Northern District of Iowa

A Cedar Rapids Man who distributed over 1,100 fentanyl pills was sentenced on January 24, 2025, to five years in federal prison.

Deon Hicks, Jr., age 31, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 21, 2024, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.

Information at sentencing showed that on four separate occasions between December 2023 and January 2024, law enforcement officers conducted an undercover operation and purchased over 1,100 fentanyl pills from Hicks. 

Hicks was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court C.J. William.  Hicks was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Hicks is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Task Force and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.  The Johnson County Drug Task Force consists of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-46.

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A man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it was sentenced on January 23, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.

Jordan Taylor, 35, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on April 11, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of pure methamphetamine.  Taylor had been convicted of two prior drug trafficking offenses which made him a career offender.  

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on multiple occasions in August 2023, Taylor distributed methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement.  In September 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a hotel in Fort Dodge where Taylor was staying.  During the execution of the search warrant on the room, law enforcement found Taylor in the bathroom attempting to flush methamphetamine down the toilet.  In the room, law enforcement seized about one pound of pure methamphetamine, along with psilocin mushrooms, pharmaceutical tablets, over $1,100 in cash, and drug distribution paraphernalia.  Further investigation showed Taylor was responsible for the possession and distribution of approximately three pounds of methamphetamine.        

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Taylor was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Taylor remains in U.S. Marshals custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and the Fort Dodge Police Department.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  

The case file number is 23-3041.  

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Paul William Flett, age 44, from Humboldt, Iowa, pled guilty January 23, 2025, to one count to sexual exploitation of a child in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa. 

In a plea agreement, Flett admitted he sent links and images of child pornography to underage girls and asked them to send images and videos of themselves to him.  On June 6, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Flett’s home and in a consensual interview Flett admitted he threw his phone in a closet when law enforcement showed up because he knew they were there for him.  Forensic analysis of Flett’s iPhone 12, computer, and Kik account discovered a total of 16 videos and 60 images of child pornography.  The images and videos contained material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct, as well as prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers.        

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Flett was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Flett faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any imprisonment of 5 years to life.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber-Crime Unit, and Webster County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-03036.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A second man who sexually abused a child pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  John James Dixon, age 41, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of distribution of child pornography. 

At the plea hearing, Dixon admitted that, between September 2023 and May 2024, he knowingly used, persuaded, induced, and enticed a minor under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct.  He also admitted that between September 2023 and May 2024, he knowingly distributed visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  

 Dixon is the second man to plead guilty in this case.  On December 18, 2024, Justin James Paisley, age 35, from Dubuque, Iowa, pled guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography.  At Paisley’s plea hearing, he admitted that between the spring of 2022 and May 2024, he knowingly used, persuaded, induced, and enticed minors under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct.  Paisley also admitted that between August 2023 and May 2024, he knowingly distributed visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set for both Dixon and Paisley after a presentence report is prepared.  Dixon and Paisley remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  They each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 50 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $95,200 in special assessments, and life term of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-1032.

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A man who used his girlfriend to purchase guns for others and himself was sentenced today to 260 months in federal prison.

Levi Allen Doolin, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 26, 2024 guilty plea to three counts of aiding and abetting false statements during the purchase of a firearm.  In September 2023, Doolin aided and abetted his then girlfriend, Jasmin Fox, who was previously sentenced in federal court, when she attempted to and did successfully purchase multiple firearms on behalf of others.  The evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Doolin used one of the firearms purchased by Fox in two different shots fired incidents in Cedar Rapids as well as in a robbery.  The evidence at the hearing also showed that Doolin had previously possessed firearms as a drug user while on high-risk supervision.  In imposing its sentence, and in reflecting on Doolin’s serious criminal history, the sentencing judge noted that Doolin was “out of control.”

Doolin was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Doolin was sentenced to 120 months on two counts and 20 months on the third count, with the sentences to run consecutively for a total of 260 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Doolin is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR- 00026.

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A man who illegally possessed three firearms and several ounces of methamphetamine pled guilty January 21, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.  Felipe Alcaraz, Jr., 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of three counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Alcaraz, Jr. was previously convicted of eluding and possession of controlled substance – third or subsequent offense, which prohibit a person from possessing a firearm. 

At the plea hearing, Alcaraz, Jr. admitted that on a number of occasions he fled law enforcement’s attempts to conduct traffic stops of vehicles he operated, driving at high-speeds and in a reckless manner.  During two traffic stops, law enforcement located Alcaraz, Jr. with firearms and ammunition, and on another occasion, drugs.  One of the firearms seized had been reported stolen and another had an altered serial number.  Alcaraz, Jr. further admitted to his involvement in the possession of at least 350 grams of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to others in the Sioux City area.        

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Alcaraz, Jr. remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  On each of the firearm convictions, Alcaraz, Jr. faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.  On the methamphetamine conviction, Alcaraz, Jr. faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.    

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-4052.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Uriah Jordan Buffalo Chief-Torrez, II of Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty in federal court January 21, 2025, to receipt and possession of child pornography.

At the plea hearing, Buffalo Chief-Torrez pled guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.  In an interview with law enforcement, Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted individuals on several social media platforms had tried to show and sell him child pornography.  Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted that individuals on Telegram would sell him “CP” for $65.  Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted that he viewed 15 or 16 videos of child pornography.  Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted he downloaded child pornography on nine separate occasions and had streamed others on social media.  The images and videos contained material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or the sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant or toddler.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Buffalo Chief-Torrez will remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Buffalo Chief-Torrez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and five years to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-4029.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A man on supervised release was sentenced January 16, 2025, to 16 years in federal prison.

Bob Schonrock, age 54, from Sioux City, received the prison term after pleading guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Schonrock has an extensive criminal history including, aggravated battery, grand theft, possession of controlled substance, eluding and possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) in state court, and possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user and possession of a stolen firearm in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.

