Western District of Missouri

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Houston, Texas, man was sentenced in federal court today for stealing more than $230,000 from bank ATMs in Kansas City, Mo., and Allen Park, Michigan.

Deandre J. Gilliam, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to three years and one month in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Gilliam to pay $218,835 in restitution to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

On Jan. 6, Gilliam pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting bank theft. He also pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the possession and concealment of money stolen from a bank, which was a case transferred from the Eastern District of Michigan.

Gilliam admitted that he and his co-conspirators broke into and stole $150,200 from the Chase Bank ATM located at 1614 E. 63rd Street in Kansas City, Mo., on March 6, 2020. Gilliam and his co-conspirators left Houston at about 5 p.m. on March 5, 2020, and traveled to Kansas City in three vehicles. Between midnight and 4:30 a.m. on March 6, 2020, they stole a Ford F-250 pick-up truck that was parked on the street in Fairway, Kansas, to use in their ATM theft. They used their cell phones to search for a suitable ATM.

At approximately 5:30 a.m. on March 6, 2020, four conspirators (wearing clothing that completely covered their faces and bodies) used tools to break into the ATM. The truck then backed up to the ATM and two chains were attached to the ATM. The truck then accelerated away from the ATM and forcibly pulled apart the ATM’s inner encasement. Conspirators removed canisters of cash from the ATM, got back into the truck, and drove away. While the conspirators in the truck broke into the ATM, others assisted by sitting in a nearby get-away vehicle and conducting counter-surveillance for police vehicles. Investigators later found the abandoned truck, with the tow chains still attached, near the Citadel Apartments.

Gilliam and his co-conspirators drove from Kansas City back to Houston. Law enforcement officers, who used a traffic camera to obtain the license plate number of the get-away vehicle, were able to track their return trip. Officers intercepted the vehicles on the outskirts of Houston and attempted to stop the vehicles. One of the vehicles pulled over immediately, but the other two vehicles fled from the officers and a high-speed chase ensued. One of the fleeing vehicles crashed and its occupants were arrested.

The occupants of the third vehicle, including Gilliam, eventually abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. As he fled from the police, Gilliam picked up a red Spiderman backpack that had been dropped by one of his co-conspirators. Gilliam was still in possession of the backpack, which contained $72,385 stolen from the bank ATM, when he was arrested.

On June 2, 2021, Gilliam traveled from Houston to the Detroit, Mich., area. On June 3, 2021, Gilliam and his co-conspirators worked together to forcibly break into an ATM located outside the Chase Bank branch in Allen Park, Mich. Gilliam and his co-conspirators used a stolen Ford F250 pick-up truck, hooks, chains, and crowbars to break into the ATM and steal approximately $80,240.

Gilliam and his co-conspirators transported the stolen money to a rental house located about eight miles away, in Detroit. Later the same day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at that residence, where Gilliam and four co-conspirators were found. Officers found $71,238 in stolen money concealed in various places throughout the house. They also found the tools and clothing used to break into the ATM.

Two of Gilliams’s co-defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced, and two co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Venneman and Leigh Farmakidis. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Houston, Texas, Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Montgomery County, Texas, Sheriff’s Department, the Montgomery County, Texas, Constable, the Detroit, Mich., Police Department and the Allen Park, Mich., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Gladstone, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to attempting to hire an arsonist to destroy her commercial building in Kansas City, Mo., which contained several businesses.

Mia Lee Jamison, 70, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to one count of soliciting a crime of violence – specifically, to maliciously destroy a building by arson – and one count of making a false statement to investigators of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive.

By pleading guilty today, Jamison admitted that she met with an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives at her home on several occasions in April 2019 to discuss hiring him to commit arson. She offered to pay the undercover agent $150,000 to burn her commercial building, Mia Plaza, which is located near the corner of 39th Street and Bell Avenue in Kansas City. Three businesses operated at that location at that time – 39th World of Spirits (a liquor and grocery store), Bob Wasabi Kitchen (a sushi bar), and Sahara Sheesha Lounge (a hookah lounge).

Jamison told the undercover agent that she was going to be losing ownership of the building due to a civil lawsuit, and wanted the building burned before April 29, 2019. She told the agent she had a $1.5 million insurance policy on the building (it was actually $2 million). She agreed to pay him $150,000 and gave him a deposit of $3,500. Jamison wanted the fire to look like an accident, and the undercover agent agreed to set the fire between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. to limit the risk to the tenants.

On April 28, 2019, Jamison met with the undercover agent for the last time. She told the undercover agent she had removed the video surveillance cameras at the building in preparation for the fire and wanted the building to be burned that night. Investigators recorded all the meetings between Jamison and the undercover agent by either audio or video recording equipment, or both.

At approximately 4 a.m. the next morning, federal investigators contacted Jamison at her residence. Investigators asked whether she burned down the building in question or whether she asked someone to burn the building down. On multiple occasions she denied requesting or hiring someone to destroy the building by fire.

Following the interview, they told Jamison her building had not actually been damaged by a fire but was still standing and placed her under arrest.

Under federal statutes, Jamison is subject to a sentence of up to 15 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. Attorneys Trey Alford and Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former assistant principal at Nixa Junior High School in Nixa, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for soliciting sexually explicit photos from a 13-year-old victim by posing online as a teen girl.

Colby Fronterhouse, 42, of Springfield, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 12 years in federal prison without parole.

On Aug. 19, 2021, Fronterhouse pleaded guilty to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography. Fronterhouse was employed as an assistant principal at the junior high school at the time of the offense; he was terminated on Feb. 8, 2021.

A Christian County sheriff’s deputy was contacted by a 13-year-old child victim and his father in September 2020. The child victim, identified in court documents as “John Doe,” had been engaging in a series of text messages for approximately a week with Fronterhouse, who posed as a 14-year-old girl. Fronterhouse, posing as a 14-year-old, encouraged John Doe to transmit sexually explicit images of himself to Fronterhouse, made specific requests for poses or types of images, and had sexually explicit conversations with John Doe.

Investigators learned that the phone used by Fronterhouse was a burner phone number with a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) account, but they were able to trace the account to Fronterhouse. Officers executed a search warrant at Fronterhouse’s residence on Jan. 26, 2021, and he was arrested. Investigators seized Fronterhouse’s cell phone and found evidence linking his cell phone to the burner account. Investigators confirmed that Fronterhouse had access to the child victim’s cell phone number through school records.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Christian 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. – An Olathe, Kansas, man who led police officers on a high-speed chase down a runway at the downtown airport has been indicted by a federal grand jury for disrupting airport operations as well as illegally possessing a firearm and methamphetamine.

Efren Torres-Rodriguez, 34, was charged in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on May 18. He was arrested today.

Kansas City, Mo., police officers were notified of a suspicious car, a Dodge Charger, parked near a gate at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport on Feb. 1, 2022. When officers arrived, they found Torres-Rodriguez passed out in the driver’s seat of the running car. Officers turned off the car and opened the door, which woke up Torres-Rodriguez.

Officers ordered Torres-Rodriguez out of the car, but he refused. Instead, Torres-Rodriguez started the vehicle and drove away, crashing through the gate to the airfield. Torres-Rodriguez drove at speeds up to 100 miles per hour down the airport runway, with officers in pursuit. Torres-Rodriguez drove on a tarmac on the west side of the airfield. When he attempted to cross over the airstrip into a grassy area, his vehicle became inoperable. Officers removed Torres-Rodriguez from the vehicle and placed him under arrest. Officers found a clear plastic bag in his pants pocket that contained methamphetamine.

When officers searched Torres-Rodriguez’s vehicle, they found a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, which were both empty of ammunition, under the driver’s seat. They also found several rounds of ammunition and drug paraphernalia.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Torres-Rodriguez has prior felony convictions for possession of a firearm with a prior violent offense, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and for robbery.

The federal indictment charges Torres-Rodriguez with one count of damaging and interfering with an air navigation facility, one count of damaging and disrupting an international airport, one count of being a felon and drug user in possession of a firearm, and one count of possessing methamphetamine.

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 Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man who was arrested when he was engaged in a home invasion robbery was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing a firearm.

Theodore Watkins Jr., 31, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed on May 13.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Independence police officers were called to a residence at 11:25 a.m. on May 12 by a neighbor who reported that he saw Watkins push his way into the residence of an elderly woman. The caller said they thought they observed something in the man’s hand when he forced entry.

Officers arrived at the residence and established a perimeter. A SWAT unit and hostage negotiators also arrived, and after making announcements on the loudspeaker, the victim came out of the residence through the front door. A short time later, Watkins came out of the residence and was taken into custody.

The victim, whom the affidavit says was visibly shaken and had bruising on her right arm, told investigators that Watkins originally came to her door and offered to mow her lawn. He came back a few minutes later, she said, and forced the door open, forcing his way into the residence. Watkins pointed a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm handgun at her and said, “Where’s the money?”

Watkins dumped out her purse and took the money from it, the affidavit says, then began going through her dresser drawers, closets, and other areas of the house. He used her cordless phone and her cell phone to make calls, including a call to his wife. When police arrived, the affidavit says, Watkins hid his gun in a furnace return air vent in the bedroom. Police officers found the firearm when they searched the house.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Watkins has two prior felony convictions for robbery, two prior felony convictions for burglary, two prior felony convictions for armed criminal action, and prior felony convictions for drug trafficking, kidnapping, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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

 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two St. Joseph, Mo., men have pleaded guilty to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and to illegally possessing firearms.

