Western District of Missouri

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Cooper County R-IV School District board member pleaded guilty in federal court today for her role in a wire fraud scheme that defrauded the school district out of $385,000.

Ashley Benny, 41, of Bunceton, Mo., waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps to an information charging her with one count of wire fraud. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. 

Cooper County R-IV is a school district in Bunceton, Mo., with approximately 100 students. While serving as the school board treasurer in 2019, Benny was asked to research alternative investment options for the school district’s unallocated savings. Benny learned through a friend of a supposedly lucrative overseas “standby letter of credit” investment that carried no risk of loss. The school district agreed to Benny’s suggestion and voted to transfer $385,000 to a company called “AgFluent.” Prior to the board vote, Benny failed to disclose that she opened and controlled the AgFluent bank account and hoped to personally profit from the investment. 

The investment was a scam, and the school district was defrauded out of $233,000 wired overseas by AgFluent. Contrary to AgFluent’s agreement with the school board, Benny then helped transfer the remaining school district investment funds to pay various other entities and expenses owed by a co-conspirator, including nearly $60,000 for the purchase of two semi-trucks and a $10,000 escrow payment on a failed land purchase deal. The school district never received any return on its $385,000 investment.

By pleading guilty today, Benny admitted that she is directly responsible for $146,518 in loss to Cooper County R-IV. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Benny must pay full restitution to the school district in this amount.

Under federal statute, Benny 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 has not yet been scheduled. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Constance and Lauren Kummerer. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, Kansas City Field Office.

National Fraud Enforcement Division

 On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Turkish National pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly encouraging and inducing illegal aliens to reside within the U.S. illegally.

Berk Balgic, 26, pleaded guilty today before Federal Magistrate Judge David P. Rush for knowingly encouraging and inducing illegal aliens to reside illegally within the United States. Mr. Balgic, who owned both Flaming Margaritas – Mexican Kitchen and Flaming Margaritas – American Kitchen in Branson, Mo., knowingly hired individuals who were within the United States either illegally or in conflict with their stated visas, to enter and remain in this country.  Mr. Balgic, either himself or through others, directed these individuals to obtain false and fraudulent documents that appeared to support that they were in compliance with United States immigration laws, when in fact, they were not.  Mr. Balgic received a material economic benefit from his illegal hirings by paying these works less than those who were either citizens of the United States or legally within this country.

On Aug. 20, 2025, agents with Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO), along with other federal agencies, executed search warrants at the residence and restaurants of Mr. Balgic. This coordinated law enforcement action successfully located evidence and identified at least 13 individuals that Mr. Balgic knowingly and illegally employed at his two restaurants.  During the investigation, HSI agents determined that Mr. Balgic had been knowingly hiring illegal immigrants to work at his restaurants starting at least in August of 2024, and continuing until Aug. 20, 2025, when law enforcement executed warrants.

Within the plea agreement between the United States and Mr. Balgic, he admitted his criminal conduct and agreed to consent to a request for judicial removal from the United State at the time of his sentencing. Immediately after being sentenced by the district court, Mr. Balgic will be taken into custody and then processed through an expedited deportation process that will return him to his native country of Turkey.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National has pleaded guilty in federal court today for providing material support to a Michoacan, Mexico-based cartel which was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

Jose C. Valencia-Soriano, aka Jose C. Soriano-Valencia, 34, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge D. Greg Kays to an information charging him with one count of providing material support to a designated FTO in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B(a)(1).

According to court documents, Valencia-Soriano admitted to providing material support to Cárteles Unidos, aka United Cartels, which is a Mexico-based transnational criminal and drug trafficking organization that controls large areas of Michoacán, Mexico. On Feb. 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, designated Cárteles Unidos, as both an FTO and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, after finding that the organization engages in terrorist activity.

Beginning on or around Feb. 20, 2025, and continuing until March 27, 2025, Valencia-Soriano admitted that he knowingly and intentionally provided material support and resources, including himself and currency, to Carteles Unidos.  Specifically, Valencia-Soriano obtained large shipments of methamphetamine often concealed in liquids from Cárteles Unidos members.  He then extracted the methamphetamine from the liquid, sold it for profit, and conspired to make the U.S. currency and profits from the drug distribution to fund Cárteles Unidos in Mexico and elsewhere. These cartel operations included using profits from selling illegal drugs in the United States to fund the acquisition of high-powered weaponry, and the hiring of armed fighters and mercenaries, which   resulted in numerous civilian, military, and law enforcement casualties.

On Feb. 25, 2025, for instance, a search warrant was executed at Valencia-Soriano’s home within the Western District of Missouri. Inside, law enforcement found 102 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and roughly 460 pounds of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine that was still stored in liquids and awaiting processing to crystal form for final distribution.  Investigators found two different areas of the home used for processing the methamphetamine. Finally, investigators also recovered three firearms, including two 5.56-caliber firearms, and more than $48,000 in bulk cash that Valencia-Soriano admitted was U.S. currency he procured through U.S.-based drug distribution with the intent to transfer it back to Mexico to further fund the operations of Cárteles Unidos.

“Jose C. Valencia-Soriano's guilty plea reflects the seriousness of conduct that involved providing support to a foreign terrorist organization," said U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price of the Western District of Missouri. "Actions of this nature threaten the safety of American citizens and the national security of the United States. The Western District of Missouri puts on notice anyone who engages in or supports terrorism against the United States: this conduct will not be tolerated. We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local partners to identify these individuals, disrupt and dismantle these networks, and bring their members to justice.”

Under federal statutes, Valencia-Soriano is subject 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. Valencia-Soriano’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City and St. Louis Field Divisions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Rolla Area Drug Enforcement, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Homeland Security Investigations Knoxville (HSI), and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department also assisted with the execution of a search warrant.

 Homeland Security Task Force

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club was sentenced in federal court today for his involvement in separate assaults against members of rival motorcycle clubs.

Mark A. Cottman, aka “One Shot,” 51, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 110 months in federal prison without parole for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering.

On Sept. 17, 2022, Cottman and 12 other members of the Pagan’s and their support club, the Los Valerosos, chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo.  Various members of the Pagan’s and Los Valerosos were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle.  Cottman, who was a Pagan’s prospect at the time, and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to his knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks and back of his leg. Several weeks later, Cottman received his Pagan’s patch, becoming a member of the Pagan’s.

On July 20, 2023, Cottman and two other Pagan’s assaulted a lone rival motorcycle gang member at a bar & grill in North Kansas City, Mo.  One of the Pagan’s told the victim that they were there to shut the victim’s club down, then flipped a table over knocking the victim to the ground.  Once on the ground, Cottman and the two others began stomping, kicking and punching the victim.  The victim later told law enforcement that those who assaulted him were wearing steel-toed boots.  Cottman and the two others fled the bar & grill before any law enforcement arrived. The victim was later transported by ambulance to a local hospital, suffering from a head contusion, rib fracture, hemothorax (accumulation of blood in the area between the chest wall and lungs), a left pulmonary contusion, pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and a traumatic brain injury.

