Eastern District of Missouri

St. Louis, MO – Dr. Donald Havey was sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $2,276,221 on charges involving a scheme to bill Medicare for expensive custom ankle-foot orthotics that were never provided to the patients. His billing assistant, Susan Reno, was sentenced earlier to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $10,571.     

According to court documents, Havey owned and operated companies that sold orthotic devices through Spinal Decompression of Chesterfield; Senior Care, Inc.; Advanced Custom Orthotics, Inc.; and Missouri Custom Orthotics.  Susan Reno and her company, Pinnacle Billings and Collections, provided billing services for Havey and each of his companies.

Beginning in 2009 and continuing to 2014, Dr. Havey defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, other public and private health insurance companies and patients by submitting false reimbursement claims for custom orthotic boots. The boots actually provided to the patients did not contain the custom features described in the reimbursement claims.  Dr. Havey employed chiropractors to market his “Fall Prevention Program” to nursing homes and to sell the orthotic boots in Missouri and other states, including Texas, Alabama, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Tennessee.  Dr Havey and the chiropractors employed by him told the nursing homes that the program would reduce falls by almost 20% and would improve the patients’ quality of life, but deliberately concealed from the nursing homes that the real purpose of the program was to sell orthotic boots to nursing home patients.  Dr. Havey also told the nursing homes that there would be little or no cost to the patients, when he knew that a Medicare patient could be charged as much as $500 if the patient did not have supplemental insurance.

Dr. Havey knew Medicare would scrutinize any company that submitted claims for a large number of very expensive orthotic boots, so he attempted to conceal from Medicare the number of orthotic boots that he and his companies were selling.  To accomplish this, Dr. Havey and Susan Reno submitted false claims under several of the companies.  As an example, a chiropractor assessed and ordered orthotics for five Medicare patients residing in the same facility on the same day. Dr. Havey and Susan Reno submitted two of the residents’ claims to Medicare using Advanced Custom Orthotics as the supplier and the other three were billed to Medicare using Senior Care Orthotics as the supplier. 

Medicare paid Dr. Havey between $2,400 and $2,600 for each pair of orthotics boots. The loss to Medicare, Medicaid and the private insurance companies was over $2.2 million.

Havey, St. Louis County, MO, pled guilty in October to one felony count of health care fraud and appeared this morning for sentencing before United States District Judge John A. Ross.  Susan Reno, St. Louis County, MO, pled guilty in October to one misdemeanor count of submitting false reimbursement claims to Medicare and was sentenced in January to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $10,571.           

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Dorothy McMurtry handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

WASHINGTON – Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates, Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and United States Attorney Richard Callahan today announced that New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Louis, Missouri; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will join ten existing sites which have adopted crime-fighting strategies as part of the Violence Reduction Network (VRN). The initiative is a comprehensive approach to reducing violent crime that complements the Attorney General’s Smart on Crime Initiative and leverages existing Justice Department resources in communities around the country.

"It has been only a year-and-a-half since we launched the first Violence Reduction Network," said Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates.  "In just that short period of time, the partnerships we have built through VRN have helped to reduce crime rates.  These results could only have happened through the kind of creative collaboration promoted through the VRN."

Today’s announcement was made before an audience of U.S. Attorneys, police chiefs, local leaders from the new and existing VRN sites and department officials. Through VRN, the Justice Department enlists tactical and operational expertise available from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Executive Office of the United States Attorneys, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and the Office on Violence Against Women. 

In 2014, VRN was launched in Camden, Chicago, Detroit, Wilmington, and Oakland and Richmond, California.  In September 2015, VRN was expanded to Compton, California; Flint, Michigan; Little Rock and West Memphis, Arkansas; and Newark, New Jersey. 

VRN’s core components include customized training and technical assistance; a strategic site liaison to guide the coordination of Justice Department resources; tools to enhance information sharing, including peer-to-peer exchanges; community practice collaboration among existing sites and an annual summit in September.

St. Louis, MO – The two leaders of a multi-defendant synthetic drug trafficking conspiracy were sentenced today in federal court in St. Louis.  Anwer Rao, O’Fallon, IIllinois, was sentenced to 150 months in prison; and Michael Lentsch, also of O’Fallon, Illinois, was sentenced to 150 months in prison.  Both appeared before United States District Judge John A. Ross.

The manufacture of synthetic drugs is a recent development designed to circumvent traditional drug laws by creating new chemical compounds that mimic the effects of drugs like marijuana and cocaine but purport to avoid the classification of a controlled substance because of a chemical alteration. The synthetic drugs are most frequently marketed as legitimate products and sold in typical commercial outlets such as convenience stores and gas stations.  The drugs masquerade as incense, potpourri, glass cleaner, bath salts and plant food, just to name a few; their cost however is much higher than the normal commercial product they mimic.

One group of synthetic drugs is made up of cathinones, and is a “speed” type drug commonly marketed as bath salts.  The synthetic cathinones are typically snorted, and are packaged in containers with names such as Full Throttle, Fresh, Limited, Starry Nights, Twisted, Pump It and Blitz.  Rao and Lentsch manufactured and marketed cathinones under the name “Go Go.”  Reported effects have included hypertension, paranoia, anxiety and even psychosis.

Another group of synthetic drugs is made from synthetic cannabinoids which are a far more powerful and unpredictable form of marijuana.  The cannabinoids are typically smoked and are packaged in multi-gram packets with names such as Mega Kush, Mad Hatter, Bayou Blaster, Avalon, Pirates Booty, Lights Out and Golden Leaf.  Rao and Lentsch manufactured and marketed their own blends of synthetic cannabinoids under the names “Mad Hatter,” “Deew.” “Cloud 9 Optima,” “Crazy Eyes,” and “Primo.”  Although commonly referred to as synthetic marijuana, the effects are far more powerful and dangerous than so-called natural marijuana, with reported additional effects, including excessive heart rate, vomiting and seizures.

These sentencing’s were part of a multi-defendant case charging offenses involving the importation, manufacturing and sale of these synthetic drugs.  Several co-defendants have pled guilty to related charges and await sentencing.  Others are still facing trial on charges including:  a) conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute Schedule I controlled substances and Schedule I controlled substance analogues; b) conspiracy to introduced an receive misbranded drugs in interstate commerce; c) conspiracy to import controlled substances and controlled substance analogues; d) conspiracy to receive, sell and facilitate the transportation of smuggled goods with forfeiture allegations; and e) money laundering counts. 

The drug conspiracy charges and money laundering conspiracy charges carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison for each count and/or fines ranging from $500,000 to $1,000,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.  Additionally, the indictments seek forfeiture of assets and property totaling more than $12 million dollars. 

This case was investigated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Postal Inspection Service.  Additional assistance was received from the St. Louis County Police Department, St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department, Missouri Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group, Metropolitan Enforcement Group for Southern Illinois, Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, as well as the prosecuting attorney offices in St. Louis County, Missouri, St. Charles County, Missouri, Madison County, Illinois and St. Clair County, Missouri.  Assistant United States Attorneys James Delworth, Erin Granger, Jennifer Winfield and John Mantovani are handling the cases for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.    

St. Louis, MO – Donald Ray Pafford, Hannibal, Missouri, was indicted for his alleged receipt of child pornography between December 30, 2015, and January 1, 2016.

If convicted, receipt of child pornography carries a penalty range of 15 to 40 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated the Kirksville Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hannibal Police Department and the Marion County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Rob Livergood is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an 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 – DEMEA LOYD, Salem, MO, was indicted by a federal grand jury on five felony counts of wire fraud. She appeared in federal court Thursday, in St. Louis.

