U.S. Attorney's Office

Belleville Martial Arts Instructor Accused of Sexually Exploiting Kids, Filming the Abuse

Christopher Horton, a twenty-year-old Belleville martial-arts instructor, is accused of sexually exploiting three minors -- ages six, eight and ten -- and filming the abuse. A new complaint against Horton says that he confessed to the sexual assault and attempted to get a fourth minor to engage in s ... More >>

Jimmy Tebeau Was Sentenced Today and Will Play at Old Rock House Tonight [Update]

Update, 4:50 p.m.: Jimmy Tebeau has been sentenced to "30 months on one felony count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, fined $50,000, and ordered to serve 200 hours of community service. He has also agreed to forfeit to the United States approximately 350 acres in Shannon County, Missouri, k ... More >>

The trail of an international child-porn ring led to a tiny house in the woods outside St. Louis

Aaron Reid: Acquaintance of Milton Ohlsen Concealed Knowledge of Clayton Bombing

Ohlsen when he was arrested for weapons charges in 2008.​Update 3:15 p.m: Aaron Reid is a police officer currently commissioned with Uplands Park, according to an official with the state's Department of Public Safety. Reid's license remains on probation with the state after an incident in 2007 whe ... More >>

Jimmy Tebeau, Camp Zoe/Schwagstock Impresario, Indicted

Jimmy Tebeau: The feds now claim he "consciously" managed his campground for the "specific purpose" of facilitating drug sales.​Seven months after the federal government first attempted to seize Jimmy Tebeau's 300-acre Camp Zoe in rural Missouri via asset forfeiture, claiming its popular Schwagsto ... More >>

Schwagstock Promoter Jimmy Tebeau Now Facing Criminal Charge Over Camp Zoe Drugs

Jimmy Tebeau: The feds now claim he "consciously" managed his campground for the "specific purpose" of facilitating drug sales.​Seven months after the federal government first attempted to seize Jimmy Tebeau's 300-acre Camp Zoe in rural Missouri via asset forfeiture, claiming its popular Schwagsto ... More >>

Kay Ottinger: St. Louis Interior Decorator Indicted for Overbilling Clients $1 Million

Above: A fashion faux pas nearly as criminal as Ms. Ottinger's. ​With the exception of my extremely ethical mother, I thought it was the somewhat accepted that interior designers overbill their clients. (Hey, if you really need professional advice on which throw pillow best matches the sofa, frank ... More >>

Keith Conway, Kinloch Mayor, Indicted for Felony Theft

Jennifer SilverbergKeith Conway, Kinloch's longtime mayor, faces one felony count each of wire fraud and federal program theft.​Keith Conway, the mayor of the north St. Louis County municipality of Kinloch, has been indicted on charges of theft and wire fraud.Conway, 47, allegedly used funds from ... More >>

Schwag frontman Jimmy Tebeau says Camp Zoe is an idyllic campground for weekend hippie jam fests. Federal prosecutors beg to differ.

John Wesley Jones: Guilty Plea Reveals New Details in ATM Solutions Robbery

St. Louis Metropolitan Police DepartmentJohn Wesley Jones​ John Wesley Jones appeared in court this afternoon to enter guilty pleas to armed robbery and related firearms charges in a record money heist last summer in St. Louis. According to court documents, in the early morning of August 2, four ... More >>

The Feds Bury Border Patrol Abuses of Immigrants, But What's Been Unearthed Reveals a Culture of Cruelty

Camp Zoe Seizure: Could Other Music Festivals Face Trouble, Too?

Wikimedia CommonsIs this SWAT team coming to a music festival near you?​Carrie Goebel went to sleep this Halloween in her own version of paradise. She woke up to a nightmare.The 46-year-old artist from Warrenton, Missouri, spent the last weekend in October camping out at Camp Zoe's Spookstock musi ... More >>

Camp Zoe Seizure: Could Other Music Festivals Face Trouble, Too?

