Western District of Missouri

ST. LOUIS, MO – Two companies were sentenced in federal court today relating to their introduction of adulterated and misbranded pet food ingredients into interstate commerce.

Wilbur-Ellis Company is a California limited liability company with headquarters in San Francisco, California.  The Feed Division of Wilbur-Ellis marketed and distributed products and ingredients for use in the pet food industry, including animal proteins used in the manufacture of dog food and cat food. Diversified Ingredients, Inc., a Missouri corporation with headquarters in Ballwin, Missouri, is a commodities broker, merchandiser, and distributor whose customers included a number of pet food companies and manufacturers.

“The FDA recognizes the importance of preserving the integrity of the food supply for animals,” said Charles Grinstead, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Kansas City Field Office. “Substituting inferior ingredients in pet food is against the law, and the FDA, working with its federal and state partners, will take action as necessary to hold ingredient suppliers accountable for distributing such products.”

Wilbur-Ellis Company was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Nannette A. Baker to three years of probation and ordered to pay $4,549,682 in restitution, criminal forfeiture in the form of a money judgment in the amount of $964,442, and a fine of $1,000. Diversified Ingredients was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution, criminal forfeiture in the form of a money judgment in an amount of $75,000, and a fine of $2,000.

On April 25, 2018, Wilbur-Ellis Company pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce. On July 10, 2018, Diversified Ingredients pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce and one misdemeanor count of introducing misbranded food into interstate commerce.  In connection with the guilty pleas, the court was advised that pet food ingredients shipped from a Wilbur-Ellis facility in Rosser, Texas – specifically, chicken meal and turkey meal – were adulterated and misbranded through the use of cheaper substitute ingredients, such as feather meal and feed grade chicken bone by-product meal, and adulterated and misbranded by omitting premium ingredients, such as turkey meal, from products identified as turkey meal. The adulterated pet food ingredients did not pose a threat to the health or safety of any animal.

Because the defendants are organizations, they were subject to a fine and a period of probation for their offense. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Birmingham, Gil Sison, and Kyle Bateman, Special Attorneys to the United States Attorney General, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today for methamphetamine trafficking and for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported three times.

Emilio Pena-Castro, 33, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Kan., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 10 years and one month in federal prison without parole.

On April 24, 2018, Pena-Castro pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and to illegally reentering the United States after having been deported.

Pena-Castro was arrested on Sept. 9, 2017, following a traffic stop by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper. Pena-Castor, who was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer, was stopped for speeding on I-29 near mile marker 58 in Missouri. Pena-Castro had no driver’s license and there was an active felony arrest warrant issued by the Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff’s Department. 

During a search of the vehicle, officers seized a plastic bag that contained approximately 369.3 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the roof of the Trailblazer.

Pena-Castro was removed from the United States in March 2012 after being arrested in Phoenix, Ariz., for the offenses of aggravated assault, aggravated assault domestic violence – impede breathing, kidnap – apprehension of injury, and unlawful imprisonment. In August 2012 he was arrested in Arizona for offenses including possession/use weapon in drug offense, marijuana- transport and/or sell, and marijuana – possess/use. He was again removed from the United States. In October 2014, Pena-Castro was encountered at a residence in Phoenix in connection with an investigation regarding possible human smuggling activities. Federal agents seized approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine from the residence. Pena-Castro was convicted of illegally reentering the United States and was again removed to Mexico in January 2012.

This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Moore. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been indicted for a $2.5 million tax fraud scheme that involved millions of dollars of false income he claimed for himself and his children.

Michael A. Kheop, 51, was charged in a six-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. That indictment was unsealed and made public today following Kheop’s arrest.

The federal indictment alleges that Kheop filed false claims for income tax refunds totaling $2,591,706 in his own and his minor children’s names from 2014 through 2018. Kheop allegedly created a fraudulent entity, Al-Aleem Engineering, in February 2013. According to the indictment, Kheop then created false W-2 forms in the name Al-Aleem, containing false income and withholding in order to fraudulently claim refunds in his own name and using his minor children’s names. 

Kheop allegedly filed 12 fraudulent claims for refunds on behalf of his three minor children for tax years 2014 through 2017. Kheop allegedly filed three fraudulent claims for refunds in his own name for tax years 2015 through 2017. For example, the indictment says, Kheop claimed an income of $5 million for 2017 and filed on Jan. 29, 2018, for a refund of $1,562,579. The U.S. Treasury actually paid a total of approximately $24,322 to Kheop.

Kheop is charged with three counts of false claims, two counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

The charges contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, 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 IRS-Criminal Investigation.
 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to illegally possessing a firearm.

Gary Deangelo Warren, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole.

On July 11, 2018, Warren pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. 

Warren was arrested on May 8, 2017, when he arrived at the arranged meeting place to sell methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Warren was carrying two plastic baggies with a total of approximately 16.1 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded Jimenez Arms .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen. Officers also found a plastic bag containing approximately 445.2 grams of pure methamphetamine inside a shoebox on the rear passenger floorboard of the vehicle Warren was driving.

Warren has an extensive criminal history that includes more than 30 adult convictions for such crimes as property damage, driving offenses, possession of a controlled substance, stealing, tampering, domestic assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Co-defendant Michael Scott Bilderback, 39, was sentenced to two years in federal prison without parole on Sept. 6, 2018, after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Bilderback, who was arrested on the same day, received methamphetamine from Warren to distribute to others. Bilderback admitted to selling at least eight ounces of methamphetamine a day during the two months prior to his arrest. Columbia police officers seized approximately 112.7 grams of methamphetamine during the execution of a search warrant at Bilderback’s motel room in Columbia.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for heroin trafficking and for illegally possessing a firearm.

Horashio Antoine Pritchett, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to six years and three months in federal prison without parole.

On June 6, 2018, Pritchett pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with the intent to distribute and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Columbia police officers executed a search warrant at Pritchett’s residence on Sept. 15, 2016, and detained him as he was leaving the residence. Detectives seized approximately nine grams of heroin, nine suboxone pills, 10 oxycodone pills, several digital scales, and baggies believed to be used for distribution of the controlled substances. Detectives also located a loaded Taurus .40-caliber handgun in Pritchett’s jacket pocket.

Pritchett told investigators he had obtained one to two ounces of heroin every two weeks for the past two years.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Pritchett has five prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and a prior felony conviction for distribution/possession of a controlled substance in a correctional facility. He also has a misdemeanor conviction for domestic assault.

This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Bakersfield, Calif., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than $1 million worth of methamphetamine in southern Missouri and in the Kansas City, Mo., area.

Lanny Eugene Ham, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to nine years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Ham to pay a money judgment of $1,060,070 for which he is jointly and severally liable.

On July 31, 2017, Ham pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy. Ham assisted co-defendant Michael Ryan Nevatt, 29, of Springfield, with obtaining more than five kilograms of methamphetamine for Nevatt's organization to distribute and with collecting drug proceeds for methamphetamine delivered.

Co-defendant Kenneth Bryant Lake, 57, of Strafford, Mo., was the original head of the drug-trafficking organization, coordinating vehicle transport shipments of methamphetamine from a Mexican cartel source in Texas to Springfield. Conspirators in Springfield divided the methamphetamine for distribution to the Lebanon, Mo., and Kansas City, Mo., areas. Lake has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

Nevatt subsequently became the head of the organization and made trips to California and to Texas to purchase methamphetamine. Nevatt was convicted at trial on April 6, 2018, of all seven counts contained in a Nov. 17, 2016, federal indictment. He is the final defendant waiting to be sentenced, among 15 co-defendants who have been convicted and sentenced in this case.  

Nevatt and other conspirators made regular trips, and sometimes travelled several times a week, to pick up multiple-pound supplies of methamphetamine. For example, Nevatt traveled to Texas regularly to pick up 10 pounds of methamphetamine and bring it back to Springfield. Nevatt would later return to Texas with approximately $100,000 in cash to pay for it. On one occasion, Nevatt met sources in Dallas, Texas, to purchase 40 pounds of methamphetamine. Mexican sources also delivered multiple-pound shipments of methamphetamine by truck or car to Springfield.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades and Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Central Oklahoma Metro Interdiction Team.
 

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

Davita Ann Kelly, 38, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 18 years and nine months in federal prison without parole. 

On Dec. 27, 2017, Kelly pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from August 2014 to March 2016. Kelly admitted that she sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant and an undercover officer on eight occasions in 2015, and to an undercover officer on two more occasions in January 2016.

Warrensburg police officers executed a search warrant at a storage facility rented by Kelly on March 31, 2016. Officers seized several firearms from the unit, including a .38-caliber revolver, a 9mm pistol and two .22-caliber rifles.