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

Homeland Security Task Force

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Arizona man pleaded guilty in federal court today to defrauding a Kansas City company of over $500,000 in vehicles.

Ernesto Dominguez Texas, 31, purchased ten vehicles worth over $500,000 using two false names and falsely representing that he worked for a car dealership. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. 

In December 2023, Texas created an online account with Company 1, a Kansas City company that facilitated the online purchase and sale of used vehicles. In 2023, Company 1 had a policy that car dealerships did not have to pay before ordering vehicles. Company 1 guaranteed payment to the selling dealership for vehicles sold through its online marketplace. 

Texas used a false name and the name of a legitimate dealership, Company 2, to purchase ten vehicles priced at $507,655.  Company 1 emailed invoices for the ten vehicles to Texas. Texas picked up the vehicles from the selling dealerships in Arizona, using the invoices and a second false identity.  Texas forged papers and notary signatures to retitle the vehicles in Arizona and sell them.

Under federal statutes, Texas is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for wire fraud. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Texas 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 Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Arizona Department of Transportation Enforcement and Compliance Division. 

National Fraud Enforcement Division

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for one count of cyberstalking resulting in death. 

Michael Smith, also known as “Black Mike,” 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark for one count of cyberstalking resulting in death. Smith was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment, and the sentence was ordered to run consecutive to a 48-month sentence which Smith previously received in a separate $1.1 million insurance-fraud scheme.

In his plea of guilty, Smith admitted that he was hired to kill the victim in late January or early February 2019. To carry out the murder, Smith and co-conspirator Dontay Campbell obtained a GPS tracking device and on March 5, 2019, Smith and Campbell deployed the GPS device on the victim’s red Chevrolet Tahoe by placing the device under the vehicle. Smith used the GPS device to track the victim through the movements of his Tahoe. On several occasions, Smith used the GPS tracking device to physically locate the victim.

On March 16, 2019, Smith surveilled the victim as they drove to a Kansas City grocery store. When the victim left the store and walked back to the Tahoe, Campbell and a co-conspirator pulled up next to the Tahoe in a Chrysler Sebring. The co-conspirator exited the Sebring and shot at the victim several times with a Ruger .40-caliber handgun that belonged to Campbell. During the shooting spree, Campbell attempted unsuccessfully to remove the GPS tracker from the vehicle.

Campbell and the co-conspirator then ran back to the Sebring, briefly drove around the parking lot, and parked again near the Tahoe. The co-conspirator again fired multiple shots into the Tahoe while Campbell again tried unsuccessfully to retrieve the GPS tracker. Campbell and the co-conspirator then sped out of the parking lot in the Sebring.

The victim died from multiple gunshot wounds, and Smith was paid in cash for the murder.

Co-defendant Dontay Campbell has also pleaded guilty to cyberstalking resulting in death and is awaiting sentencing.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford, Nicholas Heberle, and Matthew Wolesky. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for illegally possessing a firearm.

Kai Wesley Burton, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 100 months in federal prison without parole, followed by three years of supervised release.

Burton was previously convicted of multiple felonies including unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. In May 2025, the Springfield, Missouri Police Department responded to a call at a restaurant in Springfield, Mo. Witnesses reported that a vehicle driven by Burton went through the drive-thru, bypassing the order kiosk, and drove directly to one of the windows. When he reached the window of the drive-thru, Burton had a pistol on his lap and that pistol was pointed at the building. Burton provided the employee at the window with a sticker containing a food order that had been placed and fulfilled about an hour prior. Due to the presence of the firearm, the employees made the food and gave it to Burton. Burton then drove away without paying for the food.

Burton returned to the restaurant several hours later. An officer attempted to stop and contact Burton. Burton then fled the scene. As police were trying to catch up to Burton, he abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Officers located the vehicle a short time later. When officers searched the vehicle, they recovered a pistol with a 30-round extended magazine under the driver’s seat, a second pistol on the driver’s seat, methamphetamine, and a cellular phone belonging to Burton.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, and the Springfield, Missouri Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Moberly, Mo. man has been charged by a federal grand jury with carjacking.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, on April 28, 2026, Brian Nicholas Koch, 28, drove his vehicle, which had been heavily damaged, to the Jefferson City Memorial Airport in Callaway County. He abandoned his vehicle in the parking lot of the airport and approached the victim, who was in her Toyota 4Runner. Koch threatened the victim with a starter pistol and a large machete in his attempt to steal her vehicle. The victim was able to drive away. Law enforcement arrived minutes later and apprehended Koch.

Koch recently completed a Missouri prison sentence for first-degree robbery and was on pre-trial bond in a separate case for the class B felony of committing violence to an employee of the Missouri Department of Corrections.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Komoroski and is being investigated by the Jefferson City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo. woman was sentenced in federal court for filing false tax returns for others.

Tanisha Spencer, 35, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes to 18 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Spencer to pay restitution of $730,709.00 to the Internal Revenue Service. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

On Dec. 3, 2025, Spencer pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the preparation and filing of false tax returns.

According to court documents, Spencer prepared income tax returns for pay for persons who contacted her via Facebook. She prepared the income tax returns in Kansas City, Mo., and the returns were electronically filed with the Internal Revenue Service in Kansas City, Mo. The Federal income tax returns prepared by Spencer included fraudulent sick leave and family leave credits, illegitimate fuel tax credits, and fraudulently inflated federal tax withholdings. By including these and other fraudulent items on the client’s tax returns, Spencer was able to manufacture substantial refunds to her clients that they would not have been entitled to if the returns had been accurately prepared.

Spencer charged her clients a return preparation fee of between $500 and $14,840 per return. The 156 returns that Spencer prepared claimed $4,047,531 in refunds, of which the IRS paid $689,872.

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

National Fraud Enforcement Division

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a wire fraud case that resulted in more than $312,500 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Jarrell Curne, 37, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes to 36 months imprisonment, followed by three years’ supervised release based upon his guilty plea to wire fraud. Curne pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the CARES Act. The court also ordered Curne to pay restitution of $318,220.49 to the SBA. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

According to court documents, Curne was the owner of a Missouri limited liability company called Hustle Ova Everything Entertainment (Hustle). On May 13, 2020, Curne submitted a $312,500 PPP loan application to a bank on behalf of Hustle. In the loan application, Curne falsely stated that, in 2019, Hustle had an annual payroll of $1.5 million and 100 employees.  In reality, Hustle had no eligible employees or payroll whatsoever.

Based on the fraudulent representations Curne made in the Hustle PPP loan application, on May 15, 2020, the bank transferred $312,500 to an account controlled by Curne in the name of Hustle. In furtherance of his wire-fraud scheme and in an effort for the SBA  to forgive the Hustle PPP loan, Curne falsely certified that the loan proceeds were used for permissible business purposes under the PPP. In reality, the funds were used by Curne for personal expenses.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.

National Fraud Enforcement Division

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Detroit, Mich., man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a fraudulent check and identity theft scheme.

