Former sheriff now faces additional charges

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Already serving federal and state prison sentences, former Carter County sheriff Tommy Adams will appear in a Carter County courtroom next week after he was charged Friday with multiple felonies, including burglary and arson.

Adams, 33, of Ellsinore, Mo., was charged with first- and second-degree burglary and three counts of second-degree arson by assistant attorney general David Hansen.

Adams is accused of entering the home of Robert Boone on Aug. 31, 2010, and remaining unlawfully in the home of Ronald Pasley between Aug. 1, 2010, and Oct. 1, 2010, while Pasley was there.

Adams also is accused of damaging his own modular home by fire Jan. 16, 2010, as well as the Ellsinore homes of Ben and Michelle Turner on Feb. 6, 2010, and Donnie Kearbey on Dec. 18, 2010.

Associate Circuit Judge Don Henry issued a warrant for Adams' arrest and ordered his arraignment for 9 a.m. July 30.

Adams, who has been held in the Butler County Jail since July 2, pleaded guilty in mid-June to distribution of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance in Jefferson County, Mo.

He had been accused of distributing methamphetamine to a confidential informant and possessing cocaine.

At that time, Adams was sentenced to 12 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections on the distribution charge and seven years on the possession charge. The judge ordered the sentences to run concurrently with each other and with the 10-year federal sentence Adams already was serving.

Adams pleaded guilty in July 2012 in federal court to two counts of possession of a stolen firearm, one count of sale of a stolen firearm and one count of being a drug user in possession of firearms.

Those charges, as well as the new charges Adams is facing, stem from an investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol into suspected illegal activities involving Adams, who resigned as sheriff on the day of his arrest in April 2011.

According to patrol Sgt. Jeff Heath's probable-cause statement, several firearms were stolen from Boone's residence during the August 2010 burglary.

"Boone told investigators he was in Barnes Hospital in St. Louis having surgery at the time of the burglary," Heath said.

Boone, Heath said, had contacted Adams requesting extra patrol around his rural Ellsinore residence as he was going to be out of town for surgery.

During the patrol's investigation, Heath said, it was "discovered Adams was involved in the burglary and stealing at Boone's residence.

"Adams had [two men] and Steffanie M. Kearbey burglarize and steal property from Boone's residence," Heath said. "Adams had [the three] enter Boone's residence unlawfully and stealing property therein."

Heath said officers also found Adams allegedly was involved in the burglary of Pasley's Endeavor apartment at Ellsinore in which methamphetamine was stolen.

"Adams had [a man] go to Pasley's apartment and verify he had methamphetamine," Heath said. He said once the man told Adams that Pasley had methamphetamine, Adams went to the apartment.

"When Pasley opened the door, Adams walked in to the house without being invited."

Adams, Steffanie Kearbey, who was then a Carter County deputy, and another deputy "searched the house and located the methamphetamine," Heath said. "Adams took the methamphetamine for personal reasons."

Heath said the suspected methamphetamine never was put into evidence and no report was made.

Steffanie Kearbey, who was arrested the same day as Adams, faces the same burglary charges as Adams in connection with the alleged crimes.

The 25-year-old Ellsinore woman also is charged with the felonies of receiving stolen property and stealing.

Steffanie Kearbey, who is to stand trial on the charges Aug. 22 and 23 in Carter County, is serving a five-year federal sentence after having pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen firearm and one count of sale of a stolen firearm.

Heath said officers also found "Adams was involved with arsons within Carter County. Adams directed Gary Bender to burn three residences in Carter County."

Bender pleaded guilty in June to four counts of second-degree arson and two counts of distribution of a controlled substance.

The 48-year-old Ellsinore man was sentenced to seven years on each of the arson charges and 10 years on each drug charge. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

In addition to being accused of the arsons, Bender had been accused of distributing methamphetamine to a confidential informant and an undercover officer.

Bender also was indicted Feb. 28 on a one-count indictment by a federal grand jury.

The indictment alleges from 2008 to 2011, Bender and others "acting in concert with him devised and executed a fraud scheme to obtain Medicaid reimbursement for in-home services that were not rendered."

From about May 2010 to April 2011, the indictment says, Medicaid paid Endeavor Home Care LLP at Ellsinore almost $15,000 for in-home services that were never provided to Bender.

Bender is to appear in federal court at 10 a.m. Aug. 21 for a pretrial motion hearing in his case.