The Bethany Republican-Clipper reported that on July 16th, Susan Habben of Bethany, who was involved in a scary car/motorcycle accident on April 14th ten miles north of Gilman City that saw her lifeflighted and have seven surgeries, stopped into the NTA EMA building in Bethany to thank the crew who had helped her get through the accident.
On July 20th, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested Jowett Bastow (20) of Mount Ayr on charges of Assault (Causing Bodily Injury) and Harassment. Bond was set at $3,000, cash only.
The Bethany Republican-Clipper reported that on July 22nd, Dr. Bill Graham (80), who had been involved in an accident in which he went into heart arrest and crashed his vehicle, stopped into the Bethany City Council Meeting that night to thank Bethany Police Officer Charlie Bloss, who performed life-saving CPR on Graham. The city presented Bloss with a Certificate of Outstanding Performance for his actions in saving Graham’s life.
On July 23rd, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against John Merritt (33) of Ridgeway alleging Child Abuse (Felony). Bond was set at $2,000, cash only.
On July 24th, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested Koltin Marler of Lenox on charges of Wilful Injury (Felony, Causing Body Injury) and Driving While Revoked. He was being held on no bond until seen by the magistrate.
On July 24th, Brion Darby (47) of Novinger was ordered extradited from Gentry County to Lee County (FL) to face charges of Battery (Felony).
On July 24th, Donald Hume (43) of Maryville failed to appear in Gentry County Circuit Court on charges of Resisting Arrest and Careless & Imprudent Driving. A warrant was issued and bond was set at $500, cash only.
On July 24th, the US Department of Justice announced that a grand jury in Kansas City (KS) indicted Rim Jong Hyok of North Korea alleging that he was involved in a conspiracy to hack and extort US hospitals and other healthcare providers, launder the proceeds, and use them to fund additional computer intrusions into defense, technology, and government entities worldwide. The defendant and his co-conspirators allegedly worked for North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, and laundered payments through China-based facilitators. The US Department of Justice and the FBI also announced the interdiction of approximately $114,000 in proceeds of ransomware attacks as well as the seizure of online accounts used by the co-conspirators. The US Department of State has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the location or identification of Rim.
On July 24th, Forest Buckman (34) of Bethany failed to appear in Harrison County Associate Circuit Court on a charge of Stealing. A warrant was issued and bond was set at $500, cash only.
On July 24th, the US Department of Justice announced charges against 19 members of a human smuggling organization. A grand jury indicted 14 of them and a complaint was filed against the other five. Nine have been arrested and 10 are still at large. Authorities have seized $220,000 and two boxes of ammunition during the investigation. The defendants allegedly participated in a long-running conspiracy to bring people from Mexico to the US via land and sea, dropping people off at beaches in California after transporting them via high-speed watercraft. They typically charged between $7,000 and $16,000 per smuggled person.
On July 24th, the US Department of Justice announced the indictment of Ping Li (59) of Wesley Chapel (FL) alleging that he conspired to act as an agent of China without notifying the Attorney General. The defendant allegedly provided information about sensitive technology along with personal private information about Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, including personal addresses, to the Chinese government.
On July 24th, the US Department of Justice reported that Mohamed Waes (33) of Ohio was sentenced to 66 months in prison, three years supervised release, and $273,982.08 in restitution for allegations that he threatened to burn down a reproductive health clinic. In addition, the defendant allegedly set up fake email domains that were similar to legitimate fundraising domains, wrote fake fundraising emails, and received $273,982.08 in donations.
On July 24th, the US Department of Justice announced the indictment of Hadi Mater (26) of Fairview (NJ) alleging that he provided material support to Hezbollah by engaging in an act of terrorism. The US State Department, under President Bill Clinton, designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in 1997. The defendant allegedly assaulted author Salman Rushdie in an attempt to kill him. In 1989, the Iranian government issued a decree calling for the death of Rushdie over Rushdie’s book, The Satanic Verses, a book which the Iranian government says commits blasphemy against Islam. In 2006, Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah, gave a speech endorsing the 1989 decree.