The indictment alleges that Loyd owned two stores in Washington and Rolla, Missouri.  She entered into a contract with Sears Authorized Hometown Stores, LLC to exclusively distribute Sears merchandise from these two stores.  The agreement states that Loyd would distribute Sears merchandise on a consignment basis and that the merchandise would remain Sears’ property until ownership was transferred to a customer.  In exchange, Loyd was paid a commission based on the amount of sales.  Loyd was to deposit all proceeds from each store into a “holding” account until they could be transferred to Sears.  The indictment states that from April 2013 to December 2014, Loyd embezzled approximately $400,000 from Sears, by making unauthorized withdrawals from the holding account and falsifying the monthly statements to hide the missing funds.

If convicted, each count of wire carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, 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 and the Rolla and Washington, Missouri Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John Ware is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an 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 – QUENTIN COOK, Florissant, MO, was convicted of diverting mail believed to contain clothing, marijuana and other items to addresses that he and his co-defendants controlled for their personal gain. Cook and his co-defendants were former Postal employees of the Network Distribution Center in Hazelwood.  The three-day trial was held before United States District Judge Ronnie L. White. 

According to court documents and testimony presented at trial, Edward Lewis, Sean West, Korey Howard and Quentin Cook are former employees of the United States Postal Service. West, Howard and Cook searched for and identified mail and over-labeled it to redirect it from its original sender’s intended recipient to themselves, Lewis and others.  The diverted mail included clothing, marijuana, electronics, computer equipment, pottery and personal effects. 

Korey Howard, Florissant, MO; Edward Lewis, Hazelwood, MO; and Sean West, Florissant, MO; pled guilty in December to multiple charges including conspiracy, obstruction of correspondence and theft or receipt of stolen mail.  They are scheduled for sentencing in March 2016.  A sentencing date has not been set for Quentin Cook.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General and the Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Franks and Dianna Collins are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – Former Pine Lawn Lieutenant STEVEN BLAKENEY was convicted of criminal civil rights charges arising from his arrest in 2013 of a candidate for the office of Mayor of the City of Pine Lawn.

According to testimony presented at trial, on March 31, 2013, Blakeney, while a police officer with the City of Pine Lawn Police Department, conspired with others to cause the arrest of a mayoral candidate based on false allegations and without probable cause. Blakeney ordered another person to falsely report that the mayoral candidate had stolen a campaign poster from a local business and then arranged for the candidate to be arrested.           

Blakeney was convicted of one felony count of conspiracy against rights, one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of falsification of records.  The four-day trial was held before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr.  Sentencing has been set for May 4, 2016.

These charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorneys Reginald Harris and Jennifer Winfield handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.     

St. Louis, MO – CRISTOPHER CRISTEA and DAVID COREY TOLLE pled guilty to charges involving the solicitation of investors with promises of large returns from mining activities. Instead, the money was used to pay personal expenses and repay earlier investors.  Tolle entered his plea today. Cristea pled last week.

According to court documents, in May 2009, Cristea and Tolle formed Cristol Enterprises, LLC and Charis Minerals, Inc.  They solicited investors for Cristol Enterprises, LLC and Charis Minerals, Inc., which purported to be in the business of exploring for and extracting valuable minerals, such as gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc, through mining operations in the western United States, including Arizona and Oregon, and in Western Africa.  The investors were told that the money would be used to purchase property and equipment and pay for administration and other expenses involved in the exploration, and they were promised large returns on their investments, often over a short period of time.  Instead, a substantial majority of the money was used for personal expenditures and unrelated business expenses.  In one instance, Cristea used funds to provide student loans to beauty academy students, and in another instance, funds were used to repay an earlier investor.

In December 2014, after he had previously been arrested on this indictment, Cristopher Cristea applied for a $1 million line of credit at a bank.  In the application, he falsely stated that he was not a defendant in any suit or legal action.  Additionally, he falsely stated that he had $295,000 cash in checking accounts and had securities – stocks/bonds/mutual funds – in the amount of $13,000,000. 

David Corey Tolle, St. Charles, MO, pled guilty today to one felony count of wire fraud.  Cristopher Cristea, also of St. Charles, MO, pled guilty last week to one felony count of conspiracy, four felony counts of wire fraud, one felony count of money laundering and one felony count of making a false statement to a financial institution. Both defendants appeared before United States District Judge Carol E. Jackson.  Sentencing for Cristea has been set for April 20, 2016. Sentencing for Tolle is set for May 2, 2016.

Each of the conspiracy and fraud charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000; money laundering carries a maximum of 10 years prison and/or fines up to $250,000; false statement to a financial institution carries a maximum of 30 years in prison and/or fines up to $1 million.  In determining the actual sentences, 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. Assistant United States Attorney Steven Muchnick is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – JASON CRIPE, Windsor, Illinois, was sentenced to a total of five years in prison for his fraud scheme that spanned two years and two states and ended in a confrontation with federal law enforcement agents. 

In October, Cripe pled guilty to wire fraud and to assaulting an officer.  His sentence for the fraud charge was 48 months and his sentence for the assault was 12 months, which represents the statutory maximum.  United States District Judge Ronnie White, before whom Cripe appeared this morning, ordered those sentences to run consecutively, for a total of 60 months.

According to his plea agreement, Cripe defrauded two victims of $7,800 in February 2015 in connection with the purported sale of construction equipment by taking deposits for equipment he did not own.  Subsequent investigation revealed Cripe had engaged in similar conduct on at least eleven different occasions during 2014 and 2015 in Missouri and Illinois.  In total, the parties agreed that Cripe collected more than $58,000 through these fraud schemes.  After Cripe was charged for this fraud scheme, Cripe remained at large for a time until federal agents tracked him to a St. Louis County gas station.  While apprehending Cripe, he assaulted the officers, causing minor injuries, before eventually being taken into custody.

The United States Secret Service investigated the case, which was resolved with the help of prosecutors in Warren County (MO), Monroe County (IL), Fayette County (IL), Christian County (IL) and Shelby County (IL).  Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – BRYCE THOMSON, Selma, Texas, was sentenced to 188 months involving his transportation of child pornography from Texas to St. Louis.

According to court documents, on March 2, 2015, Thomson flew from Texas to Missouri with a laptop computer, an IPad, an IPhone, a Samsung phone, a Lexar USB thumb drive and four other thumb drives.

Thomson had placed an ad on Craigslist.org seeking to contact people who were “only into real taboo and extremely forbidden things.” The ad contained adult pornography and animated child pornography.  On March 4, 2015, an undercover St. Louis officer contacted Thomson posing as a mother of a girl.  During the chat, Thomson stated that he was in St. Louis on business from Texas and that he was interested in various sexual activities.  He stated his favorite age was nine to thirteen years old.  He sent the officer photos of a minor female in sexually explicit activities and provided his cell phone number for further contact.

On March 5, 2015, Thomson was arrested by the St. Louis County Police at Lambert International Airport as he prepared to depart for Texas.  He stated that he arrived in St. Louis on March 2, 2015, for a business convention.  He admitted posting the ad on Craigslist.  He stated that he had an interest in child pornography for thirty years.  He estimated that he had downloaded one million child pornography images or videos in the last thirty years and had exchanged approximately 500,000 child pornography images or videos in that time.  The majority of those images depicted females between the age of ten and thirteen.  Thomson also told officers that he had inappropriate sexual contact with an eleven-year-old relative in 2000. 

Thomson pled guilty in November to one felony count of transportation of child pornography.  He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Ronnie L. White.

This case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  First Assistant United States Attorney Carrie Costantin handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – ALEXSANDR RABIKOV, a native of Belarus and permanent resident of the United States living in the Hallandale Beach, Florida area, was sentenced to 60 months for his part in a conspiracy to file false tax returns and thereby steal government funds.  Rabikov’s sentence represents the statutory maximum allowed for the charged offense.

According to court documents, the conspiracy hacked into the computer system of a financial institution in the St. Louis area and obtained personal identifying information of individuals employed by that financial institution, including names, social security account information, addresses and wage information.  This information was used to prepare false tax returns.  Because the conspiracy possessed detailed wage information of the victims, the false tax returns closely resembled authentic tax returns because income and withholding information included in the false returns closely tracked the victims’ actual numbers. 

