Western District of Missouri

Trenton Police Department Sgt. Jeb Walker (center) receives the Enoch B. Morelock Award from Law Enforcement Coordinator Les Kerr (at left) and LECC Executive Committee members Sheriff Randy Strong, Sheriff Bill Puett, and Chief Mike Stolte.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Teresa Moore, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that Sergeant Jeb Walker of the Trenton, Mo., Police Department has received the 2024 Enoch B. Morelock Award.

“Sgt. Walker is an invaluable asset not only to his department, but to his community,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “His long tenure in law enforcement, the breadth of his extensive community involvement, and his exemplary military service truly exemplify the ideals honored by the Enoch B. Morelock Award.”

The Enoch B. Morelock Award is an annual recognition of outstanding moral character, service to law enforcement and service to the community. Walker was honored on Aug. 22, 2024, during the 22nd Annual LECC Training Seminar in Springfield, Mo. The prestigious law enforcement award, presented annually by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee, is named in honor of Sullivan County Sheriff Enoch B. Morelock, who was the first recorded line of duty death in the Western District of Missouri on Dec. 19, 1847.

Walker has served the Trenton Police Department for 26 years. He continues to serve in patrol and oversees all traffic-related incidents. He is also the designated firearms instructor, OC Instructor and field training officer.

Walker is also actively involved in a number of volunteer activities in his community. Walker serves on his school district’s Bright Futures Committee, which hosts back to school activities, a food drive, Lunch Buddy Program and teacher appreciation day among other events. He’s the lead ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce, assisting and leading numerous events throughout the year. He serves as vice president of the local Kiwanis Club and is an integral part of the Christmas Wish Program, securing donations from the Marines Toys for Tots drive for young people who might not otherwise receive Christmas gifts. This officer also participates in the Main Street and downtown promotions committee, where he has co-chaired the Community Clean-up week and Tin Can Day program.

Walker is also a trained volunteer firefighter and president of the underwater rescue team that serves the area.

In addition to his law enforcement and volunteer community service, Walker served in the United States Marine Corp Reserves for 21 years as a Gunnery Sergeant and in 2016 transitioned to the Missouri Army National Guard, where he serves as a Staff Sergeant. While in the Marines, he deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom and to South America. He earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal and graduated as an instructor of water survival. As a member of the Missouri Army National Guard, he deployed to Kuwait for Operation Enduring Freedom and has earned two Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal and the Master Resiliency Instructor Award. He has served as Past Commander and is currently the Judge Advocate for his local VFW Post, and is currently on the board of directors for the Grundy County Veterans Association.

Enoch B. Morelock Award

Sullivan County Sheriff Enoch B. Morelock was the first recorded line of duty death in the Western District of Missouri on Dec. 19, 1847. He was appointed the first sheriff of Sullivan County, Mo., in 1845. He was in office a little over two years, but he was known to be an honorable, hardworking man intent on protecting the residents of his community. Sheriff Morelock was shot and killed during a court-ordered sale of the accused’s property. The accused killer, Patrick McIntry, was charged with first degree murder but was later acquitted. Within a year Mr. McIntry was found shot to death on the banks of a local river.

The annual Enoch B. Morelock Award recognizes individuals with outstanding moral character, service to law enforcement and to the community outside of law enforcement. Recipients may include officers from local police departments, sheriffs’ offices, state agencies, or federal agencies as well as investigators from prosecutors’ offices.

Blink points a firearm at the bank clerk during the armed robbery of First Interstate Bank.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Promise City, Iowa, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to the armed robbery of a Princeton, Mo., bank.

Phillip Michael Blink, 67, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of armed bank robbery and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

By pleading guilty today, Blink admitted that he robbed First Interstate Bank in Princeton on May 19, 2023. Blink, wearing a cowboy hat, a red bandana over his face, gloves and a trench coat, walked into the bank and approached a teller at approximately 9:25 a.m. Blink stated in a low voice: “I’m sorry, but this is going to be a bad morning.” Blink then placed a light blue bag on the countertop and stated: “I want all the money.” The teller began placing all the bills from her teller machine into the blue bag when Blink reached into his right pocket and pulled out a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Blink stated: “I told you it was going to be a bad morning.” Blink then set the firearm on the countertop and pointed it at the teller.

After taking $4,115, Blink left the bank and got into a Ford F-150 truck. He backed out of a parking space and went northbound on Highway 65. The bank manager took photographs of Blink and his truck while Blink was fleeing the scene. Employees of the bank called 911 for law enforcement assistance.

Later on the same day, Blink was pulled over by a Knoxville, Iowa, police officer. Officers arrested Blink, who admitted to the armed bank robbery. Officers searched his truck and found the Ruger handgun and clothing linked to the bank robbery, as well as the money that was stolen.

Under federal statutes, Blink is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole for armed bank robbery and an additional  mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, which must be served consecutively, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of the bank robbery. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the FBI.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A third Texas man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for his role in bank burglary and bank theft conspiracies following thefts from two automated teller machines (ATMs) at Ozark, Mo., and Springfield, Mo., banks.

Nigel Dwane Luchin, 27, and Leo Smith, 21, both of Houston, Texas, and Christopher E. Merchant, 24, of Beaumont, Texas, were charged in a six-count indictment returned today by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. Luchin was originally charged in a Dec. 19, 2023, indictment and Smith was charged in a Jan. 23, 2024, superseding indictment. Merchant was added as a defendant in today’s second superseding indictment.

The federal indictment alleges that Luchin, Smith, and Merchant participated in a conspiracy to commit bank burglary and a conspiracy to commit bank theft from Oct. 3 to Nov. 8, 2023.

According to the indictment, Smith stole a heavy-duty Dodge Ram truck from a parking lot in Springfield on Oct. 20, 2023. Smith drove the truck to Wood & Huston Bank in Springfield, the indictment says, where the truck was used on the same day to break open and steal money from the ATM.

In addition to the two conspiracies, Smith is charged with one count of bank burglary and one count of bank theft in relation to Wood & Huston Bank.

On Oct. 29 or 30, 2023, Smith allegedly assisted in the theft of a heavy-duty Ford F-250 truck from a parking lot in Nixa, Mo. On Oct. 29, 2023, the indictment says, Luchin and/or Merchant purchased a tow chain. The truck and chain allegedly were used by Luchin, Smith and Merchant to break open and steal money from the ATM at Southern Bank in Ozark, Mo., on Oct. 30, 2023.

In addition to the two conspiracies, Luchin, Smith, and Merchant are charged together in one count of bank burglary and one count of bank theft in relation to Southern Bank.

According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint that was filed on Nov. 6, 2023, conspirators used a chain and two large hooks to dismantle the door to the ATM at Southern Bank by attaching the chains to the ATM and pulling the chain and hooks with the stolen Ford F-250. They stole $30,700 from the ATM and left the bank, abandoning the pickup truck a short distance away.

Investigators reviewed surveillance videos from businesses in the area where the Ford F-250 was stolen. The videos allegedly showed conspirators arriving at the area in two vehicles – a Chrysler Voyager minivan and a Toyota Highlander – and leaving the area with the stolen pickup. Both the Voyager and the Highlander were identified on a license plate reader and traced to two car rental agencies in Houston. Later the same day, a license plate reader in Houston captured both of those vehicles traveling in the same direction.

Ozark police officers searched the stolen pickup truck, the affidavit says, and found Luchin’s Texas identification card on the driver’s seat.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Ozark, Mo., Police Department, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., business owner was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing eight firearms and for lying about his criminal record when he purchased two of those firearms.

Marco Lorimer Denis, 49, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Denis on July 26, 2024, and includes two additional charges related to firearms purchases.

Denis is the owner of Springfield Property LLC, a company providing retail and commercial rental space, including at Plaza Towers in Springfield.

Today’s indictment alleges that Denis was in possession of a Standard Manufacturing shotgun, a Maverick by Mossberg shotgun, a Ruger pistol, a Smith & Wesson pistol, a Canik pistol, a Sig Sauer pistol, a Bersa pistol, and a Charter Arms revolver between Dec. 17, 2020, and July 16, 2024. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to be in possession of a firearm. Denis has a prior misdemeanor conviction for domestic assault committed against a person with whom he shared a child in common.

Denis is also charged with two counts of making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer in connection with the acquisition of the Canik pistol on Dec. 10, 2020, and the Sig Sauer pistol on Jan. 14, 2021. In each instance, the indictment says, Denis reported that he had never been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, which he knew to be false.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Honduran national was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the sexual exploitation of a child.

Celso Noe Chacon-Arriaga, 22, who was residing in Springfield at the time of the offense, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Chacon-Arriaga on Aug. 8, 2024.

Today’s indictment alleges that Chacon-Arriaga used a minor victim to produce child pornography from Nov. 21 to Dec. 30, 2020. Chacon-Arriaga is also charged with receiving and distributing child pornography.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Chacon-Arriaga engaged in sexually explicit conversations over Facebook Messenger with an 11-year-old victim. The child victim sent several sexually explicit images and videos to Chacon-Arriaga.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., business owner was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing a firearm.

