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Paintball Scammer Is Ineligible to Run for Missouri Office, Lawsuit Claims

Published

1 year ago

April 25, 2024

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A race for the Missouri House of Representatives is now splattered in controversy as one candidate in St. Charles County is accusing the other of having operated a “paintball gun trading scam” — one that he claims resulted in seven felonies against him.

Missouri law prohibits people running for office if they have “been found guilty of or pled guilty to a felony.”

The lawsuit filed Monday by Max Calfo asks a judge to find Michael Costlow ineligible both to run for statewide office and to hold his current position in local government because of the past felony charges against him.

Costlow is currently an alderman in Dardenne Prairie. Calfo is a former substitute teacher for the Wentzville and Fort Zumwalt districts and also used to work for Trump-loving Representative Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Both men hope to win the August Republican primary and be elected to represent District 108 in the Missouri statehouse come this November.

Calfo argues in his lawsuit that Costlow is ineligible for office under state law due to what happened a decade ago in Georgia. Costlow disagrees with the assertion, though he won’t get into specifics.

“I am confident that I am eligible to hold my current position and a state position,” he says.

He says the suit is a distraction and, “knowing what Max’s reputation is, this isn’t surprising.” He adds that he can’t comment on the allegations in the suit more specifically than that, given that the matter is currently under litigation.

Calfo writes that a clerk at the Superior Court of Lowndes County confirmed “the existence of” a criminal case record against Costlow from 2007. However, when the RFT called that same county office, we were told they have no record of any conviction. It’s unclear if any felony Costlow may have received 15 years ago could have been suspended upon him serving his sentence, or, if there was a conviction, if it has since been expunged — much less how either scenario could play out under Missouri law.

The specifics of Costlow’s alleged misdeeds is unclear, though Calfo refers to them as “a crime spree” in his legal filings and says his opponent “stole thousands of dollars worth of property from children and adults.”

According to the lawsuit, Costlow previously operated under the online pseudonyms Spydrplus, I Pwn Joo 382 and Mike Lane. It appears from posts made to a paintball enthusiast message board that people shipped their paintball guns to addresses associated with those user names under false pretenses. Multiple people posted to the message board around 2006 claiming to have been ripped off.

“I and another guy got ripped off by I Pwn Joo. the guy said his name was MIKE LANE,” wrote lilbill303 in October 2016. “if you know this guy tell him he can either send our guns back or get the sheriff dept. after him.”

A person using the name 2Pac replied three minutes later: “F the sheriffs i will go down from Chicago and pay him a visit and then take my gun back. this guy got me too. I will stop at nothing until I get my stuff back. Mike lane just messed with the wrong Mexican! If you know tell this person 2pac wants his stuff back.”

Calfo’s lawsuit references a post made to that message board by a person claiming to have fallen victim to Costlow’s scheme who says that they got a letter from the Lowndes County district attorney informing them that Costlow had been indicted with seven felonies of theft by deception.

However, Calfo’s lawsuit doesn’t explicitly say that Costlow pled or was found guilty of the crimes. The outcome of the case will likely be a matter of contention as the suit, which Calfo has asked to be expedited, makes its way through the courts.

Calfo does reference a message board post which he claims was made by Costlow in which Costlow offers his apologies to the paintball community and says he “will plead guilty.” However, it is unclear from the material in Calfo’s lawsuit if that actually occurred.

“There is a FOIA request pending with Lowndes County state court in Georgia that should be providing further documentation before the end of this week,” Calfo tells the RFT via text.

If Costlow was convicted, and failed to disclose it, he could be in trouble. Former Maplewood Councilwoman Shana Jones was recently charged with a felony for failing to disclose her past felony convictions when she filed to run for office, as the Post-Dispatch reported.

For Costello’s part, he says his campaign is all about “returning civility to politics,” adding that this effort to remove him from the ballot “does nothing to help the state. It just makes headlines… People in St. Charles County really want to see their politicians work for them. Not just screaming at one another.”

On his campaign website, Calfo also previously attacked the incumbent state representative for the district, Justin Hicks. He claimed that Hicks exaggerated his military record and as a teenager had an order of protection taken out against him, allegations picked up by the Post-Dispatch. Last month, Hicks announced his bid to be the U.S. representative for Missouri’s Third Congressional District, replacing the retiring Blaine Luetkemeyer.
We welcome tips and feedback. Email the author at [email protected] or follow on Twitter at @RyanWKrull. Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed

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Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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A warrant is out for a Fenton man’s arrest after he allegedly attacked his roommate with a sword.

Police say that on Sunday, Angelus Scott spoke openly about “slicing his roommate’s head” before he grabbed a sword, raised it up and then swung it down at the roommate.

The roommate grabbed Scott’s hand in time to prevent injury. When police arrived at the scene, they found the weapon used in the assault.

The sword in question was a katana, which is a Japanese sword recognizable for its curved blade.

