Fast Freddie's In Branson West Raided For Alleged Illegal Gaming:

A business in Branson West was raided today after tips from the public alerted police to alleged illegal gaming going inside the business.

A search warrant was served today (11-30-10) at Fast Freddie's Phillips 66 at 17993 Business 13 in Branson West after undercover officers confirmed the alleged illegal gambling machines were operable. 
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Authorities seized five video gambling machines, paperwork and money associated with those machines. 
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Branson West police chief Doug Rader says patrons would put money into the machine and redeem tickets for merchandise inside the store.  Rader says the illegal gambling operation has been going on for at least two months.

The raid was conducted by Branson West police, the Stone County Sheriff's Office, the Missouri Highway Patrol and the Comet Drug Task Force.

No arrests were made and the investigation is ongoing.

Man Found With Loaded Weapon In Branson West Wal-Mart On Black Friday Charged:

Tyrel Lee Campbell (mug shot SCSO)

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A twenty nine year-old man from Ozark who carried a concealed weapon and a backpack filled with 550 rounds of ammunition for that gun into the Branson West Wal-Mart crowded with Black Friday shoppers has been charged with two felonies.

Stone County Prosecutor Matt Selby has charged Tyrel Lee Campbell with possession of a controlled substance and possession of a concealed weapon.

According to the probable cause statement, a woman called 911 to report that Campbell had threatened her with a gun and had left the residence and was headed for Wal-Mart.

 Branson West police chief Doug Rader says he had officers working security at the store who spotted Campbell near the Lawn and Garden section in a crowd of shoppers. 

Officer Vincent Collins writes in court documents, "We approached the male the male from behind. I then quickly ordered the male away from Wal-Mart customers. As we enter an aisle the male began reaching for the inside of his coat pocket with his right hand. I then ordered the male not to reach for anything in his pocket and grabbed his right hand. I then asked Campbell where the gun was located and he replied, in my front pocket."

Officers say he told them he felt people were watching him and the customers at Wal-Mart were “were out to get him.”

In addition to the loaded gun and ammo officers recovered two knives, a white powdery substance believed to be meth and anti-government literature in the backpack.

According to online court records, Campbell was charged with possession of unloaded firearm and DWI in March of 2009.  He pleaded guilty to those charges in January of 2010 and was placed on probation.
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Selby says he won't speculate as to what Campbell's intentions were,  "All I can say is that using meth, carrying a concealed weapon and ammunition is obviously not a good combination."
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Campbell is being held in the Stone County jail on a $25,000 cash only bond.

Second Murder Trial For Cole Underway In Wright County:

Christy Weatherford Cole (mug shot OCSO)

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A woman from Reeds Spring is on trail this week for murder for the second time in connection to the 2003 death of her three year-old son in Ozark County.

Christy Weatherford Cole was convicted of second-degree murder by a jury in Greene County in 2006 for the beating death of her son William.  However, that conviction was overturned in 2008 when the state appellate court ruled that the jury had not been advised that Cole could have found guilty of a "lesser included offense" of child endangerment.

William Weatherford died several days after being placed on life support after he was thrown across the living room and into a coffee table by Cole's live-in boyfriend, Edward "Mike" Griffin for wanting a drink of pop before eating his dinner.
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Edward "Mike" Griffin (mug shot DOC)

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Griffin, the former city marshal (police chief) in the Village of Theodosia, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder as his trial was set to begin in May of 2008.  He was sentenced to 15 years in prison where he died of natural causes on January 15, 2010, according to Ozark County Prosecutor Tom Cline.

The two other children who were living in the home at the time are now living with the father and stepmother in Maine.

Cline says he expects the bench trial to wrap up tomorrow in Wright County where the case was moved on a change of venue.

NASCAR In Branson? Local Businessman Says Bring It:

A businessman from Hollister says he has the funding to build a racetrack in Taney County that could one

day host NASCAR races.

