Former Everton city clerk pleads guilty to role in laundering meth trafficking proceeds

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of Missouri)

The former city clerk in Everton, Missouri, has pleaded guilty to her role in a money-laundering conspiracy related to methamphetamine trafficking.

Kristy A. Conn, 35, of Everton, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Friday, Nov. 1, to a federal information that charges her with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

By pleading guilty, Conn admitted that she participated in the money-laundering conspiracy from June 20 to Dec. 6, 2017. During that time, Conn was the city clerk in Everton. Conn admitted that she directed Ginger L. Huerta, 39, of Halfway, Missouri, to send wire transfers of the proceeds from the distribution of methamphetamine to members of the drug-trafficking organization in California and Mexico.

The drug-trafficking organization was responsible for the distribution of more than 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Springfield, Missouri, area. Huerta pleaded guilty on Thursday, Oct. 31, in a separate but related case, to her role in both the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies.

Under federal statutes, Conn is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. 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.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Keller. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Dade County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Department, and the Oldham County, Texas, Sheriff’s Department.