Garry Earl Shidler, 49, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Shidler is the owner of Chappell’s Tire in Springfield.

Today’s indictment alleges that Shidler was in possession of a Colt 5.56-caliber semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine on Dec. 18, 2023.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Shidler has three prior felony convictions for burglary and prior felony convictions for forgery, tampering and trafficking in stolen identities.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Dallas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Lebanon, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for sexually exploiting children from several different countries.

John Anthony Carpenter, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Carpenter to 25 years of supervised release following incarceration and ordered him to pay $15,000 in restitution to his victims. Carpenter will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

On Jan. 30, 2024, Carpenter pleaded guilty to one count of the sexual exploitation of children.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Carpenter’s residence on April 13, 2022, in relation to two separate child sexual exploitation investigations in Connecticut and New Jersey. Officers located Carpenter at his place of employment and he turned over two cell phones to investigators.

Carpenter admitted to viewing child pornography, sending child pornography, and soliciting child pornography from multiple victims. Carpenter sent Robux (the currency used with the online game platform Roblox) to juvenile females in exchange for nude photos and videos. Investigators found 36 pre-paid Robux cards in Carpenter’s bedroom. Carpenter told investigators that, a week prior, he sent a $10 Robux gift card to a 16- or 17-year-old girl in exchange for nude images of her.

Carpenter stated he used applications and sites such as Snapchat, Likee, Discord, and Omegle to solicit and exchange child pornography.

Investigators found 956 files of child sexual abuse material and 6,512 files of child exploitative or age-difficult material on Carpenter’s electronic devices. Among those files were images and videos that Carpenter solicited from minor victims living in Dubai, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Connecticut State Police, the Essex County, N.J., Prosecutor’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Horry County, S. C., Sheriff’s Department, the Laclede County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and illegally possessing firearms.

Demarkus Q. Shelton, 44, was charged in a 16-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Shelton on Aug. 2, 2024, and includes additional charges.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, the investigation began on Feb. 22, 2024, when a teenager was found dead of an apparent overdose in Johnson County, Mo. Evidence at the scene, including fentanyl and smoking paraphernalia, indicated the victim had been using fentanyl prior to his death. An autopsy was conducted, which cited a cause of death as the toxic effects of fentanyl.

Investigators learned the overdose victim was among several Johnson County youth who allegedly  purchased fentanyl from Shelton earlier that same day.

The affidavit cites a series of controlled purchases from Shelton resulting in the seizure of over 95 grams of powder or “raw” fentanyl. As little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal. During the drug transactions, the affidavit says, Shelton was usually armed with a handgun with a drum magazine and/or an AK-47 or AR-style rifle. In one transaction, Shelton allegedly sold the confidential informant a Palmetto State Armory AR model multi-caliber firearm with a 30-round magazine in addition to 22.7 grams of powder fentanyl for $2,300.

On Aug. 5, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the hotel room where Shelton was arrested on the complaint. Officers found a Taurus .40-caliber semi-automatic firearm and a Taurus .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Shelton, who is on state probation, has prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, burglary, and tampering with a motor vehicle.

The federal indictment charges Shelton with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, seven counts of distributing fentanyl, six counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Johnson County, Mo., Sheriff's Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing firearms.

Dustin L. Holden, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark on Friday, Aug. 23, to 22 years and nine months in federal prison without parole.

On Feb. 13, 2024, Holden pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Co-defendant Britton D. Friday, 42, of Nixa, Mo., was stopped by a Christian County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy while driving a Dodge Avenger in Ozark, Mo., on Jan. 11, 2022. Friday had 32.8 grams of methamphetamine in his possession and was arrested.

Holden admitted that he sold methamphetamine to Friday and others for approximately $350 per ounce (28 grams).

On Feb. 10, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Holden’s residence and found a black zippered case that contained 187.9 grams of pure methamphetamine. Officers also found a Taurus 9mm handgun, a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun, a Poly Tech 7.62mm rifle, a Ruger AR15 rifle, and an Anderson Manufacturing AR15 lower assembly (which was reported stolen).

Friday was sentenced on July 16, 2024, to 10 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Friday admitted that he purchased a total of 1.6 kilograms of methamphetamine from Holden.

This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former mayor and alderman of Willard, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for a five-year-long scheme in which he used personal identity information to steal nearly $300,000 from more than 500 truck drivers who worked for his employer.

Corey Louis Hendrickson, 46, of Springfield, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to three years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Hendrickson to pay $298,737 in restitution.

On Oct. 24, 2023, Hendrickson pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Hendrickson, who served as Willard’s mayor from 2015 to 2021 before being elected as an alderman in 2022, resigned from his position on the Willard Board of Aldermen the same day.

Hendrickson admitted that he gained unauthorized access to the fuel expense accounts of more than 500 individuals and conducted more than 1,000 fraudulent transactions that resulted in at least $298,737 being stolen from his victims. Hendrickson’s fraud scheme lasted almost five years, from Sept. 9, 2016, to Aug. 17, 2021.

Hendrickson worked as a fleet dispatcher for Prime, Incorporated, a freight transportation and logistics trucking company that is headquartered in Springfield. Prime contracted with ComData to serve as a payment processor and issuer of fleet fuel cards, and to maintain the financial accounts of Prime drivers that were used to pay for fuel costs as needed by the truck drivers.  Prime put funds into each driver’s ComData account, which was then utilized for driving expenses such as fuel. ComData cards were used by the drivers like a bank card.

Hendrickson used his computer access to steal the identity information of drivers and withdraw nearly $300,000 from the accounts intended to pay for the fuel costs for drivers employed by Prime. He transferred the stolen funds into his personal bank accounts.

According to court documents, Hendrickson’s victims incurred losses that ranged between less than $100 to $6,495, with the average loss of a few hundred dollars for each Prime driver’s account.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A New Franklin, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to rob a local bank but being foiled when the front door was locked.

Jacob Lowell Hessing, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. on Thursday, Aug. 22, to one count of attempted bank robbery. Hessing has been detained in federal custody since his arrest.

By pleading guilty, Hessing admitted that he attempted to rob Exchange Bank of Missouri in New Franklin on Sept. 9, 2023.

According to today’s plea agreement, the Howard County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department received calls from concerned citizens about a masked man dressed in black walking in downtown New Franklin, which has a population of about 1,000 residents. The man, later identified as Hessing, was reportedly carrying an AR-style rifle and attempted to enter Exchange Bank of Missouri. On Saturdays, however, the bank’s lobby is open by appointment only, and the outer door is locked.

Surveillance video showed Hessing walk to the bank and attempt to open the lobby door. He then got back into a red Chevy Equinox, which drove off at a high rate of speed. Investigators traced the vehicle to Hessing and executed a search warrant at his residence (about a block and a half from the bank) on Oct. 30, 2023. Federal agents found a Diamondback rifle, hidden in the basement, with a loaded magazine capable of holding more than 40 5.56mm cartridges, which was consistent with the weapon Hessing carried when he attempted to rob the bank. Ammunition also was found in the kitchen utensil drawer and several cartridges for the Diamondback rifle were found in the Equinox. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Hessing must forfeit the Diamondback rifle to the government.

Under federal statutes, Hessing is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Howard County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Nevada, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for leading a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Trenton D. Wallace, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

On Dec. 14, 2023, Wallace pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and attempting to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

An Oklahoma State Highway Patrol trooper stopped Wallace, who was driving a Chevrolet Impala, on Interstate 44 on Feb. 16, 2022. Wallace denied being in possession of any firearms, but the trooper seized a Freedom Arms .22-caliber pistol (disguised to look like a belt buckle) when Wallace reached for it as a drug-sniffing dog was being deployed. Wallace also was in possession of $4,206 in cash.

When a police dog alerted to the presence of drugs, troopers searched the vehicle and found a duffel bag that contained approximately 25 pounds (9.9 kilograms) of methamphetamine, packaged in 10 large plastic bags. Troopers also found a loaded H&K 9mm semi-automatic pistol under the driver’s seat and a loaded Sig Sauer .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol under the passenger’s seat.

According to court documents, Wallace is an admittedly active and high-ranking member of the Southwest Honkey’s prison gang. The methamphetamine seized from Wallace would be enough to supply two doses (.25 grams) of methamphetamine to every man, woman, and child in Vernon County, Mo.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team.

JEFFRSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the armed robbery of a Jefferson City credit union.

Tre Joseph Connor, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 16 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Connor to pay $111,700 in victim restitution.

On Feb. 16, 2024, Connor was found guilty at trial of one count of bank robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to the evidence at trial, Connor ran into the River Region Credit Union, 3608 W. Truman Blvd. in Jefferson City, on the morning of Jan. 19, 2023. Connor, wearing all black clothing, a black ski mask, and black gloves, brandished a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He leaped over the customer counter into the employee-only space, demanded to be taken to the vault, and ordered a credit union employee to open the vault. Connor stole approximately $111,700 from the vault, filled a backpack with the cash, and left through a side door.

