handled this case for the United States Attorney’s Office.

Saint Louis – At a press conference in Kansas City, MO, today, Attorney General William P. Barr and U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen announced updates on Operation Legend.

Since the operation’s launch, there have been more than 1,000 arrests, including defendants who have been charged in state and local courts. Of those arrests, approximately 217 defendants have been charged with federal crimes. These numbers exclude Indianapolis, whose operation was just announced last Friday. In addition, nearly 400 firearms have been seized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Attorney General launched the operation on July 8, 2020, as a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. The initiative is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. 

Launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, the operation was expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020, to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020, to Saint Louis and Memphis on August 6, 2020, and to Indianapolis on August 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district, with the exception of Indianapolis, is below.

In Saint Louis, 25 defendants have been charged with federal crimes, with some defendants charged with multiple offenses.

• One defendant has been charged with drug trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime following the USMS’s execution of a state arrest warrant;
• One defendant has been charged with robbery of an item effecting interstate commerce and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence following an joint ATF, SLMPDinitiated undercover operation targeting a known shooter;
• One defendant has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm following ATF’s execution of a federal search warrant directed towards the residence of a suspected murderer;
• 21 defendants have been charged with drug trafficking offenses; and
• One defendant has been charged with being a drug user in possession of a firearm.

“Operation LeGend – Saint Louis represents a unique federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Saint. Louis in 2020,” said U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen.  “Today’s announcement highlights the impactful work the brave men and women of the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, DEA, ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service and Missouri State Highway Patrol have accomplished in Operation LeGend’s early stages.  Of course, there is more important work to be done.”

St. Louis, MO – Ricky Smith, 23, of St. Louis, MO, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking.  Smith appeared today before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey who accepted his plea and set his sentencing date for November 19, 2020.

According to the plea agreement, on May 18, 2019, Smith approached the victim near the intersection of 11th Street and St. Charles Street in St. Louis City. The victim was in the process of moving her belongings from her 2016 Jeep Wrangler into her apartment. Smith approached the victim, pointed a silver-framed firearm at her, and demanded the victim’s phone, wallet, and car key. After the victim refused to comply, Smith snatched the victim’s car key and drove away in the victim’s 2016 Jeep Wrangler.

Later that day, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officers located the 2016 Jeep Wrangler, which Smith was still driving. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but Smith refused to stop driving. Officers disabled the car using spike strips. Smith fled on foot, but was ultimately detained. While canvassing the area, police observed a silver-framed Arminius Titan Tiger 38 Special revolver firearm in a trash can approximately 15 feet from the stolen vehicle.

Smith faces a term of imprisonment of not more than 15 years in prison and a fine of not more than $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Jay Redd is handling this case.

St. Louis – James Timothy Norman, 41, of Jackson, Mississippi, was charged by a federal complaint on August 11, 2020.  He was arrested this morning in Jackson, Mississippi.  Norman was charged with conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder-for-hire, resulting in death. 

According to the complaint, Norman conspired with Terica Ellis and others to use a facility of interstate commerce, namely, a cellular telephone, to commit a murder-for-hire in exchange for United States currency, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1958.  In 2014, Norman obtained a $450,000 life insurance policy on his 18-year-old nephew, Andre Montgomery, on which Norman was the sole beneficiary.  In the days leading up to Montgomery’s murder, Ellis, an exotic dancer residing in Memphis, Tennessee, communicated with Montgomery and informed him that she was planning to be in St. Louis.  On March 13, 2016, the day before Montgomery’s murder, Norman flew to St. Louis, Missouri from his home in Los Angeles, California.  On March 14, 2016, Ellis and Norman communicated using temporary phones activated that day.  Ellis also used the temporary phone to communicate with Montgomery and learn his physical location.  Immediately after learning Montgomery’s location, Ellis placed a call to Norman.  On March 14, 2016, at approximately 8:02 p.m., Montgomery was killed by gunfire at 3964 Natural Bridge Avenue in the City of St. Louis.  Ellis’s phone location information places her in the vicinity of the murder at time of the homicide.  Immediately following Montgomery’s murder, Ellis placed a call to Norman, and then began travelling to Memphis, Tennessee.  In the days after the murder, Ellis deposited over $9,000 in cash into various bank accounts.  On March 21, 2016, Norman contacted the life insurance company in an attempt to collect on the life insurance policy he had obtained on his nephew.

Terica Ellis was also charged by complaint with conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, resulting in death.

United States Attorney Jeff Jensen credited the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.  Jensen stated, “The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Section and FBI have established a dedicated and effective partnership in this extensive investigation.”

The arrests are part of Operation LeGend which is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in St. Louis in 2020. The operation honors the memory of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the youngest fatalities during a record-breaking year of homicides and shootings. Additional federal agents were assigned to the operation from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Section and Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating these current charges. 

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

St. Louis, MO –Deandre Chaney, aka “Meazy,” 20, of St. Louis, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for his involvement in conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.  Chaney appeared in federal court today before United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig.

According to court documents, between January and March of 2019, investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) utilized a Confidential Informant (hereinafter "CI") to conduct controlled purchases of marijuana, fentanyl, and heroin from both Deandre Chaney and his co-defendant, Daniel Strong. The CI arranged purchase marijuana, heroin, and fentanyl by contacting Chaney via multiple telephones that Chaney maintained.  Chaney directed the CI to a locations where the transactions would take place.  Members of the investigative team purchased marijuana and/or heroin and fentanyl from Chaney or Strong on January 28, February 1, February 5, February 8, February 13, February 21, March 1, March 7, March 22, and March 28, 2019. In total, members of the investigation team purchased approximately 65.71 grams of marijuana, approximately 31.89 grams of heroin, and approximately 31.09 grams of fentanyl. Investigators attempted to arrange for additional narcotics transactions with Chaney on April 12, 2019 and April 23, 2019, but both times Chaney and/or Strong provided the CI with fake narcotics.

Co-defendant Daniel Strong was sentenced on June 15, 2020 to 28 months in prison.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Angie Danis is handling this case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.