Northern District of Iowa

Timothy Mullally, 48, from Le Mars, Iowa, pled guilty on May 16, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of prohibited person in possession of firearms.

At the plea hearing, Mullally admitted that between January 2022 through September 2022, he and others distributed more than two kilograms of methamphetamine.  Evidence showed that on two occasions in August and September 2022 he distributed more than 800 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  During investigation of this matter, law enforcement and United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted a three pound package of methamphetamine coming from California to Mullally’s house in September 2022.  During the investigation, including a search warrant at Mullally’s properties and vehicles, law enforcement seized $5,830 and two firearms.  Mullally admitted to being a regular user of methamphetamine, and thereby was prohibited from possessing any firearm. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Mullally was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  On the drug conviction, Mullally 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.  For the firearm conviction, Mullally faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and not more than three years of supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by 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 22-4083.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Joshua Johnson, age 49, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been charged with attempted sex trafficking of a child and destruction of evidence.  The charges are contained in an Indictment filed on May 9, 2024, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. 

The Indictment alleges that, in December 2023, Johnson attempted to recruit, entice, obtain, patronize, and solicit a person he believed to be under 14 to engage in a commercial sex act.  The Indictment also alleges that Johnson destroyed electronic data with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation.

If convicted, Johnson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and at least five years and up to life on supervised release following any imprisonment.

Johnson appeared for a detention hearing on May 20, 2024, in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond.  Johnson’s next appearance for trial is set for July 15, 2024.

As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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

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 24-38.

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A man who failed to register as a sex offender pled guilty on May 17, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

Melvin Geovani Aguilar-Lopez, age 31, from Rock Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of Failure to Update his Registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250(a).  

In a plea agreement, Aguilar-Lopez admitted that he was required to register and update his registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act by reason of a conviction of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree in the Iowa District Court for Lyon County Criminal No. FECR005748 on December 9, 2016.  Aguilar-Lopez admitted he knew he needed to update his sex offender registration to reflect the fact he had been living in Rock Rapids for approximately 5 months and working in Lyon County for approximately 2 months.  

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Aguilar-Lopez was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Aguilar-Lopez faces a term of imprisonment of between 15 to 21 months, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Fletcher and was investigated by the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations (Sex Offender Unit) and the United States Marshal’s Service. 

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

The case file number is 24-CR-04004.

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A man who was convicted by a jury for receiving and possessing child pornography was sentenced, May 16, 2024, to 16 years in federal prison.

Anthony Michael Tucker age 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a jury verdict finding him guilty of Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography.

Evidence at trial showed that in January 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a Cybertip from Google that accounts belonging to Tucker contained over 85 images and seven videos of child sexual abuse material.  The images and videos included depictions of sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children and toddlers.  During trial, jurors watched a video-recorded interview of Tucker speaking with an Iowa DCI agent where he admitted he was responsible for the content on the Google account and stated, “there’s more that I run across…those are just the ones I kept.”  In 2010, Tucker was previously convicted for Lascivious Acts with a Child.  Tucker, then 21, had sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old female.      

Tucker was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Tucker was sentenced to 192 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victims of the offense.  He was also ordered to pay $1,200 in additional fines and assessments.  Tucker must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Tucker 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 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-4045.

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A Carroll County registered nurse who stole controlled substances from patients and falsified medical records at a life care center where she was employed was sentenced today to 7 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.

Cassandra Lynne Vonnahme, age 32, from Arcadia, Iowa, pled guilty to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by means of misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge, and one count of false statements relating to health care matters on November 30, 2023. 

Vonnahme admitted that between November 2020 and December 2020, she diverted controlled substances and falsified related medical records.  The controlled substances Vonnahme stole and the records she falsified pertained to actual patients.  Evidence at sentencing also revealed that Vonnahme burglarized 5-6 homes after losing her job as a nurse for stealing patient’s medication.  Vonnahme was later convicted of impersonating a public official after another burglary in Carroll County in 2021, where she pretended to be a county assessor in order to gain entry into a stranger’s home and then stole controlled substances. 

Vonnahme was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 7 months’ imprisonment and fined $20,000.  She must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Vonnahme was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

The case is being investigated by the Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and is being 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 23-4019.

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Scott Wesley Timmerman, age 56, from Strawberry Point, Iowa who was found in a park after hours with a sawed-off shotgun was sentenced May 3, 2024, to more than five years in federal prison.

Timmerman received the prison term after a November 1, 2023, guilty plea to one count of possession of a short-barreled shotgun as a previously convicted felon.

