Western District of Missouri

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Eleven defendants have been indicted for their roles in a $1.7 million conspiracy to distribute 150 kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 kilograms of heroin, as well as illegally possessing numerous firearms.

Kamel Mahgub Elburki, 31, Ashley Brooke Clevenger, 37, Edward Jason Alberty Jr., 23, Rachel Gale Simpson, 36, Daniel Jessie Ruiz, 35, and Matthew John Fabulae, 30, all of Kansas City, Missouri; Cory Matthew Jobe, 27, of Independence, Missouri; Tayler Charles Jones, 25, of Liberty, Missouri; Ashley Anne Fries, 23, of Riverside, Missouri; Justin Ren’e Ramirez, 23, of Bolivar, Missouri; and Richard Dean Saettone II, 39, address unknown, were charged in a 22-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on Dec. 12, 2019. That indictment has been unsealed and made public following the arrests and initial court appearances of the defendants.

The federal indictment alleges that all of the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and in a money-laundering conspiracy from Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 12, 2109.

According to court records, law enforcement officers seized 77 firearms during the course of the investigation. Among those firearms were 69 firearms seized at Ruiz’s residence, including 45 firearms seized on Feb. 22, 2019, and 20 firearms seized on Oct. 23, 2019, and four firearms seized on Dec. 2, 2019.

The federal indictment replaces a criminal complaint filed against Fabulae on Nov. 26, 2019. According to an affidavit filed in support of the original complaint, Fabulae was involved in at least two shooting incidents. On Feb. 12, 2019, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the Quik Trip parking lot at 7100 NE Parvin Rd., but Fabulae drove out of the parking lot and led officers on a pursuit. Fabulae entered the eastbound lanes while driving westbound into opposing traffic, the affidavit says, then drove his Jeep off the road and up a hill. Fabulae got out of the vehicle with his dog and ran into some trees and brush. Officers found Fabulae hiding inside a large trash dumpster in a nearby parking lot and arrested him. He was carrying two grams of methamphetamine, a firearm magazine, and $1,096. Officers also located the drawstring backpack he had been carrying and discarded, the affidavit says, which contained 48 grams of cocaine HCL, 10 grams of marijuana, and 280 grams of methamphetamine. Officers found a Springfield Armory .45-caliber handgun near the location where the foot chase began. Officers searched Fabulae’s vehicle and found four cell phones, a tablet, a laptop, and ammunition.

The federal indictment replaces criminal complaints filed against Ruiz and Saettone on Dec. 3, 2019. According to the affidavits filed in support of those complaints, Ruiz and Saettone were arrested that day after Saettone purchased methamphetamine from Ruiz at Ruiz’s residence. Officers stopped Saettone as he was leaving Ruiz’s residence. Saettone, the affidavit says, was carrying approximately 280 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded SCCY 9mm semi-automatic handgun.

According to the affidavit, officers executed a search warrant at Ruiz’s residence on Dec. 2, 2019, and officers seized well over a kilogram of methamphetamine buried in a large metal trash can full of dog food, located in the front room. Officers also seized a Glock .40-caliber handgun with an extended magazine, a Smith and Wesson AR-15-style rifle, an FIE .25-caliber automatic handgun, a Glock .357-caliber handgun, ammunition, a World War II-era gas grenade, multiple packages of suspected marijuana, and more than $2,000. 

An earlier search warrant had been executed at Ruiz’s residence on Feb. 22, 2019, when officers seized 45 firearms, more than three kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately $66,000. A search warrant had also been executed at Ruiz’s residence on Oct. 23, 2019, after investigators discovered a FedEx parcel sent to that address, which contained 5.4 pounds of marijuana. Investigators conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel, the affidavit says, which Ruiz (using an alias) accepted. Officers arrested Ruiz and searched his residence, seizing 20 firearms and more than 600 grams of methamphetamine.

In addition to the conspiracies charged in the indictment, Elburki, Jones, Alberty, Simpson, Jobe, Ramirez, Ruiz, Fabulae, and Saettone were also charged together in one count of possessing 500 grams of methamphetamine and one kilogram of heroin to distribute.

Elburki, Jones, Alberty, Jobe, Ramirez, Ruiz, Fries, Fabulae, and Saettone each were charged with one count of possessing, carrying, or using a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Elburki, Jones, Jobe, Fries, Fabulae, and Saettone each were charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Alberty, Ramirez, Ruiz, and Fabulae each were charged with one count of being a drug user in possession of firearms and ammunition.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any proceeds obtained from the alleged drug-trafficking conspiracy, including a money judgment of approximately $1,745,000, which allegedly was received in exchange for the distribution of more than 150 kilograms of methamphetamine (based on an average street price of $250 per ounce) and more than 10 kilograms of heroin (based on an average street price of $1,200 per 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 Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine.

Richard G. Wacker, 60, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Missouri, from March 30 to Oct. 18, 2017.

By pleading guilty today, Wacker admitted that he traveled to Kansas City on several occasions to purchase a half-pound of methamphetamine. After making two trips with co-defendant Ronald A. Stone, 52, of Springfield, 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.

On Aug. 30, 2017, Wacker gave Stone $10,000 to purchase a kilogram of methamphetamine. Stone was arrested later that day while driving through Bolivar, Missouri, on his way back to Springfield. Law enforcement officers seized 6.8 pounds of methamphetamine from Stone, who admitted he had just delivered $30,000 to a contact he met in Peculiar, Missouri.

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.

In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Stone pleaded guilty on May 16, 2019, to illegally possessing firearms and to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. A few days before Stone’s arrest on Aug. 30, 2017, law enforcement officers had executed a search warrant at his residence and seized methamphetamine, a loaded Taurus .38-caliber revolver, a loaded Vega .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, and $5,661. Officers had also seized a Hi Point 9mm semi-automatic pistol, ammunition, and methamphetamine from Stone’s residence while executing a search warrant on March 30, 2017.

Wacker also admitted that he distributed pound quantities of methamphetamine to co-defendant Herbert R. Dinger, 64, of Springfield. Dinger pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy on Jan. 7, 2019.
 
Co-defendant Carol A. Hardy, also known as Carol A. Johnson, 50, has also pleaded guilty to her role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. She 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.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys 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. – An Independence, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing methamphetamine and firearms.

Devin D. Cofer, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

By pleading guilty today, Cofer admitted he was in possession of a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun on April 19, 2019. Cofer, a daily methamphetamine user, traded three grams of methamphetamine and $50 to purchase the Taurus.

Cofer also admitted that he possessed 86.3 grams of methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute, on May 17, 2019. Cofer also possessed a Walther semi-automatic handgun and a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun in furtherance of his intended distribution of methamphetamine. Cofer admitted to having purchased the Glock two days prior by trading seven grams of methamphetamine for the weapon, and purchasing the Walther two days prior from a “dope guy.”

Under federal statutes, Cofer is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for the drug-trafficking count, plus a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole for the firearms count. 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.

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 Warrensburg, Missouri, man and a Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms that they sold to an undercover federal agent.

Rufus C. Thomas, also known as “Jackpot,” 30, of Warrensburg, and his brother, Hashir Abdur-Rahman, also known as “Jeremiah Monroe” and “The Noble King,” 42, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough.

Thomas pleaded guilty to four counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. Abdur-Rahman pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Each of the instances in which Thomas and Abdur-Rahman illegally possessed firearms involved the illegal sale of firearms to an undercover special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

By pleading guilty today, Thomas admitted that he was in possession of a Ruger .22-caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number, a Maverick 12-gauge shotgun, and a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol on Oct. 5, 2017. Thomas also admitted that he was in possession of a Heritage .22-caliber revolver and two Remington 12-gauge shotguns with obliterated serial numbers on Oct. 24, 2017. Thomas also admitted that he was in possession of a Strassel 9mm pistol on Dec. 21, 2017.

Abdur-Rahman admitted that he was in possession of a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun on Dec. 7, 2017. Abdur-Rahman also admitted that he sold the shotgun to an undercover federal agent, on behalf of Thomas, for $350.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Thomas has prior felony convictions for burglary, possession of a controlled substance, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and two prior felony convictions for theft. Abdur-Rahman has a prior felony conviction for possession with the intent to sell illegal drugs.

Under federal statutes, Thomas and Abdur-Rahman are each 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 Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by 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.

Law enforcement officers protect and serve our community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year. The least we can do is take one of those days to express our appreciation for their sacrifice.

National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day will be observed on Thursday, Jan. 9. I hope you will join me in speaking up to support the courageous men and women who devote themselves to public service. They have voluntarily chosen a challenging profession with many significant demands, both for themselves and their families. They willingly put themselves at risk in the normal course of their duties and make daily sacrifices on our behalf.

Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) has designated this day since 2015 to positively support the 900,000 law enforcement officers in America. Since then, a number of organizations have joined the cause, including the FBI National Academy Associates, the Fraternal Order of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Officer Down Memorial Page, Law Enforcement United, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, the International Conference of Police Chaplains, the National Troopers Coalition, and many others.

Here are a few ways that each of us can show our appreciation to law enforcement officers during Law Enforcement Appreciation Day:

• Change your profile picture on social media to the image provided at      www.facebook.com/nationalcops.
• Wear blue clothing in support of law enforcement.
• Send a card of support to your local police department or state agency.
• Share a story about a positive law enforcement experience on social media.
• Ask children to write letters in support of law enforcement.
• Participate in Project Blue Light by proudly displaying a blue light in support of law enforcement.
• Participate in a Blue Blood Drive by giving blood to the Sleeves Up campaign:  https://sleevesup.redcrossblood.org/campaign/sleevesup-for-c-o-p-s/ 

Most importantly, thank a police officer when you see them.

Tim Garrison is the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Olathe, Kansas, man who was on parole after spending 38 years in prison for murdering two people in a bar robbery, one of whom was an off-duty police officer, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in federal court today.

Robert Lucious Toney, 67, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. to one count of distributing methamphetamine, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of crossing state lines in aid of a racketeering enterprise (the unlawful business of distributing illegal drugs).

On Dec. 14, 2018, Toney met an undercover law enforcement officer at a restaurant in Columbia, Missouri. Toney sold the undercover officer two ounces of methamphetamine for $1,400.

Toney met the undercover officer again on Jan. 18, 2019, at a restaurant in Kingdom City, Missouri. Toney was arrested in the parking lot when he got out of his car. Officers searched the car, and under the gas tank lid found four plastic bags that contained methamphetamine and a bag that contained two grams of heroin and one gram of cocaine, which Toney was planning to sell to the undercover officer for $3,200. 

At the time of these offenses, Toney was on state parole after being sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus 20 years in prison for the 1973 conviction of murdering an off-duty police officer and another customer during a bar robbery and assaulting two more customers. After 38 years of incarceration, Toney was released on parole in 2010.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Jolly. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Camdenton, Missouri, man who was scheduled to go to trial yesterday, instead pleaded guilty to a $78,000 fraud scheme in which he used his victim’s credit cards without authorization.