The investigation began after law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Kelly’s residence on Aug. 29, 2014, and seized methamphetamine, hydromorphone pills, marijuana, heroin and drug paraphernalia.

Co-defendant Matthew Waylon Newman, 33, of Warrensburg, was sentenced on May 31, 2018, to 17 years and seven months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Co-defendant Stacy A. Lyman, 39, of Warrensburg, has pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, and awaits sentencing.

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 Johnson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Warrensburg, Mo., Police Department.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The owner of two Independence, Mo., stores was sentenced in federal court today for distributing synthetic cannabinoids, also known as K2, and for accepting food stamps as payment for K2. 

Haq Nawaz Choudhry, 53, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to three years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Choudhry to pay $3,275 in restitution to the USDA and a money judgment and forfeiture to the government of $27,443.

Choudhry is the president of H Habib Enterprises, Inc., which owned the Short Stop convenience store and Kerns Liquor, located next door to each other at 9013 E. U.S. 40 Highway in Independence and operated by Choudhry. On Feb. 6, 2018, Choudhry pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and controlled substance analogue, and to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy.

An undercover Jackson County Drug Task Force detective and three people conducting undercover transactions on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture made a series of purchases from both Short Stop and Kerns from Feb. 14 to Oct. 22, 2013. The undercover purchases used cash on some occasions, and EBT cards (used to redeem Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP – benefits, also known as food stamps) on other occasions, to purchase synthetic cannabinoids.

During the course of the investigation Choudhry concealed the sale of synthetic cannabinoids by conducting financial transactions through the point-of-sale terminal, using EBT cards. The purchases would routinely be processed as “food purchases” with funds electronically deposited into the company’s bank account, thus concealing the proceeds of the synthetic cannabinoids sales. Choudhry specifically admitted, for example, that he fraudulently processed a $46.50 purchase of synthetic cannabinoids using SNAP benefits on May 30, 2013.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Kern’s and Short Stop on Oct. 22, 2013. Officers recovered synthetic cannabinoids and drug paraphernalia from both businesses. Officers also seized $21,135 from Short Stop and $308 from Kerns. Choudhry was not present during the execution of the warrant. On Feb. 11, 2014, officers returned to Kerns and Short Stop based on a complaint that the business was selling K2 again. Choudhry was contacted and denied that any such sales were occurring, and gave written permission for the detectives and officers on scene to search both of his stores for illegal items. Officers recovered additional synthetic cannabinoids and drug paraphernalia from Kerns. Officers also seized $6,000 from Kerns.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Caine. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former Missouri state trooper was sentenced in federal court today for transmitting sexually explicit photos of a teenage victim.

Justin Watson, 47, of Mountain View, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to seven years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Watson to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.

Watson was employed as a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol from July 1996 until he was dismissed in October 2017. He also worked as a high school baseball umpire in the Mountain View-Birch Tree School District.

On May 29, 2018, Watson pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography. Watson admitted he took several sexually explicit photos of a 17-year-old juvenile. The photographs were taken using the victim’s iPhone; Watson then transmitted the images of child pornography to his own cell phone.

Watson also has been charged in Howell County Circuit Court with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of sexual contact with a student.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City, Mo., physician was sentenced in federal court today for distributing child pornography over the internet. 

Jeffrey A. Hassenflug, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to seven years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Hassenflug to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration. The court ordered Hassenflug to pay $15,000 in restitution to his victims, which has been paid in full.

Hassenflug, who pleaded guilty on April 25, 2018, was a resident physician in Kansas City, Mo., before moving to Texas in 2016, where he was employed as an emergency room physician.

Hassenflug admitted that he used peer-to-peer file-sharing software to download child pornography and to share child pornography over the internet. Investigators found 3,047 images of child pornography and 131 videos of child pornography (some as long as 48 minutes in length) on Hassenflug’s laptop computer and other electronic devices.

Hassenflug was identified during an online investigation by the FBI Kansas City Child Exploitation Task Force. A task force officer downloaded numerous files of child pornography from Hassenflug’s computer, including images and videos that depicted babies and toddlers being sexually abused.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by 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 Bolivar, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing methamphetamine to distribute.

Jerod K. Eley, 36, was charged in an indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Sept. 18, 2018. That indictment was unsealed and made public following Eley’s arrest by the U.S. Marshal’s Service and his initial court appearance on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018.

The federal indictment alleges that Eley possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on Aug. 16, 2018.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the St. Clair County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A captain in the Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department was charged in federal court today after selling dozens of firearms through straw buyers to convicted felons, some of whom used the firearms to commit other crimes. One of the firearms was used to commit a murder that is being prosecuted in the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Mo.

“Those who supply dangerous firearms to violent criminals are as much a threat to the safety of our community as the criminals themselves,” Garrison said. “We will aggressively prosecute not only those who illegally possess firearms, but also the suppliers whose criminal conduct enables them to arm themselves with these weapons.”

“At the center of ATF’s mission of reducing firearms-related violence is investigating and bringing to justice those supplying firearms to the violent, criminal elements of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge George Lauder of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “Stopping this flow of firearms will continue to be our focus as we work to make our neighborhoods safer places to live.”

James Samuels, 52, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday, Oct. 1, 2018. That complaint, which was unsealed today following Samuels’s arrest and initial court appearance, charges him with one count of selling a firearm and ammunition to a prohibited person and one count of transferring a firearm for use in a violent crime. 

Samuels was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018, following an undercover operation in which he sold a .38-caliber revolver to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon through an undercover federal agent posing as a straw buyer. Samuels remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018.

According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, Samuels purchased 77 firearms, including 57 Jimenez pistols. Of the 77 firearms Samuels has purchased, 47 of them were transferred to third parties, including 43 Jimenez pistols. Six of those pistols have been involved in other crimes. Samuels does not have a federal license to legally sell firearms.

The affidavit cites eight specific transactions in which Samuels purchased firearms then transferred ownership to a straw buyer, identified in court documents as “Co-Conspirator #1,” who later reported the firearms had been stolen or lost when in fact they were possessed by persons who are prohibited from ownership by federal law. 

For example, on April 7, 2016, Samuels purchased two Jimenez .380-caliber pistols (along with multiple other firearms) and transferred ownership of the pistols to the co-conspirator. According to the affidavit, one of the pistols was recovered during a homicide investigation on July 5, 2016. It was determined the recovered firearm was used to murder Alvino D. Crawford. As a result of that investigation, Devon Davis, 18, of Kansas City, Mo., was indicted by a Jackson County grand jury for first degree murder and armed criminal action.

On March 27, 2017, the co-conspirator reported that the second Jimenez .380-caliber pistol had been lost on a city bus. According to the affidavit, the firearm was recovered on March 31, 2017, in a vehicle with four adults and a juvenile, a total of three firearms, crack cocaine and $775.

Samuels purchased a Jimenez 9mm pistol on Nov. 22, 2013, and transferred ownership to the co-conspirator on July 7, 2014. The co-conspirator reported the firearm was stolen on July 23, 2014. The firearm was recovered in Chicago, Ill. The firearm was seized, along with crack cocaine and marijuana, when law enforcement officers in Chicago executed a search warrant during a criminal investigation.

On Nov. 13, 2013, Samuels purchased a Jimenez .380-caliber pistol then transferred ownership to the co-conspirator, who later reported it stolen. The firearm was recovered in the possession of Noel Zavala, 23, of Kansas City, Mo., who was convicted in a separate case of being a felon in possession of a firearm (for the very same Jimenez pistol).

In addition to those eight purchases, the affidavit reports that on Dec. 23, 2013, Samuels purchased three Jimenez pistols, one of which was transferred to another individual identified as “Party #1.” The firearm was recovered from Party #1 during service of an ex-parte order, wherein the petitioner stated that Party #1 threatened over the phone to kill her.

The affidavit also cites several controlled purchases by confidential informants, whom Samuels knew to be felons who could not legally possess firearms or ammunition, who told him they planned to use the firearms to commit homicides.

According to the affidavit, a confidential informant purchased a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun and a box of shotgun shells from Samuels on June 29, 2018, for $350. The confidential informant allegedly told Samuels he/she was going to use the shotgun to shoot people. Samuels also sold a Jimenez Arms 9mm handgun and ammunition for $290 to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon on July 19, 2018. An undercover ATF agent served as the straw buyer for the transaction.

On Sept. 5, 2018, Samuels allegedly sold an American Tactical Imports Omni-Hybrid AR-15 rifle, an American Tactical Imports Omni-Hybrid AR-15 pistol and ammunition to a confidential informant whom he knew was a convicted felon. The confidential informant told Samuels he was going to use the firearms to shoot four people later that day. The confidential informant, who claimed he was getting revenge after being attacked, also told Samuels he was going to burn down a residence and asked for his expertise as a firefighter. Samuels allegedly offered several suggestions about how to commit arson without being detected.