All of the false tax returns had refunds due, which he collected and deposited into accounts that Rabikov controlled, either personally or through a network of other individuals throughout Florida, including his girlfriend and co-defendant Yulia Belomyttseva. 

When agents from IRS-Criminal Investigation arrived at the couples’ beachfront apartment to arrest them, Rabikov and Belomyttseva unsuccessfully attempted to destroy evidence of their scheme by boiling and then freezing laptop computers before the investigating agents entered the apartment.

"Individuals who commit refund fraud and identity theft of this magnitude deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law," said Karl Stiften, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation.  "We continue to do our part in protecting the sanctity and integrity of the tax system and those individuals whose identities were stolen."

YULIA BELOMYTTSEVA, a Russian national who was also living in Hallandale Beach at the time of the offense with Rabikov, who also pleaded guilty to being part of the conspiracy, was sentenced today to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison. 

Both defendants pled guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to file fraudulent federal income tax returns last October.  They appeared for sentencing today before United States District Judge Catherine D. Perry. 

The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – ANASTASIA GRZESKOWIAK pled guilty today to embezzling $2.9 million from the account of a disabled individual whose financial affairs she was entrusted with managing.

According to court documents, beginning in 2000, an individual with whom Grzeskowiak was previously acquainted developed a blinding eye disease that significantly impaired his vision and ability to read and thus to manage his own financial affairs. In June 2003, that individual asked Grzeskowiak to assist him in paying his personal bills, which she did until April 2013.

Between June 2006 and continuing through April 2013, Grzeskowiak, forged her victim’s signature on more than 800 checks which she made out to herself, endorsed and used to pay her personal expenses, the expenses of others and to gamble. In total, she obtained approximately $2,918,090 from the victim without his authorization.

Additionally, Grzeskowiak filed false tax returns for 2010 through 2012, understating her gross income from the illegal activity described above, resulting in a tax loss of $506,496.

Grzeskowiak, St. Charles, MO, pled guilty to one felony count of wire fraud and three felony counts of filing false tax returns.  She appeared before United States District Judge Carol E. Jackson. Sentencing has been set for April 20, 2016.

Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000; each of the tax charges carry a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison and/or fines up to $100,000.  In determining the actual sentences, 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 and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Richard Finneran is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

St. Louis, MO – DR. MICHAEL "TED" MIMLITZ pled guilty to distributing misbranded Human Growth Hormone (“HGH”) to local patients at his St. Louis County medical clinic between March 2014 and June 2015.

According to court documents, under federal law, doctors can lawfully prescribe HGH for several narrow medical uses, for example to patients with wasting diseases associated with AIDS or Prader-Willi syndrome.  Under federal law, HGH cannot be prescribed to help patients with body-building, anti-aging or weight loss treatments.  Dr. Mimlitz was employed at a medical clinic in St. Louis County that specialized in treating men who were experiencing a lack of energy, decreases in strength or endurance or decreased athletic ability. 

Mimlitz, St. Louis County, Missouri, pled guilty before United States District Judge Catherine D. Perry to one felony count of distributing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. Sentencing has been set for April 21, 2016.

He now faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and the Office of Criminal Investigation for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

St. Louis, MO – Multiple individuals were arrested today in connection with a twenty-count federal indictment which was returned last week, but remained sealed until today’s arrests.

The indictment charges 18 individuals with various drug trafficking offenses and violent crimes, including murder, which occurred throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan Area over the last fourteen years.

The individuals in custody at this time are:

• JOSE ALFREDO VELAZQUEZ, Texas
• ADRIAN LEMONS
• ANTHONY JORDAN
• DWAYNE RAINEY
• JUAN RAMON GARZA, Texas
• LUIS FERNANDO CANTU, Texas
• LARON COLEMAN
• LOUIS FELTON
• CLARENCE MILLER
• DEMETRIUS O’NEAL
• MAURICE WOODSON
• GREGORY KNOX
• LARRY BOYD
• GLORIA WARD

All defendants are from the St. Louis area unless otherwise noted.

These arrests are part of an on-going effort by the “Mission SAVE Initiative” to reduce violent crime in the St. Louis Metropolitan area.   Mission SAVE (Strike Against Violence Early) is a hybrid task force that was established in December of 2014.  It consists of personnel from the FBI, DEA, St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office, the St. Louis City Circuit Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Also assisting Mission Save in this particular investigation were agents from Homeland Security, the Postal Inspection Service and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.          

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven to be guilty.

St. Louis, MO – SHAUN VASSER, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 24 months in prison Monday afternoon for his role in a four-person identity theft ring which was disrupted in St. Louis County this summer.  He appeared for sentencing before United States District Judge Henry Autrey.

Vasser had pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft for his role in a ring that possessed a credit card encoder and names and identities of multiple individuals.  The group used the names and information to create counterfeit gift cards and other access devices, which were successfully passed at area stores.

In addition to his prison term, Vasser was ordered to remain on court supervision for one year after his release from prison and further ordered to pay restitution to the credit card companies victimized by his crime.  Vasser’s three co-defendants, Jazmine Farmer, Amber Lindsay and Shukree Melton have all also pleaded guilty and await sentencing later this year.

The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis Office of the U.S. Secret Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – JOSEPH RICHARDSON, of Hannibal, Missouri, was sentenced to a total of 70 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana.  Richardson appeared for sentencing today in St. Louis before Judge Rodney W. Sippel.

In October 2015, Richardson pleaded guilty to possession of more than two kilograms of marijuana and 244 grams of cocaine at his residence in Hannibal.  Richardson admitted to possessing the drugs with the intent to sell them.  In addition to the drugs, the police discovered a scale, bags, capsules and other evidence of his intent to distribute the drugs, as well as cash proceeds of drug distribution at the scene.

Richardson was on federal supervised release at the time of his offense, and his sentence consists of 46 months for the new charge and 24 months on the revocation of his supervision.  Judge Sippel ordered the sentences to be served consecutively.

The case was investigated by the Hannibal Police Department and the prosecution was assisted by the Marion County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.  Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

St. Louis, MO – KEVIN HUNTSPON pled guilty to soliciting and receiving payments from a local grocery store owner in connection with health inspections conducted at the grocery store.

Huntspon, St. Louis City, pled guilty to one felony count of accepting a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.  He appeared before United States District Judge Henry Autrey.  Sentencing has been set for April 5, 2016.

He now faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Reginald Harris is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – JASMINKA RAMIC, Rockford, Illinois, was sentenced to 36 months in prison. Ramic pled guilty last September to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, that being providing material support to terrorists and designated foreign terrorist organizations. She appeared today for sentencing in Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, before United States District Judge Catherine D. Perry.

This case was investigated by the St. Louis FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U. S. Postal Inspection Service, St. Louis Metropolitan and St. Louis County Police Departments, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Drake, Howard Marcus and Kenneth Tihen of the Eastern District of Missouri and Mara Kohn, a Trial Attorney in the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice.  

Cape Girardeau, MO – PAMELA O'DELL was indicted on charges alleging mail fraud involving the misuse of approximately $52,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

According to the indictment, O’Dell was employed as an Eligibility Specialist (ES) by the Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support Division (FSD) in Dunklin County, Missouri. In this position, O’Dell was responsible for processing applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamp program. She was also responsible for updating SNAP recipients' files with address changes and if their eligibility for the program was terminated. The indictment alleges that between 2009 and 2014, when SNAP applicants and recipients reported to the FSD that they no longer wished to apply for or receive benefits, O’Dell changed their address to the FSD office in Dunklin, which issued a new Electronic Benefits Transfer Card (EBT), using her information. She converted the EBT cards to her personal use to purchase items from stores such as Wal-Mart and Hay’s Grocery in Paragould, Arkansas.

O’Dell, Senath, MO, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Cape Girardeau on one felony count of mail fraud.

