Western District of Missouri

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Missouri, men were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a series of armed robberies.

Clyde H. Jackson, Jr., 30, and Thomas E. Davis, 43, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough. Jackson was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison without parole. Davis was sentenced to 26 years in federal prison without parole. 

Jackson pleaded guilty on July 9, 2019, to seven counts of robbery, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Davis pleaded guilty on July 1, 2019, to five counts of robbery and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Co-defendants Brion L. McDonald, 30, and Bianca C Seaton, 26, both of Kansas City, Missouri, have also pleaded guilty and await sentencing. McDonald will be sentenced on Nov. 25, 2019, and Seaton will be sentenced on Dec. 19, 2019.

The defendants were part of a group of individuals committing armed robberies in the Kansas City metropolitan area from October 2017 through March 2018. According to court documents, Jackson and Davis brandished knives and firearms during the robberies.

During one robbery, Davis cocked a firearm, pointed it at the neck of one of the victims, and said, “Hurry up and give us the money, or I’ll kill this [expletive] white lady.” During another robbery, Davis discharged a firearm because the clerk was not moving fast enough.

Jackson cocked a gun during one robbery, walked toward a customer, grabbed the customer, placed the gun to the back of the customer’s head, and pulled the customer around the counters to the checkout counter. During another robbery, Jackson pointed a firearm at a victim and ordered the victim to retrieve the money faster, stating, “Come on, do you want to die?” During each of the three knife-related robberies in which Jackson participated, he put a knife to the victim’s neck and made various demands related to obtaining money. According to court documents, Jackson has previously been associated with the 5-1 Gangster gang, a subset of the Crips street gang, and has tattoo of a “51” inscribed on his right arm.

Jackson and Davis admitted they were involved in the armed robberies of Family Dollar, 5242 Blue Ridge Blvd. in Kansas City, on Jan. 12, 2018; Dollar General Store, 8716 Blue Ridge Blvd. in Kansas City, on Jan. 20, 2018; Family Dollar, 9120 E. 35th Street South in Independence, Missouri, on Jan. 22, 2018; and Family Dollar, 3017 Prospect Ave. in Kansas City, on Jan. 26, 2018 (Davis discharged a firearm during this robbery).

Jackson, McDonald, and Seaton each admitted to being involved in the armed robbery of Pizza Hut, 7624 Wornall Road in Kansas City, on March 19, 2018. 

Davis was also involved in the armed robbery of Dollar General Store, 9101 E. 63rd St. in Raytown, Missouri, on Oct. 25, 2017. Davis brandished a knife during that robbery.

Jackson admitted he also was involved in an attempted robbery of the Pizza Hut at 7624 Wornall Road on March 20, 2018, and of Dollar General, 5008 N.E. Parvin Road in Kansas City, on March 20, 2018. Jackson also admitted that he was in possession of a Glock .45-caliber pistol and various rounds of ammunition on March 23, 2018. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Jackson has prior felony convictions for larceny and robbery.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, and the Raytown, Mo., Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A certified public accountant in Lebanon, Missouri, was convicted by a federal jury today of a $7 million scheme to defraud his employer and clients.

Douglas A. Richardson, 46, was found guilty of all 10 counts contained in an Aug. 16, 2018, federal indictment. Richardson was found guilty of six counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering.

Richardson, a certified public accountant, owned his own company, Douglas A. Richardson, CPA, LLC, since Feb. 2009. He was the former chief financial officer, treasurer, and CPA of Smart Prong Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Dec. 2013, to June 2016. Smart Prong developed technology, and manufactured devices for charging cell phones.

Richardson engaged in a scheme to defraud Smart Prong and several of the clients of his CPA firm from February 2014 to October 2016.

Richardson transferred at least $4.4 million from Smart Prong bank accounts into his personal and business bank accounts. Richardson also solicited loans from several clients and induced them to make investments. Richardson made representations to these clients that he knew were false, in that he told them their loans and investments would be used for a certain purpose. In reality, Richardson used at least part of the money for his personal benefit, and to pay other individuals (including prior investors and others to whom he owed money).

For example, Richardson solicited one of his clients to participate in a promissory note program through which the client could earn money from interest on loans he and Richardson would enter into for the purpose of investments. Richardson claimed the loans would be used to provide funding for a real estate deal and an automobile dealership. The client loaned Richardson $365,000 from his business, which Richardson used to repay $230,000 to another individual for unrelated loans, to pay $72,704 to pay off a Chevrolet Corvette, and to issue a $7,500 check to himself.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for approximately five hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, ending a trial that began Monday, Nov. 4.

Under federal statutes, Richardson is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for each of the wire fraud convictions and a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole for each of the money laundering convictions. 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 Casey Clark and Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, and the Missouri Securities Division.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri, man who was arrested after crashing his car in a high-speed chase pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms.

James Earl Sanders Jr., 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Sanders was arrested on two separate occasions – once, while riding a stolen scooter, and again, following a pursuit by police officers that ended when he crashed into a tree. On both occasions, Sanders was illegally in possession of a firearm.

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

Sanders was arrested on July 24, 2018, when a Columbia police officer saw him riding a Yamaha Zuma 50cc scooter that had been reported stolen. When Sanders pulled into a Steak and Shake restaurant, the officer contacted him and learned there was a warrant for his arrest. The officer grabbed Sanders’ wrist, but Sanders pulled away and ran. Sanders ran approximately 10 feet before the officer grabbed him by his shoulders and placed him on the ground. Another officer pointed his Taser at Sanders, who complied from that point and placed his hands behind his back.

Sanders had a loaded Taurus semi-automatic handgun in his front pocket at the time of his arrest. The handgun had been reported stolen. He also had what appeared to be 37 counterfeit $5 bills, all with the same serial number.

Sanders was arrested again on Sept. 30, 2018, when a Jefferson City, Missouri, police officer attempted to stop him for speeding. Rather than stopping when the officer activated his emergency lights, however, Sanders accelerated the Mercury Cougar he was driving. The Cougar reached a speed of approximately 67 miles per hour on Chestnut Street. Sanders attempted to turn east onto Fairmount Boulevard, but lost control of the car and struck a tree at the intersection of Chestnut Street and Fairmount Boulevard. 

Sanders threw a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol out of the window as the officer approached. Sanders and a passenger were ordered to get out of the vehicle and Sanders was placed under arrest. Sanders had seven arrest warrants, including a federal arrest warrant for the indictment following the July 24, 2018, arrest.

Under federal statutes, Sanders is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole on each of the two convictions. 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 Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was convicted by a federal trial jury today of illegally possessing firearms following a three-vehicle collision in which he struck and killed another motorist.

Keith L. Carnes, 30, was found guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.

Kansas City police officers responded to an accident at the intersection of 63rd Street and Prospect Avenue on Aug. 30, 2016. Three vehicles were involved in the accident, including a 2008 Pontiac G6 driven by Carnes. Witnesses told police officers that the Pontiac, which had multiple bullet holes in the driver’s side doors, was traveling southbound on Prospect Avenue at a high rate of speed and failed to stop for the red traffic signal. The Pontiac struck a Dodge Ram, which was westbound on 63rd Street, killing the driver and causing it to strike a Nissan Quest and a pole on the southwest corner of the intersection. 

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

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

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

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

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately 50 minutes before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Monday, Nov. 4.

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

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

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Missouri, man has been convicted by a federal jury of illegally possessing methamphetamine and firearms.

Ty Cole Kitchingham, 24, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

On July 19, 2018, a postal inspector alerted other law enforcement authorities to a suspicious package that had been shipped from Long Beach, California, to a Joplin residence. The parcel included a shipping address that did not exist and a recipient’s address in Joplin that appeared to be an abandoned home. The package had been checked through the U.S. Postal Service mail tracking system four times during the day. A police support canine indicated the package contained illegal drugs.

The next day, officers conducted a controlled delivery of the package to the vacant Joplin residence. Within 15 to 20 minutes of the package being checked again through the mail tracking system, Kitchingham arrived in a Ford Ranger pickup and parked near the residence. Kitchingham walked up to the porch and picked up the package, which he carried back to his vehicle. As Kitchingham got to the driver’s side door, he saw the officers approaching. Kitchingham ran with the box down an alleyway between two houses. As officers chased him, Kitchingham dropped the box and continued running.

Officers lost sight of Kitchingham and requested a manhunt. A county sheriff support canine was called to help track. Officers found Kitchingham inside a small shed in the back yard of a nearby residence and he was taken into custody.

Officers opened the package Kitchingham had dropped, which contained a toy lawnmower. Inside the toy lawn mower was 336.9 grams of methamphetamine. Officers also found a loaded Springfield Armory 9mm pistol and a loaded Beretta 9mm pistol inside Kitchingham’s pickup.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for less than 30 minutes before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Tuesday, Nov. 5, ending a trial that began Monday, Nov. 4.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull II and Special U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Ozark Drug Enforcement Team, Jasper County Sheriff Office, Joplin, Mo., Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri, man who crashed his vehicle in a high-speed chase has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing methamphetamine and firearms.

Kenneth C. Fredenburg, 33, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Missouri, on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Fredenburg on Oct. 24, 2019.

The federal indictment charges Fredenburg with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a Christian County, Missouri, sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Chrysler 300 driven by Fredenburg on Sept. 25, 2019. Fredenburg failed to stop, leading the deputy in a high-speed pursuit that reached 120 miles per hour until Fredenburg drove through a residential yard on Highway 65 in Ozark, Missouri, and crashed into a tree. Fredenburg ran from the vehicle; the deputy took a female passenger into custody.

The deputy searched Fredenburg’s vehicle and found approximately 72.9 grams of methamphetamine, numerous baggies, and a set of digital scales inside a black bag. In the door pocket of the front passenger door, the deputy found approximately 8.3 grams of methamphetamine. The deputy found a Springfield Armory 9mm handgun on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat, a Taurus 9mm handgun on the driver’s side floorboard, and a tactical vest with multiple gun magazines on the back seat.

Law enforcement officers located Fredenburg in Springfield, Missouri, on Oct. 22, 2019, and he was placed under arrest.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The former city clerk in Everton, Missouri, has pleaded guilty to her role in a money-laundering conspiracy related to methamphetamine trafficking.

