KC Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robberies of Local Businesses

 FBI Press Release:

Store Employee Fatally Shot and Beaten in Tenth Armed Robbery

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to commit nine armed robberies of local businesses in the summer of 2018, as well as an armed robbery in which a convenience store employee was beaten and then fatally shot.

Joe Lee Nichols, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Thursday, Feb. 22, to 45 years in federal prison without parole.

On March 11, 2022, Nichols pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, three counts of robbery, and three counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Additionally, federal prosecutors used evidence of Nichols’s involvement in a tenth, uncharged armed robbery in which a person was killed as relevant conduct for determining his sentence.

Nichols admitted that he was part of a conspiracy to rob nine businesses at gunpoint between June 1 and July 18, 2018. Nichols also admitted that he was directly involved in the armed robbery of Boost Mobile, 5218 E. Truman Road, on June 12, 2018; the armed robbery of Arrowhead Inn, 6006 E.  31st Street, on July 2, 2018; and the armed robbery of Wood Springs Suites, 11301 Colorado Avenue, on July 14, 2018.

The government presented evidence at Nichols’s sentencing hearing that he was also involved in a tenth, uncharged, armed robbery of Inner-City Oil convenience store, 5901 Swope Parkway, on July 16, 2018. The court determined there was sufficient evidence of Nichols’s involvement to consider the robbery as relevant conduct, which impacted the court’s sentencing decision.

Video surveillance evidence introduced during yesterday’s sentencing hearing indicated that Nichols pointed a handgun at an employee of Inner-City Oil, who resisted and engaged in a struggle for Nichols’s firearm. Nichols fired his gun multiple times before the employee fell to the floor. The employee then retrieved a handgun and began to fire back at Nichols. Nichols began to stomp and kick at the head and body of the employee, who was still lying on the floor. The employee lost his firearm, which was recovered by Nichols’s accomplice, who then used it to also shoot the store clerk. When they were unable to access the cash register, Nichols and his accomplice left the store. The employee can be seen on the surveillance video, still moving while lying on the floor, until eventually becoming motionless when he died from his injuries. A witness who saw their car leaving the area and discovered the body of the employee immediately called 911.

The surveillance video depicts Nichols leaning on an ice cream freezer with his left hand while assaulting the employee on the floor. Investigators determined that a palm print found on the ice cream freezer belonged to Nichols.  Nichols was also identified by his appearance in other robbery videos and by several witnesses who viewed the Inner-City Oil video.

Nichols is the third defendant to be sentenced in this case. One additional co-defendant has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing and two other defendants remain set for trial in May 2023.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades and Maureen Brackett. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and agents and task force officers of the FBI.

Updated February 24, 2023

New DESI planetarium show to premier in 2023

 Berkeley Lab News:

“5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI” presents a fly-through of the project’s first year of data

MEDIA RELATIONS | (510) 486-5183 | FEBRUARY 27, 2023

DESI atop Kitt Peak. (Photo: Marilyn Sargent/Berkeley Lab)

– By Marsha Fenner This spring, a stunning new documentary film featuring recent discoveries from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) will be released to planetariums worldwide.  5000 Eyes: Mapping the Universe with DESI is a new feature-length planetarium show created in collaboration with DESI‘s consortium of worldwide collaborators, a dedicated group of scientists and engineers who are creating the most complete map of our universe.

Watch the trailer

DESI is a unique instrument – comprising 5000 robotically positioned fibers that feed an array of ten high-efficiency spectrographs – to measure the effect of dark energy on the expansion of the Universe. By measuring the spectra of many galaxies at once, DESI’s five-year survey is mapping the large-scale structure of the universe over one-third of the sky and 11 billion years of cosmic history. DESI is an international science collaboration managed by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) with primary funding for construction and operations from DOE’s Office of Science. The 22-minute planetarium film provides a rare glimpse into modern cosmology by introducing viewers to DESI researchers and featuring original footage of the telescope and interviews with DESI scientists from all over the world. The film's exciting conclusion is a fly-through of DESI's first year of data. The positions of over 14 million extra-galactic objects are visualized in 3D for the first time, revealing the largest structures in the universe as never seen before.  DESI Director, Michael Levi, a senior scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Physics Division, is enthusiastic about this new presentation: “I am very excited to be able to visualize the first year of data just taken by the instrument, now available to be seen in the film by scientists and the public alike. The quality of the three dimensional data is breathtaking in its beauty and ability to reveal the hidden large-scale structures of the Universe. The fly-through in the film lets the viewer peer back in time to billions of years ago.” The film’s director, Claire Lamman, who joined DESI as a graduate student from Harvard University, has been working on the film since May 2020. “When you watch videos about observations in astronomy, ... you’re often seeing a very neat, distilled version of the actual process. Real data can be messy and there are so many small things to take into account – from the subtle ways that galaxies are oriented, to humidity and wind at the telescope. That’s why we need many different people, with many different specialties, to take on a project like this one.”  According to Levi, “The DESI collaboration funded this production in part to give our early career scientists a means to express and share their excitement in doing world-class research. Their youthful exuberance comes through and I am thrilled for everyone to see it.”

