Western District of Missouri

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Louis, Mo., man who was found passed out at an Oak Grove, Mo., truck stop after a week-long bender has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing methamphetamine and a firearm.

James P. Pettus, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019, to 14 years and two months in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 26, 2018, Pettus pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Pettus was contacted by an Oak Grove, Mo., police officer at Petro Truck Stop, 301 S.W. 1st Street, Oak Grove, on the morning of May 21, 2018. The officer was called because Pettus was passed out in a booth inside the Iron Skillet Restaurant. He was asleep and snoring, with his face and arms covered in saliva and snot. After many attempts to wake him, he would only advise that his name was James, and could not provide identification.

The officer called an ambulance for Pettus. While waiting for the ambulance, Pettus pulled a knife from his right rear pant pocket and flipped it open. The officer struggled briefly with Pettus to take away the knife and handcuff him. The officer then found a loaded High Point .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun in Pettus’s front waistband. Officers also found approximately 40.9 grams of pure methamphetamine in Pettus’s left front pocket.

Pettus later told detectives he had been on a methamphetamine-fueled bender for the past week.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Oak Grove, Mo., Police Department, the Jackson County Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the sexual exploitation of several children.

David Allen Giffen, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 28 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Giffen to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration.

On July 18, 2018, Giffen pleaded guilty to one count of the sexual exploitation of a child and one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.

According to court documents, Giffen had placed cameras in his bathroom and secretly recorded images and videos of three children. Investigators found images of the victim children on a Micro SD card in Giffen’s cell phone. Investigators also seized a second cell phone from Giffen that contained multiple images of child pornography.

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

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., day care operator was sentenced in federal court today for a scheme to take the infant daughter of a client to Arkansas to be adopted by another couple.

Lasonya Faye Poindexter, 31, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to six years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Poindexter to pay $1,500 in restitution to the victim parents.

On June 21, 2018, Poindexter pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Poindexter began taking care of a Joplin couple’s two children at her home day care in April 2017. Poindexter admitted that she contacted a couple in Lincoln, Ark., and offered to make arrangements for the couple to adopt one of those children, a five-month-old daughter identified in court documents as Jane Doe. The infant’s parents had never put Jane Doe up for adoption, nor had they ever told anyone that Jane Doe was available to be adopted.

Poindexter made multiple trips to Lincoln in June and July 2017 so the Arkansas couple, who had recently suffered the loss of their unborn child due to a miscarriage, could spend time with Jane Doe. Jane Doe’s parents had never given Poindexter permission to take their daughter across state lines to Arkansas and were unaware that any of the trips occurred. The Arkansas couple usually met with Poindexter at the home of Poindexter’s aunt, but one visit was at the couple’s own home (where they had prepared a nursery room for Jane Doe).

Poindexter falsely told the Arkansas couple that the infant’s mother had left her baby at Poindexter’s house and wanted her to find a good family for Jane Doe because she was the product of a rape. Poindexter told the Arkansas couple that Jane Doe’s mother wanted a closed adoption.

Poindexter asked the Arkansas couple for money to provide for the care of Jane Doe until the adoption was finalized. The couple refused to provide Poindexter money until the adoption was finalized.

The Arkansas woman who sought to adopt Jane Doe viewed the mother’s Facebook page in July 2017 and noticed numerous images of Jane Doe with her mother. On July 20, 2017, the Arkansas woman contacted the mother of Jane Doe through Facebook. She sent the mother of Jane Doe a private message, telling the mother that she and her husband were planning to adopt Jane Doe and asking if she truly wanted to put Jane Doe up for adoption. Jane Doe’s parents then contacted law enforcement.

The Arkansas woman confronted Poindexter after communicating with Jane Doe’s mother. Poindexter sent her a screen shot of an e-mail that appeared to be from an attorney. In reality, the fake e-mail was created by Poindexter. The attorney later told investigators he had never represented Poindexter, had any communication with her and was not involved with any adoption proceeding with Jane Doe.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the FBI and the Missouri Division of Family Services.

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

Charles E. Williams, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Williams was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.

On March 20, 2018, Williams pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Williams admitted that he was in possession of a loaded Norinco semi-automatic rifle on Aug. 7, 2015. Police officers had been called to the scene of a single-vehicle accident, which involved a Dodge Charger driven by Williams. When officers arrived, they were informed by members of the Kansas City Fire Department that Williams had been tossing items from the vehicle.

Williams refused to step away from the vehicle, and instead reached into the trunk and retrieved a red blanket, which he threw away from the vehicle. Officers ordered Williams to the ground; as they attempted to handcuff him, Williams became combative and resisted arrested. An officer utilized his Taser. At one point, Williams was able to stand up and began physically assaulting an officer by pulling at his traffic vest and kicking him several times in the leg. Several members of the fire department came to the aid of the officers. Williams was eventually arrested and placed in handcuffs.

The Norinco rifle was found inside the red blanket that Williams had taken from the trunk. When officers searched Williams, they found a small baggy that contained 1.13 grams of cocaine in his right pant pocket.

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

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Emily A. Morgan. 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.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man who was in a vehicle that led police officers in a pursuit pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.

Justin Craig Ewing, 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ewing admitted that he was in possession of a loaded Browning .40-caliber handgun.

On Dec. 22, 2017, police officers attempted to stop a 2006 Chevy Impala driven by Jeremy Wade Gerlach, 36, of Harrisburg, Mo., in which Ewing was the passenger. Officers, who were seeking to arrest Gerlach, pulled in behind the parked vehicle at the Days Inn Motel, 900 I-70 Drive Southwest, Columbia, Mo. As officers approached the vehicle on foot, the Impala fled north through a grassy area next to the motel. As another patrol vehicle arrived from the east side of the motel, the Impala swerved left to go around them and crashed into an electric pole. An officer ran up to the vehicle and pointed his gun at the occupants. When the officer realized Gerlach was trying to put the vehicle in reverse, he ran back to his patrol vehicle and used it to pinch in the rear of the Impala to prevent escape and further jeopardy to officers.

When officers approached the vehicle, the driver’s side windows were up and the doors were locked. An officer used his baton to break the driver’s window, and officers pulled Gerlach out of the Impala through the broken driver’s side window.

When officers removed Gerlach and Ewing from the vehicle, they saw the Browning handgun (which had been reported as stolen) lying on the floorboard where Ewing had been sitting. Ewing was wearing a shoulder handgun holster. Officers also found a loaded Rock Island Armory .45-caliber handgun wedged between the driver’s seat and center console.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Ewing has four prior felony convictions for forgery and prior felony convictions for burglary, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a weapon.

Gerlach pleaded guilty on Oct. 9, 2018, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Under federal statutes, Ewing and Gerlach 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 Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Columbia, 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 Willard, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Lyndall Clarence Shive, 75, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine since Feb. 9, 2016.

The government asserts in today’s plea agreement that Shive is responsible for possessing more than 5.4 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy. Shive, who was on parole for first degree robbery and drug distribution at the time, was stopped by law enforcement officers in West Plains, Mo., on Dec. 14, 2016. A state trooper searched his vehicle and found three individual bags of methamphetamine that weighed approximately an ounce each, for a total of 82.91 grams of methamphetamine.

On Dec. 27, 2016, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the former Elkland, Mo., residence of co-defendant Dallas Ray Pendergrass, 71, now a resident of Willard. Officers seized approximately 25 pounds of marijuana and approximately six pounds of methamphetamine. Pendergrass admitted that Shive was his source for obtaining the methamphetamine. Pendergrass said he had been getting approximately one to two ounces of methamphetamine a week from Shive for approximately the past year (approximately 52 ounces or 1.474 kilograms). Pendergrass said he was paying $850 per ounce.

Pendergrass pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy on Nov. 27, 2018. In a separate but related case, Phillip Duane George, 32, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years and two months in federal prison without parole.

Under federal statutes, Shive 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 Abram McGull, II. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the South Central Missouri Drug Task Force, the Combined Ozarks Multijurisdictional Enforcement Team (COMET), the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Howell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the West Plains, Mo., Police Department and the Mountain Grove, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Cameron, Mo., residents are among five defendants who have pleaded guilty to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. 

Benjamin W. Clark, 26, of Cameron, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to the charge contained in a Nov. 16, 2017, federal indictment. 

Clark is the fifth defendant to plead guilty to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Co-defendant Jalie J. Brinlee, 28, of Cameron, pleaded guilty on Jan. 4, 2019. Co-defendants Felicia C. Ward, 23, of Cameron; Robert J. Keegan, 26, of Harrisonville, Mo.; and Frank E. Hundley, 34, of Kansas City, Mo.; pleaded guilty on Dec. 28, 2018. Brinlee and Keegan also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

All five of the co-defendants admitted they participated in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine from January to May 24, 2017. Clark and Brinlee purchased methamphetamine from various suppliers and distributed it to customers in Cameron, Kansas City and elsewhere.

On May 12, 2017, Keegan was stopped by law enforcement and was found in possession of a Hi-point .40-caliber handgun and a duffel bag containing approximately 3.8 kilograms of methamphetamine.