If convicted, mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the Missouri Department of Social Services, Division of Legal Services and the United States Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General-Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony L. Franks is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Cape Girardeau, MO – The co-owner of B & H Convenience store was indicted on charges alleging the misuse of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamp program. The indictment alleges that between January 2010 and March 2014, PATRICK BUCK illegally redeemed approximately $800,000 in SNAP benefits.

According to the indictment, the Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support Division (FSD) issues Electronic Benefits Transfer Cards (EBT) for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps. Authorized grocery retailers can only accept and redeem SNAP benefits for the sale of eligible food items. They are not permitted to exchange or redeem SNAP benefits for cash or other ineligible items, such as household goods, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, cellular telephones or other non-food items.

Patrick Buck, Cape Girardeau, MO, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Cape Girardeau on five felony counts of unauthorized use of SNAP benefits. The indictment alleges that Buck paid cash for SNAP benefits. Buck also exchanged SNAP benefits for tobacco products.

If convicted, each count of the indictment carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General-Investigations and Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony L. Franks is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Cape Girardeau, MO – BOBBY DAVID LOWREY was indicted on multiple charges involving federal crop insurance fraud, theft of government property and wire fraud.

According to the indictment, Bobby David Lowrey owned and operated farms and related businesses in Parma, New Madrid County, Missouri, including Bobby David Lowrey Farms; Bob Lowrey Farms; Lowrey and Lowrey, Inc. of Parma, Missouri; John Radin Farms and Kathy Ellsworth Farms.

The indictment alleges that Bobby David Lowrey placed farms in other people’s names in order to obtain Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment Program proceeds that he was not eligible to receive under the federal government’s crop insurance program.  The investigation disclosed that John Radin, the alleged operator of Radin Farms, was employed by Bobby David Lowrey, was not actively engaged in farming and did not have any financial interest in the farming operations. Lowery made false statements to the United States Department of Agriculture pertaining to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment Program. 

From 2007 to 2012, Bobby David Lowrey obtained $240,367 in Direct and Counter-cyclical Payments in the name of John Radin Farms.  Additionally, $207,729 worth of Multiple Peril Crop Insurance Indemnities, premium subsidies and administrative subsidies were paid on behalf of John Radin Farms between 2008 and 2012. 

The investigation also disclosed that between 2006 and 2011, Bobby David Lowrey transmitted by wire “Extended Work Search Waivers” to the Missouri Division of Employment Security and reported that his employees were on a temporary layoff, when in reality they were still working and being paid.  The transmissions made to the Missouri Division of Employment Security resulted in more than $60,000 worth of unemployment insurance benefits being paid to employees that they were not eligible to receive.

Bobby David Lowrey, Parma, MO, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Cape Girardeau on two felony counts of making false statements regarding crop insurance benefits, one felony count of theft of government property and one felony count of wire fraud.   He appeared for arraignment in federal court today in St. Louis.

If convicted, these charges carry penalties ranging from 5 to 30 years in prison and or fines up to $1 million.  In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General-Investigations, Missouri State Highway Patrol-Rural Crimes Investigative Unit, and United States Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General-Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony L. Franks is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an 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 – JEREMY BURNETT, Columbia, MO, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with the August 22, 2014, armed robbery of the Bank Midwest in Randolph County. Burnett appeared today in St. Louis for sentencing before United States District Judge Henry Autrey.

Co-defendants Daniel Mark Rudroff was sentenced to 78 months in prison in September 2015, and Clarence Lamont Williams was sentenced to 92 months in prison on August 17, 2015.

This case was investigated by the Kirksville Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kirksville Police Department, Moberly Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and the Tazewell County, Illinois Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from additional law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Mehan handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Cape Girardeau, MO – JEFFERY M. LAZIER, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 35 years in prison on one felony count of kidnapping.  He appeared before United States District Judge John A. Ross.

At his plea, Lazier admitted that on May 12, 2015, he abducted a 22-year-old female SEMO college student at knifepoint while she was sitting in her vehicle in the South County Park in Cape Girardeau.  Lazier held the young woman captive in his truck for over six hours while driving throughout Missouri and Illinois.  During this time, Lazier repeatedly assaulted her and forced her to attempt to obtain money from various banking facilities in Missouri and Illinois. 

When Lazier drove onto an off-ramp on Interstate 57 near Effingham, Illinois, the young woman opened the passenger door and jumped out.  She then ran toward nearby motorists screaming for help.  Witnesses then took her to the Effingham Police Department, who in turn contacted the FBI.  The FBI in Effingham alerted the FBI in Cape Girardeau and the investigation began locally.  The victim’s car was processed for evidence, and a fingerprint was lifted from the outside of the vehicle by an officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department.  The fingerprint matched that of Jeffery M. Lazier of Chicago, Illinois.  On May 15, 2015, agents for the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Lazier in Yorkville, Illinois, and recovered the vehicle used to commit the crime. 

At sentencing, United States District Judge John A. Ross took into account Lazier’s previous criminal record, which included a 2007 conviction for Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse of a four-year-old child, and the particular facts of this case, which he described as simply “horrific.” 

This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Keith D. Sorrell handled the prosecution for the Government.

St Louis, MO – Three former Postal employees of the Network Distribution Center in Hazelwood have entered guilty pleas on charges of diverting mail believed to contain clothing, marijuana and other items to addresses that they controlled for their personal gain.

According to court documents, EDWARD LEWIS, SEAN WEST, KOREY HOWARD and QUENTIN COOK are former employees of the United States Postal Service. West, Howard and Cook searched for and identified mail and over-labeled it to redirect it from its original sender’s intended recipient to themselves, Lewis and others.  The diverted mail included clothing, marijuana, electronics, computer equipment, pottery and personal effects. 

Korey Howard, Florissant, MO, pled today, and Edward Lewis, Hazelwood, MO, and Sean West, Florissant, MO, pled earlier this month.  They pled guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy, obstruction of correspondence and theft or receipt of stolen mail before United States District Judge Ronnie L. White.  They are scheduled for sentencing in March 2016.

Co-defendant Quentin Cook, Florissant, MO, is awaiting trial in early 2016.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General and the Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Franks is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Defendant Cook is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

St. Louis, MO – JONATHAN CURTIS pled guilty to charges involving his sale of stolen vehicles to out of state buyers.

According to court documents, in December 2014, Curtis obtained a 2011 Nissan Maxima which had been stolen from its lawful owner in the Eastern District of Missouri.  On February 21, 2015, Curtis sold the vehicle to a purchaser from Michigan for $9,000.  In April 2015, Curtis obtained a stolen 2007 Cadillac Escalade that had been taken from a car dealership located in the Eastern District of Missouri.  Curtis had a duplicate key made to enable the sale of that stolen vehicle to an individual in Fairview Heights, Illinois, for $13,000 on April 9, 2015.

Curtis, of St. Louis City, pled guilty to two felony counts of interstate transportation of stolen property before United States District Judge Ronnie L. White.  Sentencing has been set for March 10, 2016.

Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.  In determining any actual sentence imposed, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – RONALD OLDANI was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by ten years supervised release involving his possession of child pornography.

Oldani, St. Louis City, pled guilty in September to two felony counts of possession of child pornography.  He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Colleen Lang handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

St. Louis, MO – JASON THOMAS MILLS, Frederickton, MO, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On July 12, 2014, deputies with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office became aware that Mills was keeping a stolen truck at his residence.  The deputies went to the residence and saw the stolen truck.  Shortly thereafter, Mills arrived in another vehicle and the deputies approached him.  Mills attempted to drive away, while the deputies clung to the doors of the vehicle.  When one of the deputies finally pulled the keys from the ignition, Mills exited the vehicle and fled on foot.

Mills ultimately turned, faced the deputies, and stated, “I’m going to shoot you.”  The deputies wrestled Mills to the ground, where they saw a red laser emitting from Mills’ pocket.  Mills reached into the pocket, attempting to retrieve a handgun.  The deputies removed a Smith & Wesson .380 caliber pistol from Mills’ pocket.  A search of the vehicle revealed a digital scale, metal spoons with residue, a baggie containing methamphetamine, a syringe, empty baggies and a plastic bag containing pseudoephedrine pills.

