Western District of Missouri

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Missouri, man who led law enforcement officers in a pursuit in Taney County, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing approximately six pounds of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Andrew R. Trammell, 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

A Christian County sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop Trammell, who was driving a Dodge Durango on Highway 65 near Highway EE, on June 6, 2019. Trammell refused to stop and led the deputy in a pursuit southbound on Highway 65 into Taney County. Trammell crashed the vehicle upon entering Branson, Mo., and fled on foot. He was apprehended by Branson police officers after a brief foot chase.

Officers searched the vehicle before towing it from the scene of the crash. Officers found a box on the floorboard between the front and back seats that contained approximately six pounds of methamphetamine and a large quantity of cash.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver and Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department; the Taney County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department; the Branson, Mo., Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, brother and sister were charged in federal court today with the armed robberies of two pizza delivery drivers, after a third suspect was killed during a shootout with police officers.

Samuel M. David, 18, and his sister Rochelle E. David, 22, were charged in a six-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Samuel and Rochelle David remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing.

Today’s criminal complaint charges each of the defendants together in one count of armed robbery, one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of kidnapping and one count of carjacking. Samuel David is also charged with one count of armed robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Samuel David participated in the robbery of two pizza delivery drivers at gunpoint. The second robbery, in which the affidavit says Rochelle David was involved, led to the carjacking and kidnapping of the victim driver. A third suspect in the robberies was fatally shot by police officers during a traffic stop.

The first robbery occurred on Oct. 18, 2020, when an employee of Domino’s Pizza was robbed at gunpoint by two men outside an apartment building at 4124 N.E. Davidson Road in Kansas City. One of the men pointed a handgun at the victim and the other man struck the victim twice in the face with a closed fist. They took cash and pizza from the victim, then went into the apartment building.

The second robbery occurred on Oct. 19, 2020, when an employee of Pizza Hut was robbed at gunpoint outside an apartment building at 4114 E.E. Davidson Road in Kansas City. The victim told investigators that one of the men had a teardrop tattoo under his right eye. The thieves demanded more money and ordered the victim to get into the driver’s seat of his/her vehicle. The two thieves then got into the front and rear passenger seats and demanded he victim drive them to a nearby gas station where there was an ATM. When they were unable to get cash from the ATM, one of the robbers stabbed the victim in his/her hand, causing it to bleed. They demanded the victim take them to his/her residence, where he/she lived with his/her parents, to get more cash. When they arrived at the victim’s residence, one of the men stayed with the parents who were in the living room and the other thief went with the victim to his/her room. The thief took a small safe from the victim, pushed or struck the victim, then both men left the residence.

On Oct. 23, 2020, police officers were conducting surveillance in the area where the armed robberies occurred in an effort to locate Rochelle David, who lived in the apartment building where the second robbery occurred, in connection with a homicide investigation. She was seen leaving the apartment building in a vehicle with Samuel David and Ennice Ross. Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in the area of Admiral and Tracy. During the stop, Ross fired upon officers, resulting in his death. Ross, who had a teardrop tattoo on his face, fit the description of one of the robbery suspects.

When Samuel David was taken into custody following the traffic stop, the affidavit says, investigators learned his telephone number was the same number used to order pizza in both of the armed robberies. Investigators also discovered a series of text messages between Rochelle and Samuel David allegedly related to the second robbery. 

The charges contained in this complaint 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 Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Wellington, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm following a shootout at an Independence, Mo., motel.

Randy K. McGaugh, 54, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

By pleading guilty today, McGaugh admitted that he was in possession of a Canik TP9 9mm semi-automatic handgun on Aug. 25, 2020. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. McGaugh has two prior felony convictions for resisting arrest, two prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, and prior felony convictions for domestic assault, burglary, and possession of a controlled substance.

According to court documents, the investigation began on Aug. 8, 2020, when Independence police officers responded to a shooting at the Truman Inn, 4048 S. Lynn Court Drive in Independence. McGaugh had been involved in a shootout with another person at the motel, identified in court documents as “R.C.,” witnesses told police officers. McGaugh had fired nine shots through the door of R.C.’s motel room, and R.C. had fired three shots through the door at McGaugh. McGaugh was no longer at the scene of the shooting when officers arrived. 

A confidential source provided information to law enforcement to locate McGaugh. On Aug. 25, 2020, police officers moved to apprehend McGaugh as he was getting out of a vehicle at an Independence residence. He ran toward a wooded area behind the house with officers in pursuit. After he ran into the wooded area, officers utilized a police service dog, which found McGaugh on the ledge of a creek bed under heavy, thick brush. Directly below the ledge where McGaugh was found, officers found the 9mm handgun, loaded with 18 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.

Under federal statutes, McGaugh 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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Caleb J. Aponte, who is a cross-designated prosecutor from the Missouri Attorney General’s office as part of the Safer Streets Initiative to combat violent crime. It was investigated by the Independence, 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.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Monett, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy that distributed more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine in southern Missouri.

Eric Eugene Akins, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 12 years in federal prison without parole.

On Jan. 21, 2020, Akins pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene, Barry, Lawrence, and Howell Counties from May 10 to Dec. 19, 2018. Akins obtained at least 10 pounds of methamphetamine from co-defendant Damian Arreola-Chico, 30, of Purdy, Mo., which he then distributed to others. Investigators determined that the methamphetamine involved in the conspiracy was of high purity, some as much as 99 percent pure.

Law enforcement officers searched a storage shed Akins rented on Aug. 7, 2018, where they found a backpack that contained a total of 134.06 grams of methamphetamine. Akins told investigators the methamphetamine had been fronted to him by Arreola-Chico and that he owed $5,000 for it. According to court documents Akins bragged to investigators that he was distributing methamphetamine to “half the town.”

At the time of the offense, Akins was on state probation after his fifth conviction for possessing a controlled substance. Akins also has prior felony convictions for burglary, forgery, non-support, stealing, and distribution of a controlled substance.

Akins is the final defendant to be sentenced in this case. Four co-defendants also have pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Arreola-Chico was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Maleana Lee Willhite, 40, of Verona, Mo., was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison without parole. Michael Eugene Handshy, 40, of Billings, Mo., was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Michael Shae Rhoads, 29, of Monett (who also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug-trafficking conspiracy) was sentenced to six years in federal prison without parole.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Sarff. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, COMET (the Combined Ozarks Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement Team), the Monett, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Howell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the West Plains, Mo., Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for video recording his sexual abuse of a 15-year-old victim.

Daren Watts, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Watts 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 June 17, 2020, Watts pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of a child.

According to court documents, the investigation began on June 28, 2018, when Springfield police officers responded to the sexual assault of a 15-year-old victim, whose mother had identified Watts to a Children’s Division caseworker. Both the victim and Watts admitted to juvenile authorities that they had engaged in sexual intercourse.

Law enforcement received a Cybertipline Report from Facebook, reporting that Watts had sent messages to the victim soliciting nude photographs. When investigators searched the contents of his Facebook account, they found 20 videos of Watts engaged in sexual acts with the victim. There were also multiple messages exchanged between Watts and the victim discussing their sexual encounters.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, 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 convicted by a federal trial jury today of illegally possessing a firearm.

Roy L. Norey, 38, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence during the trial indicated that Norey was in possession of an AA Arms 9mm semi-automatic pistol and ammunition on Jan. 3, 2019. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Norey has prior felony convictions for manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number.

Springfield police officers executed a search warrant at Norey’s apartment on Jan. 3, 2019, as part of a drug-trafficking investigation. Officers found the loaded pistol in the top drawer of a nightstand and a shoebox on his bed that contained both .38 and .40-caliber ammunition. Officers also found a digital scale and baggies, consistent with drug trafficking, and $16,000.

At the time of the search, Norey was driving a Chrysler 300 on West Battlefield and was stopped by a Springfield police officer because he did not have a valid driver’s license.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for 55 minutes before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, ending a trial that began Monday, Oct. 26.

Under federal statutes, Norey 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 Jessica R. Sarff and Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by Springfield, Mo. Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

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. – The owner of a Cassville, Missouri waterslide attraction has pleaded guilty in federal court to making a false tax return.

Jerry Don Beebe, 67, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Monday, Oct. 26, to one count of making a false tax return.

Beebe owned and operated Beebe’s Roaring River Waterslide in Cassville during the investigation from 2015-2018. By pleading guilty today, Beebe admitted that he filed false federal income tax returns for tax years 2015 to 2018 because he did not want to pay additional taxes.

According to his plea agreement, Beebe was interested in selling his business and met with an undercover federal agent, posing as a potential buyer, on two occasions in October 2018 and June 2019. During the meetings, Beebe showed the undercover agent records documenting the business’s true gross receipts, which differed from what Beebe reported on his federal tax returns. Beebe’s records showed gross receipts of $135,282 for 2017 (when Beebe only reported $24,535 on his tax return) and gross receipts of $145,451 for 2018 (when Beebe only reported $29,172 on his tax return). Beebe told the undercover agent that he destroyed his records for 2015 and 2016, but stated he had gross receipts of at least $70,000 for each of these years. 

Beebe admitted that he routinely destroyed his business records. Beebe told the undercover agent that he was in “the mode of secrecy.”  When showing the undercover agent his 2017 and 2018 records, Beebe said he was “gun shy” and wouldn’t have these records much longer. However, the records were recovered during the execution of search warrants at Beebe’s business and residence on July 18, 2019. Beebe also dealt in large amounts of cash, and told the undercover agent that he paid everything in cash that he could.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Beebe must pay $70,824 in restitution to the federal government and the state of Missouri for $50,966 in unpaid federal taxes from 2015 to 2018, $6,626 in unpaid Missouri income taxes from 2015 to 2018, and $13,232 in unpaid Missouri sales taxes from 2015 to 2018.

Under federal statutes, Beebe is subject to a sentence of up to three 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 Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Missouri Department of Revenue – Criminal Tax Investigation Bureau.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – United States Attorney Tim Garrison announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Alan T. Simpson will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 3, 2020, general election. Simpson has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the Western District of Missouri, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

“We will protect the right of every citizen to vote in a free and fair election, and preserve the integrity of the election process,” Garrison said. “I invite any citizen with concerns or information about election interference or election fraud to contact my office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division. Our District Election Officer will be on duty as long as the polls are open on election day to receive and respond to those concerns.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).

In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on Nov. 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Simpson will be on duty in this district while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at 816-426-3122.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online at https://www.tips.fbi.gov.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former Aurora, Missouri, business owner was sentenced in federal court today for a series of fraud schemes totaling more than $30 million.

“This white-collar thief maintained his lavish lifestyle by stealing millions of dollars from his clients, partners, and lenders to build expensive homes, buy luxurious cars, and take numerous vacations,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “This theft occurred not once or twice, but repeatedly over several years through a series of fraud schemes. Even after being indicted, while free on bond awaiting trial, he brazenly continued to engage in criminal fraud. Today he is being held accountable for the extensive financial damage his greed wreaked upon his victims.”

