Oronogo Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Kidnapping Webb City Woman

 PRESS RELEASE

Friday, June 23, 2023

Threatened to Kill Victim Unless She Recanted Testimony in Criminal Case, Joplin Co-conspirator Also Sentenced

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A southwest Missouri man was sentenced in federal court today for kidnapping a Webb City, Mo., woman and threatening to kill her and her family unless she recanted her testimony in his state criminal case.

Jeffrey Marsh, 35, of Oronogo, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 40 years in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Zaqouri Traves Archer, 34, of Joplin, Mo., was sentenced to eight in federal prison without parole.

On July 7, 2022, Marsh pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, one count of kidnapping, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of stalking. Archer pleaded guilty on July 21, 2021, to his role in the kidnapping conspiracy and to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Marsh and Archer admitted they kidnapped a victim identified in court documents as “N.J.” and transported her across states lines from Kansas to Missouri.

N.J. was staying at a friend’s residence in Crawford County, Kan., because she was trying to hide from Marsh, her ex-boyfriend. Marsh was angry with her because she had reported him as a suspect when her Ruger handgun was stolen. Officers with the Oronogo Police Department had executed a search warrant on Marsh’s residence on Jan. 26, 2020. They located N.J.’s stolen firearm in Marsh’s bedroom, as well as other firearms, and stolen property. Marsh was charged with receiving stolen property and unlawful possession of a firearm in the Jasper County Circuit Court.

On Feb. 2, 2020, N.J. watched the Super Bowl at her friend’s residence and then walked out to her car to go to work. When she opened the front passenger door and placed her purse on the seat, Marsh grabbed her and told her to get into the vehicle. She began screaming and fell to the ground in an attempt to get her firearm out of her purse. She felt the barrel of a firearm placed against the back of her head, and Marsh told her to stop screaming or he would shoot her in the head. In the meantime, Archer – who, like Marsh, was dressed in all black – arrived. Archer had a Taser with him. N.J. was forced into the front passenger seat, with Marsh in the driver’s seat and Archer in the back passenger seat.  Archer placed duct tape over N.J.’s eyes and face.

At one point as they were driving around and making several stops, Marsh shoved the barrel of his Kimber .45-caliber pistol in N.J.’s mouth and pulled the trigger. The gun made a click, but did not fire. After the click, Marsh chambered a round and shot it outside the vehicle towards a body of water. During the kidnapping, Marsh struck N.J. in her left jaw and told her she was going to recant her statements to the police.

Archer eventually left, and Marsh took N.J. to her apartment in Webb City in his vehicle. Marsh continued to threaten, abuse, and assault N.J. Marsh held N.J. at gunpoint in her apartment and she was unable to leave that night. Marsh  told N.J. to recant her earlier statement or her, her kids, and her whole family would die. Marsh told N.J. that she needed to make his weapon charges go away or her kids would die. N.J. later told investigators that she felt in fear of the death of, or serious bodily injury to herself,

In the morning hours of Feb. 3, 2020, Marsh took N.J. back to her vehicle so she could go to the Oronogo Police Department to recant her statement.  Once at the Oronogo Police Department, N.J. tried to recant her statement, but then disclosed her kidnapping.  Later that day, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department located N.J.’s firearm and Marsh’s firearm taped to the bottom of a dresser with duct tape.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Marsh has two prior felony convictions for burglary, three prior felony convictions theft, and prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, and possession of a controlled substance.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Crawford County, Kan., Sheriff’s Office, and the Oronogo, Mo., Police Department.

Updated June 23, 2023

Former FBI Analyst Sentenced for Retaining Classified Documents

 PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Defendant Kept Hundreds of National Defense Documents at Her Home in Violation of the Espionage Act

A former analyst with the Kansas City Division of the FBI was sentenced in federal court today for illegally retaining documents related to the national defense at her residence.

Kendra Kingsbury, 50, of Garden City, Kansas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 46 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Kingsbury pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2022, to two counts of unlawfully retaining documents related to the national defense.

According to court documents, Kingsbury was an intelligence analyst for the FBI for more than 12 years, from 2004 to Dec. 15, 2017. Kingsbury was assigned to a sequence of different FBI squads, each of which had a particular focus, such as illegal drug trafficking, violent crime, violent gangs and counterintelligence. Kingsbury held a TOP SECRET/SCI security clearance and had access to national defense and classified information. Training presentations and materials specifically warned Kingsbury that she was prohibited from retaining classified information at her personal residence. Such information could only be stored in an approved facility and container.

Kingsbury admitted that, over the course of her FBI employment, she repeatedly removed from the FBI and retained in her personal residence (at that time in North Kansas City, Missouri) an abundance of sensitive government materials, including classified documents related to the national defense.

