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Court news for Division One of Grundy County Circuit Court on Thursday, April 14, 2022

Forty-third Circuit Court Judge Ryan Horsman of Chillicothe presided when several cases were processed Thursday in Division One of Grundy County Circuit Court. Evidence was heard during a hearing and the judge found Josy Simmons of Trenton had violated the terms of her probation. The probation was revoked and a previous stay of execution was […]

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Kansas City man sentenced to 12 years in prison for meth trafficking and illegal firearm

 A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm and methamphetamine to distribute after trying to break into a car and a house. Joel L. Redman, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. On Sept. 15, […]

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Missouri man who was arrested after an armed standoff with police pleads guilty to marijuana trafficking

A Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm following a brief armed standoff with police officers. Jamahl D. Jones, 35, Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to one count of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in relation […]

Prison Sentence

Missouri woman sentenced 8 years in prison for meth trafficking

A Missouri woman was sentenced in federal court for methamphetamine trafficking after she received a large package of methamphetamine shipped from California to distribute locally. Cassiopeia Marie Blaise, 37, Columbia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to eight years in federal prison without parole. Blaise pleaded guilty on Aug. 31, 2021, to […]

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Missouri man sentenced to 30 years in prison for crack cocaine trafficking and an illegal Firearm

A Missouri man with an extensive history of violent crime was sentenced in federal court for trafficking crack cocaine and illegally possessing a firearm. Mitchell B. Byrd, 43, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 30 years in federal prison without parole. This sentence is an upward variance from the […]

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Missouri man pleads guilty to $10 million conspiracy to distribute 1,000 kilos of meth

A Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a nearly $10 million conspiracy to distribute almost 1,000 kilograms (2204 pounds) of methamphetamine. Michael B. Becher, 40, Raytown, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019. […]

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Court news for the Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court for April 12, 2022

Four defendants waived preliminary hearings Tuesday in the Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court. Each had their cases bound over to the Division One court docket on Thursday. Jennifer Dee Tunnell of Trenton is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance/synthetic cannabinoid as of March 13th. Domanic James Lee Ratkovich of Trenton is […]

Eric Greitens (Photo is screenshot from Eric Greitens YouTube channel)

Eric Greitens’ claims of conspiracy called ‘nonsense’ in new filings in Missouri custody case

(Missouri Independent) – Attorneys for Eric Greitens’ former campaign manager argued in new filings that the ex-Missouri governor is using the court to buttress his claims of conspiracy, harass his political enemies and boost his campaign for U.S. Senate. In a newly public filing in the child custody dispute in Boone County between Eric Greitens […]

Prison Sentence

Former Missouri corrections officer sentenced to prison for smuggling contraband into jail

A former corrections officer at the Jackson County Detention Center was sentenced in federal court for taking bribes to smuggle illegal drugs to inmates of the facility. Daniel Coach, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one year and two months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Coach […]

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Missouri man sentenced to 13 years in prison, without parole, for meth conspiracy

A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Darrell Lynn Ferguson, 57, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 13 years and one month in federal prison without parole. On Oct. 6, 2021, Ferguson pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy […]

Prison Sentence

Missouri woman sentenced to 13 years in prison, without parole, for meth conspiracy

A Missouri woman was sentenced in federal court for her role in a conspiracy to distribute substantial quantities of methamphetamine in the Henry County, Mo., area. Vita P. Hurt, 67, of Blairstown, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 13 years and two months in federal prison without parole. On Aug. 11, 2021, […]

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Missouri man sentenced to 13 years in prison, without parole, for drug trafficking meth, illegal firearms and carjacking

A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for distributing methamphetamine, carjacking, and illegally possessing firearms after leading officers on three high-speed vehicle pursuits. Charles V. Bai, 29, of Independence,  was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 13 years in federal prison without parole. On Oct. 13, 2021, Bai pleaded guilty to […]

Guilty Plea

Woman pleads guilty to racketeering conspiracy involving the forced labor of Mexican agricultural workers

A woman in Florida pleaded guilty to a federal racketeering conspiracy that victimized Mexican agricultural workers admitted into the United States under the H-2A temporary visa program. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. According […]

Prison Sentence

Former pain management clinic owner sentenced to over 16 years in prison for unlawful opioid distribution

A Florida man was sentenced today in the Southern District of Florida to 200 months in prison for illegally distributing opioids at his pain management clinic in Miami, Florida. According to court documents, Habib Geagea Palacios, 40, of Miami, owned General Care Center Inc., a cash-only pain management clinic in Miami. At General Care, Palacios […]

Guilty Plea

Brookfield man charged with 33 counts of child porn withdraws “not guilty” plea

A Brookfield man charged with 33 counts of felony possession of child pornography involving a first offense and other felonies has withdrawn his plea of not guilty and entered a guilty plea. Forty-five-year-old James Dean Jackson entered a plea of guilty in Linn County Circuit Court to three counts. They were two counts of felony […]