U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri
Recent News About U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri
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Former sheriff's deputy charged with distributing child pornography
A former deputy sheriff and school resource officer from Camden County, Missouri, has been charged in federal court with distributing child pornography. Darrin Marshall Skinner, 49, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Missouri, on Thursday, May 9.
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Former bank VP pleads guilty to $1.5 million fraud scheme
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Stacia Wilson, a former vice president of St. Clair County State Bank in Osceola, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling over $1.5 million from the bank.
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Kansas City father and son indicted for illegal firearms trafficking
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A father and son from Kansas City, Mo., have been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlicensed firearm sales, illegal possession of firearms, and drug trafficking. Nathan Caldwell, Sr., 52, also known as “Prince Bossalinie,” and Nathan Caldwell, Jr., 32, were charged in a 29-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on Tuesday, May 7. The indictment was unsealed and made public upon their arrest and initial court appearances.
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KC Man Indicted for Producing Child Pornography
A Kansas City man has been indicted for producing child pornography that depicted the sexual assault of a 3-year-old victim. Michael Adden, 26, faces multiple charges including producing, attempting to produce, distributing, and possessing child pornography.
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Springfield Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Heroin Conspiracy
A Springfield, Missouri man, James D. Elbert, 42, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in Greene County. The sentence was handed down by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips. Elbert pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin on July 5, 2023, admitting to distributing at least 100 grams of heroin in Greene County between October 2, 2015, and November 13, 2017. He acknowledged selling a total of 6.86 grams of heroin to an undercover informant on three separate occasions in...
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Oklahoma Inmate Sentenced to 26 Years for Leading Meth Conspiracy from his Prison Cell
An inmate at the Lawton Correctional Facility in Oklahoma has been sentenced to 26 years in federal prison for leading a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in Greene and Polk Counties from behind bars. Joshua A. Ramirez, 39, received the sentence from U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Tuesday, May 7. Ramirez, with no legal address, was sentenced as a career criminal due to previous felony convictions. Ramirez admitted to facilitating large methamphetamine transactions while incarcerated, utilizing drug couriers to transport the drug and handle proceeds from...
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Jury Convicts El Dorado Springs Man of Child Pornography
"SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An El Dorado Springs, Mo., man who was caught with thousands of images and videos of child pornography was convicted at trial today.
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Two Men Indicted for Robbing Commerce Bank in Kansas City, Missouri
Two Men Indicted for Robbing Commerce Bank in Kansas City, Missouri
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KC Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Fentanyl Conspiracy That Resulted in Overdose Death
A Kansas City man, Dmitry Cattell, has been sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl that led to an overdose death. U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips handed down the sentence on Thursday, May 2. Cattell pleaded guilty to several charges related to the distribution of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in connection with drug trafficking.During the sentencing hearing, evidence was presented regarding the delivery of fentanyl by Cattell, which tragically resulted in the death of an individual on May 18, 2020....
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Conspiracy After Officers Seize $1 Million Worth of Cocaine in I-70 Traffic Stop
An Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, man has pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine after law enforcement officers seized more than $1 million worth of cocaine from a rental truck that was stopped on Interstate 70 in Lafayette County, Mo."Luis Gerardo Nieto-Acosta, 37, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Monday, April 29, to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking...
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Kansas City Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery and Carjacking During Illegal Drug Sale
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Mykus Butler, a 25-year-old man from Kansas City, Missouri, has been handed a severe sentence in federal court for his involvement in an armed robbery and carjacking that took place during an illegal drug sale. U.S. District Judge Greg Kays sentenced Butler to 14 years and two months in federal prison without parole.Butler pleaded guilty to several charges, including aiding and abetting a robbery, aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and aiding and abetting a carjacking. He confessed to contacting the victim under the...
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Springfield CPA Pleads Guilty to Stealing $400,000 from Trust Fund
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man, Ray Leonard Marple, 61, has pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzling more than $400,000 from a trust fund under his control.According to court documents, Marple admitted that he embezzled approximately $432,981 from a revocable trust account over a period of almost six years. The embezzlement took place following the death of the grantor.Marple confessed to stealing at least $415,481 from the trust account and using the funds for personal purposes, including the purchase of his residential property in Springfield....