The money Connor stole from the bank was never recovered.

Investigators used security cameras from various sources to identify Connor, including Walmart security camera footage that depicted Connor’s purchases of clothing and other items used in the robbery.

Evidence admitted at trial suggested that Connor began planning to rob a bank as early as Jan. 4, 2023, when he first conducted an internet search for “bank robbery.” He continued to plan for weeks leading up to the commission of the crime, inquiring “when do most bank[s] typically have the most money,” “how many bankers press the silent button during robbery” and “how long does it take police to respond to a bank robbery.”

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Connor, who has prior felony convictions for dissemination of private sexual images and harassment, was on probation at the time he committed the armed robbery.

This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Two Columbia, Mo., men pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a bank fraud conspiracy that used identity documents stolen from the mail to open fraudulent bank accounts.

Chandelle Eugene Marteen, 39, and Jason Lee Patillo, 50, pleaded guilty in separate appearances before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. to participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Marteen also pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft.

Marteen and Patillo admitted they participated in the bank fraud conspiracy from July 2021 to March 2023.

Marteen admitted that he stole mail from collection boxes and residences, from which he obtained personal and business checks. He forged signatures and altered the checks. Marteen obtained personal identification documents belonging to others and used them to cash or deposit stolen and fraudulent checks. He opened bank accounts using stolen identity documents, deposited stolen and fraudulent checks into the accounts, and withdrew money from the accounts.

Patillo admitted that he opened a bank account at Marteen’s instruction and gave him the debit card and account information, which enabled him to deposit stolen, fraudulent checks and withdraw money from the account using cash withdrawals at ATMs and electronic transfers.

Under federal statutes, Marteen and Patillo are each subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole for the bank fraud conspiracy. Marteen is also subject to a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in federal prison without parole for aggravated identity theft. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Eighteen members and associates of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club have been indicted by a federal grand jury for a series of armed assaults against members of rival motorcycle clubs.

A law enforcement operation conducted today resulted in 15 arrests along with the execution of seven search warrants; two of the defendants were already in custody. More than a dozen law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation that also resulted in the seizure of more than 40 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, body armor and a marijuana grow operation. According to the indictment, Pagan’s is a violent criminal organization that engaged in racketeering, an enterprise that involved illegal drug trafficking. Pagan’s maintains chapters in numerous states, including multiple active chapters in Missouri and Kansas.

Christopher W. McGowen, also known as “Mac,” 40, of Platte City, Mo.; Arthur L. Reynolds III, also known as “Straight Edge,” 48, and Jarrid A. Hammer, also known as “Hammer,” 45, both of Independence, Mo.; Jeremiah Z. Hahn, also known as “Pass Out,” 41, and John J. Hahn, also known as “Krazy Legs,” 46, both of Cameron, Mo.; Charles E. Smith, Jr., also known as “Crash,” 38, and James W. Prettyman, also known as “Rugby,” 42, both of Blue Springs, Mo.; Mark A. Cottman, also known as “One Shot,” 49, of Kansas City, Mo.; Bryan S. Fletcher, also known as “Fletch,” 48, and Mark A. Crump, also known as “Navajo,” 54, both of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; Jeffrey S. Hannah, also known as “Got-It,” 42, of Grain Valley, Mo.; Eric M. Forsyth, Jr., also known as “EZ,” 34, of Oak Grove, Mo.; Robert W. Miller, also known as “Flipper,” 46, and Brandon S. Hodge, also known as “Youngblood,” 25, both of Joplin, Mo.; Monty L. Mitchell, also known as “Smoke,” 58, of Windsor, Mo.; Alan M. Thornton, also known as “Bones,” 40, of Holden, Mo.; John Travis Fisher, also known as “T-Bone,” 51, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma; and Graham S. Gattis, also known as “Dro,” 40, of Panama City, Florida, were charged in a five-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 7, 2024.

The federal indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of the defendants.

The indictment alleges that Pagan’s is territorial and protects its territory from rival motorcycle clubs through violence and intimidation. The primary rivals to Pagan’s in Missouri include the Hells Angels, Outlaws, El Forastero, Galloping Goose, Sons of Silence, and the Bandidos. When members of rival motorcycle clubs were in areas Pagan’s believed to be under its control, says the indictment, Pagan’s threatened and intimidated them with violence. Pagan’s tried to eliminate other motorcycle gangs completely from their territory by assaulting, robbing, extorting and sometimes attempting to murder them, according to the indictment.

The indictment alleges a series of assaults were committed as part of Pagan’s racketeering enterprise.

McGowen and Jeremiah Hahn are charged together in one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.  The indictment alleges they assaulted a rival motorcycle gang member with a dangerous weapon on May 30, 2022.

McGowen, Reynolds, Smith, Miller, Prettyman, Mitchell, Cottman, John Hahn, Gattis, Forsyth, Fletcher, Hannah, and Hodge are charged together in one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. The indictment alleges they assaulted a rival motorcycle gang member with a dangerous weapon on Sept. 17, 2022.

McGowen, Jeremiah Hahn, Smith, Fisher, Miller, Prettyman, Mitchell, and Thornton are charged together in one count of attempting to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. The indictment alleges they attempted to assault a rival motorcycle gang member with a dangerous weapon on Sept. 3, 2022.

McGowen, Reynolds, Smith, Miller, Prettyman, Mitchell, Cottman, John Hahn, Gattis, Forsyth, Fletcher, Hannah and Hodge are charged together in one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The indictment alleges they discharged a firearm during an assault on Sept. 17, 2022.

Cottman, Hammer, and Crump are charged together in one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering. The indictment alleges they seriously injured a rival motorcycle gang member during an assault on July 20, 2023.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Today’s law enforcement operation included the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, the Oak Grove, Mo., Police Department, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and FBI national assets and field offices in St. Louis, Mo., Las Vegas, Nev., and Knoxville, Tenn.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Akron, Ohio, man was sentenced in federal court today for transporting more than 27 kilograms of methamphetamine through Kansas City, Mo., aboard a bus.

Rogeric Romone Clark, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 12 years in federal prison without parole.

On April 11, 2024, Clark pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Members of the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force (MoWIN) were conducting interdiction activities at a Kansas City, Mo., bus station on, Dec. 5, 2023. As passengers disembarked from a bus that originated in Los Angeles, California, officers used a police drug-sniffing dog, which alerted to a suitcase later identified as belonging to Clark. Investigators later identified another suitcase that belonged to Clark.

A detective contacted Clark, who confirmed a suitcase belonged to him and gave officers consent to open it. As the detective opened the suitcase, Clark fled on foot through the rear parking area. Clark fell during the chase and was taken into custody.

Officers searched both of the suitcases and found 30 one-pound bundles in each suitcase that contained a total of 27.2 kilograms of methamphetamine.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lawson, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing child pornography over the internet.

Lance M. Berry, 37, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of distributing child pornography over the internet.

Berry, the owner of a business in Lawson at the time of his offense, has a prior Ray County, Mo., conviction for the deviate sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, which requires him to register as a sex offender.

By pleading guilty today, Berry admitted that he utilized a peer-to-peer file-sharing program on June 1, 2022, to make images and videos of child pornography available to other users over the internet. On that day, an undercover officer with the Missouri State Highway Patrol was able to directly connect to Berry’s cell phone and download 14 videos of child pornography.

According to court documents, Berry’s cell phone contained 944 unique images of child pornography, including 19 images of sadistic or masochistic violence against a minor, and 168 images featuring infants or toddlers. There were an additional 40 videos of child pornography, which also included depictions of sadistic or masochistic violence and/or infants and toddlers.

Under federal statutes, Berry is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Clinton, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender has been sentenced in federal court for receiving child pornography over the internet.

Roger Lee Kempke, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Wednesday, July 31, to 25 years and five months in federal prison without parole. The court sentenced Kempke to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration and ordered him to pay $81,000 in restitution to his victims.

Kempke, who has a prior conviction for sexually assaulting a minor, pleaded guilty on Nov. 6, 2023, to one count of receiving child pornography.

Kempke admitted that he uploaded an image of child pornography to Microsoft’s Bing Image search on March 16, 2022. A Cyber Tip was issued to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which contacted the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

On June 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Kempke’s residence, which was within 1,000 feet of three different elementary and high schools. Officers seized three desktop computers and numerous USB thumb drives. Investigators found 5,521 images and nine videos of child sexual abuse material on Kempke’s electronic devices.

A forensic examination of one of the hard drives in Kempke’s desktop computers found that, on three separate occasions in November 2021, Kempke downloaded hundreds of files of child pornography. He saved these images to a USB storage device that was connected to his computer. One of the USB drives contained thousands of images of child pornography, including images of children under the age of 10 and infants.

Officers also found 16 marijuana plants in Kempke’s residence, along with other equipment consistent with growing, harvesting, and consuming marijuana.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for a sextortion scheme in which he threatened victims, including minors, to extort them into sending him pornographic images and videos of themselves.

