Money laundering scheme leads to 20-year prison sentence

A Platte County woman has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder more than $200,000 in illegal drug money.

Law school graduate Mendy Read-Forbes, 40, of Platte City, operated a non-profit business that provided educational and other social services.

According to federal prosecutors, Read-Forbes met with a federal agent who she believed was a drug dealer and agreed to launder drug money through her business.

Long-time Kansas City attorney Ronald Partee, a co-defendant in the case, was sentenced to five years in prison. A third defendant awaits sentencing.

Tony Rizzo, trizzo@kcstar.com

This story was originally published April 24, 2015 at 12:45 PM with the headline "Money laundering scheme leads to 20-year prison sentence."