Evidence in the case revealed that in November of 2023, Sioux City Police officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Schonrock was operating for an equipment violation. Drug paraphernalia was observed in plain view on the front passenger seat. During a search, a scale with methamphetamine residue was located on Schonrock, and a handgun was found in a tool bag in the back seat of the vehicle.  A magnetic container was also located underneath the vehicle adjacent the driver’s door which contained approximately 10.74 grams of methamphetamine.  

Officers also located a garage Schonrock was known to use. and upon a search found methamphetamine residue on a countertop adjacent to packaging materials and a plastic bag containing methamphetamine with an approximate gross weight of 483 grams.

Schonrock was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court  Judge Leonard T. Strand to 180 months’ imprisonment, consecutive to 12 months imprisonment for the supervised release violation.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Rockwood is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-04081 and 19-04058.

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A man who unlawfully possessed firearms was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.

Yasir Jinnah, age 33, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 13, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

In a plea agreement, Jinnah admitted that on February 13, 2023, March 31, 2023, and April 26, 2024, he knowingly possessed firearms as a felon and as an unlawful user of marijuana.  In May 2012, Jinnah was convicted in Illinois state court of unlawful sale of a firearm, a felony.  As a felon, Jinnah is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

During 2023 and 2024, Jinnah posted photos and videos to social media of himself possessing firearms, shooting firearms, possessing marijuana, and smoking marijuana.

On February 13, 2023, Jinnah’s car was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 80 by a trooper with the Iowa State Patrol.  After a drug dog alerted on the car, the trooper searched the car and found a loaded Glock 9mm pistol in the center console and three loaded 30-round 9mm magazines in a backpack on the rear seat. 

On March 31, 2023, during the execution of a search warrant at Jinnah’s residence in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, officers found in bedroom nightstands two loaded Glock 9mm caliber pistols and four additional fully loaded 9mm magazines.  Officers also found in the bedroom seven additional Glock 9mm magazines along with 137 rounds of 9mm ammunition.  In the kitchen, officers found a loaded Beretta .40 caliber pistol and three additional loaded .40 caliber magazines. 

On April 26, 2024, during the execution of a search warrant at Jinnah’s residence in Marion, Iowa, officers found in a bedroom a loaded Glock 9mm caliber pistol and an additional magazine containing 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber pistol and an additional magazine containing 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition.  Officers also found a bag with five additional magazines containing 109 rounds of 9mm ammunition.  In a hallway closet, officers found a Maverick Arms 12-gauge shotgun along with 10 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition.  

Jinnah was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Jinnah was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Jinnah is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-30.

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A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area was sentenced January 17, 2025, to 126 months in federal prison.

Carolyn Michaels (Woodman), 60, recently from Ankeny, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 19, 2024, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine in a protected zone. 

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Michaels was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 50 kilograms of methamphetamine in 2023/2024.  Additional evidence showed Michaels distributed a total of six ounces of methamphetamine over three transactions to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  During a search warrant at Michaels’ residence, law enforcement seized drug use/trafficking paraphernalia, including: several cellular telephones, a scale, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine.  Michaels admitted to obtaining pound quantities of methamphetamine from sources in Fort Dodge and re-distributing it in ounce to ¼ pound quantities to several persons in Fort Dodge area.     

Michaels was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Michaels was sentenced to 126 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Michaels is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DCI Laboratory, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Webster County Attorney’s Office.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-3012.  

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A Cedar Rapids man who distributed more than 900 fentanyl pills was sentenced January 15, 2025, to more than five years in federal prison.   

Brogan Eugene McCartney, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 29, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of distribution of a controlled substance, and three counts of use of a communication facility to commit a felony drug offense.  

Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, between January 2023 and the beginning of March 2023, McCartney obtained at least 900 pills containing fentanyl from a source of supply.  McCartney distributed some or all those pills to other individuals.  On March 4, 2023, emergency personnel responded to McCartney’s residence in Cedar Rapids, where they found a female deceased in McCartney’s bed from a fentanyl‑related overdose.  McCartney continued to distribute fentanyl pills. 

On August 7, 2023, law enforcement officers used an undercover officer to purchase 18 fentanyl pills from McCartney.  During the August 7 purchase, McCartney told the undercover officer that he had a firearm on him, and McCartney then lifted up his shirt and flashed the handle of what appeared to be a firearm.  Officers later learned that it was actually a BB gun.  On August 23, 2023, the undercover officer ordered more fentanyl pills from McCartney.  When the officer arrived at McCartney’s residence, McCartney and McCartney’s friend entered the officer’s vehicle, where McCartney’s friend distributed 16 fentanyl pills to the officer.  On September 6, 2023, McCartney posted a video on social media of himself with a firearm containing an extended magazine.  That same day, the undercover officer ordered more fentanyl pills from McCartney.  When the officer arrived at McCartney’s residence, McCartney and McCartney’s friend entered the officer’s vehicle.  During the purchase, McCartney offered to purchase a firearm for the officer if the officer paid McCartney $100.  McCartney’s friend eventually distributed 30 fentanyl pills to the officer. 

McCartney was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  McCartney was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison sentence.  There is no parole in the federal system.

McCartney is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.  

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.    

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24‑CR‑00057‑CJW.

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DES MOINES, Iowa – Two Iowa healthcare practitioners have entered into civil settlements to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of false or fraudulent claims to Medicare as part of a telemedicine scheme.

Nurse practitioner Cori Lempiainen has agreed to pay $150,000 to the United States to resolve allegations that between October 4, 2021 and November 11, 2022 she billed Medicare for over 650 claims for office visits and medical discussions she did not provide, and signed over 2,700 orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, such as orthotic braces.

Paul Baumert, M.D., has agreed to pay $14,325.96 to the United States to resolve allegations that between May 16, 2022 and August 26, 2022 he billed Medicare for over 200 claims for office visits and medical discussions that he did not provide, and signed over 180 orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, such as orthotic braces.

