U.S. District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Friday sentenced a man from St. Louis who injured two deputy U.S. marshals, one permanently, during his arrest to 27 years in prison. Emilio Justin Sandoval, now 34, had been indicted on felony methamphetamine charges in 2021 and the U.S. Marshals were tasked with arresting him. On […]
U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Friday sentenced a man from St. Charles County who possessed and shared child pornography over social media to 12 years in prison. Judge Sippel also ordered James Schoggins, 42, to pay a total of $12,000 to four victims whose images he shared online. Schoggins pleaded guilty in October […]
A man was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday on fentanyl distribution charges. The indictment accuses Alejandro Chacon-Martinez, 20, of possession with the intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing fentanyl on July 17. A criminal complaint filed July 18 says Chacon-Martinez was stopped the day before at a gas station […]
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Senate voted narrowly Thursday in favor of expanding a program that compensates Americans who become ill because of exposure to radiation from the country’s development and testing of nuclear weapons to cover Missourians. The proposal, offered by Sen. Josh Hawley, was attached as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which […]
(Missouri Independent) – More than 32,000 Missourians – half of them children – lost Medicaid coverage in June during Missouri’s first round of eligibility checks after the COVID public health emergency. According to a Department of Social Services announcement Thursday, out of the roughly 116,000 Medicaid recipients who had their eligibility checked in June, around 43% retained […]
(Missouri Independent) – As Missouri went to celebrate the first 4/20 after the state legalized recreational marijuana, a licensed cannabis business in Kansas City organized a huge festival. For the first time, people were able to smoke pot openly at a large public event in Missouri, with approval under local government rules. “It was the first […]
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced that his Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) unit successfully committed Paul Witte of St. Charles County to Missouri’s Sexual Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services. The SVP Unit seeks the civil commitment of sexual predators who suffer from a mental abnormality, making them more likely than not to commit predatory acts […]
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a former supervisory motor vehicle inspector with the Missouri State Highway Patrol to 15 months in prison for taking thousands of dollars in cash bribes. Judge Schelp also ordered Larry S. Conrad, 67, to perform 100 hours of community service and pay a $20,000 fine, part […]
A doctor who owns multiple urgent care centers in the St. Louis, Missouri area was arrested Thursday on an indictment accusing him and his office manager of committing health care fraud. Dr. Sonny Saggar, 55, and Renita Barringer, 50, were each indicted Wednesday on one count of conspiracy and eight counts of making false statements […]
A man was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday concerning a 2011 St. Louis County, Missouri homicide. Michael Grady, 68, was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Wednesday’s superseding indictment adds Grady to a 2021 indictment against Victoria Rena Williams, 65, that is […]
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a man from St. Louis County, Missouri who committed a $1.6 million credit card fraud scheme to 14 years and seven months in prison. Michael W. Burrus, 50, was also ordered to repay the money. Burrus and others obtained stolen information for business customers of Lowe’s, […]
A Missouri woman was sentenced in federal court for failing to pay over employment taxes. Karen Lauridsen, 61, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 14 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $242,251 in restitution to the IRS for delinquent employment taxes. On Nov. 8, 2022, Lauridsen pleaded […]
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for sexually assaulting a minor child victim to produce child pornography and distribute it to others through the Kik application. Andrew J. McCardie, 36, of Farley, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 40 years in federal prison without parole. McCardie will be required […]
Summer’s heat can be dangerous for your family pets. The American Red Cross has steps you can take to ensure your four-legged friends stay safe this summer. Don’t leave your pet in a hot vehicle, even for a few minutes. The inside temperature of the car can quickly reach 120 degrees even with the windows […]
(Missouri Independent) – Municipalities in Missouri are attempting to restrict drag performances as obscenity or a planning-and-development concern, with Branson among the first after advancing an ordinance Tuesday night limiting drag to a small area of town. Rolla recently tried to limit drag, but an ordinance defining it as obscene, failed during a city council meeting last […]
Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe announced the partnership with the Center for Human Services (CHS) to offer new Sensory and Accessibility resources during the 2023 event. ”The State Fair prides itself on offering something for everyone, including agriculture experiences, thrilling carnival midway rides, live entertainment, music, and more,” said Wolfe. “We recognize that all […]
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey joined a 25-state coalition in challenging the Biden Administration’s proposed plan to forcibly phase out gas-powered vehicles and restructure the automobile industry around electric vehicles (EVs) at a breakneck pace. The draconian proposal aims to boost certain EV sales from 8.4% of total vehicle sales today to 67% by 2032. […]
A woman from St. Peters, Missouri on Wednesday admitted defrauding a pandemic-era loan program out of $100,927. Francheska D. Reese, 36, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud. She admitted that between March 30, 2020, and at least Jan. 24, 2023, she devised a scheme to defraud […]
Eight people have been indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on charges alleging that they defrauded a national car rental company and stole at least 19 vehicles worth more than $1.1 million. Those indicted are: Tyrell A. Oliver, 38 of Atlanta Steven B. Matthews, 39, of Atlanta. Shawnta B. Fonseca, 32, of New […]
U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon from Cahokia Heights, Illinois to 51 months in prison for possessing a pistol converted into a machine gun at a St. Louis, Missouri hotel. On Dec. 9, 2021, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers caught Henry Miller with a 9mm Glock pistol that […]