Ivan Joseph Stark, Jr., 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Monday, Jan. 6, to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Stark became romantically involved with his victim, identified in court documents as “C.H.,” after they met on a dating website. Stark, who used an alias and omitted details regarding his past prison sentence, obtained C.H.’s credit cards on March 1, 2018. Stark obtained the credit cards by falsely telling C.H. he intended to repair an electronic sign and sell the sign for a profit. Stark falsely claimed he already had a buyer for the sign. Stark promised to repay C.H. for purchases he made with C.H.’s credit cards using the proceeds from the sale of the sign. Stark also promised to split a portion of the proceeds of the sale with C.H. In reality, there was no electric sign or project to repair any sign.

Stark obtained a total of $78,280 through this scheme. One of the credit cards, for example, was used to make a $10,180 down payment on a 30-foot trailer from Flying A. Motorsports. Another credit card was used to make a $1,500 down payment on a Dodge Ram truck, which was made over the phone with another woman who purported to be the victim.

Stark opened a Square account under the name AVR Industries. Stark falsely represented to Square that AVR was a taxicab and limousine business, when in fact, no such business was in operation. Stark conducted approximately $43,000 in transactions through Square, using C.H.’s credit cards, to make payments to AVR. As a result of these transactions, $41,817 was deposited into Stark’s personal bank account.

Stark, without C.H.’s knowledge or consent, requested a credit limit increase on two of C.H.’s credit cards. 

Stark ultimately charged one of C.H.’s credit cards to a balance above $43,000. Stark made an electronic payment from his personal account in the amount of $21,947, payable to C.H.’s credit card, knowing that his account contained insufficient funds to cover the payment. Before his unfunded payment was reversed, however, Stark made approximately $21,154 in charges to C.H.’s credit card. This resulted in a statement balance of $43,607, which was $21,607 over the card’s credit limit.

Under federal statutes, Stark is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole for bank fraud and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison without parole for aggravated identity theft, which must be served consecutively. 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 Ashley S. Turner and Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the FBI and the Camden County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Missouri, man was convicted in a bench trial today of illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun that he sold to an undercover federal agent.

James E. Hawkins, 36, was found guilty by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark of being a felon in possession of a firearm and of possessing an unregistered firearm.

According to evidence introduced during the bench trial, Hawkins was in possession of a Remington 12-gauge shotgun on Jan. 12, 2018. The sawed-off shotgun had a barrel of less than 18 inches in length, which Hawkins was not registered to possess. Hawkins sold the shotgun to an undercover special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for $260. Hawkins told the undercover agent that he used a hacksaw to shorten the barrel himself.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition. Hawkins was on probation at the time of the offense following his state felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Under federal statutes, Hawkins is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole on each of the two counts. 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 Robert Smith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by 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 Sparta, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for drug trafficking, counterfeiting, and failing to register as a sex offender.

William W. Chamlee, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 19 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. The court ordered the federal sentence to be served consecutively to any sentence Chamlee receives in separate state cases in Arkansas.

On July 1, 2019, Chamlee pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, counterfeiting, and failing to register as a sex offender.

Chamlee, who had arrest warrants and was being sought by Arkansas authorities, was located inside a camper at his residence in Sparta and arrested on Nov. 4, 2016. Law enforcement officers searched the camper and found a Jennings .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol, ammunition, approximately 17 grams of pure methamphetamine, numerous counterfeit bills of various denominations totaling $2,190, and the computer and printer used by Chamlee to create the counterfeit money.

Chamlee admitted that he bought an ounce of methamphetamine each week from a source he met on Craigslist, and had been doing so for two months. Chamlee said he purchased at least eight to 10 ounces of methamphetamine from his source and he was paying $700 to $800 per ounce.

Chamlee was convicted in Arkansas of video voyeurism against a 10-year-old victim, and therefore required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his lifetime. Chamlee admitted he knew that he was required to register as a sex offender when he moved to Missouri, but didn’t register because of the Arkansas arrest warrants.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nhan D. Nguyen and Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshal Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Baxter Springs, Kansas, man whose previous sentence was commuted by then-President Barack Obama was sentenced in federal court today for committing another drug-trafficking violation soon after his release from prison.

Carroll J. Flowers, 69, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 11 years and three months in federal prison without parole.

In an earlier unrelated case, Flowers was sentenced on June 19, 2002, to 20 years in federal prison following his conviction in the District of Kansas for conspiring to distribute 3.2 kilograms of pure methamphetamine. President Obama commuted Flowers’ sentence and he was released on May 19, 2017, to a term of supervised release. Approximately six months later, while still on supervised release, Flowers committed this offense.

Flowers pleaded guilty on May 28, 2019, to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Dec. 6 to Dec. 13, 2017. When Flowers was arrested, he was carrying 83.1 grams of pure methamphetamine and $2,731.

Flowers was arrested with co-defendant Melissa A. Lowry, 44, of Joplin, Missouri. Lowry pleaded guilty to the same charge on Sept. 30, 2019, and awaits sentencing. She admitted to selling methamphetamine to a confidential law enforcement informant. When officers searched her residence at the time of her arrest with Flowers, they found a black-zipped pouch inside a compartment of a bedroom dresser that contained approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and unused baggies.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the FBI and the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute nearly $6 million of synthetic cannabinoid products, also known as K2.

Shakeel Khan, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to three years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Khan to forfeit to the government $2,005,239 that was seized by law enforcement during the investigation and to pay a money judgment of $4,750,000, which accounts for all K2-related deposits associated with his bank accounts.

Co-defendants Mohammed Saleem, 46, of Diamond Back, California, and Asif Saddiq, 61, of Fullerton, California, each were sentenced in December 2019 to four years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered both Saleem and Saddiq to pay a money judgment for which they are jointly and severally liable with Khan.

Khan, Saleem, and Saddiq each pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute misbranded drugs across state lines from March 1, 2011, to April 30, 2014. They also each pleaded guilty to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy that involved payments totaling nearly $500,000 to bank accounts in Pakistan.

Khan, Saleem, and Saddiq admitted that they distributed synthetic cannabinoid products, a controlled substance analogue. The synthetic cannabinoid products had false and misleading labeling in that they were labeled in a manner indicating they were not fit for human consumption when, in fact, the synthetic marijuana products were intended for human consumption. This labeling caused the synthetic marijuana products to be misbranded in violation of federal law.

Saleem began producing synthetic cannabinoids in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2009, where he met Khan. Saleem’s company was MNZ WHOLESALE AND DISTRIBUTION. The following year Saleem moved to Texas to continue producing synthetic cannabinoids, while Khan continued to assist him with his operation in Kansas City. Saleem met Siddiq at a trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2011, after which he moved his operation to Los Angeles, California, and partnered with him. They ran a company called S&S Memon, Inc., DBA LA BLAZE. An affiliated company of LA BLAZE was S&S MEMON DBA LAWORLD SPICE. Another affiliated company was called LA PARADISE and MNZ WORLD SPICE. They were producing synthetic cannabinoids and during this time were producing 50,000 bags of K-2 six days a week.

In the fall of 2011, Khan traveled to Los Angeles to operate a K-2 business and opened K BROTHERS IMPORTS, INC. Saleem then put his business MNZ WHOLESALE AND DISTRIBUTION in Khan’s name.

Saleem travelled to China to purchase the chemicals needed to produce the synthetic cannabinoids. Court documents cite 16 wire transfers, totaling $1,725,250, to purchase chemicals from individuals in China from November 2011 to March 2012. Some of the chemicals that were used in the production of synthetic cannabinoid products constituted analogues to banned chemicals and were thus illegal to distribute or sell by the defendants. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Maitland, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to robbing banks in St. Joseph, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri.

Nicholas Lehman, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to two counts of bank robbery.

By pleading guilty today, Lehman admitted that he stole $4,450 from Citizen’s Bank and Trust, 5305 N. Belt Hwy., St. Joseph, on March 18, 2019. Lehman also admitted that he stole $1,940 from National American Savings Bank, 7012 N.W. Barry Rd., Kansas City, on March 20, 2019.

Lehman admitted that he approached the teller at Citizen’s Bank and Trust and gave her a handwritten note that demanded money, stated he had a gun, and claimed the teller’s family was being held hostage. Lehman, who didn’t exhibit a gun during the incident, told the teller to give him all of her money. The teller emptied her drawer and gave him $4,450.

Lehman did not conceal his face during the robbery and his image was captured by the bank’s surveillance system. Photos of Lehman were broadcast to the public through local news stations. Several individuals who knew him contacted the FBI and stated they believed he was the person responsible for the robberies.

Two days later, Lehman approached the teller’s counter at National American Savings Bank and gave the teller a note that read, “This is a robbery. NO ALARMS INK PACKS ALL BIG BILLS and NO ONE gets hurt. 5 minutes before ALARM someone is watching your family or they all get….. For an amount of 10,000.” The teller told Lehman she didn’t have that much cash, but emptied her drawer. Lehman grabbed the money and ran out of the bank.

The next day, on March 21, 2019, law enforcement officers attempted to apprehend Lehman, who was driving a 2011 Ford Edge, near the Kansas City International Airport. Lehman refused to stop and a high-speed chase ensued. Lehman stopped his car in Kansas City, Kansas, and fled on foot. He was eventually apprehended and arrested.

Under federal statutes, Lehman is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the two counts. 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 Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the FBI, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Murrieta, California, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to transporting a 16-year-old victim across state lines for prostitution.

Michael Barrett Cason, 38, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to the charge contained in a Dec. 13, 2017, federal indictment.

According to today’s plea agreement, Kansas City, Missouri, police officers received a request to conduct a wellness check for a missing 16-year-old from Texas on Nov. 18, 2017. Officers responded to a local hotel to locate the minor, who had posted her location on social media. While officers were at the hotel, co-defendant Shelbi Katelyn Chaddick, 28, of Texas, arrived, driving Cason’s Mercedes-Benz with the missing 16-year-old victim. Officers accompanied the victim to her hotel room, where they saw items consistent with prostitution. Officers also saw several text messages on the victim’s locked cell phone asking when she would be available.

The child victim told officers she had been transported by Cason and Chaddick from Texas to Missouri to engage in prostitution, and had engaged in prostitution with several individuals while in Kansas City. Investigators located live Backpage and CallsEscort ads that utilized the child victim’s cell phone number.

Chaddick pleaded guilty on July 10, 2019, to making false statements to law enforcement.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Cason is subject to a sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole. 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 Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, 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. – A Kansas City, Kansas, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than 450 kilograms of cocaine in the metropolitan area.

Jesus Salvador Campoy-Estrada, also known as “Chava” and “Chavita,” 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy that lasted from October 2013 to Nov. 15, 2018. Campoy-Estrada also pleaded guilty to money laundering.

Campoy-Estrada was a large cocaine supplier in the Kansas City metropolitan area who received cocaine, smuggled from Mexico, from the leader of the drug-trafficking organization. He then made multi-kilogram sales to other cocaine dealers involved in the conspiracy. Campoy-Estrada admitted that he distributed well in excess of 450 kilograms of cocaine during his involvement in the conspiracy.