On July 24th, Peyton Buhman (27) of King City pleaded guilty in Gentry County Associate Circuit Court to a charge of DWI. He was sentenced to two years probation, must complete SATOP by October 24th, and pay $531.50 in fines and court costs.
On July 24th, Gillian Goff (24) of St. Joseph pleaded guilty to an amended charge of Domestic Assault in Harrison County Associate Circuit Court. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail with credit for time served.
On July 24th, the Western Missouri US Attorney’s Office reported that Emily Sturgis (31) pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Bank Fraud on July 22nd. On February 13th, Aaron Blake (28) of Joplin pleaded guilty to the same charges as well as one count Aggravated Identity Theft. The defendants allegedly conspired in 2022 and 2023 to steal mail out of residential mailboxes and porches in Joplin. The stolen mail included credit cards, debit cards, checks, cash, jewelry, and documents containing personally identifying information. They allegedly used the stolen credit cards to make unauthorized purchases, open credit card accounts to make more purchases, and stole at least $12,482 from their victims.
On July 25th, the Maryville Forum reported that a Maryville man seeking a woman on dating site Farmers Only sought to send a package to a woman containing $1,800. The “woman” was operating a dating scam. Staff at Rapid Elite intercepted the package and returned the money to the owner.
On July 25th, the Maryville Forum reported that since July 17th, four vehicles and an electric scooter were stolen from Maryville. Officers also reported vehicles being rummaged and four reports of items being stolen from vehicles.
On July 25th, KMA reported that the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department arrested Dustin Perry (26) and Lindsey Hamilton (26) of Shenandoah were arrested on charges of Child Endangerment and Abandonment of a Dependent Person (Felony). Bond was denied. The report alleges the arrests came after officers received a report of a four year old child near a roadway in Hamburg. They had developmental disabilities, they were covered in filth and a mixture of human and animal feces, and another child inside a home near where the first child was discovered. The first child was able to escape without waking the occupants. The parents allegedly left the children in the care of relatives with the direction of keeping the four year old in a makeshift cage. The second child was allegedly kept in a walk-in closet in a Shenandoah residence. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services got involved, removing multiple children from the home.
On July 25th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 15 year old teen, Matthew Simmons from St. Joseph, was reported missing. He is a white male with blonde hair, blue eyes, and might be headed to Denver (CO). If you have any information about his whereabouts, contact the St. Joseph Police Department at (816) 271-4777.
On July 25th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Shonda Martin (36) of Bunker (MO) and Brandi McClanahan (43) of Ellington (MO) on charges that they allegedly had inappropriate sexual contact with an inmate at the Reynolds County Jail. Bond for each was set at $5,000.
On July 25th, the US Department of Justice announced that UnitedHealth Group abandoned proposed acquisitions of Stewardship Health and a related company following scrutiny from the US Justice Department. The DOJ said the proposed acquisition had raised questions about the quality of care, cost of care, and working conditions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers.
On July 25th, the US Department of Justice announced jail sentences for three people who were allegedly involved in a racially-motivated scheme to destroy energy facilities. Paul Kryscuk (38) of Boise (ID) was sentenced to six years and six months for Conspiracy to Destroy an Energy Facility. Liam Collins (25) of Johnson (RI) was sentenced to 10 years in prison for Airing and Abetting the Interstate Transportation of Unregistered Firearms. Justin Hermanson (25) of Swansboro (NC) was sentenced to one year and nine months for Conspiracy to Manufacture Firearms and Ship Interstate. The three had been allegedly involved in white supremacist causes and manufactured and stole firearms, ammunition, and military gear to carry out their plot to destroy electrical infrastructure in Idaho.
On July 25th, the US Department of Justice reported that Brian Ogstad (60) of Cullman (AL) pleaded guilty to charges that he had made death threats against election workers in Arizona during the 2022 Arizona Primaries. Ogstad pleaded guilty to one count of Making a Threatening Interstate Communication.