On May 24, 2017, a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol stopped Ward, who was carrying a Glock 9mm handgun in her purse. Ward had retrieved the handgun from the vehicle where Clark and Brinlee were located, and Brinlee admitted to possessing the firearm prior to transferring it to Ward. Also found in Ward's purse was approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine, which Brinlee also admitted to possessing at the time of the traffic stop.

Under the terms of their plea agreements, Clark, Brinlee and Keegan each will be sentenced to 18 years in federal prison without parole. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

Under federal statutes, Ward and Hundley each are subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the 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 Patrick Edwards. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Jackson County Drug Task Force.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Ames, Iowa sex offender was sentenced in federal court today on child sexual exploitation charges.

John Jordan Lundberg, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Lundberg to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration.

On Sept. 24, 2018, Lundberg pleaded guilty to attempting to produce child pornography. Lundberg was previously convicted on Sept. 15, 2017, for enticement of a minor for indecent purposes. Lundberg, who was granted a deferred judgment and placed on probation for three years, was arrested on Oct. 10, 2016 at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino during an undercover operation when he responded to a Craigslist advertisement and arranged a sexual encounter with a (fictitious) 15-year-old female.

According to court documents, just weeks prior to pleading guilty in Iowa to enticing a minor, Lundberg began committing the federal offense in this case. Lundberg was arrested in this case for almost identical behavior just 44 days after pleading guilty and being placed on probation for the Iowa matter.

Lundberg admitted that he responded on Sept. 3, 2017, to an online advertisement that was posted by an undercover Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department detective in an effort to seek out potential sexual predators. The undercover officer posed as a mother offering her 13-year-old daughter for sex. The undercover officer also posed as the 13-year-old daughter, and Lundberg communicated with the “daughter” via text messages. 

Lundberg admitted that he sent the “daughter” sexually explicit photos and video of himself as well as adult and child pornography. Lundberg also admitted that he encouraged the “daughter” to send him nude photos of herself. 

In an e-mail to the undercover detective, Lundberg described himself as “a fan of incest.” He claimed to have begun sexually molesting his niece when she was 8 years old, and to have had sexual intercourse with her when she was 12 years old.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Three more Texas men have recently pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing 654 firearms from United Parcel Service trailers in Springfield, Mo., en route to Bass Pro Shops.

Raynord Hunt, 36, of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to the charges contained in a Feb. 21, 2018, federal indictment. Co-defendants Eric White, 27, of Arlington, Texas, and Derrick White, 33, of Dallas, pleaded guilty to the same charges in January.

Frank McChriston, 34, and Keith Lowe, 29, both of Dallas, and Quinton Haywood, 27, of Glenn Heights, Texas, also have pleaded guilty to the same charges.

By pleading guilty, all six defendants admitted they aided and abetted each other to steal cargo that was being shipped across state lines, from Beretta USA in Maryland to the state of Missouri. They also pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting each other to possess stolen firearms.

According to court documents, the defendants stole 600 Beretta .380-caliber handguns and 54 Beretta 12-gauge shotguns from United Parcel Service (UPS) trailers in Springfield in October 2017.

The firearms were in the process of being shipped from Beretta Firearms in Maryland to Bass Pro Shops in Springfield. The trailers in which the firearms were shipped had been parked in the UPS freight lot in a configuration to prevent access to the trailer doors, by being parked back-to-back, with the roll-up doors facing each other. The trailers were then blocked by longer trailers, which should have acted as a preventative measure from someone backing a truck-tractor to the trailer and pulling it forward.

Sometime between noon on Oct. 28, 2017, and 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2017, thieves hot-wired two truck-tractors and used them to push and pull various trailers around the lot, allowing the thieves access to the trailer doors. UPS employees discovered the theft on Oct. 29, 2017, and notified law enforcement.

Under federal statutes, each of the defendants 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 James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Dallas, Texas, Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Mo., brothers and a Sugar Creek, Mo., woman have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to commit a series of armed robberies by luring their victims with online advertisements and ambushing them.

Dylan J. Houston, 22, his brother, Andrew J. Houston, 29, and Nicole Waguespack, also known as Nicole Covey, 36, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019. 

Dylan Houston was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison without parole. Andrew Houston was sentenced to seven years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Waguespack was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison without parole. They are among 10 defendants who have been sentenced in this case. Two defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

Co-conspirators posted ads on several websites in order to entice customers to meet in person at area hotels, residences and apartments in Kansas City, Mo. When the customers arrived, co-conspirators were lying in wait, armed with firearms and weapons that appeared to be firearms. They ambushed and robbed the customers at gunpoint. They often committed more than one robbery in a night.

According to court documents, the proceeds of the robberies was divided up and usually used to pay for narcotics or to pay for a room where the co-conspirators could use narcotics. When confronting the victim, the co-conspirators used verbal threats, pointed real and fake guns at them, physically hit them, and intimidated them. Records obtained from social media services and hotels corroborate statements by participants that only a small percentage of the victims called the police to report their robbery.

Dylan Houston pleaded guilty on July 12, 2018, to his role in the armed robbery conspiracy as well as to three counts of armed robbery. According to court documents, Dylan Houston was one of the enforcers in this violent robbery scheme. Once a victim was led into a room, he surprised the victim and used firearms and threats of physical violence to intimidate him and take electronics and cash. Dylan Houston admitted that he participated in three armed robberies, including one robbery in which the victim, after being forced into his truck at gunpoint, later jumped out of the moving vehicle while driving at highway speeds, in fear for his life. In another robbery, Dylan Houston stole a firearm from a victim that was later used in subsequent robberies.

Andrew Houston pleaded guilty on July 11, 2018, to his role in the armed robbery conspiracy, as well as to three counts of armed robbery. Andrew Houston served as a look-out for multiple robberies, notifying co-defendants about the arrival of victims and watching for law enforcement response. He also shared in the proceeds from the robberies.

Waguespack pleaded guilty on May 3, 2017, to her role in the armed robbery conspiracy as well as to five counts of armed robbery. Waguespack created dozens of online ads designed to lure men to robberies. When victims arrived, she met the victims at the door. As part of the plan, she then excused herself to the restroom while the other co-conspirators surprised and robbed the victims with threats of violence and firearms.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew P. Wolesky. It was investigated by the FBI, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department, with assistance from the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the North Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Regarding an incident that occurred on June 26, 2018, Kansas City attorney Andrea Martinez filed a complaint alleging unlawful use of force by Everett Chase, a supervisory officer with the Bureau of Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).  The incident occurred during routine operations to remove an unlawfully-present Honduran national who had been released pending asylum proceedings, but was ordered removed when she failed to appear for a scheduled hearing.  The incident received widespread publicity at the time it occurred, in large part due to Ms. Martinez’s allegations and the presence of media—including a Netflix film crew—she invited to ICE’s office, and dozens of protestors, some of whom shouted obscenities at the officers, and at least one of whom threw trash at the officers as they escorted the Honduran national’s family into the office.

Although the U.S. Attorney’s Office typically does not comment upon investigations unless or until charges are publicly filed, I am making an exception to that policy in this instance.  I recognize the legitimate public interest in the conduct of law enforcement officers engaged in their official duties, as well as the necessity of law enforcement officers to maintain public respect and credibility in order to accomplish their mission.  The Department of Justice takes such allegations seriously, and this office will prosecute—and has prosecuted—such cases when the evidence establishes a violation of federal law.  

In response to the allegation, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General conducted an investigation.  Having reviewed the investigation and considered the available evidence, and after consultation with career federal prosecutors, I have determined that the evidence does not support the allegations made against the ICE-ERO officer, and have formally declined to file charges for actions taken in the exercise of his official duties.  In light of circumstances created by more than 30 people who came to a routine law enforcement operation at 3 a.m. for the purpose of making a spectacle, the officer’s actions were justified in order to secure and control access to the ICE office entrance from unauthorized persons.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for her role in leading a large methamphetamine conspiracy.

Yadieras Y. Contreras, also known as “Fajita,” 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 13 years and nine months in federal prison without parole.

Contreras was the third defendant in this case to be sentenced this month. Co-defendant David F. Bushdiecker,47, was sentenced on Jan. 24, 2019, to 20 years and five months in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Benjamin H. McDaniel, also known as “Cowboy,” 56, was sentenced on Jan. 4, 2019, to 14 years in federal prison without parole. Additionally, nine co-defendants in this case have been sentenced and three more have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

On Feb. 9, 2018, Contreras pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Contreras admitted that she sold more than 40 kilograms of methamphetamine to McDaniel from 2014 to April 2015. McDaniel then distributed methamphetamine to others.

Contreras also admitted that she sold methamphetamine to co-defendant Troy C. Hudson, 50, of Belton, Mo. Hudson delivered drugs to Contreras and collected the proceeds of drug trafficking. Hudson also transported a large amount of cash (the proceeds of drug trafficking) to Arizona. Hudson was sentenced on Nov. 16, 2018, to eight years and two months in federal prison without parole.