A confidential witness started distributing cocaine with Campoy-Estrada in 2015. Initially, they distributed approximately eight to 10 kilograms of cocaine per week. By 2016, they were distributing 10 to 20 kilograms of cocaine per week.

When Campoy-Estrada was arrested, officers searched his mother’s residence and found $111,995 in cash, which he admitted was illicit drug proceeds from the sale of 3.5 to 4 kilograms of powder cocaine. Officers also found a loaded XD 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a drug ledger.

Co-defendants Miguel Armendariz-Rascon, 31, a citizen of Mexico residing in Olathe, Kansas, and Armando Rosales Jr., 30, of San Elizario, Texas, have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy.

Campoy-Estrada and Armendariz-Rascon admitted they gave $491,211 in drug-trafficking proceeds to another co-conspirator, and received an unknown amount of powder cocaine. The money, which was seized by law enforcement, represented the proceeds of the distribution of more than 17 kilograms of cocaine.

Rosales admitted that he was a courier for the drug-trafficking organization. Investigators had received information that a shipment of cocaine was being delivered to the Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area. On Dec. 18, 2017, a DEA investigator stopped the Ford F-150 pickup Rosales was driving near Sweetwater, Texas. The investigator searched Rosales’s vehicle and found eight packages completely wrapped in electrical tape in the rear seat back of the truck. The packages contained a total of approximately eight kilograms of powder cocaine. Rosales admitted he was transporting the cocaine to the Kansas City metropolitan area.

According to the plea agreement, the drug-trafficking organization was purchasing cocaine for approximately $27,000 to $27,500 per kilogram. Accordingly, the value of the eight kilograms that Rosales transported was at least $216,000.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A San Elizario, Texas, man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of cocaine in the metropolitan area.

Armando Rosales Jr., 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Tuesday, Dec. 17, to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy that lasted from October 2013 to Nov. 15, 2018.

By pleading guilty, Rosales admitted that he was a courier for a drug-trafficking organization. Investigators had received information that a shipment of cocaine was being delivered to the Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area. On Dec. 18, 2017, a DEA investigator stopped the Ford F-150 pickup Rosales was driving near Sweetwater, Texas. The investigator searched Rosales’s vehicle and found eight packages completely wrapped in electrical tape in the rear seat back of the truck. The packages contained a total of approximately eight kilograms of powder cocaine. Rosales admitted he was transporting the cocaine to the Kansas City metropolitan area.

According to the plea agreement, the drug-trafficking organization was purchasing cocaine for approximately $27,000 to $27,500 per kilogram. Accordingly, the value of the eight kilograms that Rosales transported was at least $216,000.

Co-defendant Miguel Armendariz-Rascon, 31, a citizen of Mexico residing in Olathe, Kansas, has also pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy. Armendariz-Rascon admitted that he aided a co-conspirator in providing $491,211 in illicit drug proceeds – which was seized by law enforcement – to another co-conspirator. Armendariz-Rascon admitted the money represented the proceeds of the distribution of more than 17 kilograms of cocaine.

Under federal statutes, Rosales and Armendariz-Rascon are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department.

Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the launch of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative aimed at combating violent crime in seven of America’s most violent cities – including the combined metropolitan area of Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas - through a surge in federal resources.

Joined at a press conference in Detroit, Michigan, by ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo, DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald W. Washington, Barr pledged to intensify federal law enforcement resources in Kansas City, Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Memphis, and Milwaukee – seven American cities with violent crime levels several times the national average. 

U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison in the Western District of Missouri and U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister in Kansas, along with the federal law enforcement heads based in the Kansas City metropolitan area, announced their participation immediately following the Attorney General’s press conference.

“Americans deserve to live in safety,” said Barr. “And while nationwide violent crime rates are down, many cities continue to see levels of extraordinary violence. Operation Relentless Pursuit seeks to ensure that no American city is excluded from the peace and security felt by the majority of Americans, while also supporting those who serve and protect in these communities with the resources, training, and equipment they need to stay safe.”

“Kansas City, which has been wracked by too much violence for too long, is participating in this national initiative to focus more federal law enforcement resources where they are needed most,” Garrison said. “Operation Relentless Pursuit will deploy more agents and officers with additional resources to confront the epidemic of violent crime in our community. The very name of this operation – Relentless Pursuit – is a warning to violent criminals: We will not stop until you are behind bars.”

“I am excited about this opportunity for the Kansas City metro area to take part in a program that will provide us more manpower and more money to fight crime. Our goal is to make everyone in our community safer,” McAllister said.

“Driven by crime-gun intelligence, including the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, firearms tracing data and our experience and expertise in investigating violent gun crime, ATF, as part of Operation Relentless Pursuit, will continue to identify and hold accountable the trigger pullers and firearms traffickers that expose our neighborhoods to violence,” said Marino Vidoli, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Field Division.

“This operation will allow the DEA to enhance our existing forces in an effort to disrupt and dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations operating in the Kansas City metro area,” said Special Agent in Charge William Callahan. “These traffickers - including cartels and street gangs - will stop at nothing to turn a profit, often using violence and intimidation to expand their network.”

“The FBI remains committed to combatting violent crime throughout our city,” said Timothy R. Langan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Kansas City Division. “Through Operation Relentless Pursuit we will enhance existing forces to direct additional manpower and resources to target the hierarchy of criminal gangs and enterprises. Along with our federal, state and local partners we remain steadfast in our pursuit to dismantle and incapacitate the worst offenders responsible for violence in our community.”

“The U.S. Marshals Service will provide focused relentless pursuit of the most violent fugitives impacting the greater Kansas City area,” said U.S. Marshal Mark James of the Western District of Missouri. “We appreciate AttorneyGeneral Barr’s commitment of resources to help us in this fight.”

“Reducing violent crime in Kansas City will take a partnership involving law enforcement and the community,” said U.S. Marshal Ron Miller of the District of Kansas. “The U.S. Marshals Service is proud to work with our community every day, removing the most violent criminals from our streets.”

Operation Relentless Pursuit will involve increasing the number of federal law enforcement officers to the selected cities, as well as bulking up federal task forces through collaborative efforts with state and local law enforcement partners. The surge in federal agents will be complemented by a financial commitment of up to $71 million in federal grant funding that can be used to hire new officers, pay overtime and benefits, finance federally deputized task force officers, and provide mission-critical equipment and technology.  

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Indiana man and woman who were stopped on Interstate 44 en route to Chicago, Illinois, with approximately 36 pounds of methamphetamine in their vehicle, have pleaded guilty to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Steven Hook, 39, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush. Co-defendant Tallisha R. Malone, also known as Tallisha Washington, 39, pleaded guilty on Dec. 10, 2019.

Hook and Malone each pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Missouri, from May 31, 2019, to June 3, 2019.

Hook was driving a vehicle rented by Malone, a passenger, on eastbound Interstate 44 on June 3, 2019. A state trooper stopped the vehicle for speeding. When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found three bundles of methamphetamine in a small luggage bag. The trooper also found two plastic bags with bedding inside; inside the bedding of both plastic bags were a total of 33 bundles of methamphetamine. Approximately 36 pounds of methamphetamine were seized from Hook and Malone.

Malone told law enforcement officers she rented the vehicle in Los Angeles, California. She drove to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she met Hook. She was supposed to drive the vehicle to Chicago to drop the vehicle off to another person.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe McGull. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A prior sex offender in Carthage, Missouri, who impregnated a 14-year-old victim, pleaded guilty in federal court today to the sexual exploitation of a child.

Victor Alfonso Vasquez, 33, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to the sexual exploitation of a child. Vasquez is a prior sex offender with prior felony convictions for statutory rape and statutory sodomy.

The investigation began when the 14-year-old victim, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe,” visited a health clinic for a pregnancy test, which indicated she was more than eight weeks pregnant. The victim told investigators she met Vasquez while playing a game on her cell phone when she was 13 years old. Vasquez then began contacting her via Facebook Messenger. They also exchanged sexually explicit images via SnapChat. During their online relationship, Vasquez discussed having a sexual relationship with Jane Doe, and he discussed physically meeting her to have sex.

On Jan. 19, 2018, Jane Doe lied to her mother at Vasquez’s direction and asked her mother to drop her off at a friend’s house. Her mother actually dropped her off at Vasquez’s residence, when Vasquez began a physical relationship with the child victim that lasted for several months.

Under federal statutes, Vasquez is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison without parole, up to 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, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Dumfries, Virginia, man was convicted by a federal jury today for his role in wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies as part of a nearly $3 million romance fraud scheme.

Henry N. Asomani, 34, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Ghana, was found guilty 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. The court ordered Asomani taken into federal custody at the close of today’s proceedings to await sentencing.

Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Asomani was the middle man who received the proceeds of the fraud conspiracy from unknown co-conspirators into his bank accounts. 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 a total of $2,993,354 from 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 repeatedly warned Asomani that his bank accounts were receiving the proceeds of a fraud scheme, he continued to receive the funds and simply closed accounts when funds were frozen, then opened new accounts at a different bank.

Unknown co-conspirators targeted individuals 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.

For example, one victim who resides 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. To date, the victim has not 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.  To date, the victim has received $1,000 back from “Fischer.”

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.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately two hours before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, Dec. 9.

Under federal statutes, Asomani is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the four conspiracy and wire fraud counts, and up to 10 years in federal prison without parole on each of the two money laundering counts. 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 Paul S. Becker and Matthew Blackwood. It was investigated by the FBI.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Missouri, man has been convicted by a federal jury of providing false information in two unsuccessful attempts to purchase firearms.

Joshua Michael Lehman, 35, was found guilty on Monday, Dec. 9, of two counts of making false statements in a federal record provided to a licensed firearms dealer.

Lehman attempted to purchase a Ruger 9mm pistol at Bob’s Guns on Dec. 29, 2017, and attempted to purchase a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun at Dunham’s Sports on Feb. 15, 2018. In each instance, Lehman claimed, in a federal firearms transaction record, that he had not been adjudicated to be mentally defective and committed to a mental institution, which he knew was false.

Both purchases were denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) because Lehman had been civilly committed as mentally defective.

On March 20, 2018, Lehman’s mother (through an attorney) contacted the Cole County Sheriff’s Department because she believed her son was a danger to others and had been attempting to purchase a firearm.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., deliberated for approximately 40 minutes before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough, ending a one-day trial.

Under federal statutes, Lehman 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 Aaron M. Maness. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cole County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Project Guardian
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.

U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison (left) announced the new KC Metro Strike Force to target drug traffickers and violent criminals on both sides of the state line. Garrison was joined by U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister (District of Kansas, center), Adam Cohen, director of the Executive Office of the Organized Crime Drug EnforcementTask Forces (right), and law enforcement partners from 13 agencies.