Derrick D. Walker, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Grey Kays to 90 months in prison without parole. The court also ordered Walker to pay $634,806.93 to the victims of the scheme. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

On Nov. 18, 2025, Walker pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. According to court documents, Walker participated in a conspiracy as a supervisor of a group that traveled around the United States cashing fraudulent checks. Members of the scheme, which included co-defendants Darrell Roseborough, Sheldon Samuels, and Tambria Davis, used the information of identity theft victims to open fraudulent accounts at financial institutions and cashed fraudulent checks that were made payable to the identity theft victims.

Roseborough made fraudulent checks and participated in the production and distribution of fraudulent driver’s licenses. Roseborough used FedEx to send fraudulent documents to where the scheme was operating, and Samuels and Walker passed the fraudulent documents onto Davis and other check passers who entered the banks to cash the fraudulent checks. Roseborough, the leader of the conspiracy, was sentenced to 204 months in prison without parole on Jan. 28, 2026. Sheldon Samuels pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced to 78 months in prison on Jan. 21, 2026. On Jan. 27, 2026, Tambria Davis was sentenced to time served after being in custody in the Western District of Missouri since April 2024.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper. It was investigated by the FBI.

National Fraud Enforcement Division

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was charged by a federal grand jury with bank robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Basil Jacob Kyles, 71, allegedly entered a bank in downtown Columbia, Mo., when he brandished a firearm and demanded that the teller give him money. The teller emptied her cash drawer that contained approximately $6,000 and gave it to Kyles. Kyles placed the money into a plastic bag and left the bank   

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.

Under federal statutes, Kyles is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years on the bank robbery charge, up to life imprisonment on the brandishing firearm charge, and up to 15 years on the felon in possession of a firearm charge. 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 U.S.  Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney, Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Columbia, Missouri Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man who was closely associated with a local street gang known as “All Family No Friends,” was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a Glock pistol outfitted with a machine gun conversion device (MCD), a device designed to turn a firearm into a fully automatic weapon.

Trey Alexander Giles, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to five years in federal prison without parole, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.

Between July 2023 and February 2025, Giles was repeatedly reported to police regarding his involvement with violent incidents including domestic violence and crimes involving firearms. Giles’s domestic partner also reported Giles to the police for chasing her with a pistol equipped with an MCD.

On Sept. 21, 2023, the Springfield, Missouri Police Department contacted Giles and three of his associates, which resulted in the search of Giles’ vehicle. Officers located a Glock pistol equipped with a 50-round drum magazine and an MCD, an Anderson Arms AR-style pistol, a Pioneer Arms AK-style rifle, a second Glock equipped with a 30-round extended magazine, and an additional Glock pistol. All firearms were loaded. Officers also located a ski mask, various ammunition, and marijuana in Giles’s vehicle.

On Nov. 2, 2023, Giles was again contacted by police near a residence. Prior to contact, officers observed Giles walking away from a trash can outside of the residence. Officers located a Glock pistol with an MCD under a trash can.

In response to an indictment by a federal grand jury, Giles pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun on Oct. 3, 2025.

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

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Fort Polk, La., woman was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment, three years of post-release supervision, and ordered to pay $322,098.70 in restitution, for her conviction of wire fraud and willful failure to pay federal employment taxes. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

Juanita Faye Holtschneider, 58, was sentenced before U.S. Senior District Judge Douglas Harpool, for one count of wire fraud, pursuant to Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1343, and one count of failure to pay employment taxes to the United States, pursuant to Title 26, U.S. Code, Section 7202.

Holtschnieder, working as the accountant for G2 Material Handling, embezzled monies from the United States and G2 by redirecting automatic deposits set up within the business. Holtschnieder used her trusted position to reroute deposits, intended for the bank accounts of the U.S. Treasury and G2’s business account, to her personal account. Holtchneider then created false documents that she submitted to her employer that effectively hid her embezzlement. Holtschneider’s scheme to defraud was only detected after the Internal Revenue Service detected failure by the business to submit regular payments for collected employment taxes. Holtschneider was ordered to pay $322,098.70 in restitution, with $289,607.70 paid to the U.S. Government, and an additional $32,491.00 paid to G2 Material Handling.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.

National Fraud Enforcement Division

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Junction City, Ks., woman was sentenced in federal court for stealing from an elderly couple for whom she served as an informal caretaker.

Amanda Rutherford, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, for one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. Rutherford was sentenced to six years imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $165,381.59 in restitution to the elderly victims. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

In 2022, the Dickinson County, Kansas Sheriff’s Office received a report that several items, including firearms, and more than $400,000 in collector coins, were stolen from the farmhouse of an octogenarian married couple. Rutherford had lived on the property and claimed to be an informal caregiver for the couple. In early 2024, the Sheriff’s Office received a tip that Rutherford sold gold and silver coins to a jewelry store in Clay County, Mo. and received checks totaling $100,000. After confirming the sale with the jewelry store, a search warrant was served on Rutherford’s vehicle soon after she cashed the checks. The search revealed newly purchased merchandise, the remainder of the bundled currency, and other coins belonging to the victims. Rutherford claimed the victims had given her permission to sell the coins and split the proceeds with them, which the victims denied. Rutherford sold the victim’s coins to at least three other pawn shops from October 2023 through March of 2024.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda K. Hanson. It was investigated by the Dickinson County Kansas Sheriff’s Office and Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations unit. 

National Fraud Enforcement Division
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing child pornography.

Jesus Angel Rios, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of distribution of child pornography. By pleading guilty today, Rios admitted that he knowingly distributed child sexual abuse images over the internet between Sept. 26, 2024 and Dec. 5, 2024.

Under federal statutes, Rios 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.

Based on his plea of guilty, Rios will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Project Safe Childhood

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

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Mack’s Creek, Mo., man was sentenced to nine years imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release for his conviction of receipt of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

Darrin Marshall Skinner, 52, was sentenced before District Judge Stephen R. Bough, for one count of receipt of CSAM.

Skinner, who worked as a school resource officer in Mack’s Creek and was employed by the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, traded child sexual abuse material with other individuals using MeWe, an application which focuses on the privacy of its users. A National Center for Missing and Exploitive Children (NCMEC) Cyber Tip alerted the Camden County Sheriff’s Office of Skinner’s conduct.  Due to a conflict of interest, the Camden County Sheriff’s office requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigate.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office. 

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."

Skinner will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

JEFFERSON City, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man has been charged by a federal grand jury with child pornography charges.

Nathan Robert Kent, 33, is charged with three counts of production of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

Following a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) Cyber tip from Snapchat, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Kent’s residence. After a forensic examination of Kent’s electronic devices, law enforcement discovered he was using Snapchat and encrypted cellular phone applications to entice minor females to produce child pornography. Kent also sent files depicting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) to multiple users.  Kent possessed over a thousand CSAM files.

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.

Under federal statutes, Nathan Robert Kent is subject to a sentence of up to 140 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 Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County Sheriff and Jefferson City 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."