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 Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two Joplin, Mo., men, one of whom is a former police officer, were charged in federal court this week for the sexual exploitation of children.

Gary McKinney, 43, and Anthony Helsel, 31, were charged in separate, but related, criminal complaints filed this week in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo. McKinney remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Oct. 10, 2018. Helsel remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Oct. 9, 2018.

McKinney, a former police officer, was charged today. McKinney was an officer with the Joplin, Mo., Police Department for about seven years until May 20, 2006, after which he was employed as an officer elsewhere.

The federal criminal complaint charges McKinney with receiving and distributing child pornography over the internet. A related federal criminal complaint filed on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, charges Helsel with using a minor to produce child pornography.

According to the affidavits filed in support of the federal criminal complaints, the investigation began on Sept. 17, 2018, when a federal agent received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Facebook reported that a user, later identified as Helsel, had uploaded a video file of the sexual assault of a 4-year-old victim.

On Oct. 2, 2018, an investigator with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office notified local authorities that an undercover officer had made contact with Helsel during their investigation on the KIK messaging application. Helsel allegedly offered files of child pornography to the undercover officer and other members of the KIK group, and sent the undercover officer pornographic images of child pornography.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Helsel’s residence and seized his cell phone.  Helsel told officers he had engaged in sexual activity with a four-year-old child, and he had taken videos and still images of the abuse. Helsel told officers that when they arrived, he was conversing with another user on KIK, who was later identified as McKinney. Law enforcement officers assumed Helsel’s KIK account and user identity. On Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, a federal special agent used Helsel’s KIK account to engage in chats with McKinney.

During a forensic examination of Helsel's cellular phone, the affidavit says, messages were located between McKinney and Helsel. Helsel sent several files, including child pornography, to McKinney on KIK on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at McKinney’s residence on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, and seized his cell phone. Investigators located multiple chat conversations between McKinney and others, using an application called Telegram. In those conversations, the affidavit says, McKinney talks about children engaging in sexually explicit activity. Numerous files of child pornography allegedly were exchanged between the users.

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

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Miller. They were investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Joplin Police Department, and the Kentucky State Attorney General’s Office.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison and U.S. Marshal Mark S. James announced today the results of a law enforcement operation that resulted in dozens of arrests and the seizure of multiple firearms and illegal drugs as part of the district’s renewed Project Safe Neighborhoods program.

“One year ago, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the launch of a reinvigorated Project Safe Neighborhoods program nationwide,” said Garrison. “Operation Washout is one example of the strategies we are implementing to reduce violent crime and make every community safer – especially the neighborhoods hardest hit by violent crime.”

“This is but a preview of what is to come,” said James. “In conjunction with our partners at the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and the other federal agencies, as well as members of the community, our deputies are working around the clock to rid the streets of these violent criminals victimizing our community.”

Operation Washout

For the past three weeks the United States Marshals Service conducted an enforcement operation in collaboration with the Kansas City and Independence, Mo., Police Departments, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in support of Project Safe Neighborhoods by tracking down some of the area’s most violent and persistent offenders in Operation Washout.

By the end of the three-week enforcement operation, deputy marshals, special agents and detectives arrested 56 people with state and federal felony warrants for violent crimes and drugs. The arrestees were among the most violent and active offenders in Kansas City. They are either known gang members, or subject to previous enforcement action through KC NoVA and KCPD, but continued to commit violent crimes. Officers also seized 10 handguns, two semi-automatic rifles, one shotgun, numerous rounds of ammunition and a variety of drugs, including methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy and cocaine. 

The U.S. Marshals Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force-Kansas City division, operates in conjunction with members of the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department and other federal law enforcement partners. The task force objectives are to seek out and arrest fugitives charged with violent crimes, drug offenses, sex offenders and other serious felonies.  Nationally the United States Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, seven regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.

USA v. Walton

Investigations are currently underway to determine how many of those arrested in Operation Washout will be charged in state or federal court with additional crimes. One defendant, however, was indicted this week after he rammed two law enforcement vehicles while attempting to escape capture.

Brandon L. Walton, 36, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. The federal indictment charges Walton with one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal law enforcement officers.

Investigators had information that Walton, who had an active warrant for his arrest due to allegedly violating the conditions of his supervised release, was in possession of multiple firearms. Officers located Walton in the parking lot of a tire shop on Sept. 17, 2018, and attempted to pin in his vehicle in order to make an arrest. Walton accelerated, ramming into the front end of a Deputy U.S. Marshal’s vehicle and escaping. Walton accelerated at a high rate of speed while exiting the parking lot, crashed through the tires blocking the exit and traveled airborne before turning north on Troost Avenue. Another Deputy U.S. Marshal attempted to block Walton’s vehicle and their vehicles collided. Walton’s vehicle spun to a stop and was embedded in the fence of a neighboring day care center. Walton attempted to flee on foot, but fell to the ground.

Walton had a Sig Sauer .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun in his pants pocket. Officers found two more firearms on the passenger floorboard, a loaded DPMS Panther Arms .223-5.56mm semiautomatic rifle with an extended magazine, and a loaded Micro Draco 7.62x39mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Walton has two prior federal felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, for which he was under supervised release at the time of his arrest.

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

Project Safe Neighborhoods

Operation Washout is part of a strategy to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in the Western District of Missouri. Friday, Oct. 5, will mark one year since Attorney General Jeff Sessions reprioritized and enhanced the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, making it the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy.

Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. Project Safe Neighborhoods empowers each U.S. Attorney’s Office to develop targeted, localized violent crime reduction strategies, tailoring solutions to each individual community with the resources of the Department of Justice and the cooperation of community members.

In support of these efforts, the Department of Justice has allocated more than 300 new federal prosecutor positions to the 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Four of those new positions were allocated in the Western District of Missouri, all of whom are now in place and joining the fight.

The Project Safe Neighborhoods effort in this district consists of the federal and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the Kansas City Crime Commission, and several prominent members of our community with law enforcement experience, including former Kansas City Police Department officials, former federal prosecutors, retired federal agents, and former U.S. Attorneys.

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 Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for sexually abusing a child and taking sexually explicit photographs of his victim.

Anthony Cotter, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 30 years in federal prison without parole.

On June 18, 2018, Cotter pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet. Cotter also admitted that he had a substantial amount of child pornography on his computer and cell phone.

Cotter told investigators he had been sexually abusing a minor female, identified in court documents as Jane Doe #1, and taking sexually explicit photographs of Jane Doe #1. Depictions of Cotter sexually abusing the child victim were recovered from his digital storage devices.

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

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

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

Gary Stewart, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 15 years in federal prison without parole.

On May 21, 2018, Stewart pleaded guilty to enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.

According to court documents, an individual contacted the Joplin, Mo., Police Department on Dec. 27, 2016, regarding sexually explicit photographs being exchanged between his 16-year-old daughter and Stewart. The daughter was interviewed and said she and Stewart had engaged in sexual activity on several occasions. She also informed the interviewer that she and Stewart communicated via text messages, and that he asked her to send sexually explicit images of herself, which she did. Stewart also sent sexually explicit photos of himself to the victim.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes 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."
 

A Joplin, Mo., man with a prior sex conviction was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography over the internet.

Delbert C. Feezell, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Feezell to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration, and ordered him to pay $1,000 in restitution to one of his victims.

Feezell, who has prior convictions for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old child and for indecent exposure, pleaded guilty on May 24, 2018.

The investigation began on Nov. 20, 2015, when Feezell uploaded a video of child pornography to YouTube, which was reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Feezell uploaded additional images of child pornography to another website on April 7, 2016, after which a search warrant was executed at his residence. Investigators seized a laptop computer that contained 785 video files and five images of child pornography. The depictions include children as young as toddlers being sexually assaulted by adult males. Feezell engaged in his illegal activities using his unwitting neighbor’s internet service.

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

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

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Neal Braden, 61, was sentenced today to serve 97 months in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James Hendricks, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Senior United States District Judge Hon. Thomas J. McAvoy also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, which will start after Braden is released from prison and ordered payment of $1,000 in restitution to each of four victims. As a result of his conviction, Braden will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

As part of his previous guilty plea, Braden admitted that he downloaded videos of child pornography over the internet and that he possessed those videos on his laptop computer in his truck when he was stopped by the New York State Police for failing to have the appropriate Highway Use Tax documentation displayed on his vehicle.   A search of Braden’s laptop computer revealed that he possessed 19 videos depicting child pornography.

In addition to his plea to receipt of child pornography, Braden also pled guilty to an indictment pending in the Western District of Missouri that charged him with Possessing Child Pornography in 2015 in Morgan County, Missouri.