KANSAS CITY – A new Kansas City Metro OCDETF Strike Force is targeting drug traffickers and violent criminals on both sides of the state line, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister in Kansas and U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison in the Western District of Missouri announced today.

McAllister and Garrison held a joint press conference to announce that local, state, and federal law enforcement officers are working together on Strike Force cases. 

“The Strike Force already is conducting investigations and filing charges against the criminals who are poisoning our community with drugs and violence,” McAllister said. “Crime does not stop at the state line and neither does the Strike Force.”

“This new Strike Force presents a united front against drug trafficking and violent crime throughout the metropolitan area,” Garrison said. “We are marshaling agents and officers from both Missouri and Kansas under the same roof and equipping them with additional investigative resources to better protect our community from the violent scourge of drug trafficking.”

The Strike Force, which launched in April 2019, is targeting drug trafficking organizations that are making the streets of metro Kansas City less safe and more violent by importing large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs from Mexico and elsewhere.

JOINS OCDETF STRIKE FORCES NATIONWIDE

The Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) oversees the Strike Force initiative. Kansas City joins OCDETF Strike Forces in major cities including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, North Texas, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego, San Juan, Southeast Michigan, and Tampa.

 The OCDETF Strike Force in metro Kansas City includes members from the FBI, DEA, and ATF, as well as the police departments in Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Kansas and the Western District of Missouri will prosecute the Strike Force’s cases in federal court.

MISSION: DISRUPT, DISMANTLE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS

The goal of the Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations, including gangs, cartels, and others that are trafficking in drugs and firearms, or engaging in money laundering.

    Participating agencies have agreed to assign full-time personnel to the Strike Force. Police officers, federal agents, and prosecutors are working together under one roof. For security reasons, the location will not be made public.

    An FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge manages the Strike Force’s three teams: a major crime squad, a major threat squad, and a fugitive squad. A Strike Force Executive Council, whose members include both U.S. Attorneys, will oversee the Strike Force.

CASES FILED

As an example of the work of the Kansas City Metro OCDETF Strike Force, an investigation across state lines resulted in separate indictments being brought in both Kansas and Missouri last month.

In Kansas City, Kansas, the Strike Force investigated a case (U.S. v. Jose Manuel Delgado-Hernandez, et al.) that resulted in federal drug conspiracy charges against six men who are accused of distributing methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl that came to Kansas through a pipeline that begins in Mexico. 

The indictment alleges the organization’s distributors at the street level were operating within 1,000 feet of Kensington Park playground and Wyandotte High School.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized 19 pounds of methamphetamine, 66 pounds of marijuana, and firearms, including handguns and a military style rifle.

In Kansas City, Missouri, the parallel Strike Force investigation resulted in a case (U.S. v. Christie D. Holloway, et al) that included federal drug conspiracy charges against four defendants who are accused of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. One of the defendants is accused of illegally possessing a firearm

Other Strike Force cases include:

    U.S. v. Luis Martinez-Carrango, et al.: Agents seized more than 220 pounds of methamphetamine when they served a search warrant at a house in Kansas City, Kansas. Fourteen defendants were charged in a 33-count grand jury indictment. During the investigation, the agents also seized approximately 140 gallons of liquid methamphetamine being transported from Douglas County, Kansas, to Lees Summit, Missouri.
    US v. Lionel Simpson: In November, Simpson was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to selling crack cocaine to undercover agents during meetings in grocery store parking lots and gas stations in Kansas City, Kansas. He was arrested with a backpack containing gloves, a mask, a gun, and a 50-round magazine. He said he kept it in case he ever ran into a rival gang member who was responsible for the death of his sister.
    U.S. v. Jovanny Medina, et al.: Medina was indicted Oct. 23, 2019. The indictment alleges he was arrested during the unloading of 35 pounds of methamphetamine from a car hauler truck in the parking lot of a Dollar General in Kansas City, Kansas. 
    U.S. v. Ladele D. Smith, et al.: Twenty defendants were indicted for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy. Approximately 200 federal agents and local law enforcement officers were involved in an Oct. 2, 2019, operation in which most of the defendants were arrested. During the operation, officers seized 23 firearms, heroin and other illegal drugs, and $75,000 in cash. The indictment alleges the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute at least a kilogram of heroin, as well as cocaine, crack cocaine, oxycodone, codeine, and marijuana.

The charges contained in these indictments 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.

STATEMENTS FROM PARTNERS

Agency officials who are working with the Strike Force made the following statements: 

    Timothy Langan, FBI Special Agent Charge, Kansas City Division: “The creation of the KC Metro OCDETF Strike Force provides a collaborative effort, serving as a force multiplier to effectively protect the public, by targeting the command structure of major international and interstate drug organizations.  We have already seen success with the establishment of this task force locally, through the recent indictment and arrest of multiple subjects in an ongoing drug conspiracy investigation in the Western District of Missouri.  That investigation, as well as future investigations, will aim at dismantling, disrupting and prosecuting the hierarchy of these organizations through a concerted effort of federal, state and local law enforcement.”
    Erik Smith, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge: “The DEA Kansas City District Office is pleased to collaborate with our federal, state, and local partners in this Strike Force endeavor. The prevalence of drugs and violence is a threat to this community, and a concerted focus on addressing these threats is required from all federal, state, and local law enforcement. We are committed to doing our part.”
    Marino Vidoli, ATF Special Agent in Charge: “ATF’s unique expertise in using crime gun intelligence to identify those involved in gun crime and our experience in investigating how firearms are acquired by violent criminals in our communities, allows us to be an integral part of the Strike Force efforts to find, and hold accountable those responsible for violent crime. The Strike Force strengthens ATF’s long standing tradition of partnering with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to reduce violence and make our communities safer.”
    Richard Smith, Chief of the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department: “Drugs and violence have no boundaries in Kansas City or the metropolitan area. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Strike Force to combat violence and provide a safer community for all. Working together provides additional tools and resources to identify violent offenders and remove them from our streets.”
    Michael York, Chief of the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department: “The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department is looking forward to working with our federal partners and local agencies with the hopes of reducing violent crime not just in our city but the entire metropolitan area. The new Metro Strike Force will be a force multiplier for agencies that are dealing with violent crime such as homicides and drive by shootings. We have already experienced success in the short time that Strike Force has been operational.”
    Ron Miller, U.S. Marshal of the District of Kansas, and Mark James, U.S. Marshal of the Western District of Missouri: “The U.S. Marshals Service looks forward to combining its fugitive targeting expertise with the overall significant drug and violent crime investigations pursued by the KC Metro OCDETF Strike Force. Together, we are a stronger force against criminal organizations impacting the Greater Kansas City area.”
    Paul Shade, U.S. Postal Inspection Service: “Our agency will assist in any matters that involve criminal activity while using the USPS to further their crimes. This includes but is not limited to the trafficking of narcotics and narcotics related U.S. currency being shipped through the mail.”
    Karl Stiften, IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge: “IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI) is a proud participant of the KC Metro OCDETF Strike Force.  CI special agents contribute our financial investigative skills to track and seize proceeds of illegal activities from the criminals involved. Pooling the skills and resources of each agency makes a formidable team.”

The prosecutions announced in this release were brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s OCDETF Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led, co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime.

OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s illicit drug reduction strategy.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Mountain View, Missouri, woman who is currently a fugitive from justice has been indicted by a federal grand jury for a Social Security fraud scheme that utilized the stolen identity information of another person.

Laura A. Oglesby, 46, was charged in an eight-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Missouri, on Oct. 1, 2019. That indictment has been unsealed and made public in order to assist in her apprehension.

The public’s assistance is requested in locating Oglesby, who is a fugitive from justice. Individuals who have information regarding her whereabouts are encouraged to call the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, at 855-829-8922.

The federal indictment alleges that on three separate occasions Oglesby fraudulently applied to receive a Social Security card by using the personal identity information of another person, which she claimed was her own. The indictment also alleges that Oglesby used a fraudulent Social Security number in a student account promissory note submitted to an educational institution (identified as “University A”). On each of those four occasions, the indictment alleges, Oglesby used the stolen identity information of another person.

Oglesby is charged with three counts of intentionally furnishing false information to the Social Security Administration, one count of the false representation of a Social Security number, and four counts of aggravated identity theft.

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 Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Mountain View, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Belton, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm after leading police officers on a vehicle pursuit that ended when he drove through residential yards and disabled his vehicle after striking several trees.

“This defendant is the epitome of a career criminal,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “Not even 40 years old, he has been incarcerated or under court supervision for nearly two decades, committing acts of violence both in and out of custody. This office and our law enforcement partners will never stop working to incapacitate criminals who refuse to respect the law and threaten or violate the safety and security of others.”

Gregory P. Middaugh, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Middaugh was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior violent felony convictions.

On March 25, 2019, Middaugh pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Belton police officers responded to a call of a burglary in progress on Feb. 10, 2017. Middaugh was kicking at the front door of his estranged girlfriend’s residence, attempting to make entry into the residence. Middaugh fled from the scene in a black Mercedes Benz C280.

Belton police officers attempted to stop Middaugh as he fled from the residence. Middaugh refused to stop and fled from the officers at a high rate of speed. While fleeing, Middaugh hit several parked vehicles. He then left the roadway and continued to drive through yards, where he struck several trees. Middaugh’s vehicle was eventually disabled, and he was taken into custody.

Officers searched the vehicle after Middaugh’s arrest and found a loaded Smith and Wesson .45-caliber pistol with a laser sight attachment lying on the passenger floorboard of the vehicle. The firearm was reportedly stolen. According to court documents, officers also found marijuana packaged for distribution, PCP, cocaine, prescription pills, and drug paraphernalia.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Middaugh has two prior felony convictions for burglary, two prior felony convictions for stealing, and prior felony convictions for domestic violence (in which he shot his girlfriend in the face), robbery, armed criminal action and assault on a state Department of Corrections employee.

Between 1998 and 2017, Middaugh was arrested 19 times, which resulted in eight felony convictions and three misdemeanor convictions. Additionally, Middaugh is currently charged with two felony and 14 misdemeanor offenses (including murder) in five pending cases throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. As a result of these convictions, he has been on probation, parole, or incarcerated almost continuously since 1997.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Belton, 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. – Three men were charged in federal court today for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy after federal agents seized 14 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Jose Alvarado, 26, Victor Gomez-Rendon, 28, and Enrique Antonio Herrera-Saucedo, 21, were charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri.

Today’s federal criminal complaint alleges that Alvarado, Gomez-Rendon, and Herrera-Saucedo participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Aug. 15 to Dec. 4, 2019.

According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s criminal complaint, Alvarado met with an undercover special agent on seven separate occasions and sold the undercover agent a total of approximately 925 grams of methamphetamine and 30 firearms. Alvarado agreed to sell a larger quantity of methamphetamine and more firearms, the affidavit says, telling the undercover agent that his supplier would be able to obtain 10 kilograms or more of methamphetamine.