In total, Kingsbury improperly removed and unlawfully and willfully retained approximately 386 classified documents in her personal residence. Some of the classified documents she unlawfully removed and kept in her home contained extremely sensitive national defense information. According to court documents, Kingsbury put national security at risk by retaining classified information in her home that would have, if in the wrong hands, revealed some of the government’s most important and secretive methods of collecting essential national security intelligence.

Kingsbury admitted to investigators that she retained and destroyed other documents over the years that could have contained classified and/or national defense information. The documents retained by Kingsbury in her personal residence included documents in electronic format on hard drives, compact discs and other storage media.

The national defense information that Kingsbury unlawfully retained included numerous documents classified at the SECRET level from the FBI that describe intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts related to counterterrorism, counterintelligence and defending against cyber threats. These documents included details on the FBI’s nationwide objectives and priorities, including specific investigations across multiple field offices that were open at the time Kingsbury unlawfully retained the documents. In addition, Kingsbury retained documents relating to sensitive human-source operations in national security investigations, intelligence gaps regarding hostile foreign intelligence services and terrorist organizations and the technical capabilities of the FBI against counterintelligence and counterterrorism targets.

The national defense information that Kingsbury unlawfully retained also included numerous documents classified at the SECRET level from another government agency. These documents described intelligence sources and methods related to U.S. government efforts to collect intelligence on terrorist groups. The documents included information about al Qaeda members on the African continent, including a suspected associate of Usama bin Laden. In addition, there were documents regarding the activities of emerging terrorists and their efforts to establish themselves in support of al Qaeda in Africa.

The FBI investigated what uses Kingsbury put to the classified documents she illegally removed from the secure workspace, but according to court documents, the investigation revealed more questions and concerns than answers.

Investigators reviewed Kingsbury’s telephone records, which revealed a number of suspicious calls. Kingsbury contacted phone numbers associated with subjects of counterterrorism investigations, and these individuals also made telephone calls to Kingsbury. Investigators have not been able to determine why Kingsbury contacted these individuals, or why these individuals contacted her. Kingsbury declined to provide the government with any further information.

The FBI Omaha Field Office is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Edwards for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

Updated June 21, 2023

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Jury Convicts Missouri Man After Undercover Sex Sting

PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

TOPEKA, KAN.– A federal jury convicted a Missouri man on one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, after he was arrested in an undercover operation. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Steven E. Spradley, 58, of Kansas City, Missouri, traveled from Jackson County, Missouri, to Osage County, Kansas, in July 2021 to have sex with whom he believed to be a 17-year-old girl he met online. Spradley was actually communicating with an investigator from the Osage County Sheriff’s Office posing as a minor. The Osage County Sheriff’s Office is part of the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Spradley faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“While child predators have long been a threat, the internet has greatly extended their reach to seek out victims,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. “As these criminals scour for opportunities to prey on our young people, I applaud law enforcement officers for their proactive approach to catching these criminals and hopefully put them behind bars before a child falls victim.”

“This conviction holds Mr. Spradley accountable for his shameful and predatory actions. It underscores our continued commitment to have our children grow up without fear of exploitation and the importance of our state and local law enforcement partnerships in stopping those who attempt to harm the most vulnerable in our community,” said Charles Dayoub, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation  (FBI) are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Walton and Stephen Hunting are prosecuting the case.

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 https://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc
###
 

Updated June 13, 2023

KC Man Sentenced in $1.1 Million Insurance Fraud Conspiracy

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, June 12, 2023

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a $1.1 million insurance fraud scheme that involved false claims of injuries suffered in car accidents.

Michael Stuart Smith, also known as “Black Mike,” 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to four years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Smith to pay $40,836 in restitution to his victims.

On April 26, 2022, Smith pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to participating in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

This case stems from a long investigation by the FBI into co-defendant Lawrence Courtney Lawhorn, 35, of Kansas City, Mo. (formerly of Columbia, Mo.), for a series of automobile accidents throughout Missouri. All but one of those accidents were staged.

Lawhorn recruited friends, acquittances, family, and friends of friends to participate in the staged accidents. Conspirators went to various medical providers, claiming injuries from the staged accidents and requesting various testing, such a MRIs, CT scans, and/or X-rays. Conspirators then submitted false claims to insurance companies 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.

Smith admitted that he participated in two of the staged automobile accidents on May 12, 2018, and Feb. 27, 2019.

Lawhorn pleaded guilty on Thursday, June 8, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Lawhorn also pleaded guilty in a separate and unrelated case to commit wire fraud. His sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

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.

Updated June 12, 2023

Iowa Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Online Harassment of MO Teen

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, June 12, 2023

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Corydon, Iowa, man was sentenced in federal court today for attempting to produce child pornography following his online harassment of a Calloway County, Mo., teenager over five years.

David Jonathon Dodds, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Dodds to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration.