On June 22, 2010, deputies with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department were engaged in a pursuit of a stolen truck.  Mills, the driver of the truck, wrecked the truck and fled on foot.  Inside the truck, deputies found methamphetamine lab components, which Mills used to manufacture methamphetamine, and a pouch containing .38 caliber ammunition.

Shortly thereafter, Mills was observed operating another stolen vehicle in Union, Missouri.  He fled on foot and was found trying to hide in a nearby bush.  A Rossi/Taurus .38 caliber pistol was found in the bush next to Mills.  The pistol, possessed by Mills, was loaded with .38 caliber ammunition identical to that found in the stolen truck.  

Mills pled guilty in September to two felony counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Henry E. Autrey.

This case was investigated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney Cristian M. Stevens handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

St. Louis, MO – JUSTIN PAYNE was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for possession of an unregistered destructive device and an additional 12 months for destroying the St. Louis County Police Association website through a distributed denial of service attack.          

According to court documents, on December 2, 2014, the group “Rebel But Gangster Black Rebels” aka RBG Black Rebels promoted a cyber-attack against the St. Louis County Police Association (SLCPA) website on Twitter.  An investigation by the FBI determined that the RBG Black Rebels’s Twitter account is solely operated and held by the defendant, Justin Payne.  His cyber-attack was in conjunction with the group Operation Ferguson, which claimed affiliation with the group Anonymous. 

On December 2, 2014, messages were sent out on Twitter by the Defendant. These messages contained a link for a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on the SLCPA website.  A distributed denial-of-service attack is an attempt to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users.  All networks have a limited amount of connections that they can have at any one time.  The program distributed by the defendant exploited this limit by initiating as many connections with SLCPA website as possible to fill up the bandwidth.  This attack on the SLCPA website actually shut down the website.  On December 3, 2014, the St. Louis Division of the FBI confirmed a DDoS attack on SLCPA.org website and began an investigation.  The SLCPA provided FBI agents with web logs detailing the IP addresses used in the attack.  A review of the logs determined the times of the attack coincided with the Twitter messages sent by Justin Payne via his RBG Black Rebels Twitter account. 

On January 27, 2014, a review of Payne’s Twitter account revealed messages associated with killing law enforcement officers.  Through investigation, FBI agents determined that Justin Payne worked at the V.A. facility located at One Archives Way, St. Louis, Missouri.  After Payne was arrested for the DDoS attack, the FBI received a search warrant for Payne’s car.  During the search of Payne’s trunk, agents located a glass container containing a flammable liquid mix of gasoline, water and ethanol, which was later determined to be an improvised incendiary device, commonly known as a Molotov cocktail. 

Payne, address unknown, pled guilty in September to one felony count of possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of damage to a protected computer.  He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Henry Autrey. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Protective Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Colleen Lang handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Llewellyn, Chief of the Civil Division, announced today that the Eastern District of Missouri collected $16,191,458 in criminal and civil actions in fiscal year 2015.  Of this amount, $6,027,224 was collected in criminal actions and $10,164,234 was collected in civil actions. 

Additionally, the Eastern District of Missouri worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $7,957,005 in cases pursued jointly with these offices.  Of this amount, $33,334 was collected in criminal actions and $7,923,670 was collected in civil actions.         

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced on December 3, 2015, that the Justice Department collected $23.1 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015. The more than $23.1 billion in collections in FY 2015 represents nearly seven and a half times the approximately $2.93 billion of the Justice Department's combined appropriations for the 94 U.S. Attorney's Offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period.

"The Department of Justice is committed to upholding the rule of law, safeguarding taxpayer resources and protecting the American people from exploitation and abuse," said Attorney General Loretta Lynch.  "The collections we are announcing today demonstrate not only the strength of that commitment, but also the significant return on public investment that our actions deliver.  I want to thank the prosecutors and trial attorneys who made this achievement possible, and to reiterate our dedication to this ongoing work."

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims.  The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss.  While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct, or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws.  In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Missouri, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $7,543,204 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2015.  Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

St. Louis, MO – CHRISTOPHER DAVID SCHROEDER, Marthasville, Missouri, was charged in a criminal complaint alleging that he transported a minor from Ohio back to Missouri to engage in criminal sexual activity.  He appeared for his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

If convicted, these charges carry penalties ranging from 15 years to life in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.      

As is always the case, charges set forth in a criminal complaint 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 – BRIAN PALUCH, former Chief Financial Officer & Senior Vice President of PARIC Construction, was sentenced late yesterday to 38 months in prison on charges involving his scheme to use the company’s corporate funds to pay his own personal expenses during the period January 2010 through February 2014. In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $393,659 restitution to PARIC and a $15,000 fine.

According to testimony presented at trial, Paluch used the PARIC issued American Express card to pay for personal expenses, including personal travel, dining, spa charges, electronics and personal gifts for family and friends. In order to conceal his scheme, Paluch submitted false and altered financial summaries of the monthly American Express statements by deleting and altering his own personal charges. On several occasions, Paluch forged the PARIC President’s signature on these false financial summaries as purported authorization for the payments. Additionally, as part of his employment at PARIC, Paluch was permitted to join the Sunset Country Club, and PARIC paid the monthly membership dues. Paluch, on behalf of PARIC, entered into an agreement with Sunset for the purchase of various types of apparel and golf items containing the PARIC corporate logo. Paluch created sham and inflated Sunset Country Club invoices to pay for personal items at the club unrelated to the legitimate business of PARIC. In his position as CFO, Paluch was responsible for calculating the annual bonuses for PARIC’s employees, including his own. As a further part of his scheme, Paluch inflated his base salary in calculating his own annual bonus for several years. Additionally, during summer, 2011, Paluch directed the payment of $5,000 in PARIC corporate funds to a St. Louis area law firm as an incentive for that law firm to hire his niece as a summer associate.

Paluch, Kirkwood, MO, was convicted of three counts of mail fraud last August.  He appeared Monday for sentencing before United States District Judge Richard Webber. 

This case was investigated by the Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys John Ware and Dianna Collins handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The victim, PARIC Construction Company, provided assistance in the investigation.

St. Louis, MO – RODNEY TYLER was sentenced to 65 months in prison involving a bank fraud and identity theft scheme.  Tyler and his associates used the identification of multiple individuals obtained from stolen credit cards, bank debit cards and state issued driver’s licenses to steal funds held in individual bank accounts. 

According to court documents, as part of the scheme, which included fraudulent transactions at bank branches in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, illegitimate and fraudulent driver’s licenses were created and used, along with stolen bank account information, to make unauthorized withdrawals of funds from identity theft victims’ personal bank accounts.  Based out of Chicago, Illinois, Tyler and his associates traveled to bank branches where those individuals had and maintained personal bank accounts and then used the identities of multiple victims to negotiate bank counter withdrawals from the victim bank accounts.  Tyler was arrested in Lincoln County, Missouri, on October 8, 2014, after he and another individual executed the scheme at a Troy, Missouri, branch of Bank of America and withdrew over $5,000 from an individual victim’s personal checking and savings accounts.  Bank of America employees became suspicious during the course of the transactions and alerted local law enforcement, which led to Tyler’s arrest.

Tyler, Chicago, IL, pled guilty in August to one felony count of bank fraud and one felony count of aggravated identity theft. He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Ronnie L. White. 

This case was investigated by the Postal Inspection Service and the Troy, Missouri, Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Charles Birmingham handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St Louis, MO – MELVIN L. ARGANBRIGHT IV, Salem, Missouri, and CODY D. WOFFORD, Salem, Missouri, were indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday, November 18, for allegedly cutting down over 300 trees on Mark Twain National Forest land in Dent County between June 1 and August 15, 2015.

