Indicted Rangeline developer involved in collapse of two banks

The Springfield developer whose prime Joplin property is going to be sold at auction May 19 is scheduled to go to trial in July following his indictment by a federal grand jury on 17 counts, including bank fraud, wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and money laundering.

Court records indicate that Richard Gregg, 58, was involved in actions that caused the collapse of two banks, and as noted in the Turner Report Thursday, included a misuse of the insurance settlement he received for his properties at 1717 Rangeline following the Joplin Tornado.

The allegations against Gregg were spelled out in this March 2013 news release from the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri:

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Springfield lawyer appointed to represent Daniel Whitworth

A federal judge appointed Springfield lawyer John Applequist to represent Daniel Whitworth, the Joplin attorney who is the target of a federal grand jury investigation into fraud and money laundering.

During a 10-minute hearing in federal court in Springfield Thursday, Whitworth had asked for an attorney to be appointed.

In a target letter (pictured above) issued to Whitworth in October, U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Tammy Dickinson noted that the Missouri Highway Patrol and the Internal Revenue Service had a mountain of evidence against Whitworth and said it might be in Whitworth's best interest to get a lawyer and start working on a plea agreement.

The allegations against Whitworth including using clients' money for himself, fraud, identity theft, and money laundering.

Government to Joplin attorney: We've got you dead to rights

A federal grand jury is investigating Joplin attorney Daniel Whitworth on charges ranging from bank fraud to identity theft.

In a target letter issued to Whitworth in October, U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Tammy Dickinson noted that the Missouri Highway Patrol and the Internal Revenue Service had a mountain of evidence against Whitworth and said it might be in his best interest to get a lawyer and start working on a plea agreement.

The allegations against Whitworth including using clients' money for himself.

His first court appearance was today in Springfield. Whitworth asked the court to appoint an attorney for him.

(The accompanying screenshot is the beginning of Ms. Dickinson's target letter to Whitworth. Click to make it bigger.)

Appellate court: Rita Hunter will have to pay $120,000 restitution

Former Jasper County Public Administrator Rita Hunter, now serving a one year and one day prison sentence for document fraud,  will also have to make restitution of $120,000 to Medicaid, as the Eighth District Court of Appeals today upheld the district court's punishment.

Mrs. Hunter, the wife of former Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, pleaded guilty November 6, 2012, as part of a plea bargain agreement. She had also been charged with two counts of health care fraud, two counts of theft of public money, two additional counts of document fraud, two counts of Social Security fraud, and two counts of Medicaid fraud.

Mrs. Hunter is serving her sentence at the federal facility in Greenville, Illinois, and is scheduled to be released June 14.