Russell Grundy, 51, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, formerly of Aurora, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to eight years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Grundy to pay $14,847,451 in restitution to his victims.

“The elaborate multi-million dollar fraud schemes and false information provided on numerous documents by Mr. Grundy resulted in significant harm to his business partner, a significant client and multiple financial institutions, all of which violate the public trust,” said Adam Steiner, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “Today’s sentence demonstrates the government’s determination to restore and ensure that trust. Moreover, IRS Criminal Investigation, along with law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals like Mr. Grundy.”

On Jan. 30, 2020, Grundy pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of making a false statement on a loan application, and one count of money laundering. According to court documents, Grundy’s multiple schemes to defraud financial institutions, a Native American Tribe, and his former clients, potentially totaled more than $30 million and resulted in nearly $15 million in actual losses.

Grundy was the owner of several companies that focused on advanced technologies, ranging from software development to computer security to addressing the software and hardware technological needs of its clientele. Grundy’s companies included Innovative Objects, LLC, PILR Technology, LLC, Choice Technologies, LLC, Wyerless, LLC, and Audio Input, LLC.

Land O’Lakes/Nutra Blend Fraud Scheme

Grundy (through his company Innovative Objects) was contracted by Land O’Lakes, Inc., and its subsidiary, Nutra Blend, LLC, from January 2004 to Sept. 27, 2015, to create propriety software to inventory, track, and coordinate the shipping of products. Grundy also contracted with Land O’Lakes and Nutra Blend to provide equipment and technical support for the use, upkeep, and maintenance of the software.

Grundy falsely told Land O’Lakes and Nutra Blend that third party software programs were built into that proprietary software and were essential to the successful operation of the software. Grundy claimed that some of the payments made to Innovative Objects were remitted to third party license holders. In reality, there were no third party licensee fees; instead, Grundy kept those payments for his personal or unrelated expenses.

Land O’Lakes and Nutra Blend paid more than $1.8 million in fraudulent license fees between 2012 and 2015.

Miami Nations Enterprise Fraud Scheme

Grundy engaged Miami Nations Enterprise, a subsidiary company of the Miami Nations Tribe, in negotiations to provide loans and to purchase a controlling interest in all of Grundy’s technology-based companies.

Grundy falsely told Miami Nations Enterprise that his companies had been awarded a $3.5 million contract from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., to develop and provide information technology services. Grundy presented numerous e-mails, invoices, conditional award letters, and other documents to support his false claims. Miami Nations Enterprise loaned Grundy the money to cover the costs associated with software and hardware purchases and training necessary to obtain the $3.5 million Wal-Mart contract. Grundy admitted today that he instead used those funds for his own personal expenses, including building a new home in Charleston, South Carolina.  

On Aug. 24, 2014, Miami Nations Enterprise paid an additional $2 million to purchase a 70 percent interest in Grundy’s companies.

Officials with Miami Nations Enterprise later discovered that neither Grundy nor any of his companies had been awarded any contract with Wal-Mart, and determined that the e-mails, conditional contract award, invoices, and bank deposits Grundy had used to support his claims were fraudulently created. Miami Nations Enterprise officials advised that had they been aware of Grundy’s misrepresentations, they would never have purchased any portion of Grundy’s companies or leant him millions of dollars as requested to meet the specifications for an information security program that never existed. Based on records from the financial institution, as well as the numerous misrepresentations made by the defendant, Miami Nations Enterprise transferred a total of $8,010,000 to Grundy.

False Information on Loan Application

Grundy applied for three loans from UMB Bank on Oct. 17, 2014. Grundy specifically admitted that he fraudulently obtained a $5,440,800 loan by providing false information in the loan application. Grundy also submitted a “Change in Terms Agreement” that effectively allowed him to refinance an existing loan based on the information he provided to the bank. The total amount of the loans and “change in terms agreement” fraudulently obtained by Grundy was more than $12 million. After the sale of the seized land and warehouses built with the fraudulently obtained loans, UMB officials have reported a remaining final loss of $4,214,126 after the sale of those assets.

Grundy falsely claimed that Land O’Lakes had agreed to a 20-year lease for warehouse space that he wanted to build using the loans he sought from the bank. Based on lease agreements provided to UMB Bank officials, Grundy claimed he would receive $18 million in future income.

Grundy admitted that he grossly exaggerated the amount of money to be paid by Land O’Lakes in order to obtain the loans from UMB. Rather than one lease agreement between Grundy and Land O’Lakes to rent the warehouses, there were two lease agreements. One lease agreement was for three years at an amount far less than claimed by Grundy. The second lease agreement was a “month-to-month” lease agreement at an even smaller amount. In reality, the true and accurate leases signed and approved by Land O’Lakes only guaranteed Grundy $540,000 in income.

Additional Financial Frauds

After being indicted by a federal grand jury, Grundy was granted bond over the objections of the government. During his pretrial release, according to court documents, Grundy committed two additional known financial frauds.

Grundy contracted with an individual for the creation of a mobile app, for which he was paid $13,230 up front. The app was never completed but Grundy refused the victim’s request for a refund. As a result of this incident, the government moved to have his bond revoked. The court chose not to revoke his bond but did specifically state that Grundy defrauded the victim.

A few months later, Grundy again made false statements on loan documents to Palmetto State Bank in South Carolina in an attempt to fraudulently obtain yet another loan. Grundy vastly overstated his assets and income in order to obtain a loan. But for the diligent efforts of bank officials, Grundy’s fraud and false documents would have resulted in losses that would have amounted to $75,000. Grundy surrendered his bond and was taken into federal custody.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Carney and Casey Clark. It was investigated by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FDIC-Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Mexico, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing stolen firearms taken during the burglary of Tiger Pawn Shop in Columbia, Mo.

Tyler Andrew Hilderman, 27, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. to one count of possessing stolen firearms and one count of stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer.

Co-defendant Alexander Mears, 21, of Columbia, Mo., pleaded guilty on July 14, 2020, to possessing stolen firearms. Mears admitted that he and Hilderman stole 65 firearms during the burglary of Tiger Pawn Shop in September 2019.

According to Mears’s plea agreement, he and Hilderman made a hole in the building’s wall in order to enter the pawn shop. Mears handed the firearms through the hole in the building wall to Hilderman, who remained outside. 

Hilderman received one pistol from the burglary, a Springfield Armory .45-caliber pistol. He was supposed to receive half the proceeds from the sale of the remainder of the firearms. The pistol was found by law enforcement officers who executed a search warrant at a residence in Cooper County, Mo. The occupant of the residence told officers he purchased the gun from a woman, who in turn said she obtained the gun from Hilderman.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms, including purchasing firearms advertised on the internet, and of stalking two female victims associated with massage parlors in Kansas.

“This armed and dangerous criminal, with a history of stalking and violence toward women, will spend the rest of his life in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison.

Robert J. Gross, 69, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 35 years in federal prison without parole.

On May 15, 2019, Gross was found guilty at trial of two counts of stalking victims across state lines, three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and three counts of receiving a firearm while under indictment.

Gross was under investigation in 2017 for destroying property and harassing and stalking four women associated with massage parlors in Kansas, which led to him being placed under surveillance by law enforcement. While under surveillance in December 2017, Gross purchased handcuffs and other items from a surplus store, visited a gun show twice, and purchased two shotguns from a private seller advertising on the internet.

In October 2017, Gross visited the Tea Spa Massage in Lawrence, Kan., where he was asked to leave by the employee. Gross took all of his clothes off and walked around the business completely naked, harassing and threatening the employee. The video and audio surveillance show Gross grabbing and groping the employee, who eventually fled the store and flagged down a passing man for assistance in getting Gross out of the business. Gross got dressed and left the business.

Law enforcement investigators began surveillance of Gross after these incidents.

On Dec. 2, 2017, officers saw Gross purchase four sets of handcuffs, two black shirts with “SECURITY” written on them with badges on the front, and two balaclavas (a garment used to conceal facial identity) from a surplus store in Kansas City, Kan. The manager of the business told investigators that Gross had purchased two sets of handcuffs the week before.

On Dec. 16, 2017, officers saw Gross inquiring about the purchase of firearms at the Kansas City Gun Show located at the KCI Expo Center. Gross picked up and handled a 9mm Velocity “Uzi”-type firearm with an empty 30-round magazine at one of the booths. The dealer at the booth told investigators that Gross, who approached his booth multiple times throughout the day, had asked about purchasing up to three firearms. The next day, Gross visited the gun show again and was seen inquiring about the purchase of firearms. Gross visited a different booth, where he picked up a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun.

At that time, Gross was a convicted felon and also under indictment in the state of Kansas for aggravated sexual battery. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony, or who is under indictment, to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Gross has prior federal felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and interstate transfer of a stolen firearm. He also has prior state felony convictions for making terroristic threats and burglary. The state convictions in Kansas stem from breaking into the house of a former girlfriend and stealing a .380-caliber firearm. He threatened to rape and torture the former girlfriend and her sister, to cut off her sister’s head and leave it on her bed, and to burn down her house.

On Dec. 22, 2017, Gross returned to the surplus store in Kansas City, Kan., and was observed purchasing four more sets of handcuffs and a balaclava. Gross also asked about purchasing a bulletproof vest.

On Dec. 22, 2017, officers observed Gross purchase two shotguns from an individual in the parking lot of the Lowe’s Home Improvement store in Liberty, Missouri. Gross first drove to the Pizza Ranch parking lot, where he removed the license plate from the front of his car. The rear license plate had been removed as well. Then Gross drove to the nearby Lowe’s store, where he was met by an individual driving a white pickup truck. The unidentified individual sold Gross two shotguns, which he handed to Gross from his truck. As Gross was putting two shotguns in the trunk of his car, officers arrested him for being a felon in possession of firearms.

The individual who sold the shotguns to Gross told investigators that Gross called him the day before, after seeing the Savage 12-gauge shotgun and Winchester 12-gauge shotgun advertised for sale on a website. Gross told him he wanted to buy the two shotguns for $350 and they arranged to meet at Lowe’s to conduct the sale.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jess Michaelsen and Alison D. Dunning, with cooperation from the Platte County, Mo., Prosecutor’s Office. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Olathe, Kan., Police Department, the Lawrence, Kan., Police Department, and the Douglas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The owner of the Rockstar Burgers restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, is among 18 defendants indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute more than 150 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 10 kilograms of heroin, valued at more than $1.7 million. Most of the defendants are also charged with illegally possessing firearms.