Braden’s case was investigated by the New York State Police Troop D, the Morgan County, (Missouri) Sheriff's Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Albany and Kansas City Divisions.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey J. L. Brown (NDNY) and Ashley Turner (WDMO).

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Drexel, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for robbing the U.S. Bank inside Truman Medical Center.

Jimmy Lee Bozeman II, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole.

On June 6, 2018, Bozeman pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. Bozeman stole $1,450 from U.S. Bank on March 14, 2018.

According to court documents, Bozeman demanded a bank teller give him all of her $50 and $100 bills. The teller briefly hesitated because she thought he was joking; he told her it was not a joke and he possessed a handgun. After the teller handed him money from her top drawer, he demanded the money from the second drawer. As she was attempting to open the second drawer, a hospital cafeteria employee approached the bank to make change for the register in the cafeteria. When Bozeman turned to look at him, the teller activated the hold-up alarm. Bozeman then fled from the hospital, got into a vehicle parked nearby and left the area.

Bank surveillance photos were released to the media. Several social workers at Truman Medical Center recognized Bozeman as a former client. Bozeman’s ex-wife also identified him from the surveillance photos.

Bozeman was previously convicted of bank robbery in the Western District of Missouri in 2009. He also has prior felony convictions for robbery and armed criminal action.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a kidnapping conspiracy.

Justin D. Watson, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to eight years in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 17, 2017, Watson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Watson admitted that he and his co-conspirators kidnapped a victim identified as “N.J.” in March 2017.

Watson was arrested on March 14, 2017, after being stopped by Kansas City, Mo., police officers while driving the kidnapping victim’s Ford Fusion. Watson admitted that he had also driven the vehicle, with the victim in the front passenger seat and two co-conspirators in the back seat, from Kansas City to Colorado on March 11, 2017. 

Watson drove west on I-70 toward Colorado, during which time conspirators used the victim’s credit card to withdraw $1,200 from an ATM in a Kansas truck stop. They also stopped at a sporting goods store in Hays, Kan., and purchased high-end athletic shoes using the victim’s credit card. 

During the drive westward, conspirators discussed killing the victim. They stopped the vehicle near Russell, Kan., pulled off in a field and told the victim to get out of the car. While Watson held the gun, a co-conspirator tied the victim up and gagged him. The conspirators returned to the car and drove away, leaving the victim in the field. After the kidnappers left, he was able to remove his bindings and made his way to the Russell Police Department.

The conspirators got a room at a motel. Watson was asked to get some items from the local Walmart, but instead drove back to Kansas City.

According to court documents, when Watson originally arrived at a Kansas City, Mo., residence on the morning of March 11, 2017, there were two victims (a man and a woman) seated in chairs in the living room. Both victims had been tied to a pole in the basement with zip ties, rope and electrical wire for several hours. Duct tape was placed over the female victim’s mouth, and the two victims were punched, slapped, kicked and threatened with death. At one point they were forced into the trunk of a car for several hours, then led back into the house.

The female victim begged to go to the hospital, according to court documents, and two co-conspirators dropped her off at Truman Medical Center later the same day.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the FBI and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., tax preparer pleaded guilty in federal court today to a wire fraud scheme in which she filed dozens of fraudulent tax returns that resulted in more than $238,000 in refunds being issued to individuals who were not entitled to receive them.

Onrea Knox-Lewis, 45, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to a federal information that charges her with one count of wire fraud.

Knox-Lewis was a self-employed tax return preparer. By pleading guilty today, she admitted that she filed income tax returns for the tax years 2012 through 2014 claiming false refunds. The fraudulent tax returns reported bogus wages, income tax withholdings and/or fraudulent dependents as well as the Earned Income Credit. In some instances, Knox-Lewis prepared and filed tax returns using stolen personal identification information.

After she filed the fraudulent tax returns over the internet, Knox-Lewis had the bogus refunds loaded onto prepaid debit cards; she utilized all, or in some cases only a portion, of the funds for her own personal expenses.

Through her scheme to defraud the IRS, Knox-Lewis prepared and filed numerous fraudulent income tax returns resulting in $238,666 in refunds being issued to individuals who were not entitled to receive them.

Under federal statutes, Knox-Lewis 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 First Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., woman was convicted by a federal trial jury today of illegally possessing a firearm.

Tracy Arlene Smith, 47, was found guilty of one count of being a felon and an unlawful user of cocaine and methamphetamine in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

According to evidence introduced during the trial, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence located in Joplin, on June 22, 2017.  During the execution of the search warrant, members of the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team seized Smith’s purse, which contained a CDM Prod. Inc., .22-caliber pistol, loaded with six rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. Officers also seized drug paraphernalia.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is an unlawful user of controlled substances, or who has been convicted of a felony, to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Smith, who was on parole at the time she committed the offense, has five prior felony convictions for forgery, four prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, and prior felony convictions for sale of a controlled substance (on three separate occasions) and assault.

Under federal statutes, Smith 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.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for approximately 30 minutes before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, ending a trial that began Monday, Sept. 24, 2018.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
 

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

Frank Vanoy, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 18 years in federal prison without parole. Vanoy was sentenced as an armed career offender due to his prior felony convictions.

On Feb. 3, 2018, Vanoy was convicted at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Vanoy was in possession of a stolen Glock .45-caliber pistol, loaded and equipped with an extended magazine, on Dec. 4, 2015, when he was arrested for violating his supervised release in an unrelated federal case. Law enforcement officers confronted Vanoy in the front yard of his parents’ residence. Vanoy dropped the firearm and a holster and fled to the front porch, where he immediately surrendered. Officers recovered the firearm and holster, which also contained a spare magazine, in the area where Vanoy had been standing.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Vanoy has a significant criminal history, including prior federal convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and two Virginia state convictions for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and failure to appear in court. According to court documents, every time Vanoy has been on probation or supervised release for a felony case, he has violated his supervision by committing new state and federal felony offenses.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Caine and Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force, which consists of the FBI, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Johnson County, Kan., Sheriff's Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Ames, Iowa sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court today to child sexual exploitation charges.

John Jordan Lundberg, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to attempting to produce child pornography.

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.
  
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. 

Under federal statutes, Lundberg is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney 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."
 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The former Callaway County Collector pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling nearly $300,000 from Callaway County taxpayers.

“On more than 100 occasions, this public official stole directly from the people she was elected to represent,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “She will be held accountable for violating the public trust and abusing her position. The government will seek a significant prison sentence and repayment of what was stolen from the taxpayers of Callaway County.”

Pamela J. Oestreich, 59, of Fulton, 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 one count of stealing from an organization that receives federal funds.

“As Sheriff of Callaway County, I express my sincere gratitude to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their prompt, professional, and expert assistance,” said Callaway County Sheriff Clay Chism. “Although this investigation could have been conducted on the local level, many factors made it apparent the case should be investigated by a federal agency for prosecution in the federal court system. Of most relevance, myself and Callaway County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher D. Wilson believed it paramount the citizens of Callaway County be assured this matter was handled without the slightest hint of some impropriety. Throughout the investigation, I remained in contact with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure myself, and all other local Callaway County officials, provided any needed assistance.”

Oestreich was elected as the Callaway County Collector in November 2002.  By pleading guilty today, Oestreich admitted that she disbursed taxpayer funds for her personal use on 103 occasions beginning in September 2015. Oestreich deposited taxpayer funds directly into her personal bank account. Oestreich also moved taxpayer funds between Callaway County bank accounts to conceal her theft of cash deposits made by taxpayers at the Callaway County Courthouse. The total amount embezzled by Oestreich from Callaway County taxpayers was $299,387.

Oestreich resigned from her office on March 15, 2018, when confronted by the Callaway County Sheriff and FBI agents.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and Oestreich have agreed that she will face an advisory sentencing guidelines range of 41 to 51 months of imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Oestreich’s sentence will include mandatory restitution of the stolen funds. During the course of her theft of public money, Oestreich made payments totaling $19,430 from her personal bank account into Callaway County Collector accounts to hide her theft. Consequently, the amount of restitution due and owing to Callaway County as a result of her criminal conduct is $279,957.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday for receiving child pornography.

Steven D. French, 60, of Columbia, Mo., was charged by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo., with one count of receiving or distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

The federal indictment charges French with downloading child pornography from, and uploading child pornography to, the internet. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at French’s residence on Aug. 29, 2018. Officers seized computers and other electronic media from his residence and submitted them for forensic examination. Forensic examination revealed images depicting child pornography as well as evidence of receipt of child pornography.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service resulting in $182,410 in fraudulent refunds being issued. 

