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 Commission'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.

Trooper Orrin Hawkins, of Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop E, is the DPS Sworn Team Member of the Month for February 2026 for the initiative he displayed and the thoroughness of his investigation into a motor vehicle crash that led to the death of a passenger in the driver’s vehicle.

On June 13, 2025, a 14-year-old was killed when the driver of a vehicle crossed the centerline of Highway 34 in Bollinger County and struck another vehicle head on. The initial scene assessment and data from the vehicle’s event data recorder suggested there was no steering or braking by the driver immediately before the crash. The driver maintained he had to swerve to avoid a vehicle that crossed into his traffic lane. Orrin obtained a search warrant and, working with a forensic technician, was able to locate numerous photos through Snapchat that had been taken by the driver immediately before the crash.

Orrin’s investigation required tremendous time and effort, including linking Snapchat images to timed geolocation coordinates, re-creating photographs of the crash scene to match the views in images on the suspect’s phone and disproving the driver’s claim that the photographs were taken by the passenger. Orrin’s work resulted in the 17-year-old driver being certified as an adult to stand trial for manslaughter and violating provisions of the Siddens Bening Hands Free Law, involving the death of another person.

The charges, which were filed in October, are mere accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Department of Public Safety Budget Director Angie Giddings, who works in the DPS Office of the Director, is the DPS Non-Sworn Team Member of the Month for February 2026 for her tireless and exceptional work developing and monitoring the department's annual budget.

Angie’s jobs is always demanding but since 2025 she’s had to put in many additional hours related to budgeting for the complicated St. Louis tornado debris removal project, adjusting to federal funding changes to allow existing grant program commitments to continue for local grant recipients and planning for a potentially changing budget landscape.

While balancing the additional projects and obstacles, Angie has been a mentor to the DPS Division Directors and budget team members as well as the budget directors for other departments. Her vast experience in the state budget affords DPS the luxury of having what is essentially an on-staff state budget expert. Her leadership and mentorship have grown the entire organization's capabilities.

Sergeant Robbie Sterner and Investigator Stephen Murphy, of the Division of Fire Safety, are the DPS Sworn Team Members of the Month for January 2026 for their tireless work on a criminal investigation, which resulted in four arrests in connection with a large fire in Puxico, Mo.

On Feb. 8, 2025, a fire destroyed four commercial buildings and damaged two more properties in the southeast Missouri town of Puxico. Robbie and Stephen collaborated with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to identify a suspect and then followed numerous leads that led to an alleged criminal conspiracy that would ensnare two building owners and a local fire department leader.

Robbie and Stephen conducted interviews, executed search warrants, seized evidence and obtained surveillance video as they worked alongside federal investigators to build the case over months. Their careful investigative work showed the division’s commitment to solving a devastating crime in a small community that had lost much of its commercial base.

The charges, which were filed in October, are mere accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Latisha Koetting, a Volunteer Services Coordinator with the Missouri Veterans Commission, is the DPS Non-Sworn Team Member of the Month for January 2026 for her exceptional efforts to support and improve the lives of veterans at the Warrensburg Veterans Home, where she has worked since August 2013.

Latisha makes it a point to get to know the names, histories and needs of every veteran who walks through the doors of the Warrensburg home. She’s also established strong connections throughout the veterans service community and utilizes these relationships to provide the best services possible for the home’s veterans.

What sets Latisha apart is her enthusiasm and all-in efforts to reach out and attract volunteers, in-kind contributions and raise funds for live music, Christmas gifts, special events, celebrations and other events to boost the spirits of the home’s veterans. Over the years, she has become an expert at organizing golf tournaments, 5K and 10K runs and other special fundraising events.

Latisha’s efforts also increase staff morale and set an outstanding example of public service for everyone who works in the Warrensburg home!