Rockstar Burgers owner Brian Douglas Smith, 42, Kamel Mahgub Elburki, 32, Ashley Brooke Clevenger, 38, Rachel Gale Simpson, 37, Daniel Jessie Ruiz, 36, Matthew John Fabulae, 31, and Ian Lee Cook, 27, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Cory Matthew Jobe, 28, of Independence, Mo.; Mary Ruth Craft, 42, of Gladstone, Mo.; Tayler Charles Jones, 26, of Liberty, Mo.; Ashley Anne Fries, 23, of Riverside, Mo.; Justin Ren’e Ramirez, 24, of Bolivar, Mo.; James Russell Schroeder, 47, of Marshfield, Mo.; Michael Paul Lambert, 43, of Hartville, Mo.; Seth Alan Turbyfill, 31, of Chillicothe, Mo; Amy Leann Nieman, 49, of Moorseville, Mo.; and Richard Dean Saettone II, 39, and Megan Elizabeth (Lawson) Jackson, 27, addresses unknown, were charged in a 25-count superseding indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 30, 2020. 

The indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of several defendants, including Smith. This superseding indictment replaces the original indictment returned on Dec. 12, 2019, and includes eight additional defendants and additional charges.

The federal indictment alleges that all 18 defendants participated in a conspiracy from Jan. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2020, to distribute more than 150 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 10 kilograms of heroin. All of the defendants are also charged in a money-laundering conspiracy involving the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

In addition to the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies, Elburki, Jones, Simpson, Jobe, Ramirez, Ruiz, Fabulae, Saettone, Craft, Schroeder, Lambert, and Jackson are charged together in one count of possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one kilogram or more of heroin to distribute.

Smith, Elburki, Jones, Jobe, Ramirez, Ruiz, Fries, Fabulae, Saettone, Craft, Turbyfill, and Nieman each also is charged with illegally possessing firearms in connection with their drug-trafficking crimes.

Elburkie, Jones, Jobe, Fries, Fabulae, Saettone, Craft, Turbyfill, and Nieman each also is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Ramirez, Ruiz, and Fabulae each also is charged with being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms and ammunition.

The federal indictment also contains forfeiture allegations, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government all property derived from the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy, including a money judgment of $1,745,000. This sum, in aggregate, was received in exchange for, or is traceable thereto, the unlawful distribution of more than 150 kilograms of methamphetamine, based on an average street price of $250 per ounce, and the unlawful distribution of more than 10 kilograms of heroin, based on an average street price of $1,200 an ounce.

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 Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff's Department.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Liberty, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court with illegally possessing firearms.

Aaron S. Calton, 43, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, Oct. 2, with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Calton remains in federal custody without bond.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Calton sold 3.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential law enforcement source for $100 on Aug. 23, 2020. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Calton’s residence on Oct. 1, 2020. As Calton attempted to flee from the residence, the affidavit says, he threw a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol into the woods near the residence. Calton was taken into custody and the pistol was recovered. Another man who fled on foot was apprehended and a woman at the residence was also taken into custody. Officers seized 15 grams of methamphetamine and a sawed-off Mossberg pump action 20-gauge shotgun from the residence.

Calton had also been arrested while in possession of a firearm on April 6, 2020, during an investigation into his alleged plan to assault a Branson, Missouri, woman whom he believed had stolen a large quantity of methamphetamine from him. The intended victim, according to the affidavit, told law enforcement that Calton threatened to shoot her in the legs and break out all of her teeth in an attempt to compel her to say where the stolen methamphetamine was located.

Calton was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by a sergeant with the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Interstate 49 on April 6, 2020. The sergeant searched the vehicle and found a loaded Ruger .380-caliber pistol on the floorboard of the front passenger seat, where Calton had been seated. Calton also had six additional .380-caliber rounds of ammunition in his pocket.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Calton has prior felony convictions for burglary/stealing and assault.

The charges contained in this complaint 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 D. Michael Green. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Liberty, Mo., Police Department, the Clay County Drug Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

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 who worked as a teacher in China has pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually exploiting one of his former students by attempting to blackmail her into sending him pornographic images.

Curtis J. Baldwin, 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Monday, Oct. 5, to one count of the sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.

Baldwin worked as an English language teacher in China for EF Education First. Baldwin left his employment at the company on Nov. 20, 2019. After he returned to Springfield, he contacted a 12-year-old former student, identified in court documents Jane Doe, via the WeChat application. Baldwin told Jane Doe he had video footage that showed her engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and threatened to post the video on the internet unless she sent him images and a video of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Jane Doe’s father saw the WeChat messages and contacted authorities at the language school, who relayed the information to the FBI for investigation.

On March 10, 2020, federal agents executed a search warrant at Baldwin’s residence. Multiple items were seized, including Baldwin’s Apple MacBook Pro, which contained files of child pornography, including multiple videos of minor Chinese females engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Under federal statutes, Baldwin is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up a sentence of 50 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime 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 was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm after firing a stolen pistol into the air toward traffic on Interstate 70 near the sports complex.

Adrian Milligan, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 17 years in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 18, 2019, Milligan pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that he was in possession of a Kahr 9mm semi-automatic pistol on April 13, 2018.

Kansas City police officers were dispatched to Arrowhead Inn, 6006 E. 31st Street, at 3:18 a.m. on April 13, 2018. A 911 call reported two men and a woman shooting a pistol in the air in the parking lot. Milligan was shooting in the direction of the nearby Interstate 70, which placed motorists in danger as well as motel guests, employees, and other individuals in the area. When officers arrived, they contacted three individuals, including Milligan. Milligan had the pistol, which had been reported stolen, in his left pant pocket. He also had three 9mm rounds of ammunition in his pocket.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Milligan has prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, assault on a law enforcement officer, possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute, unlawful use of a weapon, distributing a controlled substance near a school, and two prior felony convictions for trafficking.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mathew Moeder. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

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, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms following a three-vehicle collision in which he struck and killed another motorist while fleeing from a gunfight.

Keith L. Carnes, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 5, 2019, Carnes was found guilty at trial of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.

On Aug. 30, 2016, Carnes was in a gunfight near the 3600 block of Wabash Avenue in Kansas City, Mo. During the gunfight, his handgun jammed and he was shot numerous times. Carnes, who was high on marijuana, cocaine, and phencyclidine, fled the area of the gunfight at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour and ran a red light, crashing into a pickup truck, which led to a multiple vehicle accident.

Kansas City police officers responded to the accident at the intersection of 63rd Street and Prospect Avenue. Three vehicles were involved in the accident, including a 2008 Pontiac G6 driven by Carnes. Video evidence introduced during the trial demonstrated that the Pontiac, which had multiple bullet holes in the driver’s side doors, was traveling southbound on Prospect Avenue at a high rate of speed and failed to stop for the red traffic signal. The Pontiac struck a Dodge Ram, which was westbound on 63rd Street, killing the 24-year-old driver and causing it to strike a Nissan Quest and a pole on the southwest corner of the intersection. 

Carnes, who had blood on his t-shirt, told officers, “I have been shot, I know I have been shot.” Police officers broke a window in the Pontiac so they could reach Carnes and provide medical assistance. Officers saw a bag of marijuana and a Bersa Thunder .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun on the driver’s side floorboard. The handgun had blood on it. Carnes was transported by emergency medical service to an area hospital for treatment. According to court documents, lab reports from the hospital confirmed that Carnes had marijuana, cocaine and phencyclidine in his system. The driver of the Dodge Ram was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Evidence introduced during the trial indicated Carnes had used the same Bersa Thunder .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun in a shooting on Aug. 16, 2016, in the 3600 block of Wabash Avenue. The victim of that shooting positively identified Carnes in a photographic lineup as the person who fired four shots at him. Officers recovered shell casings from the scene of the shooting and a forensics expert later confirmed they were fired by the same firearm found in Carnes’ vehicle on Aug. 30, 2016.

Carnes had also been arrested for driving while intoxicated following a traffic stop on Feb. 10, 2013. Kansas City police officers stopped Carnes, who was driving a Jeep Liberty, when radar indicated Carnes was driving 54 miles per hour in a 35-miles-per-hour zone. Officers, who smelled a strong odor of marijuana in the vehicle, found a loaded Glock .45-caliber pistol in Carnes’ waistband.

While being detained without bond and awaiting trial, according to court documents, Carnes assaulted a corrections officer.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony, or who is an unlawful user of a controlled substance, to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Carnes has prior felony convictions for an assault in which he shot two persons and for possession of a controlled substance.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford and Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm.

Paris B. Young, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

On Feb. 12, 2020, Young was found guilty at trial of possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Kansas City, Mo., police officers stopped Young on June 16, 2018, because he failed to signal while making a turn at the intersection of 41st and Garfield Avenue in Kansas City. Young, who was driving a maroon BMW 650i, was seen making furtive movements by leaning towards the center console of the vehicle and placing items inside the center console. Young opened his car door and got out of the vehicle; he refused to listen to multiple commands by the officers to get back into the vehicle. While speaking with the officers, Young suddenly pushed off of one officer and began to run. The officer grabbed Young’s shirt and Young was immediately taken into custody.

Officers searched Young’s car and found a Taurus .45-caliber revolver, with an obliterated serial number, underneath the driver’s seat. The revolver was loaded with three .45-caliber Colt rounds of ammunition and two 410 shotgun shells in the cylinder. Officers also found a large plastic bag that contained 46 individually wrapped bags of crack cocaine, with a total weight of 12.49 grams, and 4.38 grams of marijuana in the center console of the vehicle.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Young has prior felony convictions for murder, armed criminal action, possessing a controlled substance, and two prior felony convictions for distributing a controlled substance.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Q. McCarther and 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
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 has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine.

Ronald A. Stone, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Friday, Sept. 25, to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

On May 16, 2019, Stone pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Missouri, from March 30 to Aug. 30, 2017. Stone also pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine to distribute and to possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Springfield police officers executed a search warrant at Stone’s residence on March 30, 2017, and seized a Hi Point 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Crown Royal bag that contained rounds of 9mm ammunition, and 7.61 grams of methamphetamine.

Officers executed another search warrant at Stone’s residence on Aug. 19, 2017, and seized a distributive amount of methamphetamine, a loaded Taurus .39-caliber revolver, a loaded Vega .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, and $5,661.

On Aug. 29, 2017, a confidential informant reported that Stone was preparing to travel to the Kansas City area to buy methamphetamine. DEA agents conducted surveillance of Stone as he traveled to Peculiar, Missouri, where he met an unknown man in a Denny’s parking lot. During his return trip to Springfield, Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers stopped the vehicle and conducted a search. They seized three large bags that contained a total of approximately 6.8 pounds of methamphetamine.

Stone is the second defendant to be sentenced in this case. Co-defendant Carol A. Hardy, also known as Carol A. Johnson, 51, also pleaded guilty to her role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and was sentenced on Dec. 14, 2018, to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hardy’s residence and found 1.766 kilograms of methamphetamine in a safe on the floor of a bedroom closet.

Co-defendant Richard G. Wacker, 61, pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and awaits sentencing. Wacker admitted that he traveled to Kansas City on several occasions to purchase a half-pound of methamphetamine. After making two trips with Stone, according to Wacker’s plea agreement, Stone began making the trips to Kansas City without Wacker every two to three days. Stone purchased two pounds on each trip, one pound for himself and one pound for Wacker.