Contreras also received methamphetamine from Roberto W. Duran, also known as “Muchacho,” 37, a citizen of El Salvador who resided in Phoenix, Ariz. He delivered approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine at a time to Contreras’s residence or to a garage behind a pizza restaurant in Raytown, Mo. The methamphetamine was hidden in various vehicles and removed once it arrived. Contreras paid the drivers for methamphetamine they had previously delivered, and those proceeds were then transported back to Arizona. Duran was sentenced on June 28, 2018, to 14 years and seven months in federal prison without parole.

Contreras was allowed to use the Raytown garage by the garage’s renter, co-defendant Aaron R. Plowman, 41, of Eldon, Mo. On four occasions, Plowman permitted Contreras to use the garage to receive methamphetamine shipments from her Arizona supplier. In exchange for the use of the garage space, Contreras fronted about one pound of methamphetamine to Plowman on each occasion. Plowman was sentenced on July 30, 2018, to 10 years and eight months in federal prison without parole.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department; the Jackson County Drug Task Force; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Independence, Mo., Police Department; the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department; and the Raytown, Mo., Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to making a bomb threat at the Veterans Affairs Clinic in Mount Vernon, Mo.

Richard Leslie Turner III, 48, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to the charge contained in an Aug. 14, 2018, federal indictment.

By pleading guilty today, Turner admitted that he threatened on July 13, 2018, to blow up the Community Based Outpatient Clinic located at 600 N. Main St. in Mount Vernon.

Turner arrived at the clinic on July 13, 2018, for an appointment but was told the appointment had been changed. Turner became angry and left the clinic. Shortly afterward another patient informed a staff member that Turner was in the parking lot making statements about obtaining explosives and blowing up the clinic. When authorities contacted Turner by phone later that day, he became angry that the clinic had called the police and stated that he really intended to blow up the clinic because the police had called him.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the FBI, the Mount Vernon, Mo., Police Department, the Veteran’s Affairs Police Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man who supervised workers at the federal courthouse in Jefferson City pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally selling firearms to convicted felons.

Victor Nahum Vargas, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to all three charges contained in an Oct. 24, 2018, federal indictment.

Vargas, who was employed as the custodial supervisor at the Christopher S. Bond Courthouse in Jefferson City, has been in federal custody since his arrest on May 11, 2018. Vargas remains detained without bond. Vargas pleaded guilty today to two counts of knowingly selling firearms to convicted felons and one count of making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer in order to acquire firearms.

Vargas admitted that he sold five firearms to a person he knew to be a convicted felon on April 18, 2018, and that he sold 11 firearms for $8,100 to a person he knew to be a convicted felon on May 11, 2018. In connection with his acquisition of 10 of those firearms, Vargas made a false written statement in which he claimed that he was the actual buyer of the firearms. In reality, Vargas was acquiring those 10 firearms on behalf of another person.

Vargas admitted that he knew both purchasers (confidential sources who cooperated with law enforcement) were convicted felons who are therefore prohibited by law from purchasing or possessing any firearms or ammunition.

According to court documents, Vargas was arrested immediately after the second transaction on May 11, 2018; the 11 firearms purchased by the confidential source were turned over to the officers.

Under federal statutes, Vargas 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 Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Chicago, Ill., Police Department, the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department Community Action Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

Nader Robert Osama Yanis, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to the charge contained in a March 1, 2018, federal indictment.

Yanis’s father, Osama Nadir Yanis, 49, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy on Dec. 4, 2018, as well as to possessing firearms in furtherance of the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Osama Yanis was the owner of Coffee Zone, a coffee shop in Columbia.

Both men were arrested when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Osama Yanis’s residence on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018, after witnessing the delivery of a crate that contained 72 pounds of high-grade marijuana. Officers discovered 33 additional pounds of marijuana and eight firearms inside the residence. They also seized $72,000 from a large gun safe inside the residence (where it was found with seven of the firearms; a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver was found on his desk next to the safe). Osama Yanis also turned over $20,042 that was in his possession.

Officers had been notified a few days earlier about two suspicious shipments addressed to another person at that same address. One crate contained approximately 50 pounds of marijuana and the second crate contained approximately 72 pounds of high-grade marijuana. On Feb. 19, 2018, the second crate was delivered to Osama Yanis’s residence in Columbia. Osama Yanis was observed accepting the delivery and conversing with the delivery personnel. A short time later, Nader Yanis arrived at the residence. Approximately 10 to 15 minutes later, Nader Yanis left the residence and was arrested during a vehicle stop.

Under federal statutes, Nader Yanis 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 Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the FBI, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man with a prior felony conviction for bank robbery pleaded guilty in federal court today to robbing Guaranty Bank in Springfield.

Donald David Hosey III, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to the charge contained in a Jan. 15, 2019, federal indictment. Hosey has a prior conviction for a nearly identical bank robbery in 2007.

According to court documents, Hosey entered Guaranty Bank, 2109 N. Glenstone in Springfield, on Nov. 29, 2018. He approached a bank teller and passed her a note that said, “Give me all your money. I have a gun don’t make me use it.” The teller complied with the threatening note and gave him $833 from her teller drawer. Hosey then fled from the bank.

Springfield police officers received a tip on Dec. 3, 2018, indicating that Hosey was the person responsible for the bank robbery. They learned that Hosey was staying at the Flagship Inn in Springfield. According to staff at the Flagship Inn, Hosey was behind on his rent but within an hour of the robbery, he repaid all of the back rent owed in cash. Officers contacted Hosey and arrested him.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Kan., man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing crack cocaine and a firearm.

Antonio E. Wills, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, to 19 years in federal prison without parole. Wills was sentenced as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions. The court ordered the federal sentence to be served consecutively to the upcoming sentence in the District of Kansas for violating his supervised release in a separate federal case.

On Feb. 9, 2018, Wills pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute and to being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

Wills was a passenger in a vehicle that attempted to avoid a DUI checkpoint on March 19, 2016, by making a U-turn in the middle of Main Street. Kansas City, Mo., police officers stopped the vehicle and directed the driver back to the checkpoint. Officers at the checkpoint smelled a strong odor of marijuana and observed Wills trying to conceal something inside his front hoodie pocket. Wills and the driver were both instructed to get out of the vehicle, at which time an officer saw a clear plastic baggy that contained cocaine in Wills’s hand. An officer instructed Wills to drop the clear bag. Wills failed to comply and placed the bag back in his front hoodie pocket. The officer attempted to take Wills into custody, but he refused to comply and a struggle ensued. Additional officers responded to assist with taking Wills into custody.

When officers searched Wills, they found another clear plastic baggy that contained cocaine in his cargo shorts pocket and a loaded Glock .45-caliber handgun (with an obliterated serial number) in his waistband. They also found marijuana and $2,186 in Wills’s pocket. Wills was in possession of 71.5 grams of powder cocaine and 7.7 grams of crack cocaine.

At the time of his arrest, Wills was on supervised release after being convicted in a separate drug-trafficking case and serving more than 10 years in prison. A federal warrant had been issued for his arrest, based on his absconding from supervision.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Wills has prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, possession of a controlled substance and driving while a habitual violator.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Caine and Ashleigh Ragner. 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 dozen residents in the Kansas City, Mo., and St. Louis, Mo., areas have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in an $8.5 million drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine over two years.

Trevor Scott Sparks, 29, Gerald L. Ginnings, 38, Gloria May Jones, 29, Vicente Araujo, 22, Leslie Ladon Walker, 31, and Paul J. Kibodeaux, 35, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Markus Michael A. Patterson, 36, of Grandview, Mo.; David Robert Richards II, 31, of Louisburg, Kan.; Christian Douglas Hansen, 39, of St. Louis, Mo.; and Stephanie Thurmond, 28, Leeanna Michelle Schroeder, 25, and Adam Joseph Mainieri, 30, all of Winfield, Mo.; were charged in a four-count superseding indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018. That indictment was unsealed and made public upon the arrests of several defendants.

The federal indictment alleges that 11 of the defendants (with the exception of Sparks) participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 12, 2018. According to the indictment, conspirators received $8,508,500 in exchange for the unlawful distribution of more than 1,001 pounds (455 kilograms) of methamphetamine, based on an average street price of $8,500 per pound of methamphetamine.

Sparks is charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that involved the distribution of methamphetamine. According to the indictment, Sparks was the principal leader of the criminal enterprise and obtained substantial income from the criminal enterprise.

All 12 of the defendants are also charged with participating in a money-laundering conspiracy during that time to use drug sale proceeds to promote the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to conceal the proceeds of that drug-trafficking conspiracy.

Eleven of the defendants (with the exception of Kibodeaux) are charged together with possessing firearms in furtherance of violent crimes and drug-trafficking crimes.

Ginnings, Sparks, Patterson, Jones, Hansen and Mainieri also are charged together in one count of being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property obtained from the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy, including a money judgment of $8,508,500.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the FBI and the Jackson County Drug Task Force.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Five Kansas City, Mo., area residents were charged in federal court today for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy after law enforcement officers seized approximately 25 pounds of methamphetamine during an undercover operation. 