Russell Cook says he will take formal plans to Taney County Commissioners next month and hopes to break ground on the racetrack that will seat between 80,00 to 100,00 people in February.

The proposed 1 ¼-mile track that will cost an estimated $150 million will be built on 800 acres Russell owns near Branson Airport and could host local races as early as the fall of 2012.

Cook says the track likely would have to start with Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series events before being considered for a Sprint Cup race.

If he builds it will they come? 

Building a track is not a guarantee of hosting one of NASCAR's races. Competition to host one of the top-level Sprint Cup Series races is brutal .  After a five year wait, The Kentucky Speedway recently was awarded a Sprint Cup race. Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., is slated to host two Sprint Cup races next year.

Cook says his proposed track would have to start with Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series events before being considered for a Sprint Cup race.

Hosting those same events did not bode well for a track near St. Louis.  After waiting several years in anticipation of hosting one of the sought after Sprint Cup races, Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis recently closed.

Stone County Authorities Bust Two Men In Undercover Chat Sting:

Stone County investigators busted two men last week for enticement of a child after they allegedly had online sex chats with an undercover officer posing as an underage girl.

John Robert Scifer (mug shot SCSO)

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Thirty-one-year-old John Robert Scifer of Sheldon was arrested last Tuesday at his home after a two month investigation.

On Wednesday, deputies traveled to Belton to arrest Anthony J. Hernandez following a five-month investigation. 

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Anthony J. Hernandez (mug shot SCSO)



Hernandez was released after posting $25,000 bond while Scifer remains jailed in Stone County.

Baxter County Woman Charged With First Degree Murder For Thanksgiving Shooting:



Rhonda Jean Clark (mug shot BCSO)

 A woman from Mountain Home, Arkansas has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting her boyfriend to death on Thanksgiving.

Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery says that a coworker of Rhonda Jean Clark called 9-1-1 after Clark came to work yesterday (11-25-10) and stated that 43-year-old Antonio Sanchez III had committed suicide around midnight.
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Baxter County Deputies and first responders from the Mountain Home Fire Department responded to the couples residence at 890 Old Tracy Ferry Road and forced entry. Once inside, deputies found Sanchez in the living room area of the home and it appeared he had been dead for several hours.

Investigators recovered a rifle, which is believed to be the murder weapon, from inside the home.
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Clark is being held Friday in the Baxter County Jail at Mountain Home on $1 million bond.

Christian County Assessor Officially Resigns:

Former Christian County Assessor Sandra Bryant-Littles

An elected official in Christian County who pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud charges last week has officially resigned.

Sandra Bryant-Littles was charged with four counts of mail fraud in October 2009 for not properly assessing property that she and her husband, Lonnie Utah Littles owned.

In a one-sentence letter sent to Gov. Jay Nixon’s office Monday, Bryant-Littles said she resigned “effective immediately” as the county’s assessor.

A judge temporarily removed Bryant-Littles from office after Attorney General Chris Koster filed a petition to remove her from office based on the allegations.  She was barred from serving the county in an official capacity, but has continued to collect her almost $50,000 annual salary.
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Lonnie Utah Littles and Sandra Bryant Littles leaving federal courthouse (courtesy Springfield News-Leader)

 Bryant-Littles’s fraud was discovered when law enforcement officers investigating a cattle theft reported by her husband reviewed their personal property assessment forms, and discovered that no cattle were listed.  Further investigation revealed that numerous other assets were omitted.  When confronted about the discrepancies, Bryant-Littles admitted to law enforcement officers that she knew the forms were not correct, and asked if she could correct them.  Bryant-Littles was arrested at her county office the morning of Oct. 15, 2009.

For his role in the scheme, Lonnie Littles admitted he contacted his insurance representative on Dec. 17, 2008, in order to increase his insurance coverage on his cattle,from $60,000 to $100,000. Then, shortly before a Liberty Bank representative was scheduled to inspect his cattle, Lonnie Littles conspired with his ranch hand and co-defendant, Jesse D. Rice, 58, also of Clever, to falsely report the cattle stolen.  Lonnie Littles told Rice to file the bogus report the weekend of Feb. 8, 2009, while he and his wife were out of town, traveling and conducting prison ministry.

