Gerald Hunter, 56, of Los Angeles, appeared before United States District Judge John A. Ross and was sentenced to life in federal prison. Hunter was convicted of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine, […]
(Missouri Independent) – It was just after 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 10, when the forms arrived from the state treasurer’s office. Without warning, and with little explanation, school superintendents discovered they were now required to certify their district had complied with Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s demands to drop all COVID-19 mitigation measures, such as […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway today announced that her office has begun a regularly scheduled audit of Texas County, located in south-central Missouri. The most recent audit of Texas County was completed in November 2017 and gave the county an overall performance rating of “poor,” the lowest possible. “My office will conduct an independent review of government operations […]
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today issued her office’s audit of the Clay County Commission, which was initiated by a citizen petition in 2018. The report follows repeated but ultimately unsuccessful efforts by former county commissioners to impede the completion of the audit. The report, which gave a rating of “poor” – the lowest possible […]
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for distributing more than a kilogram of methamphetamine. William Austin Lee Crabtree, 30, of Russellville, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 12 years in federal prison without parole. On Aug. 24, 2021, Crabtree pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent […]
Governor Mike Parson announced seven appointments to various boards and commissions. Sheriff Jim Arnott, of Springfield, was appointed to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. Sheriff Arnott has served as the Greene County Sheriff since 2008. He has also simultaneously served as the Interim Chief of the Fair Grove Police Department and Ash Grove Police […]
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released a review of state tax credit programs as required by state law. The review compiles tax credit redemptions over the past five years and future obligations. Created by the General Assembly, and codified in state statutes, tax credits are generally a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the amount of state taxes […]
Major Michael A. Turner, bureau commander for the Support Services Bureau, will transfer to the Field Operations Bureau, General Headquarters, Jefferson City, MO. As bureau commander for Field Operations, Major Turner will have direct oversight responsibilities for all nine troops, Aircraft Division, and Water Patrol Division. He will continue serving as a member of the […]
A man was sentenced to life in prison for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, creating child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of 20 victims whose ages ranged from infancy to nine years old, obtaining custody of a minor for purposes of producing CSAM, and possessing CSAM. Arlan Wesley Harrell, 27, of Hawthorne, California pleaded guilty […]
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a $4 million drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than 520 kilograms of methamphetamine over three years. Christapher Dean Parton, also known as “Big Baby,” 32, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by United States District Judge Greg Kays to 15 years in federal prison […]
(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published as a collaboration between Investigate Midwest and Watchdog Writers Group. The American Farm Bureau Federation calls itself the “voice of agriculture,” a slogan it trademarked in 2007. But as the divide between agribusiness and small farmers has grown in recent decades, a unified voice of agriculture has become harder to […]
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for the sexual exploitation of two victims, an 8-year old and a 16-year old. Harley Wayne Schrader, 27, of Webb City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 16 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Schrader to […]
A former National Football League player was sentenced to five years in prison for orchestrating a nationwide scheme to defraud a healthcare benefit program for retired NFL players. According to court documents, Robert McCune, 42, of Riverdale, Georgia, defrauded the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan (the Plan). The Plan was established […]
A federal grand jury indicted James Furlow for numerous counts related to a crime spree during the last week of December 2021. The indictment charges that Furlow committed three armed robberies, specifically, two carjackings and a commercial business robbery. In addition, it is alleged that Furlow discharged a firearm while committing the business […]
(Missouri Independent) – In a case that grew out of a law making it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion after eight weeks, the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday said those seeking to force a referendum on new laws can begin collecting signatures as soon as the bill is passed. The ruling threw […]
A former teacher at Winston High School has been sentenced for alleged inappropriate contact with a female student. Fifty-three-year-old Alfred Brian Sprouse of Gallatin pleaded guilty in December to charges of sexual contact with a student as well as a misdemeanor count of assault in the fourth degree, also involving a student. The alleged incidents […]
(Missouri Independent) – The closure of Save A Lot in Pagedale left a hole in northern St. Louis County. Beyond Housing, a community-building group that serves about two dozen cities in the area had worked through the Great Recession to bring a grocery store closer to low-income residents in a part of the St. Louis area dotted with […]
(Missouri Independent) – Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s record on China is once again coming under fire, with a political action committee supporting one of his rivals in the GOP Senate primary launching an attack ad during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics Team PAC, which was formed to support the U.S. Senate candidacy of former […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released an audit of Ralls County, located in northeast Missouri, that finds improvements are needed to the property tax system and to other areas of county government. The report gave a rating of “fair.” “Our audit found several areas where improvements would help ensure greater accountability for the taxpayers of […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, along with seven other attorneys general, filed suit against the Biden Administration for their unlawful reinstatement of the ineffective Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee and Parole Program. The lawsuit alleges that illegal aliens with pending asylum claims can petition the government through the CAM Program to allow their minor children […]
