Drug Strike Force probe leads to indictment of 11 suspects

Three people from St Joseph and one from Maryville are among 11 defendants who have been indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute at least 10 kilograms of methamphetamine worth nearly $500,000.

The federal indictment alleges that all of the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2010, to April 15, 2015.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government $494,200.

That was the amount of money allegedly was received in exchange for the unlawful distribution of methamphetamine, based on a conservative average street price of $1,400 per ounce and the total conspiracy distribution of at least 10 kilograms.

In a news release, US Attorney Tammy Dickinson announced the indictment of the following suspects:
Mike Kamal Ahmad, also known as “Viper Mike,” 39, Carey Michael Vannostran, 39, and Patrick Thomas Baker, 50, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Lori L. Justus, 51, Nicole Marie Bartram, 35, and Jono Dean Hamlin, 43, all of St. Joseph, Mo.; Scott Dewain Yount, 42, of Maryville, Mo.; Joseph Michael Tooley, 32, of Fordland, Mo.; and Matthew Lee Gusman, 31, Mike Andrews Lawson, Jr., 25, and Kayla Caroline Cornelison, 22, all of Red Oak, Iowa, were charged in an indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury on April 15, 2015.

That indictment was unsealed and made public following the arrests and initial court appearances of the defendants.

Ahmad would be required to forfeit to the government a 2001 Dodge Viper and a 2003 Hummer H2, both of which allegedly were used to facilitate the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.