This new feature-length planetarium show, created by the Fiske Planetarium (University of Colorado Boulder), will be distributed for free to planetariums worldwide. There are currently plans to make the film available in 9 languages – English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Catalan, Korean, Galician, German, and Portuguese – and all script translations are being made by DESI collaborators. The film will premiere at the Fiske on March 2, and at Oakland’s Chabot Space & Science Center on March 8. The film will then be freely available for download and showing to public audiences, and the Fiske Planetarium will also present a “flat” English version of the film, to be made freely accessible online on their Fiske Productions website and on YouTube.

DESI’s robotic “eyes” in a screenshot from the film.

DESI was originally proposed over a decade ago, and construction began in 2015 at the Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. The DESI instrument saw first light in late 2019, and the validation phase was delayed at the onset of global coronavirus pandemic, but testing resumed in December 2020 and DESI finally launched in May 2021. During its first seven months, DESI broke all previous records for three-dimensional galaxy surveys, and then after another brief hiatus in late 2021 due to a massive wildfire on Kitt Peak which threatened the observatory, DESI resumed its cataloging of the cosmos. DESI construction and its operations at the Mayall telescope are supported by the DOE Office of Science and by the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a DOE Office of Science user facility. Additional support for DESI is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Science and Technologies Facilities Council of the United Kingdom, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico, the Ministry of Economy of Spain, and by the DESI member institutions. The DESI collaboration is honored to be permitted to conduct scientific research on Iolkam Du’ag (Kitt Peak), a mountain with particular significance to the Tohono O’odham Nation. View the full list of DESI collaborating institutions, and learn more about DESI here: www.desi.lbl.gov.

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A decade in the making: Kansas City's new airport terminal

One Tank Trips: Zona Rosa

 DOJ News Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Farley Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting 3-Year-Old Victim to Produce, Distribute Child Pornography

Faces at Least 15 Years in Prison

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Farley, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to sexually assaulting a 3-year-old victim to produce child pornography and distribute it to others through the Kik application.

Andrew J. McCardie, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to two counts of producing child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography. McCardie remains in federal custody without bond pending his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

McCardie communicated with individuals through the Kik application beginning in January 2022, using a screen name to indicate he was willing and able to produce child pornography and distribute to other persons. McCardie produced 19 images and videos of child pornography involving a 3-year-old child victim on Feb. 11 and 12, 2022. Most of these were created live, meaning he was recording himself actively sexually abusing the child victim while communicating with other persons over Kik, and sending those images and videos to them during the abuse.

On March 5, 2022, McCardie created another live video during his sexual abuse of the child victim. McCardie didn’t know he was communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer through Kik. McCardie told the undercover officer he had been “doing these requests on Kik for a couple years now” and discussed how to sexually abuse a child. During this conversation, McCardie sent the undercover officer a screenshot of a chat he was having with the Kik user he produced the video for, in order to prove he had created the video live.

On March 6, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at McCardie’s residence. The entry team attempted to take control of McCardie near the entrance of the residence but he resisted, initially holding a firearm as officers entered. McCardie was brought out into the yard, where he continued to resist before being handcuffed and placed under arrest. McCardie attempted to hide his iPhone in the bedroom closet, but officers found the phone and seized it in order to conduct a forensic investigation.

McCardie’s Kik account included 218 images and videos of child pornography. McCardie sent 58 separate videos and images of child pornography to other Kik users, and had received more than 200 images and videos of child pornography from other Kik users between Jan. 2 and March 7, 2022.