Two days after Stone’s arrest, Wacker drove from Kansas City to Oklahoma City, where he purchased five kilograms of methamphetamine for $45,000. Wacker admitted that he had traveled to Oklahoma City to purchase five kilograms of methamphetamine on two earlier occasions.

Wacker also admitted that he distributed pound quantities of methamphetamine to co-defendant Herbert R. Dinger, 65, of Springfield. Dinger pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and awaits sentencing.
 
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nhan D. Nguyen and Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former IRS employee was sentenced in federal court today for stealing tax refunds.

Tamara R. Miller, 40, of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to two years and two months in federal prison without parole.

On Jan. 23, 2020, Miller pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of government funds. Miller specifically admitted to stealing refunds from two taxpayers, totaling $5,214.

Miller was employed by the IRS as a data transcriber at the Kansas City Service Center. As part  of her duties, Miller handled individual income tax returns received by mail at the Kansas City Service Center. 

Miller selected tax returns on which the “Refund” section did not show a routing number or account number for a direct deposit to a financial institution (indicating the taxpayer elected to have the refund paid by a U.S. Treasury check). Miller used taxpayers’ means of identification, including names and Social Security numbers, shown on their tax returns to apply for accounts at online banks that issued prepaid debit cards. If Miller succeeded in opening an online account with a taxpayer’s means of identification, she entered the routing number and account number for the fraudulently created account in the “Refund” section of the taxpayer’s Form 1040. Miller had access to the fraudulently created account; the taxpayer did not know the account existed.

As an alternative means of fraudulently altering taxpayers’ returns, Miller entered the routing and account numbers for an existing online account to which she had access in the “Refund” section of the Forms 1040, thereby falsely representing that the taxpayer elected to have the refund amount deposited directly to that account.

Miller caused the fraudulently altered Forms 1040 to be submitted and processed for payment of the refund amounts requested by the taxpayers. The refund amounts were subsequently deposited directly to accounts controlled by Miller and accessible to Miller.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Larson. It was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison, at a joint press conference with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith, announced today that 518 arrests have been made by local and federal law enforcement officers in Operation LeGend.

“On behalf of the team of federal law enforcement agencies involved in this groundbreaking initiative, I made certain promises when Operation LeGend was launched,” Garrison said. “Those promises have been kept. The FBI, the ATF, the DEA, and the U.S. Marshals Service worked collaboratively and effectively with the Kansas City Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies to accomplish the objectives of Operation LeGend. We created a model for others to follow. Our success in Kansas City is now being duplicated in eight more cities across the nation.”

Promises Made, Promises Kept

“We promised that Operation LeGend would be a short-term, high-impact strategy to freeze the escalation of violent crime and respond to the record number of homicides in Kansas City this year,” Garrison said. “That promise was kept. Operation LeGend has had a significant impact on violent crime in Kansas City, and those efforts will continue.”

During the 10 weeks from the announcement of Operation LeGend on July 8 through Sept. 16, homicides in Kansas City were down 22 percent, non-fatal shootings were down 24 percent, and aggravated assaults were down 44 percent, as compared to the 10 weeks before July 8.

“We promised that federal agents would work alongside local law enforcement, in a supportive role to provide additional support and assistance,” Garrison said. “That promise was kept, and in the process, valuable lessons were gained for how to confront violent crime.”

For example, the FBI has doubled the number of agents working violent crime cases and embedded agents with the Kansas City Police Department’s violent crime unit. The ATF has added a new unit that is permanently embedded with Kansas City’s assault squad. Intelligence has been gained and shared among law enforcement agencies to improve future investigations. “These strategies for collaborating with local law enforcement have been successful, and will continue,” Garrison said.

“We promised there would be no storm troopers patrolling the streets of Kansas City, no interference with the civil rights of protesters engaged in public demonstrations,” Garrison said. “Despite accusations of a federal occupation, we have worked cooperatively with both local law enforcement and local community leaders. None of those dire predictions from our critics came to pass.”

“I’ve also said, from the start of Operation LeGend, that law enforcement would not be the sole solution to violent crime,” Garrison added. “Violence is a community issue, and requires a community-wide response.”

“I hope that by keeping the promises we made, by doing what we said we would do, we’ve established a level of trust and credibility that will continue to bear fruit,” Garrison said.

Among those arrested since the launch of Operation LeGend, 126 are federal defendants in the Western District of Missouri (with additional federal cases referred to U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Kansas and Texas). Among the remaining arrests, 37 were homicide cases. In addition to the arrests, agents and officers have seized 176 firearms, large quantities of illegal drugs, and several stolen vehicles during Operation LeGend.

Among the homicide arrests made under Operation LeGend was the defendant charged in state court with murder of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, in whose memory the operation was named.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office does not track cases that are referred for prosecution in state court or in other districts. Defendants have been charged in the Western District of Missouri with the following federal crimes:  -    70 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; -    45 defendants have been charged with drug trafficking offenses; -    11 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

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. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was convicted at trial of illegally possessing a firearm. 

Kenneth E. Barbee Jr., 33, was found guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 23, of being a felon in possession a firearm.

Detectives with the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department were conducting surveillance on Barbee on March 18, 2020, when he left his residence in a vehicle driven by another person. After officers stopped the vehicle, the driver attempted to pull away from officers but was forced to stop when officers used their vehicles to block their escape.

When Barbee and the driver were ordered out of the vehicle, officers saw a loaded Palmetto State Armory AR pistol and a loaded CZ 9mm handgun on the front passenger floorboard. The driver of the vehicle had an SCCY 9mm handgun in her waistband.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Barbee has a prior felony conviction for assault, a prior felony conviction for domestic assault, two prior felony convictions for receiving stolen property, and a prior felony conviction for robbery.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for three hours before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, Sept. 21.

Under federal statutes, Barbee 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. Attorneys Mary Kate Butterfield, Patrick Edwards, and Gregg Coonrod. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

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. – The former city clerk in Everton, Missouri, has been sentenced in federal court for her role in a money-laundering conspiracy related to methamphetamine trafficking.

Kristy A. Conn, 46, of Everton, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Wednesday, Sept. 23, to 10 years in federal prison without parole. 

“This defendant was placed in a position of trust and responsibility,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison, “but chose to poison her community by enabling violent criminals to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri.”

“This sentencing shows there are consequences to criminal behavior,” said Adam Steiner, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “IRS-CI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and law enforcement partners will continue to unravel money laundering schemes such as what Mrs. Conn did.”

Conn pleaded guilty on Nov. 1, 2019, to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Conn admitted that she participated in the money-laundering conspiracy from June 20 to Dec. 6, 2017. During that time, Conn was the city clerk in Everton. Conn admitted that she directed Ginger L. Huerta, 41, of Halfway, Missouri, to send wire transfers of the proceeds from the distribution of methamphetamine to members of the drug-trafficking organization in California and Mexico.

The drug-trafficking organization was responsible for the distribution of more than 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Springfield, Missouri, area. Huerta pleaded guilty on Oct. 31, 2019, in a separate but related case, to her role in both the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies and awaits sentencing.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Dade County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department, and the Oldham County, Texas, Sheriff’s Department.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program.  The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy.  OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.  Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illicit drug supply.

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

Travis W. Robinson, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 14 years in federal prison without parole.

On March 11, 2020, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine to distribute on premises in which a minor resides.

Robinson came to the attention of law enforcement in August 2016 as a distributor of methamphetamine in the southwest Missouri area. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Robinson’s residence and seized approximately 47.32 grams of methamphetamine, $7,628, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. At the time the warrant was executed, Robinson’s young child was located in the living room of the residence.

In June 2017, a confidential informant told law enforcement that his/her source of methamphetamine had acquired anywhere from one-fourth of an ounce to one-fourth of a pound of methamphetamine from Robinson each week and had been doing so for several years.

Robinson imported methamphetamine to southwest Missouri, which he provided to co-conspirators for them to further distribute. Co-conspirators also assisted with activities related to drug distribution, including the collection of drug debts.

Robinson is the first defendant to be sentenced in this case. Co-defendant Candace L. Medlock, 34, of Nixa, Missouri, has pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and awaits sentencing.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Sarff and Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A prior sex offender in Neosho, Missouri, was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography.

Benjamin H. Cole, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Cole to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration, and to pay $3,000 in victim restitution. Cole 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.

Cole, who was sentenced as a prior sex offender, has a prior conviction for second degree sodomy.

On Feb. 11, 2020, Cole pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography. The investigation began when law enforcement received a series of Cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2018. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cole’s residence on Aug. 5, 2019, and seized his cell phone and a desktop computer, which both contained images and videos of child pornography.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Neosho, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A prior sex offender in Forsyth, Missouri, was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography.

Timothy Wayne Carnelison Jr., 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 20 in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Carnelison to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration. Carnelison 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.

Carnelison, who was sentenced as a prior sex offender, has two prior convictions for statutory sodomy in the first degree and a prior conviction for child molestation.

On Feb. 20, 2020, Carnelison pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography.

The investigation began when Google initiated a CyberTip with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after locating files of suspected child pornography in Carnelison’s Google Photo application. Investigators confirmed the child pornography and, on Sept. 24, 2019, executed a search warrant at Carnelison’s residence. They found images of child pornography on his cell phone.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrime Task Force.

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An El Dorado Springs, Missouri, woman and a North Plainfield, New Jersey, man were sentenced in federal court today for producing child pornography.

Amanda Errin Hunt, 41, and Daniel Thomas Baggott, 38, each were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 18 years and four months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Hunt and Baggott to spend the rest of their lives on supervised release following incarceration. They will be required to register as sex offenders upon their release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout their lives.

On Oct. 21, 2019, Baggott pleaded guilty to one count of child sexual exploitation and one count of the coercion and enticement of a minor. On Sept. 16, 2019, Hunt also pleaded guilty to one count of child sexual exploitation and one count of the coercion and enticement of a minor.

The investigation began when Facebook initiated a CyberTip with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on April 7, 2019. Facebook reported that Hunt and Baggott exchanged images of child pornography through Facebook Messenger. Investigators also discovered sexually explicit messages, along with shared images of child pornography, between Hunt, Baggott, and the 15-year-old victim, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe.”

Baggott admitted that he met Hunt and Jane Doe through PlayStation Home approximately 12 years ago. The first time he went to visit them in El Dorado Springs was approximately six or seven years ago. Baggott admitted to requesting sexually explicit images and videos of Jane Doe.  He stated this started approximately a year and a half ago and it became a regular occurrence.

Hunt admitted to taking sexually explicit images of Jane Doe and asking Jane Doe to take sexually explicit images that Baggott requested. Hunt also admitted to sending Baggott the sexually explicit images of Jane Doe and engaging in the sexual chat messages in Facebook Messenger with Baggott regarding Jane Doe. Hunt advised that Baggott had come to Missouri at least once a year since 2014.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Southwest Missouri Cybercrime Task Force, and the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children 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 Jonesboro, Mississippi, man has pleaded guilty in federal court to transporting more than five pounds of methamphetamine and nearly three pounds of heroin through Kansas City, Missouri, en route to St. Louis, Mo.