Jesse D. Rice Interview With KY3

The morning of Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009, Rice contacted the Christian County Sheriff’s Department to report the theft of 53 head of cattle, although no cattle had been stolen. On the same day, Lonnie Littles filed a fraudulent insurance claim for $66,250.00.  Littles admitted he committed wire fraud by instructing Rice to provide two on-camera interviews falsely claiming that the cattle had been stolen, which were broadcast on Feb. 8 and 9, 2009, by television stations KY3 and KOLR-10.
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Bryant-Littles faces up to 80 years in prison without the possibility of parole and a fine of up to $1 Million dollars when she is sentenced. Lonnie Littles could be sentenced up to 130 years without parole and fined $3.5 Million dollars when he is sentenced.

Governor Jay Nixon will name a replacement to serve the remainder of Bryant-Littles term, which expires in 2012.

Hollister Man Sentenced To Twenty Five Years For Stabbing Girlfriend Multiple Times:



Donald Shane Sperling (mug shot TCSO)

A man from Hollister is headed to prison for twenty-five years for stabbing his live-in girlfriend in June of 2009.
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On June 25, 2009, Donald Shane Sperling and his girlfriend, (T. M.) were in a heated argument on the front lawn of a residence on Iowa Colony Road in Hollister when Sperling stabbed the woman nine times.
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According to court documents, after the woman was stabbed she stumbled inside and told her son, "I'm going to die, he stabbed me." The victim's son met the ambulance at McDonald's in Hollister because they lived in a remote area, and his mother's wounds were life threatening.
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T.M. was transported to Skaggs hospital then transferred to a Springfield hospital with critical injuries.

The day after the assault, Sperling walked in to the Ava police department and told them he was wanter in Hollister for stabbing his girlfriend.
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Sperling, who was has two other felony convictions was also sentenced to twenty-five years (concurrently) for armed criminal action, and will have to serve at least 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
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Taney County Prosecutor Jeff Merrell said, "The twenty-five year sentence definitely fit this crime.”

Testimony Will Begin Tommorow In Murder Trial Of Willard Babysitter:

Brenda Jean Caringer (mug shot GCSO)

Testimony will begin tomorrow in the murder trial of a woman from Willard charged with killing a 9 month-old little boy she was babysitting.

Jury selection was set to begin today for Brenda Jean Caringer, 55, however she waived her right to a jury trial this morning.  Now Judge Calvin Holden will hear the bench trial.

Prosecutors have charged Caringer with second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death for the January 6, 2009, death of nine-month-old Lucas Payton Theede-Bennett.

Both second degree murder and the alternate charge of abuse of a child resulting in death cover all aspects of this case. Now Judge Holden will decide if Caringer intended to kill the baby or if abuse of the baby caused his death.....or neither.

Lucas Payton Theede-Bennett (family photo)

An autopsy determined the infant died from abusive head injuries that are consistent with a crushed skull, and bleeding on the brain. The doctor that performed the autopsy said the baby's injuries were not more than two hours old and that Lucas would have been symptomatic immediately.

Assistant prosecutors Jill Geary Patterson and Russ Dempsey are handling the case for the state; David Back is Caringer's attorney.

UPDATE 01-21-11:

Judge Holden found Caringer guilty and sentenced her to 15 years in prison for baby Lucas' death.

Murder Trial Of Willard Babysitter Scheduled To Begin Tomorrow:

Brenda Jean Caringer (mug shot GCSO)

Jury selection is scheduled to begin tomorrow in the murder trial of a woman from Willard accused of killing an infant she was babysitting.

Brenda Jean Caringer, 55,  is charged with alternative counts of second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death for the January 6, 2009, death of 9 month-old Lucas Payton Theede-Bennett.

