(Missourinet) – The Springfield woman who on Sunday was, with her mother, the subject of an endangered person advisory is now charged along with her boyfriend of murdering her mother.

23-year-old Gypsy Blancharde of Springfield and 26-year-old Nicholas Paul Godejohn of Big Bend, Wisconsin, are each charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 48-year-old Clauddinnea Blancharde.

They are in custody in Wisconsin and the Green County Prosecutor says they will be extradited to Missouri to face those charges.

The Green County Sherriff’s Department says Godejohn admitted to driving to the Blanchardes’ home in Missouri to see Gypsy and to stabbing Clauddinnea to death. He said he and Gypsy took several thousand dollars from a safe in Clauddinnea’s bedroom. He claims he would not have murdered Clauddinnea if Gypsy had not asked him to, and said she gave him the knife.

Investigators say Gypsy admitted she knew Godejohn was going to stab her mother and did not stop it or report it to authorities. She said after the murder she and Godejohn left the Springfield home in a cab. Both told authorities they attempted to clean up the blood before leaving.

Gypsy admitted to writing on her mother’s Facebook page, “That Bitch is dead.” That and another disturbing post were found to have been posted from Godejohn’s home in Wisconsin. Authorities there found the couple and took them into custody after a brief standoff.

The Department said the crime happened between Tuesday, June 9 and Sunday, June 14.

On Sunday the Missouri State Highway Patrol had issued an endangered person advisory for the Blanchardes. Authorities had been called after a friend saw the posts on Clauddinnea’s Facebook page. After obtaining a search warrant they found Clauddinnea’s body face down on her bed with multiple stab wounds in her back and a slash to the back of her neck.

In that advisory, Gypsy’s age had been given as 19, apparently based on a false birthdate.

A Columbia, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm.

Victor Lee McNeary, Jr., 39, of Columbia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner on Friday, June 12, 2015, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. McNeary was sentenced as an armed career offender due to his prior felony convictions.

On Oct. 23, 2013, McNeary was convicted at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that McNeary was in possession of a Smith & Wesson .380-caliber handgun on Dec. 11, 2011. According to court documents, Columbia police officers responded to a disturbance at Swan Lake Restaurant, 10 Southampton Drive, at approximately 1 a.m. on that day. An officer was informed that McNeary had been in possession of a handgun but had left the scene. Officers found McNeary at a McDonald’s restaurant and questioned him about the disturbance. When an officer searched McNeary and found the handgun in his coat pocket, McNeary was arrested.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. McNeary has six prior felony convictions for robbery, two prior felony convictions for armed criminal action, two prior felony convictions for tampering and a prior felony conviction for attempted burglary.

According to a witness, McNeary started a fight inside the club and was escorted out. He started another fight in the parking lot that was broken up, and McNeary was told to leave. Instead, McNeary tried to run back into the club and tried to pick a fight with one of the security members. McNeary started walking towards his Cadillac that was parked across the street and continued to yell and scream. As McNeary got closer to his car he started yelling that he was going to get a gun. McNeary entered the vehicle through the passenger side and pulled a small black semi-automatic handgun from the vehicle. McNeary left shortly after by himself and the police were called.

A Georgia man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for using stolen identities to file fraudulent state and federal income tax returns.

Jalen Ortez Gude, 22, of Hillsboro, Ga., was charged in an 11-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo., on June 10, 2015. That indictment was unsealed and made public today following Gude’s initial court appearance.

The federal indictment alleges that, between January 2014 and March 13, 2015, Gude used the identity information of others (including their names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth) to file fraudulent tax returns and receive tax refunds from both the federal government and the state of Missouri. Gude allegedly opened bank accounts in the names of his identity theft victims so that the IRS and the Missouri Department of Revenue would transfer the refunds to bank accounts he controlled. This process permitted Gude to remain anonymous, the indictment says, and to conduct his scheme, in part, from outside Missouri.

Gude also allegedly used the stolen identity information to submit fraudulent online credit applications at banks and credit card companies.

The federal indictment charges Gude with seven counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.

By Mike Lear (Missourinet) – A bill meant to help keep seniors from losing their savings to scams has become law.