Franklin T. Hicks Jr., also known as “Frankie,” 41, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to participating in a conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Co-defendant Roderick A. Hughes, 48, pleaded guilty on Friday, May 27, to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Hicks and Hughes admitted they participated in the heroin conspiracy from Sept. 1, 2019, to March 26, 2021.

Hicks was arrested outside of a hotel in St. Joseph on Jan. 22, 2021. He was in possession of 35.8 grams of heroin and $2,687 in cash. Officers also found a loaded Rock Island Armory .380-caliber handgun under the driver’s seat of his car and a Ruger 9mm handgun in the glovebox.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hughes’s apartment on Feb. 23, 2021, with both Hicks and Hughes present. They found a silver revolver on the kitchen table. They also found a loaded Glock 9mm handgun on a nightstand in the bedroom, a Stoeger 9mm handgun and a Jennings Bryco 9mm handgun on a shelf in the bedroom, and a black safe under the bed that contained 23.4 grams of heroin and $4,703 in cash. Officers also searched the garage and found three plastic bags with a total of 96.3 grams of heroin hidden in the rafters.

Co-defendant Harvey E. Johnson, 48, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty on Aug. 4, 2021, to participating in the conspiracy to distribute heroin. Johnson, who was in possession of approximately 51 grams of heroin at the time of his arrest, admitted that the drug-trafficking conspiracy involved at least two kilograms of heroin.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury today for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri after law enforcement officers seized approximately 29 pounds of methamphetamine.

Brian E. Hall, 44, of Aurora, Mo., and Jacqueline Aldrete Bojorquez, 28, and Jeffrey L. Hughley, 37, whose addresses are unknown, were charged in a six-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed on May 2.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hall’s residence on April 28, 2022, as part of an ongoing methamphetamine investigation. Officers seized seven pounds of methamphetamine, a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol, approximately $57,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia used for the packaging and sale of methamphetamine.

When Bojorquez and Hughley arrived at Hall’s residence later that night, they were taken into custody as well. Officers searched their vehicle and found approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine in the trunk and a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the floorboard of the front passenger seat.

Today’s indictment charges Hall, Bojorquez, and Hughley with participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Barry County and elsewhere from Jan. 1 to April 28, 2022.

In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Hall is charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Bojorquez and Hughley are charged together in one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

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 Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the Barry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, and the Stone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office.

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.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Mo., police officer and his wife were indicted by a federal grand jury today for a $99,000 wire fraud scheme in which they used debit cards from a local lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, where they served as officers, for spending on personal items.

Michael A. Hardin,  46, and his wife, Sarah J. Hardin, 42, were charged in a seven-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.

Michael Hardin, an officer with the St. Joseph Police Department, was the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Northwest Missouri Lodge #3 for approximately 10 years. Sarah Hardin, formerly a deputy with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, was the treasurer of the lodge for approximately 10 years. The lodge, headquartered in St. Joseph, is a fraternity of approximately 300 law enforcement officers from police departments in nine northwest Missouri counties.

Today’s indictment alleges the Hardins used debit cards linked to the bank accounts of the Fraternal Order of Police Northwest Missouri Lodge #3 to make $99,000 in purchases for their own personal gain over a four-year period from December 2015 to December 2019.

According to the indictment, Sarah Hardin used two debit cards to make purchases at Walmart, Menards, Party City, HyVee, and other businesses for personal items and expenses. Michael Hardin allegedly used one debit card to make purchases from various merchants, including Hampton Inn, for personal items and expenses.

The Hardins did not provide information about the fraudulent spending to the members of the lodge, the indictment says, nor did they seek approval to use lodge funds for personal items.

Today’s indictment charges Sarah Hardin with four counts of wire fraud and Michael Hardin with three counts of wire fraud.

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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney R. Pratten. It was investigated by the FBI.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man who was identified when his photo was broadcast by local TV stations pleaded guilty in federal court today to bank robbery.

Charles Edgar King Jr., 57, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of bank robbery.

By pleading guilty today, King admitted that he used a note to steal $8,815 from Guaranty Bank, 2109 N. Glenstone Ave., in Springfield, on July 10, 2021.

King entered the bank at about 10:30 a.m. and went straight to a teller counter, where he handed the teller a handwritten note that read, “I have a gun this is a robbery.” The teller handed over cash and King left the bank and walked away through a parking lot.

Surveillance cameras in the bank captured good quality video, which show King, who was not wearing a mask, and images of his bare hands that show a tattoo of a cross on the back of his right middle finger. On the same day as the robbery, July 10, 2021, the FBI released one of the surveillance images to the media and requested assistance from the public in identifying the bank robber. King’s former probation officer saw the media coverage and contacted the FBI the same day and identified King.

On July 19, 2021, an anonymous source contacted law enforcement with a tip that King was staying at the Springfield Inn near Kearney and North Glenstone in Springfield. Springfield police detectives and FBI agents conducted surveillance on the hotel and saw King leave the hotel driving a purple Scion Cube with no license plate. Springfield police officers conducted a car stop and detained King on an investigative arrest for robbery.

King told an FBI agent that he used the stolen money to buy the used Scion Cube for $2,400, and that he gave some of the money away and spent the rest.

Under federal statutes, King 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 Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who shot his girlfriend was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms.

Kevin D. Hogan, also known as “Diablo,’ 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

On Oct. 25, 2021, Hogan pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Hogan admitted that he was in possession of a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun on March 16, 2020. Hogan’s girlfriend, who was hospitalized early that morning, told Independence, Mo., police officers that he had punched her with a closed fist eight to 10 times, attempted to stab her with a knife, struck her several times with a handgun, then shot her in the left shoulder. Hogan was arrested on Sept. 29, 2020, when he was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by Independence police officers. When officers searched the vehicle, they found a loaded Glock .40-caliber handgun in the rear passenger area directly beneath Hogan’s seat. They also found a loaded Glock .40-caliber handgun, which had been reported as stolen, under the rear of the front passenger’s seat, where it was accessible to Hogan.

Hogan also admitted that he was in possession of a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun on June 6, 2021, when law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle in which Hogan was a passenger. Hogan fled from officers on foot but was eventually found at a nearby residence and detained. Officers searched the area and found the Glock handgun behind the residence where Hogan had hidden it.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Hogan as a prior federal felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm as well as state felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a controlled substance, forgery, and assault.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to the sexual exploitation of three minor victims and receiving child pornography.

Jason T. Bernard, 52, was charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo., on Tuesday, May 24. The federal indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Bernard on May 5. Bernard has been detained in federal custody without bond since his arrest on May 5.

The federal indictment charges Bernard with three counts of the sexual exploitation of a child in which he used three different minors to produce child pornography from Sept. 14, 2018, to May 5, 2022. The indictment also charges Bernard with one count of using the internet and a cell phone to attempt to persuade one of those minor victims to engage in illegal sexual activity, and one count of receiving child pornography.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, the investigation began when nine CyberTips were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on April 7, 2022. The nine CyberTips involved 145 images of child pornography that Bernard allegedly uploaded for storage to the Verizon Cloud.

As investigators identified Bernard as the account holder, the affidavit says, they received information from law enforcement in North Carolina that Bernard was involved in one of their investigations. Bernard allegedly sent funds through Cash App to one of the victims, a 15-year-old identified in court documents as “Jane Doe 1.” In exchange, the child victim sent pornographic images and videos of herself to Bernard. She told investigators that she was 13 years old when she began communicating with Bernard, whom she said paid her $250 a week or more. According to the affidavit, Bernard sent 48 payments to the child victim through Cash App between Oct. 14, 2020, and June 2, 2021, totaling $3,210.

Jane Doe 1 also told investigators that Bernard sent her alcohol and sex toys to use during her video recordings. Bernard offered to pay Jane Doe 1 $10,000 to meet him in person, the affidavit says, but she refused. She told investigators that Bernard sent her $500 to buy a train ticket to come meet him in person, but she kept the money then blocked Bernard from her social media accounts.

On May 5, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bernard’s residence. Bernard, who allegedly purchased sexually explicit images or videos from at least two additional child victims, was arrested at his place of employment.

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 Beaufort County, North Carolina, 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 Sugar Creek, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing 36 firearms in the burglary of a Lone Jack, Mo., gun store.

Edward A. Robinson, Jr., 22, was charged in a two-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, May 18. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Robinson’s arrest and initial court appearance.

Deputies with the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department responded to an alarm at MTC Gun, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Lone Jack, at 5:16 a.m. on Feb. 7, 2022. Deputies found evidence of forced entry at the building and began searching the area. A short time later, they found Robinson in a nearby field. Robinson was standing next to a motorcycle, with a large black bag slung over his shoulder. Deputies found the stolen firearms inside the bag and arrested Robinson.

The federal indictment charges Robinson with one count of stealing 36 firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and one count of possessing 36 stolen firearms.

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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man who posted Snapchat photos and videos in which he illegally possessed various firearms and controlled substances pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms.

Chauncey Erin Howard, 37, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah W. Hays to one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

According to today’s plea agreement, a task force officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives watched Howard’s Snapchat account in which he regularly posted photos and videos of himself in possession of firearms and controlled substances. Howard also posted announcements that he had controlled substances for sale.

In July 2020, Howard was pictured in two posts brandishing a silver Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun with a green laser and flashlight attachment. In one of those posts, Howard was in possession of approximately 24 Oxycodone pills. Howard also posted a video of himself in possession of the same handgun as well as two Taurus handguns. Another video on Howard’s Snapchat account displayed two five-gallon buckets full of prepackaged marijuana products from a marijuana dispensary, which Howard stated he was selling.