On July 25th, the US Department of Justice announced the arrest of Ismael Garcia, also known as “El Mayo,” and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of El Chapo, who is also being held in the US. El Mayo and El Chapo were allegedly founders of the Sinaloa Cartel, which smuggles fentanyl into the US. It is one of the world’s largest drug trafficking organizations. On July 29th, the case took a bizarre turn as the New York Times reported that Lopez is accused of abducting Garcia onto a plane bound for Florida.
On July 25th, the US Department of Justice announced a lawsuit against National General Holdings Corporation, National General Insurance Company, National General Lander Services, and Newport Management Corporations. The suit alleged that over a decade, they force-placed its Collateral Protection Insurance on vehicles financed through Wells Fargo despite borrowers already having insurance through other carriers. Hundreds of thousands of borrowers were affected. Many had their vehicles repossessed and were targeted with other collection activities including being reported to credit bureaus. The suit alleges that from 2008 to 2016, the defendants failed to track whether cars financed through Wells Fargo had the requisite insurance coverage and force placed its own insurance on at least 655,000 vehicles that already had outside insurance.
On July 25th, the Western Missouri US Attorney’s Office reported that Megan Dougherty (36) of Higbee (MO) pleaded guilty to a charge of Bank Fraud. The defendant allegedly worked at Exchange Bank of Missouri in Fayette from 2008 to 2023. During that time period, the defendant allegedly began removing money from customer accounts into her savings account and then to her checking account. Eventually, she allegedly transferred stolen funds into the checking accounts of family members. She then allegedly transferred stolen funds from CD’s. The defendant allegedly falsified the description of these transfers and would steal from one account to reimburse another. Over the course of her employment, she allegedly stole $2,393,288 from customers. She must forfeit $2,393,288 as well as nine parcels of real estate she owns.
On July 26th, the US Department of Justice announced a meeting of the Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing that will take place on August 1st. They will coordinate enforcement actions against corporate behavior that hikes prices through anti-competitive, unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent business practices. In March, President Joe Biden announced the formation of the Strike Force. Members include the US Department of Justice, the FTC, USDA, Department of Health and Human Services, US Department of Transportation, SEC, FCC, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
On July 26th, a plane crash in Wyoming took the lives of three members of the gospel group The Nelons, along with four others. Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark and their daughter Amber Nelon Kistler along with Amber’s husband Nathan Kistler, the family’s assistant Melodi Hodges, the pilot Larry Haynie, and Haynie’s wife Melissa Haynie were all killed. The crash reportedly sparked a wildfire. Preliminary investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board suggest an issue with the autopilot system may have caused the crash. A fourth member, Autumn Nelon Streetman, was not on the plane and announced the news on her Instagram account.
On July 26th, Merrick Garland, the US Attorney General, signed a final rule under the Americans with Disabilities Act to improve access to medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for people with disabilities. MDE includes equipment like medical examination tables, weight scales, dental chairs, x-ray machines and mammography machines. Accessible MDE is essential for people with disabilities to have equal access to medical care. The rule clarifies how public entities that use MDE, such as hospitals and health care clinics operated by state or local governments, can meet their obligations to ensure accessibility under the ADA. The department has heard from many individuals with disabilities who have been denied basic, critically important health care services because medical providers lacked accessible MDE. For example, patients with disabilities reported receiving only a cursory physical examination in their wheelchair because they could not be transferred to the examination table for a full examination. Other patients reported forgoing basic preventative health care, such as dental examinations and mammograms, because providers did not have accessible MDE.
On July 26th, the US Department of Homeland Security reported that Ricardo Rios (22) of Corpus Christi (TX) pleaded guilty in US District Court for the Southern District of Texas to a charge of Selling Fentanyl (Causing the Death of Another). The defendant allegedly sold Fentanyl to a 20 year old victim for a party on December 9th, 2022. The victim’s body was found the next morning. Rios was sentenced to 15 years in prison and four years supervised release.