Willie Lewis Braison, 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on Wednesday, Sept. 16, to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute.

A Kansas City, Mo., Police Department detective saw Braison get off the train at a local station on Jan. 17, 2019. The detective contacted Braison and asked to search his suitcase.

By pleading guilty, Braison admitted that he was carrying a suitcase that contained methamphetamine and heroin aboard a train from Los Angeles, California, for delivery in St. Louis. Inside the suitcase, five bundles that contained a total of 5.1 pounds of methamphetamine were hidden inside a cardboard box that was labeled as a variety pack of cookies. Also inside the suitcase were two bundles of heroin hidden inside a pair of size 18 high-top tennis shoes. The bundles, shaped like the insoles of the shoes, weighed a total of 2.9 pounds.

Under federal statutes, Braison is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 80 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 Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City Interdiction Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former emergency medical technician at Mercy Medical Center pleaded guilty in federal court today to stealing fentanyl and hydromorphone from dozens of vials used by ambulances in Carthage and Mount Vernon, Missouri, and replacing the drugs with saline or water solution.

“A former paramedic abused his position of trust by stealing and diluting drugs that were meant to ease the pain of those he was responsible to aid in an emergency,” Garrison said. “He should rightly be held to a high standard, and will be held accountable for his criminal actions.”

“The FDA oversees the U.S. drug supply to ensure that they are safe and effective, and those who knowingly tamper with medicines put patients’ health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to protect the public health and bring to justice health care professionals who take advantage of their unique position and compromise their patients’ health and comfort by tampering with needed drugs.”

James Poole, 37, of Webb City, Missouri, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to a federal information that charges him with one count of tampering with a consumer product.

On Jan. 23, 2020, paramedics with Mercy Medical Center in Carthage, Mo., noticed what appeared to be puncture marks on a fentanyl vial that was being used to administer the pain-killing medication to a patient. Paramedics then reported a second incident in which they drew fentanyl from a vial, into a syringe, and observed that there was not enough fluid in the vial to administer a dose to the patient.

The remaining narcotics in the ambulances and the office stock were examined by officials at Mercy Carthage EMS, who observed that the fentanyl and hydromorphone on the ambulances and in the office stock appeared to have visible signs of tampering. The Mount Vernon Mercy EMS facility supplies were also examined since the facility is a sister ambulance location to the Carthage facility, with the same paramedics working at both locations. Officials observed signs of tampering for one fentanyl vial that were similar to those observed at the Carthage facility.

On the same day, officials with Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Mo., contacted the Federal Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations. Mercy Medical Center officials reported that 26 fentanyl and 43 hydromorphone vials appeared to have physical signs of tampering. Officials with Mercy Medical Center had the vials that were identified as being tampered with tested, and lab reports revealed that the vials had some of their original contents replaced with either saline or water solution.

Supervisors and other personnel were drug tested on the date the tampering was discovered, and Poole tested positive for norfentanyl, an analog of fentanyl. 

Poole admitted that he was an opioid addict and had been since he was injured in an ambulance accident in December 2018. Poole admitted that he tampered with and stole 50mcg fentanyl on an EMS call that he responded to approximately three weeks earlier, on Jan. 1, 2020, before the additional tampering was discovered and he was drug tested. Poole admitted he documented giving a patient with abdominal pain 100 mcg of fentanyl, but tampered with the dosage by only administered 50 mcg to the patient. Poole stole the syringe with the remaining narcotic and injected himself with the remaining fentanyl after his shift.

Under federal statutes, Poole 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 Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Missouri, men have been charged in federal court with robbing a family in their home at gunpoint.

Cameron E. Scott, 19, and Chase M. Murphy, 19, were charged in a five-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday, Sept. 14. Murphy was recently charged in a separate complaint involving business robberies.

The federal criminal complaint charges Scott and Murphy together with one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, one count of armed robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of stealing a firearm, and one count of possessing a stolen firearm.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Scott and Murphy (along with an unidentified third man) robbed a group of three juveniles and four adults at gunpoint on March 22, 2020. The affidavit says the three men forced their way into a residence in the 8100 block of Wayne Avenue in Kansas City, Mo., and pointed firearms at multiple victims (mostly members of the same family). They held one of the victims at gunpoint while demanding money and marijuana.

The three men stole $450, a rifle, and a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol then left the residence. Officers saw a car matching the description a witness gave of the robbers’ vehicle. Three men got out of the vehicle and ran into a residence in the 9200 block of Indiana Avenue in Kansas City, Mo. Soon afterward, the driver of the vehicle returned to the car and left. Officers attempted to follow the vehicle but lost sight of it. Scott and Murphy were seen leaving from the back of the residence. When officers announced themselves, they fled into a wooded area. A short time later, Scott and Murphy were seen walking in the tree line near 93rd Street and Grandview Road. Officers tried to approach them, but they fled on foot again. Officers gave chase and ultimately found Scott and Murphy hiding in a creek bed.

Officers searched the residence on Indiana Avenue. In the attic, they found a black suitcase with a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol (which matched the description of the firearm taken during the robbery) and a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol.

The charges contained in this complaint 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 Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.

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. – A Raytown, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court with drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm after selling a stolen handgun to an undercover federal agent.

Antonio Johnson, 18, was charged in a two-count complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 3, 2020. The complaint was unsealed and made public following Johnson’s arrest and initial court appearance on Friday, Sept. 11.

The federal criminal complaint charges Johnson with one count of distributing marijuana and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, an undercover federal agent arranged four controlled purchases of marijuana from Johnson in July and August 2020. When Johnson met the undercover agent for the first transaction, he was armed with a pistol placed between the driver’s seat and center console of the vehicle he was driving, and a black rifle sitting on the lap of a passenger in the vehicle.

On Aug. 31, 2020, the undercover federal agent contacted Johnson and told him she wanted to purchase a pistol from him, and they agreed on a price of $450. On Sept. 1, 2020, Johnson allegedly met the undercover agent at his apartment and handed her a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a baggie that contained 29 grams of marijuana for which she paid a total of $680. Johnson allegedly agreed to get her more firearms. The pistol had been stolen from the personal vehicle of a Grain Valley, Missouri, police officer in August 2020.

The charges contained in this complaint 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 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.

Law enforcement officers seized nearly two dozen firearms from Gregg's residence.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Bates City, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court after law enforcement officers seized nearly two dozen firearms and illegal drugs from his residence.

Daniel Dewayne Gregg, 57, was charged in a two-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, Sept. 11. The federal criminal complaint charges Gregg with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, law enforcement officers identified Gregg as a major supplier of methamphetamine trafficking following several controlled drug purchases. Officers executed a search warrant at Gregg’s residence on Friday, Sept. 11, and placed him under arrest.

Gregg told officers that he had been dealing crystal methamphetamine continuously for at least the past six months, the affidavit says. Gregg stated that he was a kilogram-level dealer of crystal methamphetamine and had sold, at a conservative minimum, at least 12 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine per month for the past six months. Gregg stated he had several large-scale customers who purchased at least a half-kilogram of methamphetamine from him at a time. Gregg said he purchased methamphetamine for $12,000 per kilogram and sold it for about $13,000 per kilogram.

Officers located a large firearms safe in the basement of Gregg’s residence that contained 22 firearms and a large amount of cash. Officers also searched Gregg’s vehicle and found 151.6 grams of methamphetamine, 436.5 grams of marijuana, and 207 prescription pills in unlabeled pill bottles. Officers also found methamphetamine inside a fanny pack. They found a loaded Smith and Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on top of the fanny pack. Gregg told officers he had the firearm because he had been threatened by individuals wanting to do him harm, the affidavit says, and Gregg stated he had the firearm in case those individuals came to his residence to harm him.
 
The charges contained in this complaint 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 Drug Enforcement Administration.

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. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court with drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearms after law enforcement officers found firearms and large quantities of illegal drugs in his vehicle at the Argosy Casino.

Dominick A. Campos, 40, was charged in a two-count complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The federal criminal complaint charges Campos with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, law enforcement identified Campos during an investigation into drug sales in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Campos was arrested at the Argosy Casino on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Following his arrest, Campos told officers he had been selling approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine each week since April 2020. When officers searched Campos’s car, they found a Zastava Serbian AK-47-style 7.62x39mm rifle, a Hi-Point .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun, nearly 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately 3.7 kilograms of marijuana,  276 grams of suspected psilocybin mushrooms, 294 1100mg THC cartridges of LA Kush, 385 grams of suspected marijuana wax, 65 500mg THC edibles, 735 suspected acetaminophen/hydrocodone pills, 52 unknown pills, two notebooks that contained records of suspected drug transactions, drug paraphernalia, and $40,240.

The charges contained in this complaint 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 Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, and the FBI.

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. – At a press conference in Chicago today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation Legend, a law enforcement initiative launched in Kansas City, Mo., in July and since expanded to eight more cities.

Since the operation’s launch, there have been more than 2,000 arrests, including defendants who have been charged in state and local courts. Of those arrests, approximately 592 defendants have been charged with federal crimes, including 113 defendants in Kansas City.

In addition, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has seized 587 firearms, more than 1.2 kilos of heroin, and more than five kilos of methamphetamine; the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized almost 70 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 16 kilos of heroin, more than 7 kilos of fentanyl, more than 12 kilos of cocaine, 268 firearms, and approximately $5.19 million in drug proceeds; the FBI has recovered 241 weapons; and  the United States Marshals Service have recovered 169 firearms and made 1,810 arrests, including 163 for homicide and 120 for sexual assault. 

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

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

Kansas City, MO.

113 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

-    34 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses; -    68 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
-    11 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Chicago, Ill. 

124 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below. 

-    30 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses; -    90 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
-    4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Albuquerque, NM.

45 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below. 

-    17 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses; -    22 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
-    6 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Cleveland, OH.

66 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below. 
-    41 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses; -    22 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
-    3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Detroit, MI.

58 defendants have been charged with federal offenses outlined below.  

-    29 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses; -    26 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
-    3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Milwaukee, WI.

16 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below. 

-    2 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses; -    12 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
-    2 defendant has been charged with other violent crimes.

St. Louis, MO.
123 defendants have been charged with federal crimes.

-    54 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses; -    53 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
-    16 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Memphis, Tenn.
16 defendants have been charged with federal offenses.

-    4 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses; -    9 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
-    3 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

Indianapolis, Indiana

31 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below. 

-    10 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses; -    17 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
-    4 defendants have been charged with other violent crimes.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for attempting to entice a minor, who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer, to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Jeffrey Charles Johnson, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Johnson to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.

On Jan. 21, 2020, Johnson pleaded guilty to attempting to entice a minor for illicit sex. Johnson admitted that he responded to a post on a website frequented by prostitutes, asking another person to help him find a juvenile female for a sexual encounter. A detective with the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department then assumed the identity of a single mother who was willing to allow Johnson to have sex with her 13-year-old daughter.