Howard posted additional videos on Snapchat in the days that followed that depicted him displaying firearms and ammunition, and a video of him firing a Taurus firearm into an improvised backstop. That video then showed Howard in possession of an AR-style rifle. Howard also posted videos in which he offered to sell marijuana, crack cocaine, and other controlled substances.

On July 22, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Howard’s residence. Officers found the Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun with the green laser and flashlight attachment, a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun, an S.C. Nova Grup S.R.L. 9mm semi-automatic handgun, marijuana, and $16,201 in cash. Officers also found THC gummies and $950 in a vehicle that Howard had been driving.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who was shot by an Independence, Mo., police officer as he attempted to strike the officer with his truck before leading officers on a high-speed chase, was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.

Isaiah Fulson-Dewberry, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to seven years and six months in federal prison without parole.

On June 29, 2020, Fulson-Dewberry pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Two Independence police officers were dispatched to Pepperwood Apartments on Sept. 1, 2019, on reported prowlers. The officers arrived at the apartment complex in separate vehicles and approached from opposite directions. Fulson-Dewberry, driving a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche (later determined to be stolen), pulled out of a parking space and began driving through the parking lot. When the first officer’s marked patrol vehicle approached, Fulson-Dewberry put the truck in reverse and went back into the parking area, driving up onto the curb into the grass. The truck then drove forward and deliberately rammed the front end of the officer’s vehicle. Two passengers – a white female and a black male – ran from the truck and were never located. The truck backed up again and slammed into a parked truck, pushing it into another parked vehicle, and then rammed into the front of the officer’s vehicle a second time.

The truck backed up again, clipping the front end of the second officer’s patrol vehicle, and then went forward again, hitting the front of the patrol vehicle and pushing it. The officer was outside of his vehicle and Fulson-Dewberry swerved the truck at him. The officer, fearing for his life, fired 10 rounds from his duty weapon into the driver’s side of the truck.

Fulson-Dewbery fled from the apartment complex and a pursuit was initiated. The truck made it onto westbound 39th Street. The truck drove on the shoulder of the road, passing vehicles at a high rate of speed and running red lights at busy intersections. The truck also entered into oncoming traffic, nearly striking two different eastbound vehicles head on. The truck proceeded onto southbound Lee’s Summit Road and attempted to get onto the ramp to westbound I-70, but was traveling too fast and spun out into the ditch just onto the ramp to westbound I-70 from Lee’s Summit Road.

 

Fulson-Dewberry got out of the driver’s side of the truck and threw a loaded Walther .22-caliber handgun into the grassy area near the truck. Fulson-Dewberry had a gunshot wound that passed through his left calf and entered his right calf, where the bullet lodged. He was taken into custody without further incident and transported for medical treatment.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Fulson-Dewberry has prior felony convictions for possession of methamphetamine, burglary of a motor vehicle, identity theft, fleeing from law enforcement, and two prior felony convictions for theft.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who was involved in a shoot-out at a local gas station pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.

Tirrell M. Thompson, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

By pleading guilty today, Thompson admitted that he was involved in a shoot-out at a gas station near 45th and The Paseo on May 6, 2020. A federal marshal witnessed the shooting, in which Thompson pulled a Taurus .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun from his waistband, ducked behind his car, and shot back at another individual who was shooting at him. The marshal also saw Thompson flee from the gas station in a silver vehicle.

A police helicopter identified the fleeing car, which slowed down as Thompson tossed the handgun out of the car near 58th Terrace and Swope Parkway. Police officers arrested Thompson and found the handgun, which had blood on it, in the area where Thompson had tossed it.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Thompson has two prior felony convictions for resisting arrest and a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.

Under federal statutes, Thompson 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 Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Republic, Mo., man who led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute.

Heath E. Yarger, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 14 years in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 30, 2021, Yarger pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Yarger admitted that he was in possession of approximately 254 grams of pure methamphetamine when he was arrested on Dec. 21, 2020.

A Christian County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Yarger, who was driving a Chevrolet Silverado on Highway CC near Carnegie Road. Yarger failed to yield, however, and a pursuit ensued. Stop sticks were deployed and disabled the two passenger side tires. The pursuit continued onto northbound Highway 160 as Yarger reached speeds of 100 miles per hour and began to swerve and travel in the middle of the roadway, nearly striking multiple other vehicles. The pursuit continued through several residential streets and through the yard of a residence before returning to Highway 160. The pursuit ended near the intersection of Campbell Avenue and Primrose Street in Springfield, Mo. Yarger ran from the vehicle and was arrested after a short pursuit on foot.

Officers found a plastic bag that contained approximately 12.8 grams of pure methamphetamine in Yarger’s left jacket pocket. Officers searched his vehicle and found two plastic bags that contained an approximate total of 241.8 grams of pure methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Yarger has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and multiple attempts to flee or resist law enforcement.

This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a fraud scheme that utilized the stolen identities of Johnson County, Kansas, government employees to make fraudulent purchases.

Michael B. Becher, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to participating in a conspiracy to commit credit card fraud from Feb. 1 to June 30, 2019.

By pleading guilty today, Becher admitted that he and his co-conspirators used stolen identity information to make fraudulent purchases. Many of the identity theft victims were current or former employees of Johnson County, Kan. The Johnson County, Kan., government experienced a data breach of employees’ personally identifiable information in 2015.

Becher was responsible for making counterfeit driver’s licenses in the names of the identity theft victims. Becher and co-conspirators used the counterfeit licenses to open fraudulent credit accounts. Before making a counterfeit driver’s license, Becher performed a credit check on the identity theft victim to determine the likelihood of establishing a credit account.

Becher made at least seven fraudulent purchases himself, using the stolen identities of three victims, at Lowe’s and Home Depot in transactions ranging from $1,617 to $8,049. Becher then sold the goods and equipment for half of the actual value of the property. Becher kept half of the proceeds that he sold and gave the other half to co-conspirators.

Co-defendant Rachel R. Jarman, 35, address unknown, pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2021, to her role in the conspiracy.

In a separate and unrelated case, Becher has also pleaded guilty to his role in a nearly $10 million conspiracy to distribute almost 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019. Becher admitted he was responsible for the distribution of at least 185 kilograms of methamphetamine. Becher also admitted that he purchased multiple pounds of methamphetamine on a daily basis.

Under federal statutes, Becher and Jarman each are subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole in this case. In the drug-trafficking case, the government and Becher have agreed to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by the Olathe, Kan., Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Newton County, Mo.

Jason C. Russell, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 24 years and four months in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 17, 2021, Russell pleaded guilty to one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Newton County from April 17, 2019, to Feb. 24, 2021.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were investigating Russell and had identified several messages on his Facebook account related to drug distribution going back to early 2019.

On Feb. 24, 2021, Russell and co-defendant Brittany J. Adcock, 30, of Springfield, Mo., were arrested when an officer with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol stopped a 2012 GMC Sierra pick-up in which they were passengers on Interstate 44 near Vinita, Oklahoma. According to court documents, Russell tried to convince the driver of the truck to flee from law enforcement, but he refused.

Officers searched the vehicle and found a large black bag in the back seat of the truck and a smaller bag in the front of the truck that contained a total of approximately two pounds of methamphetamine.

Adcock was sentenced on May 10 to 10 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to the same charge.

Russell has a history of violent and drug-related crimes, according to court documents. In April 2018, he fled at speeds up to 130 miles an hour from an officer who tried to stop him because his motorcycle had no plates. In July 2019, he shared a video online of himself assaulting someone and threatening that person with a firearm. Russell also has two previous convictions for domestic assault in the second degree and another conviction for assault in the second degree. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the FBI, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.  

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.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing the firearm he used to shoot another person during an argument.

Dana Ray Day, Jr., 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Today’s sentence is the statutory maximum penalty for this offense. The court also ordered the federal sentence be served consecutively to the 25-year sentence imposed in an unrelated state case in which Day was convicted of two counts of assault in a fatal shooting.

Day was found guilty at trial on Dec. 15, 2021, of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

On Sept. 15, 2018, Day got into an argument with another man after hitting his car the prior day. Day pulled out a Taurus .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun and shot the other man, who was not armed, twice – in the chest and the groin. The shooting victim ran to a nearby apartment and the resident called 911 for him. Day fled from the scene of the shooting.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Day has prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, domestic assault, assault, and resisting arrest. According to court documents, Day has a history of violence against others that began at the age of 13, including a teacher’s aid, family members, and girlfriends. In the state case in which Day has already been sentenced to 25 years in prison, he was convicted of repeatedly striking a man with his fists and then shooting and killing him.

While this case has been pending and Day has been detained, he has been charged with property damage after repeatedly kicking his jail cell door. Day is also charged with accessory to commit robbery after he and others beat another inmate and stole his canteen items.

The Taurus handgun, which had been purchased by another person and given to Day, was later recovered during a homicide investigation by the Chicago, Illinois, Police Department. The shell casing was entered into the NIBIN database, and matched the shell casing recovered from the scene of the Sept. 15, 2018, shooting in Jefferson City.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Jefferson 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), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin.

Charles A. Robinson, also known as “Big C,” 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R.  Bough to 11 years and eight months in federal prison without parole.

On Dec. 27, 2021, Robinson pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute at least a kilogram of heroin in Cole, Callaway, and Greene counties from July 1, 2015, to March 27, 2018. Robinson admitted that he transported heroin from St. Louis, Mo., to Springfield. Robinson then distributed the heroin to other members of the conspiracy for distribution.

When law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Robinson’s residence on April 13, 2016, he was in possession of 39 grams of heroin.

Robinson is the seventh and final defendant to be sentenced in this case.