On Dec. 4, Alvarado and the undercover agent met at a residence in the 2600 block of Cypress Avenue in Kansas City. Gomez-Rendon and Herrera-Saucedo arrived at the residence and delivered 14 kilograms of methamphetamine.

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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Caleb 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 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 Raytown, Missouri, man was convicted by a federal jury today of drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearms.

Victor Rodriguez Kessel, 63, a Cuban national, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, attempting to manufacture crack cocaine, possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute, possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The jury also found that Kessel must forfeit his residence to the government.

On July 18, 2017, a federal postal inspector identified a suspicious parcel at the Kansas City, Missouri, Postal Processing and Distribution Center. The 15-ounce parcel was addressed to Kessel’s address, but under a different name. The return address in Tucson, Arizona, also did not correctly identify the sender of the parcel. A police canine alerted to the presence of illegal drugs inside the parcel.

Later the same day, law enforcement officers delivered the parcel to Kessel’s residence. Kessel, who had a loaded Glock 10mm pistol in his waistband, told officers he didn’t recognize the name on the parcel. Kessel gave consent to open the parcel, which contained approximately 274.23 grams of powder cocaine. After Kessel gave consent to search his residence, officers found a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver in the bedroom. Officers also found a purse that contained approximately 156.89 grams of powder cocaine. Officers found approximately 5.36 grams of crack cocaine in the living room and kitchen area, and approximately 304.74 grams of marijuana.

After Kessel withdrew his consent, officers obtained a search warrant for Kessel’s residence and additionally found approximately 3.4 grams of powder cocaine, 74 grams of crack cocaine, and 157.6 grams of marijuana. Officers found a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun under the couch in the living room area. Approximately $5,000 was found in a black bag hidden behind the headboard in the master bedroom. 

Officers also found approximately $75,000 in a locked shed in the backyard, which was designed to be a marijuana grow house.

In the course of the investigation, the inspector learned that a parcel containing $10,000 associated with Kessel’s address recently had been mailed to Tucson.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Kessel has a prior felony conviction for distributing crack cocaine, four prior felony convictions for burglary, three prior felony convictions for grand theft, and two prior felony convictions for carrying a concealed firearm.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately four and a half hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Monday, Dec. 2.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department,the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who led police officers on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.

Chance Ayers, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

On March 12, 2019, a Kansas City police detective saw Ayers driving a maroon 2002 Mercury Sable, which had been reported stolen when the keys were taken during a burglary earlier that day. The detective followed Ayers to a gas station, where he pulled up next to the front of the building. Ayers was arrested after a brief car chase. Ayers had two 12-gauge shotgun shells in his right front pants pocket at the time of his arrest.

When officers searched Ayers’ vehicle, they found a loaded New England 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun on the driver’s side floorboard. Two more shotgun shells were found on the floor next to the shotgun.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Ayers has prior felony convictions for burglary, theft and criminal damage. He was on state parole at the time of the alleged offense.

Under federal statutes, Ayers 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 Catherine A. Connelly. 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 has been convicted in federal court of a scheme to obtain more than $2.5 million in fraudulent federal income tax refunds, in part by stealing his children’s identities.

Michael A. Kheop, 52, was found guilty at the conclusion of a one-day bench trial before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Monday, Dec. 2, of three counts of making false claims, two counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

According to evidence introduced in the trial, Kheop created a fraudulent business entity in 2013. He then created fraudulent W-2 forms that contained false income and withholding in order to fraudulently claim refunds in his own name and using his three minor children’s names.

Kheop filed 12 fraudulent claims for refunds on behalf of his three minor children for tax years 2014 through 2017. He filed three fraudulent claims for refunds in his own name for tax years 2015 through 2017.

By filing the 15 fraudulent claims for refunds, Kheop attempted to defraud the government of $2,591,706. The U.S. Treasury actually paid Kheop $24,322.

The false claims convictions are specifically related to three tax returns Kheop filed in 2018, one in his own name and two in the names of his minor children. The mail fraud convictions are specifically related to refund checks mailed to Kheop’s post office box. The aggravated identity theft conviction is specifically related to the use of his minor child’s name and Social Security number on a federal income tax return.

Under federal statutes, Kheop is subject to a sentence of up to 55 years in federal prison without parole for the false claims and mail fraud convictions, plus a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in federal prison without parole for aggravated identity theft. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen D. Mahoney and Bradley Cooper. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City-area man, who claimed self-defense after fatally shooting another man during a drug deal, pleaded guilty in federal court today to drug trafficking and to illegally possessing 52 firearms he stole from a local pawn shop.

Kameron M. Bynum, 24, of Wilson, North Carolina, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to conspiracy to distribute Xanax and marijuana, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, stealing firearms from a licensed firearm dealer, and being a felon in possession of firearms.

Smart Pawn, 6301 Troost Ave., Kansas City, reported a burglary on May 13, 2017. Bynum broke in through the roof of the business and stole 52 handguns valued at $19,725. Investigators used video surveillance and found clothing in an alley that was used during the burglary. A bloodstain was found on a glove used in the burglary and DNA analysis linked the bloodstain to Bynum.

Investigators also determined the vehicle used during the burglary was the same vehicle Bynum was in when he was arrested on Aug. 2, 2016. During that arrest, Bynum was in possession of 151 Xanax pills. The vehicle was also linked to the crime scene of a homicide that occurred on Aug. 6, 2016, in the 2900 block of East 35th Street. A phone that belonged to Bynum was found at the scene.

After his arrest, Bynum admitted to being involved in the homicide. Bynum told investigators he was attempting to buy Xanax pills from the victim, who drew a large firearm and attempted to rob him. Bynum was armed with a firearm and stated that he shot the victim one time in self-defense. A witness who was with Bynum on that date, interviewed separately, gave a statement consistent with Bynum’s account.

On May 26, 2017, officers with the Wilson, North Carolina, Police Department arrested Bynum for an outstanding state warrant. At the time of his arrest, Bynum was in possession of approximately 13 grams of marijuana, an electronic digital scale, clear plastic baggies, $921, and a cell phone. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the cell phone and recovered several messages and photos related to this investigation.

Bynum was charged in federal court on June 30, 2017, and a federal warrant was issued for his arrest. Officers searched his North Carolina apartment and found 407 Xanax tablets, a loaded Glock 9mm handgun with an extended magazine that had been stolen from Smart Pawn, glass jars and individually wrapped bags of marijuana, and $550.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Bynum has a prior felony conviction for robbery.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the joint recommendation to the court is for Bynum to be sentenced to 16 years and three months in federal prison without parole. 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 Adam Caine. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Wilson, N.C., 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 with a prior conviction for transporting child pornography pleaded guilty in federal court today to another child pornography offense.

David Todd Beresky, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to possessing child pornography. Beresky remains in federal custody.

At the time of the offense, Beresky was on supervised release following his incarceration for a 2005 federal conviction of transporting child pornography. His probation officer learned he was working as a pizza delivery driver, which was not permitted. Beresky’s probation officer confronted him at work and inspected his cell phone.

Beresky’s cell phone contained multiple images of child pornography. Beresky’s web history also showed multiple websites to forums where child pornography was shared.

Under federal statutes, Beresky is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Missouri, man who illegally purchased 15 firearms pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms and to making a false statement on a federal form in order to purchase those firearms.

Jay C. Miller, 28, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of possessing firearms while being an unlawful user of, and addicted to, heroin and other controlled substances. Miller also pleaded guilty to one count of making a false written statement on a federal form, falsely claiming that he was not an unlawful user of, or addicted to, any controlled substance, in order to purchase a firearm from an Independence, Missouri, pawn shop.

By pleading guilty today, Miller admitted that he illegally purchased, or attempted to purchase, more than 15 firearms from five licensed firearms dealers from Sept. 29, 2016, to March 19, 2018.

On Oct. 15, 2016, Independence police officers were dispatched to a reported disturbance at the Independence Mall. Officers contacted Miller in the parking lot; he had a Canik TP9SA in a holster on his hip. Miller was arrested for disorderly conduct and the firearm was seized. During an inventory of Miller’s vehicle, officers found a Glock 19 in the center console, sitting next to a loaded syringe. Three fully loaded 15-round Glock 9mm magazines were found in the glove compartment.

On Aug. 31, 2017, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, police officers responded to a shots fired call at Miller’s residence. During a search, officers found an M&P15 rifle with a 30-round magazine with 25 rounds, .223 caliber casings, a 15-round Glock magazine loaded with 15 rounds, one orange needle cap, a spoon with brown residue that field-tested positive for heroin, and a used syringe containing .55 grams of red dark liquid. A detective attempted to interview Miller, but was unable to do so because he was under the influence of a controlled substance.

On Sept. 19, 2017, Lee’s Summit police officers executed a search warrant at Miller’s residence and found 11 syringes with residue and a small plastic bag with residue. Miller admitted to being a heroin user, starting in 2013. As of June 2017, he was using heroin every day or multiple times a day. Miller further admitted to selling heroin to his friends 10 to 15 times. Miller admitted to shooting the M&P15 at another individual on Aug. 31, 2017. He also claimed to have had 10 firearms stolen from him.

On May 16, 2018, Lee’s Summit police officers responded to a shooting at Miller’s residence. Miller got into an argument with another individual and a physical altercation ensued. During this altercation, the other individual was shot in the chest. Officers searched Miller’s residence and found a Glock 27 pistol and a Russian American Armory Saiga 7.62 x 39mm rifle underneath the back porch.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, 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.

Sherry K. Paulo, 54, and Anthony R. Flores, 59, husband and wife, and former employees of a Missouri residential treatment facility, pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Western District of Missouri to criminal civil rights charges arising from the death of C.D., a Missouri ward of the state with developmental disabilities. Paulo and Flores each pleaded guilty to one count of willfully failing to provide necessary medical care to 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 the fact of C.D.’s death.

“The defendants were entrusted with caring for some of our society’s most vulnerable individuals, who cannot advocate or care for themselves,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “They abused that trust by depriving the victim of obvious and necessary medical care and then taking extraordinary measures to cover up their wrongdoing. The Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable those who commit such violations.”

“They were responsible to provide care to a vulnerable victim, but today admitted they ignored obvious signs of medical distress and failed to even call 911. Instead, they hid him away in their unfinished basement until he died,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison of the Western District of Missouri. “They may have thought they could hide the body in a concrete-filled crate and get away with it. But when the civil rights of a vulnerable victim are violated, we will hold them accountable for their inhumane and criminal conduct.”

“The FBI is the primary federal agency responsible for investigating allegations regarding violations of federal civil rights, and we continue to hold that responsibility as a top priority,” said Timothy R. Langan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Kansas City, Missouri. “When individuals, such as the defendants, abuse their power and neglect their responsibility to care for some of our most susceptible and defenseless members of society, it is not only wrong, it is criminal. Today's guilty plea emphasizes the continued commitment to hold all perpetrators accountable.”

“Flores and Paulo not only let C.D. die, they then compounded their crime by hiding the body in a storage unit,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to fight for such vulnerable people and the government health programs upon which they depend.” 