Tanisha Williams, 40, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Court Judge Greg Kays to filing a false claim with the IRS and wire fraud.

According to court documents, Williams participated in a scheme to defraud the IRS by helping in the filing of false income tax returns on behalf of others that claimed refunds to which they were not entitled.  At times, Williams recruited individuals to file federal income tax returns under their own names and Social Security numbers. At other times, Williams used stolen identity information to file federal income tax returns. As part of the scheme, false Form W-2 information was used to inflate the income on the federal individual income returns filed for some of the taxpayers. These fraudulent refunds would then be deposited onto pre-paid debit cards. Once the funds were deposited to the debit cards, the money was withdrawn as cash or the cards were utilized for personal expenses.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Williams acknowledged that the scheme to defraud the IRS resulted in $182,410 in fraudulent refunds, an amount that Williams will be required to pay back as restitution.

Under federal statues, Williams is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Southwest Honkeys gang member was sentenced to 25 years in prison today for operating a methamphetamine conspiracy from his prison cell.

Nathaniel R. Eisenhour, 30, of Springfield, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 25 years in federal prison without parole.  Eisenhour was sentenced for participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Dec. 15, 2016, to April 20, 2017. Eisenhour was incarcerated in the custody of either the Greene County jail or the Missouri Department of Corrections for almost the entire period of the conspiracy.

Eisenhour, a member of the Southwest Honkeys prison gang, admitted that he communicated with associates while he was incarcerated to sell methamphetamine and to collect money for past drug debts.

Eisenhour was arrested on Dec. 21, 2015, on an outstanding parole violation warrant. Eisenhour, while incarcerated, instructed one of his associates to take the money from drug sales to a family member. On Jan. 30, 2017, federal agents seized $31,800 from the family member who was holding the money for Eisenhour. In a jail call, Eisenhour had previously authorized another family member to obtain $200 from that same stash. The total of $32,000, including the seized amount and the $200 that was removed before the seizure, represented approximately 2.2 kilograms in methamphetamine sales, based on the price Eisenhour discussed with one of the associates who distributed for him after his arrest.

This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Ozark, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former executive of a Springfield, Mo., charity pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to misprision of a felony in connection with the concealment of a multi-million-dollar scheme by which other charity executives embezzled and diverted millions of dollars from the Springfield nonprofit corporation.

Keith Fraser Noble, 68, of Rogersville, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of concealment of a known felony.  Noble was an executive at Preferred Family Healthcare Inc. (formerly known as Alternative Opportunities Inc.), a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Springfield, and oversaw the charity’s clinical operations, quality control matters, and clinical and medical grant proposals.  Noble also was a licensed psychologist and certified substance abuse counselor.

By pleading guilty yesterday, Noble admitted he knew three other Preferred Family Healthcare executives conspired and agreed with one another to embezzle, steal, and misapply millions of dollars in charity funds.  Noble admitted he knew about the others’ thefts and willfully blinded himself to the details of their schemes while reaping the benefits.  Further, Noble admitted that despite his duty to do so, he did not inform the charity’s board of directors of the embezzlement, nor did he report the crimes to law enforcement.  Finally, Noble acknowledged he aided the conspirators in concealing their crimes by preparing and causing to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant applications that falsely certified the charity’s compliance with federal restrictions on lobbying.

The information alleges the conspirators embezzled, stole, and misapplied funds  totaling more than $30 million.  Noble acknowledged his share of that came to $4,323,107.30, which he agreed to pay in restitution, less the amount of taxes paid on the income.

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

The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI and the Offices of the Inspectors General from the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Justice, and Veterans Affairs.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich of the Western District of Missouri.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A West Plains, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing thousands of images of child pornography over the internet.

Steven Edward Moffis, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Moffis to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration.

Moffis, who pleaded guilty on April 23, 2018, came to the attention of law enforcement during an investigation of individuals making child pornography files available to others on the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file sharing program. According to court documents, Moffis admitted that he had been addicted to child pornography for seventeen years.  Moffis admitted to law enforcement officers that he had an uncontrollable problem with child pornography.  Law enforcement located images and videos of child pornography on Moffis’s cellular phone.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the West Plains Police Department and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to his role in a conspiracy to kidnap and torture an Independence, Mo., man.

Richard M. Phoenix, also known as “Snake,” 76, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

According to today’s plea agreement, Phoenix’s co-conspirators purchased at least 120 pounds of marijuana from a source in Colorado, for which they made more than a dozen trips between Colorado and Kansas City.  On Sept. 12, 2016, Phoenix’s co-conspirators kidnapped the victim, a co-conspirator in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and identified in court documents as “C.H.,” because he stole money that was intended for the purchase of marijuana.

Conspirators arrived at the Independence, Mo., residence of the victim’s father, identified as “W.H.,” on Sept. 12, 2016. Conspirators told W.H. to call C.H. and tell him he was being held at gunpoint and that C.H. needed to come to the residence right away. When C.H. arrived at the residence, a co-conspirator pointed a firearm at him and told him to get into his vehicle. While in the vehicle, another co-conspirator struck, punched and choked C.H. as they drove away.

They took C.H. to a co-conspirator’s residence, where they were met by Phoenix. C.H. was taken to the basement, where he was assaulted with fists, a hammer and tin snips/clippers. During the assault, conspirators repeatedly demanded that C.H. disclose where the duffle bag containing the money was located. When co-conspirators left to retrieve the duffle bag, Phoenix held C.H. at gunpoint in the basement until they returned.

Conspirators later drove C.H. to a rural residence near Edwards, Mo. As conspirators drove them to the residence, a co-conspirator continued to strike C.H. with fists and the butt of a firearm. When they arrived at the residence, C.H. was told to call his father and to tell him that he was okay, that he had taken a beating, that he would be home in a couple of days and that he deserved what had happened.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Benton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court on September 10, 2018, for illegally possessing a firearm.

Demetric Antwan Gaines, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 4 years in federal prison without parole.

On May 14, 2018, Gaines pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Gaines admitted that he was in possession of a Kahr Arms 9mm semi-automatic pistol on Aug. 8, 2017. A witness told officers that Gaines pulled a black handgun from his waistband, pointed it at her, and threatened her. Officers later found the Kahr Arms 9mm semi-automatic pistol in a locked closet in Gaines’ residence while serving a state search warrant.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Gaines has two prior felony convictions for second degree robbery.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson City, Missouri Police Department.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for drug-trafficking and illegally discharging a firearm.

Ardaris Webb Cheatham, 34 years old, of Jefferson City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 13 years in federal prison without parole. 

Cheatham pleaded guilty on Apr. 17, 2018, to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.  Cheatham admitted that as Jefferson City Police Department SWAT Team served and executed a search warrant at Cheatham’s residence, he fired one round at the SWAT Team as he retreated further into the residence. The bullet fired by Cheatham did not strike an officer. He then attempted to escape his residence through a basement door, but officers stationed outside the residence apprehended him. Approximately twenty-seven pounds of marijuana was hidden in various locations within the residence. Officers also found a Beretta .40 caliber pistol.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today a complete defense verdict in a medical malpractice, wrongful death lawsuit  brought against the United States of America under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

On Sept. 10, 2018, judgment was entered in favor of the United States following a three-day bench trial before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner that concluded on Sept. 7, 2018. The court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law was released on Sept. 10, 2018.

At 5:25 a.m. on May 9, 2014, a VA patient drove himself to the emergency room at the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. His chief complaint was an allergic reaction to shrimp he ate earlier that night, and he also complained that he had facial swelling that started prior to his presentation to the VA. The patient was immediately admitted and evaluated by the emergency room physician within five minutes. The patient was diagnosed with an allergic reaction and treated with intravenous medications. Subsequently, he had an anaphylactic reaction and was pronounced dead at 6:58 a.m. as a result of anaphylaxis.

The court found that the evidence did not demonstrate or establish a breach or deviation from any medical standard of care by any Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care provider in providing medical care, treatment, and healthcare services to a VA patient on May 9, 2014, in the emergency department at the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center.  The court also found that the VA patient’s death was not caused by any VA health care provider’s negligence. The court concluded that the United States is not liable under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

This case is being defended by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew N. Sparks and Deputy U.S. Attorney Jeffrey P. Ray of the Western District of Missouri. The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Compton, Cal., man pleaded guilty in federal court on September 10, 2018 to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Shadeed Seifullah Muhammad, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to yesterday’s plea agreement, Muhammad conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine from April 4, 2016, to April 4, 2017.  The plea agreement states that Muhammad mailed a United States Priority Mail Package from the state of California on April 4, 2016, to a residence in Columbia, Mo. The package was intended for another co-conspirator in Jefferson City. The package was being transported by that co-conspirator, who was en route to Jefferson City, when officers made a traffic stop. The package was seized and sent to the United States Postal Inspection Service Laboratory and it was determined that the substance contained approximately 810 grams of pure methamphetamine. The co-conspirator plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on May 14, 2018, and is awaiting sentencing.