Alfredo Soto-Contreras, also known as “Antonio,” 34, Omar Eliseo Barraza-Bueno, also known as “Shell,” 31, Rey Moreno-Chepe, also known as “Chepe,” 24, Daniel Calderon-Vargas, 29, and Nayeli Fuentes-Verdugo, 30, were charged in a two-count complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. They remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

The federal criminal complaint charges each of the five defendants with participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from May 17 to Dec. 18, 2018.

In addition to the conspiracy, four of the defendants – Barraza-Bueno, Moreno-Chepe, Calderon-Vargas and Fuentes-Verdugo – are charged together in one count of aiding and abetting each other to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. They were arrested on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2018, when they met with an undercover federal law enforcement agent to deliver approximately 25 pounds (more than 11 kilograms) of methamphetamine.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, the defendants are part of an armed drug-trafficking organization that federal agents have been investigating in the Kansas City, Mo., metropolitan area. During the investigation, an undercover agent has purchased 14 firearms and approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine.

The affidavit cites several transactions in which Soto-Garcia and Barraza-Bueno sold firearms (some of which were stolen) and methamphetamine to the undercover officer.

Barraza-Bueno allegedly met with the undercover officer on Oct. 3, 2018, and discussed the purchase of large quantities of methamphetamine. Barraza-Bueno told the undercover officer that he purchases 80 pounds of methamphetamine every month or 20 pounds every week. During the discussion, the affidavit says, Barraza-Bueno agreed to sell the undercover officer 100 pounds of methamphetamine for $270,000. On Dec. 10, 2018, Barraza-Bueno told the undercover officer that he had 40 pounds of methamphetamine and could obtain an additional quantity to conduct the delivery on Dec. 18, 2018. When they met the undercover officer for the transaction on that day, Barraza-Bueno, Moreno-Chepe, Calderon-Vargas and Fuentes-Verdugo were arrested by federal agents.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Five defendants, including four from the Kansas City, Mo., metropolitan area, have been indicted for their roles in a $770,000 drug-trafficking conspiracy.

David Brian Greiner, also known as “Abel,” 54, Stephanie Marie Marquez, 46, and Howard Tyrone Neely, 36, all of Kansas City, Mo., Cathy Lynn Clark-Walskie, 43, of Kansas City, Kan.; and Tyree Laron West, also known as “Mad Max,” “Dirty,” “Chipper,” and “Hitman,” 40, of Houston, Texas; were charged in a five-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018. That indictment was unsealed and made public yesterday upon the arrests of Greiner and Marquez.

The federal indictment alleges that Greiner, Marquez, Neely, Clark-Walskie and West participated in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, PCP, methamphetamine and crack cocaine from Jan. 1, 2016, to Dec. 12, 2018. According to the indictment, they obtained approximately $770,000 in exchange for the unlawful distribution of more than 45 kilograms of methamphetamine at $6,000 a pound, 24 gallons of PCP at $300 an ounce, 25 ounces of heroin at $1,200 an ounce and 11 ounces of crack cocaine at $100 a gram.

Greiner, Marquez, Neely and West are also charged together in one count of possessing and using firearms in furtherance of violent crimes and drug-trafficking crimes. They allegedly were in possession of a loaded Berretta .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun, a CZ 75 .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol with magazine and ammunition, a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol with magazine and ammunition, a Heritage .22-caliber revolver and ammunition, and a Remington sawed-off shotgun.

Greiner, Neely and West are also charged together in one count of being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition.

The federal indictment alleges that Greiner, Marquez, Neely, Clark-Walskie and West participated in a money-laundering conspiracy to use drug sale proceeds to promote the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to conceal drug sale proceeds of that drug trafficking conspiracy.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require all five co-defendants to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged offenses, including a money judgment of $770,000.

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

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

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

Deonte J. Collins-Abbott, 24, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 25 years in federal prison without parole.

On June 28, 2018, Collins-Abbott pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit robbery and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Collins-Abbott admitted that he committed eight armed robberies between Feb. 3, 2016, and March 24, 2016. Collins-Abbott admitted that he and co-conspirators robbed businesses in Blue Springs, Independence, North Kansas City, Raytown, Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan., at gunpoint.

Collins-Abbott admitted that he and two other men robbed the Walgreens at 9th and Duncan in Blue Springs on March 24, 2016. According to court documents, once inside, one of the robbers placed a firearm to the back of an employee’s head and took money from the front register. Collins-Abbott and Jermon Seals of Shawnee, Kan., 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, according to the court documents, and Seals turned towards the officers, pointing a gun in their direction. Officers returned fire and Seals was struck in the exchange. Collins-Abbott and another man were apprehended by officers after a short foot pursuit.

Co-defendants Demetrius Nelson, 25, of Kansas City, Mo., and Parrise K. Black, also known as “Kilo,” 26, and Frank A. Garner, Jr., 24, both of Grandview, have also pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Caine and David Raskin. 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.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A former student at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to her role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine that was sent through the mail by a co-conspirator in California.

Bria Royale Lanier-Richie, 24, of St. Louis, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from March 30 to April 4, 2017.

Co-defendant Shadeed Seifullah Muhammad, 42, of Compton, Calif., mailed a package, which contained approximately one pound, nine ounces of methamphetamine, from California to an address at Lincoln University on March 30, 2017. By pleading guilty today, Lanier-Richie admitted that another co-defendant, Javier Rashad Rosser, 32, of Jefferson City, asked her to pick up the package and deliver it to him.

Lanier-Richie, who at the time was a student at Lincoln University, attempted to pick up the package but was unable to, because the package had been addressed to another student. On April 4, 2017, U.S. Postal Inspection agents set up a controlled delivery and surveillance at the Lincoln University mailroom. When the student arrived to pick up the package from the mailroom, he was arrested. He told investigators that Lanier-Richie had asked him to pick up the package and deliver it to her.

Muhammad and Rosser also have pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy, which lasted from April 4, 2016, to April 4, 2017, and await sentencing.

Muhammad admitted that he also had mailed a package that contained nearly two pounds of methamphetamine from California to an address in Columbia, Mo., on April 4, 2016. This package was tracked online by a computer IP address that traced to Rosser’s residence.

Muhammad also admitted that he had mailed a package that contained two pounds of methamphetamine to an address in Jefferson City nearly a year earlier. The package was seized by the U.S. Post Office on March 11, 2016. According to computer IP addresses, the package was being tracked online by Muhammad and Rosser.

Under federal statutes, Lanier-Richie is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of ten 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 Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A former employee pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling nearly $150,000 from Eldon Drug Company in Eldon, Mo.

Katherine Elizabeth Cebuhar, 41, of Olean, Mo., waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to a federal information that charges her with four counts of wire fraud.

Cebuhar worked as the office manager for MLX-RX, LLC d/b/a Eldon Drug Company, a pharmacy in Eldon, from April 2014 until her termination on March 1, 2017. By pleading guilty today, Cebuhar admitted that she conducted four fraudulent embezzlement schemes while employed at Eldon Drug Company, resulting in a total loss to her employer of $148,782.

Cebuhar embezzled $125,444 of the cash receipts from Eldon Drug Company from September 2014 to June 2017. Cebuhar took cash from the company’s daily receipts before making the deposits into the company’s bank account. To conceal her fraud and embezzlement, Cebuhar modified and reduced QuickBooks entries to match the bank deposits.

In her second scheme to defraud Eldon Drug Company, Cebuhar falsely inflated her wages by awarding herself unauthorized hourly raises in January 2015 and January 2017. Through this fraud scheme, Cebuhar embezzled approximately $7,369.

In her third fraud scheme, Cebuhar misused two business credit cards by charging personal expenses to the cards beginning in 2016. Cebuhar then caused the payment of the company credit card bills without making any reimbursement for her use of the company’s cards for personal expenses, resulting in a total loss of approximately $6,646.

In her fourth fraud scheme, Cebuhar used the Eldon Drug Company’s bank account to electronically pay her personal credit card bill from January 2017 to June 2017. Through this fraud scheme, Cebuhar embezzled approximately $6,812 from Eldon Drug Company.

Under federal statutes, Cebuhar is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole on each of the four 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 Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the FBI and the Eldon, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Missouri residents and two Colorado residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute more than $1.7 million of marijuana. 

Christopher E. Buckingham, 42, of Versailles, Mo.; Natalie J. McNeil, 33, of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; her brother, Tanner L. McNeil, 28, of Denver, Colo.; and Benjamin T. Parker, 28, also of Denver, were charged in a two-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Buckingham’s arrest and initial court appearance. The remaining defendants are not yet in custody.

The federal indictment alleges that Buckingham, Natalie McNeil, Tanner McNeil and Parker participated in a conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana from Aug. 28, 2015, to July 10, 2018. The indictment also charges Buckingham, Natalie McNeil, Tanner McNeil and Parker with participating in a money-laundering conspiracy during that time.

According to the indictment, conspirators purchased marijuana from sources in Colorado and shipped the marijuana to Missouri for further distribution. Conspirators sold the marijuana in Missouri, the indictment says, and funneled the proceeds back to Colorado by making deposits in multiple bank accounts at different locations. Deposits were simultaneously made in amounts designed, at least in part, to avoid federal transaction reporting requirements, the indictment alleges. Co-conspirators then allegedly withdrew the drug proceeds from bank locations in Colorado.