According to the plea agreements, Paulo and Flores worked as caregivers at Second Chance Homes, an organization that provided housing and care for developmentally disabled persons through a Missouri Department of Mental Health initiative. Victim C.D. had been a resident at Second Chance Homes since 2008. 

Paulo and Flores admitted in their pleas that they observed C.D.’s health decline beginning in 2014. C.D. became unhealthily underweight and pale, and he grew more obviously ill over a period of several months. During this time, Paulo occasionally took C.D. out of his designated residence and put him in the basement of the personal home she shared with Flores. 

C.D. suffered an acute medical emergency while in the basement of Flores’s and Paulo’s personal home. Despite observing C.D.’s physical distress and obvious medical need at that time, Paulo and Flores admitted that they purposefully did not seek medical care for C.D. C.D. died while in Flores’s and Paulo’s personal home.

In the plea agreement, Paulo admitted that she subsequently placed C.D.’s body in a trashcan and transported it to C.D.’s assigned residence, where she and Flores put it in a wooden crate and filled the wooden crate with cement. Paulo and Flores then transported the crate to Paulo’s storage unit.

Medicaid provided funding for C.D.’s care at Second Chance Homes. Paulo admitted that after C.D. died, she submitted, or caused to be submitted, claims to Medicaid for services that she purportedly rendered to C.D. Paulo admitted that at the time she submitted, or caused to be submitted, those claims, she knew that C.D. was dead and that the claims were thus false. The amount wrongfully paid by Medicaid, between approximately September 2016 and April 2017, was $106,795.00. 

Paulo also admitted that on April 17, 2017, she reported C.D. missing to the Fulton, Missouri Police Department. Paulo and Flores both admitted that they falsely told the police that they had seen C.D. alive and well, even after they knew C.D. was deceased.

Under Paulo’s plea agreement, she faces a maximum of 210 months incarceration. Under Flores’s plea agreement, he faces a maximum of 188 months incarceration. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cindi Woolery and Gregg Coonrod of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 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 successful investigation and prosecution of this matter.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to the arson at the Columbia Health Center (operated by Planned Parenthood Great Plains) on Feb. 10, 2019.

Wesley Brian Kaster, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. 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.

By pleading guilty today, 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 today that he took these actions because Planned Parenthood provided reproductive health services at the facility.

Under federal statutes, Kaster is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 21 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 Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the FBI.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A mother, her son, and her daughter are among four defendants who pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a $5.4 million conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Linda Kay Ballard, 67, her son, Eric Edward Ballard, 27, both of Atchison, Kansas; her daughter, Charlsie Kim Harris, 35, of Garden City, Missouri, and Anthony Dewayne Fifer, 48, of Mexico, Missouri, pleaded guilty in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2015, to Nov. 16, 2017. Each of the defendants also pleaded guilty to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy. Linda Ballard and Harris were taken into custody immediately after today’s hearing; Eric Ballard and Fifer have been in federal custody since their arrests.

They are among nine defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case. Michaela Joeanne Hernandez, 38, of Raymore, Missouri; Brandy Michael Morgan, 45, of Kansas City, Missouri; Brian Joe Russell, 38, of Amazonia, Missouri; Sharmyn Leanne Shryock, 29, and Jeffery Allen Jennings, 33, both of St. Joseph, Missouri; have also pleaded guilty.

According to today’s plea agreements, Linda and Eric Ballard and Harris received methamphetamine from Hernandez to distribute. They received ounce quantities of methamphetamine multiple times a week. Linda Ballard also admitted she received methamphetamine from Fifer to distribute.

Fifer, who also received methamphetamine from Hernandez, admitted that he normally received ounces but on a couple of occasions, he took quarter-pound quantities of methamphetamine to St. Joseph and delivered it to Jennings.

Investigators identified Hernandez as the main distributor in the organization, coordinating large distributions of methamphetamine from the Kansas City area to the St. Joseph and Atchison areas, where it was divided and distributed by the remaining defendants. Law enforcement officers seized approximately three pounds of methamphetamine and two handguns when they executed a search warrant at her residence. Hernandez admitted that she was typically in possession of at least pound quantities of methamphetamine, and that she had been involved in selling over 50 kilograms of methamphetamine per month in the past year.

Linda Ballard agreed the government’s evidence of her total drug responsibility is more than five kilograms of methamphetamine, which she is responsible for distributing or possessing with the intent to distribute. 

Eric Ballard, Harris, and Fifer each agreed the government’s evidence of their total drug responsibility is more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine apiece, which they are each responsible for distributing or possessing with the intent to distribute.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the four co-defendants must pay a money judgment in an amount based upon their drug responsibility (as determined by the court) and the drug value calculations contained within the indictment, not to exceed $5.4 million.

Under federal statutes, Linda and Eric Ballard, Harris, and Fifer are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 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 defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Plattsburg, Mo., Police Department; the Atchison County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department; the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and Sheriff’s Department; the Jackson County Drug Task Force; the Clinton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department; the Missouri State Highway Patrol; the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department; and the Clay County Drug Task Force.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grain Valley, Missouri, business owner pleaded guilty in federal court today to failing to pay more than $1.5 million in federal and state payroll taxes collected from his employees.

Jeremy Hull, 43, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to failing to account for and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service the federal employment taxes withheld for the fourth quarter of the tax year 2013.

Hull owned and operated Hullmark, LLC, a construction company, from December 2010 to December 2016. Hull withheld $707,029 in federal income taxes and FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) taxes from his employees’ wages from 2013 through 2014. Hull also withheld $866,337 in state taxes from his employees’ wages. By pleading guilty today, Hull admitted that he failed to account for and pay over those taxes to the IRS and the Missouri Department of Revenue.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Hull must pay $707,029 in restitution to the federal government and $866,337 in restitution to the Missouri Department of Revenue, for a total of $1,573,366 in restitution.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Larson and Leigh Farmakidis. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Missouri Department of Revenue.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri man was sentenced in federal court today for shooting at a federal probation officer.

Enrique Castaneda, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

On May 20, 2019, Castaneda pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal employee with a firearm. Castaneda admitted that he fired a pistol at a federal probation officer, striking her vehicle.

The officer was driving to her office at the federal courthouse in Springfield on March 13, 2018. As she passed his vehicle parked on Walnut Street, Castaneda rolled down the driver’s side window and yelled at her. Castaneda then fired a Springfield Armory .45-caliber pistol at the officer, striking the rear quarter panel of her vehicle.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to a bank fraud conspiracy in which he and others used stolen mail to create dozens of counterfeit checks that they attempted to cash at area banks.

Shannon Western Fields, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud from February to May 7, 2018, in Greene, Christian, Jasper, and Newton counties.

By pleading guilty today, Fields admitted that he and others stole mail from individuals and businesses in order to obtain checks and personal identity information. Conspirators purchased blank check stock and magnetic ink from office supply stores to create counterfeit checks by using the stolen checks (typically business checks) as templates. They created checks payable to the conspirators, or used stolen identity information to create counterfeit identification such as Social Security cards and Missouri driver’s licenses, to cash the checks.

In addition to Fields, 11 unidentified co-conspirators were listed as the payees on the forged and counterfeit checks. Along with Fields, they attempted to cash dozens of checks at various financial institutions in Springfield and Branson, Missouri. Many of those attempts were unsuccessful.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Fields must pay $21,279 in restitution to four banks that were victimized by the conspiracy.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who was involved in a fatal shooting during a drug deal was sentenced in federal court today for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm.

Orval L. Johnson, 26, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 10 in federal prison without parole.

On April 30, 2019, Johnson pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing cocaine, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, and one count of being a drug user in possession of a firearm.

Johnson admitted that he sold cocaine to an undercover detective with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department on three separate occasions in 2017. During the third drug transaction, Johnson was armed with a loaded Glock .357-caliber pistol with an extended magazine. Johnson told the undercover detective that someone recently tried to rob him and threatened to kill him and his girlfriend. “I had to kill (him),” Johnson said, “I blew half his … face off.” Johnson repeatedly bragged to the undercover detective about the killing that occurred four days earlier.

According to court documents, Johnson was referring to a homicide investigation in the Knob Hill neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. Co-defendant Latasha M. Alexander, 27, falsely claimed that a man, identified in court documents as “R.B.,” came to her residence on March 9, 2017, to smoke marijuana and tried to rape her. She told law enforcement officers that R.B. fired a shot at her, then she shot and killed him in self-defense. Investigators believed her lie, according to court documents, until Johnson bragged about the killing to the undercover detective.

Alexander later admitted that she falsely reported the attempted rape in order to conceal Johnson’s drug-trafficking offense. Alexander pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and was sentenced to eight months in federal prison without parole.

Johnson and Alexander admitted that R.B. came to their apartment to purchase cocaine. He attempted to rob Johnson, and a struggle ensued. Johnson yelled at Alexander to grab the gun; she retrieved a firearm and shot R.B., who then attacked her. Johnson grabbed the gun and shot R.B. several times, killing him. According to court documents, both Johnson and Alexander consistently claimed self-defense, which is not refuted by the physical evidence at the scene.

Johnson was arrested on March 14, 2017. The day after his admission to the undercover detective, the undercover detective contacted Johnson to arrange for the purchase of 3.5 grams of cocaine for $170.  Johnson was arrested when he left a nearby residence on his way to conduct the drug transaction. He had a Glock .357-caliber semi-automatic pistol, which had been reported as stolen, in his right front pants pocket and 3.39 grams of cocaine in his left coat pocket.

Johnson admitted to law enforcement officers that he had been making deliveries of cocaine five to 10 times a day, every day since November 2016. Johnson said he had been using about a gram of cocaine a day since November of 2016.

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

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

Kevin Wilson, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Wilson to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.

On May 30, 2019, Wilson pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography. Wilson uploaded multiple images of child pornography to his Instagram account, which triggered a CyberTipline report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Wilson’s residence on April 2, 2018, and seized a computer and compact discs that contained child pornography.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) 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. – Twenty defendants have been charged in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Springfield, Missouri, area.

Many of the defendants were arrested in a coordinated law enforcement sweep that began Thursday, Nov. 14, and continued into the weekend, after five criminal complaints were filed under seal on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Those complaints have now been unsealed and made public.

“These criminal complaints reflect a tremendous commitment in time and resources on the parts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Springfield Police Department, the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, and the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office in addressing the serious problem of heroin/fentanyl distribution in Springfield and Greene County,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “They are a significant step in working to make this area safer and to protect citizens from the danger this type of criminal activity poses.”

According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement partners launched an investigation into the drug-trafficking organization in June 2019. Affidavits cite numerous undercover and controlled drug purchases, as well as seizures of heroin, fentanyl, and large amounts of cash. Heroin and fentanyl, the affidavits say, was sold to Springfield residents by suppliers in Chicago, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri.

 “I’m grateful for the law enforcement partnerships we have that enable us to bring together the resources needed to effectively address significant crime, health, and safety issues such as this,” said Chief Paul Williams of the Springfield Police Department. “The recent spike in drug overdoses raised public awareness of the extent of the problem we face in our community, and this investigation highlights our efforts to combat it-at the source.”