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Lance Aaron Larkin, 35, of Boonville, Mo., was charged by a federal grand jury with receipt and possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

During a proactive investigation into individuals using peer-to-peer software to distribute and receive child pornography by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a file was shared from Larkin’s IP address. Following a residential search warrant and a review of his electronic devices, law enforcement determined Larkin possessed thousands of child pornography images and videos.   

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.

Under federal statutes, Lance Aaron Larkin is subject to a sentence of up to twenty 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 Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by The Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Project Safe Childhood

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – United States Attorney R. Matthew Price today announced the filing of a criminal complaint against Jordan Derrick, 40. The complaint charges Derrick with one count of engaging in the business of manufacturing explosive materials without a license, one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device, and one count of distributing information relating to manufacturing explosives, in violation of U.S. law.

The complaint alleges that beginning no later than Sept. 18, 2023, Derrick began using several social media sites to distribute videos of himself making various explosive materials, to include detonators, nickel aminoguanidine perchlorate (NAP), ethylene glycol dinitrate (EGDN), hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), hexamine dinitrate (HDN), Research Department eXplosive (RDX), silver acetylide double salt (SADS), trinitroxylene (TNX or R-salt), trinitrotoluene (TNT), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), aminoguanidine bicarbonate, and ammonium nitrate/nitromethane (ANNM). In his videos, Derrick provided step-by-step instructions on how to make these explosives.

According to the complaint, Derrick’s videos were downloaded from his publicly available video sharing accounts and used by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the individual who conducted an attack in New Orleans on Jan. 1, 2025. Jabbar had created IEDs consistent with Derrick’s instructional videos. The devices placed by Jabbar did not detonate and were subsequently rendered safe by law enforcement. Also, according to the complaint, on May 4, 2026, an explosion occurred at a private residence in Odessa, Mo. Investigators who searched the private residence after the explosion, found two components suspected of being used in explosive devices. The occupant of the residence told investigators that he manufactured explosive devices after watching online tutorials on a social media account that is believed to be utilized by Derrick to distribute information relating to the manufacture of explosives. An investigation of the Odessa explosion is ongoing.

If convicted of engaging in the business of manufacturing explosive materials without a license, Derrick would be subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. If convicted of unlawfully possessing an unregistered destructive device, Derrick would be subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. If convicted of distributing information relating to the manufacture of explosives, Derrick would be subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. In the federal judicial system, there is not the possibility of parole. These maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress, and they are provided here for informational purposes. Any sentence would be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Chlarson with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The allegations contained in the complaint are accusations, not evidence of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Springfield, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor less than 12 years and a single count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in a foreign place.   

John Michael Bradley, 66, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Bough to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The Court also ordered Bradley to serve supervised release for 10 years following his incarceration.

In May 2025, Bradley pleaded guilty to all four counts of a federal indictment on the first day of a jury trial after the conclusion of the first witness’s testimony. The indictment involved Bradley’s criminal conduct occurring between 2005 and 2006 while he was an active-duty member of the U.S. Army in Honduras, and between 2007 and 2008 when he returned to Honduras multiple times as a civilian.

In his plea of guilty, the defendant admitted that while he was stationed in Honduras in 2005, he met the minor victim. Over the course of the next three years, beginning when the minor victim was four years old, the defendant sexually abused the child on numerous occasions. The defendant admitted that after his active-duty tour in Honduras ended in 2006 he returned to Honduras from the United States with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the child and did engage in sexual acts with the minor victim. The minor victim, now an adult, reported the crimes to U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division in 2021. The defendant has a previous federal conviction in 2019 for possession of child pornography also in the Western District of Missouri.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and U.S Army Criminal Investigations Division.

Project Safe Childhood

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing an Anderson Manufacturing, Model AM-15, multi-caliber pistol with a 30-round magazine.

Tyron Young, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, to 115 months in prison without parole for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On Nov. 20, 2024, officers with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department were called to an apartment complex on a report of suspicious activity. A police helicopter observed Young, wearing all black, walking through the complex holding what appeared to be a rifle. The helicopter then observed Young running eastbound through the complex and tossing the firearm underneath a vehicle. Thereafter, officers detained Young and recovered the firearm which was loaded with 27 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber.

Officers spoke with the reporting party and witnesses who said an unknown male banged on the window of their residence and said, “You wanna fight, come outside.”  The parties reported that the male was holding a gun to the ground and described it as a “black long gun possibly an AR pistol.”

Young, who is a convicted felon, had been found guilty of three prior felony offenses before today’s hearing. Those offenses were attempted robbery in the second degree, felon in possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Cleveland, Mo. man was charged by criminal complaint after investigators seized 86 pounds of methamphetamine.

Russell D. Kircher, 41, was charged in a one-count criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint on May 4, 2026, investigators of the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force (MOWIN) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Kansas City Interdiction Task Force (KCITF) were working at the “sort” at a UPS center when they identified a parcel being shipped from Los Angeles, Ca., to Cleveland, Mo.  Investigators observed the parcel to be consistent with attempted concealment of illegal drugs and obtained a search warrant for it. Investigators opened the parcel and observed an orange-colored FIFA HOME DEPOT bucket. The bucket contained approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine.

On May 5, 2026, an undercover investigator delivered the parcel to the delivery address in Cleveland, Mo.  Investigators obtained a search warrant from the Cass County, Mo. Circuit Court.  Kircher was arrested and investigators recovered approximately 2.24 grams of methamphetamine and a glass pipe from Kircher’s person.

After obtaining another search warrant, investigators searched Kircher’s property and located a large plastic tote, approximately six to eight inches deep in the ground, containing 27 sealed packages of methamphetamine, weighing approximately 62.88 pounds.

In total, investigators seized approximately 84 pounds of methamphetamine.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings.  It was investigated by the Cass County, Mo. Sheriff’s Office, Cass County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, DEA Kansas City Interdiction Task Force, and Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City man has pleaded guilty in federal court today for illegal possession of a firearm.

Terrquan J. Beasley, 27, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on Jan. 16, 2026, officers from the Sugar Creek Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a car Beasley was driving because it had a license plate belonging to a different car. Beasley fled from law enforcement and crashed his vehicle into trees during the flight. After his arrest, officers located a loaded Glock handgun in Beasley’s vehicle, which had a machine gun conversion device (MCD) attached to the slide, making the Glock a fully automatic weapon. The Glock also had a 50-round drum magazine attached to it, loaded with 26 rounds in it. Beasley admitted to possessing that firearm.

At the time he had this firearm, Beasley had already been convicted of being a felon in possession and was on supervised release for that offense.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Foley. It was investigated by the Sugar Creek, Missouri Police Department and the United States Marshals Service.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Over the past week, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, with the help of prosecutors, cleared 442 warrants, most of which are for violent crimes.

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the results of “Operation Red Card”, a multi-agency law enforcement operation that identified, apprehended, and initiated prosecution against some of the most violent offenders in the Greater Kansas City, Mo. metro area.  Its mission was straightforward: use existing Missouri and Kansas City-based law enforcement resources in a coordinated way to serve warrants across partner agencies, arrest individuals wanted for serious crimes and identify additional evidence that supports successful prosecution.

