A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for attempting to meet a law enforcement officer, posing online as a 14-year-old girl, for illegal sexual activity. Darren Wade Lasley, 33, Columbia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 10 years in federal prison without parole. On Aug. 18, 2021, Lasley was found […]
A man who conspired with others to control construction businesses that received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal government contracts was sentenced in federal court for defrauding the government with respect to contracts set aside for service-disabled veterans and certified minorities. “This contractor not only defrauded the government but cheated to get contracts that […]
A Missouri, man who was arrested with 19 firearms and quantities of illegal drugs in his home pleaded guilty in federal court to trafficking methamphetamine and illegally possessing firearms. Rusty W. Snow, 28, Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of […]
A two-day jury trial has been scheduled in Linn County for a Macon man charged with 118 felony counts related to child sex crimes. Online court information shows Kenneth Harper’s trial is to begin June 13th. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for May 3rd. The court ordered any propensity motions to be heard on April […]
A Missouri man sentenced to 241 years in prison will be paroled sometime late next year. Forty-two-year-old Bobby Bostic was just 16 when he and another young man were arrested in St. Louis for robbing a group of people delivering holiday presents and shooting two of the victims, both of whom survived. The […]
A Missouri, physician pleaded guilty in federal court to making a false statement to Medicare to obtain insurance coverage for a fentanyl prescription and to conspiring with others to use his DEA registration number to issue Schedule II controlled substances to patients in his absence. Randall Halley, 65, Nixa, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate […]
The Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office has started a new task force meant to combat a rise in child sex crimes in northwest Missouri brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nodaway County Sheriff Randy Strong has seen an increase in abuse due to more people staying home during the pandemic, and more children being home from […]
After admitting to illegally having several thousands of rounds of ammunition in Missouri, among other crimes, a member of the Proud Boys extremist group is set to serve 87 months (7.25 years) in prison. Jonathan Cuney of New York state said he bought the ammunition at a Columbia, Missouri firearms store through a […]
A former Missouri, middle school teacher was sentenced in federal court for charges related to enticing one of her students to engage in illicit sex. Amanda Ruth Schweitzer, 42, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Schweitzer to 15 years of […]
A Missouri, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for the sexual exploitation of three child victims. Jake Ethan Patterson, 26, Rogersville, was charged in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, November 17. The federal indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against Patterson […]
A registered sex offender from Kansas City, Kansas, was sentenced in federal court for crossing state lines to engage in illicit sexual activity with a 14-year-old Missouri victim he met on Facebook. Montoryon Harris, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 21 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. […]
A Bethany teen faces multiple felonies as a result of an investigation into what law enforcement called a string of property crimes in Bethany and Harrison County. Sixteen-year-old Christa Lynn Freeseman has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, two counts of stealing, unlawful use of a weapon by possessing a weapon and a […]
A Missouri sex offender was sentenced in federal court for receiving and distributing child pornography. David Lee Wilson, 38, of West Plains, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Wilson to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration. On Aug. 5, […]
(Missouri Independent) – The National School Boards Association is walking back its letter to President Joe Biden asking for federal help for school board members who have been harassed and threatened over masking requirements and discussions of race in public schools. The shift came after Republican members of Congress led by Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley raised strong […]
A Bethany resident faces four felonies in reference to an investigation of what law enforcement called a string of property crimes in Bethany and Harrison County. Eighteen-year-old Joshua David Rakeshaw has been charged with two counts of stealing. He has also been charged with one count each of possession of a controlled substance except 35 […]
A Missouri man who downloaded thousands of images and videos of child pornography was sentenced in federal court. Nicholas Goins, 36, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Goins to spend the rest of his life on supervised release […]
A Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to receiving and distributing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. Chandler Durham, 31, of Springfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography. On Feb. 5, 2020, a detective with the Southwest Missouri Cyber […]
A Macon man charged with 118 felony counts has entered a plea of not guilty in Division One of Linn County Circuit Court. Fifty-four-year-old Kenneth Harper faces multiple counts of child molestation, statutory sodomy, and statutory rape. Harper waived formal arraignment, and his case was passed to January 4th for setting or disposition. The alleged […]
(Missouri Independent) – The Department of Justice has directed the FBI to meet with local governments and law enforcement to discuss strategies for dealing with increasing threats to teachers and school board members spurred by a conservative backlash against discussions of race in public schools. “Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to […]
Governor Mike Parson announced the state of Missouri has approved more than $1.8 million in grant assistance to 19 agencies across the state to investigate and prosecute crimes that victimized children. “Criminals who victimize children must be investigated, prosecuted, and brought to justice, no matter when they commit these heinous crimes,” Governor Parson said. “The […]
