Steve Neavling

 A Missouri man was so spooked by an Internet scam that he tipped off police about child porn on his computer, the Springfield News-Leader reports.

Police say the unnamed man, who is now under investigation, panicked when he received an alert that the FBI wanted $200 to unlock his computer to search for porn.

Not knowing the alert was part of a computer virus, the man called police and said he believed there was porn on his computer that he had tried to delete in the past, according to the News-Leader.

When he took the computer into the police department for a look, cops said they found 20 images and a video of child porn.

Steve Neavling

The FBI and U.S. Capitol Police are investigating rape and death against U.S. Rep. Todd Akins, his staff and his family, Reuters reports.

A spokesman for the Missouri Republican confirmed the investigation.

“There have been threats of rape of staff, (of) the congressman’s family and the congressman himself, and suggestions that people should die,” spokesman Steve Taylor told Reuters.

Akins, who is trying to unseat an incumbent Democrat in November, caught widespread criticism, including from his own party, when he said pregnancies are rare during “legitimate” rape because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

Neither the FBI nor the Capitol Police would comment on the case.

U.S. Atty. Beth Phillips/doj photo

Somebody inside the Beltway apparently likes Beth Phillips.

In 2009, President Obama appointed her as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri in Kansas City.

Earlier this week,  the White House nominated the U.S. Attorney for a federal judgeship in Missouri.

Before becoming U.S. Attorney she was  an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the same district from 2008 to 2009.

Before that, she  worked at the law firm of Bartimus, Frickleton, Robertson & Gorny from 2001 to 2008.

She also worked  an Assistant Prosecutor with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office from 1997 to 2001.

WASHINGTON — States around the country are turning to the Justice Department for help in locating an execution drug, the Associated Press reports.

AP reported that 13 states signed a letter sent to the Justice Department asking for help scoring sodium thiopental after the only U.S. manufacturer stopped producing it and the overseas supplies became scarce.

The states that signed the letter included: Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Justice Department spokeswoman Alisa Finelli told AP that the agency is reviewing the letter.

DEA personnel help dispose of drugs in Kennedale, Tex./dea photo

WASHINGTON — The DEA collected more than 242,000 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs from the public  at more than 4,000 sites in 50 states as part of its “Take-Back” campaign held on Sept. 25.

“The Take-Back Campaign was a stunning nationwide success that cleaned out more than 121 tons of pills from America’s medicine cabinets, a crucial step toward reducing the epidemic of prescription drug abuse that is plaguing this nation,” said DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart.

“Thanks to our state and local law enforcement and community partners—and the public—we not only removed these dangerous drugs from our homes, but also educated countless thousands of concerned citizens about the dangers of drug abuse.”

The DEA said some of the folks showing up included a Troy, Mo. a man who brought his kitchen drawer full of medication to empty at a collection site. The agency said a woman in Jacksonville, Ill., brought in nearly 50 years’ worth of medicines to a site.

This latest glitch only clouds the boundaries in the area of Internet law. Should we look at this as a setback for prosecutors or an opportunity for a judge to provide clarity for prosecutors in the future?

“Using this particular statute in this particular situation is so weird,” Judge George H. Wu said, calling some of the prosecution’s argument “troublesome.”

Wu’s comments came Monday afternoon at a hearing where Lori Drew, 50, was to have been sentenced. Wu delayed the sentencing until July, saying he wanted to consider a defense motion to dismiss the entire case.

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There’s trouble brewing in the “Show Me State”. It seems some politicians just can’t keep from profiting from their position of trust and power. This could be a big big scandal.

 
By DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press Writer
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The FBI is questioning Missouri lawmakers about allegations that legislative leaders demanded campaign contributions in exchange for prestigious committee posts, legislative sources told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Three lawmakers said they specifically were asked about House Minority Leader Paul LeVota, a Democrat from Independence. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing probe and because they didn’t want colleagues to know they had spoken with federal investigators.

In an interview with the AP, LeVota said he has not been contacted by the FBI. He denied any wrongdoing and suggested the accusations stem from a disgruntled political rival.

For Full Story

U.S. Atty. John Wood/doj photo

Wood, a Bush appointee, began serving in April 2007.
Before becoming U.S. Attorney, he was the chief of staff for U.S. Homeland Security.

During his tenure, his office handled a number of large scale cases including the indictment of two Chinese companies and their top executives for alleged export of tainted pet food ingredients to the U.S.

He has also served on the Attorney General’s advisory committees on Terrorism & National Security and White Collar Crime.

“Service as U.S. Attorney for the Western District has been the highest honor of my professional career,” he said in a prepared statement.
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