This effort resulted in 442 warrants being cleared, and 170 defendants charged with various offenses, involving firearms and narcotics. During the investigations into these matters, law enforcement seized a total of 8.8 pounds of fentanyl, 418 pounds of methamphetamine, 247 firearms, 52 pounds of ketamine, 15 pounds of MDMA, 6 pounds of cocaine, and $460,872. In addition, five warrants were cleared for individuals wanted for homicide,    

“Operation Red Card represents the tremendous progress that occurs when federal, state, and local agencies collaborate and align their priorities, resources, and focus to confront violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price for the Western District of Missouri. “Through this unified effort, people across greater Kansas City, and visitors this summer, can rest easier knowing that dangerous individuals have been removed from our streets.” 

U.S. Attorney Price thanks the partner agencies in this coordinated effort including:

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
• Drug Enforcement Administration
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Homeland Security Investigations
• Independence Police Department
• Jackson County Drug Task Force
• Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
• Kansas City Kansas Police Department
• Kansas City Missouri Police Department
• United States Marshals Service
• And the United States Postal Inspection Service 

“The idea behind Operation Red Card is simple. When company is coming over, our home should be a place where guests feel welcomed and able to safely enjoy themselves. We are doing no different on both sides of the state line here in Kansas City with this operation.” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Since becoming the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas, I’ve prioritized strengthening the relationship between the federal government and our local and state law enforcement partners. Operation Red Card has continued these efforts by reinforcing that unified communication and combined muscle memory in anticipation of the World Cup. The entire Kansas City metropolitan area can rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to ensure we have a safe and historic international sporting event.”

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two members of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs were charged by criminal complaint after they were stopped in Harrisonville, Mo. while armed with firearms.

Marvin Paup, aka “Bandido Marv,” 52 and Joseph McCollum, 63, were charged in a two-count criminal complaint. Both individuals are charged with being felons in possession of a firearm.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, a Harrisonville police officer observed motorcycles which were traveling together.  The officer observed Paup pull out from a stop sign and cut off a vehicle. The vehicle had to slam on its brakes to avoid colliding with Paup. The officer continued to follow the motorcycles and observed Paup cross the center line and then conducted a traffic stop of the motorcycles.

During the stop, both Paup and McCollum stated they were carrying firearms inside their “cuts” (leather vests). Paup’s cut identified him as the vice president of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, El Dorado, Kan. Chapter. McCollum’s cut identified him as the vice president of the Avispon Motorcycle Club, El Dorado chapter. Both Paup and McCollum were interviewed and admitted to possessing their respective firearms. Both Paup and McCollum were previously convicted of felony offenses.

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

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

This case was investigated by the Harrisonville, Missouri Police Department and the Independence, Missouri Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Houston, Tx., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and commit money laundering.

Tyrone Godley-Johnson, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to court documents, on Sept. 4, 2024, Godley-Johnson transported approximately two kilograms of cocaine to Kansas City, Mo.  Once in Kansas City, Godley-Johnson exchanged the cocaine for $35,000.  On Sept. 5, 2024, as Godley-Johnson was returning to Texas, he was stopped in Moore, Ok., for a traffic violation.  During the car stop, law enforcement discovered the $35,000 hidden inside the driver’s side trunk area paneling of his rental vehicle.

Godley-Johnson admitted that he had transported approximately seven kilograms of cocaine to Kansas City, Mo., over the course of three separate trips, in exchange for a total of $131,000. These three trips occurred between the summer of 2022, and Sept. 4, 2024.  On each occasion, Godley-Johnson transported or attempted to transport the U.S. currency back to the state of Texas.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh.  It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Overland Park, Kansas Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman waived indictment and pleaded guilty in federal court today for knowingly possessing unregistered destructive devices.

Dara S. O’Connor, 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of knowingly possessing two destructive devices that were not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

According to court documents, on Feb. 12, 2026, O’Connor attempted to destroy by fire a warehouse located on Botts Road in Kansas City, Mo. Prior media reporting had indicated that the federal government attempted to purchase the warehouse. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) wanted to utilize the real estate to house illegal aliens during the adjudication of their removal proceedings. That real estate transaction, however, did not occur. News agencies were at the scene of the warehouse reporting on the fact that the real estate transaction did not go through when they observed and video recorded O’Connor approach the building. O’Connor threw two incendiary devices, colloquially known as Molotov cocktails, at the building. The incendiary devices had cloth wicks that were not lit when O’Connor threw the incendiary devices. After multiple attempts at throwing the incendiary devices at the building, both bottles shattered, and the flammable liquid contained in the devices spread over the surface of the building. O’Connor then used fire to ignite the flammable liquid that was on the building, which started a fire. O’Connor then attempted to spread the fire by squeezing a bottle that contained an accelerant which caused the accelerant to spray out of the bottle and spread the fire.

After initiating the fire, O’Connor then sat on a nearby curb and was observed using her cellular phone. The fire started by O’Connor went out after a few minutes. O’Connor then left the area in her vehicle.

Below are screenshots of O’Connor attempting to set fire to the warehouse.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, O’Connor paid full restitution in the amount of $43,612 to the victim of her crime.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford and David Wagner and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Chlarson. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Waynesville, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to importing and selling counterfeit luxury goods, apparel, and other items online.

Mary A. Lecena, 32, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to three counts of trafficking in counterfeit goods.

Lecena operated Bali Rattan LLC, an online boutique store selling various goods, which Lecena operated out of her residence in Waynesville and in Chicago, Illinois. Bali Rattan LLC was registered with the State of Wyoming.

By pleading guilty today, Lecena admitted she sold various counterfeit   purses, jewelry, phone cases, handbags, shoes, clothing, and other counterfeit products through Bali Rattan LLC from March 2022 to December 2024.

The counterfeit goods and apparel were typically manufactured in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and China and shipped to the U.S. for distribution. Numerous shipments were delivered from these countries to Lecena during this time.

Lecena specifically admitted to ordering over 2,100 counterfeit goods, at an aggregate market value of over $2.3 million, with the intent to sell, and admitted to selling various counterfeit goods during this time. Lecena admitted that she continued to import and sell counterfeit goods even after she received notices from United States Customs and Border Protection that she was importing counterfeit goods, and such conduct was illegal.

Under federal statutes, Lecena is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole for each count to which she pleaded guilty. 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 Casey Clark.  It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – On May 6, 2026, a Springfield, Ill., woman was sentenced in federal court today for one count of wire fraud and one count of making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims.

Tina Louise Yager, 67, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Megan Blair Benton, for one count of wire fraud and one count of making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims. Yager was sentenced to 38 months incarceration with the Bureau of Prisons, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $14,447 to the Internal Revenue Service, and $2,403 to the Missouri Department of Revenue for a total amount of $16,850 in restitution.

