(Update 1:45 p.m.) – A man’s body found Friday morning has been sent to autopsy and detectives are still investigating.

Capt. Jeff Wilson with the St. Joseph Police Department said the man was a 52-year-old area resident.  He said the circumstances surrounding the death are being investigated by the Detective Division.    Officers responded early Friday morning after a body was found on the sidewalk outside of the Frederick Towers apartment building at 24th and Frederick.  Wilson said an autopsy will be preformed.  Little other information has been released.

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(7:45 a.m.) – A body was found early Friday on the sidewalk outside the Frederick Towers apartment building at 24th and Frederick. Until they can determine otherwise, police will investigate the case as a homicide.

“We received a call of a gentleman down on sidewalk who appeared to be unresponsive,” St. Joseph Police Sergeant Brett Kelley said. “We arrived, and medics arrived, and found a gentleman who was down, and deceased.”

Kelley said investigators do not yet know what happened to the man.

“He appears to have some injuries,” Kelley said. “We’re not sure how they occured at this time.”

“Any scene like this, we always start out treating them like a homicide scene, and then we can downgrade them from there. That’s why we have the CSI’s out here, and the other detectives here doing their investigation.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –  A former federal employee has been sentenced in federal court for using stolen money order receipts in a fraud scheme to avoid paying his medical bills.

Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced Friday that Byron G. Gorman, 52, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to four years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Gorman to pay $18,000 in restitution.

Gorman, who pleaded guilty on May 24, 2016, was employed as an information technology specialist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, assigned to the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory in Kansas City, Mo., where he was being trained to become a computer forensic examiner. Gorman was terminated from federal employment on June 22, 2015.

Gorman admitted that he used stolen money order receipts – taken by Gorman as he participated in a criminal investigation – as fraudulent evidence in court, both to defend himself against a lawsuit against him by his creditors and in his own lawsuit against his creditors.

Gorman was a defendant in a civil collection lawsuit in Buchanan County in which a judgment had been entered against him and a garnishment of his wages had been ordered to recover monies owed on medical bills incurred at the Heartland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph. On Sept. 28, 2012, Gorman’s creditors filed a second civil collection lawsuit against him in Buchanan County to recover monies owed on additional unpaid medical bills.

On May 22, 2012, Gorman participated in the execution of a federal search warrant at the offices of a private business in Kansas City, Kan. Gorman was there to search for computer-related evidence. He found and took five blank U.S. Postal Service money order receipts belonging to the private business and used them to facilitate the scheme to defraud Heartland Regional Medical Center.

Gorman used the stolen money order receipts and other fraudulent documents created as evidence in his defense. Gorman claimed that he had submitted postal money orders to his creditors, but the payments had not posted. As evidence, he provided the five stolen money order receipts, which were filled out to make it appear that money orders had been made out to Heartland Regional Medical Center, as well as a number of forged letters displaying the names and purported signatures of postal employees.

Gorman also used the stolen money order receipts and other fraudulent documents he created as evidence in a lawsuit he caused to be filed against his creditors. Gorman placed the names and forged signatures of the actual persons onto letters purporting to be from the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission onto two letters and two certified mail receipts as part of his wire fraud scheme.

As an examiner in training, Gorman did not perform any computer forensic examinations unless under the supervision of a fully certified Heart of America Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory (HARCFL) examiner.

Upon learning of the allegations regarding Gorman, the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory did a complete and thorough review of any cases which Gorman may have assisted in the examination of computer forensic evidence. No inconsistencies, errors or issues were noted with any evidence. The Heart of America Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory is a fully accredited laboratory facility following a strict protocol for the examination of evidence and the training protocol for examiners in training.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman. It was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General – Office of Compliance and Integrity.

The Board of Governors at Missouri Western State University has approved a new three-year contract for Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. The new contract runs through June 30, 2019, replacing a five-year contract that was set to expire in 2018.

“The board is very happy with Dr. Vartabedian’s performance,” said Brig. Gen. Gregory Mason, chair of the Board of Governors. “He has led Missouri Western through some challenging times, and we’re pleased that he will continue to provide that leadership for years to come.”

“I greatly appreciate the board’s faith in me,” said Dr. Vartabedian. “However, their support more importantly reflects a strong endorsement of the very hard work of our faculty, staff and administrative team. They truly provided the sweat equity for any and all of the accomplishments we have experienced in the past nine years.”

