A Missouri, man who was scheduled to begin his criminal jury trial instead pleaded in federal court to receiving child pornography over the internet. Scott James Wells, 55, of Springfield, withdrew his plea of not guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool in order to enter a nolo contendre, or “no contest,” plea, neither […]
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri lawmakers must finish work on the fiscal 2022 budget by Friday. And while the biggest spending issue of the session, Medicaid expansion, is off the table, there are other big issues to resolve in the state-run health care program. One of the largest is whether to provide a cushion for hospitals that […]
Three Georgia men were indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia and charged with hate crimes and the attempted kidnapping of Ahmaud Arbery. The indictment also charges two of the men with separate counts of using firearms during that crime of violence. Travis McMichael, 35; Travis’s father, Gregory McMichael, 65; […]
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office and Chillicothe Police Department have announced plans to operate out of the same building. Sheriff Steve Cox and Police Chief Jon Maples brought the plans to the city administrator and county commission, and the plans are moving forward. The goal date for moving is May 10th. The Chillicothe Police Department […]
An Iowa woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to hate crime charges for attempting to kill two children because of their race and national origin. According to admissions Nicole Poole Franklin, 42, made during the hearing, on the afternoon of December 9, 2019, Poole Franklin was driving her Jeep Grand Cherokee on Creston Avenue […]
The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control announces the arrest of Chester Scott Burress, 61, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri for the sexual trafficking of a child. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Division of Drug and Crime Control’s Digital Forensics Investigative Unit and the […]
A Missouri, man has been sentenced in federal court for his leadership role in a multi-million dollar conspiracy that distributed more than 2,000 kilograms of cocaine in the metropolitan area. “This heavily-armed drug dealer was still on court-supervised release for a prior federal drug-trafficking conviction while he was engaged in this drug trafficking conspiracy,” said […]
Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley has voted against legislation designed to fight hate crimes against Asian Americans. Hawley, a Republican, was one of only six lawmakers who opposed the measure. Hate crimes against Asian Americans have been increasingly reported during the pandemic and the bill would speed up a U.S. Department of Justice […]
A Missouri teenager has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after admitting to raping an 11-year-old girl who later gave birth to a baby as a result of the attack. 18-year-old Norvin L. Lopez-Cante, of St. Charles, pleaded guilty to statutory rape and incest in a plea deal with prosecutors. Lopez-Cante was […]
A Pattonsburg man charged with multiple counts of child molestation had his case bound over to Division One of Daviess County Circuit Court on March 29th. Seventy-three-year-old Steven Dale Lawrence is scheduled for arraignment on April 14th. Lawrence has been charged with the felonies of second-degree child molestation, third-degree, and two counts of fourth-degree as […]
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for coercing a minor victim to engage in illicit sexual activity. Tracy Todd Presson, 55, of Gainesville, Missouri was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 70 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Presson to spend the rest of his life […]
The head of the Missouri Department of Social Services is scheduled to appear before a panel of lawmakers Wednesday about the agency’s handling of abuse investigations within boarding schools. The Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight has called a Wednesday afternoon hearing to question the department’s acting director, Jennifer Tidball. The Kansas City Star has […]
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged the U.S. Senate to immediately pass legislation to close loopholes on background checks for guns and to ban assault weapons, following a mass shooting that killed 10 at a Colorado supermarket. “This should not be a partisan issue,” Biden said. “This is an American issue.” Biden’s […]
A performer at a Branson, Missouri, theater pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing more than $85,000 from hundreds of his own audience members who donated to his non-existent charity for foster children. “For several years, this performer took advantage of his own audiences by pulling at their heartstrings while stealing from their pockets,” said […]
Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox reports a vehicle stop on Highway 65 for an equipment violation led to the arrest of three individuals for alleged drug violations. Online court information shows 63-year-old Daniel Leroy Walker of Bedford, 38-year-old Dawn Rachelle King of Hale, and 40-year-old Sasha Campos of Hale have each been charged with felony […]
Braymer resident Garland Joey Nelson will have his murder trial sooner than previously scheduled. At a hearing on Tuesday in Johnson County Circuit Court in Warrensburg, a three-week jury trial is now set to begin June 6, 2022. The trial was previously was listed for February of next year. Online information shows a case review […]
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for receiving and distributing child pornography. Brian M. Turner, 38, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 15 years in federal prison without parole. On Sept. 14, 2020, Turner pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography. The investigation began in December […]
CrimeStoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information about who killed a 9-year-old last weekend in St. Louis. On March 7th, officers received a call for “Shots Fired” in the 900 Block of Lasalle Park. At approximately 10 pm, followed by a call for a “Shooting” after Victim Caion Green, who was 9 […]
A Bucklin man has been charged with two counts of felony statutory sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy, deviate sexual intercourse, with a person less than 14 years of age. Twenty-five-year-old Jaren Tyler Hooten was charged following an investigation by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and a forensic interview at the North Central Children’s Advocacy Center. […]
The Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Teresa Moore is warning the public of scam calls claiming to be from the U. S. Attorney’s Office in Jefferson City. The office reports several Missouri residents have received the calls. In some cases, the caller claimed to be with Cyber Crimes […]