Kristy A. Conn, 35, of Everton, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Friday, Nov. 1, to a federal information that charges her with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

By pleading guilty, Conn admitted that she participated in the money-laundering conspiracy from June 20 to Dec. 6, 2017. During that time, Conn was the city clerk in Everton. Conn admitted that she directed Ginger L. Huerta, 39, of Halfway, Missouri, to send wire transfers of the proceeds from the distribution of methamphetamine to members of the drug-trafficking organization in California and Mexico.

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

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

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two more southern Missouri women pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in Springfield, Missouri.

Cassidy R. Clayton, 24, of Springfield, and Ginger L. Huerta, also known as Ginger L. Gray, 39, of Halfway, Missouri, pleaded guilty today in separate appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy from Nov. 22, 2016, to Sept. 26, 2018. Clayton and Huerta each also pleaded guilty to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy.

By pleading guilty today, Clayton and Huerta admitted they received methamphetamine directly from the same source, whom they said transported approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine per week by vehicle from California to the Springfield area. Clayton and Huerta then distributed it to other mid-level dealers in the conspiracy. Clayton and Huerta also admitted they wired the proceeds of drug trafficking on to members of the drug-trafficking organization who resided in California and Mexico.

Clayton admitted that she received methamphetamine on approximately 10 occasions.  On three of those occasions, she received a quarter pound, and the other times, she received less than four ounces. Clayton was arrested when she arrived at the location where law enforcement officers were executing a search warrant on Sept. 22, 2017. Inside Clayton’s purse, officers found .25 grams of methamphetamine inside a plastic bag, a glass methamphetamine pipe, three syringes loaded with an off-white liquid, and a loaded Kahr .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol.

Huerta admitted that she delivered approximately a quarter pound of methamphetamine per week from July to December 2017. Huerta was arrested following a traffic stop on Dec. 5, 2017. Officers searched her vehicle and found a digital scale containing methamphetamine residue, a metal pipe with burnt marijuana, a small open corner bag with methamphetamine residue, a bag containing methamphetamine residue inside a sunglasses case, and two .38-caliber revolvers inside the glove compartment. The firearms were identified as a Charter Arms .38-caliber revolver and a Taurus .38-caliber revolver with an obliterated serial number.

Clayton and Huerta are among seven defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case, including Lonnie J. Tinker, 33, and Laurie B. Holmes, 37, both of Springfield; Lloyd R. Bradley, 42, of Fordland, Missouri; Shelby R. Maupin, 31, of Ozark, Missouri; and Summerlee M. Barnett, also known as Summerlee M. Lacount, 33, of Salem, Missouri.

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

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

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to selling heroin to an Overland Park, Kansas, man, which resulted in his overdose death.

Valeriece D. Ealom, 50, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of distributing heroin.

By pleading guilty today, Ealom admitted that she sold heroin for $200 to a man identified in court documents as “J.B.” on June 19, 2016. She sold heroin to J.B. again the next day. At 6:45 p.m. on June 20, 2016, the deceased body of J.B. was discovered by his wife at their family home in Overland Park. In close proximity to J.B.’s body were two syringes (one containing heroin), a lighter, a spoon with heroin residue, tweezers with heroin residue, and an empty plastic baggie with heroin residue. An autopsy report later concluded J.B.’s cause of death was an accidental heroin overdose.

Ealom admitted that on June 20, 2016, she sold J.B. the heroin that resulted in his accidental overdose death.

Ealom was on supervised release at the time of the offense, after serving a 10-year sentence for distributing controlled substances.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Ealom will be sentenced to 15 years and six months in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Overland Park, Kan., Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was convicted by a federal trial jury today of receiving and distributing child pornography.

Marco Barraza, 27, was found guilty of one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.

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

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for less than an hour before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, Oct. 28.

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

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

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Chicago, Illinois, man who was arrested while driving through northern Missouri pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine to distribute.

Kevin M. Phyfiher, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper stopped the Dodge Caravan Phyfiher was driving on Interstate 29 in Andrew County, Missouri, on May 8, 2017. In addition to Phyfiher, co-defendant Donta Mosley, 27, of Chicago, was in the cargo area of the van, and there were two female passengers. Phyfiher was not identified as a lawful driver of the vehicle, which had been rented by his cousin (who was not present).

Officers directed Phyfiher and the passengers to get out of the van while they deployed a police support canine. Mosley, who had a handgun in his waistband, was arrested. The others were instructed to get on the ground during the search. Phyfiher then fled, running into the underbrush, and law enforcement officers were unable to find him. During a later search of the vehicle, officers found two plastic baggies that contained a total of 907 grams of methamphetamine.

The next day, a vehicle was reported as stolen from Jesse’s Last Stop Gas Station in Andrew County. At about 6:19 a.m., a state trooper saw Phyfiher driving the stolen vehicle on 36 Highway. The trooper attempted to stop the vehicle and the vehicle attempted to evade the officer. After several miles of pursuit at high rates of speed, the stolen vehicle was stopped by spike strips that were deployed in the road by other law enforcement officers. Phyfiher, who surrendered and was arrested, told officers, “I should have stayed in the bushes.”

According to today’s plea agreement, investigators discovered several live stream video recordings taken by Phyfiher in the days before his arrest. The videos show Phyfiher on a road trip to Las Vegas and California. In one of the videos, Phyfiher and Mosley are holding large stacks of money. In another video, Phyfiher refers to getting some “Cali dope.”

Mosley was sentenced on Jan. 30, 2019, to five years and four months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Phyfiher is subject to a sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Kansas City, Missouri, tax preparers have pleaded guilty in federal court to a scheme to file false tax returns.

Ananeia Derseh, 42, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. His brother and co-defendant, Azareia Derseh, 38, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Oct. 24, to the same offense. Co-defendant Quashanda King, 38, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Oct. 27, 2017, to the same offense.

Azareia Derseh owned and operated a tax preparation business in the Kansas City metropolitan area, under the names Instant Tax Service and Speedy Tax Service, at various locations. Ananiea was the manager in charge of one of the offices and King was the manager in charge of another office.

Ananeia and Azareia Derseh and King each admitted they prepared federal income tax returns for clients containing materially false and fraudulent items. They prepared returns for at least 37 individuals resulting in at least 47 false income tax returns for tax years 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Ananeia and Azareia Derseh and King included higher fees to prepare clients’ returns than what the clients were originally quoted. Often, a false Schedule C was included with clients’ returns to increase clients’ refunds. Client refunds were used to pay the high fees, with the fees most often being deducted from clients’ refunds before the refund was issued to the client. Most of the clients had between $669 and $1,437 in fees deducted from their refund.

According to court documents, the typical client who had their return prepared at Instant Tax Service was a very low wage earner, typically with under $3,000 inW-2 wages. Further, the clients were unsophisticated in tax or financial matters. When they walked into one of the two offices, they were assigned a preparer, who input their W-2 wages, dependents, and other identifying information into the appropriate field of their electronically filed returns. There was no meaningful review of the completed return, and sometimes, the client did not get a copy of the return.

Under federal statutes, each of the defendants is subject to a sentence of up to three years in federal prison without parole and must pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the total amount of federal tax loss as determined by the court at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Kansas, men were sentenced in federal court today for a violent, hours-long crime spree in which they kidnapped, robbed, and terrorized three women.  
Anthony B. Williams, 37, and Jamerl M. Wortham, 34, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes. Williams was sentenced to four consecutive terms of life in federal prison without parole. Wortham was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison without parole. Williams was sentenced as an armed career criminal and “three strikes” violent felon, due to his prior felony convictions.
On Feb. 14, 2019, Williams and Wortham were each found guilty at trial of all 17 counts contained in a federal indictment. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2019 that the statutory definition of a “crime of violence” is unconstitutionally vague, three of those counts (possession of a short-barreled shotgun in furtherance of kidnapping) have been dismissed.
Williams and Wortham were sentenced today on their convictions of one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, three counts of kidnapping, one count of carjacking, one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, one count of attempted armed robbery, one count of distribution of PCP, three counts of possession of a short-barreled shotgun in furtherance of a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime, one count of being felons in possession of a firearm, one count of possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun, and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
During the early morning hours of April 9, 2016, Wortham and Williams, along with another man who is not identified in court records, stole a Jaguar in Kansas City, Kansas, then set off to Kansas City, Missouri, with a plan to rob people at ATM machines. While driving around the Westport entertainment district, at approximately 1:30 a.m., the men came across M.M., a woman who was waiting to be picked up by an Uber car. One of the men stepped out of the stolen Jaguar, put his arm around M.M., and corralled her into the vehicle.
They drove to a set of ATMs located in the River Market neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. They waited until a red Toyota Camry pulled up to use the ATM at approximately 2 a.m.  They drove up behind the Camry, where two women, T.J. and Y.C., were attempting to deposit money into the ATM. One of the defendants and the other man approached the Camry, pointed a loaded sawed-off shotgun at the driver and passenger, demanded money, then forced them into the backseat of the Camry. The two men then got in the driver and passenger seats of the vehicle and sped away towards Kansas City, Kansas, with the stolen Jaguar (with M.M. a passenger) following close behind.
Once in Kansas City, Kansas, Williams and Wortham forced all of the victims into the Camry. They took the victims to another ATM in Kansas City, Kansas, and told them to withdraw as much money as they could from their bank accounts. After leaving the ATM, Williams and Wortham forced M.M. and Y.C. to smoke PCP while they drove for hours around the Kansas City metro area.  During the entirety of this time, the victims were consistently threatened with death and bodily harm while the defendants pointed the sawed-off shotgun in the victims’ direction. Williams also indicated he was armed with a handgun. Williams and Wortham intended to find a discrete location in which they could sexually assault the victims.
At about 5 a.m., the men split the victims up into two separate cars – with Wortham in the stolen Jaguar with T.J., and Williams in the stolen Camry with M.M. and Y.C. While they caravanned through Kansas City, Kansas, police officers recognized the stolen Jaguar and engaged it in pursuit. The Jaguar fled at a high rate of speed, lost control, then crashed with T.J. in the passenger seat of the vehicle. After the crash, Wortham fled from the vehicle on foot but was apprehended shortly after and placed under arrest. T.J. was unhurt in the crash. Discovered inside of the vehicle was a loaded Coast to Coast 20-gauge shotgun that had approximately 12-inches of the barrel sawed off, along with the shotgun stock shortened.
In the stolen Camry, Williams and another man drove M.M. and Y.C. throughout the Kansas City metro area in search of drugs and a house to use. At approximately 8 a.m., the other man was dropped off at an unknown location. With only Williams in the vehicle, M.M. found an opportunity to jump out of the Camry at a stop sign, run into a convenience store, and call the police. Soon after, Y.C. also attempted to escape the vehicle, but had to fight Williams to get out of his grasp. Once out of his grasp, Y.C. ran down a residential street, with Williams chasing behind. She used the panic button on her key fob to set off her car alarm, which stopped Williams from pursuing. Y.C. ran for at least three blocks until she found someone to help her, then called the police.
    Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Williams has five prior felony convictions for robbery and attempted robbery, and a prior felony conviction for assault in which he shot two people. Wortham has prior felony convictions for attempted aggravated assault and failure to pay an offender registration fee.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Q. McCarther and Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing the firearm he allegedly used to shoot and kill another person.