Both practitioners participated in a telemedicine scheme in which they placed orders for braces based on listening to recorded cold calls to Medicare beneficiaries asking about common aches and pains. Neither Lempiainen nor Baumert had any contact with the Medicare beneficiaries for whom they signed orders or submitted claims, and beneficiaries complained of receiving braces they did not want or use.

“Telemedicine schemes like these rely on the willing participation of healthcare providers to defraud the Medicare program by signing orders for expensive and unnecessary medical braces and other equipment,” said Richard D. Westphal, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. “Our office will continue to aggressively pursue healthcare fraud in all forms.”

The cases were investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy C. Licht of the Southern District of Iowa and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Keogh of the Northern District of Iowa.

Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800-447-8477).

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Links to the settlement agreements are available below.

Baumert Final Settlement

Lempiainen Final Settlement 

An eleven‑time felon who fired a pistol during an argument was convicted by a jury on January 15, 2025, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Kenneth Moore, age 50, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.  The verdict was returned following less than three hours of jury deliberations.  

The evidence at trial showed that on August 4, 2023, around 4:00 a.m., Moore got into an argument with an individual on the porch of a residence in Dubuque.  During the argument, two individuals attempted to push Moore away from the argument and de‑escalate the situation.  As they were pushing Moore away, Moore fired a pistol towards the residence.  The bullet nearly hit two people, went through the front wall of the residence, and lodged in the back living room wall.  Moore then fled the scene.  Twelve days later, on August 16, 2023, officers arrested Moore and searched the car he was driving, where they recovered the pistol Moore fired on August 4.  Moore was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of eleven felony convictions. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Moore remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Moore faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.  

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Dubuque Police Department. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24‑CR‑01009‑CJW.

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A man who possessed and sold fentanyl pills was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.

Anthony Frank Ernst, age 39, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 9, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, in April 2023, Ernst distributed pills that contained fentanyl to an individual who, in turn, distributed pills to another person.  That person took the pills, which caused the person to suffer an overdose.  A few days later, officers stopped a car that Ernst was a passenger in.  Ernst was in possession of more than 240 fentanyl pills.  On June 7, 2023, Ernst sold marijuana and fentanyl to a confidential informant who was working with law enforcement, and, in the early morning on June 9, 2023, officers again stopped a car that Ernst was a passenger in.  Ernst was in possession of controlled substances, including fentanyl.  

Ernst was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Ernst was sentenced to 94 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Ernst is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was also investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Lacrosse, Wisconsin, Drug Task Force, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-CR-1019.

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An Iowa emergency room doctor and medical resident, who violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) by viewing the medical records of multiple women who were not his patients, was sentenced today to a month in jail.  Dr. Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Roman, age 31, from Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, received the term of incarceration after a June 28, 2024, guilty plea to one count of wrongfully obtaining individually identifiable health information relating to an individual under false pretenses.

At his plea and sentencing hearings, Dr. Hernandez-Roman admitted that, between 2020 and 2022, he knowingly and without authorization obtained the protected health information of multiple women at hospitals in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.  Dr. Hernandez-Roman was working as a resident doctor in Iowa emergency rooms at the time, including at “Hospital-1” in Cedar Rapids and “Hospital-2” in Iowa City.

In January 2022, Dr. Hernandez-Roman viewed the medical records of “K.F.” at Hospital-1 in Cedar Rapids without her knowledge or consent.  K.F. was never Dr. Hernandez Roman’s patient and was not a patient in Hospital-1’s emergency department at the time.  When K.F. discovered what Dr. Hernandez-Roman had done, Dr. Hernandez-Roman asked K.F. to tell Hospital-1, falsely, that K.F. had given Dr. Hernandez-Roman permission to look at her medical records.

Dr. Hernandez Roman also admitted to accessing K.F.’s medical records at Hospital-2 in March 2021, as well as the medical records of “M.C.” at Hospital-2 in October 2020.  After receiving an anonymous complaint about Dr. Hernandez-Roman being romantically involved with patients, accessing their medical records, and threatening them, Hospital-2 discovered that Dr. Hernandez-Roman had illegally accessed K.F. and M.C.’s records.  The records included M.C.’s health records when she was a minor and her adult psychological records.

Dr. Hernandez Roman also admitted that, in January 2022, he sent a photograph of one of Hospital-1’s patients in Cedar Rapids to another individual via SnapChat.  The photograph showed the patient in a hospital setting, wearing a gown, with the patient’s rectum clearly hanging out of the body.  Dr. Hernandez Roman had no legitimate medical purpose for taking this photograph or, further, for sending it via SnapChat to the individual.

Finally, Dr. Hernandez Roman admitted that, in June 2023, he mailed a letter to the Iowa Board of Medicine in which he admitted accessing the confidential medical records of K.F. and M.C. and also to sharing the photograph of the prolapsed rectum.  In his plea agreement, Dr. Hernandez Roman admitted he falsely wrote in the letter that he had sent the photograph of the prolapsed rectum to his mother to remind her of the importance of fiber intake.

Dr. Hernandez-Roman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Dr. Hernandez Roman was sentenced to a month of imprisonment and fined $1,000.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Dr. Hernandez-Roman is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-34.

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A Mexican man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.

Julio Parra-Moralez, age 41, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 15, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry following a conviction for a felony offense and one count of possession of a firearm by an alien.

In a plea agreement, Parra-Moralez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Parra-Moralez was deported in September 2010.  Parra-Moralez had previously been convicted in September 2002 of forgery, a felony.  On February 18, 2024, immigration officials learned Parra-Moralez had illegally returned to the United States and found Parra-Moralez at the Black Hawk County Jail following his arrest on state charges.  On April 1, 2024, Parra-Moralez was convicted in state court of possession of methamphetamine, third offense, and sentenced to five years on probation.

