DPS Team Members of the Month
March Sworn Team Member of the Month
James Musche
Narcotics Investigator
Missouri State Highway Patrol
March Non-Sworn Team Members of the Month
Cheryl Alonzo
Assistant Director, Compliance
Heather Berhorst
Table Games, Training, and IC Manager
Seth Brown
Sports Wagering Manager
Nikki Evans
General Counsel
Leshia Kempker
Compliance Audit Manager
Missouri Gaming Commission
Master Sergeant James Musche, a narcotics investigator with the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control, is the DPS Sworn Team Member of the Month for March 2026. Beginning in 2019, James led a five-year investigation into an illegal international gambling operation that resulted in plea agreements with four defendants who forfeited over $12 million.
At the request of the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, James went undercover and began playing at a poker club in Springfield and determined activity there violated Missouri law. James went further and obtained bank records and evidence documenting millions of dollars in deposits and withdrawals related to PPPoker, an online, mobile poker operation based in mainland China.
James worked tirelessly with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri on what became a federal investigation, tracking the illegal enterprise. Four North Americans received target letters. James’ investigation led to a federal asset forfeiture of about $12.5 million, half of which will go to the Highway Patrol – an unprecedented amount for the Patrol.
The Department of Public Safety has named the Missouri Gaming Division’s five lead team members who developed Missouri’s regulatory framework that enabled legal sports wagering to take place in Missouri as the DPS Non-Sworn Team Member of the Month for March 2026. The team members are Assistant Director, Compliance Cheryl Alonzo; Table Games, Training and IC Manager Heather Berhorst; Sports Wagering Manager Seth Brown; General Counsel Nikki Evans; and Compliance Audit Manager Leshia Kempker.
Cheryl, Heather, Seth, Nikki and Leshia spent countless hours in what was dubbed the “war room,” strategizing to solve complex regulatory issues that required not only technical expertise but meticulous attention to detail and teamwork. They faced a Dec. 1, 2025 deadline that could not be missed and there was no margin of error in this unprecedented task for the state. They undertook an exhaustive review of sports wagering regulations across the country, avoided pitfalls and thoughtfully accounted for Missouri’s unique legal and consumer-protection needs.
They did all this while continuing to fulfill their normal full-time jobs. In the end, this committed team accomplished everything that was asked of them with excellence, positioning Missouri for long-term success and setting a standard for regulatory excellence.
Congratulations to all the Team Members of the Month! You have set an outstanding example for your co-workers throughout the Department of Public Safety.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety. Many Missions. One Team.