An Arkansas man faces serious charges after a spree of burglaries targeting rural schools and businesses across Missouri and Iowa. Curtis Lee Barton, 40, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in St. Louis on several counts, including one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and three counts of interstate transportation of stolen property. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced the indictment which outlines Barton's alleged criminal activities spanning from May 2023 through April 2025.
According to the indictment, Barton and an unnamed accomplice worked together to illegally acquire at least $50,000, often pilfering from funds meant to benefit children facing poverty and programs like the Special Olympics. The allegations suggest that Barton meticulously researched his targets and the local law enforcement ahead of time in an effort to not only avoid detection but to also swiftly transport the stolen property across state lines. Examples of the theft include a burglary on February 25, at a Lewistown school, where approximately $5,752 was stolen, and another on April 22, at a Brookfield school, leading to a loss of about $13,000.
The indictment details multiple instances of the defendant’s alleged thefts, also highlighting an April 26, burglary at a school in Shelbyville, where $4,000 was taken, and on the same day, a theft of $1,000 from a safe at an Adair County school. These incidents paint a two-year-long tableau of serial thefts across educational institutions and businesses alike.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is set to prosecute the case, which will continue to develop as it proceeds through the court system.