Marek Redding, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Redding to 25 years of supervised release following incarceration. Redding will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

On April 9, 2024, Redding pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of extortion.

Redding, using a fake female persona on the Snapchat application, received nude photographs from multiple females, including minors. According to court documents, some victims reported that Redding threatened to distribute or publicly post their images if they did not continue sending nude images, some of which constituted child pornography.

Redding admitted that he induced two minor victims to produce child pornography in January 2022 and March 2022, and that he distributed the child pornography. Redding also admitted that he transmitted threats to injure the reputation of an adult victim in April 2022 in order to obtain more photographs from the victim.

According to court documents, the adult victim told investigators she had sent nude images to Redding. When she attempted to stop, Redding threatened to disclose her images to her family, school, and employer.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department, the Grain Valley, Mo., Police Department, the Olathe, Kan., Police Department, and the FBI.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A second Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to the illegal straw purchase of a firearm recovered at the scene of the mass shooting at Union Station during the celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory on Feb. 14, 2024.

Chaelyn Hendrick Groves, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in the acquisition of a firearm. Co-defendant Ronnel Dewayne Williams, Jr., 22, pleaded guilty to the same charge on Wednesday, July 31.

Both Groves and Williams admitted they participated in the criminal conspiracy from Nov. 25, 2023, to Feb. 21, 2024. Williams made false statements to a licensed firearms dealer on Nov. 25, 2023, claiming he was the actual buyer of a Stag Arms lower receiver, which was intended to deceive the dealer into making the sale to Williams. Firearm receivers, or frames, house the firing mechanism and other internal parts of a firearm. The receiver can be loaded and fired, or built into a complete firearm by adding components. By federal definition, a receiver is a firearm and is the only controlled component of a firearm.

Groves and Williams admitted that Williams was not the true buyer of the firearm, but was purchasing the firearm for Groves, who was not of lawful age to purchase the firearm himself. Williams provided the firearm to Groves on the same day of the purchase. Groves then obtained a 300-blackout barrel and affixed it to the Stag Arms lower receiver.

Law enforcement officers recovered the firearm on Feb. 14, 2024, in the area of 30 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, Mo., following the mass shooting incident.

Groves and Williams also admitted that, between Feb. 16 and Feb. 21, 2024, they provided materially false statements to federal law enforcement officers regarding the acquisition and disposition of the Stag Arms lower receiver.

Under federal statutes, Groves and Williams each is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to her role in two separate conspiracies that resulted in more than $900,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Renetta Golden-Larimore, 55, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, contained in two separate federal indictments.

The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.

By pleading guilty today, Golden-Larimore admitted that from February 2021 to May 2022 she conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent applications for PPP loans. The scheme caused over $900,000 in fraudulent PPP loans to be issued to ineligible borrowers, some of which were forgiven even though the funds were not used for the purposes specified in the PPP.

Golden-Larimore admitted she prepared and filed fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of other persons. Generally, she charged fees between $2,000 and $7,000 for her assistance in filing false and fraudulent PPP loans, earning a total of at least $75,833 from the scheme. Golden-Larimore created counterfeit IRS forms for nonexistent businesses and with inflated income for existing businesses in order to qualify the borrower for a PPP loan.

Golden-Larimore prepared approximately 43 false PPP loan applications that were funded and numerous other false applications that were rejected. The total loss to the Small Business Administration was $908,278.

Twenty other persons have been charged and convicted in the Golden-Larimore fraud scheme in these two cases and five additional cases.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Golden-Larimore must forfeit to the government at least $75,833, which represents the proceeds she personally obtained from the scheme, and pay $908,278 in restitution to the Small Business Administration, representing the total fraud loss associated with the wire fraud scheme.

Under federal statutes, Golden-Larimore is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to the illegal straw purchase of a firearm recovered at the scene of the mass shooting at Union Station during the celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory on Feb. 14, 2024.

Ronnel Dewayne Williams, Jr., 22, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in the acquisition of a firearm.

By pleading guilty today, Williams admitted that he participated in the criminal conspiracy from Nov. 25, 2023, to Feb. 21, 2024. Williams made false statements to a licensed firearms dealer on Nov. 25, 2023, claiming he was the actual buyer of a Stag Arms lower receiver, which was intended to deceive the dealer into making the sale to Williams. Firearm receivers, or frames, house the firing mechanism and other internal parts of a firearm. The receiver can be loaded and fired, or built into a complete firearm by adding components. By federal definition, a receiver is a firearm and is the only controlled component of a firearm.

Williams admitted he was not the true buyer of the firearm, but was purchasing the firearm on behalf of a co-conspirator who was not of lawful age to purchase the firearm himself. Williams admitted he provided the firearm to his co-conspirator on the same day of the purchase.

Law enforcement officers recovered the firearm, with an affixed 300-blackout barrel, on Feb. 14, 2024, in the area of 30 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, Mo., following the mass shooting incident.

Williams also admitted that, between Feb. 16 and Feb. 21, 2024, he provided materially false statements to federal law enforcement officers regarding the acquisition and disposition of the Stag Arms lower receiver.

Under federal statutes, Williams is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A California man was sentenced in federal court today after he was subdued by several passengers and flight attendants when he tried to open the exit door on an American Airlines flight en route to Washington, D.C., forcing the plane to land at Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Missouri.

Juan Remberto Rivas, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 19 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Rivas to pay $64,434 in restitution to American Airlines.

On Jan. 23, 2024, Rivas pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with flight crew members and flight attendants.

Rivas was a passenger aboard American Airlines flight 1775 traveling nonstop from Los Angeles, Calif., to Washington, D.C., which was diverted to Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 13, 2022.

Rivas admitted that he created a disturbance and knowingly intimidated a flight attendant of the aircraft. Rivas went to the front of the plane and was arguing with the flight attendant. Rivas grabbed some plastic silverware and placed the plastic silverware in his shirt sleeve to appear to create a shank. Rivas grabbed a small champagne bottle by the neck and attempted to break the bottle on the counter. Rivas then attempted to open an exit door by lifting the handle.

Another flight attendant grabbed a coffee pot and hit Rivas with it. Rivas was then restrained for the remainder of the flight.

According to court documents, Rivas assaulted the arresting law enforcement officers after the airplane landed and he was being taken into custody. A number of officers were injured in his attempt to flee, resulting in contusions, lacerations, and an injured hand. In addition to this federal case, Rivas faces a pending charge in Platte County, Mo., for assault against a law enforcement officer.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the FBI.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Pineville, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to the kidnapping and murder of a pregnant Arkansas woman and her victim’s unborn child.

“This horrific crime resulted in the tragic deaths of two innocent victims,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Today’s guilty plea holds this defendant accountable for her actions and ensures that justice will be served. She is now subject to a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison without parole.”

Amber Waterman, 44, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of thereby causing the death of a child in utero.

By pleading guilty, Waterman admitted that she kidnapped Ashley Bush in order to claim her unborn child, Valkyrie Willis, as her own. Waterman transported Ashley Bush from Maysville, Ark., to Pineville. The kidnapping resulted in the deaths of both Ashley Bush and Valkyrie Willis.

Waterman admitted that, using a false name, she began having contact via Facebook with Bush, who was approximately 31 weeks pregnant. Waterman pretended to help Bush obtain employment, suggesting she had a job opportunity for her. That prompted an in-person meeting between the two women on Oct. 28, 2022, at the Gravette, Ark., public library. They agreed to meet again on Oct. 31, 2022.

On Oct. 31, 2022, at roughly 11:45 a.m., Bush met Waterman at the Handi-Stop convenience store in Maysville, Ark. Under the pretext that Waterman was taking her to meet a supervisor to further discuss employment, Bush got into a truck driven by Waterman. Waterman then kidnapped and abducted Bush, driving her from Maysville to the Waterman residence in Pineville.

At about 5 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2022, first responders reported to the Longview store in Pineville for an emergency call of a baby who was not breathing. Waterman admitted that she claimed to first responders that she had given birth to the child in the truck while on the way to the hospital. But in reality, she admitted, the child was Bush’s child, who died in utero, as a result of Waterman’s kidnapping that resulted in the death of Bush.

An autopsy indicated that Bush died as a result of penetrating trauma of the torso and her death was classified as a homicide.

Under federal statutes, Waterman is subject to a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison without parole on each count. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on Oct 15, 2024.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie L. Wan and James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI, the Benton County, Ark., Sheriff’s Department, and the McDonald County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Arkansas and the Benton County, Ark., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Missouri man, who was an inmate at the Vernon County, Mo., jail at the time of his offense, was sentenced in federal court today for the sexual exploitation of a child.

Houston Wade Young, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to life in federal prison without parole.

On Jan. 30, 2024, Houston Young pleaded guilty to one count of the sexual exploitation of a minor. His wife, co-defendant Jessica Ann Young, 33, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty on March 11, 2024, to two counts of the sexual exploitation of a minor and awaits sentencing.