In a separate unrelated case, WAYNE MESSEX and JOHN TURMAN were indicted for allegedly cutting down over 50 white oak trees in the Mark Twain National Forest between October and December 2014. Messex, Richwoods, Missouri, and Turman, St. Clair, Missouri, were each indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this month on one felony count of theft of government property. 

If convicted, this charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by agents from U.S. Forest Service.  Assistant United States Attorneys Gwen Carroll and Gilbert Sison are handling the cases for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an 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 – KILWA JONES was indicted on multiple charges involving the September 25, 2015, shooting of Christopher Sanna, as well as the robberies of both Sanna and his companion, Lisa Simpson. The robberies and the assault occurred near the Old Cathedral in the northbound lanes of Memorial Drive, which is a part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

Jones, St. Louis, Missouri, was indicted on one felony count of assault with a dangerous weapon while on federal property, two felony counts of robbery while on federal property, three felony counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

If convicted, these various charges carry penalties up to life in prison and/or fines up to $250,000 on each count. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.            

This case was investigated by the detective bureau of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney John Bird is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  

As is always the case, charges set forth in an 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 – MICHAEL PRISNER, Ewing, Missouri, was indicted for his alleged possession of child pornography between April and June 2015.

If convicted, each count of possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, 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, the St. Charles County ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) and Kirksville Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Colleen Lang is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an 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 – OLUFUNSHO ADESHINA, a native of Nigeria residing in St. Louis, pled guilty to charges involving his participation in a stolen identity tax fraud scheme. 

According to court documents, Adeshina received $753,063 from more than fifty refunds by filing false tax returns in the name of various individuals.  The refunds were sent to various financial accounts: some were in Adeshina’s name, some were in the names of businesses he controlled and some were in the names of identity theft victims whose information Adeshina used to establish additional accounts.  Adeshina admitted he sought more than $3.5 million dollars in refunds, but most of the false returns were caught and not honored by the IRS.

Adeshina pled guilty to one felony count of theft of government funds before United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel.  Sentencing has been set for February 26, 2016.  Adeshina will remain in federal custody until his sentencing.  Adeshina has been in federal custody since April, when he was arrested at Atlanta-Hartsfield Airport returning to the United States from Nigeria.

"Investigating refund fraud and identity theft is a top priority and we will vigorously pursue those who undermine the integrity of the U.S. tax system," said Tonya L. Martin, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation.

Theft of government funds carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.  In addition to the criminal penalties he faces, Adeshina acknowledged this conviction may subject him to removal from the United States, as he is not a U.S. citizen.             

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – Two area home health care workers entered guilty pleas this week for billing Medicaid for home healthcare services that were not provided, while three other individuals were indicted with similar Medicaid home healthcare fraud charges.  The charges include a home health care worker billing Medicaid when she was actually taking the bar examination in Jefferson City, Missouri, to become a lawyer. Another home health care worker billed Medicaid when his patient was actually in Florida; another home care worker billed Medicaid the day after she was discharged from the hospital after giving birth to a newborn baby and another home health care worker billed Medicaid for taking care of her husband.      

JANISE LAMPLEY, St. Louis, Missouri, pled guilty today to three counts of making false statements to the Missouri Medicaid program.  According to court documents, during 2014, Lampley submitted weekly timesheets to Medicaid in which she claimed to be providing 6-8 hours of home care services for two different patients.  But Lampley was actually in Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta and Florida during the days that she told Medicaid that she was working in Missouri at the two patients’ homes.  Lampley, a licensed Missouri lawyer, also billed Medicaid for daily home care services when she was actually taking the bar examination in Jefferson City, Missouri, to become a lawyer.  After Medicaid funded payments to her for the home health care services, Lampley sometimes gave the two patients cash payments of $100-$200 per pay check.

MYKEILA McKINDALL, St. Louis County, Missouri, pled guilty today to three counts of making false statements to Medicaid.  In her court documents, McKindall admitted that she was discharged from the hospital after delivering a baby on December 15, 2013, and received a doctor’s note to stay off work until January 23, 2014.  However, McKindall then submitted false time sheets to Medicaid claiming that she provided daily home health care starting December 16, 2013, through January 23, 2014.  Actually, McKindall was at home taking care of her newborn baby.  McKindall also billed Medicaid for days when one of her patients was not at the patient’s home for days at a time, and during some time frames when McKindall was actually working at another full-time job at a restaurant.

Both Lampley and McKindall pled guilty before United States District Judge John A. Ross.  Each will be sentenced on February 9, 2015.  Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.   

JEFFERY WINN, St. Louis, Missouri, was indicted Wednesday on five counts of making false statements to Medicaid.  His indictment states that he submitted home health care time sheets for two patients at the same time as he also worked at a nursing home and for the State of Missouri.  Winn routinely claimed over 20 total hours of work between his four jobs, and sometimes submitted work hours for all four jobs totaling over 23 or even 24 hours per day.

Finally, ANGELA WASHINGTON and ERIC HARVEY, both of St. Louis, Missouri, were indicted Wednesday on two counts of making false statements to Medicaid and one count of conspiring to defraud the Social Security Administration (SSA).  The indictment alleges that under Medicaid’s rules, a wife cannot be paid for taking care of her spouse as a home health care aide.  Washington and Harvey concealed their marriage from Medicaid, with Washington repeatedly asking Medicaid for money for taking care of her husband at home on a daily basis.  Harvey and Washington also submitted a time sheet to Medicaid claiming reimbursement for home health care services when both Harvey and Washington were actually testifying in a SSA disability hearing.  At the disability hearing, the indictment alleges that both defendants provided false testimony to SSA that they were unmarried and Harvey lived alone.   

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Offices of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration, with assistance from the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – ANTONIO WHITESIDE, of St. Louis County, Missouri, was sentenced to five years imprisonment on the federal charge stemming from Whiteside starting a fire inside the Ferguson Supermarket, Inc. on November 24, 2014, the date St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch announced the grand jury decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson.

Whiteside pled guilty in April to one count of attempted arson.  He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge John A. Ross.

Today’s sentence concludes the joint, cooperative investigation by the St. Louis County Police Department’s Bomb and Arson Unit and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that enabled law enforcement to solve the case.  The St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office also provided significant assistance.

St. Louis, MO – KELLEY BARATTA was sentenced to 30 months in prison involving her scheme to embezzle money from her employer while she was controller of the company.  Barrata was also ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution to her former employer.

According to court documents, between 2007 and March 2012, Baratta was employed as controller of Media Management, Inc. (MMI) of Chesterfield, Missouri.  She was responsible for payroll, accounts payable and receivable, and certain human resource matters.  She initially performed these duties at the offices in Chesterfield, until she relocated to New York State, but continued to work as controller for MMI. After being terminated, MMI discovered that Barrata had embezzled from MMI between 2009 and 2012 by falsifying her salary in computer-based payroll system to cause the system to pay her an inflated salary.  Additionally, Baratta was found to have transferred company funds directly to her bank account.  In all, Baratta was found to have stolen $1,209,249 over the three-year period.

"The IRS enforces the nation's tax laws, but also takes particular interest in cases where someone, for their own personal benefit, has taken what belonged to others," said Andrew Thornton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation.

Baratta, Auburn, NY, formerly of St. Louis County, pled guilty earlier this year to two felony counts of wire fraud and one felony count of money laundering. She appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Rodney Sippel.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – ALEXSANDR RABIKOV, a native of Belarus and permanent resident of the United States living in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area, pled guilty to charges involving a conspiracy to file false tax returns, which called for refunds, in the name of individuals, which he collected and deposited into accounts he controlled.