On Sept. 29, 2022, Dodds pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to produce child pornography. Dodds is a registered sex offender in Iowa due to his conviction for the exhibition of obscene materials to minors. In that case, Dodds sent a pornographic Snapchat video of himself to a 16-year-old victim. Dodds has been in federal custody since his arrest.

Dodds admitted that he initially contacted the child victim through her Instagram account when she was 13 years old, disguising himself as a teenage male, and continued contacting her through Facebook Messenger and her cell phone until she was 18 years old. Her father contacted the Calloway County Sheriff’s Department in February 2020 to report that his 18-year-old daughter had been the victim of harassment and sexual enticement for several years.

Dodds admitted to having similar conversations with several other unidentified underage victims.

After Dodds contacted the child victim through Instagram, his behavior escalated to messaging her numerous times a day and sending her pornographic images of himself. Dodds also asked her to send nude photographs of herself, and the child victim sent several nude photos of herself in 2015, when she was 14 years old.

The child victim told investigators she became uncomfortable with the ongoing conversations with Dodds and attempted to cut off communications. He became agitated with her and he began threatening to text her parents or friends if she didn’t communicate with him. Dodds messaged her parents and left three voicemail messages on her boyfriend’s phone telling him she had been cheating on both of them. The child victim told investigators she began hiding in photos taken with friends or family that may end up on social media to avoid being seen. She began receiving contact on Facebook Messenger and her cell phone. She turned off her cell phone for durations to avoid any contact.

The child victim reported this continued harassment led to significant anxiety and caused her to quit several jobs. It became apparent that Dodds was monitoring her parents’ public posts on Facebook, harassing her about going to prom or noting how they had been at Wal-Mart looking for her. His behavior caused her to trade cell phones and delete Instagram and Facebook accounts.

The child victim eventually disclosed the harassment to her family, who contacted law enforcement.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, 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/pscand click on the tab "resources."

Updated June 12, 2023

 Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, June 9, 2023

Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Defendant Illegally Carried Firearm to Capitol Grounds

            WASHINGTON — A Missouri man pleaded guilty to a felony charge for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Jerod Thomas Bargar, 37, of Centralia, Missouri, pleaded guilty yesterday, in the District of Columbia, to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, a felony. U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton scheduled a sentencing hearing for Nov. 3, 2023.  

            According to court documents, Bargar illegally brought a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol across state lines and into the District of Columbia. Bargar took the firearm to a rally near the Ellipse and then onto restricted grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Bargar was not licensed to carry a firearm in the District of Columbia. Law enforcement officers recovered the weapon at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, on the west side of the Capitol Building. The firearm was on the ground, in a distinctive holster that displayed an image of the American flag and the words: “We The People” written on it. The firearm contained one 9-millimeter cartridge in the chamber and approximately 15 additional cartridges in the magazine. Bargar was later linked to the gun in a law enforcement investigation.

            The charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, as well as financial penalties.  A federal district court judge will determine an appropriate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 29 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Columbia, KC Man Pleads Guilty to $1.1 Million Insurance Fraud Conspiracy

 PRESS RELEASE

Friday, June 9, 2023

Also Pleads Guilty to $80,000 COVID Fraud Conspiracy

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who formerly lived in Columbia, Mo., has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a $1.1 million insurance fraud conspiracy that involved false claims of injuries suffered in car accidents, as well as to his role in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief benefits.

Lawrence Courtney Lawhorn, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., on Thursday, June 8, to the charges contained in two separate federal indictments. In the first indictment, Lawhorn pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. In the second indictment, Lawhorn pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Lawhorn is among 17 defendants who have pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme that defrauded six insurance companies 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.

Lawhorn was directly involved in two incidents in which he received separate payments of $1,500 and $17,350 from insurance companies. In several other incidents, Lawhorn sent emails to insurance companies, made telephone calls to insurance companies, directed others what to tell insurance companies, reviewed insurance policies prior to incidents, witnessed release agreements, and assumed the identity of parties to the incidents or people related to parties to these incidents in communication with insurance companies.

By pleading guilty today, Lawhorn admitted to his involvement in nine automobile accidents in June and December 2017, in May and August 2018, and in January, February, August, October and December 2019 as part of the insurance fraud scheme that resulted in a total loss to his victims of $1,148,198. Most of the accidents were in Columbia and Kansas City, Mo., with one accident in St. Louis, Mo.

FBI agents seized Lawhorn’s iPhone and Apple Mac laptop when he was arrested in the insurance fraud case. A detective with the Boone County Cyber Crimes Task Force found evidence of additional fraud after searching those devices, which led to Lawhorn being indicted in the second case.

