Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that three Nixa, Mo., residents, a Springfield, Mo., resident and a Mexican national were indicted by a federal grand jury today for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, which resulted in the murder of a Mexican national, Oscar Adan Martinez-Gaxiola.

Brooke Danielle Beckley, 19, Nathiel Austin Lee, 18, and Jourdan Ashley McGinnis, 27, all of Nixa,  Anthony Edward Donovan, 19, of Springfield, and Yovanny Aroldo Mendivil-Balderrama, 22, a citizen of Mexico, were charged in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. These defendants were originally charged by Webster County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Berkstresser; those state charges will be dismissed in lieu of federal prosecution.

Today’s indictment alleges that Beckley, Donovan, Lee, McGinnis and Mendivil-Balderrama participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Dallas County, Webster County and Christian County, Mo., from April 28, 2015, to April 26, 2016.

In addition to the conspiracy, Beckley, Donovan, Lee and Mendivil-Balderrama are charged together with using firearms in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, resulting in the murder of Martinez-Gaxiola on April 25, 2016 in Webster County. A Stoeger .40-caliber pistol, a Glock .40-caliber handgun and a Taurus 9mm handgun allegedly were used during the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

Beckley and McGinnis are also charged together in one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Beckley is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Beckley allegedly was in possession of a Sears Roebuck & Company 20-gauge bolt-action shotgun with a sawed-off barrel and stock and a Phoenix Arms .22-caliber pistol on April 8, 2016, in furtherance of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

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 Timothy A. Garrison. It was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Lawrence County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Seymour, Mo., Police Department, the Rogersville, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Combined Ozarks Multijurisdictional Enforcement Team (COMET).

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at

http://www.justice.gov/wdmo

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@USAO_WDMO

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