Under federal statutes, McCardie is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 80 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the FBI.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

 EPA Press Office Office:

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $550 Million to Advance Environmental Justice

EPA’s new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program will invest in America, expedite investments to reduce pollution in disadvantaged communities

Contact: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov) 

WASHINGTON (Feb. 23, 2023) – Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the availability of $550 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to expedite investments through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking (EJ TCGM) program. This new, innovative program will fund up to 11 entities to serve as grantmakers to community-based projects that reduce pollution. Selected grantmakers will develop an efficient, simplified process so that organizations that historically have faced barriers to receiving funding can more seamlessly apply for grants that address environmental harms and risks.

The new program advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government commitment to achieving environmental justice by building early, meaningful, and sustained partnerships with communities.

“Over the last two years I’ve traveled to overburdened and underserved communities and their message to me has been clear – residents have suffered far too long without access to crucial federal funding and resources,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, including the largest ever investment in environmental justice, we’re removing barriers and moving faster to deliver this unprecedented relief to the communities who need it most.”

The entities eligible to apply under this Request for Applications (RFA) and serve as an Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaker fall into four categories. They include:  

• A community-based nonprofit organization;
• A partnership of community-based nonprofit organizations; 
• A partnership between a Tribal Nation and a community-based nonprofit organization; or,  
• A partnership between an institution of higher education and a community-based nonprofit organization. 

EPA intends to award up to 11 cooperative agreements under this RFA for up to approximately $50 million each to be funded incrementally over a 3-year period. The deadline to apply is May 31, 2023. EPA expects these grantmakers to begin awarding subgrants to community-based organizations no later than early 2024.

The EJ TCGM program will further the goals of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged communities that have been overburdened by pollution and historic underinvestment. EPA will continue to uphold the goals of the Justice40 Initiative by ensuring funds get to communities that have often been unable to access resources due to high barriers to entry.

To view the Request for Applications, please visit:

www.grants.gov.

More information on the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Learn more about environmental justice at EPA. 

Background: 

In August 2022, Congress passed, and President Biden signed, the Inflation Reduction Act into law, creating the largest investment in environmental and climate justice in U.S. history. EPA received $3 billion in appropriations to provide grants and technical assistance for activities advancing environmental and climate justice.  Earlier this year, EPA announced the availability of $100 million under the Environmental Justice Government to Government Program and the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program, with applications due on April 10, 2023. EPA also announced a Request for Information on how to build the new Environmental and Climate Justice grant program. Input is requested by March 17, 2023. 

EPA to Delete Texas Superfund Site from the National Priorities List

 US EPA News Release:

EPA to Delete Texas Superfund Site from the National Priorities List

DALLAS, TEXAS – (February 22, 2023)- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is deleting the River City Metal Finishing Superfund site in San Antonio, Texas, from the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. The NPL is a roster of the nation’s most contaminated sites that threaten human health or the environment. Deleting a site from the NPL happens when cleanup of the contamination is complete and allows residents to move forward in reusing and redeveloping the land.

“This is an action that has been decades in the making for the residents of Bexar County,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “By working alongside impacted communities and the TCEQ, we improved public health and the environment while paving the way for the land to be reused. We are pleased with this outcome, and I want to thank all parties involved in making this monumental achievement possible.”

The River City Metal Finishing site in San Antonio, Texas, is a former metal plating shop that operated from 1994 until approximately 2002. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) performed cleanup work such as removing containers of waste and demolishing the building while disposing of hazardous materials off site. The TCEQ referred the site to EPA in 2017 when hexavalent chromium was found in groundwater.

EPA conducted remedial investigation activities at the site from March 2019 to July 2020. In addition, EPA’s 2021 Record of Decision selected “no action” because no hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants remain at the site above levels that preclude unlimited use and unrestricted exposure. The site does not pose unacceptable risks to human health and the environment for future residential, commercial, and industrial land use.

EPA encourages site reuse throughout the cleanup process. Deletions from the NPL can revitalize communities, raise property values, and promote economic growth by signaling to potential developers and financial institutions that cleanup is complete. The Superfund program will continue to remain a top priority at EPA to ensure public safety and to maintain a clean environment. To view updates and announcements on this site, please visit our webpage.

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.

DOJ News Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Former KC Man Arrested in Mexico for Producing Child Pornography

Working as a Cabaret Singer Under Another Name

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City, Mo., man who moved to Mexico and lived under another name, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to producing child pornography.

Wyatt Christopher Maxwell, also known as “Louis Whitaker,” 23, was charged in a five-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 7, 2023. That indictment has been unsealed and made public upon Maxwell’s arrest in Mexico on Feb. 14, 2023, and initial court appearance in the Central District of California (in Los Angeles, Calif.) on Feb. 16, 2023.

