Former Christian County Assessor And Her Husband Headed To Federal Prison For Bilking The Government:



Former Christian County Assessor Sandra Bryant-Littles



It's four months in federal prison without parole for former Christian County Assesor Sandra Bryant-Littles who pleaded guilty last November to four counts of mail fraud.

Sandra Bryant-Littles, 51, of Clever, Mo., was also ordered to pay $2,080 in restitution to Christian County.

Her husband, Lonnie Utah Littles, 63, also of Clever, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr to 15 months in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 9, 2010, Bryant-Littles told prosecutors she lied when assessing her own personal property. Littles pleaded guilty on the same day to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and two counts of wire fraud, related to a false cattle theft claim.

Bryant-Littles and her husband owned personal property under their own names and under the name of Poco Cala Ranch, from Dec. 31, 2006, until Feb. 19, 2009. During that time, Bryant-Littles admitted she filed personal property tax assessment lists for herself and for Poco Cala that intentionally omitted substantial property that was required to be reported and upon which personal property taxes were owed.

Each of the four counts of mail fraud was related to assessment lists filed for the years 2007 and 2008, for which the county collector mailed two personal property tax bills to Bryant-Littles and two personal property tax bills to Poco Cala Ranch.

Bryant-Littles admitted she knew these tax bills understated the correct tax that was owed. In each of those years, Bryant-Littles admits she and her husband paid personal property taxes to the government of Christian County which Bryant-Littles knew understated the true and correct tax owed.

For 2007 and 2008, Bryant-Littles failed to report or assess personal property tax upon such property as six vehicles, a motorcycle, two tractors, three utility and flat-bed trailers, a horse trailer, and an unknown number of cattle.

Bryant-Littles' fraud was discovered when law enforcement officers investigating a cattle theft reported by Littles reviewed the couple’s personal property assessment forms, and discovered that no cattle were listed.

Further investigation revealed that numerous other assets were omitted. When confronted about the discrepancies, Bryant-Littles admitted to law enforcement officers that she knew the forms were not correct, and asked if she could correct them. Bryant-Littles was arrested at her county office the morning of Oct. 15, 2009.

By pleading guilty to all five counts of the superseding indictment in his case, Littles admitted that he concocted a scheme to defraud Liberty Bank and Shelter Insurance Company.  He admitted that he used a line of credit from Liberty Bank to obtain money and property, while at the same time selling cattle that were collateral on the loan, in violation of his contract with Liberty Bank.



Lonnie Utah Littles and Sandra Bryant Littles leaving federal courthouse (courtesy Springfield News-Leader)



According to the plea agreement, as of February 8, 2009, Littles owed a principal balance of approximately $104,956 on the $105,000 line of credit.

As a part of the scheme, Littles admitted that he contacted his insurance representative on Dec. 17, 2008, in order to increase his insurance coverage on his cattle, from $60,000 to $100,000. Then, shortly before a Liberty Bank representative was scheduled to inspect his cattle, Littles conspired with his ranch hand and co-defendant, Jesse D. Rice, 57, also of Clever, to falsely report the cattle stolen.

Jesse D. Rice Interview With KY3

Littles instructed Rice to make the false report the weekend of Feb. 8, 2009, while Littles and his wife would be out of town, traveling to conduct Little's prison ministry.

 On Feb. 8, 2009, Rice contacted the Christian County Sheriff's Department to report the theft of 53 head of cattle, although no cattle actually had been stolen. On the same day, Littles filed a fraudulent insurance claim for $66,250. Littles admitted that as a part of his scheme, he committed wire fraud by instructing Rice to provide two on-camera interviews falsely claiming that the cattle had been stolen. The interviews were broadcast on Feb. 8 and 9, 2009, by television stations KY3 and KOLR-10. The interviews comprised wire fraud because they were communications transmitted in interstate commerce for the purpose of executing a fraud scheme.

Rice pleaded guilty on Feb. 11, 2010, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 29, 2011.