This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randall D. Eggert and Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Stotts City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for shooting at a police officer during a high-speed chase that began in Carthage, Mo., and for illegally possessing methamphetamine to distribute.

Raul A. Gonzalez Reyes, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 24 years in federal prison without parole. The court granted the government’s request for an upward variance due to the egregiousness of Gonzalez Reyes’s criminal behavior.

On Nov. 17, 2021, Gonzalez Reyes pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Gonzalez Reyes was arrested on Oct. 12, 2020, following a pursuit by law enforcement officers in which he shot at an officer before crashing his vehicle. According to court documents, Gonzalez Reyes also shot at a law enforcement officer earlier the same day but was able to elude the officer following a high-speed chase.

A Carthage Police Department sergeant attempted to conduct a traffic stop after Gonzalez Reyes committed several traffic violations while driving a Ford pick-up truck with a license plate registered to another vehicle. When the police sergeant activated his emergency lights and siren, Gonzalez Reyes began accelerating to a high rate of speed. The sergeant saw muzzle flashes and heard gunshots coming from the pickup towards his vehicle. According to court documents, Gonzalez Reyes later told investigators he continued shooting until the magazine fell out of the gun, and then he attempted to access a rifle with a scope. He intended to use all 32 rounds of 9mm ammunition. As Gonzalez Reyes continued shooting, the sergeant increased the distance between his vehicle and the pickup to await assistance from other officers.

As Gonzalez Reyes approached County Road 170 in Jasper County, Mo., he lost control of the pickup, which left the roadway and rolled. When Gonzalez Reyes refused orders to get out of his vehicle, he was placed in handcuffs and removed from the vehicle.

Officers searched the pickup and found a Heritage Rough Rider firearm, a Nomad American Tactical firearm, a Remington Arms firearm, a Mossberg firearm, a Savage firearm, a Stoeger firearm, and four baggies that contained a total of approximately 171.38 grams of pure methamphetamine.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Carthage, Mo., Police Department, and the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for fraudulently claiming reimbursements for travel expenses for her work for the U.S. Postal Service.

Monique S. Koger-Little, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one year and three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Koger-Little to pay $29,892 in restitution to the U.S. Postal Service.

On Nov. 15, 2021, Koger-Little pleaded guilty to one count of stealing government money. Koger-Little was employed by the U.S. Postal Service from 2010 through 2019. As an engagement ambassador, she frequently traveled throughout the United States. According to court documents, her scheme began almost immediately upon her promotion to this position.

Koger-Little admitted that she received reimbursements for fraudulent travel expenses by submitting false reimbursement requests. For example, she received reimbursements after falsely claiming higher hotel rates than she was actually charged, for corporate housing that she did not use, and for mileage for driving her personal vehicle, although that travel never actually occurred and she was on vacation at the time.

According to court documents, approximately 36 fraudulent travel vouchers were submitted over almost 12 months. Koger-Little’s conduct included having family members’ travel expenses and personal rent expenses paid through Postal Service travel vouchers. She submitted fraudulent travel vouchers and received reimbursement for airline tickets issued to her husband, mother, and children, and for her daughter’s boyfriend. Koger-Little paid for her and her relatives’ airline tickets for a trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in July 2019 through the submission of fraudulent travel vouchers. Koger-Little included personal rent expenses in her fraudulent travel vouchers. The investigation repeatedly found travel vouchers submitted that included hotel costs with no corresponding charge to that hotel on her government travel card billing statement. However, there were matching charges associated with the apartment complex where her son lived.

Koger-Little resigned from the Postal Service on Nov. 1, 2019, when she became aware of the federal investigation. After repeatedly being asked to return her government-issued cell phone and laptop computer, they were mailed to her manager several weeks later. The cell phone had been wiped clean of its contents and the hard drive of the laptop had been removed.

This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Mountain View, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to murdering his estranged wife during an argument when they met in a national park.

Dylan J. Hanger, 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on May 10, 2022, to one count of murder in the second degree.

Hanger admitted that he met his estranged wife, Brittany Gorman, at the Buck Hollow Access Area, along the Jacks Fork River, within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Texas County, Mo., on May 20, 2020. An argument ensued, during which Hanger stabbed Gorman several times in the chest, which caused her death.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the Texas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Farley, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today on nine additional counts of producing child pornography, as well as additional counts of distributing and receiving child pornography.

Andrew J. McCardie, 35, was charged in a 13-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s superseding indictment includes the original two counts of producing child pornography and distributing child pornography over the internet, which were contained in a March 15, 2022, indictment. Today’s superseding indictment includes nine additional counts of producing child pornography, an additional count of distributing child pornography over the internet, and a new count of receiving child pornography.

McCardie, who was originally charged in a March 7, 2022, criminal complaint, remains in federal custody without bond until his trial.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, an FBI online covert employee from the Atlanta, Georgia, field office was in contact with McCardie on the Kik messaging application. McCardie allegedly claimed to be sexually abusing multiple children. During the chat, the affidavit says, McCardie claimed he had been producing child pornography at others’ request for a couple of years.

On March 5, 2022, McCardie allegedly sent the FBI employee two videos that depicted child sexual abuse. McCardie claimed that one of the videos, which appear to depict him sexually abusing a child, was taken the same day. He also sent a screen shot as evidence that it was a live video taken with the Kik application and previously sent to another Kik user.

On March 6, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at McCardie’s residence. The entry team attempted to take control of McCardie near the entrance of the residence but he resisted, initially holding a firearm as officers entered. McCardie was brought out into the yard, where he continued to resist before being handcuffed and placed under arrest. According to the affidavit, McCardie attempted to hide his iPhone in the bedroom closet, but officers found the phone and seized it in order to conduct a forensic investigation.

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 Kenneth W. Borgnino. It is being 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."  

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Weatherby Lake, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for falsely claiming ownership in a firm that fraudulently received hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts set aside for service-disabled veterans and certified minorities.

“So-called ‘Rent-A-Vet’ schemes often rely on the complicity of dishonest veterans to make the fraud seem credible,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “This defendant used his status as a minority and a service-disabled veteran to unfairly enrich himself and others at the expense of honest firms who actually qualified for hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts.”

Stephon Ziegler, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 12 months in federal prison without parole.

“Today’s outcome demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who manipulate the DoD procurement process in furtherance of personal interests,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory P. Shilling of the DCIS Southwest Field Office.  “We take these matters seriously and will continue to aggressively investigate fraud allegations involving DoD equities.”

“The Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General will continue to vigorously pursue contractors that defraud programs intended to benefit our nation’s veterans with disabilities,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office. “We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this joint investigation.”

On May 21, 2019, Ziegler pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Ziegler, an African-American service-disabled veteran, admitted that he falsely claimed to be the owner of Zieson Construction Company, a Missouri corporation whose primary business was obtaining federal construction contracts set aside for award to qualified small businesses. Zieson used Ziegler’s status to compete for federal contracts designated for businesses owned by service-disabled veterans and minorities.

In reality, Ziegler admitted, he did not control the day-to-day operations or the long-term decision making of Zieson. Ziegler signed Zieson checks when requested to do so, signed bids for government jobs when requested to do so, and served as a courier of checks and invoices when requested to do so. Patrick Michael Dingle, 51, of Parkville, Mo., and his co-conspirators set up, controlled, and operated Zieson, and received most of the profits from Zieson. None of the co-conspirators qualified as a minority nor a veteran.

When a site inspector for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs visited Zieson operations on Feb. 20, 2015, Ziegler appeared at the Zieson office in Riverside, Mo., even though he did not regularly use an office there, to create the illusion that he actually controlled Zieson. Ziegler denied Zieson’s affiliation with the co-conspirators who actually controlled Zieson when questioned by the site inspector. Ziegler told the Veterans Administration site inspector that he, Ziegler, operated seven different offices in three states, even though he knew that he did not in fact operate or control Zieson.

Between 2009 and 2018, Zieson was awarded approximately 199 federal contracts set aside for award to small businesses, minority-owned small businesses, and veteran-owned small businesses for which the government paid Zieson approximately $335 million.

Ziegler received approximately $434,383 as a result of his participation in the fraud scheme. From 2010 through 2018, Ziegler received approximately $114,670 in distributions, $242,713 in home renovations, and $77,000 as a down payment on his house. Additionally, Ziegler received $781,639 as his salary from 2010 through 2018.

Matthew C. McPherson, 46, of Olathe, Kansas, who was charged in a separate but related case, was sentenced on Jan. 5, 2022, to two years and four months in federal prison without parole. McPherson also has forfeited to the government $5,516,786, which represents his share of the fraud proceeds. On June 3, 2019, McPherson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and major program fraud.

McPherson’s co-conspirator, Patrick Michael Dingle,51, of Parkville, Mo., pleaded guilty on Sept. 13, 2020, and awaits sentencing. Dingle pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and major program fraud. Dingle also pleaded guilty, in a separate case, to one count of filing a false tax return.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Perkins Rock. It was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the U.S. General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; the Army Criminal Investigation Command, Major Procurement Fraud Unit; the Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General; IRS-Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Secret Service; the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Procurement Fraud; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Contract Audit Agency - Operations Investigative Support (OIS); the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and the Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – National Police Week is a week set aside to honor and remember law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty while serving in federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, and National Police Week is held annually to commemorate fallen officers. One of the events held during the week is the inclusion of the names of fallen officers on the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C.

This year, the names of 619 officers killed in the line of duty are being added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial. This number includes 472 officers who died in 2021 (319 were COVID-19 related), plus 147 officers who died in previous years and were verified to be line of duty deaths.