According to court documents, the conspiracy hacked into the computer system of a financial institution in the St. Louis area and obtained personal identifying information of individuals employed by that financial institution, including names, social security account information, addresses and wage information.  This information was used to prepare false tax returns. All of the false tax returns had refunds due, which he collected and deposited into accounts that Rabikov controlled, either personally or through a network of other individuals throughout Florida, including his girlfriend and co-defendant YULIA BELOMYTTSEVA.  Belomyttseva, a Russian national, also pleaded guilty to being part of the conspiracy.

"These defendants thought they figured out a clever scheme to thwart the IRS and steal from American taxpayers," said Andrew M. Thornton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation. "The IRS has made investigating refund fraud and identity theft a top priority and we will vigorously pursue those who undermine the integrity of the U.S. tax system."

Rabikov pled guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to file fraudulent federal income tax returns before United States District Judge Catherine D. Perry.  Sentencing for both Rabikov and Belomyttseva has been set for January 26, 2016.  Rabikov and Belomyttseva remain in federal custody, where they have been since their arrest earlier this year.  

Rabikov now faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Cape Girardeau, MO – RODGER SERATT, Naylor, Missouri, was sentenced to 41 months in prison on charges of falsifying documents to receive Social Security benefits, and a separate charge of tampering with a witness during the investigation.  He appeared before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr., in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Seratt pled guilty in July to three felony counts of making false statements, and two felony counts of theft of government funds.  The conduct underlying the charges occurred between October 15, 2009, and May 16, 2015, when, in an effort to prove his eligibility for Supplemental Security Income benefits, Seratt began making false statements to the Social Security Administration that he was dependent upon the financial resources of others and his physical disabilities prevented him from being employed.  As the federal disability program provides a minimum level of income for aged, blind or disabled individuals, Seratt’s statements were material to the agency’s decision to grant his application for benefits.

However, during the time period Seratt made the false statements and fraudulently received federal disability benefits, he operated numerous businesses and owned rental property, his residence, an airplane and other property.  When the State of Missouri outlawed the manufacture and distribution of synthetic drugs, Seratt conducted newspaper and television interviews with local media outlets, as well as a newspaper in Minneapolis, Minnesota, claiming that representatives with the State of Missouri and Stoddard County were causing him to lose $30,000 to $40,000 a month in income from the manufacture and distribution of synthetic drugs such as K2 and Spice.  Between October 15, 2009, and March 31, 2013, Seratt fraudulently obtained more than $24,000 in federal government disability benefits as a result of his false statements to the Social Security Administration.

He also pled guilty to charges of tampering with a witness in a related case in which, on April 10, 2015, Seratt caused an employee of his business enterprise to withhold documents requested by a federal grand jury investigating additional false statements to the government agency.

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General.  Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Berry handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – DR. DONALD HAVEY and SUSAN RENO pled guilty to charges involving a scheme to bill Medicare for expensive ankle-foot orthotics that were never provided to the patients.       

According to court documents, Havey owned and operated companies that sold orthotic devices through Spinal Decompression of Chesterfield; Senior Care, Inc.; Advanced Custom Orthotics, Inc.; and Missouri Custom Orthotics.  Susan Reno and her company, Pinnacle Billings and Collections, provided billing services for Havey and each of his companies.

Beginning in 2009 and continuing to 2014, Dr. Havey defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, other public and private health insurance companies and patients by submitting false reimbursement claims for custom orthotic boots. The boots actually provided to the patients did not contain the custom features described in the reimbursement claims.  Dr. Havey employed chiropractors to market his “Fall Prevention Program” to nursing homes and to sell the orthotic boots in Missouri and other states, including Texas, Alabama, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Tennessee.  Dr. Havey and the chiropractors employed by him told the nursing homes that the Program would reduce falls by almost 20% and would improve the patients’ quality of life, but deliberately concealed from the nursing homes that the real purpose of the Program was to sell orthotic boots to nursing home patients.  Dr. Havey also told the nursing homes that there would be little or no cost to the patients, when he knew that a Medicare patient could be charged as much as $500 if the patient did not have supplemental insurance.

Dr. Havey knew Medicare would scrutinize any company that submitted claims for a large number of very expensive orthotic boots, so he attempted to conceal from Medicare the number of orthotic boots that he and his companies were selling.  To accomplish this, Dr. Havey and Susan Reno submitted false claims under several of the companies.  As an example, a chiropractor assessed and ordered orthotics for five Medicare patients residing in the same facility on the same day. Dr. Havey and Susan Reno submitted two of the residents’ claims to Medicare using Advanced Custom Orthotics as the supplier and the other three were billed to Medicare using Senior Care Orthotics as the supplier.

Medicare paid Dr. Havey between $2400 and $2600 for each pair of orthotics boots. The loss to Medicare, Medicaid and the private insurance companies was over $2.2 million.

Havey, St. Louis County, MO, pled guilty to one felony count of health care fraud this morning before United States District Judge John A. Ross.  Susan Reno, St. Louis County, MO, pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of submitting false reimbursement claims to Medicare before United States Magistrate Judge John Bodenhausen on October 16, 2015. Sentencing for Dr. Havey has been set for January 26, 2016.  Susan Reno’s sentencing is set for January 11, 2016.

Felony healthcare fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.           

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Dorothy McMurtry is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – KEVIN HUNTSPON was indicted for allegedly soliciting and receiving payments from a local grocery store owner in connection with health inspections conducted at the grocery store.

Huntspon, St. Louis City, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of accepting a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.  The indictment was returned Wednesday, but remained sealed until the arrest of the defendant earlier today.

If convicted, this charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Reginald Harris is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an 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 – KEVIN HUNTSPON was indicted for allegedly soliciting and receiving payments from a local grocery store owner in connection with health inspections conducted at the grocery store.

Huntspon, St. Louis City, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of accepting a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.  The indictment was returned Wednesday, but remained sealed until the arrest of the defendant earlier today.

If convicted, this charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Reginald Harris is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an 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 – A Chicago podiatrist, his wife and the CEO of his health care company were indicted on charges involving the submission of false documents and reimbursement claims related to podiatric services purportedly provided.

According to the indictment, DR. YEV GRAY is the owner and president of Aggeus Healthcare, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, which provides podiatry services to residents of long-term care facilities.  Dr. Gray’s wife, NATALIE GRAY, is an attorney and the director of corporate and legal affairs for Aggeus Healthcare. She also supervised the billing, finance and accounts receivable departments.  JAMES N. SAYADZAD is the Chief Executive Officer of Aggeus Healthcare and a minority owner and manager of Aggeus Global.  As of September 2015, both companies were operating in at least 16 states.  In Missouri, Aggeus contracted with podiatrists to provide services in eleven facilities, with seven of the facilities located in the cities of Bourbon, Hannibal, Maryland Heights and Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

According to the indictment, the defendants used an electronic medical record (EMR) system, which automatically inserted. into patient records. diseases and symptoms that the patients did not have. This was done to demonstrate to Medicare that the patients needed the services for which Aggeus Healthcare later billed Medicare. The defendants also pressured Aggeus podiatrists to provide unneeded services, such as Doppler studies, the incision and drainage of abscesses and the removal of calluses. Some of the podiatrists complied, provided the unneeded services and signed the false treatment notes. Others refused. Despite repeated complaints from patients, nursing homes and some of their podiatrists, the defendants continued to create false patient records and to bill for medically unnecessary services. From 2009 to September 2015, Medicare paid Aggeus Healthcare millions of dollars based on the false reimbursement claims submitted by the defendants.

In a separate civil action, Case No. 4:15CV1580-RLW, the Court entered a Temporary Restraining Order against the Defendants that restrains their assets.

Yev Gray, Natalie Gray and James Sayadzad, all of Chicago, IL, were indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and four felony counts of making false statements relating to health care matters.

If convicted, each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorneys Dorothy McMurtry and Gwen Carroll are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an 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 – DARRELL A. SCOTT was sentenced to 64 years in prison on multiple charges involving two local, armed carjackings, as well as unrelated drug and firearm charges.