In the probable cause statement filed with the charges, Caringer told Willard Police Sgt. Shannon Shipley that when the little boy arrived at her home at 12:45 p.m., he was fussy and that she had laid him down in a portable crib because she could not console him.

Caringer also stated that she laid the infant on the floor in the living room and went into the kitchen to fix him a bottle. She says when she returned she found the little boy standing next to the coffee table and that he fell, bumped his head and "fell straight backwards."

Caringer told investigators that she attempted to give the little boy a bottle but, "he would not sit up straight." She goes on to say that Lucas stopped screaming and, "went limp."

In a verbal statement with cops, Caringer stated that she took the baby to a chair to change his diaper and that his cry, "changed to a whimper, his back arched, and his hands curled up."

It was at that point that Caringer said she picked the little boy up, "shook him and blew in his face to get him to breathe."

When paramedics arrived on the scene they found little Lucas lying on the floor with only the blue striped hoodie he arrived in on his body......his diaper and socks lay nearby.

Officer Fly states in the probable cause statement that when he arrived at the scene there were no diaper wipes in the area where Caringer claims she was changing little Lucas' diaper.

Lucas' bottle was found lying on the floor next to the chair where his little body was found. The bottle appeared to have a "red substance consistent with blood on the nipple and nipple ring."

Later forensic analysis determined that it was indeed blood on the little boys bottle.

An autopsy determined that the cause of Lucas' death were, "abusive head injuries," that are consistent with a crushed skull, and signs of bleeding on the brain.

The doctor that performed the autopsy said that the injuries were predominately to the right side of Lucas' head, and that the infliction of the injuries were not more than two hours old.

In his estimation, he believes that the fatal injuries probably occurred about thirty minutes before Caringer called for help for the baby, and that he would have "been symptomatic immediately."

Prosecutor Darrell Moore filed both second degree murder and abuse of a child resulting in death charges to cover all aspects of this case.

The charges were filed alternatively, meaning jurors can find Caringer guilty of either crime .....or neither.

For the murder charge they will have to prove that Caringer set out to cause Lucas' death; on the charges of child abuse resulting in death they will have to prove that the fatal injuries that killed little Lucas occurred while he was in Caringer's care.

Moore says that in child abuse cases that result in death, he gives the jury two different charges and lets them decide which one fits the crime.

The range of punishment on either charge is 10-30 years in prison.

A wrongful death lawsuit filed against Caringer by the Lucas' parents, Amanda Theede and Sean Bennett, is making it's way through the court system.

Man Who Hid In Stone County Motel After Killing Girlfriend Sentenced To Life In Prison:

Ernest Doyle Chastain (mug shot SCSO)

A man who fled Arkansas after murdering his girlfriend and found hiding in a motel in Stone County has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

On May 19, 2009, the mother of Ernest Doyle Chastain, Jr. called authorities in Hollister and told them her son confessed to killing fifty three year-old Susan "Susie" Powers saying, "momma, I really killed her." 

Chastain, 44, told investigators he shot Powers twice in the head after she cussed at him and threw a glass of whiskey in his face at the home the couple shared not far from Omaha.

Chastain was arrested two days later at the Shoals Motel in Galena after a man staying at the motel, who was watching KY 3 News and saw the story about the manhunt for Chastain notified the manager that he had seen the man at the motel.  The manager then called authorities who arrested Chastain and a woman found in the room. The woman, who told investigators she had met Chastain the previous day in Rockaway Beach and was unaware that  he was wanted for murder, was released.

Prosecutors dropped weapons charges against Chastain in exchange for his guilty plea.

