A northern Missouri man convicted of the high-profile 2018 murder of his secret fiancee will be sentenced this (Monday) morning in Jefferson City. Fifty-four-year-old James Addie of Mexico, Missouri has been convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action for the 2018 death of Molly Watson, his secret fiancee. Watson was shot to […]
Tag: sentencing
If arrested, 17-year-olds in Missouri now will be treated as juveniles, not adults
In Missouri’s courts, 17-year-olds will now be automatically treated as juveniles rather than adults if they’re taken into custody. It’s the tenth state in the country to raise the age of criminal responsibility. Opponents of “raise the age” laws predicted it would increase juvenile caseloads and overwhelm capacity in youth detention centers. Still, the number […]
Audio: Man from mid-Missouri’s Tipton convicted of five child sex crimes
A September sentencing date has been set for a man from mid-Missouri’s Tipton, who’s been convicted of child sex crimes. 42-year-old Shawn Martin of Tipton has been convicted of five child sex crimes, including statutory rape and sodomy. While Martin is from Tipton, east of Sedalia, prosecutors say the crimes happened more than […]
Missouri man arrested while attempting to sell stolen guns pleads guilty to illegal firearms
A Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing two firearms that he stole from a car and attempted to sell outside a nearby hotel. Edward J. Kelly Jr., 39, of Independence, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. […]
Texas man sentenced to 40 years in prison for running child obscenity website
A Texas man was sentenced in the Western District of Texas to 40 years in prison for multiple obscenity crimes involving children. Thomas Alan Arthur, 65, of Terlingua, was convicted by a federal jury on Jan. 21, 2021, of three counts of trafficking in obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of a child, five […]
Missouri lawmakers passed a host of reforms aimed at keeping kids out of jail
(Missouri Independent) – Retired St. Louis Judge Evelyn Baker once sentenced a 16-year-old Black boy to 241 years in prison for two armed robberies. No one was seriously injured in the robberies, but the boy “didn’t express any remorse,” Baker said, remembering the sentencing hearing. Now, when she thinks back, Baker deeply regrets the sentence […]
Kirksville man found guilty of murder and armed criminal action
The Associated Press reports a Kirksville man has been convicted of murder after prosecutors argued he encouraged another man to shoot a victim. Twenty-year-old Andrew Head was found guilty June 3 of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the February 2019 death of 17-year-old Izaiha McFarland at a Kirksville apartment. The case was continued […]
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 […]
Former contract postal worker in Missouri pleads guilty to stealing mail
A former contractor working for the U.S. Postal Service pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a conspiracy to steal gift cards from the mail. Tyrone V. Read Jr., 27, of Warrensburg, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of conspiracy to possess stolen mail matter.- Read was employed […]
Woman charged with six counts of endangering the welfare of a child assigned to Division One of Livingston County court
A case has been certified for Division One of Livingston County Circuit Court for a Chillicothe woman charged with six counts of felony first degree endangering the welfare of a child creating substantial risk. Twenty-four-year-old Jessica Maurine Busker is scheduled for arraignment on June 15th. Co-defendant 21-year-old Cloyce Oliver Wollard of Chillicothe entered a guilty […]
Judge sentences bookkeeper who defrauded Plattsburg Special Road District
The former secretary/treasurer of the Plattsburg Special Road District has been ordered to pay restitution of more than $100,000 for defrauding taxpayers. Ava L. Langner was sentenced on the charge of theft brought by the U.S. Attorney. After receiving a whistleblower complaint, a 2019 audit by Auditor Galloway’s office detailed how Langner defrauded the district in […]
Man sentenced to 15 years in a Missouri prison for distributing almost 6,000 pounds of cocaine in KC area
A man who was a leader of a $56 million criminal enterprise was sentenced in federal court for his role in the conspiracy that distributed more than 2,600 kilograms (5,732 pounds) of cocaine in the metropolitan area. Jose Luis Armendariz-Rascon, Kansas City, Kansas, also known as “Uncle” or “Rambo,” 40, was sentenced by U.S. Chief […]
Mexican national pleads guilty to selling 14 kilos of meth, 30 firearms to undercover agent
A Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy. He sold more than 14 kilograms of methamphetamine and 30 firearms to an undercover federal agent. Jose Alvarado, 28, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to one count of conspiracy to […]
Audio: St. Joseph man involved in drive-by shooting which killed toddler sentenced to ten years in prison
The person behind the wheel in that deadly drive-by shooting in August that killed a St. Joseph toddler has been sentenced to ten years in prison. KFEQ’s Brent Martin has details on Te’Avion Hawkins’ sentencing. Hawkins was the driver of the vehicle last August that pulled up alongside the car in which Raelynn […]
News for Division One of Grundy County Circuit Court on Thursday, May 13, 2021
Two defendants were sentenced to prison on Thursday, with one of them placed on probation during Division One of the Grundy County Circuit Court. Galt resident Brian K. White pleaded guilty to five felony counts and received sentences of four years each with the Department of Corrections. After original charges of rape were amended, White […]
Audio: Legislation banning police chokeholds heading to Missouri Governor Parson’s desk
Bipartisan law enforcement legislation that bans most police chokeholds and eliminates residency requirements for Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) officers is now heading to the Missouri governor’s desk after receiving final House approval Thursday afternoon in Jefferson City. Senate Bill 53 is sponsored by State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer (R-Parkville) and State Rep. Lane Roberts (R-Joplin). Representative Roberts […]
Prison official pleads guilty to accepting bribes to smuggle contraband to inmates
A North Carolina man pleaded guilty to a bribery and smuggling scheme. He abused his position as a prison official to funnel drugs and other contraband into Caledonia Correctional Institution. According to court documents, Ollie Rose III, 62, of Pleasant Hill, worked as a case manager at Caledonia Correctional Institution, a state prison in Halifax […]
Central Missouri man pleads guilty to $500,000 CARES Act fraud
A Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently obtaining more than $500,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Brian Ruth, Sr., 44, of Deepwater, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to federal information […]
Former paraprofessional at Blue Springs High School pleads guilty to producing child pornography
A former paraprofessional at Blue Springs High School pleaded guilty in federal court to producing and distributing child pornography. Steven B. Allen, 45, of Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to two counts of producing child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography over the internet. Allen, who has been […]