Wikimedia CommonsIs this SWAT team coming to a music festival near you?​Carrie Goebel went to sleep this Halloween in her own version of paradise. She woke up to a nightmare.The 46-year-old artist from Warrenton, Missouri, spent the last weekend in October camping out at Camp Zoe's Spookstock mus ... More >>

St. Louis-Based Funeral Business Defrauded Investors of Millions, According to Indictment

National Prearranged Services dug their clients into a hell of a hole.​Six officials with the now defunct St. Louis business, National Prearranged Services Inc.,  were charged yesterday in a 50-count indictment alleging wire, bank, mail and insurance fraud; money laundering and multiple cons ... More >>

Lure is not responsible for all Washington Avenue's trouble, but it's taking all the blame

Undercover Video Footage: Did John Bacon Brag About Ripping Out a Pit Bull's Tongue?

photo by Keegan HamiltonJohn Bacon: convicted dogfighter, alleged tongue puller.​This week's feature story about the largest dogfighting bust in American history includes a section that details a series of interviews with John Bacon, a convicted dogfighter from Washington Park, Illinois, who is c ... More >>

White Collar Crime: Anglican bishop Martin Sigillito is accused of fleecing regular Joes and Racquet Club jet setters alike out of $45 million

Danny O'Guin: Pastor of Parker Road Baptist Church in Florissant Indicted for Fraud

parkerroadbc.orgDanny O'Guin: A good ol' Baptist?​You'd think that his name alone would arouse suspicions. A man with the strong Irish Catholic name of Danny O'Guin installed as the preacher of a Baptist church in north St. Louis County. Apparently, though, the good flock at Parker Road Baptist Ch ... More >>

Aaron Duncan, CEO of Duncan Group, Pleads Guilty to Pyramid Scheme

​Aaron Duncan, former CEO and owner of The Duncan Group, has pleaded guilty to yesterday to federal fraud charges involving a $3.9 million investment scheme. According to court documents, Duncan represented that The Duncan Group was involved in real estate investments, including buying, rehabili ... More >>

James Grady: Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography, Loses His Toyota Camry

​The Rev. James Patrick Grady pleaded guilty this morning to possession of child pornography.As part of the plea, Grady has agreed to forfeit his Toyota Camry. Seriously. According to court documents, Grady, 58, was employed as the pastor at St. Raphael the Archangel in south St. Louis. Grady was ... More >>

Man Pleads Guilty for Trying to Have Sex with Minor in Front of Judge

The headline above, what does it imply? 1. A man tried to commit a heinous act in the presence of a judge, or2. A man pleaded guilty to a judge for attempting to commit a heinous act.Mmm, judgy likey.​If you answered No. 1, you'd be correct -- grammatically speaking. Of course, most criminals woul ... More >>

Is Disgraced State Senator Jeff Smith Now Trying to Say He's the Hero in This Debacle?

Is it just Daily RFT, or does it sound like Jeff Smith is flipping the ol' bird to the people who put him behind bars?​St. Louis Post-Dispatch political columnist Tony Messenger has a nice scene-scetter of the Jeff Smith sentencing in this morning's paper. But is anyone besides Daily RFT stum ... More >>

The Dead Guy in Smith Case Speaks. Sort Of.

At yesterday's federal sentencing of Jeff Smith, U.S. District Judge Carol Jackson noted her receipt of numerous letters asking for leniency for the former state senator. Jackson said she never counted the missives, but estimated that they well could have totaled 100. Jackson also referenced a lone ... More >>

St. Louis Cops Indicted in Federal Sting; Colluded to Keep Stolen Electronics

Officer Jackson to Officer Brezill: "Wii are in trouble now."​St. Louis police officers Ronald Jackson and Christian Brezill have been indicted on charges of theft of government property, after allegedly stealing stolen merchandise after an arrest, Acting United States Attorney Michael W. Reap ann ... More >>

Former East St. Louis Deputy Liquor Commissioner Indicted on Extortion Charges

perfectsubstitute.blogspot.com​Former East St. Louis deputy liquor commissioner Walter D. Hill was indicted yesterday on federal extortion charges, the Belleville News-Democrat reports. Hill is accused of using his position with the city to extort money, liquor, and sex. He is also accused of lyin ... More >>

Founder of BetonSports Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Forfeits $43 Million to Government

​Gary Stephen Kaplan, the subject of a Riverfront Times investigation in '07, has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges of fraud for running an illegal offshore sports wagering business.As part of a complex plea agreement, Kaplan, 50, entered pleas of guilty to charges of conspiracy to violat ... More >>

