Show-Me State Times

Darknet Vendor Who Sold Millions of Counterfeit Xanax Sentenced

By Show-Me State Times | May 1, 2024

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Wednesday sentenced Brandon Adams, 27, a man who sold millions of counterfeit Xanax pills on the Darknet, to 24 months in prison. Additionally, Adams was fined $10,000 and ordered to forfeit nearly $1 million. He will also be on supervised release for three years following his prison term.Adams pleaded guilty to three felony counts, including conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance via the internet, conspiracy to sell misbranded/counterfeit drugs, and selling counterfeit drugs. He operated under the alias...

Jefferson County Contractor Admits Aiding Financial Exploitation of Elderly Victim

By Show-Me State Times | May 1, 2024

Austin James, a man from Jefferson County, Missouri, has pleaded guilty to aiding in defrauding an elderly St. Louis woman out of more than $500,000. According to reports, James admitted to knowingly using the means of identification of another person to commit bank fraud and financial exploitation of the elderly.James confessed to aiding Gino Rives in exploiting the 80-year-old victim, who had hired Rives to renovate her home. Rives falsely claimed to be a licensed contractor and instructed the woman to write checks totaling over $550,000 for renovations on a property...