Parra-Moralez also admitted that he unlawfully possessed a firearm in April 2023 while being illegally present in the United States.  On April 10, 2023, Parra-Moralez’s vehicle was stopped by a sheriff’s deputy on I-380 in Black Hawk County, Iowa.  During the traffic stop, the deputy found a Smith & Wesson 38 Special with an obliterated serial number on the rear passenger floorboard.  The firearm was later analyzed, and Parra-Moralez’s DNA was found on the firearm. 

Parra-Moralez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Parra-Moralez was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Parra-Moralez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-2020.

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A man who used a fraudulent social security card was sentenced today to more than five months in federal prison.

Valentin Munoz-Lopez, age 35, a citizen of Mexico residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2024, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document and one count of misuse of a social security number.

At the guilty plea, Munoz-Lopez admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card bearing an alias name to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in February 2024 at a business in Lime Springs, Iowa.  The number on the Social Security card was assigned to the person whose name was on the Social Security card.  Social Security cards are documents prescribed by statute or regulation for entry into or as evidence of authorized stay or employment in the United States.  As an alien unlawfully in the United States, Munoz-Lopez was not authorized to work in the United States.  Munoz-Lopez also used the fraudulent Social Security card when he applied for work at businesses in Limes Springs and Cresco, Iowa, in June 2020, January 2022, April 2022, and May 2022.

Munoz-Lopez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Munoz-Lopez was sentenced to 161 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Munoz-Lopez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transferred to immigration officials.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-2034.

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A man who possessed drugs and a gun was sentenced today to 19 years in federal prison.

Dylan VanScoyoc, age 29, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 30, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance after a prior conviction for a felony drug offense, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, on September 22, 2023, an officer stopped a vehicle that VanScoyoc had been driving.  VanScoyoc got out of the vehicle and ran from the officer on foot before he was ultimately taken into custody.  In the vehicle, officers located a designer purse that contained a loaded firearm, a digital scale, and multiple baggies containing more than 140 grams of cocaine.

VanScoyoc was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  VanScoyoc was sentenced to 228 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

VanScoyoc is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Dubuque Police Department, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-1013.

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A Minnesota woman who defrauded a nail salon owner out of more than $100,000 and then engaged in “bill stuffing” at an Iowa casino to conceal the fraud proceeds was sentenced on January 10, 2025, to ten years in federal prison.  Mary Kate Nguyen, age 37, from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, originally from Vietnam, received the prison term after an April 23, 2023, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud and one count of contempt of court.

In her plea and sentencing hearings, Nguyen admitted that in 2016 she told the owner of a Minnesota nail salon that she operated a loan brokering business known as “My Second Chance Financing, Ltd.” Nguyen told the victim she could help build the victim’s credit by obtaining and then paying off loans for her.  The victim provided various means of identification to Nguyen, who used the victim’s identity to obtain over $90,000 in loans at four different financial institutions.  Nguyen also instructed the victim to make a series of wires with the loan proceeds to Iowa, purportedly to expedite the loan repayment process.  Instead of paying off the loans in full, however, Nguyen used loan proceeds for her own benefit.

Between December 2016, and February 2017, Nguyen and others acting at her direction engaged in “bill stuffing” at a casino in Northwood, Iowa.  “Bill stuffing” is the practice of creating slot machine tickets by inserting currency and then cashing out those tickets at a casino in order to create a paper trail.  By “bill stuffing,” Nguyen concealed the illegal source of the funds she had obtained.

A grand jury indicted Nguyen in late 2021, and a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Minnesota released Nguyen pending trial.  While on pretrial release in Minnesota, Nguyen used methamphetamine and eventually absconded from supervision.  In September 2022, the United States Marshal’s Service arrested Nguyen in Minnesota.

While on pretrial release in Minnesota, and later in a jail in Orange City, Iowa, Nguyen attempted to perpetrate a serious of financial frauds in Minnesota and North Dakota.  Among other things, Nguyen repeatedly provided false and fraudulent bank statements and other financial documents to banks in attempts to obtain loans to purchase commercial and residential properties.  In September 2022, Nguyen submitted the winning bid of $1.3 million to purchase the former federal courthouse in Bemidji, Minnesota.  Nguyen also obstructed justice by threating to “hang” investigators.

Nguyen has an extensive criminal history in Minnesota.  Nguyen’s prior convictions include four convictions for theft by swindle and three convictions for driving while impaired, as well as convictions for theft by check, giving a peace officer a false name, and drug possession.

Nguyen was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Nguyen was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and fined $20,000.  She was ordered to make $131,175 in restitution to her victim.  She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

In sentencing Nguyen, Judge Strand stated that Nguyen’s conduct while on pretrial release and in jail was “incredible” and “stunning.”  Judge Strand found Nguyen was an “extreme danger to society” and a “substantial, serious menace to society” with respect to financial crimes.

Nguyen is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation-Special Enforcement Operations Bureau.  The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Woodbury (Minnesota) Police Department, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement, and Iowa Division of Intelligence assisted in the investigation.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 21-CR-3037.

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Casey Tuttle, 26, from Spencer, Iowa, was sentenced on January 7, 2025, to 41 months’ imprisonment.   

On August 29, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City, Tuttle pled guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.  Tuttle was previously convicted in 2021 in the Iowa District Court of burglary, third degree; possession of methamphetamine, third or subsequent offense; and in 2018 of burglary, second degree.  Each of these are felony convictions which prohibit Tuttle from possessing a firearm or ammunition. 

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that in the early morning of April 4, 2024, Spencer Police Department officers stopped Tuttle riding his bike in the dark without taillights or reflectors.  It was determined Tuttle had outstanding arrest warrants, so he was placed under arrest.  During a search of Tuttle and a backpack he was wearing, law enforcement located a .22 caliber revolver, ammunition, marijuana, knives, 1 gram of methamphetamine, and other drug-use paraphernalia.  Tuttle admitted to law enforcement he was a drug user.  As a drug user, Tuttle is also prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.   

