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To quote Larry Kudlow: Free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity! Freedom of thought and free markets have led to the greatest advances in living standards in human history. Matters of business and free enterprise are discussed on this blog. Included are company press releases, 3rd party news articles and videos, articles and videos pertaining to small business, and white collar crime.
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Press Release
Friday, June 26, 2026
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 264 months in prison for clandestinely recording a minor under the age of 12 through a crack in a wall to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Jeffrey T. Lyons, 33, of Olathe pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
In 2018, Lyons began secretly taking nude photos and videos of a child from a room adjacent to a bathroom through a gap in the wall. For several years, Lyons secretly recorded the minor victim partially or completely unclothed in the bathroom.
In October 2023, a relative of Lyons reported him to law enforcement. When officers approached Lyons, they had to forcefully take his cellphone because he refused to give it to them. A forensic exam on the phone uncovered the sexual exploitation videos he had taken of the minor victim and screenshots from those videos, along with almost 900 erotic photos of the child while clothed. Lyons also possessed over 2,800 CSAM photos and videos that did not involve the minor child.
“Children are innocent, defenseless, and rely on responsible adults to advocate on their behalf and shield them from predators,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “If you become aware of child abuse, you have an ethical obligation to contact law enforcement immediately. It doesn’t matter if the perpetrator is a friend or a relative. The victim’s welfare should always be the highest priority.”
“Mr. Lyons’ actions were both abhorrent and stomach-churning. The sentence ensures that a dangerous predator spends more than two decades behind bars and an additional 12 years of supervised release. The FBI remains committed to finding and bringing to justice anyone who dares to exploit or harm children,” stated Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Press Release
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two former employees of the Wyandotte County District Court received prison sentences for using their positions in the accounting office to steal approximately $980,000 in taxpayer funds.
According to court documents, Julia Roberts, 65, of Leavenworth and Vicki Robinson, 63, of Bonner Springs, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy. A federal judge sentenced Roberts to 41 months in prison and Robinson to 27 months in prison.
Roberts was the accounting supervisor and responsible for collecting and depositing funds into the Wyandotte County District Court’s bank account. She acted as Robinson’s superior until her retirement in 2020. Roberts and Robinson stole incoming cash and concealed the thefts by generating checks and forging the clerk of court’s signature. They fabricated information on the memo lines to make the checks appear to be judgment disbursements or other legitimate court business. The checks functioned as a way to conceal the missing cash in the system.
During the time they were stealing money, Roberts had a significant amount of money transactions at a casino — over $1 million in 2017, $480,000 in 2018, and $251,000 in 2019. The amount dropped when she retired in 2020 to $30,000. Roberts also deposited more than $80,000 in cash into her personal bank accounts from 2018-2020. Robinson deposited $20,000 in cash into her bank account from 2021-2023.
In August 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) interviewed Robinson, and she admitted she stole money. She said Roberts showed her how to do it. Roberts told the FBI that she came up with the idea of stealing incoming cash. She said Robinson was involved from the beginning and at times they split the cash that was stolen.
Roberts’ and Robinson’s scheme resulted in a loss of $979,962 to the Wyandotte County District Court from 2018 to 2023. As part of their sentences, they are individually and collectively responsible for paying $979,962 in restitution.
“Roberts and Robinson worked together, stole together, and together conspired to cover up their crimes. They were as thick as thieves, and now the two thieves are headed to prison for stealing from the Wyandotte County District Court,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser.
“Public trust is the foundation of an effective government. When public servants betray that trust for personal financial gain, they compromise the integrity of the institutions they are sworn to serve. Today’s sentence sends a clear message: the FBI has zero tolerance for this. Anyone who exploits public office for personal enrichment will be thoroughly investigated, held accountable, and brought to justice,” stated Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan J. Huschka and Michelle McFarlane prosecuted the case.
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Press Release
Monday, June 22, 2026
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A St. Joseph, Mo., man was charged in an alleged plot to attack and kill government officials and others attending the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 event held at the White House on June 14, 2026.
Jordan Rincker, 28, was charged in a one-count criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit murder. He made his first appearance in federal court today after his arrest on June 21, 2026.
“This case demonstrates the effectiveness of our law enforcement partners and U.S. Attorneys working together to prevent violence before it can take place,” said U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price for the Western District of Missouri. “We will continue taking decisive action against those who seek to endanger national security and threaten the safety of Americans. By staying proactive, we will disrupt their operations, break apart their networks, and hold those responsible accountable under the law.”
According to the complaint, Rincker accepted $1,200 in cash from co-conspirator, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, 31, of Omaha, Neb., to disperse payment to other co-conspirators involved in the UFC event attack plot. The complaint alleges that with this money Rincker sent Bryan Omar Roa, 24, of Calimesa, Calif., $100 through CashApp, for gas to drive from California to Washington, D.C. to pick up the “drone operator” for the attack. Both Alvarez and Roa were arrested and charged last week for their involvement in the plot to kill government officials during the UFC event at the White House.
Rincker allegedly communicated with co-conspirators on an encrypted messaging application. According to court documents, Rincker also gave a 12-gague pump action shotgun to Alvarez during an in-person meeting in Omaha. During this meeting, Alvarez gave Rincker a ballistic plate, face shield, 3D printer, 3D printing filament, night vision goggles, binoculars, a “wire checker,” and a minicomputer. Alvarez allegedly gave Rincker the 3D printer to make drones. The complaint also states Rincker “traded” the 12-gauge pump action shot gun with an ammunition-filled bandolier.
While executing a search warrant of Rincker’s home and storage unit, investigators found:
The charges contained in this complaint or any others 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. Attorneys Maureen Brackett, Trey Alford, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Chlarson. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.