An Independence, Missouri, woman who purchased the firearm used by a 14-year-old in a fatal shooting has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to drug trafficking. Rebecca McCrorey, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Friday, June 7, to maintaining drug-involved premises. Independence police officers were dispatched to McCrorey’s […]
Two men have been sentenced in federal court this week for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that led to the kidnapping and torture of an Independence, Missouri, man. Gerald L. Holmes, also known as “Jerry” or “Joker,” 27, and Richard M. Phoenix, also known as “Snake,” 77, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. […]
A former high school teacher and swim team coach was sentenced in federal court for sexually assaulting and exploiting numerous child victims, whom he secretly videotaped. James Russell Green, Jr., 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Green to pay […]
Four Texas men were sentenced in federal court for stealing 654 firearms from United Parcel Service trailers in Springfield, Mo., en route to Bass Pro Shops. Frank McChriston, 35, and Derrick White, 33, both of Dallas, Texas; Quinton Haywood, 27, of Glenn Heights, Texas; and Eric White, 28, of Arlington, Texas were sentenced in separate […]
A registered sex offender in Independence, Mo., has been sentenced in federal court for possessing and exchanging child pornography over the internet. Harrison Elliot Combs, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Wednesday, May 15, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Combs to 20 years of […]
A Binghamton, N.Y., man who posed online as a teenage girl was sentenced in federal court for attempting to produce child pornography by tricking children – including three victims in Sedalia, Mo. – into sending him nude images of themselves. Brandon David Cuddihe, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 30 […]
A Kansas City man died as the result of a tractor-trailer truck accident in Carroll County Monday morning. The Highway Patrol reports 43-year-old Matthew Vignere’s body was transported to Frontier Forensics. The truck traveled east on Highway 10 when it ran off the right side of the road about one-half of a mile east of […]
A former professor at Miami University in Ohio pleaded guilty in federal court to traveling to Kansas City, Mo., to engage in sexual activity with a person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Kevin Connor Armitage, 53, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to traveling across state lines to engage […]
A Grain Valley, Missouri, man who was already under investigation for distributing child pornography over the internet pleaded guilty in federal court to traveling to North Dakota for illicit sex with a 14-year-old child, who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Andy Earl Crook, 63, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs […]
A Harrisonville man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Robert J. Keegan, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 18 years in federal prison without parole. On Dec. 28, 2018, Keegan pleaded guilty to participating in a drug-trafficking conspiracy and to possessing a […]
A St. Joseph, man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm following an 11-hour standoff with law enforcement officers. Terrance T. Brown, 41, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Monday, April 22, to 10 years in federal prison without parole, which is the statutory […]
The Highway Patrol investigated an injury accident Monday afternoon at 1:40 pm in the parking lot of an Albany business. (Dollar General Store) Fifty-one-year-old Deanna Hurkman of Albany had attempted to park her car but had left the gear in reverse as she attempted to exit. The car began to roll and ran over her […]
A St. Joseph, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing methamphetamine and a stolen firearm that had been used in two recent shootings. Jeremy G. Helton, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 11 years in federal prison without parole. On Jan. 4, 2019, Helton pleaded guilty to […]
A former St. Joseph, Mo., Boy Scout leader was sentenced in federal court for distributing child pornography over the internet. Michael R. Goeller, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to six years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Goeller to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration. Goeller, […]
An Excelsior Springs, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court for possessing and attempting to distribute child pornography. Gabriel Valencia, Jr., 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 10 years in federal prison without parole. On Nov. 30, 2018, Valencia pleaded guilty to attempting to distribute child pornography over the internet […]
A Springfield, Missouri., man was sentenced in federal court for recording his sexual abuse of a child victim. George Ralph Pollock, 77, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 30 years in federal prison without parole. On April 3, 2018, Pollock pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of a child. Pollock admitted […]
A former Pineville, Mo., youth pastor was indicted by a federal grand jury for producing child pornography. Ryan Daniel Crawford, 32, currently a resident of Jacksonville, Arkansas, was charged with producing child pornography between November 29 and December 18, 2017. Crawford was formerly the associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Pineville. The charge contained […]
New research from the Missouri Hospital Association identifies the nationwide economic cost of the opioid crisis at $685 billion in 2017, or 3.5 percent of GDP, with overdose deaths accounting for 93 percent of the cost. Missouri’s toll is 20th highest among the states, with a total burden of just more than $14 billion. Throughout […]
A Sacramento, California, man pleaded guilty in federal court to the sex trafficking of six victims. Ronald Ean Taylor, 45, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to six counts of the sex trafficking of an adult. By pleading guilty, Taylor admitted that he used force, fraud or coercion to cause six victims […]
A former Lebanon, Missouri, teacher was sentenced in federal court for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet. Brandon Hileman, 26, of Lebanon, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to eight years in federal prison without parole. Hileman, formerly a math teacher at Joel E. Barber Junior High School in […]