Six People Busted In Stone County Property Raids; Heavy Equipment, Drugs Recovered:

Six people have been charged with receiving stolen property/and or theft after two properties in Stone County were raided following the theft of heavy equipment.   On October 7th a man called authorities to a report vehicles, appliances, tools and heavy equipment had been stolen from his property.  The following day a mechanic who worked on the victims equipment reported that he spotted some of the stolen equipment.    Our detectives and road deputies then executed a search warrant at a tract of land located at Joes Lane in Reeds Spring.  Detectives recovered two dump trucks, a pothole patching machine, a track hoe, a gravel plant, one soft drink vending machine and a road grader blade during that search.   Investigators went back to the 21636 Old Highway 160 property on October 20th and recovered a .22 caliber rifle, a 2006 Ford F-150, a 2006 Gulfstream Conquest Camper, power company tools, a metal cutting saw and items used to assorted drug paraphernalia.   That raid led authorities to another property located at 21636 Old Highway 160 in Reeds Spring where detectives found eight rifles, three pistols, ammunition, power company tools, 15 open vehicle titles, "Brass Knuckles" and meth making material.   The following people were arrested in the raids: Clinton Hyde, 44, from Galena MO, who was held for: Clinton Hyde (mug shot SCSO) ·         24 Hold for Receiving Stolen Property - $500.00 or More - a Class C Felony. - Kevin Chambers, 29, from Reeds Spring MO, was charged with: Kevin Chambers (mug shot SCSO) ·         Receiving Stolen Property - $500.00 or More - a Class C Felony. Bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety. ·         Possession of controlled substance except 35 grams or less of marijuana. Bond was set at $25,000 cash only. ·         Theft/stealing (value of property or services is $500 or more but less than $25,000) Bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety. - Danny Carnett, 58, of Reeds Spring MO was charged with: - Danny Carnett (mug shot SCSO) ·         Receiving Stolen Property - $500.00 or More - a Class C Felony. Bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety. - Dustin Stacy, 29, of Reeds Spring MO was charged with: Dustin Stacy (mug shot SCSO) ·         Receiving Stolen Property - $500.00 or More - a Class C Felony. Bond was set at $10,000 cash or surety. - Lloyd Hightower, 66, of Reeds Spring MO was charged with: - Lloyd Hightower (mug shot SCSO) ·         Receiving Stolen Property - $500.00 or More - a Class C Felony. ·         Possession of a Concealable Firearm a Class C Felony Combined Bond is set at $25,000 cash or surety. - Norma Hightower, 63, of Reeds Spring MO was charged with: - Norma Hightower (mug shot SCSO) ·         Receiving Stolen Property - $500.00 or More - a Class C Felony. Bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety. -

Sheriff Richard Hill says detectives are following leads in the case and that more arrests in the alleged theft ring are expected.

UPDATED: Hollister Man Fatally Wounded After Lunging At Sheriff's Deputy With Knife; Proseuctor Rules :

A 20-year-old man from Hollister was fatally wounded last night (11-4-10) after lunging at a Taney County Sheriff's deputy with a knife.

Sheriff Jimmie Russell says Charles "Jordan" Caughlan's father called authorities about 6:15 p.m. for help because his son was out of control with a knife at the family's home at 131 Faithful Lane.  As deputies were responding to the call, they found Jordan Caughlan walking on Faithful Lane with the knife.

Taney County Sheriff Jimmie Russell

Russell says two deputies attempted to get Caughlan to put the knife down, but he was uncooperative and threatened to kill the deputies.  When one of the deputy's attempted to tase Caughlan he lunged at him with the knife and was shot in the chest by the deputy's partner.

Caughlan was pronounced dead at Skaggs Regional Medical Center in Branson.

Both deputies are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is a standard procedure after an officer involved shooting.
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Russell says investigators with the Missouri State Highway Patrol have been called in to aid in the investigation.

UPDATE 02-21-10:

Taney County prosecutor Jeff Merrell says Deputies Sam Turner and Michael Jessup were justified in shooting Charles "Jordan" Caughlan on November 4, 2010.
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Turner and Jessup were dispatched to the home of Caughlan's father on Faithful Lane in Hollister about 6: 29 p.m. because Jordan Caughlan was out of control with a knife.  As deputies were approaching the home, they found the tweinty year-old man walking along a road with a knife. 