Dionandre Ganter, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole, which is the maximum penalty that can be imposed under the law.

On May 7, 2019, Ganter was convicted at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm and of receiving a firearm while under indictment.

Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Ganter was in possession of a loaded Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol on March 22, 2017. Ganter, a convicted felon, received that firearm while under indictment for tampering and resisting arrest in Jackson County, Missouri. According to court documents, Ganter used the firearm to shoot and kill another person. Ganter has been charged in Jackson County Circuit Court with murder, armed criminal action, and attempted robbery.

At 2:55 a.m. on March 22, 2017, Kansas City police officers responded to a reported shooting at the intersection of Van Brunt Boulevard and Anderson Avenue. An officer saw Ganter, who was not wearing a shirt and had his right wrist bandaged, leaving the area. The officer saw Ganter place a handgun in a flowerpot on the northwest corner of the intersection.

Ganter was detained for further investigation and the firearm was retrieved from the flowerpot.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Ganter’s criminal history includes multiple instances of assaultive conduct, including six convictions (two of them felonies) related to domestic assault and a prior felony conviction for obstruction of legal process. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Greenfield, Missouri, man who crashed his motorcycle into another vehicle during a police chase was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute and illegally possessing a firearm.

Chad R. Weis, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 25 years in federal prison without parole.

On April 10, 2019, Weis pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

A Springfield, Missouri, police officer and an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were conducting street enforcement in an unmarked vehicle on June 14, 2017, when they saw Weis driving a Kawasaki motorcycle. Weis had active warrants for his arrest and did not have a valid license to operate the motorcycle. When the law enforcement officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Weis accelerated. Weis ran a stop sign and collided with a Lexus sedan at the intersection of Division and Lyon Street. Weis then fled on foot. During the pursuit, he threw a green backpack and a small canvas bag over a fence.

When Weis was apprehended, he was in possession of a loaded Taurus .38-caliber revolver in the front-left pocket of his shorts. Inside the backpack, officers found a loaded Kel-Tec 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Inside the canvas bag, officers found a clear plastic bag with 13.49 grams of 97 percent pure methamphetamine and a digital scale. 

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

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Paola, Kansas, man has been sentenced in federal court for filing a false tax return.

Steven J. Strauss, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Wednesday, Oct. 23, to two years and four months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Strauss to pay $684,792 in restitution to the government.

Strauss, who owns and operates Classic Tree Care, pleaded guilty on Jan. 23, 2019, to filing a false tax return. Strauss admitted that he did not provide accurate information to his tax preparer. Strauss vastly understated the gross receipts for his business, which caused corresponding understatements of taxable income and tax liability.

From 2012 through 2015, Strauss deposited approximately $1,467,682 in business income into his bank account, over and above what was reported on his tax returns. Strauss admitted that, as a result of his fraudulent conduct in understating his tax liabilities, he owed $684,792 to the IRS.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Larson. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The manager of a Wilbur-Ellis Company processing facility in Texas pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a multi-million dollar conspiracy to sell adulterated ingredients to pet food manufacturers, for which the company has already paid more than $4.5 million in restitution.

William Douglas Haning, 48, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Rodney Sippel in the Eastern District of Missouri to one count of conspiracy to introduce adulterated and/or misbranded food into interstate commerce and one count of money laundering.

 “For years, William Douglas Haning orchestrated a scheme similar to charging filet mignon prices for ground beef. He unjustly lined his own pockets at the expense of unsuspecting consumers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alicia Corder of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Corporate fraud is one of the top white-collar crime priorities for the FBI.”

“U.S. consumers – and especially pet owners – look to the FDA to ensure that their pets’ food is not only safe and wholesome, but is also accurately labelled. When criminals introduce adulterated and falsely labelled pet food into the U.S. marketplace, they put the health of companion animals at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice food manufacturers who put profits ahead of the public health.”

By pleading guilty today, Haning admitted that he and others shipped adulterated pet food ingredients and products to pet food manufacturers in Indiana and Connecticut, as well as six co-packers and co-manufacturers in Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota, over a period of more than six years. Conspirators falsely labeled the shipped product as a single-ingredient premium pet food product, such as chicken meal or turkey meal, but in reality, it was a blend of different ingredients that contained by-products and feathers.

Haning was the operations manager of the Wilbur-Ellis facility in Rosser, Texas. Wilbur-Ellis marketed and distributed products and ingredients for use in the pet food industry, including animal proteins used in the manufacture of dog food and cat food. Those sales included both direct sales by Wilbur-Ellis to pet food companies and manufacturers, and sales by Wilbur-Ellis conducted through one or more intermediaries, such as Diversified Ingredients, Inc., a commodities broker and distributor in Missouri whose customers include a number of pet food companies and manufacturers.

The fraud scheme began in January 2008, before Wilbur-Ellis purchased the Rosser facility, and continued through May 2014. Wilbur-Ellis purchased the facility in 2011 from Haning and his family members. Haning continued working in his sales and management role as an employee of Wilbur-Ellis. Haning continued to be responsible for buying the food ingredients blended at the Rosser facility and selling the products shipped from the Rosser facility.

The adulteration and misrepresentations made the Wilbur-Ellis Rosser facility more profitable over the course of the fraud scheme. This profitability triggered the deferred payment or “earn-out” provisions that were part of the agreement when the facility was sold to Wilbur-Ellis. As a result, Wilbur-Ellis made a $4,608,414 deferred payment for the benefit of Haning and others in 2013, and a $4,391,586 deferred payment for the benefit of Haning and others in 2014. In addition, between July 2011 and May 2014, Haning received cash and other indirect payments.

Wilbur-Ellis already has paid $4,549,682 in restitution to the victims of this fraud scheme. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and the defendant agree that the appropriate disposition of this case is probation for a period of five years. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted by Special Attorneys to the United States Attorney General Kathleen D. Mahoney and Kyle Bateman. It was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing the firearm he used in the armed robbery of a Pizza Hut restaurant.

Teandre L. Wilson, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 14 years in federal prison without parole.

On April 9, 2019, Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Wilson admitted he robbed the Pizza Hut at 9515 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. Wilson entered the Pizza Hut at about 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 12, 2018. He approached the register, made brief small talk with the cashier, then lifted the right side of his shirt to reveal a firearm tucked in his waistband. “Give me your money,” he told the cashier, “or I’ll pop ya.” The cashier emptied the register and handed the money to Wilson, who fled from the premises.

Shortly afterward, on Aug. 24, 2018, Kansas City police officers responded to a report of gunshots in the area of 6th Street and Benton Boulevard. The caller told officers he heard shots from his residence, then looked out his window and saw a man later identified as Wilson hiding behind a car. Wilson was found by officers in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven store. Wilson was arrested and officers seized a loaded Springfield Armory .45-caliber pistol from his right waistband.

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

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

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to participating in a romance fraud scheme that bilked victims across the United States and overseas of nearly $900,000.

Ronayerin K. Ogolor, 50, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Nigeria, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Ogolor, who was arrested at Kansas City International Airport on Oct. 19, 2018, before he boarded a plane to Frankfurt, Germany, remains in federal custody.

By pleading guilty today, Ogolor admitted that he participated in a conspiracy since 2013 that targeted people, some of them elderly, in search of companionship or romance through online websites such as Facebook, ChristianMingle.com, or Hangout.com. Ogolor defrauded his victims of $878,489 in total. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Ogolor must forfeit that amount in a money judgment to the government.

The perpetrators of the romance scams created several profiles on online dating sites. Conspirators then contacted men and women throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, with whom they cultivated a sense of affection and often romance. Having established relationships with the victims, the perpetrators of the romance scams ultimately requested money for hospital fees, travel fees, “customs expenses,” “gold import taxes,” or investment opportunities. Conspirators directed the victims to wire transfer or deposit money into various bank accounts, including accounts established and maintained by Ogolor. Often after the victims transferred money into the specified accounts, conspirators claimed more money was needed, “to release the package” or “to pay customs expenses” on money or gold.

On other occasions, conspirators fraudulently obtained checks through business email compromise, and had the victims deposit the checks into their accounts and wire and deposit money into various accounts, including accounts established and maintained by Ogolor. In a business email compromise, the conspirators hack into a business email account, and then send an email from what appears to be an employee with authority to approve payments, instructing that a check be disbursed in the victim’s name and sent to the victim. By using victims to deposit the checks and distribute the money, the conspirators distanced themselves from the business email hacking and fraud.

In furtherance of the scheme, Ogolor opened several bank accounts in his name and in the names of sham businesses. The romance fraud victims wired and deposited their money and money from counterfeit or fraudulently obtained checks into Ogolor’s accounts. Soon after receiving the fraudulently obtained wires or deposits, Ogolor wired money to co-conspirators and/or withdrew the money in cash.

Court documents refer to 13 victims (in Alabama, Ohio, Washington, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, California, and Italy) who each sent tens of thousands of dollars to Ogolor. One victim (a widow in Indiana who received a friend request on Facebook) believed a co-conspirator was a widower working on an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana; she lost a total of $450,000 to Ogolor and others. Another victim in Texas, who believed a co-conspirator was a widower and U.S. Army general deployed in Afghanistan, lost at least $300,000.