On March 5, 2020, Houston Young, while an inmate at the Vernon County jail, was found to be in possession of a cell phone that contained images of child pornography. Young was being detained pending a civil proceeding to determine whether he should be civilly committed as a sexually violent predator for his prior sex offense convictions.

On March 7, 2020, law enforcement officers received information that Jessica Young had sent pornographic images of a 7-year-old child (identified in court documents as “John Doe 1”) to Houston Young’s cell phone. Investigators found text messages on the cell phone between Jessica and Houston Young that discussed sexually abusing John Doe 1. During the text messages, Jessica Young sent Houston Young two pornographic images of John Doe 1. Multiple other images of child pornography sent by Jessica Young also were found on Houston Young’s cell phone.

Jessica Young admitted she had sexually abused two child victims, John Doe 1 and 13-year-old John Doe 2, on multiple occasions. Jessica Young also admitted that she had recorded video of herself sexually abusing John Doe 2.

A forensic analysis of Houston Young’s cell phone also determined that he sent images of child pornography to Jessica Young and a 16-year-old child victim (identified in court documents as “Jane Doe”). Houston Young sent pornographic images of himself to Jane Doe, solicited child pornographic images of her that she sent to him, and engaged in sexual conversations. Jane Doe told investigators she met Houston Young on a game room chat, League of Legends, and started talking via that forum. They communicated via text, the Kik and Whatsapp applications, and video chat.

Houston Young was involuntarily committed to the Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Sex Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services program in February 2021. He has two prior felony convictions related to the sexual exploitation of children. He was convicted of child molestation in Wright County, Mo., in 2005 and of possessing child pornography in Jackson County, Mo., in 2016.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Vernon County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Kentucky Department of Criminal Investigations.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who threatened his co-workers with a firearm while he was on bond was sentenced in federal court today for distributing methamphetamine and illegally possessing firearms.

Reggie McDowell, also known as “Dime,” 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 14 years and three months in federal prison without parole.

On Oct. 14, 2023, after McDowell was indicted and while he was on bond in this federal case, law enforcement officers responded to a disturbance with a firearm at a Raytown, Mo., restaurant where he was employed. McDowell was involved in an argument with a co-worker and brandished a firearm, which he retrieved from a bag he was wearing.

According to court documents, McDowell began pacing around the kitchen area and threatened to “kill everyone in here.” Restaurant employees contacted law enforcement and McDowell fled from the restaurant, but left the bag behind. Officers located the bag, which contained a loaded FN 9mm handgun, a loaded Glock .40-caliber firearm, a loaded Glock 10mm handgun, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. McDowell’s bond was revoked and he was returned to federal custody.

On March 3, 2024, McDowell pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of receiving a firearm while under felony indictment and while on release.

By pleading guilty, McDowell admitted that he participated in the drug-trafficking conspiracy from Jan. 1, 2016, to June 23, 2022. McDowell sold methamphetamine to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on seven different occasions in 2021 and 2022. McDowell, who was visibly armed during four of those transactions, admitted to carrying a Glock .357-caliber handgun on at least one occasion.

McDowell and his co-conspirators used social media sites to arrange and facilitate the sale of illegal drugs. They held the pills out as purported ecstasy (MDMA), rather than methamphetamine.

On June 23, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at McDowell’s residence. Agents seized a Glock .40-caliber handgun loaded with 29 rounds of ammunition on the living room floor, approximately 240 grams of marijuana in a backpack on the living room floor, a fanny pack in the living room that contained 23 methamphetamine pills and approximately 41 grams of marijuana, an Arsenal 7.62-caliber pistol loaded with 61 rounds of ammunition under a bed in the bedroom, a Glock 10mm handgun loaded with 34 rounds under a bed in the bedroom, a Glock .40-caliber handgun loaded with 51 rounds under a bed in the bedroom, numerous methamphetamine pills in various locations in the bedroom, and assorted firearms magazines and ammunition.

McDowell is the eighth defendant to be sentenced in this case. Two co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

KC Metro Strike Force

This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the sexual exploitation of two child victims.

Travis Tyler Isham, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Isham to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration. Isham will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

On Dec. 13, 2023, Isham pleaded guilty to two counts of the sexual exploitation of children. Isham admitted that he used two child victims to produce child pornography. Investigators found 276 images of child pornography on Isham’s cell phone. Those images were screen shots from a video of child pornography that was also found on Isham’s phone.\

Today’s sentence includes an enhancement for obstruction of justice because Isham tried to destroy and/or dispose of the cell phone that he used to commit the crime. Law enforcement officers contacted Isham at a cell phone store, where he was attempting to trade in his  cell phone. The screen on the cell phone was shattered, and it appeared that the phone was bent.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Higbee, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to stealing nearly $2.4 million from customers’ accounts at Exchange Bank of Missouri in Fayette, Mo., during a 15-year-long fraud scheme.

Megan Lea Dougherty, 36, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to a federal information that charges her with one count of bank fraud.

Dougherty was employed at the Fayette branch of Exchange Bank of Missouri. By pleading guilty today, she admitted that she engaged in a scheme to embezzle money from Exchange Bank of Missouri from Jan. 1, 2009, to Oct. 17, 2023.

According to today’s plea agreement, Dougherty began working in the bank’s IT and customer service department in 2008. She detected a lack of internal controls and began removing small amounts of money from customer accounts into her own savings account and then to her checking account. Eventually, she also transferred stolen funds into the checking accounts of family members. Dougherty then switched to taking from customer certificate of deposit accounts.

Dougherty falsified the description of these transfers in the bank’s computer systems to conceal her theft. She also rotated which accounts she took funds from so as to avoid detection, and would steal from one account to reimburse another, again to avoid detection.

At the time that Exchange Bank of Missouri discovered the theft, Dougherty was actively stealing from seven different bank customers, some of whom had multiple accounts affected. Records reveal that over a dozen other customers were also victims of Dougherty’s theft, but those accounts were reimbursed when she moved onto victimizing new accounts.

Dougherty told investigators she targeted customers who knew and trusted her. The records show that Dougherty stole a total of $2,393,288 from customers’ accounts.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Dougherty must forfeit to the government her interest nine parcels of real estate in Howard County, Mo., and a money judgment of $2,393,288.

Under federal statutes, Dougherty is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the FBI.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man and woman have pleaded guilty to stealing mail from Joplin residents as part of a conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.

Emily Anna-Lee Sturgis, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Monday, July 22, to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and to one count of bank fraud.

Co-defendant Aaron M. Blake, 28, pleaded guilty on Feb. 13, 2024, to the same charges, as well as to one count of aggravated identity theft.

Sturgis and Blake admitted they conspired from December 2022 to Jan. 26, 2023, to steal mail out of residential mailboxes and off porches in Joplin. The stolen mail included credit cards, debit cards, checks, cash, jewelry, and documents that contained personal identifying information (such as names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and bank account information). They stole Pandora jewelry from one victim’s mailbox, and a Christmas card that contained a $500 check from another victim’s mailbox. They used the stolen credit cards to unlawfully make purchases.

Blake, with the knowledge and assistance of Sturgis, used the stolen personal information to open credit card accounts and bank accounts under those stolen names. He then used these fraudulently created credit and bank accounts to make unlawful purchases.

Sturgis and Blake attempted to obtain at least $13,845 from their victims and did obtain at least $12,482 from their victims.

Under federal statutes, Sturgis and Blake each is subject to a sentence of up to 60 years in federal prison without parole. Blake is also subject to a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Carthage, Mo., Police Department and the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving and distributing child pornography.

Ronald Lee Goins, 43, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography. Goins has a prior conviction for furnishing pornographic material to a minor under the age of 14, and two prior convictions for failing to register as a sex offender.

According to today’s plea agreement, law enforcement officers found a cell phone in an abandoned vehicle in an alley at 2044 N. Avenue in Springfield on July 22, 2023. Investigators examined the phone and found files that contained child pornography on a micro-SD card that had been inserted into the phone.

Investigators determined the images of child pornography had last been modified in 2020 and 2021, at which time the phone belonged to Goins. There were also self-produced images of Goins, documents, and other files indicating that Goins was the user of the cell phone during 2020 and 2021. Two CyberTip Reports from Snapchat and Instagram, which involved child pornography uploads, were associated with the email address located on the micro-SD card.

Goins was arrested on Oct. 30, 2023, on outstanding arrest warrants in a separate case.

Under federal statutes, Goins is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Lohman, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the sexual exploitation of two child victims.

Anthony Dale Pitts-Fugate, 32, was charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo.

Today’s indictment alleges that Pitts-Fugate attempted to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity from June 1 to Dec. 31, 2022. Pitts-Fugate is also charged with one count of receiving child pornography related to an image of the same minor victim sent via SnapChat.

Pitts-Fugate is charged with three counts of attempting to produce child pornography involving a second minor victim.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Cole County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges related to child pornography.

Harold Dale Speckhals, 61, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City.

