The sentencing of Joplin businesswoman Peggy Newton on a wire fraud conviction was postponed a second time Monday in U.S. District Court in Springfield.
The U.S. attorney’s office and the 39-year-old defendant and her attorney apparently remain at odds over the recommended length of sentence and the restitution request contained in a pre-sentence investigation report.
The federal government’s electronic court records system shows that the two sides met Monday in District Judge Richard Dorr’s chambers in lieu of a sentencing hearing that had been reset from May 7. A new date has yet to be scheduled.
Newton pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud on Oct. 14 in a plea deal with the U.S. attorney’s office. An original 25-count indictment alleged that she defrauded Diane Pine, her partner in a Joplin home decor business, Evergreen & Amber, by forging checks on the store’s bank accounts, and using Pine’s credit cards and the store’s credit cards for her own benefit and personal use.
The government is seeking a prison term of 63 months and a restitution order for $282,149.95. The original indictment maintained that the extent of the fraud exceeded $300,000.
Crime & Courts
Sentencing hearing postponed again in local fraud case
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No charges to be filed in Joplin shooting case
The nonfatal shooting of a 25-year-old man at a Joplin residence on May 13 has been deemed justified by authorities. Jacob B. Boykin, 21, of Joplin, shot Justin S. Johnson, 25, of Carterville, once in the chest with a small-caliber handgun at 5260 E. Sunny Acres Lane.
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Alcohol cited as factor in Grand Lake boat crash that killed two college students
Alcohol was one of several factors contributing to a boating accident on Grand Lake earlier this month that claimed the lives of two college students.
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Hired hand won’t face death penalty in Vernon County murder case
The state has agreed not to seek the death penalty against Jeremy L. Maples in the murder of Belinda J. Beisly, but prosecutors have yet to take the option off the table for the victim’s husband, Bob T. Beisly II.
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Former IRS worker gets probation after guilty plea to theft of funds
Pittsburg resident and former Internal Revenue Service employee Becky L. Book received two years probation after pleading guilty earlier this year to the theft of $26,449.65 in public funds.
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Arma mother facing murder charge in sleeping baby’s death
Heather Buckalew fell asleep on a couch with her 4-month-old baby after a night last summer drinking beer with her boyfriend. The boyfriend, Donald Harvey, got up to go to work a few hours later and spotted his son, lying face down on a pillow between the back of the couch and his sleeping mother.
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Vandals cause $37,000 in damage at Joplin business
A Joplin business owner was the victim of a weekend vandalism spree that resulted in an estimated $37,000 in damages and theft, in addition to putting the company out of service for at least two days.
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Two plead guilty to post-tornado wire theft
Two defendants pleaded guilty Monday to stealing copper wire from utility poles in the wake of the May 22, 2011, tornado that struck Joplin. Timothy M. Silveria, 45, of Joplin, and Nycoa K. Kracht, 32, of Laurel, Ind., entered open pleas of guilty in Jasper County Circuit Court to felony counts of theft from a public utility.
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Firefighters douse blaze inside wall; no injuries cited
The Joplin Fire Department used thermal-imaging equipment Wednesday night to detect a hidden fire inside a residence.
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Exeter resident hurt in accident in Barry County
An Exeter resident was injured in a single-vehicle accident at 2:15 p.m. Thursday on Missouri Highway 76, two miles west of Exeter in Barry County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
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Pittsburg couple arrested; children taken out of home
PITTSBURG, Kan. — A Pittsburg couple was arrested and their three children removed from their care Wednesday when narcotics officers allegedly seized marijuana, methamphetamine and other items in a search of their home.
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