Under federal statutes, Ogolor 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 Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Missouri, woman has been sentenced in federal court for embezzling more than $65,000 from her employer.

Laura Lynn Winge, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Tuesday, Oct. 22, to one year and one day in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Winge to pay $65,531 in restitution.

On Feb. 21, 2019, Winge pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of theft from an employee benefit plan.

Winge worked as a bookkeeper for Turk’s Construction, Inc., a residential construction company, and an affiliated company, Pools Unlimited, LLC, which builds in-ground swimming pools and spas, from July 2009 until she left employment on March 11, 2016. Company employees participated in an IRA plan that was administered by Winge.

Winge admitted that she withheld $56,876 of the IRA plan deferrals from employees’ payroll from Jan. 1, 2013, to March 31, 2016, but never forwarded them to their individual accounts. Winge also admitted that she never forwarded the required employer matching contributions of $38,913 for the same time period. Instead, Winge kept those funds in the companies’ operating accounts, and used the employees’ deferrals for her own use and the use of another, including approximately $49,214 for her own personal benefit.

Winge’s theft consisted of $12,871 in unauthorized payroll checks to herself, $19,073 in unauthorized pay by inflating her hours worked, $5,447 in unauthorized spending on the companies’ credit card, and $11,822 in health insurance premiums for her dependents, totaling $49,214. Winge also admitted that she obtained $16,316 in services and products from the companies and a related company (Midwest Welding) for which she did not pay, but amended the invoices to show as paid. Winge’s theft from the companies totaled $65,531.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration and Office of Inspector General, and the Cole County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

The former owner of a Kansas City, Missouri, business was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for obstructing the government’s effort to collect more than $378,000 in taxes owed, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney Timothy A. Garrison of the Western District of Missouri. 

According to court documents and information provided to the court, Barrett Prelogar, 48, was a founding partner of a now-defunct company, Winntech Digital Systems Inc. (Winntech). Winntech produced electronic displays to be used in stores or at trade shows. 

In 2002 and 2003, Prelogar withheld payroll taxes from Winntech employees’ paychecks, but he failed to pay the taxes over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and was personally assessed more than $263,000. Prelogar also filed his personal tax return for 2008 reporting more than $500,000 in gross income, and a tax due of more than $100,000, but failed to pay the taxes due.  Rather than paying the taxes he owed, from 2009 through 2011, Prelogar spent more than $362,000 towards a house at the Lake of the Ozarks, a house near the Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, a house in Leawood, Kansas, a Porsche, a Jeep, and a boat.

When the IRS tried to collect the unpaid Winntech trust fund taxes, and the taxes Prelogar owed from 2008, he obstructed the IRS’s collection efforts.  In particular, from 2011 to 2016, Prelogar used corporate funds to pay his personal expenses, structured cash withdrawals from Winntech’s bank account to avoid federal bank reporting requirements, and cashed his payroll checks from his wife’s company, Bare Skull Innovation LLC, rather than placing the money into a personal bank account.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough ordered the defendant to serve one year of supervised release, and to pay over $ 263,959.27 in restitution to the United States.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Garrison thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys David Zisserson, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker, who prosecuted this case.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The former owner of a Kansas City, Missouri, business was sentenced in federal court today for obstructing the government’s effort to collect more than $378,000 in taxes owed.

Barrett Prelogar, 48, of Leawood, Kansas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 18 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Prelogar to pay $263,959 in restitution.

On April 5, 2019, Prelogar was found guilty at trial of corruptly endeavoring to impede the due administration of the internal revenue laws. Prelogar engaged in a five-year-long scheme to avoid paying $378,207 in taxes that had been due and owing for almost 15 years. Prelogar committed multiple deliberate acts in order to obstruct or impede the enforcement of the IRS laws.

Prelogar was a founding partner in now-defunct Winntech Digital Systems, Inc. The Kansas City, Missouri, company primarily produced electronic displays to be used in stores or at trade shows.

Prelogar failed to pay over to the government the payroll taxes withheld from Winntech employees’ paychecks in 2002 and 2003. He then obstructed the collection process of the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty, which had been assessed against him personally for the unpaid trust fund taxes of Winntech. He also obstructed the IRS’s collection of the income taxes he owed for 2008.

On Oct. 28, 2009, Prelogar filed his 2008 tax return. The return reported over $500,000 in gross income and a tax due and owing of $120,103. Prelogar did not submit any payments with the 2008 tax return. Yet, from November 2009 through April 2011, he paid a total of more than $362,000 towards a house at the Lake of the Ozarks, a house near the Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, a house in Leawood, Kansas, a Porsche, a Jeep, and a boat. During that time, he made no payments on his 2008 tax debt.

Prelogar engaged in several strategies from May 2011 to March 28, 2016, to obstruct the collection of taxes and penalties he owed to the government. Prelogar used corporate funds to pay his personal expenses, structured cash withdrawals from Winntech’s bank account to avoid federal bank reporting requirements, and cashed his payroll checks from his wife’s company, Bare Skull Innovation, LLC, rather than placing the money into a personal bank account, all to avoid IRS collections.

The total tax loss was $378,207. The loss amount consisted of the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty amounts of $167,237, assessed for the first quarter of 2003, and $96,721 for the second quarter of 2003, as well as the 2008 personal income tax due and owing at the time of the indictment, $114,248.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker and Trial Attorney David Zisserson of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man with two prior federal convictions for illegally possessing firearms was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing two more firearms.

Demario A. Eatmon, 35, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City.

Today’s indictment alleges that Eatmon was in possession of a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic pistol and 35 rounds of ammunition on Nov. 26, 2017. The indictment also alleges that Eatmon was in possession of a Norinco 7.62x39-caliber semi-automatic rifle on Dec. 9, 2017.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Eatmon has two prior federal felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, two prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest, and a prior felony conviction for burglary.

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

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

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – More than $900,000 in grants have been awarded to schools in the Western District of Missouri to bolster school security – including funding to educate and train students and faculty and to support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident.

“Our kids’ schools should be safe environments where they can focus on learning, free from threats of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “These STOP School Violence grants help provide the resources our schools need to protect students, including partnering with local law enforcement.”

Six school districts received a total of $912,288 in grants from the Department of Justice, in addition to a $999,372 grant awarded to the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

“These federal resources will help to prevent school violence and give our students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive,’ said Attorney General William P. Barr. “By training faculty, students and first responders, and by improving school security measures, we can make schools and their communities safer.”

Recipients of grant awards in the Western District of Missouri are: •    Raytown Consolidated School District 2: $250,000 (anonymous reporting technology)
•    Warsaw R-IX School District: $142,068 (school violence prevention)
•    City of Breckenridge: $120,593 (school violence prevention)
•    Stoutland R-II School District: $84,055 (school violence prevention)
•    South Pemiscot R-V Schools: $96,663 (school violence prevention)
•    Lawson R-XIV School District: $315,572 (school violence prevention)
•    Missouri Department of Public Safety: $999,372 (to create or enhance state school safety centers)

Five of the school district grants fall under the COPS’ School Violence Prevention Program. This is the second year the COPS program will provide K-12, primary and secondary schools up to 75 percent funding for the following school safety measures: •    Coordination with law enforcement; •    Training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence against others and themselves; •    Metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures; •    Technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; •    Any other measure that the COPS Office determines may provide a significant improvement in security.

The Department of Justice announced today that more than $85.3 million in grants were awarded nationally. The STOP School Violence Act authorizes grants that are designed to improve threat assessments, train students and faculty to provide tips and leads, and prepare law enforcement officers and emergency professionals to respond to school shootings and other violent incidents.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance, within the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services manage the programs and administer the grants, which include funds to: •    Develop school threat assessment teams and pursue technological solutions to improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools; •    Implement or improve school safety measures, including coordination with law enforcement, as well as the use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures; •    Train law enforcement to help deter student violence against others and themselves; •    Improve notification to first responders through implementation of technology that expedites emergency notifications;  •    Develop and operate anonymous reporting systems to encourage safe reporting of potential school threats; •    Train school officials to intervene when mentally ill individuals threaten school safety; and
•    Provide training and technical assistance to schools and other awardees in helping implement these programs. 

For more details about these individual award programs, as well as listings of individual 2019 awardees, visit https://go.usa.gov/xVJuV

About the Office of Justice Programs:  The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
    
About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services: The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Romanian national, who was arrested with her son at a bank ATM with dozens of re-encoded gift cards that contained stolen credit and debit card information, was sentenced in federal court today for her role in a skimming operation at several local banks.

Loredana Baceanu, 31, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to two years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Baceanu to pay a total of $35,807 in restitution to her victims.

On June 24, 2019, Baceanu pleaded guilty to possessing counterfeit and unauthorized access devices. Baceanu’s criminal conduct was part of a conspiracy with others who targeted at least six local bank branches, placing skimming devices on various bank ATMs, and recording, stealing and using critical financial information from bank customers to commit fraud, theft, and identity theft.

Over the span of approximately two weeks, according to court documents, Baceanu and her co-conspirators compromised the financial information of hundreds and possibly thousands of victims. Her intent was to steal as much money as possible before being detected by law enforcement, and then flee the area and repeat the same economic destruction in other communities.

Bank officials at Central Bank of the Ozarks in Springfield notified law enforcement on Oct. 12, 2018, of suspicious activity that had occurred at an ATM. The bank’s monitoring software had alerted them to the presence of a skimming device – a small electronic device used to steal credit card information – being placed on their ATM. When a person swipes a credit or debit card through a machine on which a skimmer is attached, the device captures and stores all the details stored in the card’s magnetic stripe. The stripe contains the credit card number and expiration date and the credit card holder’s full name. Thieves use the stolen data to make fraudulent charges either online or with a counterfeit credit card or gift card.

On Oct. 23, 2018, bank officials at Southern Bank discovered unidentified individuals targeting four different ATM locations, withdrawing money from multiple accounts. Bank officials stated that they believed these suspects were using stacks of re-encoded credit cards to facilitate the theft of funds from compromised credit and debit card accounts. Bank officials identified suspect photos at four different ATM locations in Springfield and Nixa, Missouri.