Today’s indictment alleges that Speckhals distributed child pornography over the internet from June 25, 2023, to March 22, 2024. Speckhals is also charged with possessing child pornography on June 20, 2024.

Speckhals has a prior conviction for sexual misconduct in the first degree.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court today to sharing child pornography over the internet and to possessing more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography.

Dennis Bruce Bean II, 44, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of transporting child pornography across state lines and on count of possessing child pornography.

Bean has a prior felony conviction for criminal sexual conduct and has been required to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received three CyberTipline reports associated with Bean. In one of those reports, Google reported on Jan. 31, 2024, that approximately 1,442 files of child pornography had been uploaded to Bean’s Google Photos account during the previous two months.

On April 5, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bean’s residence. Bean was arrested after he was found hiding in the back yard. Officers seized two cell phones and a one terabyte thumb drive. Investigators found at least 100 images and videos of child sexual abuse or child erotica on the phones. The thumb drive had more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse and child erotica.

Under federal statutes, Bean is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on Dec. 3, 2024.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A West Plains, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was sentenced in federal court today for possessing hundreds of computer-generated images of child sexual abuse.

Dace Allen Doverspike, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Doverspike to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration.

Doverspike, who has a prior federal felony conviction for possessing child pornography, pleaded guilty on Aug. 29, 2023, to possessing an obscene visual representation of the sexual abuse of children.

Doverspike’s probation officer seized his cell phone on May 10, 2023, during a home visit as part of the conditions of his supervised release. The officer discovered multiple images and videos of pornography, including computer-generated images and videos of child pornography, and transferred the phone to Homeland Security Investigations for examination and further investigation. A task force officer examined a microSD storage device that had been inserted into the phone, which contained 255 computer-generated image files that depicted child sexual abuse.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for providing the fentanyl that caused the death of a Springfield man.

Whitney R. Weiherer, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 12 years in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 7, 2023, Weiherer pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl causing death. Weiherer admitted she provided the fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a Springfield resident (identified in court documents as “J.W.”).

Springfield police officers were dispatched to J.W.’s apartment on Oct. 22, 2019, after receiving a call from the apartment complex’s property manager who conducted a wellness check at the apartment. Investigators examined J.W.’s cell phone and found several calls and texts with Weiherer on Oct. 5, 2019. Investigators also found photos of Weiherer that were taken the same day inside J.W.’s apartment; he was wearing the same clothes in the photos as he was found in when his body was discovered.

Investigators determined that J.W.’s death likely occurred within 10 to 15 minutes of taking the fentanyl supplied by Weiherer on Oct. 5, 2019, although his body wasn’t discovered until Oct. 22, 2019.

Weiherer had two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and was on probation at the time of the federal offense. Two months later, she was again arrested in possession of drugs, leading to her third felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Eatmon and Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene and Polk Counties, Mo., and illegally possessing five firearms.

Jeffrey S. Durbray, 61, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Monday, July 16, to 15 years in federal prison without parole.

On Dec. 19, 2023, Durbray pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Durbray admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene and Polk Counties from March 5 to Oct. 10, 2019. Durbray also admitted he possessed five firearms in furtherance of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

According to court documents, Durbray is responsible for distribution of more than six kilograms of methamphetamine in the Springfield area.

A confidential informant conducted two controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Durbray in April 2019. On April 24, 2019, a deputy with the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department stopped a Chevrolet Malibu in which Durbray was a passenger because it was missing a front license plate. The deputy searched the vehicle and found two firearms hidden behind a panel under the dash in the front of the center console. Law enforcement officers also found $2,003 in cash and four cell phones inside the vehicle. In the trunk, officers found cocaine, methamphetamine, a third firearm, and an additional $2,050 in cash. Durbray admitted the methamphetamine and the cash was his.

On Oct. 10, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Durbray’s residence. Officers found a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol, ammunition, and 681.6 grams of methamphetamine Officers searched an RV and found a loaded Smith & Wesson .500-caliber revolver, a Ruger .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol with a loaded magazine, a Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Heritage .22-caliber revolver, ammunition, and $1,423 in cash. In a white Subaru on the property, officers found ammunition and $2,401 in cash. Officers also searched Durbray, who possessed a taser, a bubble pipe, two cell phones and $10,790 in cash.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Durbray must forfeit to the government the $14,614 in total seized by law enforcement officers at his residence as well as his interest, if any, in the $4,053 seized by law enforcement following the car stop on April 24, 2019.

Durbray was on parole for two previous drug-trafficking convictions at the time of the federal offense.

Durbray is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. Zachary L. Day, 39, and Drake A. Cox, 69, both of Springfield, were each sentenced to 12 years in federal prison without parole. William E. Kurek, 52, of Springfield, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Eatmon and J.D. Hatcher. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national residing in Kansas City, Mo., was indicted by a federal grand jury today after law enforcement officers seized more than 54 kilograms of methamphetamine and a large amount of fentanyl from his residence.

Jose Feliciano Cordova Rodriguez, 36, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Rodriguez on June 24, 2024, and includes additional charges.

Today’s indictment alleges that Cordova Rodriguez participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1 to June 22, 2024. The indictment also charges Cordova Rodriguez with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers searched Cordova Rodriguez’s residence on June 22, 2024, after surveillance indicated he was involved in a large drug shipment. Officers found five brown boxes that each contained 10 bundles with a total of 54.6 kilograms of methamphetamine. Officers also found a heat-sealed bag in a hole in the wall in the basement that contained 431.1 grams of fentanyl. Officers also found $12,800 in cash in the basement.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was found guilty in federal court today of possessing fentanyl that he intended to distribute in Springfield, Mo.

Michael E. Hunt, Jr., 43, was found guilty of one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

Law enforcement officers learned that Hunt was planning to transport fentanyl from Columbia to Springfield. Hunt was driving a black Jeep Renegade southbound on Highway 5 on June 12, 2022, when a Laclede County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop for a moving violation. A police service dog alerted to the presence of drugs in the Jeep, at which time Hunt locked the vehicle and refused to give officers the keys.

After the Jeep was unlocked by a local tow company, officers searched the vehicle and found a black gym bag on the front passenger seat that contained approximately 300 grams of fentanyl, which is consistent with distribution and not merely personal use.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for about an hour before returning a guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, ending a trial that began Monday, July 15.

Under federal statutes, Hunt is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Brown and J.D. Hatcher. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Laclede County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Florissant, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for providing more than 34 kilograms of fentanyl to a large-scale drug-trafficking organization in southwest Missouri.

Sheron L. Loggins, also known as “Bane,” 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 14 years in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 14, 2022, Loggins pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute at least a kilogram of heroin and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Loggins admitted that he provided fentanyl to co-defendant Jerry R. Wheeler, 49, of Springfield, who in turn supplied a number of other fentanyl/heroin distributors in the Springfield area from Sept. 23, 2018, to Nov. 14, 2019.

According to court documents, Loggins supplied more than 34 kilograms of fentanyl to the drug-trafficking organization.

Law enforcement officers stopped Loggins on Sept. 8, 2019, as he was traveling on Interstate 44 toward Springfield to deliver fentanyl. Officers searched his vehicle and found approximately 496 grams of fentanyl and a .45-caliber magazine loaded with five rounds of ammunition.

Loggins is the ninth defendant to be sentenced in this case, among 15 defendants who have pleaded guilty.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron A. Beaver and Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Bourbon, Mo., Police Department, and the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program.  The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy.  OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.  Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A retired priest in Jefferson City, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to sending his sister a $100,000 check stolen from a Wardsville, Mo., church and admitted to writing himself a $200,000 check from the church account.

The Rev. Ignazio C. Medina, 72, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to a federal information that charges him with transporting stolen property across state lines.

Medina, a Catholic priest, was pastor at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Wardsville, Mo., from 2013 to 2021. Some financial irregularities arose at St. Stanislaus in 2018, and the diocese determined that the parish had a bank account that was not previously reported on the budget or annual report. Medina was asked to include this bank account in the parish’s annual report, and in 2020 he reported an account balance of about $358,000.

After Medina was transferred to a different parish in 2021, it was discovered that he had emptied that bank account. On June 10, 2021, Medina had written a $100,000 check to his sister in Tucson, Arizona. The next day, he had also written a $200,000 check payable to himself. Some expenditures from the account appeared to be church-related.

Medina, when confronted, claimed the bank account was funded by donations that were not intended for the parish itself, but rather were intended for his own discretionary use. Donors who had contributed checks deposited into the bank account contradicted Medina’s statement. Several individuals told investigators the checks they wrote to St. Stanislaus were intended for parish purposes, not for Medina’s own discretionary use, and that they never had any conversations with Medina authorizing a different use of the funds. One donor told investigators he intended his donation to be used in the school in memory of a deceased friend.

Medina also claimed he was refunding donations and that his sister in Tucson was one of the donors. In fact, his sister was not a source of donations to the account, and told investigators that Medina told her the money he sent was to care for their ailing mother.