Christian County Assessors Federal Trial Postponed:

Sandra Bryant-Littles

The federal trials for Christian County Assessor Sandra Bryant-Littles and her husband Lonnie Utah Littles that were scheduled to begin today have been postponed according to public affairs director for US Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. Don Ledford says the trials have been pushed back until at least June.

Bryant-Littles was indicted on four counts of mail fraud for allegedly not property assessing her own personal property and that of she and her husbands Poco Cala Ranch in Clever.

Lonnie Littles and a ranch hand of the couples, Jesse Rice were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit bank fraud for an allegedly scheme to bilk the Little's insurance company for a bogus cattle theft in February of 2009.

The couples ranch hand, Jesse Rice, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on February 11, 2010. He is currently awaiting sentencing.

Attorney General Chris Koster filed paperwork seeking the removal of Bryant-Littles from her elected office in February. Bryant-Littles is fighting that action. For now Bryant-Littles is “immediately enjoined from engaging in any activity, or exercising any authority, as the County Assessor.”

If Bryant-Littles resigns, or is permanetly removed from office, Gov. Jay Nixon will appoint a successor, who would serve out the rest of her term.

Christian County Assessor Temporarily Removed From Office:

The Christian County Assessor, who found herself the object of a court motion filed by Missouri's Attorney General, has been temporarily removed from office.

Judge Robert Craig Carter signed the quo warranto petition submitted Friday by Attorney General Chris Koster to remove Sandra Bryant-Littles from her elected office.

Bryant-Littles faces four counts of mail fraud in federal court and had refused to step down from her elected position since being indicted last October.

Federal prosecutors allege that Bryant-Littles, who lives in Clever with her husband Lonnie Utah Littles, failed to properly assess her own property and that of Poco Cala Ranch that the couple owned.

Lonnie Littles has problems of his own in federal court, he and a ranch hand of his, Jesse D. Rice, were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Rice pleaded guilty to those charges last month and is awaiting sentencing.

The Littles have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and are scheduled for trial next month.

The judge gave Bryant-Littles 10 days to respond to the court order, and at that time a hearing will be held and she could be removed from office at that time.

For now Bryant-Littles is “immediately enjoined from engaging in any activity, or exercising any authority, as the County Assessor.”

If Bryant-Littles resignes or is permanetly removed from office, Gov. Jay Nixon will appoint a successor, who would serve out the rest of her term.

Attorney General Files Petition To Have Christian County Assessor Removed From Office:

Attorney General Chris Koster has filed a petition known as a quo warranto to remove Christian County Assessor Sandra Bryant-Littles from her elected position.

Last October Bryant-Littles was arrested at her office after a grand jury returned a sealed indictment alleging that she had committed 4 counts of mail fraud and failed to accurately assess she and her husband's personal property.

Since Christian County Associate Circuit Judge Mark Orr has recused himself from the case the state Supreme Court will have to appoint a special judge to rule on the petition.

The spokeswoman for the AG's office Nanci Gonder says that judge will then decide if Bryant-Littles should immediately be removed from office or if it would be in a determined amount of day-- usually 10 days or less after rulings.

Gonder said Koster decided to proceed with the petition because evidence indicates that Bryant-Littles violated her oath of office to assess all personal property by failing to assess her own.

The attorney general’s petition states that “During an investigation, (Bryant-Littles) admitted she was aware of these inaccuracies and discrepancies and knowingly submitted assessment lists that she knew to be false and incomplete.”

For that reason, the petition reads, the Bryant-Littles’ “violation of her oath of office and known duties results in the ‘automatic forfeiture of (her) office,’” and her “misconduct in the instant case mandates her removal from office.”

Bryant-Littles and her husband, Lonnie Utah Littles, own Poco Cala Ranch in Clever. Lonnie Littles and a ranch hand of the couples, Jesse Rice were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit bank fraud for an allegedly scheme to bilk the Little's insurance company for a bogus cattle theft in February of 2009.

Lonnie Littles is also facing two federal charges of bank fraud.

Jesse Rice pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on February 11, 2010. He is currently awaiting sentencing.

Bryant-Littles and Lonnie Littles pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them in November. Their trials are scheduled for late April.