On Mar. 30, 2017, Muhammad mailed another package from a post office in the state of California which was addressed to a residence in Jefferson City, Mo. It was also intercepted by law enforcement. The package was also sent to the USPIS Laboratory and it was determined that the substance contained approximately 856 grams of pure methamphetamine.

 Under federal statutes, Muhammad is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison without parole, and 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 was 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. – Two Mexican nationals were charged in federal court today for their roles in a Daviess County, Mo., marijuana-growing operation where law enforcement officers seized nearly $10 million worth of plants.

Sergio Medina-Perez, also known as “Chapo,” 44, and Miguel Pulido-Maldonado, also known as “Mona,” 27, were charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Both men are citizens of Mexico who were living in California prior to coming to Missouri. 

Today’s federal criminal complaint charges Medina-Perez and Pulido-Maldonado with manufacturing and distributing 1,000 or more marijuana plants.

The owners of the three real estate tracts that comprise the property in Daviess County live in California. Law enforcement officers, who had been keeping the marijuana grow site under surveillance, executed a search warrant at the property on Aug. 27, 2018. The plants were in a clearing inside a large area of timber. A distinct path led from a building in the wooded area to the area containing the marijuana plants. One person who was present at the marijuana grow site fled into the wooded area and escaped. 

Officers located approximately 2,464 cultivated marijuana plants. With an approximate street value of $1,800 per pound of marijuana, this results in approximately $9,757,440 in marijuana plants seized.

Medina-Perez was arrested near the grow site on Aug. 29, 2018. Pulido-Maldonado was arrested on Aug. 30, 2018; he was covered in mud, his arms had numerous bites from either mosquitos or other insects and it appeared he had been outside for several days. Medina-Perez and Pulido-Maldonado have been held on immigration detainers since their arrests.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Daviess County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Grundy County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Livingston County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Two Columbia, Mo., men pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a prostitution operation.

Barry Paul Manthe, 65, and Ronald James Clark, 67, each waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty in separate appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps to a federal information that charges them with using the internet to promote a racketeering enterprise, a prostitution business that operated out of a Columbia residence.

In a separate but related case, Kenneth Ronald Jones, 26, of Columbia, pleaded guilty on Aug. 6, 2018, to one count of the sex trafficking of a minor and two counts of transportation for illegal sexual activity by coercion and enticement.

FBI agents learned on June 29, 2016, that a 17-year-old runaway from Wisconsin – identified as “FV1” – was being held against her will and forced into prostitution by Jones. She was located at a residence in Columbia on that day and removed by law enforcement agents. Manthe and Clark operated a brothel at the residence.

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 in May 2016 at a party in Milwaukee, Wis., and agreed to travel with him to Columbia to engage in prostitution. Within a few minutes of arriving at a Columbia residence that was used as a brothel, a man arrived soliciting prostitution. This man selected FV1 from the approximately five prostitutes present, and paid to have sex with her. FV1 subsequently engaged in prostitution almost every day, averaging two or three clients per day.

Although Jones knew that FV1 was 17 years old, he told everyone else at the brothel that L.V was 18 years old so she would be allowed to work there.

Another victim, identified  as “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.

A third victim, identified as “FV3”, told investigators that Jones told her she needed to make money, and threatened to kick her to the streets if she did not do what he wanted. She witnessed Jones point guns and threaten the other victims.

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

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. They were investigated by the FBI, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man with a prior federal felony conviction for possessing child pornography was sentenced in federal court today for printing obscene images from a computer at a local public library.

David R. Buie, 63, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 10 years and one month in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Buie to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration. The sentence in this case must be served consecutively to a four-month sentence imposed for violating the terms of his supervised release in an earlier, unrelated federal conviction for possessing child pornography.

On May 8, 2018, Buie was found guilty at trial of one count of possessing obscene images of the sexual abuse of children. Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Buie printed images of child obscenity from a computer at a public library. On July 11, 2017, Buie printed about 50 pages from a computer he was using at the Mid-Continent Public Library at 9253 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. Buie didn’t realize that the printer stopped because it was out of toner, so his print jobs were interrupted and only about half of his pages were printed. After Buie left the library, the toner in the printer was changed and the remaining pages of his original print job were printed. As one of the librarians was cleaning up, she removed the remaining pages and observed they were color copies depicting minors from a graphic sex comic.

Library staff contacted the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department to make a report. Buie was identified because his library card was associated with the print job. Security cameras within the library showed him using a computer at the time of the printing.

The U.S. Probation Office was also contacted, because Buie was on supervised release for a prior federal felony conviction for possessing child pornography. When probation officers searched Buie’s residence, they found the images of child obscenity that Buie had printed at the library. Buie told investigators that he visited various public libraries about once a week to view child obscenity anime. Buie said he often printed the images on the library’s printer.

According to court documents, Buie violated the terms of his supervised release on several occasions prior to his criminal offense at the library by possessing incest-like storybooks, “barely legal” pornography and failure to register as a sex offender. While on supervised release, Buie was provided numerous opportunities to avail himself of treatment related to his sexual attraction to minor females, including individual therapy, group therapy, re-directive therapy, and inpatient therapy. He made no progress in therapy and was discharged.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the U.S. Probation Office.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former corrections officer at the Jackson County Detention Center was sentenced in federal court today for smuggling contraband cell phones and other items to inmates at the Jackson County Detention Center.

Andre Lamonte Dickerson, 27, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one year and four months in federal prison without parole.

On April 25, 2018, Dickerson pleaded guilty to two counts of using a telephone in furtherance of the unlawful activity of acceding to corruption, related to a public servant taking a bribe in return for violating his legal duty.

Dickerson admitted that, while employed as a corrections officer at the Jackson County Detention Center, he told a confidential informant that he would smuggle two packs of cigarettes, a cell phone and a cell phone charger to an inmate in the detention center for $500. Dickerson met the informant at a Church’s Fried Chicken restaurant on June 2, 2017, where he received the payment and the contraband items. 

The next day, June 3, 2017, Dickerson entered the inmate’s cell and put the contraband on the bed. They engaged in a conversation regarding potential future contraband transactions. Dickerson asked if the inmate would be interested in paying him a monthly fee of $2,500. In exchange, Dickerson would ensure he would be the only inmate on the fifth floor to receive contraband cigarettes, narcotics and telephones. Other inmates would then shop through him for their contraband.

The inmate smoked one of the packs of cigarettes and exchanged the second pack of cigarettes with other inmates for food from the commissary. On the same day, detention center personnel searched his cell and found the phone and phone charger.

On June 18, 2017, a corrections officer found Dickerson’s cell phone in the fifth floor control station. Text messages contained information recording drug deals between Dickerson and inmates within the Jackson County Detention Center.

Dickerson was arrested on June 27, 2017. At the time of his arrest, Dickerson had two cell phones in his possession while he was on duty in the inmate area of the detention center. Corrections officers are not allowed to have cell phones in their possession while on duty and in the areas of the detention center where inmates are housed.

This case was prosecuted by Deputy U.S. Attorney Gene Porter and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman. It was investigated by the FBI and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department with assistance from the Missouri Department of Corrections, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Jackson County Detention Center. 
 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Joplin, Mo., area.

Sergio Diaz-Ortiz, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Diaz-Ortiz to forfeit to the government $10,331 that was seized by law enforcement officers.

On April 10, 2018, Diaz-Ortiz pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the hotel room where Diaz-Ortiz was staying in Joplin, on June 16, 2016. Officers seized three pounds of methamphetamine, three cell phones, an Apple laptop, a Samsung tablet, $10,331 and a Beretta 9mm pistol. 

Diaz-Ortiz told investigators that this was his second trip to Joplin with five pounds of methamphetamine being delivered to him for further distribution. Diaz-Ortiz received the pre-packaged methamphetamine (packaged in one-pound increments) after he arrived at the hotel. He took the methamphetamine to his hotel room and received instructions by cell phone regarding the names and amounts of methamphetamine each person should receive that would arrive at his hotel room. Two pounds of methamphetamine had already been picked up, he said.

Diaz-Ortiz supplied methamphetamine to co-defendant Justin Lee Thurston, 34, of Joplin, who in turn sold methamphetamine to co-defendant Casey Joe Simpson, 37, of Carthage, Mo. Thurston and Simpson have each been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull II. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, DEA Drug Task Force 3, Downstream Casino security and the Quapaw Police Department.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., business owner was charged in federal court today with participating in a conspiracy to commit arson against a rival business as well as a residence. 