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KC Police Officer Indicted for $300,000 Charity Fraud Scheme
A Kansas City, Mo., police officer, Aaron Wayne McKie, found himself facing serious charges after being indicted for a charity fraud scheme that involved misappropriating over $300,000 in donations for personal expenses. McKie, who has been with the Kansas City Police Department for 24 years, allegedly used funds from the anti-crime charity he ran for his personal gain.According to the federal indictment, McKie served as the president of Mid-America Crime Free, Inc. (MACF), a non-profit organization, from 2009 to 2023. The indictment revealed that McKie devised a scheme...
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Olathe Man Indicted for Stealing 41 Firearms
An Olathe, Kansas man, Frank Guereca, has been indicted for stealing 41 firearms from a gun store in Raytown, Mo. Guereca was arrested while crossing the border from Mexico back into the United States and is now facing charges related to the theft."We are committed to stanching the flow of illegal firearms on the black market, whether they’re trafficked within the United States or smuggled into Mexico," stated U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore of the Western District of Missouri. Moore emphasized the importance of holding accountable those involved in criminal activities related...
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Anesthesiologist Pleads Guilty to Taking Fentanyl from Hospital
An anesthesiologist at a Lee’s Summit, Mo., hospital pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally taking fentanyl from the hospital.Roman Peplinski, the anesthesiologist in question, admitted to illegally obtaining fentanyl from Lakewood Medical Center on Nov. 5, 2022. Peplinski misrepresented the fentanyl was for a patient, when in reality, that patient had been discharged from the hospital earlier that day. He also admitted to withdrawing fentanyl from three vials from Sept. 1, 2022, through Nov. 30, 2022.According to the information provided, personnel from...
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KC Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to False Tax Returns
A Kansas City tax preparer, Linzell Harris, 67, has pleaded guilty in federal court to aiding the preparation of false tax returns. Harris, who owned and operated The MJM Group, Inc., admitted to fabricating deductions and credits for clients to obtain large refunds. According to the report, the total tax loss to the IRS as a result of Harris's actions was $124,308 for tax years 2015 through 2019.Harris prepared false income tax returns for at least 12 taxpayer clients, totaling 43 fraudulent returns over the mentioned years. He also failed to file personal tax returns...
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Ohio Man Sentenced for Meth Trafficking
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Cincinnati, Ohio, man has been sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine pills. Antuan McClendon, 43, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips without the possibility of parole.McClendon's sentencing follows his guilty plea to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The charges stemmed from an incident on December 21, 2023, when McClendon was apprehended while traveling on a bus from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Indianapolis, Indiana, with a stop in Kansas City, Mo.Law enforcement...
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Tulsa Man Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy, Illegal Firearm
A Tulsa, Oklahoma man, Jeffrey L. Hughley, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri. The sentencing was carried out by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool. This comes after law enforcement officers seized approximately 29 pounds of methamphetamine, $57,000, and several firearms as part of the investigation.According to court documents, Hughley admitted to being a courier during the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in various counties...
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Deepwater Man Sentenced for $500,000 CARES Act Fraud
A Deepwater, Mo., man, Brian Ruth, Sr., has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison without parole for fraudulently obtaining over $500,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under the CARES Act. U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark handed down the sentence, along with a $15,000 fine, $522,765 in restitution to the Small Business Administration, and a forfeiture of $336,000. Ruth was immediately taken into custody following the hearing.Ruth admitted to his crimes, stating, "I applied online in May and June 2020, and received three PPP loans totaling...
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West Plains Man Sentenced for Illegally Harvesting Trees in National Forest
A West Plains man, Justin Lee Massey, has been sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison without parole for illegally harvesting and stealing trees from Mark Twain National Forest. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark. Massey was also ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service and forfeit $30,000, representing the proceeds of his theft.Massey pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property after admitting to illegally cutting down at least 10 trees in Mark Twain National Forest between...