Nine Excelsior Springs Residents Among 26 Indicted for $4.4 Million Drug-Trafficking Conspiracies

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that nine Excelsior Springs residents are among 26 persons indicted for their roles in related drug-trafficking conspiracies that distributed more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine and three pounds of heroin over the past five years.

Steven Lee Schreier, Jr., 30, Marion Eugene Brammer, 51, Darrin Gene Berry, 50, Rodney Earl King, 49, Jackie R. Love, Jr., 58, Anthony Ray Stevenson,44, Paula Rae Scott, 46, William Dean Campbell, 34, and Jason Lee Kirtley, 42, all of Excelsior Springs, Mo.; Sabrena Lynn Morgan, 38, Elgin Eugene Dothage, 39, and Ryan A. Battagler, 36, all of Kearney, Mo.; Joshua Keith Bowers, 31, and Taylor Lee Syas, 23, both of Polo, Mo.; Jason Daniel Davis, 41, of Liberty, Mo.; Brian Michael Bowers, 32, of Richmond, Mo.; Ronald Louis Roberts, 52, of Lathrop, Mo.; Jay Harrison Lee Carder, 29, and Gary Dewayne Brown, 35, both of Cowgill, Mo.; Franklin Charles Carter, 26, of Grandview, Mo.; Jose Luis Ruiz-Salazar, 36, Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar, 32, Gregory C. Bullock, 46, Bryan D. Carroll, 27, and Caleb Dean Hayes, 34, all of Kansas City, Mo., and Brittany James Brehm, 37, of Bland, Mo., were charged in an eight-count superseding indictment that was returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, July 7, 2015.

The superseding indictment, which replaces two indictments returned on July 29, 2014, and Feb. 11, 2015, includes additional defendants and additional charges. Schreier, Morgan, Dothage, Joshua Bowers, Roberts and Carter were charged in those earlier indictments.

The superseding indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrest and initial court appearances of several defendants. Ten defendants arrested today were Brammer, Berry, King, Love, Stevenson, Scott, Campbell, Syas, Brown and Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar. Dothage, Joshua Bowers, Roberts, Carter and Jose Luis Ruiz-Salazar were already in custody.

The superseding indictment alleges that all of the defendants (except Bullock and Brehm) participated in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2010, to July 7, 2015. Bullock and Brehm are charged in a separate conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2010, to July 7, 2015.

The superseding indictment alleges that Joshua Bowers and his brother, Brian Bowers, Syas, Brown and Carder participated in a conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin from Jan. 1, 2010, to July 7, 2015.

In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracies, Joshua and Brian Bowers and Syas are charged together in one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute.

Joshua and Brian Bowers, Syas, Morgan and Dothage are also charged together in one count of possessing firearms during an in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. They allegedly were in possession of a loaded Springfield Armory .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun, a New England 12-gauge shotgun, a pink pump-action shotgun, a loaded 9mm Hi Point pistol, a loaded Smith & Wesson .22-caliber pistol, and various unrecovered firearms identified by numerous drug customers and co-conspirators as being in their possession during the conspiracy period.

Joshua and Brian Bowers and Dothage are also charged together in one count of being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Joshua Bowers, Syas, Morgan and Dothage are also charged together in one count of maintaining their residences in Kearney and Polo for the purpose of distributing and using methamphetamine and heroin.

The federal indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require all of the defendants, jointly and severally, to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged offenses, including a money judgment of $4,359,600. This money judgment is based on a conservative street price of $1,200 per ounce of methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of at least 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as a conservative street price of $2,500 per ounce of heroin and an overall conspiracy distribution of approximately three pounds of heroin.

Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Clay County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.