Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a civil lawsuit against an illicit massage business, Royal Day Spa, located in St. Louis County. This lawsuit is the fifth filed by Attorney General Schmitt as part of his Office’s Hope Initiative to combat human trafficking in illicit massage businesses. “Human trafficking is a scourge on our society […]
Tag: trafficking
Missouri man sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole for meth trafficking and discharging a firearm
A Missouri man who shot a law enforcement officer before shooting himself was sentenced in federal court for drug trafficking and illegally discharging a firearm in Joplin, Mo. E.F. Fitchpatrick, Jr., 47, of St. Louis, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The court sentenced […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to meth conspiracy and illegal firearms; faces 15 years in prison
A Missouri man who illegally possessed nine firearms has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene and Cass counties. Christopher M. Iavolo, 42, of Springfield pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Tuesday, June 1, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine […]
Audio: Bill waiting to be signed by Governor Parson aims to crack down on CDL drivers convicted of human trafficking
A bill awaiting action by Governor Parson would crackdown on drivers with a commercial vehicle license who are convicted of human trafficking. State Representative Becky Ruth of eastern Missouri’s Festus sponsored the bill. She says drivers with a CDL license are often involved in sex trafficking. The bill also penalizes people with a […]
Missouri medical marijuana companies win tax relief from state lawmakers
(Missouri Independent) – Missourians voted to legalize medical marijuana in 2018. But under federal law, growing, transporting, or selling marijuana remains a crime. Unsurprisingly, that dynamic has created a lot of headaches for the fledgling industry. One notable example: Unlike every other legal business in the state, marijuana companies are prohibited from deducting business expenses […]
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 […]
Southwest Honkys gang member sentenced to 25 years in Missouri prison for meth conspiracy
A Fair Grove, Missouri, man who is a member of the Southwest Honkys violent prison gang was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy in which investigators intercepted a shipment of nearly 9.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. William F. Jones, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to […]
Missouri Department of Conservation Protection Branch to launch new canine unit this summer
The Missouri Department of Conservation is set to launch a new canine unit through its Protection Branch this summer. The new unit, consisting of five dogs and their conservation agent-handlers, will be stationed around the state and used as necessary to work throughout Missouri. According to MDC, the capabilities of canines are extensive in conservation-related […]
Two suspects detained, 9 victims rescued, during human trafficking operation at Holiday Inn East Hotel in Columbia
The Columbia Police Department, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Attorney General’s Office, and a multitude of other local, state, and federal agencies conducted a successful joint human trafficking operation at the Holiday Inn East hotel in Columbia, Missouri on Friday night. The joint operation, organized by the Columbia Police Department, the […]
Missouri man sentenced to 12 years in prison without parole for distributing more than 13 kilograms of meth
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri. Stephan D. Samons, 31, of Camdenton, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 12 years in federal prison without parole. On Aug. 28, 2019, Samons pleaded guilty to participating in […]
Brookfield man sentenced to 15-year prison term in Linn County court
A Brookfield man accused of leading law enforcement on a pursuit starting in Linn County and ending at Marshall in February 2020 was sentenced in Linn County on May 5, 2021. Matthew Guilford was sentenced to 15 years with the Missouri Division of Adult Institutions on a case involving felony charges of trafficking drugs—second degree […]
Two men charged with heroin trafficking; Kansas City officers seize nearly 24 pounds of heroin at bus terminal
Two men traveling through Kansas City, Missouri, were charged in federal court for possessing nearly 24 pounds of heroin aboard a bus en route from California to New York. Darwin G. Morales-Sagastume, 23, and Cristian J. Lopez-Catalan, 28, were charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., with […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to meth trafficking on the day of his trial
A Union, Missouri, man who was scheduled to begin his criminal jury trial instead pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing six pounds of methamphetamine to distribute. Felix Franz Forjan, 71, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. According to the plea […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to multiple counts of possessing illegal firearms, drug trafficking; faces at least 20 years in prison
A Missouri man has pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple charges of illegally possessing firearms, including stolen firearms, and drug trafficking. Brandon L. Hill, 33, of Independence, Missouri, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Thursday, April 29, to three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, two counts […]
California man charged in Missouri with trafficking more than four kilos of fentanyl
A California man was charged in federal court with transporting more than four kilograms of fentanyl from Los Angeles, California, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, aboard a bus that stopped at a Kansas City, Missouri station. Miguel Angel Duran, 28, was charged with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute in a criminal complaint […]
DEA announces new initiative called “Project Wave Breaker” to disrupt flow of fentanyl into the United States
The Drug Enforcement Administration announced a new initiative, Project Wave Breaker, to disrupt the flow of deadly fentanyl into the United States. Project Wave Breaker will direct interdiction, enforcement, and outreach efforts to high-impact areas to disrupt the flow of fentanyl in and around the United States. The initiative will also employ analytical intelligence assets […]
Missouri man charged with sexual trafficking of a child
The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control announces the arrest of Chester Scott Burress, 61, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri for the sexual trafficking of a child. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Division of Drug and Crime Control’s Digital Forensics Investigative Unit and the […]
Missouri man sentenced to 25 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 2,000 kilos of cocaine
A Missouri, man has been sentenced in federal court for his leadership role in a multi-million dollar conspiracy that distributed more than 2,000 kilograms of cocaine in the metropolitan area. “This heavily-armed drug dealer was still on court-supervised release for a prior federal drug-trafficking conviction while he was engaged in this drug trafficking conspiracy,” said […]
Details released in case of Browning man charged with assault and armed criminal action
A Browning man faces two felony charges in Linn County after allegedly attempting to cause physical injury to another person with a firearm on April 6th. Fifty-nine-year-old Wendell Dean Havens has been charged with first-degree assault or attempt and armed criminal action and entered a plea of not guilty on April 13th. The case is […]