Johnson communicated with undercover law enforcement officers on several occasions and arranged to meet the mother and daughter at a Columbia, Mo., motel on Aug. 7, 2019. Johnson was arrested when he arrived at the motel.

According to court documents, Johnson has previously engaged in this type of conduct. In September 2012, Johnson’s former wife discovered a bag containing numerous VCR tapes. On two of the tapes, Johnson discusses his desire to have sexual relations with a minor. On one of the tapes, Johnson states he would pay $500 to have sexual relations with a 15-to-16-year-old child. On another tape, Johnson speaks with a woman who tells him she has a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old child in mind and could get him a child as young as 10. Johnson tells the woman 10 years old is too young, and he would prefer a child 12-to-13 years old. The woman and Johnson discuss a price of $800 for the children. It is unknown whether Johnson followed through with the commercial sex transaction in 2012. 

As part of this investigation, images depicting child pornography were located on a tower computer hard drive with file names suggesting they were downloaded using peer-to-peer file-sharing software.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County Cyber Crimes Task Force and the FBI. 

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Mountain View, Missouri, man has been sentenced in federal court for attempting to entice a minor for illicit sex.

Jason Matthew Perdue, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Thursday, Sept. 3, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Perdue 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 March 2, 2020, Perdue pleaded guilty to attempting to entice a minor for illicit sexual activity.

Law enforcement received CyberTips on July 13, 2018, when Perdue uploaded images of child pornography to his Google account. Officers executed a search warrant at Perdue’s residence on Sept. 6, 2018. Officers found a safe that contained a SanDisk flash drive with a large volume of videos and images of child pornography. Officers also seized multiple devices from Perdue’s residence, including a laptop, hard drives, a camera, a cell phone, and flash drives. Investigators conducted a forensic examination of Perdue’s devices and found numerous Skype chat messages in which Perdue engaged in sexually explicit communications with purported minors. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

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 Mexican national who resided in Springfield, Missouri, was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in the Kansas City, Missouri, area and in the Springfield area.

Luis Manuel Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 16 years and eight months in federal prison without parole.

On Jan. 6, 2020, Gonzalez-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and illegally reentering the United States after having been deported.

Gonzalez-Rodriguez was arrested on Nov. 2, 2017, when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence. Gonzalez-Rodriguez attempted to flush approximately 157.1 grams of methamphetamine down the toilet as officers entered the residence. Officers searched the residence and found an additional 3.7 grams of pure methamphetamine, cocaine, a Walther .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen in Arkansas, ammunition, 14 cell phones, ledgers and drug notes, and $21,558. Gonzalez-Rodriguez admitted that he was illegally present in the United States. He was deported in October 2011 after previously having been convicted of illegally reentering the United States.

Gonzalez-Rodriguez’s plea agreement cites several controlled purchases of methamphetamine by cooperating law enforcement sources, as well as his involvement in several controlled purchases by a cooperating source from co-defendant Jason Edward Hochard, 41, of Kansas City, Kansas, during the investigation of the drug-trafficking organization.

Hochard was sentenced on July 30, 2020, to 14 years and eight months in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 1, 2017, co-defendant Darely Dominguez-Bustillos, 26, of Kansas City, Kansas, delivered one pound of methamphetamine to Gonzalez-Rodriguez. Dominguez-Bustillos then transported $8,000 in illicit drug proceeds from Gonzalez-Rodriguez back to her residence. Law enforcement discovered this money when they later executed a search warrant at her residence and in the vehicles located at that residence.

Dominguez-Bustillos was sentenced on May 20, 2020, to four years in federal prison without parole.

Gonzalez-Rodriguez’s plea agreement also cites multiple deliveries of methamphetamine to co-defendant Tara Hageman, 45, of Springfield. When law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hageman’s residence, they seized 103 grams of pure methamphetamine and two handguns.

Hageman, who admitted she distributed the methamphetamine to others, was sentenced on March 11, 2020, to seven years in federal prison without parole.

Co-defendant Armando Quintana-Galaz, 38, a citizen of Mexico residing in Springfield, was sentenced on May 26, 2020, to 16 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Quintana-Galaz had been deported from the United States six times before being arrested on Nov. 2, 2017, in Springfield. At that time, he was again illegally present in the United States. When law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Quintana-Galaz’s residence on that day, they found approximately 3.159 kilograms of pure methamphetamine in a hamper in the master bathroom and approximately 189 grams of pure methamphetamine in a dresser in the master bedroom. They found a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a Norinco SKS 762-caliber rifle, various ammunition, a bag that contained approximately four grams of cocaine, and six cell phones. They also found a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun in his Jeep Grand Cherokee. Officers also found $40,020 in a dresser in the master bedroom, $6,295 in the pocket of his pants that were on a TV stand, and $293 in a suitcase in the master bathroom closet. According to his plea agreement, the $46,608 seized from Quintana-Galaz’s residence would convert to more than 2.6 kilograms (2,642.6 grams) of methamphetamine.

Co-defendant Miguel Angel Ramirez-Romero, 27, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Kan., was sentenced on Nov. 13, 2019, to 14 years in federal prison without parole.

Gonzalez-Rodriguez is the final defendant in this case to be sentenced, among six defendants who have been convicted.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Neal A. Norles

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Blue Springs, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri.

Neal A. Norles, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 30 years in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 5, 2019, Norles pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Norles served as a methamphetamine source for a large-scale, multi-state drug-trafficking organization that distributed at least 13.28 kilograms of pure methamphetamine. Norles transported the methamphetamine from California to Missouri and distributed that methamphetamine to high-level dealers in Kansas City and southwest Missouri.

During the course of the investigation, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper seized nearly 2.4 kilograms of methamphetamine from a Dodge Charger in which Norles was a passenger during a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in Newton County, Missouri, on Jan. 22, 2019. During a search of the Charger, a trooper found five vacuum-sealed packages of methamphetamine, weighing approximately 2,384 grams, hidden in the rear-windshield-deck trim. The traffic stop was made while Norles was returning from a trip to Los Angeles, California.

Norles possessed firearms in connection with his drug-trafficking activities and exchanged methamphetamine for firearms.

The government introduced evidence at court that Norles glamorized this violent life with his posts on social media. In one image, Norles is pointing three firearms at the viewer and the image is captioned, “Last sight he seen.” In the second image, Norles is pointing a firearm at the viewer with the caption “…IMA SHOOTER!!” In a third image, Norles is pointing a firearm at himself, while consuming what appears to be marijuana, with the caption “going out by the gun.” In the last image, Norles is holding a firearm and what appears to be a marijuana roach with the caption “…on me foreva!!”

Norles is the second defendant sentenced in this case. Co-defendant Brent A. Tribble, 30, of Kirbyville, Missouri, was sentenced on March 5, 2020, to 24 years in federal prison without parole. Co-defendants Stephan D. Samons, 30, of Camdenton, Missouri, and April E. Luke, 32, of Springfield, Missouri have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography.

Marco Barraza, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Barraza to 20 years of supervised release following incarceration and ordered him to pay $39,000 in restitution to his victims. Barraza 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 Oct. 29, 2019, Barraza was found guilty at trial of one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.

Law enforcement investigators received two reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Barraza had transmitted images of child pornography through chat sessions on his Tumblr account in September 2016. Officers executed a search warrant at Barraza’s residence on March 16, 2017, and seized numerous computer-related property, including three cell phones and two hard drives that had been removed from laptop computers. Those devices contained approximately 600 images of child pornography.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher and Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Barry 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."

Three former caregivers in Fulton, Missouri, have been sentenced for their roles in the death of a disabled resident at Second Chance Homes, an organization that provided housing and care for developmentally disabled persons through a Missouri Department of Mental Health initiative. 

On Tuesday, September 1, 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Brian C. Wimes sentenced Sherry Paulo to 210 months of imprisonment. Today, Judge Wimes sentenced Anthony Flores to 188 months of imprisonment and Anthony R. K. Flores (“R.K. Flores”) to three years of probation.   

On Nov. 22, 2019, Sherry Paulo, 55, and Anthony Flores, 60, each pleaded guilty in federal court in the Western District of Missouri to one count of willfully failing to provide necessary medical care to victim C.D., resulting in injury to and the death of C.D.  Paulo also pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud arising from her efforts to hide C.D.’s death. On February 12, 2020, R.K. Flores pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly falsifying a document with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence a federal investigation related to the death of C.D.

“Our caregivers have a moral as well as legal obligation to treat those they are entrusted to care for with respect and protect them from abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “In this free country, it is the solemn duty of government to protect all persons, including those who are most vulnerable, from criminal acts that result in the horror that occurred in this case. No one should be confined and left to die in a small, dark basement and then hidden in a trash can filled with cement. The department of Justice will ensure that those who commit acts like these and violate the civil rights of others see justice under the law.”

“These defendants violated their legal and moral obligation to provide medical care to a person with developmentally disabilities, who was dependent upon them, then attempted to cover up their crime beneath layers of deceit and literal concrete,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison of the Western District of Missouri. “Besides substandard care and dismal living conditions, they refused to seek medical treatment for their victim as his health deteriorated. Today the justice system is holding them accountable for their roles in his tragic death.”

“These sentencings are the culmination of the unwavering commitment to seeking justice for those most vulnerable in our society,” said Timothy R. Langan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Kansas City, Missouri. “The defendants in this case not only failed to provide care for the victim, but took steps to conceal their abuse while continuing to profit from their actions. The FBI remains committed to seeking justice for victims and insuring those responsible are held accountable.”

“These former caregivers committed horrendous crimes against a patient with a developmental disability, while raiding vital Medicaid funds to prop up their alibis,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure such criminals are brought to justice.”  

According to court documents filed in connection with the sentencings, Paulo, Flores, and R.K. Flores worked as caregivers at Second Chance Homes. Victim C.D., who was significantly developmentally disabled and entirely dependent upon his caretakers, had been a resident at Second Chance Homes (SCH) since 2008. Paulo was assigned to care for C.D. in the months leading up to C.D.’s death. 

In their guilty pleas, Flores and Paulo admitted that, beginning in 2014, they observed C.D.’s weight decline and his health deteriorate. However, Paulo stopped following C.D.’s prescribed health regimen and stopped taking C.D. to his doctors’ appointments. Paulo and Flores observed C.D. become underweight and pale, struggle to eat, and appear to have less energy.  As C.D.’s health deteriorated, Paulo occasionally took C.D. out of his designated SCH residence and put him in the basement of the home she shared with Flores. The basement was small and dark without access to sunlight or running water. Although Paulo and Flores witnessed C.D.’s health continue to decline while in her basement, they did not take C.D. to get necessary medical treatment because they did not want Paulo to be blamed for C.D.’s malnutrition and ill health.