The fallen officers being memorialized include 10 members of the law enforcement community from Missouri. Three of these officers were from the Western District of Missouri: Officer Blaize Madrid-Evans, Independence Police Department, was shot and killed on September 15, 2021, during an encounter with an armed suspect; Sgt. John Bullard Jr., Independence Police Department, died on August 11, 2021, after presumably contracting COVID-19 at work; and Lt. Leslie Lentz, Missouri Department of Corrections, died on July 1, 2021, after being exposed to COVID-19 at work.

The names of these 619 officers will join the over 22,600 names already engraved on the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C. They will be formally dedicated during the 34th Annual Candlelight Vigil to be held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on May 13, 2022.  You can register and watch the Candlelight Vigil live by going to https://NLEOMf.org/RegisterCV.  

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was convicted by a federal trial jury today of stealing and illegally possessing a firearm.

Larry D. Bradley, 53, was found guilty of four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, stealing a firearm, possessing a stolen firearm, and receiving a firearm while under indictment for a felony. Bradley has been in federal custody since his arrest on July 9, 2021.

On March 20, 2020, officers with the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department were dispatched to a residence on a reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers located the victim who was suffering from an apparent gunshot wound on the floor of the residence. Officers learned that Bradley had discharged the firearm and fled from the residence with the firearm. With the assistance of a canine, they were able to find Bradley hiding inside a trailer. Bradley no longer had the firearm, so officers asked him where the firearm was located. Bradley led the officers to a tire where he had hidden the firearm. Bradley later admitted that he had taken the firearm from the victim a couple days before the shooting.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm. Bradley has prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery and second-degree robbery. It is also illegal for anyone who is under indictment for a felony to receive a firearm. At the time he stole the firearm, he was under indictment for the felony possession of methamphetamine.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., returned the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began on May 9, 2022.

Under federal statutes, Bradley is subject to a sentence of up to 35 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 Jeffrey Q. McCarther and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to her role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine.

Sonia Ornelas, 44, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Oct. 1, 2018, to Aug. 7, 2019.

A confidential source purchased 500.1 grams of methamphetamine from Ornelas for $3,500 during a controlled purchase on June 25, 2019.

On June 28, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ornelas’s residence. Detectives found approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine, 11 firearms, two cell phones, a video surveillance recorder, drug paraphernalia, and two drug ledgers. Detectives also found $27,248 in cash, which Ornelas must forfeit to the government ($2,460 of this was from the controlled purchase on June 25, 2019).

Ornelas told investigators she paid $25,000 twice a month since October 2018 for methamphetamine (approximately $450,000 over nine months). At a price of $7,000 per kilogram, this represents at least 65 kilograms of methamphetamine. A confidential source identified Ornelas as a source of methamphetamine from March to August 2019. During this time, the confidential source purchased one or two kilograms of methamphetamine from Ornelas twice a week, for a total of 44 kilograms of methamphetamine, and paid $7,000 per kilogram. The confidential source also traded several firearms for methamphetamine.

Ornelas is the second defendant to plead guilty in this case. Co-defendant Adam L. Ragsdale, 45, of Independence, Mo., was sentenced on Oct. 14, 2021, to 10 years and one month in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Gladstone, Mo., man who was injured in a shoot-out when his drug-trafficking customers tried to rob him has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana, including selling marijuana near a public school, and illegally possessing firearms.

Carreon L. Brown, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Tuesday, April 19, to 11 years and six months in federal prison without parole.

On Aug. 4, 2021, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, one count of distributing marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Brown admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana in Clay County, Mo., from Jan. 9, 2020, to Feb. 10, 2021. During that time, he was in possession of two firearms – a Glock .45-caliber handgun and a Glock 10mm handgun.

Undercover ATF agents purchased marijuana from Brown on several occasions. Three of those undercover purchases occurred in January 2020 at a residence near Golden Oaks Education Center, a public school for special education students. The investigation paused due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, and the agents did not conduct any additional undercover purchases in 2020.

When Brown met two individuals on Oct. 30, 2020, to sell marijuana, they attempted to rob him. Brown exchanged gunfire with one of the men as Brown fled. Both Brown and one of the customers sustained gunshot wounds during the exchange. During the investigation into that incident, Kansas City police officers found the Glock .45-caliber handgun in Brown’s apartment. According to court documents, the weapon was test-fired and entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which revealed presumptive matches to multiple firearm incidents, including an aggravated assault on April 26, 2020; an aggravated assault on May 1, 2020; a homicide on June 26, 2020; an aggravated assault on Sept. 8, 2020; and recovered shell casings on Oct. 29, 2020.

Given renewed concern that Brown was involved in firearm violence in the Kansas City metropolitan area, an undercover ATF agent purchased marijuana from Brown on three more occasions in February 2021. On Feb. 10, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Brown’s apartment. Officers found the loaded Glock 10mm handgun with an extended magazine and ammunition. Officers also found 20.64 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and $1,592 in cash.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man who confessed to trading 150 firearms for illegal drugs was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.

Kyle M. Vaughn, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to seven years in federal prison without parole.

On Oct. 5, 2021, Vaughn pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

A Greene County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy was conducting surveillance at a residence on Sept. 26, 2019. The deputy saw Vaughn, whom he knew was a convicted felon, arrive at the apartment with his girlfriend. Vaughn had two backpacks, camouflage body armor, and a Diamondback Firearms AR-15-type rifle.

When deputies searched the apartment, they found a loaded Walther semi-automatic firearm in a holster on the kitchen table. In the two backpacks that Vaughn was carrying, deputies found a disassembled American Arms .22-caliber handgun, a rifle scope, a full box of .223-caliber ammunition, and drug paraphernalia.

According to court documents, Vaughn admitted that he used methamphetamine earlier that day and recently sold six to nine ounces of methamphetamine. Vaughn also admitted that he frequently traded guns with other felons in exchange for drugs. Vaughn admitted that he had been in possession of approximately 150 firearms during his drug dealings.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Vaughn has an extensive criminal history for possessing illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, several instances of driving while intoxicated, assault and leaving the scene of an accident that arose from a DWI, tampering with a victim, felony domestic violence, unlawful use of a firearm, and traffic violations. At the time of this offense, Vaughn was under a criminal sentence and under court supervision for three different criminal cases in Greene County, Mo.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

 

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for enticing a 15-year-old victim to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Nathaniel Hibdon, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Hibdon to pay a $5,000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. Hibdon 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 Sept. 2, 2021, Hibdon pleaded guilty to one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Hibdon admitted that he met the 15-year-old victim on the Grindr application and communicated with him via Facebook Messenger. On at least two occasions in September 2018, Hibdon traveled to Kansas City, Kansas, to pick up the minor victim and bring him to Missouri to engage in illegal sexual activity. Law enforcement was alerted by a series of CyberTips made by Facebook to the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and Homeland Security 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 Sugar Creek, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm after fleeing on his motorcycle from a police officer.

William M. Peters, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Today’s sentence is the statutory maximum penalty for this offense.

On Sept. 2, 2021, Peters pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

A Sugar Creek, Mo., police officer attempted to stop Peters, who was driving a motorcycle, on Nov. 15, 2019. Peters attempted to flee by driving through yards and down embankments. Peters attempted to ram a locked gate, causing him to fall off the motorcycle. Peters then fled on foot.

The officer ordered Peters to stop running, at which point Peters stopped running and grabbed a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber handgun with a magazine and five rounds of ammunition from inside of his coat. As the officer drew his duty weapon, Peters threw the holstered firearm and was detained. The officer noted that Peter had a very strong odor of alcohol, but officers were unable to perform standard field sobriety tests due to his combative behavior. Officers searched Peters and found a baggie that contained .42 grams of methamphetamine and a glass smoking pipe. Peters admitted that he used methamphetamine every day and had bought one or two ounces of methamphetamine every day over the prior two months.

According to court documents, Peters also illegally possessed a stolen firearm on Nov. 17, 2020, and illegally possessed another firearm on June 18, 2021, both in Independence, Mo.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Peters has prior felony convictions for possessing a controlled substance and for distributing a controlled substance. At the time of his arrest in this case, Peters had an active Sugar Creek warrant for disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia and three felony Jackson County warrants for drug possession and assault.

This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Brackett. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Sugar Creek, Mo., Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

 

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and methamphetamine to distribute after trying to break into a car and a house.

Joel L. Redman, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 15, 2021, Redman pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Redman was arrested on Oct. 5, 2019, when Kansas City, Mo., police officers responded to a report of a suspicious prowler near 41st and Oak Street. A resident said Redman tried to get into their car, which was parked in front of their house, then came up to the house and pulled on the door handles. The door was locked and he did not get in. Redman was still near the house when police officers arrived.

Redman, who was sweating heavily and twitching, told officers he had recently smoked methamphetamine and was “tweaking pretty hard.” Redman was arrested for outstanding parole violation warrants from both paroles he was on in Missouri and Kansas. Officers searched Redman and found a clear plastic bag that contained 65 grams of pure methamphetamine. Officers also found a loaded Smith and Wesson semi-automatic pistol in Redman’s waistband. The pistol had been reported as stolen.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Redman has prior felony convictions for distributing heroin, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm following a brief armed standoff with police officers.