The Nixa branch manager was in the process of filing a police report on Oct. 23, 2018, when Baceanu returned to that branch’s ATM. The Nixa police officer who was taking the report returned to his patrol vehicle and initiated a traffic stop on Baceanu’s vehicle in the parking lot of the bank. Baceanu, who was with her 14-year-old son, had 49 gift card/credit cards in a concealed pocket within an undergarment she was wearing and $880 concealed in her bra. A Micro SD media storage card and a Florida identification card fell from somewhere within Baceanu’s shirt to the ground during her arrest.

Upon using a card reader, investigators learned that the magnetic stripes on all 49 generic gift cards had been re-encoded and counterfeited with different account numbers not original to the gift card. The Micro SD card contained stolen account information for hundreds of bank customers from various banks throughout the region.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Nixa, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Nigerian national who lived in St. Robert, Missouri, was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a large fraud conspiracy that used various internet scams to defraud victims.

Segun Prosper Otaru, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to four years and three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Otaru to pay $25,056 in restitution, and to forfeit the same amount to the government. 

Otaru is a Nigerian citizen and a legal permanent resident of the United States. According to court documents, Otaru entered the United States in April 2013, under apparently fraudulent pretenses; contrary to the requirements of his student visa, he did not even begin his studies in the United States. The year after entering the United States, Otaru obtained lawful permanent status through marriage to a citizen.

On May 2, 2019, Otaru pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aiding and abetting the theft of public money. According to court documents, over the course of his five years in the United States, Otaru used 13 aliases and multiple bank accounts opened under false identities in order to move funds and perpetrate various frauds as a part of an organized crime network.

Otaru admitted that, at least as early as 2016, he participated in a scheme to defraud people through various scams, such as posting internet advertisements on sites such as Craigslist.com for goods, services, and rental accommodations.  Conspirators sought to induce individuals responding to the advertisements to pay for the goods and services, which they had no intention to provide.

For example, conspirators used existing pictures and descriptions of properties found from legitimate websites to create fraudulent Craigslist postings under properties for rent. When victims responded to the advertisement, conspirators instructed them to send a deposit in order to hold the property.

Conspirators also defrauded business wholesalers by tricking them into wiring funds into accounts they controlled as purported “shipping fees” for merchandise they purchased using stolen credit card numbers. After using a stolen credit card number to purchase items from the victim businesses, conspirators claimed the merchandise needed to be shipped to a foreign country. Conspirators insisted on using their own shipper and instructed victims to charge the full amounts for the merchandise plus shipping fees to the stolen credit card numbers. They instructed victims to send the shipping fees to “their shipper” at the provided bank account maintained by the conspirators, including Otaru’s accounts.

Otaru also participated in a scheme to submit false and fraudulent federal income tax returns in order to receive refunds. Conspirators used stolen identities to file returns that listed false employers, wages, and employment taxes paid. At least 167 false and fraudulent federal income tax returns were designated for deposit to seven different bank accounts controlled by Otaru and another person. These 167 federal tax returns requested refunds totaling approximately $644,280. They actually received at least $24,356 in fraudulently-obtained tax refunds.

Otaru opened and maintained a series of bank accounts – some in his own name and in the names of various aliases. In order to open bank accounts using false names, Otaru obtained from his co-conspirators false identification documents, usually counterfeit passports and drivers’ licenses, purportedly issued by nations in Africa, such as Nigeria, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. The false passports contained forged and counterfeit United States visas, as false evidence of the bearer’s evidence of authorized stay and employment in the United States.

Periodically, Mr. Otaru received shipments from Africa in which false identification documents were concealed.

In April 2017, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a package sent to Otaru from Nigeria that was manifested as “local body scrub.” In addition to a container of soap, the package contained four counterfeit passports (purportedly issued by Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) with four corresponding foreign driver’s licenses. All documents displayed Otaru’s picture but bore different names. All documents were fraudulent, and the passports further contained counterfeit United States visas.

In August 2017, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a package sent to Otaru from Nigeria that was manifested as “native suite and sandals.” Hidden in the soles of the sandals were four counterfeit passports (purportedly issued by Nigeria, Gambia, South Africa, and Liberia) with four corresponding foreign driver’s licenses.   All documents displayed Otaru’s picture, but bore different names. All documents were fraudulent, and the passports further contained counterfeit United States visas.

Otaru also possessed and used a fraudulent Kenyan passport and two fraudulent Nigerian passports.

Otaru kept some of the funds obtained from the schemes for his own use. He transferred some of the funds to co-conspirators in the United States and in other countries. He sometime laundered proceeds of the various frauds by purchasing vehicles and shipping them overseas to co-conspirators in Africa through his business, Big-O-Motors.

Court documents note that following Otaru’s release from incarceration, it is expected that he will be removed from the United States.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

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

Daniel Shawn Rehman, 25, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Rehman to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration.

On March 6, 2019, Rehman pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography over the internet.

According to court documents, the website Tumbler reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Rehman had uploaded multiple files of child pornography. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rehman’s apartment on Nov. 7, 2018. Officers seized multiple devices belonging to Rehman’s cell phone, which contained child pornography and a significant amount of child pornography anime. 

There also were multiple images that depicted violence and racial hatred; for example, Rehman created an image where he is wearing a Nazi officer’s hat in front of a large pile of dead bodies. In another image, a cartoon character duck is depicted with a caption bubble stating, “When you trick the autistic kid into raping the girl with Down syndrome you record it, sell the video to a local pedophile and use the profit to buy guns to shoot up the school.”  Inside Rehman’s apartment, officers found a green flag hung on one of the apartment walls, which Rehman told them was a flag for Pakistani Nazis. In the kitchen, above the cabinets, officers found a German Nazi officer’s hat. A Ruger handgun was found inside a metal ammunition can, along with more than 300 rounds of ammunition.

Rehman admitted to officers that he had been viewing child pornography for several years, and that he had downloaded and possessed images of child pornography of children as young as infants.

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

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Ava, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing methamphetamine and a firearm.

Rhett I. Scofield, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 15 years in federal prison without parole.

On May 29, 2019, Scofield pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine to distribute and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Officers with the Douglas County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at Scofield’s residence on July 12, 2017. Officers found methamphetamine in a backpack in Scofield’s bedroom. Inside a bedroom safe, they found three more baggies of methamphetamine (two of which were tested, and weighed 72.7 grams) and $5,800. Officers also found a Taurus .380-caliber pistol on the dresser in the bedroom.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the Douglas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for a $145,000 fraud scheme in which he purported to sell classic automobiles that he did not actually own.

Travis D. Oberg, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court sentenced Oberg to eight years and four months for the conviction in this case, plus 20 months consecutively for violating the terms of his supervised release on an unrelated conviction for an earlier fraud scheme. The court also ordered Oberg to pay a total of $145,070 in restitution to his victims.

On April 4, 2019, Oberg pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of transporting a stolen vehicle. Oberg admitted that he engaged in a scheme to defraud persons who could be induced to purchase automobiles he offered for sale, although he did not own the automobiles and had no authority to sell the automobiles.

During the time he was engaged in this criminal fraud scheme, Oberg was under supervised release for a prior felony conviction. Oberg had been sentenced to eight years and four months in federal prison after defrauding dozens of victims of more than $900,000. He was released to supervision in 2016 and immediately embarked on the fraud scheme in this case.

Oberg operated under the business name “Maaco” (after establishing “maaco sales and reconditioning LLC”) as a pretense to imply that he was involved in a legitimate automobile-related business. Oberg obtained photographic images of the automobiles and images of title documents. He showed the images of the automobiles and title documents to buyers to bolster the pretense that he was authorized to sell the automobiles. After a buyer agreed to purchase an automobile, and after a buyer sent payment for an automobile, Oberg sent text messages and email messages giving false excuses and false information regarding failure to deliver the automobile.

For example, a victim in Connecticut paid $53,000 to purchase four classic automobiles: a 1973 BMW, a 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SL, a 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe, and a 1967 Jaguar XKE 2+2 Coupe. Oberg did not own these vehicles, and had no authority to sell them. He refused the victim’s demand to refund the money when he failed to deliver the automobiles. Oberg then induced another victim in California to purchase the same 1967 Jaguar and 1985 Porsche he had purported to sell to the victim in Connecticut. The California victim paid Oberg $37,000, but the automobiles were never delivered, nor did Oberg refund the purchase prices.

Oberg also admitted that he induced another victim into a consignment agreement for the restoration and sale of a 1957 Thunderbird. Oberg falsely represented that he would restore the Thunderbird and sell it on the victim’s behalf. Oberg did not tell the owner that he sold the automobile to a person in Connecticut for $12,500 and shipped the automobile from Missouri to Connecticut.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Larson and Matthew N. Sparks. It was investigated by the FBI.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A former Camden County, Missouri, sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving child pornography.

Leonard Jerome Wilson, 40, formerly of Camdenton, Missouri, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Wilson must surrender his peace officer license and enter guilty pleas in two related state cases.

Wilson was employed as a Camden County sheriff’s deputy at the time of the offenses. During an internal investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct and behavior while he was both on and off duty, deputies obtained a tablet and two cell phones used by Wilson. One cell phone contained a MicroSD card with 18 images of child pornography and 49 images of child erotica. All of the images were of infant, toddler, and prepubescent children.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Camden County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court with drug trafficking after investigators seized 144 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in automobile wheels inside his shed.

Jorge A. Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 38, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

The federal criminal complaint alleges that Rodriguez-Gonzalez possessed 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Rodriguez-Gonzalez remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the complaint, a confidential source told Independence, Missouri, police detectives that he/she purchased a minimum of one kilogram of methamphetamine from Rodriguez-Gonzalez at least five days per week. The confidential source engaged in a controlled buy of one kilogram of methamphetamine from Rodriguez-Gonzalez on Thursday, Oct. 10. When Rodriguez-Gonzalez arrived at the arranged meeting location with his wife and two children (a 6-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy), he was arrested. Officers seized a Glock handgun from a purse inside the vehicle. A police canine alerted to the presence of illegal drugs in the vehicle behind what appeared to be hidden compartments, the affidavit says. The vehicle was towed pending the execution of a search warrant.