In approximately September 2016, C.D. suffered an acute medical emergency while in the basement room of Paulo and Flores’s home. Despite observing C.D.’s physical distress and obvious medical need, Paulo and Flores chose not to seek medical care for C.D. C.D. died in their home while Paulo and Flores watched.  Before his death in or about September 2016, C.D. last saw a doctor in December 2015.   

In their plea agreements, Paulo and Flores admitted that, after C.D.’s death, Paulo placed C.D.’s body in a trashcan. Paulo and Flores put the trashcan in a wooden crate that they filled with cement. Paulo, Flores, and R.K. Flores then placed the crate in Paulo’s storage unit.

In the months that followed, Paulo took extensive measures to cover up C.D.’s death. She instructed another SCH resident to lie in C.D.’s bed to convince officials that C.D. was still present at SCH; repeatedly used C.D.’s Electronic Benefits Card; asked an SCH employee to falsely present another SCH resident as C.D. at a doctor’s appointment and get a prescription in C.D.’s name; and falsified numerous official records related to C.D.

In particular, Paulo admitted that after C.D. died, she submitted, or caused to be submitted, false Medicaid claims for services purportedly rendered to C.D. when, as Paulo knew, C.D. was deceased. The amount wrongfully paid by Medicaid, between approximately September 2016 and April 2017, was $106,795. 

It was not until April 2017 that the defendants admitted C.D. was no longer at SCH.  Paulo reported C.D. missing to the Fulton, Missouri Police Department on April 17, 2017. When interviewed by the police, Paulo, Flores, and R.K. Flores falsely stated that they had seen C.D. on April 16, 2017.  In truth, none of the defendants had seen C.D. in months; Paulo and Flores further knew that C.D. had died. Defendants Paulo, Flores, and R.K. Flores did not admit their wrongdoing until a week later, when the Fulton Police Department discovered C.D.’s body.

This case was investigated by the Jefferson City Resident Agency of the FBI Kansas City Division and the St. Louis Field Office of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General Kansas City Region. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cindi Woolery and Gregg Coonrod of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Special Litigation Counsel Julia Gegenheimer and Trial Attorney Janea Lamar of the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section. The Fulton, Missouri Police Department and Callaway County Prosecutor Christopher Wilson contributed significantly to the investigation and prosecution of this matter.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was charged in federal court today with illegally possessing a firearm during a shooting incident in which two women were wounded by gunfire, one of whom died as a result.

Darius D. Shaw, 30, was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo.

Today’s federal criminal complaint alleges that Shaw was in possession of a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Aug. 23, 2020, in furtherance of the crime of distributing marijuana.

According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, Shaw was present during a shooting after a marijuana deal in which two women were shot, one fatally.

Kansas City police officers were dispatched to Research Medical Center at approximately 3:35 a.m. on Aug. 23, 2020, in regard to two shooting victims who arrived at the hospital for medical treatment. One of the shooting victims suffered a gunshot wound to her neck and died while officers were at the hospital. The second shooting victim, her sister, suffered a gunshot wound to her shoulder.

Investigators learned the two women were part of a group who had purchased marijuana from Shaw at his residence, the affidavit says. A verbal disturbance ensued between the group purchasing marijuana and a woman at Shaw’s residence.  As the victim’s vehicle was leaving, the woman started shooting at the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle went to the hospital when she realized the two women had been shot.
Shaw told investigators he had sold $10 worth of marijuana to a member of the group with whom the gunshot victims were traveling. He also told investigators that he regularly buys marijuana, the affidavit says, some of which he smokes and some of which he sells.

The charge contained in this complaint 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 Ashleigh Ragner and Special U.S. Attorney Sarah Rasalam. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, 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, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for the arson at the Columbia Health Center (operated by Planned Parenthood Great Plains).

“This defendant’s criminal behavior placed the community in an unacceptable risk of danger,” Garrison said. “We will not tolerate the use of violence and arson as a means to achieve personal political or policy goals. This attack is the antithesis of everything for which the best ideals of this nation have always stood.

“The FBI special agents on this difficult case exemplified outstanding investigative skills in locating and evaluating the evidence that enabled us to identify the arsonist and quickly bring him to justice,” Garrison added.

Wesley Brian Kaster, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to five years in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 21, 2019, Kaster pleaded guilty to one count of maliciously using explosive materials to damage a building owned by an organization that receives federal financial assistance, and one count of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Kaster has remained in federal custody without bond since his arrest on March 2, 2019.

Kaster admitted that he manufactured a Molotov cocktail on Feb. 10, 2019. On the same day, he broke the glass in the north entry door of the Columbia Health Center at 711 N. Providence Road and threw the Molotov cocktail into the facility. At approximately 4:10 a.m., the Columbia Fire Department arrived on the scene, investigated the damage caused by the explosive device, and collected evidence. Kaster admitted that he took these actions because Planned Parenthood provided reproductive health services at the facility.

This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the FBI.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison announced today that 355 arrests have been made by local and federal law enforcement officers in Operation LeGend.

Among those arrested since the launch of the operation, 88 are federal defendants in the Western District of Missouri and 21 are federal defendants in Kansas (18) and Texas (3). Among the remaining 246 arrests, 33 were homicide cases and 62 were fugitives with either state or federal warrants for their arrest. The remaining 151 non-fugitive arrests were either supervised release violators or were referred for prosecution in state court.

In addition to the arrests, agents and officers have seized 122 firearms during Operation LeGend.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is not able to track cases that are referred for prosecution in state court or in other districts. Defendants have been charged in the Western District of Missouri with the following federal crimes:  -    35 defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm; -    26 defendants have been charged with drug trafficking; -    Five defendants have been charged with being a drug user in possession of a firearm;  -    Six defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; -    Five defendants have been charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of violent crime; -    Two defendants have been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition; -    Four defendants have been charged with armed robbery; -    Three defendants have been charged with carjacking; and
-    Two defendants have been charged with arson.

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. – A former captain in the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department pleaded guilty in federal court today to charges related to illegally selling 77 firearms over a five-year period, and to selling firearms to convicted felons.

“Our gun laws exist to make it hard for violent criminals to obtain the tools of their trade,” Garrison said.  “Felons, illegal aliens, domestic abusers, drug users, and other prohibited persons cannot purchase or possess firearms — unless someone breaks the law to put guns in their hands.  These criminals may not pull the trigger, but they profit by making violent crime possible in our neighborhoods.”

James Samuels, 54, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to one count of conspiracy to make false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, four counts of selling firearms and ammunition to persons prohibited by law from possessing them, and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. Samuels, who has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest on Oct. 4, 2018, remains in federal custody until his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

By pleading guilty today, Samuels admitted that he purchased 77 firearms from November 2013 to August 2018. Of those 77 firearms, 57 were Jimenez pistols. Samuels transferred 47 of those 77 firearms to third parties (including 43 Jimenez pistols). During this time, Samuels was not a licensed dealer of firearms.

Samuels also admitted that 10 to 20 of those firearms were sold to persons who were forbidden by law from possessing them. Samuels bought the firearms at a low price and sold them for a $40 to $50 profit.

Samuels conspired with others to make false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers by misrepresenting the identity of the actual buyer of firearms. Samuels purchased firearms then transferred ownership to another person, who later reported the firearms had been stolen.

Samuels was arrested on Oct. 4, 2018, following an undercover operation in which he sold an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Samuels’s residence the same day and seized 28 firearms (including 22 handguns, five rifles and one shotgun). Among the firearms seized was a Glock .40-caliber pistol with a TAC Isran GLR 440 stock installed, which was not registered to Samuels, and a Colt .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen. In addition to the firearms, officers seized approximately 12,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as firearm parts and accessories.

The Oct. 4, 2018, transaction is one of four instances cited in today’s plea agreement in which the same confidential informant, whom Samuels knew was a felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, purchased a firearm and ammunition from Samuels. In each of those four instances, Samuels accompanied the confidential informant and an undercover federal agent to a licensed firearms dealer, where the undercover agent completed the paperwork for the straw purchase of the firearm on behalf of the confidential informant. In each instance, the straw purchase was at the direction of Samuels.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Samuels acknowledges that he has the ability to pay a fine and agrees that $11,282 seized by law enforcement officers during the execution of the search warrant at his residence will be applied to any fine imposed by the court.

Under federal statutes, Samuels is subject to a sentence of up to 60 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 Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

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.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Dumfries, Virginia, man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies as part of a $3.2 million romance fraud scheme.

Henry N. Asomani, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Ghana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Tuesday, Aug. 25, to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Asomani to pay $3.2 million in restitution to his victims, and to forfeit to the government the money he profited from the scheme.

On Dec. 13, 2019, Asomani was found guilty at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering.

Asomani was the middle man who received the proceeds of the fraud conspiracy from victims and transferred the proceeds to unknown co-conspirators. Asomani transferred the funds among various accounts; he kept a portion of the proceeds for himself, and funneled the rest of the proceeds to co-conspirators in Ghana. Asomani operated five different companies with 16 different accounts at eight different banks.

Asomani received funds sent by more than a dozen victims across the United States, including three victims in the Kansas City metropolitan area, from Sept. 15, 2015, to Oct. 17, 2017. Although bank investigators and FBI agents warned Asomani that his bank accounts were receiving the proceeds of a fraud scheme, he continued to receive the funds and simply opened new accounts when funds were frozen, or accounts were closed by the banks.

Unknown co-conspirators targeted victims through online dating websites with various romance frauds. The unknown co-conspirators impersonated individuals who were involved in businesses overseas. They convinced the victims that they needed funds to help with moving gold from a foreign country, orphanage expenses, and school and travel expenses. The co-conspirators told the victims they would share the profits when the gold was returned to the United States. In fact, none of the victims received any profit or received any gold from the co-conspirators.

According to court documents, some victims suffered substantial financial hardship as a result of the fraud scheme. Some victims lost their retirement savings and some victims were forced to declare bankruptcy. Some victims borrowed money or took cash advances from credit cards in order to send money.

The trial testimony from 13 victims established a loss of over $3.2 million. For example, one victim who resided in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, set up a profile on ChristianMingle.com following the death of her husband to brain cancer. In October 2015, an individual claiming to be “Larry B. White” initiated contact with her. Following numerous conversations by email and telephone, “White” convinced the victim to invest in a Ghana gold mine. “White” promised a 40 percent return on the investment of money. From November 2015 through January 2016, under the direction of “White,” the victim sent funds to multiple entities by check and wire totaling approximately $3,292,000. Of that amount, $2,292,000 was transferred to accounts controlled by Asomani. Asomani spent $50,000 of those proceeds to make a down payment on a 2019 silver Lexus NX300. The victim never received any money or gold profits from “White.”

Another victim, who resides in Kansas City, Missouri, met “Bradley Fischer” on ChristianMingle.com. “Fischer” convinced the victim to send funds for school expenses, travel expenses, and to start a new life in Kansas City. On July 19, 2017, the victim wired $24,000 to Asomani’s bank account. “Fischer” promised to pay the victim back when he got to Kansas City.  The victims received $1,000 back from “Fischer” after she realized she was being defrauded and confronted the individual.