In this case, Yager used her tax preparer position with a Jackson-Hewitt Tax Service in Republic, Mo., to abuse the personal financial information of others to prepare and transmit fraudulent income tax returns. As a result of Yager’s fraudulent documents, she embezzled $16,850 collectives from the IRS and Missouri Department of Revenue collectively. Yager would file tax returns for customers of Jackson-Hewitt without their knowledge or approval. Yager would then have any refunds directed to her instead of the proper taxpayer.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and the Missouri Department of Revenue.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Somali National was sentenced in federal court today for a kidnapping resulting in death.

Mahamud Tooxoow Mahamed, 44, was sentenced by United States District Judge Megan B. Benton to 30 years for the kidnapping resulting in the death of J.M.

According to court documents, J.M.’s body was discovered on July 29, 2019, near Missouri Highway 59, after an individual observed a pink suitcase in a roadside ditch with feet sticking out. Law enforcement located J.M.’s severely decomposed body lying next to the pink suitcase. DNA analysis confirmed that J.M.’s blood was located on multiple items recovered from a vehicle utilized by J.M. and Mahamed.

J.M. was last seen alive on July 16, 2019, when law enforcement officers responded to a call at her apartment. J.M. reported to 911 that Mahamed had held her at knife point and tried to force her to have sexual intercourse with him. J.M. repeatedly told the 911 operator that she was worried that Mahamed would harm her three young children who were in the apartment with him.

On July 17, 2019, J.M. and her children were reported as missing after attempts to contact J.M. on the phone and in-person failed. The children were eventually located at a residence in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 8, 2019. 

After abandoning the children in Iowa, Mahamed left the United States and was a fugitive from justice until he was located and expelled from Guatemala on July 27, 2021. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the McDonald County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Rochester, Minn., Police Department, and the Des Moines, Iowa, Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National was sentenced in federal court today for possessing more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine.

Pedro Alberto Quiroz Ayala, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 11 years in prison without parole for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

On Sept. 3, 2024, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a gray 2011 Acura MDX on Interstate 29, near the N.W. 112th Street exit in Kansas City, Mo. Ayala, who did not have a valid driver’s license, was driving the Acura, with a female juvenile in the front passenger seat and other adults in the back seat.

When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found a large duffle bag in the third-row seating area that contained approximately 55.6 pounds of methamphetamine. He also found a grocery bag that contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine on the floorboard where the female juvenile had been sitting, and a loaded firearm in the driver’s door pouch.

When the four occupants got out of the vehicle for the search, Ayala fled on foot. A manhunt ensued and he was apprehended a short time later.

Ayala told investigators that he drove to Omaha, Neb., to pick up drugs and that he was going to receive approximately $2,000 for his help in transporting the drugs.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Jackson County Drug Task Force, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday for illegally reentering the U.S. after being removed multiple times. The defendant was originally charged through a criminal complaint on April 27, 2026.

Victor Rubio-Trejo, 48, was charged in a one-count indictment with illegal reentry.

On April 10, 2026, Rubio-Trejo was arrested by the St. Joseph, Missouri Police Department. The next day, Rubio-Trejo was identified by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and transferred into ICE’s custody. ICE determined that Rubio-Trejo has been removed from the U.S.   on five separate occasions and has a prior felony conviction for illegal reentry.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas P. Heberle. It was investigated by ICE with assistance from the St. Joseph, Missouri Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of   Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo, man pleaded guilty in federal court today for felon in possession of a firearm that was a part of Operation Spring Cleaning.

Mitchell D. Gibbs, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr. to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to the plea agreement, Joplin, Missouri Police officers responded to a report of gun shots. Upon arrival, officers conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot of a local storage facility.  The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as Mitchell D. Gibbs. As officers investigated the shots fired report, they located an empty shell casing near the storage unit owned by Gibbs. Officers then observed a handgun that was partially underneath the driver’s seat of Gibbs’ vehicle.

Gibbs was found in possession of two firearms, At the time of his plea, Gibbs admitted that he knew he was a convicted felon and that he knowingly possessed firearms in violation of federal law.

Under federal statutes, Gibbs is subject to sentences of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole and a maximum fine of $250,000. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Joplin, Missouri Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has been charged with distributing fentanyl.

Mark A. Foster, 32, was charged by a federal grand jury on April 15, 2026, with distribution of a controlled substance. The indictment was unsealed on Monday following Foster’s initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge.

According to court documents, the distribution of fentanyl that Foster has been charged with is connected to an overdose death in Jamesport, Mo.  A Jackson County medical examiner determined that the cause of death of the associated victim was “fentanyl and mitragynine toxicity.”

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 Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force and the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former U.S. Postal Service employee pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling a large amount of U.S. mail. 

Tiara McGill-Rushing, 34, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of embezzlement of mail matter by a U.S. Postal Service employee.

By pleading guilty today, McGill-Rushing admitted that, on March 22, 2024, she embezzled at least 70 individual letters with the intent to convert gift cards found in the letters to her own use.

Under federal statutes, McGill-Rushing is subject to a sentence of 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. McGill-Rushing’s 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 United States Attorney Nicholas P. Heberle. It was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Lee’s Summit West High School teacher was sentenced in federal court today for distributing child pornography.

Seth Brummond, 39, of Greenwood, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The Court also ordered Brummond to serve supervised release for 10 years following his incarceration.

Brummond pleaded guilty to sharing over 60 videos depicting child pornography using the Kik Messaging application between September 2024 and December 2024.

In December 2024, Lee’s Summit Police Officers, acting on a Cyber Tip Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, arrested Brummond on his way to work and seized his cell phone. Investigators located hundreds of images and videos containing depictions of child pornography on Brummond’s cell phone. In a subsequent interview, Brummond admitted to investigators that he had shared child pornography on the Kik Messaging application.  

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Lee’s Summit, Missouri Police Department and the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory.

Project Safe Childhood

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy.

Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in prison without parole for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

According to court documents, in 2019 law enforcement began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of a co-defendant. The investigation identified the co-defendant as a primary organizer of a drug trafficking organization responsible for methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine distribution. Members of the organization included Lopez-Sanchez, and several others. 

On April 16, 2021, surveillance observed Lopez-Sanchez arriving at a residence in Belton, Mo., in a black 2015 GMC Yukon with Texas license plates. Lopez-Sanchez had arrived prior to an arranged controlled drug purchase by a confidential human source. Lopez-Sanchez was observed carrying a blue bag into the residence. Later that day, the Missouri State Highway Patrol stopped the black Yukon as it was travelling westbound on Interstate 44 near the Oklahoma state line. Inside the Yukon, law enforcement recovered 995 grams of cocaine and $58,601.00.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, the Jackson County Drug Task Force and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Homeland Security Task Force

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was found guilty by a federal jury for his role in an extensive drug trafficking organization.

Russell L. Spencer Jr., 47, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of phencyclidine (PCP).

In October of 2021, investigators with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization distributing PCP in the Kansas City area. From May to September 2023, investigators conducted a Title III wiretap on telephones used by members of the drug trafficking organization. As part of that investigation, law enforcement intercepted phone calls between Spencer and his co-conspirators, arranging for the purchase and sale of PCP.