Members of the conspiracy allegedly deposited approximately $1,769,244 in cash proceeds from the distribution of marijuana in Missouri in bank accounts located in Missouri. The federal indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the drug-trafficking or money-laundering conspiracies, including a money judgment of $1,769,244.

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 Jess E. Michaelsen and Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

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

Carol A. Hardy, also known as Carol A. Johnson, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

On July 17, 2018, Hardy pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from March 30 to Oct. 18, 2017. Hardy was an upper-level distributor in a drug trafficking organization that distributed at least 4.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine in the Springfield area. The methamphetamine was purchased from Kansas City, Mo., and Oklahoma City, Okla., and transported by vehicle to the Springfield area.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hardy’s residence and found 1.766 kilograms of methamphetamine in a safe on the floor of a bedroom closet. Officers also found a notebook containing a drug ledger inside a purse on top of the bed.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man who worked as a private tutor was sentenced in federal court today for sexually assaulting a former 10-year-old student.

John Paul Sparapani, 30, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 30 years in federal prison without parole, which is the maximum statutory penalty for this offense. The court also sentenced Sparapani to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration.

On Feb. 21, 2018, Sparapani pleaded guilty to using a minor to produce child pornography. He admitted that he took pornographic photos of a student he was tutoring in a private room at a public library.

This investigation began when an officer with the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force identified Sparapani’s computer as sharing child pornography on a peer-to-peer file-sharing network on May 25, 2015.  Officers executed a search warrant at Sparapani’s residence on Dec. 21, 2015, and seized two laptop computers, three hard drives and a cell phone, which contained multiple images and videos of child pornography.
 
    On August 25, 2017, a 12-year-old minor female disclosed that Sparapani had sexually assaulted her when she was 10 and 11 years old and had taken photographs of the assault with his cell phone.  The child victim disclosed that the sexual abuse occurred while she was being tutored by Sparapani in a private room at a public library.

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

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

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

Genard Alonzo Toney, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Toney to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration.

On May 29, 2018, Toney pleaded guilty to one count of using a minor to produce child pornography and to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.

According to court documents, Toney engaged in a pattern of soliciting images of child pornography through the internet.  Toney pretended to be a female seeking female relationship on a dating website and would text message with women he met on the dating website. Toney used a cell phone application, which provided him with a fake, anonymous cell phone number, cloaking his own number from identification.  Generally, one of the first things Toney would ask the person he was messaging with was whether they had any children. Toney would then ask them to send him a sexually explicit picture of the children.

Investigators examined devices seized from Toney and found 283 separate conversations, consisting of 13,676 messages Toney engaged in with the women he met on the dating website, and multiple images of child pornography.

At the time of this offense, Toney was on state probation after being convicted of three counts of distributing a controlled substance.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, 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 Ozark, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to a $2.4 million wire fraud scheme in which he falsely claimed that he had purchased thousands of head of cattle under a contract with a Texas company.

Dwight Moody Cox, 76, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018, to one count of wire fraud.

Cox was the owner of Dwight Cox Cattle Company, which provided cattle procurement services. DCCC purchased cattle throughout the region and placed those cattle on land owned or rented by Cox to graze and feed. Once the cattle reached a specified weight, Cox shipped the cattle to his clients.

Cox had a contract with Texas Beef Cattle Company (TBCC), located in Amarillo, Texas, from 2009 until Nov. 30, 2017. During this period of time, Cox purchased cattle from various livestock auction houses and kept them on land he owned or had rented to graze, feed, and provide care. Cox submitted invoices to TBCC for all cattle he purchased, and billed TBCC for feeding the cattle. Once the cattle had reached a weight previously agreed to between Cox and TBCC, the cattle would be shipped by Cox to TBCC. TBCC would then sell the cattle and any profits would be shared equally between TBCC and Cox.

Between April 1, 2017, and Nov. 30, 2017, Cox submitted 35 different invoices, claiming to have purchased approximately 3,250 head of cattle. Cox also claimed to have those cattle grazing on land he owned or rented. In return for his representations, TBCC issued bank transfer payments in the amount of approximately $2,559,419.

In February 2018, TBCC officials contacted Cox and requested that the cattle be shipped to their facility in Amarillo for sale. On Feb. 27, 2018, Cox reported to officials with TBCC that he was unable to deliver the cattle and that he only had 147 head of cattle. When asked why 3,100 head of cattle were missing, Cox admitted that he had submitted false invoices to TBCC.

TBCC officials reported that minus the 147 head of cattle that were received from Cox, he fraudulently obtained $2,403,975 through his wire fraud scheme.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the FBI.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A North Kansas City, Mo., woman has been indicted for embezzling $116,367 from her employer.

Tonya Topel, 41, was charged in an 11-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018.

According to the indictment, Topel worked at SunSource Homes, Inc., from October 2016 to April 2018 as the officer manager and accountant.

The federal indictment alleges that Topel began embezzling from SunSource a month after she was hired, using several different methods.

Topel allegedly made $47,665 in unauthorized purchases on SunSource business credit cards, including purchasing an airline ticket for her boyfriend. Topel allegedly also issued $40,955 in unauthorized checks to herself. Topel allegedly claimed $19,713 in unauthorized or fraudulent expense reimbursements and allegedly created extra paychecks for herself totaling $5,283. In December 2017, Topel allegedly cashed an unauthorized $2,745 check from SunSource.

The indictment alleges Topel embezzled at least $116,367 from SunSource. According to the indictment, she used the embezzlement proceeds to travel, including to the Bahamas, Arizona, Boston, and Florida. She also used the embezzlement proceeds for retail purchases, restaurants, pets, vehicles, overdraft fees, and to pay her attorney.

The federal indictment charges Topel with two counts of money laundering, related to the payments to her attorney made with stolen funds, and nine counts of wire fraud. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Topel to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged offenses, including a money judgment of $116,367.

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 Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the FBI.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Osceola, Mo., woman has been convicted by a trial jury of stealing $47,340 in Social Security benefits.

Carol Ann Davis, 56, was found guilty on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018, of five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government money.

Davis was approved in April 2003 to receive disability insurance benefits. Her son was approved to receive auxiliary benefits, and Davis served as the representative payee for her son’s auxiliary benefits. Davis received monthly disability insurance auxiliary benefits earmarked for her son between June 2007 and December 2014. However, Davis’s son was not residing with her during that time frame, and she did not use the benefits for the care of her son. Davis, therefore, was not entitled to receive the auxiliary benefits.

Davis falsely reported that her son lived with her and that she spent the entirety of auxiliary benefits for the care of her son. In fact, her ex-husband gained residential custody of their son in June 2007.

Counts one through five of the indictment relate to five auxiliary benefits checks of $579 each that Davis received from August through December 2014.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for about two and a half hours on Wednesday before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, ending a trial that began Monday, Dec. 10, 2018.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney R. Pratten and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Casey. It was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who was arrested yesterday after an hours-long standoff with police officers was indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted distribution and possession of child pornography.

Eric C. Hacker, 36, was charged in a 10-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. That indictment was unsealed and made public following his arrest.

The federal indictment alleges that Hacker attempted to distribute child pornography over the internet on eight separate occasions between March 27, 2017, and June 2, 2017. The indictment also charged Hacker with one count of receiving child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography.

Hacker was arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018, after he fled from police officers and barricaded himself for several hours inside of a storage container he had been using as a residence.

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 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."

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a prostitution operation that involved sex trafficking a minor victim.

Kenneth Ronald Jones, 26, of Columbia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole.

In separate but related cases, Barry Paul Manthe, 65, and Ronald James Clark, 68, both of Columbia, have pleaded guilty to using the internet to promote a racketeering enterprise, a prostitution business that operated out of a Columbia residence. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 24, 2019.

On Aug. 6, 2018, Jones pleaded guilty to one count of the sex trafficking of a minor and two counts of transportation for illegal sexual activity by coercion and enticement. Jones admitted that he induced three victims, including a minor, to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution and illicit sexual activity between May 1 and June 1, 2016.

On June 28, 2016, a 17-year-old victim from Wisconsin – identified in court documents as “FV1” – contacted her social worker and reported that she was being held against her will by Jones. She was located at a residence in Columbia that was known for prostitution and removed by law enforcement officers.

FV1 told investigators that Manthe paid for escort advertisements on the website Backpage for the prostitutes utilizing the brothel. According to FV1, she was advertised under a pseudonym but the ads did not include her photograph. Jones found photographs of other females on the Internet and gave them to Manthe to post with the ad.

Clark collected the door fee from the prostitutes, which ranged from $10 to $30. FV1 gave the rest of the money she earned through prostitution to Jones. Clark applied the door fee income to the monthly bills, then split the remaining profit between himself and Manthe.