Jamahl D. Jones, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to one count of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Co-defendant Michael D. Moore, 32, pleaded guilty on March 4, 2021, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Jones and Moore were arrested on Aug. 17, 2020 following a brief standoff and foot chase. Officers who had been surveilling Moore followed him into a parking lot near 2310 E. 9th St., Kansas City, Mo., in order to arrest him on an outstanding state arrest warrant for robbery and armed criminal action. As officers drove into the parking lot with their red and blue lights flashing, Moore got out of Jones’s BMW SUV, took cover behind the vehicle, and drew a Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol from his waistband. Moore pointed his firearm directly at police officers as he attempted to take a position of cover behind his vehicle. Moore fled as additional police cars entered the parking lot, throwing away his handgun. Moore then laid on the ground about 15 feet away from the firearm, and was taken into custody. Officers recovered the firearm, which was loaded with 16 live rounds in the 16-round high-capacity magazine and one live round in the chamber. Officers identified the firearm as having been reported stolen.

Jones, who was standing beside the vehicle as officers approached, was also detained. Officers found marijuana in Jones’s front shorts pocket. Inside the vehicle, officers found a Sadarius 9mm semi-automatic handgun, which contained a magazine and 16 live rounds of ammunition with a live round in the chamber. Officers also found a box that contained 18 live rounds of 9mm ammunition, a 9mm handgun magazine, and a small safe that contained a 9mm handgun magazine and approximately 123 grams of marijuana.

Co-defendant Keona L. Johnson, 28, pleaded guilty on Jan. 18, 2022, to making a straw purchase of the Sadarius 9mm semi-automatic handgun. She falsely told a federally licensed firearms dealer that she was the actual buyer, when in fact, she purchased the handgun for Jones on the day of his arrest.

Jones also admitted that he and Moore were involved in a robbery a few weeks prior to his arrest.

On July 21, 2020, Moore approached a man who was putting oil in his car outside a gas station on East 39th Street, Kansas City, Mo. Moore approached him with a gun and ordered him to “empty your pockets.” Moore and another man stole approximately $140 and fled the scene. On July 29, 2020, police officers stopped Jones, who was driving a BMW SUV that was identified as involved in the robbery. Officers found a Masterpiece Arms 9mm pistol with a high-capacity extended magazine inside the vehicle, as well as 146 grams of marijuana packaged in multiple individual baggies in the driver’s side floorboard. This incident is the basis for the specific charges to which Jones pleaded guilty today.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Jones has two prior felony convictions for burglary, two prior felony convictions for tampering, and prior felony convictions for theft and possessing a controlled substance. Moore has a prior felony conviction for robbery.

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

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

Operation LeGend

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

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for methamphetamine trafficking after she received a large package of methamphetamine shipped from California to distribute locally.

Cassiopeia Marie Blaise, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to eight years in federal prison without parole.

Blaise pleaded guilty on Aug. 31, 2021, to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Co-defendant Bryan Patton Tullous, 39, of Columbia, was sentenced on Feb. 11, 2022, to 10 years and 11 months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

On April 26, 2019, law enforcement officers intercepted a package from California that had been shipped to the residence shared by Tullous and Blaise. The package contained approximately 5.6 pounds of methamphetamine in five individual packages that weighed approximately one pound (453 grams) each, for a total of 2.209 kilograms of methamphetamine. Officers conducted surveillance of the residence as the package was delivered to the front porch. Both Tullous and Blaise were outside; Blaise retrieved the package and took it inside the residence while Tullous was in a neighbor’s yard. Officers took both of them into custody and executed a search warrant of the residence. Officers found the opened package hidden under clothing at the foot of the bed in the master bedroom.

Officers also found a dozen firearms in various areas of the residence, including a loaded Smith & Wesson .380-caliber pistol laying near the package in the bedroom. In a safe in the garage, officers found a Mossberg .22-caliber rifle, a Snake Charmer 410 shotgun, a Browning .223-caliber rifle, a Bear River .38-caliber revolver, and a Charter Arms .38-caliber revolver. The Snake Charmer 410 shotgun had the stock cut off, making it useable as a pistol grip-type weapon.

Tullous admitted that he ordered the package and paid $12,000 for the methamphetamine.

This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the East Central Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a nearly $10 million conspiracy to distribute almost 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Michael B. Becher, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019.

By pleading guilty today, Becher admitted he was responsible for the distribution of at least 185 kilograms of methamphetamine. Becher also admitted that he purchased multiple pounds of methamphetamine on a daily basis.

Becher was arrested on Nov. 5, 2019, after he met a co-conspirator who was planning to travel on a private plane the same day to purchase 40 to 50 kilograms of methamphetamine in California. Becher paid his co-conspirator $1,000 to purchase methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers were conducting surveillance of the residence when they heard noises that sounded like firearms and people screaming. Officers entered the residence and arrested Becher and others.

Becher admitted that he had purchased 11 kilograms of methamphetamine from his co-conspirator in the prior two weeks, and had purchased two kilograms from a second source a week before his arrest. Becher paid $5,000 per kilogram for the methamphetamine and sold it for $6,300 per kilogram. Becher also admitted that in the past he had purchased four to five pounds of methamphetamine daily from a third source, and had once stolen 23 to 27 pounds of methamphetamine from that source. On one occasion, Becher said, he had more than 80 pounds of illegal drugs in his car.

Officers searched Becher’s BMW 650i and found approximately a half-pound (205.01 grams) of pure methamphetamine inside a grey backpack between the front seats of the vehicle. Becher told investigators the methamphetamine came from a fourth source, co-defendant Jesus Banuelos, Jr., 23, of Kansas City, Mo. Becher purchased one pound of methamphetamine from Banuelos the night before his arrest. Officers also found two plastic bags that contained a total of 1,547.06 grams of “imitation” methamphetamine, used as a cutting agent. Banuelos also has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

Officers searched a storage unit Becher rented and found two M20 Super Bazooka rockets, an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 5.56mm semi-automatic rifle with a magazine that contained 21 rounds of ammunition, a zip-lock bag that contained .1 gram of methamphetamine, and various rounds of ammunition.

Becher is among 15 defendants who have pleaded guilty in two separate indictments that resulted from this investigation.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and Becher agree to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. Becher must also pay a money judgment not to exceed $9,961,839, representing all of the proceeds obtained as a result of the drug-trafficking conspiracy. The forfeiture is based on a conservative street price of $2,300 for 226 grams (a half-pound) of methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of nearly 979 kilograms (978,859 grams) of methamphetamine. 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 Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man with an extensive history of violent crime was sentenced in federal court today for trafficking crack cocaine and illegally possessing a firearm.

Mitchell B. Byrd, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 30 years in federal prison without parole. Today’s sentence is an upward variance from the recommended federal sentencing guidelines, as advocated by the government due to his extensive criminal history involving drugs and firearms, including two murder convictions, and his involvement in three separate knife attacks while incarcerated in this case.

On Aug. 13, 2021, Byrd pleaded guilty to possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Detectives with the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department’s gang squad utilized a confidential informant to make a series of three controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Byrd in September 2018. Following the third transaction, on Sept. 20, 2018, officers executed a search warrant at a residence used by Byrd for drug trafficking. Officers found a loaded Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on a glass table in the living room, within reach of Byrd, who was the only occupant of the house. Officers also found a clear plastic bag on the table that contained approximately 2.9 grams of marijuana and $121 in cash.

On the mantel above the fireplace, detectives found a square plate with a razor blade and 4.865 grams of crack cocaine. Detectives found three cell phones in the living. In a bedroom, detectives found a bag that contained 36.595 grams of crack cocaine and $1,100 in cash.

The court found that Byrd breached the terms of his plea agreement by attempting to assault another inmate with a large knife. While in federal custody in this case, Byrd worked with two other inmates to attempt to kill an inmate by stabbing him at least 13 times. About a month later, Byrd and another associate of the 246 gang were involved in a stabbing incident with two other inmates. A few months later, he tried to stab another inmate. Byrd also threatened to kill or have someone kill two law enforcement officers who collected a DNA sample from him pursuant to a federal search warrant.

In 2018, one year after his early release from his state sentences for two murder convictions, Byrd was included in a rap video titled “Wit My Killas (in my feelings freestyle)” with several other 246 gang members who have been indicted in a separate case for drug trafficking, illegally possessing firearms and violent crimes. The song, which is about shooting and killing people who have issues with the gang, was posted on YouTube in July 2018.

In advocating for an upward variance in today’s sentence, the government noted that Byrd has also committed numerous crimes while he was on court supervision, and has an alarming record of probation violations, conduct violations while incarcerated, and committing new offenses while incarcerated.

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

Project Safe Neighborhoods

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for producing child pornography and distributing those images over the internet.

Dennis Tyler Murray, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

On Oct 25, 2021, Murray pleaded guilty to one count of using a child to produce child pornography and one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.

On Sept. 29, 2020, law enforcement officers received three CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after Google discovered multiple images of child pornography in Murray’s account. Murray had distributed the pornographic images of a 6-year-old victim to another user through Google Hangouts.

On Oct. 1, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Murray’s residence. Murray admitted he used his cell phone to take sexually explicit images of the child victim. Murray also admitted he sent some of those images through Google Hangouts. Officers seized Murray’s cell phone, which contained pornographic images of the child victim.

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

Project Safe Childhood

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Darrell Lynn Ferguson, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 13 years and one month in federal prison without parole.

On Oct. 6, 2021, Ferguson pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from March 12 to June 6, 2018. According to court documents, the conspiracy was responsible for distributing at least 32 pounds (14.15 kilograms) of methamphetamine.

Ferguson was arrested on June 6, 2018, in Apache County, Arizona. Ferguson was transporting approximately three pounds of methamphetamine and one pound of marijuana from California to Missouri. Ferguson was convicted in state court in Arizona and incarcerated for almost 31 months until he was transferred to federal custody in this case.