Governor Jay Nixon (D) has signed into law a bill called the “Senior Savings Protection Act,” which lets financial agents put a 10-day hold on transactions they believe could be attempts to financially exploit a person over 60 or with a disability. That broker-dealer must then contact state securities and senior welfare officials and can contact the person’s family or guardians about the suspected fraud attempt.

Senate sponsor Eric Schmitt (R-Glendale) says it will protect people who are too often taken advantage of.

“And literally their life savings [might be] taken from them, and once it’s gone, it’s gone,” Schmitt told Missourinet.

Secretary of State Jason Kander said he took the idea to Schmitt and House sponsor, Jay Barnes (R-Jefferson City). He said it addressed a real need.

“Financial professionals that are in perhaps the best position to help prevent exploitation were in a position where they were operating under a legal structure that effectively discouraged doing the right thing and acting to prevent fraud,” said Kander.

Current law does not allow an agent who suspects financial exploitation to raise a concern to anyone not named on the account in question.

“Even if a broker saw something, this Nigerian lottery scam, or one of these scams about sending money to somebody’s grandchild who’s down in South America, they don’t have any ability to do anything about it right now,” said Schmitt.

Kander said no one should be concerned about having access to their savings.

“I think this is going to be just an additional tool in the toolbox to help prevent the financial exploitation of seniors,” said Kander.

A hold would expire either in 10 days or when a review finds no evidence of fraud. The law would protect an agent from civil liability for having placed a hold on a transaction.
It is set to become effective August 28.

By Mike Lear (Missourinet) – The Missouri Lottery says its transfer to public education is $3.4-million greater this year compared to last year, but that would still be off the mark set by the governor and the legislature in the state budget.

The Missouri Lottery projects a transfer of $270.7-million to public education for the fiscal year that ends at the end of this month, but that’s more than $28-million dollars short of the budget projection.

Representative Kurt Bahr (R-St. Charles) chairs the House Budget Committee for K-12 education. He said some districts could have to dip into savings to make up for the difference in how much they expected to get from the state, and what they will get.

“But, because we do have an $80-million dollar increase [for K-12 education in the Fiscal Year 16 budget], we should be able to more than make up for the hurt this year,” said Bahr.

Last year the Missouri Lottery transferred $21-million less to public education than the year before. Governor Jay Nixon (D) replaced each member of the Lottery Commission in September, and the lottery launched an effort to cut expenses in areas including advertising and promotions, equipment, and vendor fees.

Lottery Commission Chairman John Twitty said the lottery also saw gains in some in-state games and through the sales of tickets at new locations such as Kansas City International Airport, at sports stadiums, and at concerts, as well as sales of multi-state game tickets at some gas pumps ATMs.
Twitty said the Commission would like to have met the budget projection.

“I think the important thing is it’s moving back in the right direction, and we’re going to do everything we can, obviously, to hit [the budget projection for lottery revenue] for the year that starts July 1,” Twitty told Missourinet.

He said the lottery is also working with other states in looking for ways to get more people to play some of the multi-state games, such as Powerball.

“People don’t want to win $40- or $50-million anymore. They wait to play until it’s $400-million. The people who operate the lottery both in Missouri and around the country call that ‘jackpot fatigue,’” said Twitty. “We … are looking at ways to freshen those multi-state games, and particularly Powerball, so we hope that maybe through this fiscal year … we’ll begin to see some positive growth back in Powerball and maybe some bigger jackpots, and of course that happens just by chance.”

Bahr said he is considering holding an oversight hearing with the Lottery this fall on how the state spends lottery revenue.

“To one, understand what happened this year and understand what can be done for planning purposes to mitigate this type of a thing in the future,” said Bahr. “Also, should we have all the lottery money in one bucket, move all the lottery money into the foundation formula instead of having it scattered throughout, or would it be better to move all the lottery money out of the foundation formula so that we don’t have to worry about the fluctuation in the foundation formula and move it into other parts of the [budget bills for education]?”

Lottery proceeds represent about 4-percent of the annual funding to public education in Missouri.