On Friday, Oct. 11, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rodriguez-Gonzalez’s residence. They seized an H&R Pardner Pump 20-gauge shotgun, a TGI Knox 7.62x39-caliber AK-style rifle, a bag that contained 471 grams of marijuana, what appeared to be a drug ledger, and cash from the residence.

Inside a detached shed, officers found a set of four Toyota wheels and tires. Because the tires seemed extremely heavy, the affidavit says, detectives cut one open and found a metal compartment attached to the inside of the wheel. The metal compartment was then cut open and found to contain methamphetamine.

Each wheel and tire was dismantled by investigators, who found methamphetamine packaged in an identical manner inside each of the four tires. Investigators found six packages of methamphetamine, each of which weighed approximately six pounds, inside each tire, for a total weight of 144 pounds of methamphetamine removed from the four tires.

During the execution of the search warrant, a police canine also alerted to the presence of illegal drugs in a Toyota Tundra and a GMC Sierra that were parked at the residence. The vehicles were towed and secured by law enforcement until search warrants are obtained.

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

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

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

Alfredo Soto-Contreras, also known as “Antonio,” 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to use firearms during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime.

This investigation into a conspiracy to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine ended on Dec. 18, 2018, when four co-conspirators were arrested in possession of approximately 25 pounds of methamphetamine during an undercover operation. Conspirators sold (or attempted to sell) a total of approximately 13 kilograms of methamphetamine to an undercover agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Conspirators also sold eight firearms to the undercover agent, including several that had been reported as stolen.

Soto-Contreras is the third defendant to plead guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy, which lasted from May 2018 to Dec. 18, 2018.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former IRS employee has been indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing refunds from taxpayers.

Tamara R. Miller, 39, of Kansas City, Missouri, was charged in a five-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on Oct. 2, 2019. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Miller’s arrest and initial court appearance.

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

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

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

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

The indictment cites two victims of Miller’s fraud scheme, with a total loss amount of $5,214. Miller is charged with two counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and two counts of theft of public money.

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 Tom Larson. It was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Alabama man pleaded guilty in federal court today to enticing a 16-year-old victim, whom he met through the “Game of War” application on her cell phone, to engage in illegal sexual activity.

James Reece Vance, 46, of Madison, Ala., pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips.

The investigation began when the child victim’s father discovered emails between Vance and his daughter. The emails, from March 7 through May 8, 2017, contained numerous exchanges where she and Vance discussed getting together, having sexual intercourse, and future plans to get married. The child victim told investigators she met Vance through the “Game of War” application on her cell phone. Vance drove to Kansas City twice during April 2017 to meet the child victim for sex.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national who illegally entered the United States at least a dozen times was sentenced in federal court today for illegal reentry and for stealing a deceased person’s identity to obtain employment.

Rigoberto Vasquez-Milan, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to two years and six months in federal prison without parole.

On April 22, 2019, Vasquez-Milan pleaded guilty to one count of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Vasquez-Milan used another person’s name, Social Security card and lawful permanent resident card to obtain employment at a Kansas City, Missouri, restaurant. Vasquez-Milan came under suspicion when he was accused of raping a female co-worker on Jan. 17, 2018 (no charges were filed). The victim told police that after her shift she gave him a ride home from work. After she reported the incident, police officers called U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Kansas City and learned the identity information belonged to a deceased person.

According to court documents, Vasquez-Milan has entered the United States illegally at least a dozen times. He was removed from the United States three times pursuant to an immigration judge’s order and voluntarily returned to Mexico eight times.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Marshfield, Missouri, woman has been sentenced in federal court for multiple fraud schemes totaling more than $1 million that involved Medicaid payments to her dental clinics, failing to pay over payroll taxes and collecting unemployment benefits she wasn’t entitled to receive.

Pamela M. Van Drie, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Wednesday, Oct. 9, to four years and nine months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Van Drie to pay $1,139,794 in restitution.

Van Drie and her husband, Lorin G. Van Drie, 60, were convicted at trial on Feb. 20, 2019, of all 40 counts contained in a federal indictment.

Pamela and Lorin Van Drie were the owners of All About Smiles, LLC, a Springfield company that provided dental services at clinics in Springfield (until it closed in November 2015), Mountain Grove, Missouri (until it closed in October 2014), and Bolivar, Missouri (until it closed in March 2014). They also owned PL Family Management Company, LLC, which managed the staff for those clinics.

$885,748 Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

    Pamela Van Drie participated in a conspiracy to commit health care fraud from Oct. 6, 2010, to Aug. 19, 2015. This conspiracy consisted of two fraud schemes. Pamela Van Drie and Dr. James R. Dye, a dentist at the clinics, conspired to fraudulently bill Medicaid for speech aid prosthetics they did not provide to Medicaid beneficiaries. They also conspired to bill Medicaid for dentures and other dental services for beneficiaries who were ineligible to receive such services because the services were not medically necessary.

In the first scheme, Pamela Van Drie and Dye purchased Ortho-Tain orthodontic appliances (designed to straighten teeth without braces) for approximately $50 each, provided them to Medicaid pediatric beneficiaries and billed each such appliance to Medicaid as a speech aid prosthesis for approximately $695. They knew the Ortho-Tain appliances should have been billed to Medicaid as orthodontic services; they also knew Medicaid did not cover orthodontic services unless the Medicaid program’s requirements were met and they received precertification, which required review by a dentist/orthodontist employed by Medicaid. They billed the Ortho-Tain appliances as speech aid prostheses in order to bypass the precertification requirement.

Between Oct. 6, 2010, and Aug. 19, 2015, Pamela Van Drie submitted and received payment for approximately 241 claims submitted for speech aid prostheses.  On each claim, All About Smiles (or its predecessor company) was paid between $675 to $695, for an approximate total amount of $165,700.

In the second scheme, Pamela Van Drie and Dye arranged for All About Smiles to provide dentures and other dental services to adults who did not qualify for Medicaid reimbursement. They submitted claims to Medicaid for those dentures and other dental services, knowing that Medicaid’s requirements were not met. Pamela Van Drie, through All About Smiles, submitted and received $720,048 on numerous claims for dentures and other dental services that lacked the required written referral from a physician.

Dye pleaded guilty on Feb. 11, 2016, to health care fraud in a separate but related case. According to court documents, the Missouri Dental Board suspended Dye’s license, a suspension that arose from his substandard care for patients at the Van Dries’s clinics.
    
$194,751 Payroll Tax Fraud Conspiracy

Pamela and Lorin Van Drie participated in a conspiracy to defraud the government by failing to pay over to the IRS payroll taxes from Jan. 31, 2013, to Jan. 31, 2015. Although payroll taxes were withheld from the paychecks of employees at All About Smiles and PL Family Management Company, the Van Dries failed to pay over to the IRS approximately $194,751 in payroll taxes.

The Van Dries diverted a substantial amount of money from their businesses during this period. Rather than paying the payroll taxes due and owing, the Van Dries purchased and made payments on a 2013 Tracker boat and trailer, a recreational vehicle, multiple vehicles (including a 2010 Hummer and a 2009 Mercedes), several utility trailers, two golf carts, a motorcycle, expenses associated with two homes and family vacations in Florida, and a pulling truck called “Momma’s Money,” which Pamela Van Drie’s son used in pulling competitions throughout Missouri.

Additional Charges

In addition to these two criminal conspiracies, Pamela Van Drie was found guilty of eight counts of health care fraud related to fraudulent claims for speech aid prosetheses and 10 counts of health care fraud related to fraudulent claims for dentures and other dental services.

Pamela Van Drie also was found guilty of one count of theft of public money related to $3,520 in unemployment benefits that she was not entitled to receive while working full-time at All About Smiles. From June 2012 through the end of December 2012, Medicaid paid into Pamela and Lorin Van Drie’s business bank account three-quarters of a million dollars. Also during that time period, Pamela Van Drie took a weeklong vacation to a resort in Florida. Nonetheless, from June 2012 through January 2013, Pamela Van Drie falsely certified to the Missouri Department of Employment Security 31 times that she was not employed, was available and searching for work, and was not receiving any type of employment income.

In addition to the payroll tax conspiracy, Lorin Van Drie also was found guilty of 18 counts of failure to pay over employment tax and one count of theft of public money related to $11,840 in unemployment benefits that he was not entitled to receive while working at his own construction company and doing maintenance work at All About Smiles.

Under federal statutes, Lorin Van Drie is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole for theft of unemployment benefits and five years in federal prison without parole on each additional count of conviction. 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 been scheduled.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cindi S. Woolery and Steve Mohlhenrich and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Kempf of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. It was investigated by Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two brothers who formerly operated a tax preparation business in Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty in federal court today to preparing false tax returns.

Eliyas Jiregna, 34, of Kansas City, and his brother, Eyob Jiregna, 42, of Memphis, Tennessee (formerly of Kansas City), pleaded guilty in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough. Eliyas and Eyob Jiregna each pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return.

Eliyas Jiregna owned and operated a tax preparation business, Tax-N-Go Services, with three locations in Kansas City, Missouri: 1108 E. Armour Blvd., 7934 Troost Ave., and 10411 Blue Ridge Blvd. Eyob Jiregna prepared tax returns at the 1108 E. Armour Blvd. office during the 2015 return filing seasons. 

Under federal statutes, Eliyas and Eyob Jiregna each are subject to a sentence of up to three years in federal prison without parole. Under the terms of their plea agreements, Eliyas and Eyob Jiregna must pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the total amount of federal tax loss as determined by the court at sentencing. 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 Thomas M. Larson and Matthew N. Sparks. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for managing a conspiracy to distribute multiple pounds of methamphetamine in the Springfield, Missouri area.

Donald R. Taylor, also known as “Dee,” 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole.

On Dec. 17, 2018, Taylor pleaded guilty to participating in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that lasted from Dec. 2, 2014, to Jan. 23, 2018. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized a total of 5.342 kilograms of methamphetamine from various co-conspirators. 

Women were frequently used to transport illegal drugs during the conspiracy, including large quantities of methamphetamine in vehicles and smaller quantities of cocaine and heroin hidden inside of their vaginas. They were paid to drive to Texas, Arizona, or California to pick up methamphetamine and other drugs and transport them back to Springfield. Several women admitted they made multiple trips to acquire illegal drugs, sometimes in multi-kilogram quantities.

