(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)
A former Joplin, Mo., police officer was sentenced in federal court today for violating the civil rights of a woman he arrested by attempting to get her case dismissed in exchange for a sexual relationship.
Brian Rogers, 30, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to three years of probation, including six months of home detention with electronic monitoring.
On Sept. 19, 2016, Rogers pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of deprivation of rights under color of law. Rogers – who was a Joplin police officer at the time – arrested a woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe for driving under the influence in October 2015. She was subsequently charged with DUI by the Joplin Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Rogers admitted that he communicated with Jane Doe via texts and Facebook Messenger in December 2015 and offered to get the charge dismissed. Rogers said he would like to see Jane Doe’s body and asked her to send him pictures, which she refused to do. Rogers asked Jane Doe what she was offering and said he wanted her to “show me one hell of a time!” Rogers also asked her to come by his office, which she also refused to do.
On Dec. 28, 2015, Rogers approached city prosecutor Becky Seidl and suggested she dismiss the case. Rogers stated that he had experienced a maintenance issue with the breathalyzer that he had used to take the sample from Jane Doe. Rogers told Seidl they would have a hard time of making the case stick and he was inclined to give Jane Doe the benefit of the doubt.
Seidl told Rogers she agreed and the case would need to be dismissed. After speaking with Rogers, Seidl spoke to police officials, who contacted the FBI. When federal agents interviewed Jane Doe, she agreed to place a recorded phone call to Rogers. During the call Rogers stated he had spoken with the city prosecutor and he believed the charges would be dropped. Rogers also stated he would check up on the status of the case the following day.
On Jan. 25, 2016, federal agents interviewed Rogers. Rogers admitted that he had hoped his actions in helping to dismiss Jane Doe’s case would lead to him and Jane Doe developing a friendship and then a sexual relationship. Rogers had hoped that after getting the charges dropped Jane Doe would meet with him.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Wednesday, January 04, 2017
Neosho businessman pleads guilty to child pornography charge
A Neosho, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving and distributing child pornography.
Blake Altman, 33, of Neosho, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to the charge contained in a June 16, 2015, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, Altman admitted that he received and distributed child pornography over the Internet from Aug. 14 to Oct. 1, 2014. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Altman’s residence after he was identified in an undercover investigation into the distribution of child pornography via peer-to-peer file-sharing software. Undercover officers downloaded images and videos of child pornography from Altman’s computer. Officers seized Altman’s laptop computer, which contained images and videos of child pornography.
Under federal statutes, Altman is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 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 James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
(From the October 14, 2016 Turner Report)
The government made the following argument for keeping Altman, former manager of Sam's Cellar in Neosho, behind bars while he awaits trial:
The defendant was utilizing peer-to-peer file sharing software to receive and distribute images and videos depicting child pornography. The imagery in question depicted children, some as young as infants, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant, at the time of the search warrant, possessed a rifle loaded with armor piercing bullets, two sets of body armor, and a Kevlar helmet.
The defendant was accused by a family member of inappropriately touching her when he was 16 years old. The accusation was never reported to the police. The defendant told the investigators that his preference was for girls between 10 and 14 years old. This case involves a minor victim..The evidence against the defendant is overwhelming
The indictment came more than eight months after a search warrant was executed on Altman's arrest, which was noted in the October 3, 2014 Turner Report, posted minus Altman's name before his arrest:
A search warrant request filed in the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri indicates child pornography had been traced to an IP address belonging to a Neosho businessman.
The affidavit, written by Joplin police officer Charles Root, working with the FBI as a member of the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, detailed the reasons the search warrant was being requested:
On August 14, 2014, Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force Officer James Smith conducted an undercover investigation into the distribution of child pornography. Utilizing an undercover computer, TFO Smith was able to make a direct connection with the target computer and browse the files available for sharing.
The target computer contained approximately 116 files believed to contain depictions of child pornography.
Smith was able to download 33 of the files, according to the affidavit:
Each of 33 files downloaded depicted minors, some as young as infants, engaged in sexual contact or posed in a sexually explicit manner. The imagery depicted minors engaging in such sexual acts as sexual intercourse and digital penetration of the minors' anus and vagina.
The defendant was utilizing peer-to-peer file sharing software to receive and distribute images and videos depicting child pornography. The imagery in question depicted children, some as young as infants, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant, at the time of the search warrant, possessed a rifle loaded with armor piercing bullets, two sets of body armor, and a Kevlar helmet.
The defendant was accused by a family member of inappropriately touching her when he was 16 years old. The accusation was never reported to the police. The defendant told the investigators that his preference was for girls between 10 and 14 years old. This case involves a minor victim..The evidence against the defendant is overwhelming
The indictment came more than eight months after a search warrant was executed on Altman's arrest, which was noted in the October 3, 2014 Turner Report, posted minus Altman's name before his arrest:
A search warrant request filed in the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri indicates child pornography had been traced to an IP address belonging to a Neosho businessman.