By pleading guilty in the second federal indictment today, Lawhorn admitted that he fraudulently obtained three $10,000 COVID-19 economic relief loans for non-existent businesses in his name and in the names of two other individuals as part of a fraud conspiracy. He also applied online for loans in the names of five more individuals, but those applications were rejected.

Under the CARES Act, the federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) provided loan assistance, including $10,000 in advances for small businesses.  EIDL proceeds could be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills associated with small businesses that could have been paid had the pandemic not occurred. A business applying for EIDL relief was eligible for an advance of $1,000 per employee up to 10 employees that did not have to be repaid.

Under federal statutes, Lawhorn is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the three conspiracy charges, plus a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft. 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.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Maness. They were investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Updated June 9, 2023

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Jackson County Detention Center Employee Indicted for Smuggling K2-Laced Papers to Jail Inmates

 PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Three Associates of Inmate Also Charged in Conspiracy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An employee of the Jackson County Detention Center, along with three associates of an inmate detained at the center, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to smuggle papers laced with K2 to jail inmates.

Aaron D. Copes, 42, of Grandview, Mo., Deanna K. Clark, also known as “Nina,” 32, and Stephanie McDaniel, 31, both of Kansas City, Mo., and James A. Booker, Jr., 37, of Raytown, Mo., were charged in a single-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on May 31, 2023. That indictment has been unsealed and made public following the arrests of Copes, Clark, and Booker this week.

Copes was employed as a case manager at the Jackson County Detention Center. His duties included interviewing inmates daily, providing counseling and mediation for inmates, and providing training to correctional officers. Clark and Booker were close associates of an inmate at the Jackson County Detention Center, who is identified in court documents as unindicted co-conspirator CC1. McDaniel was the girlfriend of CC1. The indictment also refers to another inmate, identified as unindicted co-conspirator CC2.

Copes, Clark, Booker, and McDaniel are charged with participating in a conspiracy from March 2020 to October 2021 to smuggle contraband into the Jackson County Detention Center.

Copes allegedly took bribe money and sexual favors in exchange for smuggling contraband into the Jackson County Detention Center and delivering it to inmates, including CC1 and CC2. Conspirators allegedly smuggled in K2, a controlled substance, which was soaked onto sheets of paper that were smoked by inmates.

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 Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the FBI and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Updated June 7, 2023

EWTN News Nightly | Wednesday, June 7, 2023

KC Man Sentenced to 30 Years for $10 Million Conspiracy to Distribute 1,000 Kilos of Meth

 News Release:

Thursday, June 1, 2023

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a nearly $10 million conspiracy to distribute almost 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Joshua A. Brown, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Wednesday, May 31, to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Brown to forfeit to the government $31,108, which represents his proceeds from illegal drug trafficking.

On June 27, 2022, Brown pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019. According to court documents, Brown was responsible for the distribution of nearly 3.8 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy.

Brown has also been charged with the murder of a victim identified in court documents as “T.D.” in the District Court of Leavenworth County, Kansas, and that case is currently pending. The body of the victim, who suffered a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, was discovered on March 12, 2019.

Brown was arrested on March 26, 2019, after he paid $5,000 to purchase methamphetamine from a co-defendant through an intermediate, who was a confidential law enforcement source. Kansas City, Mo., police officers then arrested Brown in the parking lot of the apartment building where he received the methamphetamine.

Brown, who was driving a stolen Volkswagen Jetta, had a loaded Smith and Wesson .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun in his waistband when he was taken into custody. A .45-caliber shell casing recovered at the scene where T. D.’s body was found had been fired through the Smith and Wesson .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported as stolen.

Officers searched the Jetta and found a red backpack that contained an Iver Johnson Arms .32-caliber revolver, an Arminus Titan Tiger.38-caliber revolver, and an Iver Johnson Arms .45-caliber revolver, all of which had been reported as stolen. The backpack also contained a blue Nike bag with approximately 735.7 grams of pure methamphetamine and 23.7 grams of marijuana.

Brown told investigators he purchased whole kilograms of methamphetamine every few days. Brown admitted he sold methamphetamine by the ounce and made $150 profit on each ounce sold. Brown also told investigators he acquired the stolen firearms through trades for methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Brown was under a criminal justice sentence for possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest by fleeing – creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death, and unlawful use of a weapon in the Circuit Court of Platte County, Mo., and possession of drug contraband in prison in the District Court of Ellsworth County, Kan., when he committed this federal offense.

Brown has nine prior felony convictions for possession of stolen property, aggravated battery, criminal use of weapons, distribution of certain hallucinogens, possession of drug contraband in prison, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest by fleeing – creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death, and unlawful use of a weapon. Brown also has been convicted of 20 misdemeanor and/or ordinance offenses.

Brown is the final defendant among 18 defendants who have been sentenced in two separate indictments that resulted from this investigation.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Sean T. Foley. 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.

Updated June 1, 2023