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Owner of school sentenced to prison for defrauding program dedicated to rehabilitating disabled military veterans

A Maryland man was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution for defrauding a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program dedicated to rehabilitating military veterans with disabilities.  According to court documents, Francis Engles, 65, of Bowie, was the owner and operator of Engles Security Training School (Engles […]

Trenton Missouri Police Department (TPD)

Authorities report the arrest of two individuals, another remanded to custody of Grundy County Sheriff

The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of two individuals on June 10 and another individual being remanded to the custody of the sheriff. Twenty-six-year-old Samantha Katherine Persell of Kirksville has been charged with the felonies of possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, amphetamine or methamphetamine, and misdemeanor driving while […]

Missouri Secretary of State John Ashcroft website

Missouri Secretary of State seeks $125,000 in penalties after company allegedly defrauds investors

The Missouri Secretary of State, Securities Division ordered Cryotherm USA, Inc., John (Jianxin) Wang, and Dennis R. Di Ricco to cease and desist after allegedly issuing more than $2 million in unregistered, non-exempt promissory notes. Between December 1, 2015, and October 31, 2020, the Florida-based Cryotherm USA allegedly sold the promissory notes through a Las Vegas, […]

Prison Sentence

Couple who falsely claimed to be farmers sentenced to prison in $1.1 million COVID-relief fraud

A couple was sentenced to prison for their participation in a scheme to file four fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $1.1 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.  Latoya Stanley, 38, […]

Trenton Missouri Police Department (TPD)

Trenton woman arrested on probation violation

The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Trenton resident on June 1st on a technical probation violation. Twenty-one-year-old Keylee Vestal’s alleged violation involved special conditions by being terminated from treatment court. She posted a bond of $5,000, 10% allowed. She is scheduled for Division One of Circuit Court on June 10th. Vestal’s […]

Dog fight or Dogfighting news graphic

Four plead guilty to multi-state dogfighting conspiracy

Four defendants pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting and conspiracy charges for their roles in an interstate dogfighting network across the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey. The Honorable John A. Gibney Jr., U.S. District Judge in Richmond, Virginia, accepted the following pleas: On June 1, Odell S. Anderson Sr., 52, of the District […]

Livingston County Sheriff Website

Livingston County Sheriff’s Department receives six breath testing instruments

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department has been awarded six preliminary breath testing instruments from a grant application to the Missouri Department of Transportation Highway Safety and Traffic Division. Sheriff Steve Cox reports the preliminary breath testing instruments are assigned to road patrol deputy sheriffs to assist with driving while intoxicated investigations and can be “a […]