Other victims reside in New Jersey, Alaska, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, Kansas, and Iowa.

Asomani wired $1,789,416 from his bank accounts in the United States to bank accounts in Ghana. He spent approximately $342,278 on auto purchases and auto- or shipping-related expenses as part of the money-laundering scheme. Asomani shipped 18 vehicles to Ghana, having a declared value of approximately $284,190.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul S. Becker and Matthew Blackwood. It was investigated by the FBI.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been sentenced in federal court for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm.

Robert J. Thomas Jr., 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner on Thursday, Aug. 27, to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 20, 2019, Thomas pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Kansas City police officers contacted Thomas on Dec. 1, 2017, during an investigation of a pedestrian hit-and-run earlier that day by a Chevrolet pickup truck after his address was identified through the license plates of the truck. Thomas confirmed that he owned the truck and was taken into custody.

On Dec. 4, 2019, officers searched Thomas’s vehicle, which was in the impound lot. They found a loaded Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol and a black Nike backpack that contained a total of 684 grams of marijuana, a Ziploc plastic baggie that contained various colors of pills, and two small clear plastic baggies that contained a total of 19 grams of cocaine. A warrant was issued for Thomas’s arrest.

A Kansas City police officer saw a silver 2007 Chevrolet Impala with expired tags on Feb. 22, 2018, and conducted a traffic stop. The vehicle came to a stop along with a second vehicle, a 2006 green Ford Mustang driven by Thomas, which was in front of the Impala. Thomas got out of his vehicle, ignoring the officer’s directions, and stated that his 15-year-old daughter was driving the Impala. Thomas got back into the Mustang and both vehicles began traveling, with the officer following until they pulled into a driveway. The officer detained Thomas and his daughter.

The officer searched the Impala and found several clear baggies that contained a total of 354 grams of marijuana, 22 individually-wrapped clear baggies that contained seven grams of cocaine, and three baggies that contained unknown white and green pill/powdery substance.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was charged in federal court today with the arson fire at Beyond Thee Four Walls Ministries this week.

Christopher A. Durant, 38, was charged with arson in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. 

Today’s complaint alleges that Durant set fire to the building at 5910-5916 East U.S. Highway 40 in Kansas City, which housed Beyond Thee Four Walls Ministries, on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

The Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department was dispatched to that location at approximately 3:25 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy fire inside the one-story commercial structure.

According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, investigators reviewed video surveillance footage that depicted an unknown man – later identified as Durant – throwing chunks of asphalt at the front windows of the building at about 12:54 a.m. A few minutes later, the affidavit says, Durant returns and lights an unknown object and places it in through what appears to be the mail slot in the front door. He then lights what appears to be a piece of paper and places it in through the mail slot. He then lights another unidentified object and places it in through the front window previously broken out by the chunks of asphalt. Duran then leaves at approximately 1 a.m.

At about 1:30 a.m., the affidavit says, video surveillance footage depicts Durant returning to the church, lighting what appears to be a piece of paper, and placing it through the front window. Approximately two minutes later, Durant walks up to the front window with an object in his hand and leans in through the broken window, which is then followed by a large flash consistent with the introduction and subsequent ignition of an ignitable liquid.

During the fire scene examination, an accelerant detection canine was used to process the scene to determine if an ignitable liquid was present. The canine indicated an area on the floor inside the church, under the same window Durant allegedly had broken and appeared to introduce an ignitable liquid. This area was also later determined to be the area of the fire origin.

On Thursday, Aug. 27, ATF agents noticed Durant, who matched the description of the unknown suspect depicted in the church video surveillance footage, walking on Van Brunt Boulevard and arrested him. At the time of his arrest, Durant was in possession of marijuana.

The charge contained in this complaint 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 Emily Morgan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Unit.

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. – Three Kansas City, Missouri, men have been charged in federal court for their roles in an armed carjacking Monday night that led to a high-speed chase and a collision that killed another motorist.

Derrell M. Wade, also known as Derrelle, 19, Curtis R. Daniels, 18, and Michael A. Brown, 18, were charged in a two-count complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Aug. 26. They remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

The federal criminal complaint charges each of the defendants with participating in a carjacking that occurred on Monday, Aug. 24. The complaint also charges Wade with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Wade pointed a gun at the victim, identified in court documents as “T.R.,” as he was walking away from his parked vehicle, a gold 2007 Prius, at approximately 10:35 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24. Wade allegedly pressed the barrel of his gun against T.R.’s forehead, and demanded, “give me your keys.” Another person took T.R.’s cell phone from his hand. T.R. was repeatedly struck in the back with an unknown object by a third person, and told to stay on his knees. The three men then fled in T.R.’s vehicle, the affidavit says.

T.R. immediately contacted law enforcement, and used his wife’s cell phone to track his stolen cell phone, using the Find My Phone app. Police officers saw the stolen Prius driving southbound on Lister Avenue, passing over the main thoroughfare of East 23rd Street, at about 11:09 p.m. Officers pulled behind the vehicle, which the affidavit says was being driven by Wade, and the vehicle accelerated a high rate of speed away from the officers. Officers activated their emergency equipment and initiated a pursuit of the vehicle.

According to the affidavit, Wade drove at speeds up to 75 miles per hour and ran several stop signs during the pursuit. When Wade ran the stop sign at 23rd Street and Lawn Avenue, the Prius collided with another vehicle. This collision resulted in the fatality of an occupant from that vehicle.

Wade left the driver’s seat and attempted to run away. Wade, who appeared to be limping, fell to the ground. As he was falling, the affidavit says, he pulled a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and threw it in the grass.

Brown got out of the passenger side rear door of the Prius and began running toward Elmwood Avenue. He was found hiding near a grill in a residential backyard and arrested.

Daniels, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the Prius, was arrested without incident.

The charges contained in this complaint 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 Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI. 

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.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Missouri, man has been sentenced in federal court for the sexual exploitation of a 4-year-old child victim.

Anthony Leon Helsel, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Tuesday, Aug. 25, to life in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 24, 2019, Helsel pleaded guilty to one count of the sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of the sex trafficking of a minor.

The investigation began in September 2018 when law enforcement received two CyberTips that Helsel was offering a 4-year-old child for sex through the KIK application, and that Helsel had uploaded suspected child pornography to his Facebook account. In October 2018, Kentucky law enforcement provided information that Helsel also offered images of child pornography to an undercover law enforcement officer in Kentucky, as well as to other members of a KIK group.

Officers executed a search warrant at Helsel’s residence on Oct. 2, 2018. Helsel admitted that he had taken pornographic photos of the child victim, that he had been sending child pornography to others and receiving child pornography from them, and that he had talked to others about them having sex with the child victim. Helsel also admitted that he had shared videos of him sexually assaulting the child victim to multiple users on KIK.

According to court documents, Helsel created hundreds of images and videos of the child victim’s sexual abuse. He repeatedly sent images and videos of him sexually assaulting her to many other KIK users over the internet. Investigators also found images of child pornography produced by Helsel with a one-year-old infant. 

At the time officers arrived at Helsel’s residence to execute the search warrant, he was conversing with another user on KIK, Gary McKinney of Joplin. 

McKinney was sentenced on Feb. 26, 2020, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. McKinney, who pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography, was an officer with the Joplin Police Department for about seven years until May 20, 2006. He also worked for a short time as a police officer in Webb City, Missouri, and Duquesne, Missouri. He owned and operated Gary McKinney Plumbing Services at the time of his arrest.

According to court documents, the child victim reported that both Helsel and another individual sexually assaulted her.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Joplin, 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."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison announced today that 288 arrests have been made by local and federal law enforcement officers in Operation LeGend.

Among those arrested since the launch of the operation, 61 are federal defendants. Among the remaining 227 arrests, 24 were homicide cases and 72 were fugitives with either state or federal warrants for their arrest. The remaining 131 non-fugitive arrests were referred for prosecution in state court.

In addition to the arrests, agents and officers have seized 89 firearms during Operation LeGend.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is not able to track cases that are referred for prosecution in state court. In addition to the arrests of federal defendants charged in other districts, or who were arrested for violating their supervised release, the following 38 defendants have been charged in federal court in the Western District of Missouri:

Edward Latimore, felon in possession of a firearm; G’aunte Butler, drug user in possession of a firearm; Chase Lewis, drug user in possession of a firearm; Romeny Aubrey, felon in possession of a firearm; Robert Jordan, felon in possession of a firearm; Harun Rimson, felon in possession of a firearm; Anthony Meneses, felon in possession of a firearm; Lance Saenz, felon in possession of a firearm; Scott Yount, drug trafficking; Crystal Smith, drug trafficking; Aurora Page, felon in possession of a firearm; Crystell Smith, drug trafficking; Devonte  Bowman, arson; Jamahl Jones, felon in possession of a firearm; Michael Moore, felon in possession of a firearm; Tylor Lack, felon in possession of a firearm; Dominic McDaniel, felon in possession of a firearm; Cameron Smith, felon in possession of a firearm; Charles Bai, felon in possession of a firearm, drug trafficking; Federico Yanez-Saldivar, felon in possession of a firearm, drug trafficking; Manuel Vazques, felon in possession of a firearm, drug trafficking.

Previously reported federal defendants:

Terrell L. Releford, felon in possession of a firearm; Dustin M. Jordan, felon in possession of a firearm; Zackory Phillips, felon in possession of a firearm; Travis J. Pipes, heroin trafficking, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime; Dylan Pruett, felon in possession of a firearm; Chase M. Murphy, armed robbery conspiracy, armed robbery, brandishing firearms during a crime of violence. 
Monty Ray, unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm; Steven Younce, felon in possession of a firearm, meth trafficking, possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime; Daniel Briscoe, methamphetamine trafficking, heroin trafficking; Leamandreal Dorsey, felon in possession of a firearm; Shannon Walz, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition; Maricela Lozano, carjacking, using a firearm during a crime of violence; Gary Dorch, felon in possession of a firearm; Patricia Nelson, felon in possession of a firearm; Bobby Lynn King, felon in possession of a firearm; Logan Tanner Laws, unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm; Michael Glen Zeigers, felon in possession of a firearm; Nelson, King, Laws, and Zeigers are co-defendants also charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, money laundering, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

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.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An inmate at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, has been convicted by a federal jury of assaulting another inmate at the facility.

Earl F. Love, 55, was found guilty of one count of assault causing serious bodily injury.

Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Love walked into the cell of another inmate, identified in court documents as “D.W.,” on Dec. 30, 2018. Love and the victim were in an argument over a sports gambling bet. Love struck D.W., fractured his nose and other bones in his face, and knocked him unconscious. Afterward, the victim requested medical assistance and was transported by ambulance to the emergency room. D.W. was admitted to the hospital and spent several days in the Intensive Care Unit.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for three hours before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Tuesday, Aug. 18, ending a trial that began Monday, Aug. 17.

Under federal statutes, Love 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. Attorneys Patrick Carney and Casey Clark. It was investigated by the FBI.