Maxwell lived in Kansas City, Mo., at the time of the alleged offenses, but afterward moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he went by the name “Louis Whitaker” as a cabaret singer.

The federal indictment alleges that Maxwell used a minor victim to produce child pornography between July 31, 2020, and Feb. 1, 2021. The indictment also alleges that Maxwell transported the minor victim across state lines from Kansas to Missouri to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Maxwell is also charged with two counts of distributing child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the FBI and the Overland Park, Kan., Police Department.

 EPA Press Office:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Jury Convicts Kansas Men for Violent Kidnapping in Wyandotte County

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal jury convicted two Kansas men of kidnapping, drug, and gun charges in connection with the 2019 torture of a victim in Kansas City, Kansas.   

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, David Carr, 36, of Kansas City, and James Michael Poterbin, 46, of Edwardsville, supplied methamphetamine that was sold in the Kansas City metropolitan area.  In April 2019, Carr and Poterbin kidnapped the boyfriend of a woman whom they mistakenly believed had stolen drug money from them.  

Carr and Poterbin bound the victim with zip-ties and duct-taped a shirt to his head, pistol-whipped him multiple times, smashed his fingers and beat him with a blunt object, shot him in the legs, and forced a co-conspirator to stab him in the leg. They then wrapped him in plastic and left him alone in the house.  During the torture, Carr and Poterbin used the victim’s phone to contact his girlfriend and demand money in exchange for his release.  

A few days after the victim was released, Carr ordered a co-conspirator to burn the house to the ground, which he did.  

A jury found Carr and Poterbin guilty of kidnapping, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and discharging a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime.

Sentencing hearings are scheduled for Carr and Poterbin on May 1, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., respectively, before U.S. District Judge Julie A. Robinson.  They each face a maximum of penalty of life imprisonment.  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department investigated the case.  The Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department investigated the arson and has provided invaluable assistance.  

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan J. Huschka and D. Christopher Oakley are prosecuting the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania presented the indictment to a grand jury and prepared the case for trial.  

OCDETF Strike Force Cases

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The Kansas City Metro Strike Force’s mission also includes targeting violent street gangs and cartel members operating in and around the metropolitan area that are engaged in violent offenses and firearms offenses.

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 DOJ News Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Officers Found Illegal Drugs, Firearms after KC Man Called 911 for His Mother

Felon Pleads Guilty to Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearms

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who called 911 emergency assistance for his mother pleaded guilty in federal court today after the police officers who responded to his home found illegal drugs, six firearms he illegally possessed, and large amounts of cash.

Michael Thomas Cummings II, also known as “Blue,” 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.

Kansas City police officers arrived at Cummings’s residence shortly before midnight on June 7, 2021, after he had called 911 for his mother because she was unresponsive. Emergency medical personnel were in the process of attempting lifesaving measures when police officers arrived, but she was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at approximately 12:04 a.m. on June 8, 2021. Cummings, who lived with his mother, told officers she suffered from cognitive decline. Officers noted she appeared to be emaciated.

Officers saw a loaded Heckler & Koch .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol sitting next to $438 in cash on a table. They also saw an SKS-style 7.62 x 54mm assault rifle with a magazine leaning against the wall of a back stairwell that led to the basement. Cummings, a felon, was arrested for illegally possessing the firearms.

Officers executed a search warrant at Cummings’s residence later the same day. They found a total of 351.37 grams of methamphetamine in Cummings’s bedroom and a Pioneer Arms 7.62 x 39mm AKM-47 style pistol in a bedroom closet. On a desk in the bedroom, officers also found a baggie that contained approximately .24 grams of fentanyl/heroin, and two baggies that contained approximately 28.1 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a baggie of marijuana in a desk drawer. Officers also found $3,512 in cash in the bedroom.

Officers found a Ruger .22-caliber pistol in another bedroom that had been converted into a weight room.

In a third bedroom, officers found a Smith and Wesson AR-15 style assault rifle in the closet and a safe that contained $175,100 in cash and a Ruger revolver that had been reported as stolen.

Officers also found $180 under the couch cushion, and sodium sulfate, which is often used by drug dealers as a cutting agent to dilute drugs, on a coffee table.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Cummings has a prior felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance.