William “Bill” Joseph Reneau, 41, of Overland Park, Kansas, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Reneau is the owner of Gold Rush Exchange, which has locations on 40 Highway and 24 Highway in Independence.

Today’s federal criminal complaint charges Reneau with one count of conspiracy to commit arson. The complaint alleges that Reneau participated in a conspiracy to destroy an Independence residence and a business, Bobby Jackson’s Trading, a gold-buying business operated by a former employee of Reneau’s at 302 E. 23rd Street in Independence.

According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, Reneau hired others to damage Bobby Jackson’s Trading in July and August of 2017, then to burn the business as well as a residence owned by his wife’s ex-husband in August 2018.

Reneau allegedly paid R.Y. $800 to damage the Bobby Jackson’s Trading building, the affidavit says. On July 17, 2017, the affidavit says, R.Y. drove a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee into the front of the business, backing into the building and colliding with the front door and the front business windows. The stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee was located later by the Independence Police Department, unoccupied and still running with evidence from the damaged building still attached to the vehicle. The damage was approximately $10,000.

On Aug. 4, 2017, the affidavit says, R.Y. set fire to Bobby Jackson’s Trading. During the investigation, investigators located what appeared to be containers that were used to bring gasoline to the business and set the fire near the front doors and windows. The fire caused approximately $5,000 dollars in damage to the exterior and interior of the business. Reneau allegedly paid R.Y. $800 for setting the fire.

Reneau allegedly also paid $500 to another person, T.T., to have the Independence residence, which was unoccupied, burned down. He obtained details of the residence online and provided that information for the person doing the arson.

On Aug. 13, 2018, police officers responded to the house fire. Investigators determined the fire originated on the exterior of the home on the back deck. An outdoor rug was located within the area of origin that was partially burned and had an odor consistent with that of gasoline. A melted red plastic gasoline container was also observed next to the rug.

A set of keys and a key fob for a Pontiac G6 were located on the ground at the foot of the steps leading up to the rear deck. During the fire scene investigation, a neighbor contacted investigators and advised them that a suspicious vehicle (Pontiac G6) had been left at the intersection of Truman and Ranson Street. The reporting neighbor had observed an unknown male rummaging through the Pontiac G6, immediately after the fire was observed at the residence behind the reporting neighbor. When the unknown male heard the sirens from emergency vehicles, he walked away from the vehicle. The key recovered from the fire scene was able to unlock the abandoned vehicle. 

Inside the vehicle, officers found a Missouri temporary driver’s license for T.T., who later told investigators that he intentionally set the fire at the residence. T.T. admitted to burning his legs and sections of his arm in the process of setting the fire and to losing his keys to his vehicle, which he identified as a Pontiac G6 that he had parked a street over from the target residence.

T.T. told investigators that B.E., the store manager at Gold Rush Exchange, to whom he sold stolen gold jewelry, had hired him to commit the residential arson. T.T. indicated he only agreed to set the fire because B.E. threatened to turn him into the police since he held onto all of the stolen gold T.T. had previously sold to him. T.T. told investigators that he began recording his conversations with B.E. using a digital recorder.

T.T. told investigators that B.E. also hired him to torch Bobby Jackson’s Trading Company. T.T. said he poured one jug of gasoline on the ground outside of the business and he threw another jug of gasoline onto the roof. T.T. told investigators that he got spooked and decided not to light the fire.

Independence detectives conducted a controlled sale of purportedly stolen jewelry between T.T. and B.E. on Aug. 24, 2018, in the parking lot of Gold Rush Exchange. B.E. was arrested when he left the business.

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

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Lee’s Summit, Mo., police officer was charged in federal court today with armed bank robbery after leading officers on a 100-miles-per-hour vehicle pursuit.

Richard W. Hagerty, 35, was charged in a two-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Hagerty was a police officer with the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department from 2007 to 2016.

Today’s criminal complaint charges Hagerty with one count of bank robbery and one count of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. Hagerty remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

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

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

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

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

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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragnar. It was investigated by the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Additional charges were filed today against a Kansas City, Mo., man for stalking two more victims.

Robert J. Gross, 66, of Kansas City, was charged in a 10-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s superseding indictment replaces an indictment returned on Jan. 10, 2018, and adds two counts of stalking.

Today’s indictment charges Gross with two additional counts of stalking separate victims between Oct. 1 and Dec. 22, 2017. Gross allegedly traveled from Missouri to Kansas with the intent to harass and intimidate his victims, causing them to feel substantial emotional distress.

Today’s indictment also contains the original eight counts, which includes two counts of stalking separate victims (for a total of four victims) between Oct. 1 and Dec. 22, 2017; three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and three counts of receiving a firearm while under indictment.

Gross allegedly was in possession of a 9mm Velocity “Uzi”-type firearm on Dec. 16, 2017. At that time, Gross was both a convicted felon and under indictment in the state of Kansas for aggravated sexual battery.

Gross allegedly was in possession of a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun on Dec. 17, 2017. At that time, Gross was both a convicted felon and under indictment in the state of Kansas for aggravated sexual battery.

Gross allegedly was in possession of a Springfield 12-gauge shotgun and a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun on Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. At that time, Gross was both a convicted felon and under indictment in the state of Kansas for aggravated sexual battery.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony, or who is under indictment, to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Gross has prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and making terroristic threats to a former girlfriend.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Gross was destroying property and stalking individuals associated with massage parlors in Kansas, which led to him being placed under surveillance by law enforcement. 

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

According to the affidavit, the individual who sold the shotguns to Gross told investigators that Gross called him the day before, after seeing the firearms advertised on a web site. Gross told him he wanted to buy two shotguns for $350 and they arranged to meet at Lowe’s to conduct the sale.

Garrison cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jess Michaelsen and Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Lawrence, Kan., Police Department, and the Douglas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Cabool, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to violating the Clean Water Act by dumping grease into the Big Piney River.

Brian Dale Fleming, 51, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of knowingly discharging a pollutant (used grease) into the Big Piney River without a permit. 

Fleming is the owner of BF Byproducts, LLC, which is located in Cabool. BF Byproducts (formerly Fleming Recycling) is a grease-recycling business. BF Byproducts uses trucks to collect used grease from hundreds of restaurants in Missouri, Arkansas and elsewhere. The grease is transported to the Cabool facility, where it is recycled for resale and a profit.

Drivers who work for BF Byproducts collect the used grease for further processing at the Cabool facility where it is hosed from the collection trucks to a pit at the facility. From the pit, the grease is pumped to tanks located on the facility for further heating. The heating process separates the used grease; any grease that falls to the bottom of the heat processing tank is considered waste.
    
Because the waste was not needed, employees were instructed by Fleming to pump the waste grease down the hill from the main plant processing facility. This waste grease that was illegally pumped from BF Byproducts entered an unnamed tributary that leads into the Big Piney River.

On April 2, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) executed a search warrant at BF Byproducts in conjunction with the Texas County, Mo., Sheriff's Department. The search warrant was issued after numerous residents near and adjacent to the grease processing facility complained of used grease being found in nearby ditches and tributaries leading to the Big Piney River.  

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and Fleming recommend a fine of $15,000 and a restitution payment to the state of Missouri of $3,818. This recommendation is made in light of the fact that Fleming already served a year and a day of incarceration after being convicted in a separate criminal case, in which he participated (with his brother and co-defendant) in a conspiracy to steal spent cooking oil from restaurants and transport the stolen property across state lines to a grease recycling business in Tulsa, Okla. Additionally, there was a Superfund cleanup conducted at BF Byproducts, and today’s plea agreement anticipates that there may be costs associated with the cleanup that are separate and apart from this criminal proceeding. 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 Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Texas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Cabool, Mo., Police Department.
 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man who tried to sell firearms to a local pawn shop pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms after law enforcement officers confiscated 50 weapons from him.

Jeremy L. Roark, 33, of Jefferson City, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps to being a felon in possession of firearms.

According to court documents, Roark attempted to sell six firearms to River City Pawn and Gun in Jefferson City on Dec. 15, 2017. The owner told police officers that Roark brought six firearms to the business: a Colt .45-caliber revolver, a Taurus .38-caliber revolver, a Sig Sauer .45-caliber pistol, a Ruger .22-caliber revolver, a Ruger .357-caliber magnum revolver and a Ruger .45-caliber revolver. Roark also discussed having as many as 70 additional firearms for sale that he could bring to River City Pawn and Gun. The owner didn’t pay Roark for the six guns that were left, and after having no contact with Roark, called the police on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017.

The next day, investigators interviewed Roark, who acknowledged that he had taken the guns to River City Pawn and Gun. Law enforcement officers recovered approximately 50 firearms from Roark during the course of the investigation.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Roark has prior felony convictions for distributing or manufacturing a controlled substance and a prior felony conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol.
  