“I appreciate all of our partners joining together to go after these drug dealers and bring justice to these individuals plaguing our streets with these lethal drugs,” said Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott.

“I am proud to be in partnership with the law enforcement agencies of southwest Missouri,” said Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson, “and I want to thank U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison and his office for pursuing these federal charges. As we have done in the past, our agencies have come together to combat a serious criminal problem. These complaints are a reflection of the outstanding law enforcement collaboration that goes on behind the scenes every day protecting our community.”

“The Missouri State Highway Patrol continues to work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to fight the misuse of opioids,” said Col. Eric T. Olson, superintendent. “Troopers are dedicated to a multifaceted approach of prevention, education, enforcement, and treatment. The Patrol is hopeful operations and arrests such as these, will not only have an impact on illegal activity, but raise further awareness about the risks of opioid misuse. Joint investigations with local, state, and federal authorities can play a critical role in empowering others to make safer choices and, in turn, prevent future deaths due to overdose.”

Wheeler, et al.

Jerry Bedell, 29, his father, Jerry Wheeler, 44, his significant other, Bethany Rice, 28, all of Springfield, Missouri, and his mother, Nichole Bedell, 48, of Nixa, Missouri; Sheron Loggins, 46, of Florissant, Missouri; Delante Worsham, 34, Crystal J. Hill, 23, William Leath, 44, Marquise Martin, 29, and Robin Roberts, 50, all of Springfield, were charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Loggins was the source for Wheeler and Jerry Bedell to obtain heroin or fentanyl. Nichole Bedell, Rice, Worsham, Leath, Martin, and Roberts allegedly obtained heroin or fentanyl from Jerry Bedell or Wheeler for further distribution. Hill received heroin or fentanyl from Worsham for further distribution.

A Phelps County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy stopped Loggins on Interstate 44 on Sept. 8, 2019, while he was traveling toward Springfield. The deputy seized approximately 496 grams of heroin from Loggins’ vehicle. In another incident, Worsham was stopped by a Springfield police officer, who searched his vehicle and seized 21.5 grams of fentanyl.

Burkes, et al.

Myron C. Burkes, 32, of Springfield, and Devonte A. Smith, 23, and Danjouna A. Wiggins, 24, both of Chicago, were charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl from Sept. 23 to Oct. 24, 2019.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Smith provided heroin and/or fentanyl to Burkes, who distributed in the Springfield area. Smith allegedly coordinated the delivery of the illegal drugs to Burkes by couriers, including Wiggins, who was Smith’s significant other. Wiggins was intercepted at a St. Louis bus station, the affidavit says, while carrying illegal drugs from Chicago en route to Springfield to deliver to Burkes.

Morales

Brittany N. Morales, 27, of Springfield, was charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl from Sept. 23 to Nov. 12, 2019.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, after Danjouna Wiggins was intercepted at a St. Louis bus station, Myron Burkes drove to Chicago with Morales and another person to purchase heroin/fentanyl. (Burkes and Wiggins are charged in a separate complaint.) Burkes’ vehicle was stopped on Nov. 11, 2019, during the return trip from Chicago to Springfield. Law enforcement officers found approximately 237 grams of heroin/fentanyl hidden in Morales’ boots.

Dailey, et al.

Derrick E. Dailey, 33, William C. Farisse, 33, Roderick L. Stewart, 34, and Robert D. Everette, 40, all of Springfield, were charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Dailey was the source who supplied Farisse and Stewart with heroin/fentanyl for further distribution in the Springfield area. Farisse allegedly supplied Everette with heroin/fentanyl to further distribute. A

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Farisse’s residence on June 8, 2018, and he was arrested. Officers seized 16 plastic bags that contained a total of 205.58 grams of fentanyl. Farisse told officers he purchased the six ounces of heroin/fentanyl for $10,000, the affidavit says, and expected to make $10,000 in profit after selling it. Farisse explained that he would sell one tenth of one gram for $20. Farisse also told officers he had been selling approximately six ounces per week for the past month.

According to the affidavit, Farisse fled from law enforcement officers during a traffic stop on March 27, 2018. Farisse told officers he threw approximately six ounces of heroin/fentanyl from the vehicle during the pursuit. Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers recovered a sock containing the heroin/fentanyl following the pursuit.

Everette told officers he purchased heroin for $100 per gram, and sold between two and four grams of heroin per day. Farisse allegedly had been cutting his heroin with fentanyl to make the drug more potent.

McDonald, et al.

Crystal D. McDonald, 28, and Latoya W. O’Connor, 28, both of Springfield, were charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin from July 15 to Sept. 18, 2019.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, O’Connor sold a confidential source four grams of heroin for $520 on July 19, 2019. McDonald sold an undercover officer 12 grams of heroin for $1,500 on Sept. 18, 2019, after meeting with O’Connor.  

The charges contained in these complaints 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.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black and Josephine L. Stockard and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, the Springfield, Missouri, Police Department, the Greene County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department, the Phelps County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Illinois State Police.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Shawnee, Kansas, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and possessing cocaine.

Anthony Whitehead, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 13 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Whitehead to pay a $5,000 fine.

Whitehead was found guilty at trial on June 19, 2019, of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a controlled substance.

A federal arrest warrant was issued for Whitehead in the District of Kansas on Dec. 29, 2016, for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in regards to a Johnson County, Kansas, warrant for attempted kidnapping. Agents with the U.S. Marshal’s Service Fugitive Task Force received information that Whitehead was staying at the Relax Inn, 6300 Blue Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri. 

On Jan. 20, 2017, federal agents contacted Whitehead and his girlfriend in their room at the Relax Inn, where they found a loaded Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun hidden underneath the mattress of the bed. Agents also found a cellophane bag that contained approximately 1.5 grams of cocaine in one of Whitehead’s pants pockets.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Whitehead has two prior felony convictions for fleeing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, as well as prior felony convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to sell marijuana, domestic assault, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful use of a weapon, and tampering with a motor vehicle.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Crime Lab and the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab.

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. – Additional charges have been filed against a former Kansas City Chiefs football player and eight co-defendants for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that operated primarily in Eastern Jackson County.

Saousoalii P. Siavii Jr., also known as “Junior,” 41, of Independence, Missouri, was charged in a nine-count superseding indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, Nov. 13. The superseding indictment replaces the original indictment against Siavii and includes additional charges and eight additional defendants. The indictment was unsealed today following the arrests and initial court appearances of some of those defendants.

The federal indictment alleges that Siavii, along with Marion D. McCrorey, also known as “Doug,” 40, Andrew A. Tofaeono, also known as “Drew,” 35, Isaac M. Butler, 34, Michelle M. Andrews, 37, Katie M. Thompson, also known as “Muneca,” 25, Michelle L. Morris, 25, and James J. Leach, 39, all of Independence; and Kristannie Casteel, 31, of Blue Springs, Missouri; participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from July 11, 2018, to Nov. 13, 2019.

In addition to the conspiracy, Siavii is charged with two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Siavii allegedly possessed a Sturm Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun on Aug. 4, 2019, and a Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Aug. 24, 2019.

Siavii and Andrews are also each charged with one count of being a drug user in possession of a firearm. Siavii allegedly possessed a Phoenix Arms .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol on April 7, 2019. Andrews allegedly possessed a Kel-Tec .380-caliber pistol July 10, 2019.

Siavii is also charged with two counts of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Tofaeono is also charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Leach is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Leach, who has prior felony convictions, allegedly possessed a Ward’s Western Field 12-gauge pump-action shotgun on Sept. 30, 2019.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Siavii was arrested on Aug. 24, 2019. Independence police officers responded to parking lot on U.S. 40 Highway, where a witness said he located his friend’s stolen 2017 Jeep Wrangler Sport. The witness told police he saw a man, later identified as Siavii, getting out of the driver’s seat of the vehicle.

Officers contacted Siavii, the affidavit says, who disregarded their commands, and an officer deployed his Taser on Siavii. Siavii, who is six feet, five inches tall and weighs approximately 330 pounds, fell to the ground. Officers attempted to gain control as he began to actively resist arrest. Siavii began pushing himself up off the ground, at which time a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol fell directly in front of him within his reach.  An officer drew his duty weapon and put it to Siavii’s back, due to him not being under physical control, while another officer grabbed Siavii’s firearm and threw it several feet away. Officers continued to fight with Siavii, the affidavit says, while giving him commands to stop resisting and to place his hands behind his back. An officer deployed his Taser on Siavii again with little effect. Siavii was able to get on top of the officer, who was on the ground at this point. Another officer was eventually able to put Siavii in a neck restraint and render him unconscious long enough to handcuff him. Siavii continued to resist even after being handcuffed.

In addition to the Aug. 24 incident, the affidavit cites several more incidents in which Siavii was arrested while in possession of illegal drugs and firearms. In one incident, when officers responded to a report of a stolen Chevrolet Silverado that was tracked by On-Star to a motel parking lot, Siavii attempted to flee on foot, then resisted arrest, and fought with officers. In another incident, Siavii led officers in a vehicle pursuit that reached speeds up to 101 m.p.h. Siavii’s vehicle eventually left the roadway and he fled on foot before being located by officers and taken into custody.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who was released from prison in what became known as the “doppelganger case” pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.

Richard A. Jones, 43, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

By pleading guilty today, Jones admitted he was in possession of a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Feb. 25, 2019. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Jones has prior felony convictions for burglary and robbery. 

At the time of the offense, Jones had recently been released from prison in Kansas after serving 17 years when a different robbery conviction was overturned in what was dubbed the “doppelganger case.” Another suspect, whose appearance was similar to Jones’, was identified and eyewitnesses testified they could no longer say Jones was the robber.

On Feb. 25, 2019, Kansas City police officers responded to a domestic disturbance that involved Jones. When officers attempted to separate Jones and another person, Jones pulled away from the officers and ran. As Jones ran, officers saw a handgun in his rear waistband.

Officers followed the path Jones fled down a flight of stairs and found the pistol and a loaded magazine on the floor nearby. The pistol had been stolen in a burglary of a commercial firearms dealer.

Officers spotted Jones getting into a vehicle on March 5, 2019, and attempted to perform a car stop. Jones fled from officers in a dangerous manner and at high speeds down Swope Parkway before losing control of his vehicle and crashing into a tree in the median. Jones ran from the vehicle, ignoring officers’ commands to go to the ground. He was apprehended after a short pursuit and taken into custody. Jones was in possession of .58 grams of cocaine and 17 grams of marijuana. Officers searched Jones’ car and found a stolen Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun.

Under federal statutes, Jones 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 Sean T. Foley. 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 former Lee’s Summit, Missouri, police officer who led officers on a 100-miles-per-hour vehicle pursuit has been sentenced in federal court for armed bank robbery.

Richard W. Hagerty, 36, of Independence, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Wednesday, Nov. 13, to eight years in federal prison without parole.