When they ordered him to put the weapon down he was uncooperative and threatened to kill the deputies.  Turner attempted to tase Caughlan when he lunged at him with the knife and was shot in the chest by the Jessup.

Merrell says he came to the conclusion after reviewing an investigative report the Missouri Highway Patrol sent to his office last week.
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Sheriff Russell say Turner and Jessup were placed on administrative leave, which is common following such incidents, for about a week.
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More details are expected to be releases with the official incident report.

Leader Of Cult Like X Family Sentenced To Life In Prison For Drug Trafficking:

Claude X (mug shot GCSO)

A Springfield man will spend the rest of his life in federal prison for luring young women and teenaged girls into a drug trafficking conspiracy. 

A jury convicted Claude X of conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana in Greene County, Mo., from Jan. 9, 2007, to Oct. 29, 2008. In addition to the conspiracy, X was found guilty of nine counts related to distributing drugs and two counts of illegally possessing a firearm.

Co-defendants Christina X, 23 (no relation to Claude X), and Aarika McKenzie Tracy, 30, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. Tracy was sentenced on June 17, 2010, to four years in federal prison without parole. Christina X, who has yet to be sentenced, faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. 

Two other girls, who were wards of the stated and living in a shelter, testified that Claude X paid for them to stay at a hotel before he moved them into an apartment to peddle his drugs.

Because Claude X has previous drug trafficking convictions, he was sentenced to life on this drug conviction, plus five years on the weapon charge without parole.

 

Federal prosecutors say X was leader of the cult like X Family, and that the group that used banks, hotels and several apartments to move its drugs. To show he owned the women, Claude X had them tattooed with the letter X and/or nicknames he gave them.

X and his family used safety deposit boxes at a Springfield bank to store the illegal drugs and the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy. They also purchased certificates of deposit with their drug-trafficking profits.

Joplin Man Busted For Possessing Kiddie Porn Following Undercover Investigation:

William D. Boyd (mug shot JCSO)

A man from Joplin was busted for possessing child pornography following an undercover investigation by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

When investigator's served a search warrant at the home of William D. Bond, 36, at 212 S. McKinley last month they allegedly found several kiddie porn videos on Bond's computer.

Bond was arrested on the charge and booked in to the Jasper County Jail and released on a $10,000.00 bond.

Elderly Woman Admits To Animal Abuse And Keeping Dead Dogs:



Judy Lee Chambers (SCSO)

An elderly woman from Marionville has pleaded guilty to animal abuse after investigators found several sick and dead animals on her property near Hurley last March.
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Stone County Prosecutor Matt Selby says Judy Lee Chambers, 65, pled guilty on November 2, 2010 to animal abuse and improper disposal of a dead animal.

Investigators went to Chambers home at 354 Holts Spring Road on March 16, 2010 and observed several dogs with no access to food or water.

Sheriff Richard Hill said at the time, “Investigators knocked on the front door of the residence and could detect a strong foul odor of what was believed to be feces and urine coming from the home, and saw at least 13 dogs running loose and free inside the residence, with several of the dogs appearing to be emaciated. They also observed an abundance of feces and trash covering the floor.”

Investigators applied for a search warrant to check on the well being of the animals.  Armed with that warrant, sheriff's deputies and members of the Missouri Humane Society raided the property on Monday, March 22, and found 55 dogs, several of them emaciated and in need of veterinary care.

The animals rescued included more than 40 Dachshunds, four Great Pyrenees, one German Shepherd, several Boston Terriers and five mixed breed dogs. Two four-week-old puppies, who were not being kept with their mother, were severely dehydrated and taken to a local veterinarian for immediate treatment.

According to the probable cause statement, investigators found 12 dead adult dogs and several newborn puppies, including a partially eaten puppy, in a plastic container behind Chambers home. More than 20 dogs were running loose inside the house; five others were held in wire crates in the kitchen.