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Tuttle was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Tuttle remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Spencer, Iowa Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 24-4032.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A woman who conspired to distribute more than 40 kilograms of methamphetamine pled guilty January 7, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.  Celeste Seaton, 40, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing Seaton admitted that for five months in 2023 she and others conspired to distribute over 3 pounds of pure methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area.  Specifically, on three occasions in 2023, Seaton distributed over 750 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  Seaton further admitted to methamphetamine trafficking over the last several years in Sioux City and that she obtained and distributed a total of 100 pounds of methamphetamine from her source of supply who was obtaining the methamphetamine from Arizona.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Seaton remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Seaton faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.    

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-4051.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A drug dealer with a history of violence who fled a traffic stop was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.

Antonio Rockwood, age 26, from Sioux City, received the prison term after an August 13, 2024, guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Drug User, and a Misdemeanant Domestic Abuser.

Evidence in the case revealed in September of 2023, officers with the Sioux City Police Department attempted a traffic stop on a Silver Chrysler 300, for dark window tint, that was known to be driven by Rockwood. The vehicle fled officers.  Officers went to a nearby address Rockwood was known to frequent. The vehicle was found abandoned and high-centered, where it had collided with two parked vehicles.  A neighbor advised officers Rockwood was the driver and had fled into a nearby residence.  While officers were clearing the vehicle, they observed a handgun stuck between the driver’s seat and center console. Officers also located a backpack containing a crystalline substance that tested positive for methamphetamine weighing 153 grams.  Officers obtained a search warrant for the residence and found Rockwood hiding in a crawl space in the attic. 

Rockwood has previous felony convictions for theft and controlled substance violations, as well as a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, all in Woodbury County, Iowa.

Rockwood was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court  Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Rockwood is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-4082.

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A man who attempted to entice a minor to engage in sex acts was sentenced today to 210 months in federal prison.

Cory Gall, age 30, of Marion, Iowa, received the sentence after a July 3, 2024, jury verdict finding him guilty of attempted enticement of a minor.  The evidence at trial showed that, in December 2023, Gall exchanged text messages with a person who stated that she was 13 years old.  The person was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.  Gall sent messages describing sex acts he could perform with the minor, and he traveled to Hiawatha, Iowa, to meet with her.

Gall was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Gall was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.   

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Hiawatha Police Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is CR 24-32.

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A Florida man who participated in a scheme to defraud a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, company in 2020 was sentenced on December 9, 2024, to more than three years in federal prison.

Saransh “Sam” Sharma, age 44, from Wellington, Florida, originally from Muscat, Oman, received the prison term after a December 14, 2023, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

At his guilty plea and sentencing hearings, Sharma admitted that a Cedar Rapids company was in the market to purchase one million 3M N95 masks in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.  On October 9, 2020, Sharma falsely represented to the Cedar Rapids company in a phone call that a Florida limited liability company had successfully transacted on 30 million masks in the prior two months when, in truth, the Florida company had not done so.  The Cedar Rapids company wired over $3 million to a Florida lawyer’s bank account on October 19, 2020, expecting to receive the one million N95 masks, but the Cedar Rapids company never received them.  The United States later filed a civil fraud action and recovered approximately $2.4 million of the Cedar Rapids company’s moneys.

In March 2018, Sharma was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment after he pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in the Northern District of California for his role in a different scheme.  Sharma’s prior federal prison sentence was discharged on October 9, 2020.

Sharma was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Sharma was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $390,454.57 in restitution victims of the N95 mask scheme.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-CR-71.

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Gregory William Douglas McCormick, age 22, from Mapleton, Iowa, pled guilty on January 6, 2025, to one count of possession of child pornography in federal court in Sioux City.

In a plea agreement, McCormick admitted that knowingly received, distributed, and possessed child pornography.  In his initial interview with police, McCormick admitted there would be child pornography on his current cell phone as well as two older cell phones.  McCormick not only possessed child pornography, but he also distributed images and videos of child pornography to others on the social media platform Kik.  During a forensic search of his cell phones and Kik account, McCormick possessed a total of 120 images and 7 videos of child pornography.  The videos and images included infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  McCormick was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  McCormick faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The case was investigated by Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber Crime Bureau and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-4047.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Amy Parks, 57, from Sioux City, Iowa pled guilty in federal court in Sioux City, on June 27, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Parks was sentenced January 2, 2025, to 102 months’ imprisonment.   

At the plea and sentencing hearings evidence showed that Parks was involved in a conspiracy from January 2021 through June 2023, that distributed ten pounds of methamphetamine.  Evidence showed that on seven occasions in 2023 Parks participated in the distribution of ¼ to ½ pound of methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  On June 19, 2023, upon arrest of Parks, law enforcement searched her residence and seized approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine, digital scales, drug use/distribution paraphernalia, cash, and a loaded 9mm firearm.  Parks further admitted possessing the handgun in furtherance of her drug trafficking conduct.         

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Parks was sentenced to 102 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three-year term of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Parks remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transferred to a federal prison.  

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.    

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-4042.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A convicted felon who possessed two firearms was sentenced December 20, 2024, to two years in federal prison.

Devonte Oye Robertson, age 29, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 14, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of firearms by a felon.  At the plea hearing, Robertson admitted that on January 19, 2024, he possessed Sig Sauer and Smith & Wesson pistols after having been convicted of two felonies.

Robertson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Robertson was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Robertson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and it was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-cr-00054.

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A man who had already been convicted of felony arson who illegally built and fired two improvised explosive missiles was sentenced December 5, 2024 to 10 years in federal prison.

Daniel Graben, age 60, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 18, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

Evidence in the case revealed on the morning of February 28, 2022, a resident of rural Plymouth County observed what he thought was a “low flying mortar” over his house.  He then heard it explode in the distance.  He then saw a second object cruising above his house and heard it also explode in the distance.  Another witnesses reported hearing a “very large explosion.”  A third person reported an unexplained and unattended grass fire near the intersection of Plymouth County Roads C44 and K18.  The fire was more than 1,000 yards away from any roadway or obvious combustible spark.  The Akron Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire, and a criminal investigation ensued.   