Under federal statutes, Medina is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the FBI.

Two Missouri men pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring with bankers to willfully fail to implement appropriate anti-money laundering (AML) controls at a Missouri bank, as required by the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).

Kevin Brandes, 60, and William Graham, 56, both residents of Kansas City, Missouri, owned and operated multiple sweepstakes businesses and held accounts for those businesses at the Missouri bank. According to court documents, from 2013 to 2019, Brandes and Graham abetted bank officials in failing to implement key components of the bank’s AML program. 

Under the BSA and its implementing regulations, the bank was required to file currency transaction reports (CTR) with the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for any transaction in currency of more than $10,000. In 2017, at the request of bank officials, Brandes and Graham signed FinCEN CTR Exemption Review Forms that classified their companies as “direct mail advertising” businesses. After receiving the signed exemption forms, the bank failed to file CTRs with FinCEN on transactions involving Brandes’ and Graham’s businesses. Additionally, Brandes’ and Graham’s companies were deemed “high risk” and subject to heightened monitoring under the bank’s policies and procedures. Brandes and Graham understood that by signing the CTR exemption forms the bank would apply less scrutiny to their companies’ transactions.  

Additionally, on or about Oct. 11, 2016, at the direction of two bank officials, Brandes and Graham had an outside attorney sign a legal opinion letter, then sent it to the bank, knowing that it contained false information. Specifically, the letter indicated that one of Brandes’ companies “in over 3 years has not received negative or unwanted legal action by way of regulatory bodies or private suits.” Brandes and Graham knew at the time, however, that this information was false because a state regulatory agency had filed a legal action against the company in question. Brandes and Graham both believed this letter would help the bank circumvent its requirements under the BSA.

Brandes and Graham each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to cause the willful failure to implement and maintain an appropriate anti-money laundering program. Brandes and Graham will be sentenced at a later date and face maximum penalties of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore for the Western District of Missouri, Special Agent in Charge Justin R. Bundy of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Kansas City Region, Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) St. Louis Field Office, and Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

FDIC-OIG, IRS-CI, and the FBI are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Chad M. Davis and Christopher Ting of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick D. Daly and Matthew N. Sparks for the Western District of Missouri are prosecuting the case.

MLARS’ Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Newtown, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in conspiracies to distribute fentanyl in northwest Missouri and to wire the proceeds of drug trafficking to Mexico.

Lucas Ryan Coltrain, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to nine years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Coltrain to forfeit to the government $10,000, which represents the proceeds he received from drug trafficking.

On Feb. 6, 2024, Coltrain pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl from Oct. 27, 2020, to Jan. 24, 2023, and to participating in a conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to court documents, Coltrain distributed at least 5,662 fentanyl pills, pressed into pills that appear to be prescription pharmaceuticals by members of a Mexican cartel. Coltain’s Facebook message records show that he was receiving M30 pills “by the 1000s” and selling them for $40 a pill.

Coltrain admitted knowing that people were dying after taking the M30 pills, which he sold to friends. His sales continued even after the death of an acquaintance on July 17, 2021. Coltrain was hospitalized for a fentanyl overdose in August 2023, after he was released on bond in this case.

Coltrain admitted that he wired approximately $10,000 to $15,000 to Mexico. Those wire transfers represented the proceeds from the distribution of fentanyl.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Grundy County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Trenton, Mo., Police Department, the Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Mercer County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Grundy County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The owner of an Olathe, Kansas, business pleaded guilty in federal court today to her role in a money-laundering conspiracy to transfer the proceeds of heroin and methamphetamine trafficking to Mexico. A Kansas City, Mo., woman also pleaded guilty to her role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

Ana Lilia Leal-Martinez, 48, a citizen of Mexico residing in Overland Park, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to participating in a conspiracy to commit money laundering from May 23, 2020, to Sept. 20, 2022.

Leal-Martinez is the owner of Imagen Leal in Olathe, Kan., which offers money transfer services. By pleading guilty today, Leal-Martinez admitted that she accepted drug proceeds from co-conspirators, including Jose Jesus Sanchez-Mendez, also known as “Michoacano,” 41, a Mexican national. Those drug proceeds were then sent by wire transfer to individuals in Michoacan, Mexico.

Between Jan. 1, 2022, and June 8, 2022, Leal-Martinez sent wires totaling $83,850 to Mexico from her business in furtherance of the money-laundering conspiracy. These transfers were structured and sent under assumed names in order to avoid suspicion and detection.

Leal-Martinez, one of 44 defendants indicted in this case, was identified in 2022 after Homeland Security Investigations initiated the investigation of a drug-trafficking organization that distributed more than 335 kilograms of methamphetamine, 22 kilograms of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl, among other drugs, sourced from Mexico in the Kansas City area. Investigators identified numerous bulk cash smugglers and drug traffickers working for the drug-trafficking organization as part of the $4.7 million conspiracy.

Co-defendant Flor Gonzalez-Celestine, 54, of Kansas City, Mo., also pleaded guilty today to participating in a $4.7 million conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin from Feb. 28, 2020, to Sept. 20, 2022. Gonzalez-Celestine participated in four controlled drug buys that were monitored by law enforcement. She sold more than a kilogram of methamphetamine to a confidential informant and was observed in possession of approximately 2.2 additional kilograms of methamphetamine.

Sanchez-Mendez has pleaded guilty to his role in a continuing criminal enterprise, to his role in the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies, and to illegally reentering the United States. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Under federal statutes, Leal-Martinez is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Gonzalez-Celestine is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Olmsted County, Minn., Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI, the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

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

KC Metro Strike Force

This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two Strafford, Mo., women were indicted by a federal grand jury today for sexually abusing two children to produce child pornography.

Mallory Nicole Bunch, 40, and Jessica Nicole Pickett, 34, were charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Pickett on June 11, 2024.

Today’s indictment alleges that Mallory Bunch and Pickett participated in a conspiracy with Thomas Bunch (now deceased, formerly Mallory Bunch’s husband with whom they were involved in a polyamorous relationship) to sexually abuse two minor victims to produce child pornography from Sept. 2, 2016, to May 23, 2024.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Mallory Bunch used her cell phone to record the sexual abuse of a child, identified as Minor Victim 1, at the request of Thomas Bunch. She allegedly sent videos of the sexual abuse to Thomas Bunch through text messages. In addition to the conspiracy, today’s indictment charges Mallory Bunch with one count of using Minor Victim 1 to produce child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography.

Pickett is also charged with one count of using a child victim, identified as Minor Victim 2, to produce child pornography and one count of transferring obscene matter to Minor Victim 1. According to the affidavit, Pickett shared with Minor Victim 1 an iCloud link that contained 376 images and two videos of the sexual activity of Mallory and Thomas Bunch and Pickett.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman and her son have been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing the firearms they used in two shootings at Swope Park on Father’s Day last year.

Kippie R. House, 54, and her son, co-defendant Darryel L. Pennington, 32, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays last week. House was sentenced on Thursday, June 20, to 10 years and one month in federal prison without parole. Pennington was sentenced on Monday, June 17, to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

House and Pennington each have pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. House admitted in her plea agreement that she and Pennington had been involved in shootings at Swope Park on June 18, 2023. Pennington pleaded guilty without a plea agreement.

The two separate shooting incidents involved in this case were captured on surveillance video. The video shows House arriving at the crowded park on a sunny day, in an area filled with families near a picnic pavilion and children playing on inflatable bounce-houses. There were several people sitting in lawn chairs or standing near vehicles with a steady flow of traffic through the area where the shootings occurred. House parked her Dodge Challenger and walked across the street, carrying a Smith & Wesson .380-caliber handgun with a laser, and was confronted by a member of her ex-boyfriend’s family.

House became involved in a physical altercation with the other woman and began shooting. The other woman, who was unarmed, ran to retrieve a gun from her vehicle. House waved her gun around in the street as she sought out the woman, shot at her again, and the two engaged in a shoot-out over and around the woman’s vehicle.

House then left the park and went to pick up her son, Pennington. They returned to the park an hour later and Pennington, extending his arm outside the passenger window, began firing a handgun with an extended magazine at House’s ex-boyfriend and his family. At least two people returned fire and Pennington was struck in the leg. House then left the park and took Pennington to Research Hospital.

When a Kansas City police officer approached them at the hospital, House was sitting in her Dodge Challenger, which had a flat back tire and multiple bullet holes, and Pennington was sitting in the front passenger’s seat. Pennington, who had been shot in the right leg, was provided medical treatment. Officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson .380 caliber handgun with a laser in the trunk of the Challenger, as well as a backpack that contained a Glock 10mm semi-automatic handgun and an extended magazine loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition. The Smith & Wesson handgun had been reported stolen.

House admitted the firearms belonged to her and her son and that they had been used in the shootings at Swope Park.  House told detectives she returned to the park after the first shooting with a plan to shoot a member of her ex-boyfriend’s family. 