On one occasion, Taylor admitted, he flew to Arizona to deliver a large amount of cash to co-conspirators in order to purchase methamphetamine. Taylor attached a package that contained four pounds of methamphetamine onto a Chevrolet Avalanche near the gas tank, which co-conspirators drove back to Springfield. However, Arizona law enforcement officers stopped the vehicle and discovered the hidden methamphetamine.

Taylor is among seven co-defendants who have been sentenced in this case. Five co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull II. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and COMET (the Combined Ozarks Multijurisdictional Enforcement Team).

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Kentucky truck driver and prior sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court today to transporting child pornography.

Gregory Marshall, 58, of Paducah, Kentucky, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool.

According to court documents, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper stopped the tractor trailer Marshall was driving on U.S. Highway 60 in Wright County, Mo., on June 17, 2018. The trooper discovered that Marshall was a non-compliant sex offender. Marshall was convicted of sodomy involving a 14-year-old victim in Kentucky in 1995. While searching the sleeper berth of the tractor, the trooper discovered a laptop computer and an external hard drive that contained child pornography.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a three-months-long conspiracy that included more than 27 armed robberies, culminating in the armed robbery of a Walgreens in Blue Springs, Missouri, in which a suspect was fatally shot by law enforcement officers.

Shannon R. Thomas, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to life in federal prison without parole, followed by a consecutive sentence of 72 years in federal prison without parole. 

On May 9, 2019, Thomas was found guilty at trial of participating in the conspiracy as well as participating in 10 armed robberies. He was also found guilty of 10 counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The life sentence was imposed for Thomas’s conviction of brandishing a firearm during the Walgreens robbery that resulted in the death of Jermon Seals.

Thomas and co-conspirators robbed 27 businesses in Blue Springs, Independence, North Kansas City, Raytown, and Kansas City, Missouri, and in Kansas City, Kansas, at gunpoint from Jan. 2 to March 24, 2016. In addition to the armed robberies charged in the indictment, evidence was introduced during the trial of other, uncharged robberies that were committed in furtherance of the conspiracy. Victim businesses included convenience stores, pharmacies, and other businesses.

The robberies followed a similar pattern: Two or three conspirators entered the business armed with handguns, wearing gloves, hoodies, and/or masks. The hoodies were drawn tightly over their faces to obscure their features. The employees were forced at gunpoint to hand over money from the cash register and the safe. The thieves wore the same hoodies in nearly all the robberies; Thomas wore a blue Kansas City Royals hoodie for the majority of the robberies he committed.

The spree of robberies culminated on March 24, 2016. Thomas, along with co-defendant Deonte J. Collins-Abbott, 25, of Grandview, Missouri, and Jermon Seals of Shawnee, Kansas, robbed the Walgreens at 7 Highway and Duncan in Blue Springs. Thomas placed a Springfield Armory .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol to the back of an employee’s head and took money from the front register. Collins-Abbott and Seals went over the pharmacy counter and took prescription grade cough syrup at gunpoint from the pharmacist. They left the business but were confronted by law enforcement officers as they were walking back to the vehicle. They failed to comply with the officers’ commands; Seals turned towards the officers, pointing a gun in their direction. Officers returned fire and Seals was fatally struck in the exchange. Thomas and Collins-Abbott were apprehended by officers after a short foot chase.

Collins-Abbott pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison without parole. Collins-Abbott admitted that he committed eight armed robberies between Feb. 3, 2016, and March 24, 2016.

Parrise K. Black, also known as “Kilo,” 27, of Grandview, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Demetrius Nelson, 26, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Kevin T. Thompson-Randell, 24, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole. 

Frank A. Garner, Jr., 25, of Grandview, pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 18, 2019. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Caine and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Kate Butterfield. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the North Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, woman was sentenced in federal court today for her role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Sarah M. Davila, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 12 years and one month in federal prison without parole.

Davila, who pleaded guilty on Jan. 3, 2018, admitted that she sold methamphetamine to an undercover police officer on five separate occasions. According to court documents, those purchases were large amounts and totaled 245.88 grams of methamphetamine. When officers executed a search warrant at her residence, they seized a firearm and some methamphetamine.

Davila, identified as a mid-level supplier, is the final defendant to be sentenced among 10 defendants convicted of their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Twenty defendants, primarily residents of Kansas City, Missouri, have been indicted for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy. Most of the defendants were arrested during a law enforcement operation last week that resulted in seizures of firearms, heroin and other illegal drugs, and large amounts of cash.

Ladele D. Smith, also known as “Dellio” and “Dog,” 32, Roy O. Franklin Jr., 29, David J. Duncan IV, also known as “Deei” or “DJ,” 30, Terrance R. Garner, also known as “T-Dot,” 34, Joshua D. Marchbanks, 29, Cory Tremaine Brown, also known as “Twin,” 39, Carleeon D. Lockett, also known as “Tone,” 27, Gary Othniel Toombs, 39, Errick Eugene Martin Jr., also known as “Dough Boy,” 28, Kenneth Dewayne Scott, also known as “Kenny,” 23, Cordell D. Edwards, also known as “Duke,” 31, Victor Gonzalez, also known as “Lil Vic” and “El Chavo,” 30, Michael E. Sims, also known as “Mikey,” 33, Cordarrel Lamonte Scott, also known as “DOB,” 33, Marco Rashon Maddox, 35, and Herman Graham Bell Jr., 64, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Cornelius Phelps, also known as “Tim Tim,” 33, of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; Sirrico L. Franklin, also known as “Chico” and “Rico,” 28, of Raytown, Mo.; Lencorya Tiko Montrel Grady, also known as “Thick,” 44, of Springfield, Mo.; and Martin Christopher Garner, also known as “Looch” and “Lu Lu,” 32, of St. Louis, Mo., were charged in a two-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

The federal indictment was unsealed following a law enforcement operation on Wednesday, Oct. 2, in which 16 of the 20 defendants were arrested. Approximately 200 federal agents and local law enforcement officers were involved in the operation, which also resulted in the arrests of two additional individuals who have been charged with being felons in possession of firearms in separate cases related to the underlying investigation of this case.

According to court documents, investigators seized 23 firearms, approximately 350 grams of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, $75,000 in cash, scales, an apparent drug ledger, and drug packaging materials during the course of the arrest operation and accompanying search warrants. Smith, Duncan, Martin, Garner, Gonzalez, Scott, Phelps, and Bell were arrested with firearms either on their person, in their vehicle, or in their residence.

The indictment alleges that all 20 of the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute at least a kilogram of heroin, as well as cocaine, crack cocaine, oxycodone, codeine, and marijuana, from Jan. 1, 2011, to Oct. 1, 2019.

In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Smith, Roy Franklin, Sirrico Franklin, and Toombs are charged with maintaining a residence for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, and using controlled substances.

Officers executed a search warrant at a residence maintained by Smith, Roy Franklin, Sirrico Franklin, and Toombs during the Oct. 2 operation and seized approximately 350 grams of suspected heroin, a digital scale, packaging material, two Glock handguns, two Mico Draco AK-47 pistols, a Century Arms AK-47 pistol, and an apparent bullet proof vest. According to court documents, officers also found a stolen Jeep, riddled with bullet holes and missing the back window, that allegedly had been used by conspirators in a shoot-out on Sept. 9, 2019, in the area of 35th Street and Woodland. Investigators also recovered live ammunition and shell casings inside the vehicle.

Duncan was among those arrested in his apartment during the Oct. 2 operation. According to court documents, officers located three firearms under his mattress: a Zastava M92PV, a Glock Model 19, and a Norinco MAK90 AK-47. Investigators also seized approximately $7,100 in cash, an apparent drug ledger on the nightstand listing nicknames and dollar amounts, and Duncan’s Dodge Charger.

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. Attorneys Adam Caine, Ashleigh Ragner, and Stacey Perkins Rock. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and IRS-Criminal Investigation, with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

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

Two former corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center have been convicted by a federal jury of physically assaulting an inmate in violation of his Constitutional protection against unreasonable force.

“These corrections officers were convicted by a jury of their peers for severely beating and wounding a disoriented and compliant inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “This conduct betrays their oath as law enforcement officers and violates the Constitution.  The Department of Justice will prosecute those who violate the rights of others.”

“These corrections officers abused their authority by physically assaulting an inmate,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “Our Constitution protects every citizen from the use of unreasonable force. No one is above the law, and no one should be denied their civil rights.”

Travis Hewitt, 29, and Terrance Dooley Jr., 38, both of Kansas City, Missouri, were found guilty on Friday, Oct. 4, of participating in a conspiracy to deprive the victim of his civil rights and one count of deprivation of rights.

Co-defendants Jen-I Pulos, 38, and Dakota Pearce, 26, both of Kansas City, Missouri, each recently pleaded guilty. Pearce pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and Pulos pleaded guilty to the deprivation of rights.

Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce were formerly employed as corrections officers at the detention center. Hewitt and Pearce served as acting sergeants. Dooley and Pulos served on the Disturbance Control Team, also known as the Correctional Emergency Response Team, which is responsible for intervening in inmate altercations and neutralizing threats posed by inmates.

The victim, identified in court documents as “J.R.,” was an inmate at the detention center. On July 4, 2015, J.R. was detained on a probation violation related to the monitoring of his release conditions for a felony driving while intoxicated conviction. J.R. was placed in the medical housing unit of the detention center because he was severely confused and disoriented, as he was experiencing severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

At about 7 p.m. another corrections officer allowed J.R. to walk in a secure area outside of his cell. J.R., clearly disoriented and unaware of his whereabouts, attempted to exit the secure area. The corrections officer and J.R. then had a brief physical struggle; the corrections officer called a Code 1, indicating to other officers that she needed assistance.