On April 12, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence of co-defendant Donnie Ray Overton, 60, of Springfield. Officers found approximately 646 grams of pure methamphetamine. Overton admitted that he originally purchased two pounds of methamphetamine from Ferguson and had sold half a pound. The methamphetamine had been delivered to him by co-defendant Laurita Jane Simmons, 37, of Springfield.

Overton and Simmons each have pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and await sentencing.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Apache County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Department.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Sedalia, Missouri, man has been sentenced in federal court for attempting to hire an undercover law enforcement agent to murder the victim in a pending statutory sodomy case.

Jon Mark Wilson, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on April 5, 2022, to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 28, 2021, Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of the use of interstate facilities (the use of a cell phone and crossing state lines) in the commission of murder for hire. Wilson admitted that he paid $2,000 to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to murder his alleged victim in a separate state case. Wilson has been charged in Pettis County, Mo., with two counts of felony first degree statutory sodomy in a case that is still pending.

Wilson solicited another person in January 2019 to arrange the murder for him so that he could avoid prosecution in the Pettis County case. That person contacted law enforcement authorities and helped arrange a meeting with Wilson and the undercover agent. Wilson agreed to hire the undercover agent to murder the intended victim. During that meeting, according to court documents, Wilson told the undercover agent he wished he could have the victim’s mother killed as well, but he did not have the money. Wilson said he hoped the victim’s mother would be so distraught over her child’s death that she would kill herself.

On Jan. 22, 2019, Wilson drove from Sedalia to Kansas City, Kansas, to meet with the undercover agent. Wilson paid the undercover agent $2,000, made arrangements to pay another $5,000 after the murder, and gave him a photo of the intended victim. Wilson also went into the Cabela’s store and purchased 25 shotgun shells for the undercover agent to use in the murder. When Wilson left the area, he was stopped and arrested by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Sedalia, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former corrections officer at the Jackson County Detention Center was sentenced in federal court today for taking bribes to smuggle illegal drugs to inmates of the facility.

Daniel Coach, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one year and two months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Coach to forfeit to the government $3,631, which represents the amount of proceeds he personally obtained as a result of the offense.

On Dec. 3, 2021, Coach pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to smuggle contraband into the Jackson County Detention Center and provide that contraband to inmates of the center from March 2020 to March 2021.

Coach admitted that, while he was employed as a corrections officer at the detention center, he took bribes to smuggle contraband into inmates at the center. Coach used the mobile phone application Cash App to accept the bribe payments for contraband. According to court documents, Coach successfully smuggled oxycodone, K2, fentanyl, Percocet, and ecstasy to inmates at the detention center.

On March 3, 2021, following a telephone conversation with an undercover police officer posing as an associate of an unindicted co-conspirator, Coach took a bribe of $100 in exchange for his promise to smuggle OxyContin pills to the unindicted co-conspirator, an inmate at the detention center.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. It was investigated by the FBI and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Blairstown, Missouri, woman was sentenced in federal court today for her role in a conspiracy to distribute substantial quantities of methamphetamine in the Henry County, Mo., area.

Vita P. Hurt, 67, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 13 years and two months in federal prison without parole.

On Aug. 11, 2021, Hurt pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of methamphetamine from March 1, 2015, to June 11, 2019. Hurt admitted that she obtained methamphetamine from various sources and distributed it in the Blairstown area. She reported dealing in quantities of more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.

Law enforcement officers searched Hurt’s residence on June 11, 2019, and found two plastic bags that contained 4.77 grams of methamphetamine in her purse. Officers found a jar in Hurt’s bedroom that contained 175.31 grams of a liquid that contained methamphetamine; Hurt said the jar contained acetone that she used to clean methamphetamine.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for distributing methamphetamine, carjacking, and illegally possessing firearms after leading officers on three high-speed vehicle pursuits.

Charles V. Bai, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 13 years in federal prison without parole.

On Oct. 13, 2021, Bai pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of willfully damaging federal property, two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, one count of carjacking, and one count of brandishing of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence.

On March 8, 2020, Bai fired three shots at a motorist on Highway 24 in Independence, Mo., during a road rage incident. The victim reported that Bai, driving a stolen Toyota 4Runner, pulled up beside the driver’s side of his/her truck, brandished a black handgun with an extended magazine, and fired three shots at him/her, striking the victim’s vehicle with all three rounds.

On March 11, 2020, federal agents with the U.S. Marshals Service attempted to apprehend Bai on a felony arrest warrant. Bai, still driving the stolen Toyota 4Runner, struck a Marshals Service vehicle and was able to elude law enforcement after a brief vehicle pursuit was terminated due to Bai traveling at excessive speeds.

On March 17, 2020, an Independence police officer spotted the Toyota 4Runner parked in the garage at Bai’s residence. The officer recognized the vehicle as the same vehicle Bai had been driving during the high-speed chase a few days earlier. When Bai left the residence driving the Toyota 4Runner, officers attempted to stop him but he fled and a pursuit was initiated.

The pursuit continued for several minutes at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour as Bai drove erratically, putting numerous motorists at risk, through Independence. The pursuit ended on Blue Ridge Cutoff at Interstate 70 after Bai’s vehicle was involved in a single car accident, rendering the vehicle inoperable. Bai fled on foot but was apprehended by officers. During the apprehension, law enforcement received an emergency call regarding a gun that was lying in the road on eastbound Interstate 70, outside of the center lane, west of Noland Road. An officer recovered the Ruger 9mm pistol with an extended magazine. The extended magazine of the handgun had been run over by passing motorists and approximately 26 9mm bullets were spread across Interstate 70. When officers searched the Toyota 4Runner they found four handgun magazines, 24 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and a handgun holster. Investigators also found Facebook messages from Bai offering the pistol for sale.

Bai told investigators after his arrest that he conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine. The conspiracy, which lasted from June 2019 to August 2020, distributed more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.

On July 14, 2020, Bai, along with co-defendants Destiny J. White, 33, of Blue Springs, Mo., and Kerri J. Seaboldt, 31, no address, carjacked a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro. White met the victim of the carjacking and rode with him in the Camaro as they were followed by Seaboldt in a separate vehicle. White directed the victim to an alleyway, where they met Seaboldt. White told the victim they were there to pick up Seaboldt because she was having an argument with her boyfriend. Seaboldt was on the phone with Bai and pretended to engage in an argument, as White and the victim waited. Meanwhile, Bai entered the alleyway, wielding a Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine. Bai pointed the handgun at the victim and ordered him to get out of the Camaro and leave his personal belongings. Bai then got into the driver’s seat and drove away.

Bai later fled from officers in the stolen vehicle, which he ultimately wrecked, then fled on foot. Officers were unable to apprehend Bai at that time.

White and Seaboldt have pleaded guilty to their roles in the carjacking and to using a firearm in a crime of violence, and await sentencing.

Bai was stopped by Kansas City police officers on Aug. 19, 2020. He was driving a 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, but was unable to provide a driver’s license or proof of insurance on the car. The license plate on the Monte Carlo was registered to another vehicle. Bai was issued a municipal summons and released. Officers prepared to have the car towed, but found a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol in the driver’s side door panel (in a cavity where a speaker had been removed). Officers determined the pistol had been stolen.

Officers then located Bai, who was driving another vehicle, and arrested him. Bai had a bag of 3.6 grams of methamphetamine in his front pants pocket and had been holding a box that contained items associated with drug distribution.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Operation LeGend

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Four Kansas City, Missouri-area men have been indicted for their role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in an overdose death.

Dmitry Cattell, 22, Joseph Burgess, 21, and Jordon Simmer, 20, all of Kansas City, Mo., and Kelton Hill, 22, of Parkville, Mo., were charged in a nine-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, April 5. That indictment was unsealed and made public following the arrests of all four defendants on Thursday, April 7. They remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on April 12, 2022.

The federal indictment alleges that all four defendants have participated in a conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl since Sept. 12, 2019.

In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, the indictment charges Cattell and Simmer with aiding and abetting each other to distribute fentanyl, the use of which caused the death of another person, on May 18, 2020. The victim of the fatal overdose is not identified in court documents.

Cattell is also charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm. Cattell allegedly was in possession of a Taurus handgun on Nov. 10, 2020.

Simmer, Burgess, and Hill each are also charged with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Brackett and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron Black and Mary Kate Butterfield. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Platte County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Kearney, Mo., Police Department, the Olathe, Kan., Police Department, and the Riverside, 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.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lafayette County, Missouri, business owner has pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to pay over nearly $2 million in payroll and employment taxes over a four-year period.

Sandra Eller, 59, of Napoleon, Mo., waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Thursday, April 7, to a federal information that charges her with failure to truthfully account for and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service the federal income taxes and payroll taxes withheld and owing to the government.

Eller has owned and operated three different medical billing and claims processing companies that operated in Oak Grove, Mo., and Grain Valley, Mo. Medical Revenue Solutions, LLC, had about 20 employees and operated until 2017. Claims Professionally Reviewed, LLC, had about 50 employees and operated until 2016. These companies merged into Soerries Coding and Billing Institute, Inc., which operated from 2016 through 2019. Eller was the president and chief executive officer of Soerries Coding and Billing Institute.

By pleading guilty, Eller admitted that she willfully failed to deposit the Federal Insurance Contributions Act and Medicare (FICA) taxes and income taxes that were withheld from her employees’ wages. Eller also admitted that she did not pay the employer portion of FICA.

Eller withheld the FICA taxes and income taxes, totaling $939,294, on 18 occasions from the first quarter of 2016 through the fourth quarter of 2019. Eller withheld payroll taxes from her employees’ paychecks; however, instead of forwarding those taxes to the government, she kept them for her business.