Throughout the conspiracy, Spencer traveled out of state to procure PCP for distribution in Kansas City. Despite owning several of his own vehicles, Spencer spent more than $27,000 dollars on rental vehicles and drove more than 80,000 miles in those rental vehicles over a 19-month period during which  he reported zero income to the Internal Revenue Service. Spencer was the final remaining defendant of 16, the other 15 co-defendants previously having pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy.

Under federal statutes, Spencer, Jr. is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole and up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for Oct. 1, 2026.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City deliberated for an hour and a half before returning a guilty verdict to Chief U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, ending a trial that began Monday, April 27.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Gibson and Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division.

Homeland Security Task Force

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

The Justice Department announced today that the owners of residential rental properties in and around Springfield, Missouri have agreed to pay $250,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the properties’ former owner and manager sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.

“A home should be a place of safety, not fear and exploitation,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously holding landlords accountable when they use their power to violate the rights of vulnerable tenants.”

“No tenant should ever be forced to choose between their safety and keeping a roof over their head,” said U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price for the Western District of Missouri. “Exploiting power for sexual coercion and retaliation is not only immoral, but it’s also illegal. The result of this case makes it clear that the Western District of Missouri will work tirelessly to hold accountable any landlord who violates a tenant’s rights.”

“The Fair Housing Act protects against sex discrimination precisely to prohibit this kind of vile and predatory behavior against vulnerable women,” said Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “When landlords sexually harass their female tenants, they are not only violating the law but undermining the sense of safety, privacy, and security that the home provides. The Trump Administration will always stand with victims and hold perpetrators accountable.”

“Today’s settlement makes clear that landlords who abuse their position of power by exploiting tenants’ basic needs for housing will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Machelle Jindra with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will not tolerate the use of housing as a tool for coercion, harassment, or abuse, and we will continue to work with our partners to hold offenders fully responsible.”

The Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in March 2024, alleges that for over a decade, Jimmie Bell sexually harassed and retaliated against female tenants of rental homes he owned and/or managed in and around Springfield. The suit alleges that Bell’s conduct included making unwelcome sexual comments and sexual advances to female tenants, exposing and touching his genitals in front of female tenants, touching and grabbing female tenants in a sexual manner without their consent, requesting sex or sex acts from female tenants in exchange for tangible housing benefits like excusing late or unpaid rent or the opportunity to rent another home, and taking adverse housing actions such as initiating evictions or refusing to make needed repairs against female tenants who refused his sexual advances.

Under the settlement agreement, Defendants must pay $250,000 to former tenants who were harmed by Jimmie Bell’s harassment. Defendants must also make good faith efforts to have all retaliatory evictions against these tenants removed from public court records and credit reports; and Defendants must cease any ongoing efforts to obtain payments from former tenants who faced retaliatory evictions. Finally, the settlement agreement mandates training to prevent future discrimination, including sexual harassment, at Defendants’ residential rental properties. The Department’s lawsuit named Jimmie Bell as a Defendant, as well as Defendants Fourth Bell LLC and the trustee of Second Bell Trust, owners of rental properties that were managed by Jimmie Bell. Jimmie Bell died in February 2025 and his son, Mark Bell, was substituted as his successor Defendant.

The case was referred to the Division after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development received a complaint, completed an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General also participated in the investigation and assisted in the litigation.

If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered approximately $19 million for victims of such harassment.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Indian national pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday for his involvement in a multi-million-dollar illegal gambling conspiracy occurring at six locations in southwest Missouri.

Rahulkumar D. Patel, 41, a citizen of India residing in the state of Washington, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Patel admitted that he and his co-conspirators obtained approximately $7,696,085 in gross proceeds from their wire fraud scheme and illegal gambling businesses and then conducted various financial transactions for the purpose of laundering the proceeds.

On May 14, 2025, Patel was charged, along with eight other individuals, in a 72-count superseding indictment by a federal grand jury in Springfield. The federal indictment charges all nine defendants with one count each of participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, and operating illegal gambling businesses from July 1, 2022, to May 13, 2025. In addition to the conspiracy counts, all nine defendants were charged with at least one count of wire fraud, and eight defendants were charged with money laundering.

Through Patel’s guilty plea, he admitted that he and his co-conspirators ran illegal gambling businesses under the guise of internet amusement arcade games, skill game arcades, and adult arcades. Patel and his co-conspirators hired local employees to work in their businesses, which operated contests of chance, gambling devices, and slot machines in violation of Missouri and Federal law. There were four locations that operated in Springfield: Big Win Arcade #1 at 1928 S. Glenstone Ave., Big Win Arcade #2 at 1135 E. Commercial St., Spin Hitters at 838-840 S. Glenstone Ave., and Vegas Arcade at 615 S. Scenic. They also opened Spin Zone at 2331 E. 7th St. in Joplin, Mo., and Vegas City Arcade at 16585 Missouri Highway 13, Branson West.

Under federal statutes, Patel is subject to a sentence of up to 20, five, and 20 years in federal prison without parole, respectively, for each count to which he pleaded guilty. 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 Casey Clark. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS-Criminal Investigations, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri National Guard Counter Drug Unit, the Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center, the Greene County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney, the Jasper County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney, and the Johnson County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney.
 

Homeland Security Task Force

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Branson West, Mo., man was charged with twelve counts of money laundering in a now-unsealed federal indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Missouri.

David Vernon Lott, 69, was indicted by a federal grand jury with engaging in money laundering for offenses occurring between July 18, 2025, and Aug. 4, 2025. The indictment was unsealed following Lott’s arrest and initial court appearance today.

The indictment alleges that Lott owned and operated Missouri Holding Group (MHG), LLC which was purported to be an investment business that promised potential investors returns of 10:1, to be repaid within a short period of time. Instead of using monies for investments as advertised, the indictment alleges the defendant used those funds for personal use, beginning as early as January 2018, and continuing through December of that year. The indictment further alleges that the defendant used those funds to pay off a personal residence, which he sold in 2025, and used the proceeds of that sale in 12 separate transactions, each over $10,000.

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 Tony Brown. It was investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Missouri Secretary of State’s Securities Enforcement Division.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in a scheme to fraudulently obtain two Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans totaling $92,233.32, guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Mark Crosby, 43, was the owner of a Missouri limited liability company called Crosby Auto LLC. On May 14, 2020, Crosby submitted a $71,417 PPP loan application on behalf of Crosby Auto. In the loan application, Crosby falsely stated that, in 2019, Crosby Auto had a monthly payroll of $28,567, and gross receipts of $736,928. In reality, Crosby Auto did not have that payroll or annual revenue.

Based on the fraudulent representations Crosby made in the PPP loan application, on June 2, 2020, $71,400 was transferred to Crosby Auto’s bank account.

Crosby was also the owner of a business called MSC & Sons Trucking LLC. MSC & Sons Trucking LLC applied for a $20,833.32 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The application stated the business had gross income of $131,848 in 2019. The application included a 2019 Schedule C which stated the business had gross receipts of $131,848, and contract labor expense of $69,129. The Schedule C was not filed with the IRS and MSC & Sons Trucking LLC did not have gross receipts or payroll in those amounts.