According to testimony presented at trial, in the early morning hours of August 27, 2011, Scott and Carris King committed two armed carjackings in the areas of North Florissant Avenue and Zealand Street in the City of St. Louis, Missouri, less than one hour apart.  During each of the carjackings, the unsuspecting victims were forced out of their vehicles at gunpoint.  Scott and King used the vehicle taken during the first carjacking to commit the second carjacking. Shortly after the second carjacking, responding officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department observed Scott and King driving the vehicle taken during the first carjacking and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Scott and King fled at a high rate of speed, ultimately crashing the stolen vehicle into a vacant house. Scott and King flourished firearms at the officers as they climbed out of the stolen vehicle and escaped on foot. Officers later located the vehicle taken during the second carjacking abandoned nearby.

Scott was arrested by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department approximately two years later after officers received information of Scott’s involvement in the carjackings. At the time of his arrest, Scott was on bond from pending firearm and drug related charges arising out of an investigation beginning in September 2012, conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. During the course of that investigation, Scott sold to an undercover ATF Special Agent a total of approximately 14 grams of heroin and a firearm with an obliterated serial number.  During four of the undercover buys, Scott was in possession of a firearm that he informed the ATF Special Agent he would not sell because he needed it. 

Scott, St. Louis City, Missouri, pleaded guilty on April 16, 2015, to two felony counts of distribution of heroin, one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one felony count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime arising out of the ATF investigation.  Scott proceeded to trial on the remainder of the charges on June 1, 2015, and was, thereafter, convicted of two felony counts of carjacking, two felony counts of brandishing firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He appeared Wednesday afternoon for sentencing before United States District Judge Henry Autrey.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

St. Louis, MO – JASON CRIPE, formerly of Windsor, Illinois, pled guilty to a fraud scheme that criss-crossed Missouri and Illinois and spanned four years.

According to the plea agreement, Cripe admitted to assaulting the federal law enforcement officers who finally came to arrest him for his fraud scheme this past summer.  Cripe pled guilty to one count of  wire fraud and one count of assaulting a law enforcement officer.

With his plea, Cripe admitted to being “a con artist,” posing as a repossession agent between 2011 and 2015 and, on at least seven different occasions, falsely claiming to be authorized to sell repossessed vehicles and commercial equipment which he, in fact, did not have.  After receiving a “deposit,” Cripe would simply pocket the victims’ money, often blaming delays on his purported clients, the financing companies, until the victims tired of calling.

Cripe's cases were eventually consolidated into a federal investigation by the St. Louis office of the U.S. Secret Service.  After Cripe was indicted earlier this year, the Secret Service tracked him across Missouri and southern and central Illinois in an attempt to arrest him.  On July 8, 2015, the Secret Service finally located Cripe at a St. Louis County gas station.  When the federal agents confronted Cripe, he fought with the agents and rammed their vehicle with his before being taken into custody, where he remains.

Cripe entered his plea before United States District Judge Ronnie L. White in St. Louis.  Sentencing has been set for January 13, 2016.

The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.  Restitution to the defendant’s victims is also mandatory.  The assault count carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and/or a fine up to $100,000.  In determining any actual sentence imposed, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, in cooperation with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Bridgeton Police Department, the Warrenton (MO) Police Department, the Ray County (MO) Sheriff’s Department, the Shelby County (IL) Sheriff’s Department, the Monroe County (IL) Sheriff’s Department, the Fayette County (IL) Sheriff’s Department and the Macon County (IL) Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

St. Louis, MO – Two area men have been indicted on charges involving two drug-related homicides occurring in the City of St. Louis.

The indictment charges TERRANCE WILSON and DONALD STEWART for their involvement in the March 26, 2010, murder of Michael McGill, and the July 23, 2010, murder of Darrion Williams, Jr. Both were in connection with drug trafficking crimes.  The indictment was returned September 23rd, but remained sealed until the arrest of Donald Stewart last week.

Wilson and Stewart were each indicted on two felony counts of possession of a firearm (with death resulting) in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. If convicted, these charges carry penalties that include possible life sentences of imprisonment.

"This is an example of the outstanding collaboration between the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Attorney's Office and our regional partners as we find new methods to combat violent crime in the City of St. Louis," said Chief Sam Dotson.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted as part of the Mission SAVE Initiative.  Mission SAVE (Strike Against Violence Early) was initiated to reduce violence in the St. Louis area. The hybrid task force is a collaboration between the Federal Bureau of Investigation-St. Louis Division, Drug Enforcement Administration-St. Louis Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office, St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an 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 – A federal indictment was returned late yesterday naming DANIEL KEITH STEELE as the defendant in a fraud scheme involving trading in foreign currencies. The indictment alleges that Steele solicited more than $2 million from at least 24 investors who had hoped to realize the extraordinary returns promised by Steele, which were sometimes as high as 28.71% per month.

According to the indictment, however, Steele invested only a fraction of the money he solicited in foreign currency markets. Instead, the indictment alleges, he spent investor funds on himself and his family, including the purchase of two different vehicles at a total cost of nearly $100,000, and repaid some later investors with funds contributed by earlier investors. Steele is also accused of generating false reports for investors that reflected returns that Steele had never achieved, and of creating and providing similar false documents when questioned by investigators.

Steele, Rolla, MO, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of mail fraud, four felony counts of wire fraud and two felony counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions using criminally derived property.

If convicted, each count of mail and wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines of up to $250,000. The two counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions each carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and/or a maximum fine of $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Richard E. Finneran is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The Justice Department filed a consent order today to resolve allegations that Eagle Bank and Trust Company (Eagle Bank) engaged in a pattern or practice of “redlining” predominantly African-American neighborhoods in and around St. Louis.  “Redlining” is the discriminatory practice by banks or other financial institutions to deny or avoid providing credit services to a consumer because of the racial demographics of the neighborhood in which the consumer lives.  This is the second redlining settlement that the department has announced in the past week.

As a result of the settlement, Eagle Bank will open two new locations to serve the residents of African American neighborhoods in northern St. Louis.  The bank will also invest at least $975,000 to provide banking and borrowing opportunities to residents and businesses in those areas.  The settlement, which is subject to court approval, was filed in conjunction with the department’s complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.  The complaint alleges violations of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), which prohibit financial institutions from discriminating on the basis of race and color in their mortgage lending practices.

“The Department of Justice is committed to holding banks accountable for their role in continuing historic trends of residential segregation,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division.  “The practice of redlining violates our laws and harms our communities.  We commend Eagle Bank for becoming part of the positive change that must come to the African American neighborhoods in St. Louis.  The community partnerships and lending programs that are part of our settlement will bring much-needed investment to communities in northern St. Louis.”

Under the settlement, Eagle Bank will invest $800,000 in a special financing program to increase the amount of credit the bank extends to majority African American areas in the Missouri portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area, spend $75,000 for consumer education and credit repair programs, and spend $100,000 for outreach to potential customers and promotion of their products and services.  Eagle Bank will also open two locations to serve predominantly African American areas within the Missouri portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area, and will conduct fair lending training for its employees.  The agreement prohibits Eagle Bank from discriminating on the basis of race or color in any aspect of a residential real estate-related or credit transaction.

The lawsuit originated from information gathered by the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing Opportunities Council and provided to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).  The FDIC conducted an investigation and referred this matter to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The department’s enforcement of fair lending laws and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section.  Since 2010, the Civil Rights Division has provided approximately $1.3 billion in monetary relief for individual borrowers and impacted communities through its enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, ECOA and the SCRA.  The Attorney General’s annual reports to Congress on ECOA enforcement highlight the department’s accomplishments in fair lending and are available at www.justice.gov/crt/publications/.

The Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Missouri and the FDIC are members of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.  President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.  The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources.  The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.  For more information on the task force, visit www.StopFraud.gov.    

A copy of the complaint, as well as additional information about the department’s fair lending enforcement, can be obtained on the department’s website at http://www.justice.gov/fairhousing.