Dr. Vartabedian became president of Missouri Western in July, 2008. Under his leadership, the university has, among many other accomplishments:
* received uniformly positive academic accreditation outcomes
* significantly increased international, graduate and distance education
* partnered with the City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County, the St. Joseph School District and other partners on key initiatives including the Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp, the Thomas Eagleton Indoor Swimming Pool, the Walter Cronkite Memorial and others
* completed several major construction projects, including Remington and Agenstein Halls, the Spring Sports Complex, the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex, Griffon Hall, Spratt Stadium and more
* supported business growth through the Applied Entrepreneurship program, the Center for Entrepreneurship, and other programs of the Craig School of Business
* created the School of Fine Arts and the School of Nursing and Health Professions
* created many new high-demand academic programs, including a Master’s of Business Administration, the first-of-its-kind population health degree, and the debate-forensics program
* celebrated Missouri Western’s centennial, including the successful Centennial Capital Campaign and campus enhancements like the new sculpture at the Downs Drive entrance and gold accents to the Glenn E. Marion Clock Tower
“I am honored that the Board of Governors has placed this confidence in me,” Dr. Vartabedian said. “It is a pleasure to work with them, and with our students, faculty, staff and community in making Missouri Western a continued success.”

Under terms of the contract, Dr. Vartabedian will be paid $255,593.37 annually. He is the longest serving president among all public universities in Missouri. When the Board of Governors approved Dr. Vartabedian’s previous contract they included a market adjustment to make the president’s salary more competitive with presidents at other regional universities in Missouri. President Vartabedian and Dr. Laurel Vartabedian donated the net increase in salary back to the Missouri Western State University Foundation, and to date have given more than $132,000 to the University.

Pie Five Pizza Co. says it is bringing the speediest innovation to St. Joseph since the Pony Express revolutionized mail delivery.

Pie Five is opening it’s first-ever St. Joe location and fifth overall Missouri location at 3508 N. Belt Hwy on Friday, December 9. It will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

St. Joe residents are welcome to stop by for customized pies prepared in five minutes or less and featuring a selection of fresh-cut veggies and flavorful ingredients.

Pie Five Franchisee Dave Goebel and KC Pie, LLC have been making their mark in the fast casual pizza industry since 2013 and operate 11 Pie Five restaurants across Missouri and Kansas.

Goebel is the former Applebee’s CEO. According to a news release, his children serve as his partners in the marketing and operations divisions of his stores.

Patterhn Ives LLC of St. Louis will provide planning and design services for renovations to Potter Hall at Missouri Western State University. Missouri Western’s Board of Governors approved the selection of the firm at its board meeting Dec. 8.

“We had a number of qualified firms express interest in the project, but Patterhn Ives set itself apart with a long record of successfully completing fine art and higher education building projects,” said Dr. Cale Fessler, vice president for financial planning and administration.

Patterhn Ives will provide planning and design services for renovations to Potter Hall, home of Missouri Western’s School of Fine Arts. Proposed renovations include a separate performance space for a Black Box Theater, adding a screening room, a dedicated computer lab, costume shop and other renovations to the existing facility.

Fifteen architectural firms responded to Missouri Western’s request for qualifications, and four were invited to campus to make presentations to a selection committee.

The Missouri General Assembly appropriated funding for architectural services for the Potter project. That funding will be matched by the Missouri Western State University Foundation, which is raising money to fund Potter Hall renovations through its Centennial Capital Campaign.

In an effort to house more homeless women and children the Salvation Army has restructured its Booth Center.

Major Abe Tamayo with the Salvation Army said the floor plan has been modified to encompass a shift in the demographics of the homeless in Buchanan County.

“Our peer agencies which comprise much of the local Continuum of Care expressed the pressing need for women and children housing and meal,” Tamayo said. “The changes made are in direct response to those needs.”

The Salvation Army has relocated all single men to one side of the center.  Single women and families only will occupy the other wing.  The changes increase the number of beds for single women from four to 13, more than tripling capacity and freeing up an entire family room.  The agency said it also increases security.  Booth Center hours have also been expanded to 11 p.m. daily.

“We look forward to the many positive outcomes of our policy enhancements and reconfiguration,” Tamayo said.

He said the Salvation Army is working with the St. Joseph Police Department, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office and the YWCA.

The Red Kettle Campaign fundraiser to benefit the Salvation Army is still underway.  As of Thursday morning bell ringers have raised around 27-percent of the agency’s $349,000 goal.  Funds raised help to sustain operations for the entire year.

 

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a Chillicothe man.

According to the office a deputy responded to a home in the north central portion of the county to try check on the well being of an individual shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday.  A short time later deputies found a 54-year-old man deceased at that location.  The office said foul play does not appear to be involved at this time but an investigation is being conducted into the incident.

Official said more information will be released as available.