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. House has a prior felony conviction for receiving stolen property. Pennington has a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Overland Park, Kansas, man was sentenced in federal court today for fraudulently receiving more than $800,000 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for a business that was no longer in operation.

Mirza Michael Reazuddin, 66, currently a resident of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips one year and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Reazuddin to pay $804,100 in restitution to the Small Business Administration and forfeit to the government $804,100, which represents the proceeds he personally obtained from the scheme, as well as his residential property in Lawrenceville.

On Feb. 5, 2024, Reazuddin pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

Reazuddin was a partner in a hotel operation called Grandview Hotel, LLC, which was established in 2013 and ceased operations in 2018. Another company then took over operations of the hotel until it ultimately closed in 2021.

The purpose of the CARES Act was to provide emergency financial assistance due to the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized the Small Business Administration to provide forgivable loans to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, and make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments. Under the PPP, both the principal and interest on those loans were eligible for forgiveness.

On June 25, 2020, Reazuddin, on behalf of Grandview Hotel (which had ceased operations), applied for and received a PPP loan in the amount of $384,100. Reazuddin made numerous false statements on the application and submitted false and fraudulent documents in support of the application.

Reazuddin used approximately $300,000 of the 2020 loan to purchase a home in Lawrenceville.

On Jan. 26, 2021, Reazuddin, on behalf of Grandview Hotel, applied for and received a second draw of PPP funding in the amount of $420,000. Reazuddin made similar false statements on this application.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The co-founder of a so-called Christian health care sharing ministry in St. Joseph, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for his role in an $8 million wire fraud conspiracy that cheated hundreds of members, and to making false statements on a personal tax return.

Craig Anthony Reynolds, 62, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole. Reynolds was taken into custody at the conclusion of today’s hearing to immediately begin serving his sentence. The court also ordered Reynolds to pay $7,758,908 in restitution to the victims, $253,474 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, and $46,550 in restitution to the Missouri Department of Revenue.

The court also ordered Reynolds to forfeit to the government $462,771, which includes proceeds from the sale of a St. Joseph residence, cash representing his interest in another St. Joseph residence, the values of a Lincoln Navigator, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle which will all be sold, and the contents of several bank accounts.

Reynolds incorporated and ran Medical Cost Sharing, a tax-exempt organization, as its president and chief executive officer from 2014 through December 2022. On Nov. 14, 2023, Reynolds pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making false statements on a tax return.

In a separate but related case, co-defendant James L. McGinnis, 77, of St. Joseph, pleaded guilty on April 2, 2024, to the same charges and awaits sentencing. McGinnis co-founded Medical Cost Sharing and served as its chief operating officer from 2014 through December 2022.

Reynolds and McGinnis each admitted that he and his co-conspirators used false and fraudulent promises to market Medical Cost Sharing as a “Health Care Sharing Ministry” to defraud hundreds of “ministry members.” They collected more than $8 million in member “contributions,” yet paid only 3.1 percent in health care claims so that they could personally profit and take most of the members’ contributions for themselves.

Reynolds and McGinnis pocketed at least $5,168,268 from the member contributions from December 2015 through December 2022. Thus, Reynolds and McGinnis took at least 64 percent of total member contributions for their personal profit.

Reynolds and McGinnis marketed Medical Cost Sharing as a “Christian Health Care Sharing Ministry” through insurance brokers, radio stations, social media, and its website. Medical Cost Sharing sales materials promoted its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation, advertising that it was different from for profit health insurance. The Medical Cost Sharing website claimed, “while we are not an insurance company, many think of us as a Christian Health Insurance, or Christian Medical Insurance because, like conventional insurance plans, we help you pay your healthcare costs. We help you protect your family. But unlike these corporate, profit based plans, we are a healthcare sharing ministry … your healthcare costs are shared with other Christians enrolled in our medical sharing plans.”

Medical Cost Sharing promised its member that if they paid monthly “contributions,” Medical Cost Sharing would pay claims after the members’ “personal responsibility” (deductible) was met.

In reality, Reynolds and McGinnis admitted, Medical Cost Sharing rarely paid members’ health care claims. Sometimes Medical Cost Sharing would pay a part of a claim if the member filed a complaint with their state attorney general and/or hired an attorney to represent them against Medical Cost Sharing.

Medical Cost Sharing paid no claims at all for almost two years, from Feb. 22, 2021, through December 2022, although it collected a total of nearly $1.2 million in dues in 2021 and 2022.

On Dec. 13, 2022, federal agents served search warrants on the Medical Cost Sharing business location and the residences of Reynolds and McGinnis and seized property generated from Medical Cost Sharing proceeds. Medical Cost Sharing continued to try to collect membership dues after the search and seizure warrants. On Dec. 27, 2022, the court entered a temporary restraining order that prohibited Medical Cost Sharing, Reynolds, and McGinnis from continuing to perpetrate a fraudulent scheme and from processing Medical Cost Sharing member payments, among other actions.

Reynolds also admitted that he filed a return that claimed he had no taxable income in 2019. Reynolds actually received at least $354,292 in taxable income in 2019. According to court documents, Reynolds filed false federal and state tax returns in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

According to court documents, Reynolds also defrauded the U.S. Treasury by applying for Covid tax credits using false information. Reynolds received a total of $42,586 in fraudulently obtained Employee Retention Credits for tax year 2021.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen D. Mahoney, Patrick Daly, and John Constance. It was investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

FBI Website for Victims of Medical Cost Sharing Fraud

Those who believe they are victims of this fraud and wish to receive restitution for any losses suffered as a result may provide their information through the MCS Victim Information Page that has been established by the FBI.

https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/mcs-victim-information-page

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for using a 9-year-old victim to produce child pornography.

Jackie M. Hill, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 16 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Hill to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration. Hill will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

On Jan. 31, 2024, Hill pleaded guilty to producing child pornography. Hill admitted that he used a 9-year-old victim to produce 21 images of child pornography on Feb. 3, 2023. Hill posted three images of child pornography, including two images of the child victim, on a website dedicated to the discussion of child sexual abuse and the advertisement and sharing of child pornography.

On April 12, 2023, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Hill’s residence. Agents seized a desktop computer, a thumb drive, and a cell phone. A forensic analysis of the devices determined that thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors were located on them, including pornographic images and videos of infants, toddlers, and prepubescent children.

Hill admitted that he had been involved in trafficking child pornography for at least eight years prior to his arrest.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the FBI.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in Greene County, Mo., and illegally possessing firearms.

Justin Thomas Hollingsworth, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 18 years in federal prison without parole.

On Aug. 23, 2023, Hollingsworth pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Hollingsworth admitted he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County from June 1 to Aug. 25, 2022. Hollingsworth also admitted that on Aug. 25, 2022, he was in possession of a Ruger 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson .380-caliber pistol.

According to court documents, Hollingsworth made more than $30,000 in one month of selling methamphetamine. Hollingsworth is being held accountable for a total of nearly five kilograms of methamphetamine.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hollingsworth’s residence and arrested him on June 29, 2022. Officers found nine baggies that contained a total of 342.4 grams of methamphetamine inside a black zipper case on Hollingsworth’s bed. On the floor of the bedroom they found another zipper case that contained a total of 23 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Officers also found a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol, two loaded magazines, seven baggies of assorted prescription pills and $17,766 in cash, which the court today ordered to be forfeited to the government. Officers found more baggies of methamphetamine throughout the rest of the house.

On Aug. 25, 2022, law enforcement officers arrested Hollingsworth again, outside a local hotel, and searched his vehicle. Officers found approximately three pounds of methamphetamine, a Ruger 9mm pistol, a high-capacity drum magazine loaded with 39 rounds of ammunition for the Ruger pistol, a box of ammunition and a baggie of marijuana. Inside Hollingsworth’s hotel room, officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson .380-caliber handgun with an extended magazine, methamphetamine and marijuana. Officers also found $14,156 in cash, which the court today ordered to be forfeited to the government.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy in which five men broke into numerous vehicles in the Westport entertainment district and elsewhere in the metropolitan area and stole more than 100 firearms, which they later sold on their social media accounts.

Bobby Lamb, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 11 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Lamb to pay $1,500 in restitution.

On Sept. 29, 2023, Lamb pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen firearms. Lamb also pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possessing a stolen firearm.

Lamb admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to break into vehicles and steal firearms and other items. Conspirators used social media to advertise the stolen firearms for sale, which included sales to individuals who were prohibited by law from possessing firearms.

According to court documents, Lamb and his co-conspirators stole more than 100 firearms obtained from vehicle break-ins from June 18 to Nov. 19, 2021. When Lamb was arrested on Sept. 16, 2021, he was in possession of a stolen Glock 9mm handgun.

Lamb is the first defendant to be sentenced in this case. Four co-defendants, all of Kansas City, Mo., have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Drevion Hooker, 22, is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4, 2024. Rayquan Duane Pettaway, 25, is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 28, 2024. Treyon Bloodsoe, 22, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2024. Roy Rushing, 26, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 2, 2024.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.