The affidavit, written by Joplin police officer Charles Root, working with the FBI as a member of the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, detailed the reasons the search warrant was being requested:
On August 14, 2014, Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force Officer James Smith conducted an undercover investigation into the distribution of child pornography. Utilizing an undercover computer, TFO Smith was able to make a direct connection with the target computer and browse the files available for sharing.
The target computer contained approximately 116 files believed to contain depictions of child pornography.
Smith was able to download 33 of the files, according to the affidavit:
Each of 33 files downloaded depicted minors, some as young as infants, engaged in sexual contact or posed in a sexually explicit manner. The imagery depicted minors engaging in such sexual acts as sexual intercourse and digital penetration of the minors' anus and vagina.
Tuesday, January 03, 2017
New superintendent, swamp draining, Jarub Baird, Ace Mohr featured in top November 2016 posts
At the end of the month, Harrison, Arkansas Superintendent Melinda Moss was revealed as the choice.
The search for the superintendent and the official verification that a holdover from the Huff Administration, Director of Early Childhood Education Amanda Boyer was out the door kept the school district well represented among the Top 10 posts for the month.
The list also features appearances by two young men who have had numerous run-ins with the law. Ace Mohr's bond lowered and the Carthage man was back on the streets, while another Carthage resident, Jarub Baird, who had been convicted of involuntary manslaughter 10 years earlier in connection with the death of 15-year-old Hannah Smallwood, was indicted by a federal grand jury on meth distribution and money laundering charges.
As in previous months, the Turner Report once again featured news that could not be found in other area news media, including the Ace Mohr and Jarub Baird stories, the removal of Barlass and Boyer, and an update on a holdover million dollar lawsuit from the Huff era.
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The Top 10 posts for November 2016 can be found below the PayPal buttons, as well as some extras, and links to the Top 10 lists for January through October.
Emery bill uses "science" to protect school bathrooms from transgenders
SB 98 sticks to logic and does not stray into opinions, Emery said.
From the KMIZ Columbia report:
"I think people have acknowledged that maybe there is a concern about the safety of students and that needs to be addressed," he said.
Emery's bill aims to "accommodate the safety of all students" in the public school system, he said Tuesday.
The language of the bill states that "all school restrooms, locker rooms, and shower rooms accessible for use by multiple students shall be designated for and used by male or female students only. The act provides for the best available accommodations for students who assert that his or her gender is different from his or her biological sex."
Theresa Kenney appointed Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney
Gov. Jay Nixon today appointed Theresa L. Kenney, of Carl Junction, as the new Prosecuting Attorney for Jasper County. The position became vacant when former Prosecuting Attorney Dean Dankelson was sworn in as Circuit Judge this week after being elected in November.
Kenney, a Republican, has served as an assistant prosecutor in Jasper County since May 2005. In that position, she has managed a criminal felony caseload and has over ten years of jury trial experience. Before joining the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Kenney was in private practice in Joplin and Kirksville. In 2014, she received the Women’s Justice Award for Public Service from Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly.
She obtained her law degree from the University of Missouri and her undergraduate degree from Oral Roberts University.
“Theresa Kenney is a prosecutor with proven experience and skills, and I am pleased to appoint her to serve as the Prosecuting Attorney for the people of Jasper County,” Gov. Nixon said.
Monday, January 02, 2017
Brenda Schmid post on Globe's obscene obit prices, Joplin Globe, Dankelson among top October 2016 posts
While that might sound like an obvious statement,you do more than just read and comment. Many have been kind enough to share Turner Report, Inside Joplin, and Inside Joplin Obituaries posts on social media. Some of you have been kind enough to offer monetary support, but a vital component of this blog has always been the information you have provided, which has led me to many important stories and has helped me many times in pinning down information and providing background on the topics I am writing about.
The Globe was featured in the top two posts in October, as I wrote about its decision to endorse Hillary Clinton in the presidential election.
October was also a strong month for investigative reporting as the Turner Report connected five $1,000 campaign contributions to then Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney Dean Dankelson from people connected to Joplin business Jordan Disposal, which had a family member awaiting trial in Jasper County on drug charges.
The month also spotlighted comings and goings in the Joplin R-8 School District as the Turner Report broke the story that two top administrators, Mark Barlass and Amanda Boyer, were on their way out. Joining the administration in October was former Webb City R-7 Superintendent Ron Lankford.