Under federal statutes, Cummings is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

 EPA Press Office:

EPA News: EPA Mid-Atlantic Region schedules March 2 virtual listening session on PFAS Strategic Roadmap

PHILADELPHIA (February 16, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is holding a virtual listening session on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap for residents living in EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region on Thursday, March 2 from 6-8 p.m.

This Zoom meeting will provide information about EPA’s ongoing work under the PFAS Strategic Roadmap and what it means for the mid-Atlantic region, which includes Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.  

The session will provide opportunities for communities to share feedback directly with EPA representatives about the actions described in the Roadmap. Residents interested in participating can register online at: https://pfascommunityengagement.org/register .

Background

In October 2021, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the Agency’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap—laying out a whole-of-agency approach to addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The Roadmap sets timelines by which EPA plans to take specific actions and commits to bolder new policies to safeguard public health, protect the environment, and hold polluters accountable. The actions described in the PFAS Roadmap each represent important and meaningful steps to safeguard communities from PFAS contamination. Cumulatively, these actions will build upon one another and lead to more enduring and protective solutions.

In November 2022, EPA released “A Year of Progress Under EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap,” which underscores key actions taken by the agency during the first year of implementing the PFAS Roadmap. EPA continues to implement a whole-of-agency approach, advancing science, and following the law to safeguard public health, protect the environment, and hold polluters accountable. Concurrently with this one-year progress report, EPA announced that it will hold virtual community engagement events in each EPA Region in 2023, which EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region is announcing today.

These engagements align with recommendations from the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council and EPA’s Roadmap commitment to engage directly with stakeholders. Recognizing the unique and pervasive impacts of PFAS on Tribal communities, EPA is also planning to hold a session specifically designed to hear from our Tribal partners.

More information on EPA’s efforts on PFAS is available at www.epa.gov/pfas

 DOJ News Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Two Columbia Residents Plead Guilty to $1.2 Million Insurance Fraud Conspiracy

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Two Columbia, Mo., residents pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a $1.2 million insurance fraud conspiracy that involved false claims of injuries suffered in car accidents.

Latoya Marie Brown, 37, who also lived in the Kansas City, Mo., area, and Cedrick Shawndale Goldman, 46, each pleaded guilty in separate appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epp, Jr., to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

By pleading guilty today, Brown and Goldman admitted they were part of a conspiracy that defrauded six insurance companies of a total of $1,234,581 from June 2017 to July 2020. Conspirators submitted false claims that they had suffered bodily injuries and that they would be personally liable for any medical bills related to insurance claims. Conspirators, some of whom were involved in multiple incidents, received thousands of dollars, and in some cases tens of thousands of dollars, based on these false claims. However, none of the conspirators made any payments to medical providers and instead used the funds for their personal expenses.

Brown admitted she was involved in three incidents and received a total of $44,269 in insurance payments. Goldman admitted he was involved in one incident and received a $14,900 insurance payment. Neither Brown nor Goldman have paid any of their hospital or medical bills with the insurance proceeds they received.

Under federal statutes, Brown and Goldman each are subject to a sentence of up to 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Maness. It was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

 DOJ News Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, February 10, 2023

KC Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute Meth, Illegal Firearms

Co-defendant Sentenced to 18 Years for Meth Conspiracy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Mo., men have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a nearly $10 million conspiracy that distributed almost 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Fahrudin F. Fejzic, also known as “Frank,” 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Thursday, Feb. 9, to 24 years and two months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Fejzic to pay a money judgment of $325,000, which represent the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.

Lloyd L. Hagan, also known as “Trey,” 45, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced today to 18 years and nine months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Hagan to pay a money judgment of $19,442, which represents the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.

On Aug. 26, 2022, Fejzic pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019, and to one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Hagan, in a separate but related case, pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy on March 29, 2022.

On Feb. 19, 2019, law enforcement investigators were conducting surveillance on the residence of co-defendant Mirza Alihodzic, 37, of Kansas City, Mo. Fejzic and others were present with Alihodzic at the residence. Alihodzic and Fejzic were carrying items out of the house and putting them into a black BMW, which was parked in the driveway.

Fejzic left in a taxi, which took him to a residence in Grandview. Fejzic was then stopped by a police officer. Fejzic had a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun tucked in his backside waistband; he was carrying a bag that contained approximately four and a half pounds (more than two kilograms) of methamphetamine and a Romarm/CUGIR Mini Draco AK-47-type 7.62x39mm semi-automatic firearm with two high-capacity, 40-round magazines and 69 total rounds of ammunition.