By Alisa Nelson (Missourinet) – Missourians can purchase concert tickets for the Missouri State Fair starting Wednesday. Box office ticket sales at the fairgrounds open June 22.

Director Mark Wolfe says he hopes fair goers will enjoy this year’s concert lineup.

“We certainly expect that we’ll see at least one or two of our biggest concerts sell out each year,” Wolfe told Missourinet.

The Fair’s main stage has seating for about 11,000.

Some of the shows this year include Def Leppard with Styx and Tesla, Alabama with Michael Ray, John Michael Montgomery with Belles & Whistles, Gary Allan with The Swon Brothers, and The Fray with Andy Grammer.

For more information on the fair, which runs from August 13 through 23, visit mostatefair.com.

By Mike Lear (Missourinet) – The search has resumed for the remains of servicemen killed in a military plane crash in Alaska in 1952. Two of those still missing are from Missouri.

Last year remains recovered from wreckage embedded in the Colony Glacier were identified as belonging to 17 of the 52 men that died when a C-124 Globemaster cargo plane nicknamed “Old Shaky” crashed into Mount Gannett on November 22, 1952. Those remains were returned to those men’s families.

Two servicemen still unaccounted for are from Missouri; Army Technical Sergeant Leonard George Unger of Gerald, and Air Force Airman 3rd Class Wayne Dean Jackson of Downing, were on that plane. Their families told Missourinet last year they hoped those men’s remains will be found.

The wreckage has been carried by the glacier to a site roughly 15 miles from where the crash occurred. It was spotted in 2012 and each summer since then, a joint military team has gone to the site to recover wreckage and any human remains that can be found. Due to the terrain and weather it is only accessible about two weeks out of the year, and only by helicopter.

Air Force Tech Sergeant John Gordinier was with the team that landed at the site Monday. He says it’s a treacherous site, with crevices in the ice that stretch down “as far as the eye can see,” on a glacier that is always moving, but he says there is good reason that in spite of the danger, teams keep returning.

“We’re always taught from day one, being in boot camp, you never leave a man behind,” Gordinier told Missourinet. “Even though it’s been 60 years, to be able to provide closure to the families, to be able to give them that sense, to give them the ability to bury and do a full honors funeral that they deserve, that’s why we do it.

“[Bringing these servicemen home is] an honor to do,” Gordinier added.

He says time is of the essence, however, as the glacier empties into Lake George. Any remains and wreckage that are not recovered could be lost if they reach the lake.

“It really, ultimately is what the glacier is allowing us to see and allowing us to collect,” said Gordinier. “There’s plenty underneath the ice still, so ultimately it comes down to what we’re able to see, because it’s not like we can go out there and just dig through the ice and look for other remains or debris.”

If the team finds any human remains, the military will begin the process of attempting to identify them.

The recovery mission is a joint effort of the Alaskan Command, Alaska National Guard, active-duty military members and civilians.

By Kyle Loethen (Missourinet) – A central Missouri man is charged with breaking federal law by transporting white-tailed deer to Florida.

Federal prosecutors say 54-year-old Charles “Sam” James of Columbia loaded 11 deer into a rented box trailer and drove them from Missouri to a deer farm in Laurel Hills, Florida. The deer were raised on a ranch James co-owns called Timber Hollow Whitetails in Mexico. Federal law prohibits transporting live white-tailed deer across state lines without required documentation and health records.

Chief of the Protection Division with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Larry Yamnitz said such laws are meant to keep diseases like chronic wasting disease from spreading in deer throughout the country.

“Closing the boarders may not get rid of all the risk, but the whole idea is to reduce the risk of the spread of this disease, so that’s why states are closing their boarders to the importation of cervids,” said Yamnitz.

James allegedly did not have proper documentation and took the deer into a closed state.

“Florida closed their boarder back in 2013,” said Yamnitz. “You can move them out of the state, you just can’t take them out of the state without proper health papers and you also cannot move them into a closed state.”
Yamnitz said such a charge could lead to prison time.

“This charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250-thousand dollar fine or both,” said Yamnitz.

Agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated the case. James was charged in a one-count federal indictment for violations of the Lacey Act.