Three More Defendants Plead Guilty to Gang Related Shooting, Drug Trafficking

JEFFERSON CITY, MO—Matt J. Whitworth, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two Columbia, Mo., men and a Fayette, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to their involvement in the Cut Throats gang.

William Ricky Boyd, 21, and Tarron Montez Cason, 25, both of Columbia, and Michael Lee Stapleton, 23, of Fayette, each pleaded guilty in separate appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge William A. Knox to the charges contained in an April 3, 2009, superseding indictment.

Boyd, Cason and Stapleton were part of the Cut Throats gang, whose members were involved in distributing narcotics, possessing firearms, passing firearms between themselves and using firearms to promote their drug trafficking operation and to protect themselves. Gang members passed firearms among themselves, they admitted, even though they knew it was illegal because the persons were either felons or drug users.

On June 2, 2007, a Cut Throats member was shot by a member of a rival gang, in part due to a territorial dispute over the unlawful distribution of crack and powder cocaine. Boyd and Stapleton, along with other members of the Cut Throats, planned how to get revenge and shoot the person they believed was responsible. Cason admitted that he was present during those discussions. On May 31, 2008, Boyd and Stapleton rode in a car with co-defendant Robert Darnell Simmons, 36, of Columbia, and another person, to a Petro Mart gas station at 3300 Falling Leaf, Columbia, where a crowd was gathered. Another person was also at the lot in another car, and had a firearm with him. One of the Cut Throats members noticed that a person they believed to be the member of the rival gang with whom they sought revenge was also at the lot.

Boyd and another passenger in Simmons’ car produced their firearms and began shooting at the individual, who was with a group of people. The driver of the second car started shooting at him as well, and then left the station’s lot after the others joined in the shooting. Stapleton admitted that he later took a .380-caliber Hi-Point rifle from one of the shooters and hid it.

Later, it was determined that the person who was shot in the face wasn’t the person whom the Cut Throats believed shot their associate; the victim was not associated with any rival gang faction.

Boyd pleaded guilty to his involvement in a drive-by shooting in furtherance of a major drug offense, as well as to using a firearm during a crime of violence.

Stapleton pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to aid and abet others to illegally possess firearms in furtherance of a major drug offense and in relation to the drive-by shooting on May 31, 2008. Stapleton also pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine. In addition to the Petro Mart drive-by shooting, Stapleton admitted that two more drive-by shootings occurred during the course of the conspiracy – a June 2, 2007, shooting near a Break Time gas station at 1000 Smiley Lane, Columbia, and a Jan. 1, 2008, shooting near a BP gas station at 800 Stadium, Jefferson City. At least one person was injured in each of those shootings.

Cason pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and cocaine. Cason admitted that, from 2007 through late January 2008, he and other conspirators moved in excess of a kilo of crack cocaine and at least an equal amount of powder cocaine. Cason was present at many meetings where illegal drug trafficking was discussed.

Simmons pleaded guilty on May 21, 2009, to his role in a conspiracy to illegally possess firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and a crime of violence, and to possess firearms with the intent to intimidate or injure another person and to fire a weapon into a group of people. Simmons also pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.

Under federal statutes, Boyd, Stapleton and Cason are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony P. Gonzalez and Lawrence E. Miller and Boone County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Steven Berry, who has been appointed a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney to assist in this prosecution. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Boone County, Mo., Prosecutor’s Office, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab and the Mo. Department of Corrections.