Law enforcement discovered the wreckage of two improvised explosive missiles, connected them to Graben, and searched his Sioux City, Iowa home pursuant to a federal search warrant.  In Graben’s townhouse, which was in a populated area of town and near a school, law enforcement found firearms, ammunition, powerful military-grade explosive material, other explosive materials, bomb-making materials (some of which were consistent with the materials found in the missile wreckage), 110 (non-missile) explosive devices (containing black and flash powder), and 14 (non-missile) explosive devices. 

In 2008 Graben had been convicted of arson and threatening a crime

with intent to terrorize another in the State Courts of California.  In 2012 Graben had been convicted of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance in the State Courts of Idaho.  

Graben was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  He was also ordered to pay a fine.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Graben is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Plymouth County Sherriff’s Office, the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Iowa State Fire Marshall Division, the Sioux City, Police Department, and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-04071.

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Brian Nathaniel Marshall, a resident of Mt. Vernon, who received child pornography was sentenced December 18, 2024 to 72 months in federal prison.

Marshall possessed and received child pornography and had these images on both his phone and computer.  As described in Marshall’s plea agreement, the images possessed by Marshall included images of prepubescent minors.  

Marshall was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Marshall was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $27,000 in restitution to nine identified victims who were used to produce child pornography and requested restitution for damages they suffered.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Marshall is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team, and the Mt. Vernon Police Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR- 00025.

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A felon who used a gun to assault a pregnant teenager was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.  Diago Davis, age 51, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a July 15, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon.

Evidence at sentencing showed that on February 3, 2024, law enforcement officers searched Davis’s residence in Hiawatha, Iowa, where officers found a loaded firearm that Davis knowingly possessed.  Earlier in the day, Davis had assaulted a pregnant teenage victim with that same firearm because he mistakenly thought she had taken his PlayStation 5.  Davis has multiple drug‑related felony convictions.  

Davis was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Davis was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Davis is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Hiawatha Police Department.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  

The case file number is 24-CR-41.  

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A New Hartford, Iowa, man who received child pornography from 2004 through December of 2021 was sentenced December 17, 2024 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Robert Jene Smith, age 57, from New Hartford, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 20, 2024, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography.

In a plea agreement, Smith admitted that from 2004 through the search of his house in December of 2021, he obtained and shared hundreds of images and videos by using a file sharing program. During the search of his residence, agents found over 7,500 images and over 100 videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on multiple devices in the residence. 

Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Smith was sentenced to 136 months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000.  He was ordered to make $32,000 in restitution to ten identified victims who were used to produce child pornography and requested restitution for damages they suffered.  He must also pay $15,100 in special assessments and serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

Smith is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Urbandale, Iowa, Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-CR-03023.

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A man who had been deported, illegally returned to the United States, and then used someone else’s social security number to obtain employment was sentenced today to more than one year in federal prison.

Luis Gomez-Otoy, age 39, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 21, 2024, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of identification documents, one count of misuse of a social security number, and one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported following a felony conviction.

At the guilty plea, Gomez-Otoy admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Gomez-Otoy was arrested in May 2008 during an immigration enforcement action in Postville and was deported in October 2008.  On May 8, 2024, immigration officials learned Gomez-Otoy had illegally returned to the United States and found Gomez-Otoy at the Clayton County Jail following his arrest on state charges.  On July 12, 2024, Gomez-Otoy was convicted in state court of operating while intoxicated, second offense, and sentenced to 7 days’ imprisonment.  Gomez-Otoy was previously convicted in the Northern District of Iowa in May 2008 for use of false employment documents, a felony, served five months’ imprisonment and was deported. 

Gomez-Otoy also admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent Permanent Resident Card, also known as a “green card,” both bearing his name, to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in May 2022 at a business in West Union, Iowa.  The number on the Social Security card was assigned to someone else.  The alien registration number on the Permanent Resident card was assigned to a female from Mexico.  Social Security and Permanent Resident cards are documents prescribed by statute or regulation for entry into or as evidence of authorized stay or employment in the United States.    

Gomez-Otoy was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Gomez-Otoy was sentenced to 13 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Gomez-Otoy is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-1017.

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A man who conspired to sexually exploit a child and who possessed child sexual abuse material pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Benjamin Paul Egli, age 30, from North Liberty, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and one count of possession of child pornography.

At court hearings and in a plea agreement, Egli admitted that on multiple occasions in 2023, he used Snapchat to make video calls to another person.  In those video calls, at Egli’s request, the other person engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a toddler.  Egli screen-recorded the sexual conduct and saved those videos on his phone.  He also possessed other images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his phone, including images of children performing sexual acts on animals and sadistic and masochistic conduct.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Egli remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Egli faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 50 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $77,200 in special assessments, and a life term of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Tipton Police Department, and the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-53.

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A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on December 12, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

Amanda Johnson, f/k/a Amanda Adams, 35, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on July 31, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.  In 2020, Johnson was convicted in federal court of the same conduct - conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute and aiding and abetting another in the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, for which she was on supervised release during her commission of this offense.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings, showed Johnson’s involvement in a conspiracy that distributed more than 1500 grams of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area for six months in 2023.  On November 15, 2023, Johnson and another distributed about ¼ pound methamphetamine in a controlled drug purchase transaction in Waterloo, Iowa.  On December 4, 2023, Johnson distributed approximately 2 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent, after making an agreement to distribute ¼ pound methamphetamine in a controlled drug purchase and then fled the scene.    

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Johnson was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of eight years of supervised release following the imprisonment.  Johnson was also sentenced to an additional 24 months’ imprisonment, consecutive to her sentence in this case, for revocation of her supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Johnson remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison.  