Thanks for being so patient with the pitches for subscriptions and contributions that have been included with each of these Top 10 lists. Thankfully, there are only a couple more after this one. If you believe the Turner Report/Inside Joplin/Inside Joplin Obituaries has value to you then please consider donating or taking a subscription. If you would prefer not to use PayPal or a credit card, please mail your contributions to Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Apt. G, Joplin, MO 64801. Thanks.
The Top 10 list for October 2016, some extras, and links to the lists for January through September an be found below the PayPal buttons.
Dankelson campaign contributions, Ace Mohr, P1 lawsuit against R-8 featured in top September 2016 posts
They provide an idea of who is supporting candidates and with how much money. Those records were also a source of investigative reports for me when I was working at the Carthage Press. Once in the late '90s, I was examining a state representative's quarterly report when I saw the name of a person I knew was a lobbyist.
After that, I compared his donor list to the list of registered lobbyists on the Missouri Ethics Commission website (the internet was a brand new tool at that point) and I found approximately two dozen lobbyists, who had contributed to this politician on this one report. None of them was labeled as a lobbyist. They used the same tricks then as they do now. They were listed as working for their firms, or as directors of government relations, or sometimes there was not even any mention of an employer.
Then I examined the political action committees that were donating to this legislator and discovered, and by this time, I was not surprised, that they were clients of these lobbyists.
By the time, I was finished with examining this one report, the total I could connect to the lobbyists was in the thousands of dollars and remember this was at a time before the legislature decided to make it easier and eliminated campaign contribution limits.
Campaign finance reports played a big role in Turner Report investigations in 2016, including examinations of Seventh District Congressman Billy Long's Vegas trips and penchant for having his campaign contributors pay for thousands of dollars worth of meals.
But one of the biggest stories to emerge from campaign finance reports took place in September 2016 and it was right here in Jasper County. The stories stemmed from my examination of disclosure reports from the Division II judge race.
I noticed that the winner of that race, then Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney Dean Dankelson,received a $2,000 contribution from a Joplin criminal defense firm three weeks after he won the primary election over Steve Carlton. It appeared the contribution was solicited to help Dankelson pay the agency that handled his last minute advertising barrage.
I wrote another post detailing campaign contributions both Dankelson and his primary opponent, Steve Carlton, received from lawyers. While most of the money Carlton received from attorneys came from outside Jasper County or from family connections, Dankelson's were coming from criminal defense attorneys who still were dealing with his decisions as prosecuting attorney and who would be dealing with him as a judge. The contributions were legal, but they were questionable, to say the least.
The most scandalous information to come from Dankelson's campaign finance reports, came in October, and will be included in the top posts for that month.
The revelations about Dankelson's campaign finance reports were featured in some of the most visited posts in September, a month that was dominated by more information stemming from a closer examination of Dankelson, including later developments in cases against Ace Mohr of Carthage.
This type of investigative work is seldom done by any other Joplin area media source..
Those of you who believe this kind of reporting is necessary to keep our elected officials, candidates, and power brokers in line and who believe the Turner Report/Inside Joplin/Inside Joplin Obituaries provides a service that is valuable to you and to the community, please consider supporting this news operation by using the PayPal buttons below to donate or to take a subscription. If you would prefer not to use PayPal or a credit card, you may send contributions to Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Apt. G., Joplin, MO 64801.
The top 10 posts for September 2016, a couple of extras, and links to the posts containing the top stories from January through August are featured below the PayPal buttons.
Sunday, January 01, 2017
Ace Mohr, Dean Dankelson, Downstream Casino robbery, R-8 graphic designer featured in top August 2016 posts
I made it a point to file that name for future reference, so I was ready when Mohr was one of two people arrested by the Joplin Police Department in August in connection with an armed robbery at 7th and Moffet.
The Mohr arrest and its aftermath opened the door to bigger stories involving the way former
Much of that came in later months, but the seeds were planted, as they have often been for the Turner Report, by tips from readers.
The top post for August 2016 was an investigative piece detailing how Dankelson had dropped armed robbery charges on two previous occasions.
The number two post revealed that Dankelson filed charges against Mohr's alleged partner in the armed robbery at 7th and Moffet, though not for armed robbery, but did not file charges against Ace Mohr.
Those posts led to further revelations in September.
As with previous months, August included a number of stories, in addition to the Ace Mohr saga, that never reached the pages of the Joplin Globe.
For those who feel that they and the community benefit from the coverage provided by the Turner Report, Inside Joplin, and Inside Joplin Obituaries, PayPal buttons have been placed below to enable you to donate to the news operation or to take out subscriptions. (Only four more of these sales pitches to go. Thank you for your patience.) For those who prefer not to use PayPal or a credit card, please send contributions to Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Apt. G, Joplin, MO 64801.
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The Top 10 for August 2016, some extras, and the posts for January through July 2016 can be found below the PayPal buttons.
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