FV1 told investigators that she met Jones and another victim, a teenager identified as “FV2,” in May 2016 at a party in Milwaukee, Wis., and agreed to travel with him to Columbia to engage in prostitution. As soon as she arrived in Columbia, she was expected to see clients. Jones, who knew she was 17 years old, instructed FV1 to tell everyone at the house she was 18 years old. Jones had her charge $120 for half an hour, or $160 for a full hour. FV1 gave $20 to the owners of the residence and the rest of the proceeds of her prostitution to Jones.

FV2 told investigators that she met Jones in March 2016 at a party in Milwaukee and accompanied him to Columbia because she believed she would be assisting Jones with selling narcotics. FV2 estimated that she earned about $2,500 for engaging in prostitution, but was not allowed to keep any of the money. After about two weeks in Columbia, FV2 and Jones returned to Milwaukee to pick up FV1, after which they returned to the same brothel in Columbia.

FV2,” told police that she worked at the brothel every day and was advertised through Backpage. Jones physically abused her in the days prior to her running away in late May or early June 2016. She reported Jones pointed a 9mm handgun in her face and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire.

Jones arranged for a third victim, a teenager identified as “FV3,” to join them in Columbia. FV3, after communicating with Jones on Facebook, agreed to come to Columbia to help him with his drug business. After she arrived in Missouri, Jones told FV3 she needed to make money and threatened to kick her to the streets if she did not do what he wanted. FV3 agreed and did a prostitution “date.” FV3 stated Jones directed her to charge clients $120 per half hour and $200 per hour. FV3 gave a door fee to the owners of the brothel and the rest of the money to Jones. She witnessed Jones point guns and threaten the other victims.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Greendale, Wis., Police Department, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Sturgeon Bay, Wis., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was charged in federal court today for the armed robbery of a female Z-Trip driver who was shot at least 20 times.

Derron D. Nevels, also known as “Ronnie,” 18, was charged in a two-count complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s criminal complaint charges Nevels with one count of robbery and one count of using a firearm in a crime of violence.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Nevels was picked up by a Z-Trip driver at 3715 Wabash Ave., Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday evening, Dec. 4, 2018. The Z-Trip taxi in which the crime was committed is equipped with interior and exterior cameras. The cameras show Nevels getting into the rear passenger seat at approximately 8:03 p.m., the affidavit says. The Z-Trip driver took him to 914 Benton Ave., Kansas City, Mo., arriving at the destination at approximately 8:15 p.m.

When they arrived at the destination, they waited in the vehicle for somebody to bring out the fare. When a second (unidentified) suspect approached the vehicle, the affidavit says, Nevels held a Smith and Wesson Military & Police .22-caliber rifle up to the victim’s head and demanded she give him everything. The victim attempted to explain that he was being recorded, to which Nevels allegedly responded, “I don’t care; give me everything.” Nevels also appeared to be taking a photo or video with his cell phone, the affidavit says.

The victim turned toward the back seat and grabbed onto the rifle, and a struggle ensued. The second suspect hit the victim in the face, then reached around the driver’s seat to strike her in the back and the back of her head. The victim released her grip from the gun, the affidavit says, at which time Nevels leaned back in his seat, chambered a live round, and opened fire on the victim within close range, approximately 21 times. Both suspects then fled from the scene, running in a northbound direction.

About 10 minutes later, at approximately 8:25 p.m., the affidavit says, one of the suspects returned to the victim’s vehicle to retrieve Nevel’s cell phone, which he had left behind when he fled from the scene of the crime. He can be heard on the video asking the victim if she is okay, and she informs him that she has been shot and has called the police. He reached into the rear driver’s side of the vehicle to pick up the cell phone then left the scene.

When police officers arrived, the victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. It was determined the victim sustained approximately 20 gunshot wounds to her upper body. To date her condition continues to be critical with substantial and serious bodily injuries.

Investigators used cell phone and Facebook data to identify Nevels, the affidavit says. On Monday, Dec. 10, 2018, Nevels and two other men were seen getting onto a bus in the area of Prospect and Swope Parkway. Nevels was arrested when they got off the bus at 11th Street and Grand Avenue. Nevels was carrying the loaded rifle hidden in his waistband with the barrel going down his right pant leg. Two other individuals were taken into custody but are not charged in the federal complaint.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., area man was found guilty at the conclusion of a bench trial today of illegally possessing a firearm.

Seneca Harrison, 36, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Harrison was in possession of a loaded Maverick by Mossberg 12-gauge pump action pistol grip shotgun.

A Blue Springs, Mo., police officer conducted a traffic stop of Harrison’s vehicle on April 9, 2018. Harrison was driving a silver GMC Yukon eastbound on 40 Highway. When Harrison stopped his vehicle, he got out of the vehicle and began to walk away. The officer told Harrison to return to his vehicle, but Harrison continued walking away. When the officer attempted to detain Harrison, he resisted by pulling away and pushing the officer. During this interaction, the officer observed the strong odor of alcohol coming from Harrison’s breath.

Another officer arrived on the scene and saw the shotgun in the driver’s seat of Harrison’s vehicle. Harrison was arrested. Harrison kicked the rear door of the patrol vehicle while he was being transported to the Blue Springs jail and yelled at the officers. Upon arrival at the jail, Harrison continued to be combative as he threatened and cursed at the officers.

While at the jail, an empty prescription pill bottle that contained residue that field tested positive for methamphetamine was located in Harrison’s cell. Harrison said, “Oh yeah that’s mine. It’s got my name on it.” Harrison continued to be combative and refused to provide a breathe test. He was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital for a blood draw. While at the hospital, Harrison said, “I’m kinda glad you guys got me. You knew I was going to kill someone tomorrow. I was about to go away for a long time.” Harrison uttered this multiple times in various ways.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Harrison has two prior felony convictions burglary and prior felony convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm, stealing, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of marijuana. He was on parole for the unlawful possession of a firearm conviction at the time of the federal offense.

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

U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough announced the verdict at the close of the trial that began this morning.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Moeder and Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Blue Springs, 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.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former Barry County, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for traveling from Missouri to Tennessee to engage in an illicit sexual relationship with a 15-year-old victim, who became pregnant and bore his child.

Michael Douglas Peterson, 35, of Morristown, Tenn., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Friday, Dec. 7, 2018, to 17 years in federal prison without parole.

On April 25, 2018, Peterson pleaded guilty to traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual activity.

Peterson admitted that he moved from Missouri to Tennessee in June 2014 because the child victim, who was then 15 years old, moved to Tennessee. Peterson lived with the child victim and her mother and helped to pay for rent and groceries. Peterson engaged in illicit sexual conduct with the child victim, who became pregnant and gave birth to their child on Feb. 26, 2015.

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

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

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

Wesley Warren Norris, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole.

According to court documents, Norris used a peer-to-peer file-sharing network to receive and distribute images and videos of child pornography over the internet. Norris admitted that he had downloaded hundreds of files containing child pornography. Investigators located 145 images and 1,325 videos of child pornography on Norris’s electronic devices. Norris pleaded guilty on June 25, 2018, to receiving and distributing child pornography.

Norris, according to court documents, was previously convicted of endangering the welfare of a child for providing K2 to a minor female who overdosed. Norris also told investigators that two minor females had accused him of molesting them.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Texas 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 Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.

Hubert Carter, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Carter was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.

On June 7, 2018, Carter pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Carter admitted he was in possession of a loaded Cobra Arms .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun at the time of his arrest on Feb. 21, 2017.

Carter was a passenger on that date in a vehicle that was stopped by Kansas City, Mo., police officers. Carter fled from the vehicle on foot and a police officer pursued him. During the foot chase, Carter refused to stop and continually held onto the front of his waistband. He lost his balance and fell down as he ran down a hill. Carter dropped the handgun as he fell. At the bottom of the hill, the officer grabbed Carter, who attempted to punch the officer. Carter was eventually subdued and arrested.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Carter three prior felony convictions for sale of a controlled substance, two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, two prior felony convictions for escape from a  federal correctional institution, and prior felony convictions for trafficking and distribution of crack cocaine.

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

Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today after being arrested at a local bus station carrying a duffel bag that contained more than six pounds of methamphetamine.

Jose Miguel Cabrera-Arteaga, 32, a lawful permanent resident married to a United States citizen residing in Ontario, Oregon, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 12 years in federal prison without parole.

On June 7, 2018, Cabrera-Arteaga pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers with a police service canine were checking the luggage under a bus that had arrived from Los Angeles, Calif., at a Kansas City, Mo., bus station. Cabrera-Arteaga, who was watching the officers, got off the bus carrying a black duffel bag. The canine alerted to the odor of narcotics near the seat where Cabrera-Arteaga had been seated.

Officers interviewed Cabrera-Arteaga and searched his duffel bag, which contained six bundles of methamphetamine that weighed a total of approximately 6.3 pounds.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City Interdiction Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been convicted by a federal trial jury of illegally possessing a firearm.

Emmanuel Robinson, 35, was found guilty on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Robinson, a convicted felon, was in possession of a Taurus .40-caliber handgun on March 10, 2017.