This isn’t the first time a samurai-style sword has been used to violent effect in St. Louis. In 2018, a man hearing voices slaughtered his ex-boyfriend with a samurai sword. His mother said he suffered from schizoaffective disorder.

As for Scott, 35, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was charged yesterday with two felonies, assault first degree and armed criminal action. The warrant for his arrest says he is to be held on $200,000 bond.

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Caught on Video, Sheriff Says He’s Ready to ‘Turn It All Over’ to Deputy

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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Video of St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts taken by a former deputy suggests that the sheriff has a successor in mind to hand the reins of the department over to, even as Betts is in an increasingly heated campaign for reelection.

“I ain’t here for all this rigmarole,” Betts says in the video while seated behind his desk at the Carnahan Courthouse. “The Lord sent me here to turn this department around and I’m doing the best I can and I think I’ve done a good job. I’ve got about eight months and I’m going to qualify for my fourth pension.”

He goes on, “Right now I can walk up out of here and live happily ever after and forget about all this…and live like a king.”

The sheriff then says his wife has been in Atlanta looking at houses and that the other deputy in the room, Donald Hawkins, is someone Betts has been training “to turn it all over to him.”

Asked about the video, Betts tells the RFT, “My future plans are to win reelection on August 6th by a wide margin and to continue my mission as the top elected law enforcement official to make St. Louis safer and stronger. Serving the people of St. Louis with integrity, honor and professional law enforcement qualifications is a sacred responsibility, and I intend to complete that mission.”

The video of Betts was taken by Barbara Chavers, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2016 after 24 years of service. Chavers now works security at Schnucks at Grand and Gravois. Betts’ brother Howard works security there, too.

Chavers tells the RFT that she was summoned to Betts’ office last week after Betts’ brother made the sheriff aware that she was supporting Montgomery. It was no secret: Chavers had filmed a Facebook live video in which she said she was supporting Betts’ opponent Alfred Montgomery in the election this fall. “Make the judges safe,” she says in the video, standing in front of a large Montgomery sign on Gravois Avenue. “They need a sheriff who is going to make their courtrooms safe.”

In his office, even as Chavers made clear she was filming him, Betts told Chavers he was “flabbergasted” and “stunned” she was supporting Montgomery.

“I don’t know what I did that would make you go against the preacher man,” he says, referring to himself. He then refers to Montgomery as “ungodly.”

Betts goes on to say that not long ago, he was walking in his neighborhood on St. Louis Avenue near 20th Street when suddenly Montgomery pulled up in his car and, according to Betts, shouted, “You motherfucker, you this, you that. You’re taking my signs down.”

Montgomery tells the RFT that he’s never interacted with Betts outside of candidate forums and neighborhood meetings.

“I don’t think anyone with good sense would do something like that to a sitting sheriff,” Montgomery says.

Montgomery has had campaign signs missing and on at least two occasions has obtained video of people tearing them down. (Chavers notes that the sign that she filmed her original Facebook video in front of is itself now missing.)

One man who lives near Columbus Square says that he recently put out two Montgomery signs, which later went missing. “If they keep taking them, I’ll keep putting them up,” he said.

Betts says he has nothing to do with the missing signs. In the video Chavers filmed in Betts’ office, Betts says that his campaign isn’t in a spot where it needs to resort to tearing down opponents’ signs.

“If you sit here long enough, a man is getting ready to come across the street from City Hall bringing me $500, today,” Betts says. “I’m getting that kind of support. I don’t need to tear down signs.”

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St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

Published

1 year ago

May 21, 2024

Natural Bridge

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The City of St. Louis is working to develop its first citywide mobility plan in decades, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office announced Tuesday. This plan seeks to make it easier for everyone — drivers, pedestrians, bikers and public transit users — to safely commute within the city.

The plan will bring together other city projects like the Brickline Greenway, Future64, the MetroLink Green Line, and more, “while establishing new priorities for a safer, more efficient and better-maintained transportation network across the City,” according to the release.

The key elements in the plan will be public engagement, the development of a safety action plan, future infrastructure priorities and transportation network mapping, according to Jones’ office.

The overarching goals are to create a vision for citywide mobility, plan a mixture of short and long-term mobility projects and to develop improved communication tools with the public to receive transportation updates. In recent years, both people who use public transit and cyclists have been outspoken about the difficulties — and dangers — of navigating St. Louis streets, citing both cuts to public transit and traffic violence.

To garner public input and participation for the plan, Jones’ office said there will be community meetings, focus groups and a survey for residents to share their concerns. The city will also be establishing a Community Advisory Committee. Those interested in learning more should check out at tmp-stl.com/

“Everyone deserves to feel safe when getting around St. Louis, whether they’re driving, biking, walking or taking public transit,” Jones said in a news release. “Creating a comprehensive transportation and mobility plan allows us to make intentional and strategic investments so that moving around St. Louis for jobs, education, and entertainment becomes easier, safer and more enjoyable.”

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