NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

BRADLEY J. SCHLOZMAN

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

JANUARY 25, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ST. JOSEPH BUSINESS OWNER INDICTED FOR

EMBEZZLING EMPLOYEE PENSION PLAN

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Bradley J. Schlozman, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that the owner of a St. Joseph, Mo., business has been indicted by a federal grand jury for embezzling from his employee pension plan.

John R. Heller, 68, of St. Joseph, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 4, 2007. Heller, who with his wife owns and operates A-1 Pickup and Delivery, Inc., a trucking/transportation business located in St. Joseph, had his first appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert E. Larsen this afternoon.

The federal indictment alleges that Heller stole $44,243 from A-1 Pickup and Delivery, American Century SAR-SEP Pension Plan, an employee pension benefit plan, between Jan. 15, 2002, and Dec. 31, 2005.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Michael Warner. It was investigated by the Department of Labor – CID, Employee Benefits Division.

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