Gov. Eric Greitens announced that beginning Wednesday May 10, ten teams of local, state and federal disaster specialists began assessing flooding and severe storm damage to homes, personal property and public infrastructure, including schools, roads and bridges, to determine the size and scope of the disaster. This will help inform an application Missouri will make to have this declared as a federal disaster.

“Our first responders and Missouri citizens responded swiftly and bravely to the devastating and historic flooding,” Gov. Greitens said. “Their actions saved lives and protected property. Now we must act just as swiftly to clear debris, assess damage, and help Missourians rebuild and recover.”

There will be two types of teams, known as Preliminary Damage Assessment teams, surveying damage: Individual Assistance (IA) teams and Public Assistance (PA) teams. Team members will carry official identification. Residents should not hesitate to request that they show their ID, Greitens said.

Individual Assistance teams assess damage to homes and personal property. Teams will not visit every house; the assessments are meant to get a broad overview of damage.

If a federal major disaster declaration is declared, Individual Assistance can help eligible individuals and families with temporary rental assistance, basic home repairs and other essential disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other means.

The following counties will be surveyed for potential Individual Assistance, based on initial assessments conducted locally: Barry, Bollinger, Butler, Carter, Christian, Crawford, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Gasconade, Greene, Howell, Jasper, Madison, Maries, McDonald, Morgan, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Phelps, Pulaski, Reynolds, Ripley, Ste. Genevieve, Shannon, Stone, Taney, Texas, and Wright.

Public Assistance teams assess disaster damage to public infrastructure like roads, bridges and schools as well as to certain nonprofit entities.

The following counties will be surveyed for potential Public Assistance, based on initial assessments conducted locally: Barry, Barton, Bollinger, Butler, Camden, Carter, Cedar, Christian, Cole, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Gasconade, Howell, Iron, Lawrence, Lincoln, Madison, Maries, McDonald, Miller, Morgan, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Phelps, Pike, Pulaski, Ralls, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, Stone, Taney, Texas, Washington, Webster, and Wright.

Additional counties may be added to the request for either Individual Assistance or Public Assistance damage assessments as the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency receives more information from local officials.

Participating jointly in the teams will be local emergency managers and officials, SEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and, for Individual Assistance, the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Those affected by the flooding and severe storms were encouraged to report damage to their local emergency management officials and to document losses, including photographing damage and retaining receipts.

Individuals and business owners should notify their insurance companies of damage and not wait for damage assessments.

For information about Missouri flooding recovery and resources check Mo.gov/flood. The site is regularly updated with new information.

A man and a woman from Manhattan, Kansas were sentenced this week to 28 years in federal prison for taking part in the kidnapping of a Junction City woman who was killed during the abduction.

U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said Larry L. Anderson, 28, Manhattan, Kan. pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death.

His girlfriend, Marryssa M. Middleton, 26, Fort Riley, Kan. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death.

The body of Amanda Clemons, 24, of Junction City, was found in February 2014 in Geary County, Kan. In their pleas, Anderson and Middleton admitted that on Feb. 7, 2014, they and co-defendants met the victim, who was a prostitute, at a hotel in Junction City and kidnapped her. The defendants beat the victim in retribution for comments the victim had made on social media about having a sexual relationship with Anderson. During the beating, the defendants demanded the victim pay $300. They took the victim to another hotel room in an unsuccessful attempt to get the money, after which they transported the victim to a residence on Fort Riley.

While there, the defendants allowed the victim to call her mother. The victim’s mother realized the victim was in danger and called Junction City Police. When police called the victim’s number to check on her, and the defendants listened to the call on speaker phone. Fearing arrest, the defendants transported the victim to a bridge in a remote part of Geary County, where they resumed the beating and attacked her with a knife. The victim broke free and jumped off the bridge, falling 15 feet and breaking her ankle. Some of the defendants found the victim in the snow and resumed the assault during which they cut her throat and killed her.

Co-defendants include:
*Drexel Woody, 26, who lived on Fort Riley, is set for sentencing June 26.
*Shantrell D. Woody, 27, Fort Riley, Kan., formerly an active duty service member, is set for sentencing May 30.
*Christopher Pugh, 33, Junction City, Kan., is set for sentencing June 26.

A Denver, Colorado man was sentenced in federal court in Nebraska to probation and community service for selling the same tractors several times. Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that Benedict T. Palen, Jr., age 63, was sentenced for his conviction on one count of mail fraud.

United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter sentenced Palen on May 5, 2017 to a term of probation of five years. Palen was further ordered to perform 200 hours of community service and to pay the remaining unpaid restitution in the amount of $2,500.

In September of 2012, Palen, acting through his company, Great Plains Farms, sold a John Deere tractor to an individual in Holdrege, Nebraska for $45,000 representing it to be free and clear of liens. A $20,000 check was mailed to Palen as a down payment. On the same date, Palen sold the same tractor to an individual in North Dakota. Further investigation revealed that not only was there a lien against the tractor by a bank in Kansas, but the same tractor had actually been sold in 2011 by the defendant, as vice-president of Pull Pans, Inc., to a company in Florida.

When Palen had not delivered the tractor to the Holdrege buyer by April of 2013, Palen claimed there was a discrepancy in the number of hours on the tractor and modified the agreement to provide for delivery of a different John Deere tractor thereby causing the buyer to mail a $25,000 check to Palen for the remaining amount due. However, this alternate tractor had also been sold in 2011 by Palen, as vice-president of Pull Pans, Inc., to the Florida company.

In November of 2013, Palen acting through his company, Great Plains Farms, sold a different John Deere tractor to an individual in Bertrand, Nebraska, but did not deliver it after receiving a down payment of the purchase price. This tractor also had been previously sold by Palen, as vice-president of Pull Pans, Inc. to the Florida company.

This case was investigated by the Postal Inspection Service.

A Kansas man pleaded guilty Tuesday to lying to investigators in a 2016 interview during a search for fugitive Orlando J. Collins.

U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said Quentin Kirk Lawton, 37, Topeka, Ks., pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement. In his plea, he admitted that on April 23, 2016, he visited Collins in a room at the Country Club Motel at 3732 S.W. Topeka Boulevard. Lawton left the motel shortly before a standoff between Collins and federal agents.

When the FBI questioned Lawton about Collins’ whereabouts, Lawton denied he had been to the motel and seen Collins. In fact, Lawton was captured on video surveillance entering and leaving Collins’ room shortly before members of a federal task force attempted to arrest Collins. When members of a task force tried to take Collins into custody he shot two U.S. Marshals and an FBI agent. A fire ignited from inside Collins’ room during the gunfight and spread throughout the motel. After the fire, Collins’ body was found in the motel room.

Sentencing is set for Aug. 14. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 42 months in federal prison.