Former official in tiny KC-area village arrested, accused of filing false voter document
A former elected official in a Jackson County village who had ties to the developer of a planned marijuana-based entertainment district has been indicted and arrested on state felony charges of allegedly providing false voter documentation.
Jessica Caswell, who up until last month served as a board member for the Village of River Bend in northern Jackson County, was arrested by Gladstone police on Friday and booked in the Clay County Detention Center, a spokesperson for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said. She posted bond shortly after she was booked and was released.
Caswell’s arrest comes on the heels of an investigation by The Star in October that detailed a series of connections between members of the River Bend governing board and Jack Mitchell, the developer of the entertainment district. The Star’s report detailed how every member of the village board, called a board of trustees, was connected either professionally or familiarly to Mitchell.
Village business owners sounded the alarm about the legitimacy of the board, how they became members and questioned whether some of the members had lived there long enough to be on the board. River Bend has fostered a loose, business-friendly culture over the years, but was largely unknown by many in the Kansas City metro.
A Jackson County grand jury indicted Caswell on Dec. 15 on a count of willfully providing false voter documentation and a count of filing false documents. The indictment alleges Caswell signed false documentation stating that she met the statutory qualifications of a candidate, even though she did not meet the residency requirement.
The specific office is redacted from a copy of the indictment available online, but Caswell appeared on the November ballot as a candidate for the River Bend board.
Caswell made an initial appearance in Jackson County Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon. Standing before Judge Jerri Zhang without an attorney, Caswell largely stood silent except to ask whether the conditions of her bond affect her ability to live in River Bend. Two of her bond conditions include staying at least 100 feet away from River Bend city hall and confidential city documents. Zhang advised Caswell to consult an attorney.
Zhang set an arraignment for Feb. 5. The judge also referred to a co-defendant, but public court records don’t appear to show anyone else indicted or charged in connection with River Bend.
Caswell declined to comment to The Star after the hearing.
Caswell, who worked for one of Mitchell’s companies according to posts on her social media page, had previously submitted documents to the Jackson County Election Board showing her residence along a highway that slices through River Bend. A village stakeholder previously told The Star this property housed two trailers.
The small village held a special election in November to elect new board members. After a four-way tie for two of the spots on the five-member board, the village held a tiebreaker and Caswell lost, according to an announcement on the village website.
Amy Howse, the village clerk, and Alex Hill, who was chair of the board as of October, did not immediately return calls for comment.
Mitchell, who withdrew his development plans in September, declined comment when texted by a reporter and a call to the village’s main number went to voicemail.
The Star’s Glenn Rice contributed reporting