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa DCI Laboratory, Fort Dodge Iowa Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the Waterloo, Iowa, based Tri-County Drug Task Force.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-3005.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced December 10, 2024, to 78 months in federal prison.

Garnett Adam Propst, age 20, from Burlington, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 26, 2024 guilty plea to two counts of aiding and abetting false statements during the purchase of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.  On September 12, 2023, while Propst was on high-risk supervision for a prior state felony offense, and prohibited from possessing firearms, he obtained and possessed a Beretta handgun.  Propst then later used that firearm on September 30, 2023, firing multiple shots into a residence in Cedar Rapids.  After the “shots fired” incident, Propst provided the firearm to Lawrence Lamar Newell, who was also a felon.

Propst was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Propst was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Propst is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR- 00026.

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A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was convicted by a jury today after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

David Rafael Walker, age 37, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm as a felon.  The verdict was returned this afternoon following about two hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that on December 14, 2021, at an apartment complex in Cedar Rapids, Walker shot at a woman and her young daughter.  Three days later, Walker was driving around Cedar Rapids when he became involved in another shooting.  When law enforcement officers located Walker and the car he had been driving, Walker fled.  In the car, under Walker’s seat, officers found a firearm and a bag of marijuana.  Walker’s DNA was on the firearm.  Walker had multiple prior felony convictions, including for delivery of heroin and eluding.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Walker remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Walker faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Nydle, Devra Hake, and Dan Tvedt, and it was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force.  The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Marion Police Department. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-CR-65. 

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A man who pointed a firearm at a police officer less than two months after he was released from federal prison was sentenced on December 2, 2024, to seven years in federal prison.

Daytrell Washington-Roby, age 26, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 1, 2024 guilty plea to possession of ammunition by a felon.

Information from sentencing showed that Washington-Roby was previously convicted of possession of a firearm by a user of a controlled substance and sentenced to federal prison in January 2020.  He was released from prison on December 22, 2023.  On February 18, 2024, a concerned citizen called 911 to report a man choking a woman in a car in Waterloo; Washington-Roby and his girlfriend.  A police officer located Washington-Roby in the area of the call shortly thereafter.  Washington-Roby raised his arms, pointing a firearm at the police officer.  Washington-Roby then threw the loaded firearm into the backyard of a residence.  The firearm was an un‑serialized “ghost gun.”  Washington-Roby was on federal supervised release at the time.      

Washington-Roby was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Washington-Roby was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment for his possession of ammunition offense.  He was also sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment in his previous federal firearm case for which he was on supervised release, which was imposed consecutively to the 60-month term of imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Washington-Roby is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file numbers are 24-CR-2021 and 19-CR-0047.

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A man who conspired with others to distribute large quantities of cocaine that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Maurice Randolph, age 44, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of cocaine within 1000 feet of several parks and schools in Dubuque, Iowa, between 2017 and April of 2021, that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman on February 14, 2021.

At the plea hearing, Randolph admitted he was a member of a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine in the Dubuque area near numerous parks and schools.  He admitted that on February 14, 2021, one of his coconspirators distributed cocaine to a young woman in Dubuque who went home, used the cocaine and died.  

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Randolph remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Randolph faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and 8 years to life on supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin and investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.  This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-CR-01013.

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A Waterloo woman who stole nearly $250,000 from three financial institutions between 2020 and 2022 was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.  Angela Celina Hernandez, formerly known as Angela Celina Sermeno, age 40, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 31, 2024, guilty plea to one count of bank fraud.

In a plea agreement, Hernandez admitted that she was the sole signatory on a checking account for a roofing company at a credit union in Dubuque.  In January 2020, Hernandez repeatedly redeposited previously cleared checks from a Wisconsin contractor in order to falsely and temporarily inflate the balance of the account.  Hernandez then caused over $150,000 in rapid transfers and withdrawals on this fraudulently and temporarily inflated balance.  Then, in July 2021, Hernandez passed bad checks at a second credit union, resulting in over $75,000 in loss to that credit union.  Finally, in February 2022, defendant passed more bad checks at a third financial institution, resulting in an additional $12,000 in loss.

Hernandez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Hernandez was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment.  She was ordered to make $248,005.28 in restitution the three financial institutions.  She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Hernandez was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the  Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set until she can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  

The case file number is 23-CR-1031.

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A man who escaped from custody in the Gerald R. Hinzman Center was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison.

Joshua Taylor Watson, age 35, from Rochester, Minnesota, received the prison term after a June 10, 2024 guilty plea to one count of escape from federal custody.

At the plea hearing, Watson admitted that he was in custody at the Hinzman Center under a federal court order pursuant to his prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  On January 22, 2024, Watson left the facility without permission and did not return.  Watson was found in Rochester, Minnesota, and he was arrested on January 25, 2024.  

Watson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Watson was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Watson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-9.

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A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced December 2, 2024, to six months in federal prison.

Arturo Reyna-Arajo, age 31, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 12, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. 

At the guilty plea, Reyna-Arajo admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Reyna-Arajo was previously deported in February 2016.  On June 22, 2024, immigration officials learned Reyna-Arajo had illegally returned to the United States following Reyna-Arajo’s arrest in Allamakee County on state charges.  Reyna-Arajo was previously convicted in 2015 in the Clayton County, Iowa of falsifying public documents, a felony.  

Reyna-Arajo was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Reyna-Arajo was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Reyna-Arajo is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-1022.

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A man who committed a drug trafficking offense was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison.

Darryl Fonte Jackson, age 51, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 1, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, on July 25, 2022, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine and synthetic cannabinoids from Jackson.  About a week later, officers searched Jackson’s home and place of work.  At his home, officers located methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, and synthetic cannabinoids.  At his place of work, officers located methamphetamine, cocaine, and a loaded firearm.  Jackson was previously convicted in 2006 for federal drug and gun crimes.

Jackson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Jackson was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Jackson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the High Risk Unit of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-CR-69.

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A man who possessed a firearm was sentenced November 21, 2024, to more than three years in federal prison.

