A Third Continuance in United States v. Mohr, Granted Only in Part, as Government Confirms Investigation Remains Active
Judge only agrees to half the extension time requested by counsel for former LCMS District President Michael Mohr; case resets to August 5, 2026.
Case: United States v. Mohr
Number: 4:26-cr-00074-MTS-PLC (E.D. Mo., Eastern Division)
District Judge: Matthew T. Schelp
Magistrate Judge: Patricia L. Cohen
Filings: Doc. 29 (Motion, filed July 6, 2026) and Doc. 30 (Order, filed July 7, 2026)
July 6, 2026, was the deadline for the already rescheduled pretrial motions deadline for defendant Michael Mohr, but his counsel filed a third motion the same day requesting additional time to file pretrial motions. The following day, Magistrate Judge Patricia L. Cohen granted the motion in part, allowing a 30-day extension rather than the requested 60 days.
Represented again by attorney John C. Schleiffarth of Clayton, Missouri, defendant Mohr asked for an extension because the discovery process is incomplete due to an “extended investigation process” by case agents. Counsel for the government confirmed it continues to investigate.
The Order
Magistrate Judge Cohen’s order adopts the familiar ends-of-justice reasoning, finding that denial of additional time would deprive defense counsel of the reasonable time necessary for effective investigation and preparation under 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(B)(iv), and that the ends of justice outweigh the public’s and the defendant’s interest in a speedy trial under § 3161(h)(7)(A), with the resulting interval excluded from speedy-trial computation. The dispositive language, nevertheless, is the phrase “GRANTED IN PART.” The new deadline for pretrial motions or a waiver is August 5, 2026, and the government has until August 19, 2026, to respond.
The July filings corroborate, from the government’s side of the aisle, the inference this publication drew from the May record that there is a possibility of a superseding indictment that would enlarge the case beyond the two counts of production of child pornography returned on February 11. Nevertheless, the August 5 deadline does not rule out a fourth application for an extension.
Background
Michael William Mohr, 54, formerly the president of the Central Illinois District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, a regent of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, as the representative of the Council of Presidents, and an associate pastor, was arrested on January 28, 2026, and has been detained since waiving his detention hearing on January 29. A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment on February 11, 2026, charging the production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251, together with a forfeiture allegation, and the matter is assigned to District Judge Matthew T. Schelp and referred to Magistrate Judge Cohen. On February 9, 2026, the Synod's president, the Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, suspended Mohr from the clergy roster; Mohr then resigned, an act that mooted any appeal of the suspension via applicable LCMS bylaws and removed him from the roster and from every office he held within Synod and district, including the district presidency, his Concordia Seminary regency, and his associate pastorate.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Rev. Michael Mohr; Government Files Discovery Letter Revealing Wider Scope of Evidence
A federal grand jury has indicted Rev. Michael William Mohr, the former president of the Central Illinois District of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod (LCMS), on charges related to the production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251.
A criminal indictment is a formal accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Michael Mohr is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This report is drawn from the public docket in United States v. Mohr, No. 4:26-cr-00074-MTS-PLC, specifically Documents 29 and 30, and from the public charging materials and announcements previously referenced by this publication.