Owner of Pre-Paid Funeral Company Indicted for Fraud, Money Laundering

Sutton allegedly used Wite Out to wipe out customers' accounts.​Randall Sutton, former chief financial officer, president and director of the now defunct Clayton business, National Prearranged Services Inc., was indicted this week of a massive fraud involving pre-paid funerals in some 19 states. A ... More >>

Pet Food Executive Lived Like Fat Cat, Allegedly Bilking Nestle-Purina for $250,000

Thomas Faulkner on the Purina Cat Chow diet.The former director of marketing for Nestle Purina Petcare has been indicted on fraud charges for use of his company credit card. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Thomas Faulkner billed the company more than $250,000 in fraudulent invoices that he ... More >>

St. Louis Police Dismantle North City Drug Ring; 15 Members of Gang Indicted

The U.S. Attorney's Office and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department today announced the indictment and arrest of 15 area people charged with operating a major cocaine operation in St. Louis. The investigation focused on gang-related drug activity in the Jeff Vander Lou area (see map below) o ... More >>

Mokwa Escapes Indictment as Former Cop, Manager of Towing Firm Charged with Fraud

Gregory P. Shepard, a former St. Louis police officer, was indicted on charges of fraud and bribery yesterday involving his operation of the S & H Parking Systems that toppled the administration of former police Chief Joe Mokwa.S&H headquarters at N. 10th and O'Fallon streets just north of d ... More >>

Podiatrist Charged With Bilking Medicaid; Billed Amputees with No Feet

flickr.com/photos/noprawnsDr. Pham, I presume?At first glance a press release today from the U.S. Attorney's office looks like dozens of dull media alerts the prosecutor routinely sends out alleging Medicaid fraud. Then I noticed this outrageous line in the release regarding podiatrist David Quang P ... More >>

South City Real Estate Swinder Pleads Guilty to Fraud

Robert Douglas Hartmann pleaded guilty to bank and mail fraud charges stemming from his now defunct real-estate firm DHP Investments, U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway announced today.Hartmann's DHP Investments was once involved in the rehab of hundreds of homes and buildings in the metro area -- part ... More >>

Vanishing Act, Part 2: Missing since 2003, little Christian Ferguson is almost surely dead. Police think they've fingered the culprit — and there's nothing they can do about it. A Riverfront Times Special Report.

Payback: Laura Smith blew the whistle on a county sheriff's department bribery scheme, and now she's paying the price

7-Up vs. Coke, Part 1: From dot-com darling to disaster, the spectacular flameout of Andrew Gladney. Heir to a fortune, Andrew Gladney went from John Burroughs to Yale and came home to found Savvis Inc. Then he squandered it all.

Floyd Irons' trial is delayed.

He may be facing additional charges.

Guilt-Edged

Pugnacious defense attorney Frank "Tony" Fabbri never backed away from a fight. Then the lawyer ran afoul of the law.

Double Down

Gary Kaplan put all of his chips on BETonSPORTS and drew the worst hand of his life. Now he’s making tuna casserole in a St. Louis jail.

Floyd Irons Pleads Guilty, Faces Prison and Up to $1 Million Fine

Floyd Irons Pleads Guilty, Faces Prison and Up to $1 Million Fine

Mid-America Jihad?

Leaders of a now-defunct international aid charity face charges of funneling money to Iraq.

Deadspin: Dead Wrong?

The Resurrection of Carl Officer

East St. Louis’ prodigal son is back — but is he the man to save Sin City?

Problem's Over

"She's gonna come up missing, and it ain't gonna be on your hands."

Dirty Little Secrets

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department keeps a tight lid on internal affairs. Even if it means breaking the law.

Going Postal

Maybe it’s time to revisit Steve Stogel’s redevelopment plan for the Old Post Office downtown

The Secret Police

St. Louis County police say they follow the law. But on matters of public record, someone should call 911.

New Kid, Old School

Francis G. Slay wants to push a troubled city to the future, and he doesn't think "politics" is a dirty word.

Best Underground (Figuratively) Restaurant

Beffa's

Blue-Light Special

When it came to guns, the Overland cops weren't just playing around