James Carl Morgan, age 42, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 26, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

At the guilty plea, Morgan admitted that on June 6, 2023, he knowingly possessed a Canik TP9 SF, 9x19mm caliber pistol, as a felon.  On June 6, 2023, police officers went to a Cedar Rapids motel to arrest Morgan on a warrant for possession of a firearm as a felon from 2022.  When officers knocked on the motel room door, Morgan attempted to crawl out the window, but reentered the room when confronted by a police dog.  After officers cleared the room, they found the loaded 9mm handgun with an extended magazine on the floor by the window.

Morgan was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Morgan was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Morgan is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-24.

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Krystopher Cordeiro, age 23, from Cherokee, Iowa, was sentenced November 20, 2024, to more than 3 years in federal prison.

Evidence in the case established that between January 1, 2023, and September 26, 2023, Cordeiro possessed child pornography. In April and May of 2023, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that Cordeiro’s account had uploaded child pornography on four occasions. When law enforcement executed a search at Cordeiro’s residence in September of 2023.  Cordeiro admitted to searching for “teen porn”, as well as possessing videos depicting sadistic and masochistic conduct, prepubescent children, and toddlers. Agents discovered over 200 images and 10 videos of actual child pornography and over 1,000 images and 133 videos of simulated children. Some of the simulated images were of such high quality they were virtually indistinguishable from real children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

Cordeiro was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Cordeiro was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $6,100 in fines and assessments. He was also ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to the victims in the case. He must serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.    

Cordeiro is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation, Cyber Crime Bureau and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-CR-4080.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A man who sold fentanyl pills and possessed a firearm as a prohibited person was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison.

Jonathan Luna, age 29, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 20, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm as a prohibited person and one count of distribution of a controlled substance.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, in April 2023, Luna distributed pills that contained fentanyl to another person, which caused the person to suffer an overdose.  About two weeks later, law enforcement officers searched Luna’s residence and located a stolen pistol in his bedroom.  Luna is a felon and was an unlawful user of methamphetamine at the time he possessed the firearm.  

Luna was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Luna was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Luna is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was also investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-CR-1030.

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A female who purchased multiple firearms for others was sentenced November 20, 2024, to five years of federal probation for lying to federally licensed firearms dealers while buying firearms.

Jasmin Alexandria Fox, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 17, 2024 guilty plea to one count of false statement during purchase of a firearm.  From August 2023 through September 2023, Fox purchased multiple firearms, claiming she was buying them for herself, that were then provided to other individuals.  The guns purchased by Fox were linked to two “shots-fired” incidents and one robbery in Cedar Rapids.  One of the firearms purchased by Fox was recovered by Cedar Rapids Police on a felon during a struggle.  Another firearm purchased by Fox was later recovered from a juvenile.  

Fox was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Fox was sentenced to 5 years of probation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR- 00026.

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Joshua Dale Peterson age, 42, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty November 20, 2024, to possession of child pornography.

In a plea agreement, Peterson admitted that from January 1, 2023, until October 18, 2023, he received, distributed, and possessed child pornography.  A CyberTip from Snapchat showed that Peterson uploaded a file that contained child pornography.  Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Peterson’s phone and found over 50 photos and videos of child pornography.  Law enforcement spoke to Peterson, and he admitted he would meet people on Snapchat and move conversations to Telegram.  Peterson also admitted he sent child pornography to a user on Snapchat on at least five different occasions.  The Snapchat user later identified themselves as a minor child and Snapchat terminated the conversation.  Peterson further admitted he was in at least one group chat on Telegram that was sharing child pornography and he stayed in the group for a couple of weeks.  The images and videos found on Peterson’s phone contained material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children and toddlers.       

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Peterson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Peterson faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any imprisonment of 5 years to life.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-04036.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A man who possessed a fraudulent permanent resident card was sentenced today to almost three months in federal prison.

Rodolfo Duran-Matul, age 27, a citizen of Guatemala residing in Belmond, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 8, 2024, guilty plea to one count of unlawful possession of an identification document.

In a plea agreement, Duran-Matul admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Duran-Matul was previously deported in August 2018. 

Duran-Matul also admitted that in August 2024, when he was arrested on state charges, he possessed a fraudulent permanent resident card (“green card”) bearing his name and photograph.  The number on the green card was assigned to someone else.  Permanent resident cards are documents prescribed by statute or regulation for entry into or as evidence of authorized stay or employment in the United States.  As an alien unlawfully in the United States, Duran-Matul was not authorized to work in the United States.  

Duran-Matul was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Duran-Matul was sentenced to 85 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Duran-Matul is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-2038.

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A Guatemalan man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Jose Eleazar Aceves-Garcia, age 30, from Guatemala, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, Aceves-Garcia admitted that between January 2019 and January 2022, he distributed at least 400 pounds of ice methamphetamine to a co‑conspirator in the Dubuque, Iowa, area.  His fingerprints were on two packages, which contained a total of more than seven pounds of ice methamphetamine, that he mailed to the co-conspirator in Dubuque.  Aceves-Garcia also distributed a kilogram of heroin to the co-conspirator. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Aceves-Garcia remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Aceves-Garcia faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $10,000,000 fine, and a life term of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 23-CR-1022.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Jason Keys, age 41, from Mason City, Iowa was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison after a June 28, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Evidence in the case revealed in January 2023, Keys was identified as a person distributing methamphetamine.  Law enforcement utilized a confidential source to conduct a controlled purchase of methamphetamine, however, Keys had no methamphetamine to sell.  The following day, Keys contacted the confidential source and advised that he had a revolver for sale.  Law enforcement utilized the source to conduct a controlled buy of the firearm from Keys.  Keys has a lengthy criminal history and was previously convicted of numerous burglaries and thefts, as well as multiple convictions for domestic abuse assault, assault, and controlled substance offenses.  

Keys was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 78 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Keys is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department,  Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-3016.

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