In a plea agreement, Timmerman admitted he possessed a short-barreled Winchester shotgun when officers found him in a park after hours.  The firearm was not registered to him in the federal registry.  Timmerman also had two prior felony convictions in Arizona.

Timmerman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Timmerman was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment and fined $500.  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.

Timmerman 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 Reinert and was investigated by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, and the 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 23-CR-2054.

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A man who admitted to using and selling drugs while in possession of a firearm, was sentenced May 3, 2024, to more than 2 years in federal prison.

Devonta Cobbs, age 23, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 19, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user.

Evidence in the case revealed that from about May 2022 through June 2022,  Cobbs, while being an admitted user of marijuana, possessed multiple firearms.  During an investigation into a shooting incident, while executing search warrants on Cobbs’ property, officers located several guns, ammunition, magazines as well as more than $2,000 in cash and marijuana.

Cobbs was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced to 34 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 2-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.

Cobbs 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 Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and 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 22-4069.

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A Nebraska man who planned to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced on May 7, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

Calvin Wright, 33, from Creighton, Nebraska, pled guilty on January 24, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Wright was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2016 in Nebraska.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on July 5, 2023, in Sioux City, Iowa, law enforcement stopped a vehicle in which Wright was a passenger.  Due to suspicious activity, a K-9 was deployed and indicated the presence of a controlled substance in the vehicle.  In a backpack which had been between Wright’s legs in the vehicle, law enforcement found approximately 95 grams of pure methamphetamine, scales, and drug paraphernalia.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Wright was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment and must serve a term of ten years supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Wright remains in custody of the United States Marshal 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 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 23-4052. 

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A man from Mason City, originally from Alabama, was sentenced May 6, 2024, to more than 18 years in federal prison.  Tristan Walker, age 44, received the prison term after a January 2, 2024, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Evidence in the case revealed between October 2022, and December 2022, Walker knowingly and intentionally conspired and to distribute 195 grams of pure “ice” methamphetamine.  Walker has an extensive criminal history, including convictions for attempted first degree murder (two counts), domestic battery, domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury, assault causing bodily injury, accessory after the fact, burglary, and going armed with intent. 

Walker was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 222 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.  Walker 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 office and Iowa Department of Public Safety – Division of Narcotics 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 23-3019.

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A man who possessed a firearm as a prohibited person and possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute pled guilty May 3, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

Tirrell Harlan Hopkins, Jr., age 23, from Mason City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.­

At the plea taking hearing, Hopkins admitted that on or about November 18, 2023, in Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, he knowingly possessed a firearm, a Springfield Armory, Model: Saint, Caliber: 5.56 NATO, Type: Pistol.  At the time, Hopkins possessed the gun, he knew he was a user of illegal drugs, had been convicted of a felony, and convicted of a crime of domestic violence, all of which prohibited him from legally possessing a gun.

Hopkins also admitted that on or about November 18, 2023, in the Northern District of Iowa, he was in possession of methamphetamine, and intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to another person.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Hopkins remains in custody of the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Hopkins faces a potential of a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $2,000,000 fine, and 6 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Mason City Police Department, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Cerro Gordo County Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations Laboratory, and the United States Marshal’s Service.

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

The case file number is 24-CR-03008.

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A Cedar Falls office manager who stole approximately $250,000 in a two-year period was sentenced on May 2, 2024, to over two years in federal prison.  Teresa Mae Chiappone, formerly known as Teresa Mae Combs, Teresa Mae Hughes, and Teresa Mae King, age 57, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 19, 2023 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

At the guilty plea and sentencing hearings, Chiappone admitted she had worked as the office manager for a Cedar Falls small business since 2014.  Between September 2020 and September 2022, Chiappone embezzled approximately $250,000 from the small business.  Chiappone abused her position of trust at the small business to write over $160,000 in unauthorized checks drawn on the small business’s bank account for her own benefit.  Chiappone also intercepted at least $50,000 in cash deposits, and she made no less than $3,000 in unauthorized credit card charges.  Chiappone gambled away thousands of the small business’s moneys at Iowa casinos.  As a result of the fraud, the small business had to take out a loan to cover its losses, contract with a local accounting firm to conduct a forensic audit, and max out its line of credit at a local bank.

Chiappone was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Chiappone was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000.  She was ordered to make $255,639.16 in restitution to the victim and its insurance company.  She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Chiappone was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The Cedar Falls Police Department assisted in the investigation.

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

The case file number is 23-CR-2047.

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An Arizona man who sent thousands of fentanyl pills to Marion, Iowa, in the mail was sentenced May 1, 2024, to more than seven years in federal prison.

