Court order: Jarub Baird, meth conspiracy co-defendants ordered to forfeit property to cover $1,060,070 judgment

A federal court judge has ordered Jarub Baird, 27, Carthage, and seven co-defendants to forfeit property to pay a $1,060,070 judgment in their meth conspiracy and money laundering case.

The eight have pleaded guilty, with Baird's plea coming last month in U. S. District Court in Kansas City. No date has been scheduled for Baird's sentencing.

Judge Greg Kays, in his September 6 order, authorized the federal government to do whatever was necessary to "identify, locate, or dispose of property subject to forfeiture, or substitute assets for such property" to satisfy the judgment.

In addition to Baird, the order covers Kenneth Bryant Lake, Scott Bryan Sands, Jerry Lee Brown, Travis Lee Bethel, Lanny Eugene Ham, Jake Ian Nixon and Aaron Randall Stull.

Baird's role in the meth conspiracy was spelled out in his plea agreement:

The Buchanan County Drug Strike Force (BCDSF), Springfield, Missouri Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration developed a methamphetamine drug conspiracy in 2015 involving the following people; Kenneth Bryant Lake, Michael Ryan Nevatt, Scott Bryan Sands, Jerry Lee Brown and Travis Lee Bethel.

Investigators identified Kenneth Lake as the original head of the organization coordinating vehicle transport shipments of methamphetamine to Springfield, Missouri, for later distribution and drug proceeds (United States Currency) shipments out of Springfield, Missouri, for payment of the delivered or ordered methamphetamine.

Subsequently, Michael Ryan Nevatt became the head of an organization involving all those listed above and Kara Renee Baze, Breanna Nicole Hall, Autumn Sky Provience, Lanny Eugene Ham, Jarub Ray Baird, Cindy Ann Nevatt, Tara L. Harken, and Jake Ian Nixon.

This organization also obtained methamphetamine elsewhere and got it delivered to the Springfield, Missouri, area for later distribution, along with sending drug proceeds out of the area for payment of methamphetamine ordered or delivered.

Lake, Sands, and Aaron Randall Stull, coordinated shipments of methamphetamine by United States Postal Service parcels to the Springfield, Missouri, residence of Michelle Vanne Gray where it was stored then retrieved for later distribution.

On 08/28/2015, Kenny Lake and Kara Baze are arrested during a search warrant at a hotel room in Springfield, Missouri. Officers recovered $102,787 in United States currency, a loaded handgun and a small amount of methamphetamine.

Michael Nevatt and BAIRD arrived in a black Corvette and after a brief chase were apprehended. In 2016, multiple witnesses gave statements to investigators in this case about BAIRD’s involvement.

In summary, those witnesses link BAIRD with Michael Nevatt and Nevatt’s methamphetamine distribution activities. Those witnesses describe BAIRD’s activities in assisting Nevatt with obtaining and distributing more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and with collecting drug proceeds for methamphetamine distributed.

Defendant acknowledges that while the information set out herein may not allege exact amounts of methamphetamine associated with the defendant, the amounts alleged herein, along with other statements and evidence in the case, total more than five-hundred (500) grams of methamphetamine for which the defendant is responsible.

The defendant further acknowledges the substances with which defendant was involved were in fact methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.

Finally, defendant acknowledges that at least some acts committed in furtherance of this distribution conspiracy were committed within the Western District of Missouri, during the dates alleged in the indictment.

Defendant additionally acknowledges that during the dates charged in the superseding indictment, and at least partially within the Western District of Missouri, the defendant used or knew at least some of the proceeds obtained from defendant’s methamphetamine distribution, and the distribution of others in the conspiracy, were used to pay living expenses, buy assets, and to purchase additional methamphetamine for distribution.

Defendant also acknowledges that he and other co-conspirators used cash during the conspiracy to conceal the nature of their illegal activities.

Additional evidence exists that may further implicate the defendant in these conspiracies. The defendant acknowledges that evidence was provided to defendant’s attorney via discovery and the defendant has had an opportunity to review it with the attorney prior to signing this plea agreement and further acknowledges that evidence, and any additional evidence obtained prior to sentencing, may affect the ultimately determined drug responsibility level and sentence of the defendant.

The parties have agreed to a drug level not less than a drug level 30, and have agreed to a a guidelines enhancement of two (2) levels as a result of defendant’s guilty plea to the money laundering conspiracy.

However, it is understood by the parties that the pre-sentence investigation or the Court at sentencing could assess a higher drug level of responsibility, and other enhancements, for the defendant based on the evidence in the case to date or that becomes known later.

In the event a higher drug level, or other enhancements, are determined by the pre-sentence investigation or the Court at sentencing, the parties are free to express their respective positions about that higher drug level, or other enhancements, at sentencing.