In addition, Eller owed the employer’s portion of the FICA taxes, unpaid federal unemployment taxes, employment tax due for the third quarter of 2019, and state tax withholdings that were not paid over, all of which total $1,051,699.

In total, Eller’s criminal conduct resulted in a tax loss of $1,990,993.

Under federal statutes, Eller 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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Springfield, Missouri-based nonprofit Preferred Family Healthcare will pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the state of Arkansas under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement announced today, which acknowledges the criminal conduct of its former officers and employees.

“Preferred Family Healthcare must relinquish the illegal profits it garnered from a wide-ranging fraud and bribery scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “Several former officers and employees are being prosecuted in separate criminal cases for their individual criminal conduct. This non-prosecution agreement holds the charity itself responsible for their actions as agents of the charity. Public tax dollars were stolen and misused in the course of this public corruption scheme, and through this agreement and these separate prosecutions, those dollars are being restored to the public coffers.”

“Employees of Preferred Family Healthcare used charitable organizations to illegally line their own pockets through fraud and bribery,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) “IRS-Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners will continue to work diligently to uncover large frauds designed to divert funds that were meant to help those in need of medical services. Preferred Family Healthcare has acknowledged that its former employees engaged in criminal activity and they are taking steps to make amends by forfeiting a sum of money to the federal government and paying restitution to the state of Arkansas.”

“The public should not suffer or be responsible for individuals who abuse their leadership positions out of greed for personal financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office. “It is never acceptable to embezzle and misappropriate funds, especially those that directly impact our health care system. As today’s announcement underscores, although the individuals directly involved are no longer with Preferred Family Healthcare, this organization is accepting responsibility for its employees’ actions.”  

“The misuse and misappropriation of millions of federally sourced funds, designated for employment training and behavioral healthcare services to the public, by former executives of Preferred Family Healthcare (PFH) is a gross abuse of the positions of trust they once held within the organization,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Steven Grell of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “These former executives failed the public and did a disservice to PFH employees by prioritizing their own personal benefit and financial gain over the public they served.  Today’s agreement demonstrates PFH’s willingness to take corrective actions regarding the criminal actions of former executives of the organization.” 

Preferred Family Healthcare provides a variety of services to individuals in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Illinois, including mental and behavioral health treatment and counseling, substance abuse treatment and counseling, employment assistance, aid to individuals with developmental disabilities, and medical services. Most of the charity’s funding is from appropriated federal funds – the largest portion being Medicaid reimbursement.

By signing the non-prosecution agreement, representatives of Preferred Family Healthcare admitted that former officers and employees of the charity engaged in a conspiracy to, amongst other criminal activity, embezzle funds from the charity and to bribe several elected state officials in the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate. As a direct result of these actions, Preferred Family Healthcare realized a financial benefit. Although Preferred Family Healthcare’s board of directors did not receive full or accurate information about these actions, the board, through lack of proper oversight, allowed its officers and employees to violate federal law.

Under the terms of the non-prosecution agreement, Preferred Family Healthcare will forfeit more than $6.9 million to the federal government and pay more than $1.1 million in restitution to the state of Arkansas related to the misuse of funds from the state’s general improvement fund.

Several former executives from the charity, former members of the Arkansas state legislature, and others have pleaded guilty in federal court as part of the multi-jurisdiction, federal investigation, including the following:

• Former Chief Executive Officer, Marilyn Luann Nolan of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty to her role in a conspiracy to embezzle and misapply the funds of a charitable organization that received federal funds. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

 

• Former Director of Operations and Executive Vice President Robin Raveendran, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

 

• Former executive and head of clinical operations Keith Fraser Noble, of Rogersville, Missouri., pleaded guilty to concealment of a known felony. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

 

• Former employee and head of operations and lobbying in Arkansas, Milton Russell Cranford, aka Rusty, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to one count of federal program bribery.

 

• Political Consultant Donald Andrew Jones, aka D.A. Jones, of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy from April 2011 to January 2017 to steal from an organization that receives federal funds.

 

• Former Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

 

• Former Arkansas State Representative Eddie Wayne Cooper, of Melbourne, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to embezzle more than $4 million from Preferred Family Healthcare. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

 

• Former Arkansas State Senator and State Representative Henry (Hank) Wilkins IV pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, and devising a scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive the citizens of the State of Arkansas of their right to honest services. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

 

As part of the federal investigation, the former chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the charity were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 29, 2019. They pleaded not guilty, and are awaiting trial, which is scheduled to begin on Oct. 3, 2022.

The separate criminal cases are being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Eggert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Kempf of the Western District of Missouri, Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich of the Western District of Arkansas, Senior Litigation Counsel Marco A. Palmieri and Trial Attorney Jacob Steiner with the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Mazzanti of the Eastern District of Arkansas.

 IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the Offices of the Inspectors General from the Departments of Justice, Labor, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) investigated the cases. This is a combined investigation with the Western District of Missouri, the Western District of Arkansas, the Eastern District of Arkansas, and the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice Criminal Division.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Lebanon, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today after a law enforcement officer noticed child pornography on his cell phone during a traffic stop.

Justin Barton, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Barton to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration and ordered Barton to pay $3,000 in restitution to each of his victims.

On Nov. 30, 2021, Barton pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography from Jan. 1, 2018, to Jan. 15, 2020. Barton is a registered sex offender after his 2017 court-martial for possessing and distributing child pornography while serving in the U.S. Army in the Republic of Korea.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol sergeant stopped Barton on Jan. 15, 2020, for having an inoperable license plate lamp. Barton provided the sergeant with proof of insurance by accessing his insurance card through his cell phone. As the sergeant handed the phone back to Barton, an image of a naked child appeared on the screen. Barton agreed to allow the sergeant to take the phone to patrol headquarters for further examination. Investigators then obtained a search warrant and found images and videos of child pornography on the phone.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol 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. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who sold an assault rifle and methamphetamine to an undercover federal agent has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing firearms.

Jacob Michael Richardson, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Tuesday, March 29, to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 15, 2021, Richardson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Richardson admitted that he met an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Aug. 10, 2020, to sell the agent methamphetamine and a firearm. When Richardson arrived at a local park on his four-wheeler, the agent saw him set his motorcycle helmet on the ground. A pistol was sitting inside the helmet. Richardson told the undercover agent he was a member of the United Aryan Brotherhood and had just gotten out of prison.

Richardson showed the undercover agent a photo of a firearm that appeared to be an assault rifle on his cell phone. A white Dodge Avenger driven by co-defendant Brian Michael French, 31, of Kansas City, Mo., then arrived to deliver the firearm, an AR-type privately made .223-caliber rifle with no serial number. However, when the undercover agent examined the rifle, it didn’t function. Richardson explained the firing pin was at his house, so they went to Richardson’s house. Richardson retrieved the firing pin and, as he and the undercover agent reassembled the firearm, French watched from a distance.

The undercover agent asked Richardson if he had another firearm for sale, and Richardson showed him a Springfield .40-caliber pistol. Richardson told the undercover agent he could also sell him PCP, cocaine, ecstasy, or marijuana. The agent paid Richardson $2,400 for the rifle with 29 rounds of ammunition and 22 grams of methamphetamine.

On Aug. 21, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Richardson’s residence. Officers found a Remington .22-caliber rifle and a Charles Daley 12-gauge shotgun in the bedroom. Also in the bedroom was a safe, which contained a Springfield .40-caliber pistol and approximately 296 grams of methamphetamine. Officers also found a pineapple-style grenade, five marijuana plants, various rounds of ammunition, and body armor.

Richardson told investigators he brokered approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine over the past year.

French pleaded guilty on Dec. 21, 2021, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and awaits sentencing.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Diamond, Missouri, man has been convicted at trial for the sexual exploitation of a child.

Terry Lee Miksell, 65, was found guilty on Tuesday, March 29, of one count of producing child pornography and one count of using the internet and a cell phone to induce a child to engage in sexual activity.

At the time of the offense, Miksell was employed as a counselor at a Purdy, Mo., drug treatment facility.

Facebook initiated two CyberTips in September 2019 after locating sexually explicit messages and images between Miksell and a 16-year-old victim. Miksell asked the child victim in Facebook Messenger chats to send him sexually explicit images and videos. She told investigators she sent those images and videos at his request. Miksell also sent pornographic pictures of himself to the child victim.

Officers executed a search warrant at Miksell’s residence on Jan. 16, 2020, and seized several devices, including a cell phone. The cell phone contained a pornographic video of the child victim.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for approximately 30 minutes before returning guilty verdicts on both counts to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, March 28.

Under federal statutes, Miksell is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 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 James J. Kelleher, Stephanie Wan, and 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."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man who was arrested after he drove two victims of an accidental shooting to the hospital emergency room has pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to illegally possessing firearms.

Jason Ruben Breedlove, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Monday, March 28, to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

After two people were shot at a residence in Butler, Mo., on Feb. 5, 2018, Breedlove drove the gunshot victims to the Bates County Memorial Hospital in Butler and dropped them off at the emergency room. Deputies of the Bates County Sheriff’s Department apprehended Breedlove and took him into custody the same day.

When deputies searched the residence where the shooting occurred, they found 25 grams of methamphetamine, which Breedlove admitted belonged to him, and a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol. An additional round of ammunition was found in Breedlove’s pants. Breedlove told investigators this was the pistol that had discharged and wounded the two shooting victims.

When deputies searched Breedlove’s vehicle, they found a Savage 6.5 Creedmoor caliber rifle and ammunition. The firearm had been reported as stolen.

Breedlove admitted that he purchased methamphetamine for others to distribute.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bates County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Butler, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.