On March 12, 2019, Hagerty pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Hagerty was a police officer with the Lee’s Summit Police Department from 2007 to 2016.

Hagerty entered Central Bank of the Midwest, located at 1305 N.W. Arborwalk Blvd. in Lee’s Summit, on Aug. 28, 2018. Hagerty, wearing a camouflage balaclava-style mask that covered part of his face and black gloves, pointed a Glock .40-caliber pistol at a customer and yelled, “Everybody get down on the floor, this is a robbery.” He demanded cash from two tellers, pointing the handgun at them while he was demanding money. Hagerty stole about $7,000 then fled from the bank on foot.

A Lee’s Summit police officer located Hagerty driving a dark gray Mazda on Hook Road and 139th Street shortly after the robbery. When the officer activated his emergency equipment, Hagerty accelerated and a vehicle pursuit ensued. The pursuit stretched from Lee’s Summit to Grandview, Mo., in the middle of the day, on busy thoroughfares. Hagerty drove erratically during the pursuit, according to court documents, by reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour on those busy roads, passing through school zones, and crossing into oncoming traffic.

After the vehicle was finally stopped, the officer gave verbal instructions for the occupant of the Mazda to exit the vehicle. After a short delay, Hagerty exited through the driver's side door of the vehicle with his hands raised above his head. The officer immediately recognized Hagerty, who was arrested.

Inside the vehicle, officers saw a large amount of cash on the driver’s seat and the front driver’s and passenger’s floorboard. They also recovered the Glock handgun from the vehicle.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragner and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man has been sentenced for receiving and distributing child pornography.

Canvas Harris, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Tuesday, Nov. 12, to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Harris to pay a total of $5,000 in restitution to two child victims. Following incarceration, Harris will be on supervised release for 10 years.

Harris pleaded guilty to the federal indictment on April 17, 2019. Harris posted files that contained child pornography to his account at Tumblr, which notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Harris’ residence on Sept. 17, 2018, and seized a number of digital devices that contained child pornography.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Oak Grove, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing the heroin that resulted in the overdose death of an Arizona man visiting his family in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Joshua Austin Leroux, 35, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to an information that charges him with one count of distributing heroin that caused the death of a man identified in court documents as “M.A.C.”

By pleading guilty today, Leroux admitted that he distributed heroin to M.A.C. on Sept. 3, 2017. After M.A.C. acquired the heroin from Leroux, he ingested it at some point on Sept. 3, or the morning of Sept. 4, 2017. The Jackson County Medical Examiner, after conducting an autopsy, declared that the cause of M.A.C.’s death was heroin intoxication.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Michael Green. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jackson County Drug Task Force.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The former police chief of Greenwood, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury today for violating the civil rights of a person he assaulted while handcuffed and restrained.

Greg Hallgrimson, 50, of Kansas City, Missouri, was charged in a one-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City.

Hallgrimson was the police chief of the Greenwood Police Department on Dec. 17, 2018, the date of the alleged offense.

Today’s indictment alleges that Hallgrimson deprived a person identified in court documents as “J.Z.” of his Constitutional right to be free from unreasonable seizure, which includes the right to be free from the unreasonable use of force by a person acting in his official capacity as a law enforcement officer. J.Z. was handcuffed, restrained and sitting in a chair, the indictment says, when Hallgrimson threw him to the ground. Hallgrimson allegedly struck J.Z. in the face with his fist, while J.Z. was not posing a threat to Hallgrimson or others.

“Law enforcement officers serve the public every day with courage and integrity,” Garrison said. “But nobody is above the law. Any officer who abuses their authority will be held accountable for violating the Constitution they are sworn to uphold.”

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

This case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ketchmark. It was investigated by the FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana that involved another Columbia man who was murdered during a home invasion in which hundreds of pounds of marijuana in a rented U-Haul truck was stolen.

Blake Jeffrey Johnson, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of conspiracy to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to today’s plea agreement, Johnson received high-grade marijuana from Augustus Roberts and received thousands of dollars per month from Roberts to distribute marijuana to co-conspirators. 

Roberts was murdered at his residence on Dec. 10, 2017. At the time of Roberts’ murder, a U-Haul truck rented by Johnson had been parked in the driveway of Roberts’ residence, but was stolen during the home invasion. Prior to its theft, the U-Haul truck contained approximately 800 pounds of marijuana belonging to Roberts and his drug enterprise.

Columbia police officers found the U-Haul truck on Dec. 11, 2017. Officers seized six boxes that contained a total of 94 gallon-sized bags of marijuana, five boxes that contained a total of 3,199 THC vaporizer cartridges, and three electric currency bill counters.

Roberts also distributed thousands of pounds of marijuana to other co-conspirators for between $800 and $2,500 per pound.

According to the plea agreement, co-conspirators brought large amounts of cash to Johnson’s house in backpacks. Johnson concealed the cash from the drug proceeds in his bedroom dresser drawers or in his kitchen cabinets. Johnson gave his mother cash from the drug proceeds every month to pay his truck and mortgage payments. Johnson’s mother deposited the drug-trafficking proceeds into her bank account, the plea agreement says, and used the money to purchase three firearms in November 2016. In January 2017, some of the drug-trafficking money was used to purchase a flamethrower.

On Dec. 11, 2017, Johnson delivered approximately 200 pounds of marijuana to co-defendant Christopher Michael Bradshaw, 26, of Harrisburg, Missouri. Bradshaw agreed to store the marijuana for Johnson, who mentioned that “something” happened in the Old Hawthorne neighborhood in Columbia the night before. Bradshaw immediately searched the internet and discovered that Roberts had been murdered during a home invasion. Bradshaw, angry at being put in a bad position, torched the boxes two or three days later to destroy the marijuana.

Johnson is the fifth defendant to plead guilty in this case. Bradshaw pleaded guilty on Oct. 28, 2019, to one count of possessing 50 kilograms or more of marijuana with the intent to distribute. Bradshaw admitted that he sold marijuana to his co-workers and friends to support his use of the drug. Bradshaw purchased marijuana from Johnson for approximately $2,800 per pound. Bradshaw also admitted that he stored marijuana for Johnson.

Co-defendant Nader Robert Osama Yanis, 24, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and was sentenced to two years in federal prison without parole. His father, Osama Nadir Yanis, 49, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Osama Yanis, the owner of Coffee Zone, a coffee shop in Columbia, has not been sentenced. 

Co-defendant Dylan James Blake, 29, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to using a cell phone to facilitate the drug-trafficking conspiracy and awaits sentencing.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Johnson must forfeit to the government his residential property in Columbia that was purchased with drug-trafficking proceeds, $85,690 that was seized by law enforcement officers, and a money judgment of $104,964, he obtained through the marijuana-trafficking conspiracy and was involved in the money-laundering conspiracy.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the FBI, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for embezzling almost $547,000 from the health care foundation that employed her as an accountant.

Kathleen Frederico, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to two years and three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Frederico to pay $546,603 in restitution.

Frederico was employed as the accounting and special projects manager at Saint Luke’s Foundation, a non-profit organization established to support Saint Luke’s Hospitals and Health Systems with funding for medical and nursing education, research, charity care, and medical programs, from May 7, 1999, until she was terminated from employment on Feb. 23, 2018.

Frederico, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud on June 4, 2019, admitted that she conducted two related fraudulent embezzlement schemes over a 14-year time period while employed at Saint Luke’s Foundation. According to court documents, an auditor hired by the foundation found that Frederico had embezzled nearly $1.2 million. However, because bank records were not available for the earliest years, the government’s evidence is that Frederico stole at least $546,603 from the foundation.

She began embezzling from the foundation in June 2003 and continued to embezzle until March 29, 2017. The investigation has revealed Frederico’s spending of the embezzled funds included more than $150,000 on shopping and retail; more than $67,000 in cash; more than $30,000 in travel; more than $21,000 in internet purchases to support her illegal drug habit; and mortgage payments, utility bills, and other living expenses.

In the primary fraud scheme, Frederico created unauthorized checks made payable to herself. To conceal the embezzlement, she entered a different payee into the general ledger and created or falsified corresponding invoices. Through this method, Frederico embezzled at least $441,268.

Frederico also created unauthorized checks in which the foundation paid her personal credit card bill, and on two occasions, a relative. The government’s evidence is that through Frederico’s second fraud scheme, she embezzled at least $105,333.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the FBI.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man who threatened another person at gunpoint and led police officers in a pursuit was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing firearms.

Ronald P. Harris, 26, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Harris on Nov. 1, 2019.

Today’s indictment alleges that Harris was in possession of a Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol on July 20, 2019. The indictment also alleges that Harris was in possession of a .38 Special .357 Magnum revolver on Nov. 9, 2019.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a witness told law enforcement officers that Harris approached him in his back yard on the morning of July 20, 2019. Harris allegedly pointed a gun at him and stated, “I know you called the cops on me. I'll kill you. I don't care about the police.” Alarmed, he went inside his home and called 911. 

When police officers arrived, they saw Harris driving a Mercury Mountaineer in reverse at a high rate of speed, traveling southbound on Highland Avenue towards East 44th Street. As officers pursued the vehicle, Harris was involved in an accident with another vehicle at East 44th Street and The Paseo. Harris fled the scene of the accident, and officers continued the pursuit. Officers saw Harris throw a semi-automatic handgun from his vehicle before coming to an abrupt stop. The loaded pistol was later recovered on the lawn of a residence.

Harris refused to follow officers’ commands to exit the vehicle, forcing the officers to remove him and place him under arrest. Harris refused to sit up and laid down on the ground, stating that he needed an ambulance. Harris was still extremely belligerent, the affidavit says, shouting profanities at the police officers and making sudden movements. Harris was transported by ambulance to the hospital. While being loaded on the gurney, a spit-mask had to be placed on him and he continued to physically act in a hostile manner and threaten the officers. After arriving at the hospital, he was handcuffed to the hospital bed and his spit-mask was removed. While an officer was adjusting the handcuffs, Harris spit in the officer’s face and struck him on his left cheek. He was discharged from the hospital after a short time because the hospital staff was unable to find anything wrong with him.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Harris has a prior felony conviction for burglary.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney 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 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. – The former secretary/treasurer of the Plattsburg Special Road District was indicted by a federal grand jury today for stealing from the agency.

Ava Lea Langner, 58, of Lathrop, Missouri, was charged with theft from an agency receiving federal funds in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Missouri.

According to a public report issued by the Missouri State Auditor, at least $286,615 was misappropriated from the district from 2011 to 2018.

Today’s indictment alleges that Langner stole more than $5,000 from the road district from May 1, 2016, to April 30, 2017. Langner allegedly made unauthorized payments to her personal business, Langner Enterprises, LLC, to her personal credit card, and to other vendors for personal expenses. Langner was able to write checks, electronically transfer funds, and otherwise make payments using funds from a checking account owned by the road district.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leigh Farmakidis and Thomas M. Larson. It was investigated by the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Missouri State Auditor.