Law enforcement officers also executed a search warrant the same day at Alihodzic’s residence. Officers found approximately 5.5 grams of methamphetamine, $1,620 in cash, and two firearms inside the residence. Officers also seized 18 firearms from Alihodzic’s BMW, including a Sten 9mm machine gun, two short-barreled shotguns (a Mossberg 20-gauge and a Revelation 16-gauge) and a stolen Sig Sauer 9mm handgun.

On at least two occasions in April and May 2019, Hagan was involved in the controlled purchase of a half-pound of methamphetamine for $2,300 by a law enforcement confidential human source. Hagan admitted that he purchased methamphetamine from co-conspirators that came from Alihodzic. Hagan sometimes received methamphetamine rather than cash in exchange for doing work on multiple houses for co-conspirators. He served as a middleman to pick up half-pound and quarter-pound amounts of methamphetamine to deliver to others to distribute. Hagan was responsible for the distribution of nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine.

Alihodzic was sentenced on Dec 1, 2022, to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Alihodzic to forfeit to the government $1,158,058, which represents his responsibility in trafficking 113.79 kilograms (more than 250 pounds) of methamphetamine (based on a conservative street price of $2,300 for 226 grams (a half-pound) of methamphetamine).

Eighteen defendants have been convicted in two separate indictments that resulted from this investigation. Fifteen defendants have been sentenced.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Sean T. Foley, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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 EPA Press Office:

EPA Seeks Input on Inflation Reduction Act Environmental and Climate Justice Program

WASHINGTON (Feb. 9, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input on its Environmental and Climate Justice (ECJ) program funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. This program provides EPA with approximately $3 billion for ECJ program grants and technical assistance for environmental and climate justice efforts that benefit overburdened communities. “EPA is committed to using Inflation Reduction Act funding to make significant investments in the health, equity, and resilience of all communities and to address past, current, and future environmental and climate justice challenges,” said Marianne Engelman-Lado, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. “This Request for Information allows us to hear from communities and their partners on how our grant programs can work better for the communities that need this support the most. The success of this historic funding for the new Environmental and Climate Justice grant program will only be strengthened by the feedback we receive.” This RFI seeks public input on new and innovative strategies and approaches for competition design, community engagement, equitable distribution of financial resources, grantee eligibility for funding, capacity-building and outreach, and technical assistance. EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights is seeking public input on multiple aspects of the ECJ Program including, but not limited to: ECJ Program Design Types of Projects to Fund Reducing Application Barriers Reporting and Oversight Technical Assistance The deadline to provide input is March 17, 2023. To view and respond to the Request for Information, visit www.regulations.gov. EPA is planning to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity for approximately $2 billion of ECJ Program grants in the summer of 2023 after public input from this RFI has been considered. More information on the Inflation Reduction Act. Learn more about environmental justice at EPA. Background: In August 2022, Congress passed, and President Biden signed, the Inflation Reduction Act into law, creating the largest investment in environmental and climate justice in U.S. history. EPA received $3 billion in appropriations to provide grants and technical assistance for activities advancing environmental and climate justice. Earlier this year, EPA announced the availability of $100 million under the Environmental Justice Government to Government Program and the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program, with applications due on April 10, 2023.

For further information: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

 DOJ News Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Minnesota Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Producing Child Pornography

Exchanged Pornographic Photos, Videos with 11-Year-Old Boone County Victim

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Fulda, Minnesota, man was sentenced in federal court today for exchanging pornographic photos and videos online with an 11-year-old child victim in Boone County, Mo.

Douglas Howard Canfield, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Canfield to eight years of supervised release following incarceration. Canfield will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

On March 1, 2022, Canfield pleaded guilty to attempting to produce child pornography. Canfield admitted that he sent pornographic photos and videos of himself to the child victim and solicited pornographic photos from the child victim. Canfield communicated with the child victim over the Fastmeet dating application on her cell phone. Canfield engaged the child victim in explicit conversations about sex on numerous occasions in June 2019.

In July 2019, the Boone County, Mo., Children’s Division received an anonymous report regarding the child victim’s online activity. A Boone County sheriff’s deputy contacted the child victim’s mother, who turned over the cell phone to investigators and granted permission for them to examine the phone and access the child victim’s accounts. Investigators identified Canfield, who was contacted by the FBI in Minnesota.

Canfield admitted to investigators that he used the Fastmeet application to communicate with four or five minor females, from whom Canfield solicited pornographic images.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department Cyber Crimes Task Force and the FBI.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."