On July 26th, the US Department of Homeland Security announced the extradition and indictment of Rafael Guzman (59) of Santiago (Dominican Republic) and Felix Ventura (37) of Santiago (Dominican Republic) on fraud charges. Nine other individuals were also indicted. The defendants allegedly ran a scam in which they impersonated grandchildren and other family members, called up elderly people, and told them they were under arrest and in need of immediate cash. Other scammers would then impersonate defense attorneys, police officers, or court personnel to “confirm” the story.
On July 27th, a Hopkins person posted on Facebook that someone’s dog had broken into their property and killed one of their piglets.
On July 27th, a Hopkins person posted on Facebook that some foxes had killed off some of their turkeys and chickens.
On July 28th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Luis Hernandez Rico (33) of Bethany in Harrison County on charges of DWI, No Valid License, Failure to Drive on Right Half of Roadway, Failure to Signal, No Insurance, and No Seat Belt.
On July 29th, KTTN Radio reported that Antonio Braxton (49) of Lee’s Summit pleaded guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine (Intent to Distribute) in Federal District Court. The charges followed a police chase on July 2nd, 2022 in which the defendant was stopped for improperly passing a tractor-trailer. The defendant had a license plate that was not on file. A police chase on Interstate 44 and other roads resulted that exceeded 100 miles per hour. Officers seized 1.339 kilograms of Methamphetamine.
On July 29th, KTTN Radio reported that Richard Duncan (69) of Tulsa (OK) was flying a plane from Oshkokh (WI) to Tulsa, ran out of fuel, but safely landed his plane in a cornfield in Sullivan County. He was not injured, and there was little to no damage to the plane.
On July 29th, KTTN Radio reported that the Missouri ACLU filed a lawsuit against the State of Missouri, the Director of the Missouri Department of Corrections, and the Dallas County Prosecuting Attorney alleging that the defendants unlawfully restricted Sharon Stewart, a defendant in a case in Dallas County, from using Marijuana in violation of two Missouri constitutional amendments that were passed by voters legalizing medical, and then recreational marijuana. The Medical Marijuana Amendment states that registered qualifying patients on bond, pre-trial release, on probation, or other supervised release shall not be prohibited from legally using a lawful marijuana product as terms of condition for release, probation, or parole. The Recreational Marijuana Amendment states that lawful marijuana-related activities cannot be the basis for a violation of parole, probation, or any type of supervised release. However, Marijuana still remains illegal under Federal Law. In April 2022, a state-licensed physician had issued Stewart a medical marijuana card for diagnosed health conditions. On two occasions in 2023, the state allegedly issued Stewart citations for violating her probation for using THC. The Dallas County Prosecutor allegedly filed motions to revoke Stewart’s probation, with Stewart serving two days of shock time in May 2024.
On July 29th, KTTN Radio reported that Kenneth Sparks (54) was indicted on federal charges of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, eight counts Wire Fraud, and two counts Identity Theft. The defendant was the visiting minister at Faith Walk Ministry, a church in Paris (MO). Jeffrey Oboite lived in Maryland and operated three businesses. Oboite allegedly taught Sparks and Mya McClain, an administrative assistant at the church, how to submit fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection (PPP) loans. They were also charged in the indictment. Both Oboite and Sparks allegedly submitted fraudulent loan applications in their own names, receiving at least $200,000. The defendants then allegedly obtained more than $1 million in PPP loans in the names of parishoners. Harold Long, the head minister at the church, allegedly told members that Sparks could be trusted with personal and financial information to seek loans in peoples’ names.
On July 29th, the US Department of Homeland Security announced the indictment of Sanjay Kumar (43) of Bihar (India) on charges of Trafficking Counterfeit Drugs (4 counts) and Conspiracy to Traffic Counterfeit Drugs. The defendant allegedly marketed and sold counterfeit versions of cancer drugs to patients.
On July 30th, the US Border Patrol announced the seizure of $553,000 worth of Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl at the Eagle Pass (TX) Point of Entry. The driver of the vehicle was arrested.
Charges listed are merely allegations. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty it is to determine guilt or innocence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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