Kansas City police detectives were contacting another individual on an unrelated matter on that date when an altercation occurred between that individual and Robinson. During the altercation, Robinson pushed the other individual and made motions towards his front waistband. The detectives identified themselves and Robinson started to walk away but kept his hands near his front waistband. Both Robinson and the other individual were detained in order to control the situation. During a search, a detective found the loaded handgun concealed in the waistband of Robinson’s pants.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Robinson has two prior felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon and prior felony convictions for robbery, domestic assault, endangering the welfare of a child, assault, and armed criminal action.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for less than half an hour before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Alison D. Dunning. 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.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Mo., man was convicted by a federal trial jury today of illegally possessing a firearm following an 11-hour standoff with law enforcement officers.

Terrance T. Brown, 41, of St. Joseph, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Brown was in possession of a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol on Sept. 13, 2017. Brown was arrested following a 11-hour standoff at a St. Joseph residence on that date. Officers with the St. Joseph Police Department and the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department established a perimeter around the residence. After several minutes, three individuals (including a juvenile) came out of the residence, but Brown – armed with the handgun – remained inside. Officers with the Special Response Team used portable cameras to locate Brown in the attic of the residence. Eventually, Brown surrendered to officers and was arrested as he left the residence. The loaded Ruger 9mm pistol with an extended magazine was found during a search of the attic. Officers also found ammunition and an empty box for a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber firearm, which contained some ammunition.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Brown has a prior federal conviction in the District of Kansas for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Brown has two prior felony convictions for robbery in Wyandotte County, Kan., as well as prior felony convictions for aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm, and attempted possession of a controlled substance. Brown was under supervision by Missouri Probation and Parole for felony drug possession in Jackson County, Mo., at the time of the offense.
  
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for and an hour and a half before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough, ending a trial that began Monday, Dec. 3, 2018.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily A. Morgan and Adam Caine. It was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department and the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine that was mailed to him by a co-conspirator in California.

Javier Rashad Rosser, 32, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from April 4, 2016, to April 4, 2017.

Co-defendant Shadeed Seifullah Muhammad, 42, of Compton, Calif., mailed a package that contained nearly two pounds of methamphetamine from California to an address in Columbia, Mo., on April 4, 2016. This package was tracked online by a computer IP address that traced to Rosser’s residence. Co-defendant Robert Istill McNair, 32, of Jefferson City, picked up the package from a co-conspirator at the Columbia residence. McNair traveled to Jefferson City with the package with the intent to deliver it to Rosser. He had instructions leave the package of methamphetamine in a car at his workplace in Jefferson City, but Rosser never picked it up. On the same day, Rosser deposited $5,500 into the bank account of Muhammad’s girlfriend.

Muhammad mailed another package, which contained approximately one pound, nine ounces of methamphetamine, from California to an address at Lincoln University in Jefferson City on March 30, 2017. A student at Lincoln University later told investigators that Rosser had asked her to pick up the package and deliver it to him. On April 4, 2017, U.S. Postal Inspection agents set up a controlled delivery and surveillance at the Lincoln University mailroom. When an individual arrived to pick up the package from the mailroom, he was arrested.

Muhammad also admitted that he had mailed a package that contained two pounds of methamphetamine to an address in Jefferson City nearly a year earlier. The package was seized by the U.S. Post Office on March 11, 2016. According to computer IP addresses, the package was being tracked online by Muhammad and Rosser.

Both Muhammad and McNair have pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and await sentencing. 

Under federal statutes, Rosser is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of ten 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 Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms on two separate occasions.

Quentin L. Posey, 29, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 16 years in federal prison without parole.

On March 21, 2018, Posey pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms.

Posey was originally indicted on Nov. 2, 2016, on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Posey was arrested when Kansas City, Mo., police officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which he was a passenger. While an officer was walking Posey to the curb after he got out of the vehicle, a loaded Smith and Wesson .38-caliber revolver fell from Posey’s pant leg to the ground. When officers searched the vehicle, they found a Crown Royal bag that contained two glass jars of marijuana.

After being released on bond, according to court documents, Posey became a suspect in a fatal shooting that occurred in an Independence, Mo., parking lot on Dec. 4, 2016. Officers located Posey at another person’s apartment in Kansas City, Mo., on Dec. 13, 2016. Posey was laying on some blankets on the floor in the living room; a loaded Jimenez Arms 9mm semi-automatic pistol was on top of the blankets next to Posey. Officers also found a glass jar that contained marijuana in the pocket of a coat lying nearby. Posey was charged in a superseding indictment on Dec. 15, 2016, with a second count of being a felon 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. Posey has prior felony convictions for being an accessory after the fact of an armed robbery and kidnaping (related to an armed home invasion) and theft of public property (involving a $139,444 fraud and theft from the Department of Defense).

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Caine. 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.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department paramedic pleaded guilty in federal court today to stealing fentanyl and morphine from ambulances for his own personal use.

Michael L. Fostich, 37, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to obtaining a controlled substance (fentanyl and morphine) by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge.

Fostich was employed at the Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD) as a paramedic from August 2014 to Dec. 11, 2016. Fostich had access to fentanyl and morphine, which were stored in sealed narcotics boxes and locked in safes on KCFD ambulances. Each sealed narcotics box contained two vials of fentanyl, each containing 100 micrograms of liquid fentanyl, and two syringes of morphine, each containing 10 milligrams of liquid morphine. Fentanyl and morphine are opioid narcotics used to treat pain. As a paramedic, Fostich was able to unlock the electronic safe and open the sealed narcotics boxes in order to administer controlled substances to patients, if necessary.

By pleading guilty today, Fostich admitted that he stole fentanyl and morphine from the ambulances for his own personal use. Fostich also admitted that he prepared patient care records and state reporting forms that contained misrepresentations regarding his use of fentanyl and morphine.

From Jan. 1 to Dec. 11, 2016, Fostich reported he was responsible for the use, administration, or wasting of 806 doses of fentanyl, which accounted for approximately 39 percent of all of the KCFD’s total reported use, administration and wasting of fentanyl during that period of time. Fostich also reported that he was responsible for the use, administration, or wasting of 636 doses of morphine during that time, which accounted for approximately 63 percent of all of the KCFD’s total reported use, administration or wasting of morphine during that period of time. The KCFD employed approximately 350 paramedics during this time.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jess E. Michaelsen and Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the FBI.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Mo., men were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a conspiracy to commit 10 armed robberies at local businesses.

Jerry D. Patterson, 22, and Michael A. Harris, 20, were each sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 19 years and six months in federal prison without parole.

On March 12, 2018, Patterson and Harris each pleaded guilty to the armed robbery conspiracy and to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Each admitted he was involved in a conspiracy to commit 10 armed robberies at area businesses over a four-week period in September and October 2017.

On Oct. 15, 2017, Patterson and Harris stole $3,500 at gunpoint from Walgreens Pharmacy, 1536 E. 23rd St., Independence, Mo. They drove Patterson’s red 2007 Pontiac G6 sedan; after officers discovered the vehicle, Patterson and Harrison abandoned it and fled on foot. Investigators searched the vehicle and found a Glock .40-caliber handgun, an extended .40-caliber magazine, money taken from the robbery, and a number of items used in several of the armed robberies. Agents also found a Kahr Arms .40-caliber handgun (seen in several surveillance videos) in a nearby wooded area.

On Oct. 20, 2017, Patterson reported his car stolen. On Oct. 31, 2017, both Harris and Patterson were arrested at their respective apartments. Evidence from the numerous robberies was recovered from each of their homes.

Patterson and Harris each admitted that they committed a series of armed robberies during the conspiracy. Patterson brandished a Kahr Arms .40-caliber handgun in all of the robberies. Harris brandished a Glock .40-caliber handgun in all of the robberies. In addition to the Walgreens Pharmacy robbery on Oct. 15, 2017, Patterson and Harris admitted they committed nine more armed robberies:

•    On Oct. 14, 2017, Patterson and Harris stole $4,275 at gunpoint from Walgreens Pharmacy, 9300 Gregory Blvd., Raytown, Mo.; •    On Oct. 14, 2017, Patterson and Harris stole $3,000 at gunpoint from CVS Pharmacy, 6244 S. Brookside Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; •    On Oct. 10, 2017, Patterson and Harris robbed Dollar General, 5105 Blue Ridge Blvd., Raytown, Mo., at gunpoint; •    On Oct. 9, 2017, Patterson and Harris stole $3,705 at gunpoint from Walgreens Pharmacy, 2261 S. Sterling Ave., Independence, Mo.; •    On Oct. 8, 2017, Patterson and Harris stole $575 at gunpoint from Domino’s Pizza, 3709 S. Noland Road, Independence, Mo. They also stole $400 from employees.
•    On Oct. 2, 2017, Patterson and Harris stole $2,500 from CVS Pharmacy, 5310 Blue Ridge Blvd., Raytown, Mo.; •    On Sept. 26, 2017, Patterson and Harris stole $380 from Family Dollar, 12521 E. 40 Hwy., Independence, Mo.; •    On Sept. 26, 2017, Patterson and Harris stole $150 and some store items at gunpoint from 7 Eleven, 11107 Grandview Rd., Kansas City, Mo.; •    On Sept. 10, 2017, Patterson and Harris stole $3,500 from Walgreens, 1100 E. 63rd. St., Kansas City, Mo.
 
