Platte City woman pleads guilty to conspiring to launder drug money

A law school graduate and owner of a nonprofit business pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to launder illegal drug money.

Mendy Read-Forbes, 39, of Platte City, was charged along with a prominent Kansas City criminal defense lawyer and another Platte City woman.

According to federal prosecutors, Read-Forbes met with a federal agent who she believed was a drug dealer and agreed to help him launder proceeds from the sale of marijuana through her company, Forbes & Newhard Credit Solutions Inc.

A total of more than $200,000 was laundered during the investigation that began in 2012. Read-Forbes also sought to invest $40,000 of her own money to buy marijuana, prosecutors said.

Her sentencing is scheduled for July 22, and attorneys have agreed to recommend a prison sentence of no less than seven years and no more than 15 years.

Co-defendant Ronald Partee has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the case. The other defendant, Laura Shoop, has not been sentenced.

This story was originally published April 21, 2014 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Platte City woman pleads guilty to conspiring to launder drug money."