On May 5, 2021, MSC & Sons Trucking LLC’s account received the $20,833.32 PPP loan.

Under federal statutes, Crosby 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. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on a set of advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

National Fraud Enforcement Division

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.  Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An illegal alien has been convicted of illegally reentering the United States.

According to evidence introduced at trial, Jaime Cruz-Hernandez, 37, was stopped and arrested on Jan. 6, 2026, by the Grandview, Mo. Police Department for driving while intoxicated. It was then determined that Cruz-Hernandez is a citizen of Mexico and in the United States illegally, after having been previously deported to Mexico in 2019.

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

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for about 90 minutes before returning a guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began on April 22, 2026.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Viet Le. It was investigated by Grandview, Missouri Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Homeland Security Investigation.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – On April 22, 2026, a Washington D.C. man was sentenced in federal court for one count of assault on a Bureau of Prisons’ nurse at the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners.

Lawrence C. Boykin, 72, was serving a prior sentence from 1991 for his conviction on multiple counts of sodomy on a minor and indecent acts with a minor when he assaulted a nurse on duty at the Bureau of Prisons in Springfield.

On December 21, 2024, while serving his prison sentence, Boykin began verbally abusing staff and then threw a food tray at the victim. The food tray struck the victim causing a broken nose, laceration, and concussion.

U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool sentenced Boykin to 46 months imprisonment, run consecutively with the remainder of Boykin’s 1991 prior sex offense conviction, followed by one year of post-release supervision.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Plaza Middle School teacher has been charged in federal court on attempted child exploitation charges.

Richard Villigram, 43, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a two-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. on Wed., April 22, 2026. Villigram had his initial appearance this afternoon.

The federal complaint charges Villigram with one count of Attempted use of Interstate Facility to Entice a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity and one count of Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Villigram, over the course of several days, engaged in online communications with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing online as a 15-year-old minor. During his communications with the person he believed to be a minor, Villigram arranged to meet that individual to engage in sexual conduct and also asked them to send him pornographic images. Villigram was later arrested on April 21, 2026, after he arrived at the location he had arranged to meet the minor to engage in sexual conduct.

A subsequent search of Villigram’s cell phone by law enforcement located text messages between Villigram and the purported minor. Also located were messages from Villigram to a third person stating, in sexually graphic terms, that he was trying to meet someone to engage in sexual contact. Villigram later told law enforcement officers that he was referring to the purported minor in those text messages.

Villigram is currently in federal custody pending a detention hearing, on Mon., April 27, 2026.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri 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. – An illegal alien was found guilty by a federal trial jury for illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported.

Orlin Rafael Cerrato-Avilez, 32, was found guilty of one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien.

On March 4, 2026, officers with the Independence, Missouri Police Department arrested Cerrato-Avilez for giving false information during a traffic stop when he would not provide complete information about his date of birth. After using fingerprints to confirm Cerrato-Avilez’s identity, officers learned he had previously been removed from the United States.

The Independence Police Department contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, (“ICE-ERO”) who took custody of Cerrato-Avilez. In conjunction with ICE - Homeland Security Investigations (“ICE-HSI”), it was determined that Cerrato-Avilez had illegally entered the United States in April of 2013 and was removed to Honduras later that same month.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., returned a guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Monday, April 20, 2026.

Under federal statutes, Cerrato-Avilez is facing up to two years in federal prison. 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 U.S. Probation Office.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Nichols and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by ICE-HSI, ICE-ERO, and the Independence, Missouri Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Chinese national pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday for unlawfully photographing a vital military installation and military equipment without authorization.

Qilin Wu, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill A. Morris to one count of taking photographs of a vital military installation and military equipment without authorization.

According to court documents, on Dec. 2, 2025, the Whiteman Air Force Base Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) investigated a report of a suspicious minivan near the perimeter of the military installation. Air Force patrolmen were dispatched to the area to investigate, and encountered Wu, who stated that he was there to observe the B-2 Spirit aircraft. The patrolmen informed Wu that he was not permitted to take photographs or make video recordings of the military installation.

AFOSI was notified the following day that the same minivan was identified at a perimeter fence of Whiteman Air Force Base. Whiteman Air Force agents went to the area to investigate and again contacted Wu. Wu admitted to taking videos of the B-2 Spirit aircraft and numerous photographs of Whiteman’s perimeter fencing, a gate, and military equipment. Wu showed investigators his phone, including images of Whiteman Air Force Base and military equipment that Wu had recorded. In total, investigators observed 18 images and videos that Wu admitted he had taken of the installation and of military equipment. Wu also admitted to photographing another U.S. Air Force base and its military aircraft.

According to court documents, Wu is a Chinese national who illegally entered the United States on June 22, 2023, near Nogales, Az. At that time, Wu was arrested by immigration authorities for illegally being present in the United States. Due to a lack of detention space, Wu was released on his own recognizance to await immigration removal proceedings originally scheduled for Feb. 9, 2027. On Dec. 3, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) re-arrested Wu.

Under federal statutes, Wu is subject to a sentence of up to one year in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes; any sentence would 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 U.S. Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Chlarson with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Brendan P. Geary of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. It was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Air Force’s Security Forces, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a sawed off, Winchester 12-gauge shotgun.

Christopher W. Abrams, 52, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Brian C. Wimes, to fifty-four months in prison without parole for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for possession of an unregistered firearm.

On Feb. 10, 2024, officers were called to the area of Independence Avenue and Van Brunt Boulevard regarding a possible armed robbery.  Upon arrival, officers encountered Abrams. During a frisk of Abrams, officers located a sawed off, Winchester, Model 37, 12-gauge, single-shot shotgun inside the front waistline of his jeans.  The shotgun’s stock had been cut down to a wood pistol grip, with black duct tape.  The barrel had multiple saw marks and appeared to have been cut short.  The shotgun was loaded with a live shotgun shell.

Abrams, who is a convicted felon, had been found guilty of twelve prior felony offenses before today’s hearing.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Belton, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for selling fentanyl to a confidential informant.

Raimon Martez Gilliam, also known as “Ray Money,” “Money,” and “Money Mike,” 27, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.

According to court documents, on Oct. 8, 2025, a Jackson County Drug Task Force confidential informant (“CI”) contacted Gilliam to purchase fentanyl.  Gilliamdirected the CI to meet him at a location near Indiana Avenue, Kansas City, Mo. Upon arrival, Gilliam entered the front passenger seat of the CI’s vehicle. The CI handed Gilliam $5,400 and in exchange, Gilliam gave the CI one baggie of purple fentanyl and one baggie of white fentanyl. Once the transaction was completed, the CI left the area and met with detectives who took possession of the suspected fentanyl.  Thereafter, the evidence was sent to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory for testing.  Following analysis, a forensic scientist determined that both bags contained fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, with a combined weight of 73.02 grams.

Under federal statutes, Gilliam is subject to a sentence of not less than 5 years and up to 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.