Missouri Secretary of State website

Missouri Securities Division Partners with CFTC and 26 states to stop $68 million precious metals scheme

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division announced that it is participating in a consolidated enforcement action to stop a $68 million fraudulent precious metals scheme that, to date, has allegedly defrauded at least 450 investors nationwide, including eighteen investors from Missouri. A complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Central District […]

Missouri businesses oppose ban on COVID vaccine mandates, argue it’s their choice

(Missouri Independent) – Proposals that would bar COVID-19 vaccine mandates and provide greater exemptions for vaccinations more broadly faced a wave of opposition from Missouri business groups Wednesday. Representatives for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Associated Industries of Missouri, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and other business associations made clear to lawmakers […]

School buses wait Tuesday outside Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School in Columbia (Photo Credit Rudi Keller Missouri Independent

Confusion around COVID ruling swirls as two Missouri school districts end semester early

(Missouri Independent) – As a growing number of Missouri school districts drop COVID mitigation measures under threat from Attorney General Eric Schmitt, at least two closed the doors on their fall semester early due to large numbers of staff and students out sick. Meanwhile, local public health departments said Tuesday they still have not heard […]

Prison Sentence News Graphic

Former Kansas City Chiefs player sentenced to more than three years in prison for COVID-19 relief fraud

A former National Football League player, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1.2 million through a Paycheck Protection Program loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. According to court documents, Joshua […]

Theodore Eddings Booking Photo

Missouri man who operated guided hunting tour company ordered to repay investors

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division and Republic, Missouri resident, Theodore Jay Eddings, recently entered into a consent order to settle allegations against Eddings by the Division involving investor fraud.   In the first portion of October 2021, the Missouri Secretary of State issued a cease and desist order that required Eddings to show […]

Orscheln Headquarters Moberly (Photo by Rudi Keller - Missouri Independent)

Controversial bill would have aided Orscheln Products LLC, under scrutiny for contamination

(Missouri Independent) – Two years ago, a company led by an influential Republican businessman faced off with the state’s environmental regulators over whether it needed to do additional testing for a chemical that health officials worried could pose a cancer risk to the company’s workers.  The Moberly manufacturing facility, Orscheln Products LLC, is owned by […]

Audit Graphic

Greene County taxpayers footed a $25,000 legal bill in connection with 2017 ballot measure ethics probe

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released the audit of the Greene County Commission that included the involvement of a former Greene County commissioner in a 2017 sales tax ballot measure campaign. Among its findings, the audit found that taxpayers paid more than $25,000 in legal invoices sent to the personal address of now-former Presiding Commissioner […]

City of Trenton Website

Three police officers hired by Trenton City Council; discussion continues but no action taken on trash service

Three representatives of Rapid Removal Disposal met last night with the Trenton City Council and city officials to discuss issues regarding trash service, particularly complaints that have been received by staff at City Hall. Councilman Lance Otto led a discussion on his research on the banned breed dog ordinance as well as the dangerous dogs’ […]

Securities Fraud

Kansas City area advisor & firm consent to $40,000 payment to settle allegations of securities violations

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division issued a consent order against investment advisor representative, Douglas W. Coe, and his firm, Moody Reid Financial Advisors, L.P. for violations of the Missouri Securities Act stemming from the respondents’ failure to comply with reporting requirements to the Missouri Securities Division. During a routine examination of Moody Reid […]

City of Trenton Website

Trenton City Council reviews problems with trash service; city health insurance premiums to decrease

All votes were unanimous Monday night when the Trenton City Council adopted four ordinances and approved a resolution. Faced with two dozen additional, documented complaints on trash service, at least two members of the council called for a change in trash hauling companies. The city of Trenton’s contract with Rapid Removal Disposal doesn’t expire until […]