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Raytown, Mo., Police Department.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three men were charged in federal court yesterday for their roles in a series of armed business robberies in Kansas City, Mo., and Independence, Mo., over the past week.

Vonterrious Humbert, 18, Tremaine Johnson, 19, and Henry Simmons, 18, were charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, with participating in a conspiracy to commit armed robberies and with using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. They remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

Humbert, Johnson and Simmons were arrested on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, following the early-morning armed robbery of a Phillips 66 convenience store and the attempted robbery of a Taco Bell on N.W. Barry Road in Kansas City, Mo. Two juvenile males were also taken into custody but are not identified in court documents and are not charged in the federal complaint.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, the conspiracy included eight additional business robberies: five armed robberies of 7-Eleven convenience stores in Independence, Mo., and Kansas City, Mo., in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018, and three armed robberies of a Domino’s Pizza, a 7-Eleven convenience store and a Sinclair convenience store in Kansas City, Mo., during the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. 

A Dodge Durango SUV was identified by witnesses at some of the robberies. On Monday, Nov. 26, 2018, law enforcement observed Humbert, Johnson, Simmons and the two juveniles traveling in a 2003 Dodge Durango to approximately 15 to 20 convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and other businesses that were open late or operated 24 hours a day. According to the affidavit, officers believed they were casing the businesses – making repetitive passes by these businesses in a slow, surveillance-like manner, as if examining the businesses for activity and occupants in advance of initiating a robbery.

At approximately 2:37 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, the vehicle arrived at the shopping area at N.W. Barry Road and Ambassador Drive in Kansas City, Mo. The vehicle parked at a nearby apartment complex. Four individuals got out of the vehicle, the affidavit says; Humbert and Johnson walked across the street to the Phillips 66 convenience store while Simmons and a juvenile male walked to the Taco Bell. 

According to the affidavit, Humbert and Johnson robbed the Phillips 66 store at gunpoint, stealing approximately $400, then ran back across the street toward a wooded area near the apartment complex. Johnson and Humbert were pursued into a strip mall area near the apartment complex. Both were apprehended nearby, the affidavit says, and were found to have discarded the firearms they possessed at the time of the robbery – a Taurus handgun with a laser sight and an SKS-type 7.62x39mm rifle.

As this robbery was occurring, Simmons and the juvenile were allegedly attempting to rob the Taco Bell. They both had firearms when law enforcement officers approached them, the affidavit says, which they attempted to discard at the time of their arrest. Officers retrieved a loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a laser sight and a loaded Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun.

A second juvenile male was identified as the driver and sole occupant of the Dodge Durango SUV at the time of the arrests. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a jar containing marijuana.

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

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Honduran man who was arrested in Kansas City, Mo., for drunk driving was sentenced in federal court today for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported eight times.

Jose Salazar-Aguilar, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to five years and eight months in federal prison without parole.

Kansas City, Mo., police officers arrested Salazar-Aguilar on Feb. 19, 2017, for driving under the influence of alcohol, resisting arrest, no insurance, and failure to carry a  license. While incarcerated, record checks revealed that Salazar-Aguilar had been removed from the United States on numerous occasions. He was released on bond but apprehended by federal agents during a traffic stop on Feb. 27, 2017.

On May 2, 2018, Salazar-Aguilar pleaded guilty to unlawfully reentering the United States after removal for an aggravated felony.

This is Salazar-Aguilar’s second conviction for this offense. He was convicted of the same crime in federal court in Arizona on Feb. 22, 2012, and sentenced to 27 months. According to court documents, Salazar-Aguilar has been removed from the United States eight times, seven times after being convicted of the aggravated felony of delivery of heroin. Salazar-Aguilar was last removed from the United States on Aug. 8, 2013.

Additionally, according to court documents, Salazar-Aguilar’s history also includes assaultive behavior that endangers the public, such as his 2010 arrest for beating up his common-law wife. 

Salazar-Aguilar has previously asserted his membership with the Norteno street gang, according to court documents, and has admitted to being a “drug mule.” Salazar-Aguilar also has prior felony convictions for delivery of a controlled substance (heroin) in Oregon, possession of a controlled substance in Colorado, and forgery in Arizona. Additionally, there are active warrants for his arrest from Salt Lake City, Utah, for distribution of a controlled substance; Phoenix, Ariz., for no valid license and traffic offenses; and Kansas City, Mo., for driving under the influence, resisting arrest, no insurance, and failure to carry a license.

This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberlee L. Moore. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Eldon, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to traveling to North Carolina on five occasions to engage in illicit sexual activity with a child victim over a two-year period.

James Anthony Guthrie, III, 37, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

By pleading guilty today, Guthrie admitted that he traveled to North Carolina on five occasions for work and, while there, met the 15-year-old child victim at various hotels for sex. Guthrie admitted that he picked up the child victim from school or at her house; once, the victim’s father brought her to the hotel.

Guthrie also admitted that he communicated about sexual matters with the child victim and received pornographic images and videos from her. He bought her clothes, food, and paid her cell phone bill.

Investigators examined Guthrie’s laptop, hard drive and DVD-R disks, which contained images of child pornography.

Under federal statutes, Guthrie 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 Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Lebanon, Mo., Police Department and the Lake Area ICAC Task Force.

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

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man who was arrested following a street shootout in a residential neighborhood pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.

Richard Sterling Jones, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to being a drug user in possession of a firearm.

According to today’s plea agreement, Columbia police officers were dispatched to the 4600 block of Rice Road at approximately 10:19 p.m. on June 24, 2018, in response to shots fired. When the officers arrived, they located numerous 9mm and .223-caliber spent shell casings along Rice Road. Officers spoke to numerous residents along Rice Road, who reported their residences and vehicles had been struck by gunfire.

Witnesses told police officers they saw a silver Pontiac Grand Prix, which they believed was involved in the shooting, quickly leave the area. Officers located Jones, who was sitting in a silver Grand Prix, shortly afterward, and he was detained. Officers searched his vehicle and found a bag of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Jones admitted that he fired several rounds from his AR-15 style rifle into the air in front of a residence on Rice Road. Jones drove to another residence and hid the firearm under a mattress in one of the bedrooms. Jones also admitted to using and selling marijuana. Officers executed a search warrant at the residence and found a loaded SOTA Arms multi-caliber rifle where Jones had hidden it.

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

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

Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Polo, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a $4.3 million conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin throughout Clay, Ray, Clinton and Buchanan counties.

Joshua K. Bowers, 34, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 25 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Bowers to forfeit to the government $11,319, which was seized by law enforcement officers, and to pay a money judgment of $525,600, which represents the proceeds received from illegal drug trafficking. Bowers is the final defendant among 26 defendants in this case to be sentenced after pleading guilty. 

On June 9, 2017, Bowers pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, to participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

In 2010, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the DEA initiated an investigation into a drug-trafficking organization distributing methamphetamine in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas. According to court documents, conspirators sold $4,359,600 worth of methamphetamine and heroin from 2010 to 2015. That estimate is based on a conservative street price of $1,200 for an ounce of 50 percent pure methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of at least 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a conservative street price of $2,500 per ounce of heroin and an overall conspiracy distribution of approximately three pounds.

Bowers admitted that he was responsible for the distribution of more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and more than one kilogram of heroin. Bowers also admitted that he was in possession of a Springfield Armory .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun, a New England 12-gauge shotgun and various other firearms during the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bowers’s resident on Jan. 13, 2015, and seized approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine, heroin, firearms, drug paraphernalia, drug sale proceeds and a drug ledger. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades, Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Clay County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the DEA.
 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A prior sex offender in Fulton, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today after his mother and grandmother transported a 13-year-old child victim from Alabama to engage in illegal sexual activity with him.

Michael James Collins, 21, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. Collins, who was a resident at the Community Supervision Center in Fulton, was on probation at the time of the offense for a prior felony conviction for sexual misconduct involving a child.

According to today’s plea agreement, the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department received information on Dec. 10, 2017, that a 13-year-old girl from Alabama was missing from her home. A cell phone ping placed the child victim at a residence in Fulton, where she was located and removed.

Collins admitted that he paid his grandmother $400 to go to Alabama to pick up the child victim, whom he met on a dating website in July 2017. Collins’s mother was with his grandmother when the child victim was picked up in Alabama and transported to Missouri. Collins’s grandmother and mother also transported the child victim between the Fulton residence and Collins’s residence at the Community Supervision Center when they were taking Collins back and forth to work.

Collins and the child victim communicated with each other from July to December 2017 via cell phone, Facebook Messenger and other apps, which was a violation of Collins’s probation. Collins accessed the internet using his cell phone as well as his mother’s cell phone. 

Collins pleaded guilty today to transporting a minor under the age of 14 across state lines with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity and to committing the felony offense while he was under the requirement to register as a sex offender.

Under federal statutes, Collins 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 Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Fulton, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Callaway County, Mo., Prosecutor’s Office and the Callaway County Children’s Division.

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