The Cole County Grand Jury recently handed down several indictments, finding there was enough evidence to send the cases to the circuit courts for possible trial.
Among those indicted were three California state residents charged in Cole County with stealing baby formula from the Jefferson City Walmart at 724 W. Stadium Blvd. as well as from other Walmarts across the state in March.
Florentina Iordache, 25; Elena Nistor, 35; and Florin Dumitru, 35, are each charged with two counts of felony stealing. They are Romanian citizens.
Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statements show the three walked around the store, selected several items and placed them in a shopping cart.
Two of the three concealed 66 containers of formula under their clothing and left the store.
The items taken totaled more than $1,100.
The three were caught a few days earlier in Moberly attempting to steal almost $1,000 worth of baby formula from the Walmart there.
Exploiting disabled
A Jefferson City man was indicted on five counts of financially exploiting disabled people.
Jeffery DeBrodie, 37, of 118 Garfield St., is believed to have done this between Sept. 1, 2013, and April 1 of this year.
Authorities said DeBrodie took nearly $3,800 from five clients while working at Cole County Residential Services (CCRS), which provides services to help people with developmental disabilities.
DeBrodie was responsible for handling clients' medical expenses, living expenses and general spending funds.
Authorities began looking into DeBrodie after there was a notification from a dentist office where one of his clients had an outstanding invoice. Debrodie had requested $314 for this, but CCRS staff couldn't find documentation that the invoice had been paid.
CCRS staff looked at DeBrodie's logs and found numerous discrepancies for the five clients, including requesting and obtaining funds for clients' medical invoices and those invoices not being paid, requesting and obtaining funds to pay fictitious clients' medical invoices, and obtaining funds from clients' accounts documented as "cash," which is not normal or acceptable CCRS practice.
CCRS staff was unable to locate documentation determining where the questioned funds went.
Confronted about these issues, DeBrodie retrieved numerous receipts from his residence, but the staff said the majority of the receipts did not indicate what client they were for or other required information. CCRS staff also noted the receipts appeared to contain personal expenses.
When CCRS staff attempted to set up another meeting with DeBrodie, they were unable to contact him, and he failed to report to work.
On April 8, authorities interviewed DeBrodie, who admitted to stealing funds from his five clients.
He said he used the funds for personal use. DeBrodie said he knew his clients were disabled and taking the funds was illegal. He said he would cash the clients' payroll checks and use the funds for himself. He was questioned about requesting funds for clients' medical invoices, not paying the invoices and the funds not being in the clients' accounts. DeBrodie said he didn't remember specific incidents, but he was responsible for not paying for the invoices and the funds not being in the clients' accounts.
July shooting
Kevin White Jr., 23, of 3705 Randall Drive, was indicted in connection with a shooting in July.
The Cole County prosecutor has charged him with first-degree assault and armed criminal action.
A Cole County Sheriff's Department probable cause statement shows the shooting occurred at the Randall address.
Witnesses said they heard at least 15 gunshots outside the apartment complex, heard screams, and then saw a vehicle leave the scene.
A description of the vehicle was given to law enforcement and they stopped the vehicle in the 600 block of South Country Club Drive.
The male victim was found inside the vehicle, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was able to identify White as the shooter.
White was found by authorities in one of the apartments. They also found three handguns, a loaded shotgun, marijuana in plastic bags and scales. The weapons were found to have been stolen in Columbia.
Witnesses backed the victim's story and said White shot the victim, who had come to White's residence with a weapon and shot at least one time into the concrete outside the apartment door while arguing with White.
The male victim tried to push his way into the apartment and after a few minutes of causing a disturbance outside the apartment building, White came out and shot the victim multiple times.
White then went back in the apartment and grabbed a shotgun and shot at least three more times at the vehicle the victim was getting into prior to his leaving the scene.
White said he was in fear of his life when the victim showed up at his apartment and pointed a weapon at him.
White also said the victim fired several rounds in his direction inside his apartment and he only shot the victim when he thought the victim was going to shoot him.
Authorities noted they found no bullet holes in the apartment or outside the area around the apartment door. A search of the victim's vehicle also found no weapons inside.
A criminal history check revealed White is a convicted felon and not allowed to possess weapons. He had a warrant for his arrest from Osage County for armed criminal action at the time of his arrest.