A check of records at the time of the raid indicated the residents of the home had applied for a breeder's license but were found not to be in compliance with state statutes and denied a license.

The rescued dogs were taken to the Humane Society headquarters in St. Louis.

Selby says, "Both charges are misdemeanors and as a result of the guilty pleas she was placed on two years probation with special conditions that she not violate the law, not maintain a commercial dog breeding operation, and that she allow reasonable inspections of her property to make sure similar violations do not occur during her probation period."

Ozark Man Sentenced To Fifteen Years For Shoving Shotgun Barrell Through Man's Eye:

Walter E. Baker (mug shot SCSO)

A man from Ozark has been sentenced to fifteen years in prison after pleading guilty to shoving a rifle through a mans eye in May of 2009.

According to court documents, Travis H. Gouge and some friends had left Gouge's home in McCord Bend when a pickup truck blocked them on a narrow road.  Stone County Prosecutor Matt Selby says that's when Walter E. Baker, 23, jumped out of the truck with shotgun and fired into the air.  He then approached the passenger side of the vehicle threatened Gouge, then shoved the barrel of the weapon though his eye socket. 

When Gouge's friends saw the gun they bolted from the vehicle and Gouge crawled over the front seat and drove himself to the sheriff's office in Galena for help. 

Two other people who were with Baker the night of the assault are also charged with first degree assault and armed criminal action:

Teresa Lynn Bunnell (mug shot SCSO)

Teresa Lynn Bunnell, 39, of Galena is scheduled to stand trial in April of next year. 

 

Walker John Erwin (mug shot SCSO)

Walker John Erwin, 25, of Ponce De Leon is also scheduled for trial next year.

Branson Couple Sentenced In Federal Court For Tax Fraud:

Carl Roger Davis (mug shot GCSO)

A husband and wife from Branson have been sentenced in federal court for corporate tax fraud and filing false tax returns, according to Beth Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Carl Roger Davis, 74, and his wife, Jo Elaine Davis, 60, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr on Monday, Nov. 1, 2010. Carl Davis was sentenced to two years in federal prison without parole and ordered to pay $189,892 in restitution. Jo Davis was placed on  five years probation and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution.

Carl and Jo Davis pleaded guilty on March 31, 2010. Carl Davis was an owner of Bottom Line Employee Services of Missouri, Inc. Employees of Bottom Line worked at the Farmhouse Restaurant in Branson.

The Davis's son, Jeffery Davis, 48, of Branson, was also an employee of Bottom Line and the general manager of the Farmhouse Restaurant. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Oct. 23, 2009, to one year and one day in federal prison without parole for his part in the scheme. The court also ordered Jeffery Davis to pay $62,508 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

Carl Davis admitted that, from 2000 to Jan. 31, 2005, he participated in a conspiracy to defraud the government by impeding the function of the IRS to collect federal employment and income taxes by paying his employees at The Farmhouse Restaurant in cash. The understated amount of taxes for the years 2001 through 2004 amounted to $53,514.

False payroll information, which omitted the cash compensation, was transmitted to a bookkeeper who initially prepared payroll checks and federal employment tax returns for Bottom Line. Carl Davis then filed false Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns for Bottom Line with the IRS that omitted the cash compensation from total wages, tips and other compensation, and thereby understated the amount of federal employment taxes due from Bottom Line to the United States. Carl Davis pleaded guilty to filing false Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns.

Carl Davis also admitted that his relevant conduct in this case includes filing false individual income tax returns for 2000 through 2004. The tax loss attributable to these false filings totals more than $130,000.

Jo Davis pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return for 2005. Jo Davis admitted that when she filed the bogus tax return, she omitted $68,664 in compensation that she received from Arbonne International, Inc. Jo Davis also admitted that her relevant conduct in this case includes filing a false individual income tax return in 2004 in which she omitted $6,279 in compensation from Arbonne.