Hewitt and Pearce responded and placed J.R. in a holding cell. Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce were upset that a supervisor decided J.R. would not be placed in a “restraint chair,” which was commonly used to punish unruly inmates, because J.R. was clearly disoriented and unaware of his surroundings. Several hours later, Dooley and Pulos entered J.R.’s cell, purportedly to remove a comb that had been fashioned into a “shank.” They removed J.R. and transported him to a holding cell (which was out of the range of surveillance cameras). In this holding cell, Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce physically assaulted J.R., while he was handcuffed and not posing a threat to anyone, in order to punish him for the earlier incident. At times during the incident, one of the officers stood outside of the cell and served as a lookout in attempt to ensure that the assault was concealed from other witnesses.

Several hours after the second incident, medical professionals at the detention center decided to transfer J.R. to Truman Medical Center out of a belief that his alcohol withdrawal symptoms had worsened. Truman Medical personnel working in the emergency room, however, quickly determined that J.R. had sustained significant injuries unrelated to alcohol withdrawal. Medical personnel ultimately diagnosed J.R. with broken ribs, a punctured lung, facial bruising, and injuries to his wrists.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately four hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner, ending a trial that began Monday, Sept. 30.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ketchmark of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Missouri, Trial Attorney Shan Patel of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice. It was investigated by the Kansas City Division of the FBI.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two former corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center have been convicted by a federal jury of physically assaulting an inmate in violation of his Constitutional protection against unreasonable force.

“These corrections officers abused their authority by physically assaulting an inmate,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “Our Constitution protects every citizen from the use of unreasonable force. No one is above the law, and no one should be denied their civil rights.”

“These corrections officers were convicted by a jury of their peers for severely beating and wounding a disoriented and compliant inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “This conduct betrays their oath as law enforcement officers and violates the Constitution.  The Department of Justice will prosecute those who violate the rights of others.”

Travis Hewitt, 29, and Terrance Dooley, Jr., 38, both of Kansas City, Missouri, were found guilty on Friday, Oct. 4, of participating in a conspiracy to deprive the victim of his civil rights and one count of deprivation of rights.

Co-defendants Jen-I Pulos, 38, and Dakota Pearce, 26, both of Kansas City, Missouri, each recently pleaded guilty. Pearce pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and Pulos pleaded guilty to the deprivation of rights.

Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce were formerly employed as corrections officers at the detention center. Hewitt and Pearce served as acting sergeants. Dooley and Pulos served on the Disturbance Control Team, also known as the Correctional Emergency Response Team, which is responsible for intervening in inmate altercations and neutralizing threats posed by inmates.

The victim, identified in court documents as “J.R.,” was an inmate at the detention center. On July 4, 2015, J.R. was detained on a probation violation related to the monitoring of his release conditions for a felony driving while intoxicated conviction. J.R. was placed in the medical housing unit of the detention center because he was severely confused and disoriented, as he was experiencing severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
 
At about 7 p.m. another corrections officer allowed J.R. to walk in a secure area outside of his cell. J.R., clearly disoriented and unaware of his whereabouts, attempted to exit the secure area. The corrections officer and J.R. then had a brief physical struggle; the corrections officer called a Code 1, indicating to other officers that she needed assistance.

Hewitt and Pearce responded and placed J.R. in a holding cell. Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce were upset that a supervisor decided J.R. would not be placed in a “restraint chair,” which was commonly used to punish unruly inmates, because J.R. was clearly disoriented and unaware of his surroundings. Several hours later, Dooley and Pulos entered J.R.’s cell, purportedly to remove a comb that had been fashioned into a “shank.” They removed J.R. and transported him to a holding cell (which was out of the range of surveillance cameras). In this holding cell, Hewitt, Dooley, Pulos, and Pearce physically assaulted J.R., while he was handcuffed and not posing a threat to anyone, in order to punish him for the earlier incident. At times during the incident, one of the officers stood outside of the cell and served as a lookout in attempt to ensure that the assault was concealed from other witnesses.

Several hours after the second incident, medical professionals at the detention center decided to transfer J.R. to Truman Medical Center out of a belief that his alcohol withdrawal symptoms had worsened. Truman Medical personnel working in the emergency room, however, quickly determined that J.R. had sustained significant injuries unrelated to alcohol withdrawal. Medical personnel ultimately diagnosed J.R. with broken ribs, a punctured lung, facial bruising, and injuries to his wrists.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately four hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner, ending a trial that began Monday, Sept. 30.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ketchmark of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Missouri, Trial Attorney Shan Patel of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice. It was investigated by the Kansas City Division of the FBI.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for distributing child pornography over the internet.

Bradley Edward Vader, 66, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to nine years and seven months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Vader to pay a $25,000 fine.

Vader, who pleaded guilty on May 1, 2019, was actively sharing videos of child pornography over the internet through a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. Vader admitted that he had accessed Russian websites and peer-to-peer programs to acquire child pornography. He burned many of these child pornography video files to approximately 61 DVDs.

According to court documents, Vader amassed a voluminous collection of child pornography over the last decade. A search of his home yielded a computer, hard drive, jump drives, and 61 DVDs containing child pornography, some created as far back as April 2007. Of these 61 DVDs, the file lengths ranged from 53 minutes to over four hours. These files included videos of children as young as eight years old being sexually abused.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Montclair, California, man was charged in federal court today for transporting more than four pounds of heroin and approximately five pounds of fentanyl aboard a bus enroute to New York City.

Daniel O. Villanueva, 20, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, with possessing heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute. Villanueva remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, detectives with the MoWIN (Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics) Task Force contacted Villanueva at a local bus station when he disembarked from a bus originating from Los Angeles, California, en route to New York City. Villanueva was acting nervous, the affidavit says, and gave detectives permission to search his backpack in the overhead bin in the passenger compartment of the bus. No contraband was found in the backpack.

Near Villanueva’s backpack was a green backpack, which Villanueva claimed did not belong to him. Detectives removed the green backpack and a police service canine alerted to the presence of controlled substances inside the backpack. When passengers boarded the bus, detectives asked whether the backpack belonged to any of them. No one claimed the backpack, so detectives removed it from the bus and searched it. They found four bundles concealed within men’s clothing. Two bundles contained a total 2.022 kilograms (approximately 4.4 pounds) of heroin and 2.27 kilograms (approximately five pounds) of fentanyl.

Villanueva, who had been escorted off the bus, told detectives the green backpack was his, the affidavit says. Villanueva told detectives he was to be paid $5,000 to deliver the heroin and fentanyl to New York City.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh Ragner and Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing and sharing hundreds of videos and images of child pornography over the internet.

James Andrew Clingenpeel, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to one count of attempting to distribute child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

By pleading guilty today, Clingenpeel admitted that he utilized a peer-to-peer file-sharing network to distribute a video of child pornography over the internet. Clingenpeel’s criminal conduct was discovered during an FBI national investigation into the network, which allows users to share child pornography on their computers with other members over the internet. Clingenpeel was an “Ultimate” member with an account since October 2013. An undercover FBI undercover operative invited Clingenpeel to join his network; Clingenpeel then shared 436 files that contained 9.1GB of content to the network.

Clingenpeel also admitted that he was in possession of child pornography. On April 19, 2016, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Clingenpeel’s residence. Officers seized three electronic devices; a notebook computer contained 550 videos and 180 images of child pornography and a computer hard drive contained one video of child pornography, more than 100 images of possible child erotica, and one video of possible child erotica.

Under federal statutes, Clingenpeel is subject to a mandatory minimum 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. 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 David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the FBI and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carl Junction, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to transporting a Kansas minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Nathan Roger Belcher, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Belcher remains in federal custody until his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

By pleading guilty today, Belcher admitted that he transported a child victim, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe 1” with a date of birth in 2003, from Kansas across the state line into Missouri. They engaged in criminal sexual activity on two occasions, once at a residence in Missouri and once near a creek outside Neosho, Missouri, in 2017.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Columbus, Kan., Police Department, and the Cherokee County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department.

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than four kilograms of methamphetamine in Greene County, Mo.

Loueadry Earl John Powell Jr., 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole.

On April 8, 2019, Powell pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from March 22 to June 22, 2017, and to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

The investigation began when a federal postal inspector in Los Angeles, California, identified two suspicious parcels addressed to separate Springfield addresses on June 19, 2017. A federal postal inspector and Springfield police officers conducted a controlled delivery of one of those parcels. Although the parcel was not addressed to him by name, Powell was contacted at the residence of the address and accepted the package.

A controlled delivery of the second package was attempted, but the residence appeared to be unoccupied and no one answered the door.

Each of the parcels contained 2,234.2 grams of methamphetamine with a purity level ranging from 95 to 100 percent.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally selling firearms without a license, some of which have been seized during arrests at several crime scenes.

Frank E. Hedden, 25, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.

By pleading guilty today, Hedden admitted that he sold 21 firearms to an undercover special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for a total of $11,155 between Feb. 26 and July 16, 2019.

On May 7, 2019, investigators served Hedden with a warning notice. Investigators explained to Hedden that several firearms he purchased from licensed firearms dealers had been recovered in crimes within a relatively short amount of time after Hedden purchased them. This indicated Hedden could be re-selling them, thereby dealing in firearms without a license. Investigators further explained to Hedden that he could be prosecuted if he was buying firearms with the intent to resell them. Hedden signed an acknowledgement receipt for the Warning Notice of Unlicensed Firearms Dealing in Violation of Federal Law.

A few days later, however, Hedden met again with the undercover agent and illegally sold the agent two pistols for $1,200. During that meeting, which was recorded, Hedden told the undercover agent about the warning notice. “I don’t know if it’s anything, you know, of your or somebody else,” he said, “they said I had several firearms show up in crime scenes lately.” Hedden then added, “I knew this would happen eventually.”

The undercover agent told Hedden the firearms he purchased were going to Mexico and asked Hedden if he could obtain more AK-47 type pistols, to which Hedden responded “Yeah. So, I’ll have to figure out something … I’m going to try to figure something out cause like I said, I like doing the business, it’s nice to come into a little extra money.”

Hedden subsequently sold three more firearms to the undercover agent on two separate occasions.

On July 17, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hedden’s residence and seized 33 firearms (which must be forfeited to the government). Officers also seized a red binder that contained 100 bills of sale for firearms; 18 of the documents were for firearms sold to the undercover agent, 72 of the documents were for firearms that Hedden sold to other individuals, and 10 of the documents were for firearms that Hedden purchased from other individuals.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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