Grand jury indicts 4 men

This week the Cole County Grand Jury handed down several indictments, finding there was enough evidence to send cases to the circuit courts for possible trial.

Among those indicted was a Jefferson City man charged in connection with a January 2016 robbery in the Capital City.

Justice Pierce, 20, is charged with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.

According to police reports, the robbery occurred in the 300 block of East Ashley Street.

Pierce was one of three men who confronted the victim by pointing a handgun at her and stealing her bookbag. The victim's brother attempted to defend her but was assaulted by the suspects.

One suspect, Quency Floyd, 19, was taken into custody in January 2016. In March 2016, he was placed on five years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to an amended charge of stealing in this case.

A second suspect, Orlando Strickland, 19, was arrested by members of JCPD's Community Action Team in January 2016. In December 2016, he pleaded guilty to an attempted second-degree robbery and was placed on five years supervised probation.

A witness was able to identify Floyd, Strickland and Pierce as the three suspects through a photo lineup, according to a Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statements. During an interview, Floyd admitted to investigators he struck the victim's brother and took the bookbag. He said the bag could be found in his bedroom at his home, and authorities went there and found the bag.

Floyd and Strickland told authorities Pierce was with them at the time of the robbery and that he punched the victim's brother during the assault.

Also indicted was a St. Joseph man charged in a January carjacking in Jefferson City.

Jeremy Johnson, 29, is charged with second-degree robbery, resisting arrest, first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle and driving while suspended.

Johnson used force to take an automobile from its owner at the Wildwood Crossings Shopping Center on Missouri Boulevard, according to a Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement.

The victim said he heard the driver door open and someone get in. The victim was looking at his phone and thought it was his wife getting into the vehicle. The victim looked up and saw Johnson in the driver's seat.

Johnson told the victim to get out of the vehicle, saying, "Do you want to get shot?" That was when the victim reached over and tried to grab the keys from the ignition. Johnson struck the victim on the left side of the face. He then exited the vehicle and was unable to shut the door before Johnson drove away, hitting him with the passenger-side door.

About five minutes later, police spotted the vehicle at the intersection Dix and Main streets, where chase began. Officers pursued Johnson north through a residential area on Boonville Road to Hayselton Drive, circled around to Main Street then headed back to Boonville Road, where he traveled northbound again.

Once Johnson reached the intersection of Boonville Road and Missouri 179, he headed southbound. Officers were able to deploy spike strips to puncture one tire on the stolen car as it passed Sue Drive. Johnson traveled a short distance before stopping at Cherry Creek Court, where he was apprehended.

As he was being taken to the police department, Johnson told officers he stole the vehicle so he could get home so he wouldn't have to sleep outside. He also said if he was to bond out of jail he would steal another vehicle to get home. He said he was in town for alcohol treatment but decided not to stay, and that he is homeless and was trying to return to his family.

Also indicted was a Kansas man charged in connection with a check-cashing scheme that took place in Jefferson City in January.

Dale Gardner, 43, is charged with two counts of forgery and one count of stealing.

The investigation started after officers were called to a vehicle theft in the 2000 block of Trenton Court around 7 a.m. Jan. 24, according to a Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement.

Within a couple hours of the call, a vehicle was found in the 900 block of Madison Street and had damage to the interior as if there had been an attempt to set the vehicle on fire.

The owner responded and told officers his briefcase, along with his billfold that contained checks for his business, were missing.

Later that day, three of those business checks were either cashed or attempted to be cashed at local banks by two men.

The next day, another of the checks was cashed at a bank in Holts Summit by a woman.

As the investigation unfolded, officers talked with the three people who had cashed the checks, which led them to Gardner. The three said they would testify against Gardner and added he had paid them to go to the banks and cash the checks.

When questioned, Gardner told authorities he didn't know anything about the checks being cashed, but when one of the people who cashed the checks was brought into the interview room and told how Gardner had paid her to do this, Gardner requested an attorney and the interview was stopped.

Gardner's criminal history shows he has several prior arrests, including for theft of a motor vehicle in the Kansas City area in 2012.

Also indicted was a Jefferson City man charged in an October robbery and now facing new charges for a robbery that occurred in February in the Capital City.

Kane Carpenter, 17, is charged with three counts of first-degree robbery, three counts of armed criminal action and one count of possession of a controlled substance.

The February robbery occurred as four people were driving north in the 700 block of Madison Street and one of them recognized Carpenter, who was walking. They pulled over and picked Carpenter up, according to the Jefferson City Police Department.

After Carpenter got in, the victims said, he pulled out a small, black pistol and pointed it at one occupant's head, saying he didn't want to make things "bloody."

Carpenter then demanded the occupants' cellphones and money.

After taking more than $500 and two cellphones from the occupants, Carpenter told the driver to the stop the car, then fled the scene on foot.

Investigators later learned one of those in the car was attempting to sell 2 ounces of marijuana, and Carpenter committed the robbery to get the narcotics and cellphones.

When shown a photo lineup, all four victims identified Carpenter as the man who robbed them.

Carpenter was taken into custody at a residence on Madison Street, where authorities found a small, black pistol, marijuana and two cellphones matching those stolen from the victims.

When questioned, Carpenter said he purchased the marijuana using counterfeit money and the victims were upset with him and made threats of violence toward him.

Carpenter denied pointing the gun at a victim, and said he got it because the people he bought drugs from were upset with him for paying them with counterfeit money.

He had been in a pre-trial release program at the time of February's robbery.