A federal grand jury in St. Louis has indicted Curtis Lee Barton, 40, of Arkansas on charges related to a series of burglaries at schools and businesses across Missouri and Iowa. The indictment alleges that Barton, along with a co-conspirator, stole more than $50,000 from May 2023 through April 2025.
According to court documents, some of the stolen funds were intended for programs supporting impoverished children and the Special Olympics. Specific incidents cited in the indictment include the theft of about $5,752 from a Lewistown school on February 25, 2025; approximately $13,000 from a Brookfield school on April 22, 2025; and $4,000 from a Shelbyville school on April 26, 2025. That same day, roughly $1,000 was taken from a safe in an Adair County school.
The indictment further states that Barton conducted research on both potential targets and local law enforcement agencies prior to committing the burglaries. It is alleged he broke into the schools during nighttime hours to avoid detection.
The FBI and Wapello County (Iowa) Sheriff’s Office led the investigation into these incidents. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
“Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