Under federal statutes, Roark 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 Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former church maintenance worker pleaded guilty in federal court today to arson after setting a fire at Concord Cultural Center  in Kansas City, Mo., and spray-painting racist graffiti on the front of the adjoining church, Concord Fortress of Hope, in an effort to cover up his burglary.

Nathaniel D. Nelson, 49, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to the charge contained in a Nov. 16, 2017, federal indictment.

Nelson was a member of the church who was employed as a maintenance worker at the church and cultural center, located at 11040 W. Longview Parkway, Kansas City, Mo. Firefighters were called by a church employee and responded to the cultural center on Sunday morning, Oct. 29, 2017. A fire had occurred in an office inside the building but a sprinkler had activated and extinguished the fire prior to the arrival of firefighters. Investigators concluded that an office chair and other ordinary combustible material had been intentionally ignited using an open flame. 

According to the church’s insurance company, the fire, fire suppression efforts, and other damage resulted in payouts to date in excess of $330,000. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Nelson must pay restitution, which will be determined by the court at the sentencing hearing.

Investigators also discovered racist graffiti spray-painted on the front of the church. A racial slur, the letters “KKK” and a symbol similar to a swastika were visible from the main entrance into the parking lot as members of the congregation arrived at the church for Sunday morning services.

Nelson admitted he set the fire to conceal his breaking into the church offices and vending machines. Nelson also admitted he spray-painted the outside to further conceal his identity.

The digital video recorder for the video surveillance system that monitored the foyer area and the cultural center’s interior and exterior cameras was unplugged and no longer recording when examined by investigators. Investigators determined that the DVR system lost power sometime after 1 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017, and had been intentionally unplugged.

A review of the DVR system revealed that Nelson was in the foyer area shortly before the DVR system was deactivated. A second DVR, which was still powered on, recorded the video surveillance footage for the interior and exterior cameras located inside and outside of the church, which were separate from the cameras located in the cultural center and foyer. The second DVR captured video footage of Nelson spray painting the front of the church. Nelson admitted he deactivated one DVR to hide his actions and identity. He did not know that video was being recorded on a separate system inside the church, which captured him spray-painting the outside of the building.

Under federal statutes, Nelson is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 17, 2019.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former operator of a local construction company, Patriot Company, Inc., was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a “rent-a-vet” scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $13.7 million in federal contracts. 

Jeffrey K. Wilson, 53, of the Village of Loch Lloyd in Belton, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 18 months in federal prison without parole. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Wilson has also consented to the federal civil forfeiture of approximately $2.1 million.

On Jan. 31, 2018, Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of government program fraud. Co-defendant Paul R. Salavitch, 57, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of making a false writing and awaits sentencing.

Wilson, who is not a veteran, managed the day-to-day operations and the long-term decision making of Patriot Company from September 2005 to January 2014. Wilson and Salavitch falsely certified that Salavitch, who is a service-disabled veteran, was involved in the day-to-day operations of Patriot Company. Salavitch’s purported active management qualified Patriot Company to obtain set-aside contracts to which it was not entitled. 

Wilson admitted he used Salavitch’s veteran and service-disabled veteran status in a “rent-a-vet” scheme to obtain 20 government contracts for which Patriot Company received more than $13.7 million. As a result of the fraud scheme, legitimate veteran-owned-and-run businesses were not awarded these contracts. In one instance, according to court documents, Wilson brazenly challenged the government’s award of a set-aside contract to a service-disabled veteran bidder and Patriot Company fraudulently obtained that contract.

Wilson’s plea agreement cites 20 contracts with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Army, which were fraudulently obtained by Wilson, Salavitch and Patriot Company. The contracts, which ranged as high as $4.3 million, included construction projects in Missouri, South Dakota, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Iowa, Illinois and North Dakota.

In September 2013, the Veterans Administration conducted an unannounced site visit of Patriot Company. The site inspector discovered that Salavitch was working 40 miles away at his full-time job as a federal employee with the Department of Defense in Leavenworth, Kan. 

Wilson did not stop violating the law even after the government’s site visit. Instead, Wilson and Salavitch fought cancellation of Patriot Company’s status. In November 2013, Salavitch falsely certified to the Missouri Division of Purchasing and Materials Management that Patriot Company was a legitimate service-disabled veteran-owned small business when he knew it was not because he did not actively run the company. In December 2013, the Veterans Administration de-certified Patriot Company.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey Perkins Rock, Curt Bohling and Jane Pansing Brown. It was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General – Criminal Investigation Division and the General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General.
 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A woman carrying more than five pounds of fentanyl in her suitcase as she traveled through Kansas City, Mo., was charged in federal court today.

“Synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, are among the deadliest substances being trafficked across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “I commend our law enforcement partners for their diligent work to identify and disrupt the distribution networks used by drug traffickers.”

Evelyn C. Sanchez, 33, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., with possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute. Sanchez remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Sanchez was traveling from Los Angeles, Calif., en route to New York, N.Y. Her bus stopped briefly at a Kansas City bus station on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. After Kansas City police detectives interviewed Sanchez at the bus station, they became suspicious that she was not being truthful about her trip and purpose for going to New York. A K-9 alerted to a grey, hard-sided suitcase under one of the seats near where Sanchez had been seated on the bus, and she eventually acknowledged that that suitcase belonged to her.

When detectives searched Sanchez’s suitcase, the affidavit says, they found two bundles wrapped in several layers of plastic, which contained a total of 5.3 pounds or 2.4 kilograms of N-phenyl-N-[1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinyl] propanamide, commonly known as fentanyl.

“I’m proud that the members of the DEA Interdiction Task Force, working collaboratively with the Kansas City Police Department, were able to make a difference by seizing 1.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl from the streets,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge William Callahan said. “We task these interdiction groups with an increasingly difficult task ... to seize drugs before they hit the streets of our communities. Today, they made an impact. They kept this poison out of our neighborhoods and potentially saved countless lives. We are extremely grateful to our state, local, and federal counterparts who contribute to these interdiction efforts.”

“Our Interdiction Unit did an excellent job,” Kansas City Police Chief Richard C. Smith said. “This was a huge amount of fentanyl capable of killing thousands of people. I’m very proud of our detectives and of how our excellent working relationships with our federal partners are keeping dangerous drugs like this off the streets and holding traffickers accountable.”

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

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

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., woman who was arrested with a half-pound of heroin and six pounds of methamphetamine in her possession has pleaded guilty in federal court to her role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Mo.

Kathy J. Alexander, 62, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, to the charge contained in a Jan. 23, 2018, federal indictment.

Alexander was arrested while driving through Amarillo, Texas, on Jan. 11, 2016, with a half-pound of heroin and six pounds of methamphetamine that she was transporting from Arizona to Springfield. Alexander admitted that she had traveled to Arizona and met with co-conspirators to receive the heroin and methamphetamine. After the drugs were repackaged for distribution, she began driving back to Springfield to deliver them to another co-conspirator.

Alexander had also been stopped, but not arrested, on Dec. 2, 2014, by law enforcement officers in Oklahoma while she was transporting five ounces of heroin hidden in her underwear.

Alexander admitted that she had made 14 drug transporting excursions, averaging one trip each month, for which she was paid $500 per trip. The drug-trafficking conspiracy lasted from Dec. 2, 2014, to Jan. 23, 2018.

Co-defendant Davetta F. Hicks, 31, of Springfield, has also pleaded guilty to her role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Hicks was arrested on Dec. 9, 2014, by Kingsville, Texas, police officers for the possession of a half-pound of methamphetamine found in her purse. Hicks admitted that she made three trips to Texas to transport cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine to Springfield.

Under federal statutes, Alexander 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 Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Combined Ozarks Multijurisdictional Enforcement Team (COMET).
 

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

Laron J. Wainwright, 43, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Wainwright was in possession of a Jimenez 9mm semi-automatic handgun, which had been reported as stolen, on April 5, 2015.

According to court documents, Kansas City, Mo., police officers were dispatched to the area of 11th Street and Prospect Avenue on April 5, 2015, to investigate suspicious drug activity in the park. When they contacted Wainwright, he fled and led officers on a pursuit through the park. As Wainwright ran onto Prospect Avenue, an officer saw the loaded Jimenez 9mm handgun fall onto the street. Wainwright continued running to a nearby apartment building; he attempted to get into the building but was unable to do so, and he was placed under arrest.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Wainwright has three prior felony convictions for distribution of a controlled substance, two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for about two hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, Aug. 20, 2018.

Under federal statutes, Wainwright is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 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 Stefan C. Hughes and Matthew Moeder. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.