Dominique Holliday, age 28, from Tempe, Arizona, received the prison term after a December 28, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. 

Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, starting in April 2021 and continuing until December 21, 2021, Holliday sent packages containing 200 to 300 fentanyl pills to an individual in Marion through the mail every two weeks, totaling approximately 3,200 pills.  The Marion man utilized a financial application to pay Holliday for the fentanyl pills, disguising the nature and source of the payments.  On two separation occasions in December 2021, an individual suffered non‑fatal overdoses after ingesting fentanyl pills that Holliday had sent to Iowa. 

Holliday was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Holliday was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Holliday 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 was investigated as part of 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; the Marion Police Department; and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 23-CR-00021-CJW.

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A man who illegally possessed firearms pled guilty May 3, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

Matthew Knowles, 37, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, admitted at the plea hearing to possessing a .380 ACP pistol, and a .410 gauge shotgun on November 10, 2022, in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  He further admitted to being a user of methamphetamine, marijuana, and knowing he was a felon when he possessed the firearms.  As a felon and drug user, Knowles was prohibited from possessing firearms.       

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 Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Knowles remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Knowles faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Iowa DCI Laboratory. 

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

The case file number is 23-3039.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who convinced two minor females from other states to record and send him child pornography was sentenced April 30, 2024, to 28 years in federal prison.

Alex McClanahan, age 21, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 7, 2023 guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of children.

In a plea agreement, McClanahan admitted that in 2022 he had sexually explicit conversations over Instagram with a 13‑year‑old and a 15‑year‑old.  He also admitted that he requested or persuaded the 13‑year‑old to record herself performing sexually explicit conduct, and she complied.  In November 2022, law enforcement officers seized McClanahan’s cell phone and found dozens of sexually explicit videos and photos depicting the 15‑year‑old involved in sexually explicit conduct.  In all, investigators also found approximately 700 videos containing child pornography on McClanahan’s phone.

McClanahan was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  McClanahan was sentenced to 336 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $33,000 in restitution to child victims depicted in videos and photos he possessed.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

McClanahan 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 Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Norwood and Dan Chatham. 

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

The case file number is 23‑CR‑1010‑CJW‑MAR.

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A woman who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced May 2, 2024, to more than 2 years in federal prison.

Andrea Crystal Lee, age 36, from Emmetsburg, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 19, 2023, guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. 

Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that on January 24, 2023, Lee was on state probation for possession of a controlled substance offense.  During a probation check, a state probation officer located methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in Lee’s home.  Law enforcement secured a search warrant, and a search of Lee’s home was conducted.  During the search, law enforcement found a loaded 9mm handgun concealed in a floor vent, ammunition, and magazines.  As a drug user and felon, Lee was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Lee was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Lee was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a 3-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.

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

The case was investigated by the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick T. Greenwood and Kraig R. Hamit. 

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

The case file number is 23-3011.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A woman who possessed a pound of methamphetamine and 150 pounds of marijuana was sentenced on May 1, 2024, to 8 years in federal prison.

Amy Cruz age 37, from Denver, Colorado, received the prison term after an October 13, 2022, guilty plea to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

Evidence in the case showed that on April 27, 2022, Cruz and a co-defendant committed several offenses in Colorado before traveling cross country to deliver drugs to Minnesota.  Locally, Cruz and a co-defendant stole a vehicle from a car dealership in Sioux City, Iowa, and led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit with speeds exceeding 100mph.  During the pursuit, Cruz and the co-defendant began discarding items from the stolen vehicle before switching to a second stolen vehicle.  The pursuit ended when they crashed into an unoccupied car in Le Mars, Iowa.  The two were transported to the hospital with varying degrees of injury.  Several totes were found Cruz’s path, and some in the stolen vehicles, which contained stolen marijuana from a Colorado dispensary, approximately one pound of methamphetamine, three firearms, and numerous other items that had been reported stolen.  

Cruz was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Cruz was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was investigated by 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.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick T. Greenwood and Kraig R. Hamit.   

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

The case file number is 22-4045.

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A recidivist felon was convicted by a jury on April 26, 2024, after a 5-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.

Bobby Rhoden, age 49, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of kidnapping and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon and drug user.

Evidence at trial showed that Rhoden used threats to get his victim, a former girlfriend, into his car to help him recover a phone she had taken.  Over the next 36 hours, he brutalized her, and drove her to at least two locations in an effort to find his phone. The victim escaped Rhoden by running away from him to a neighbor’s house. As she ran, Rhoden fired his gun at or near her.  A subsequent investigation of the kidnapping revealed live ammunition and a spent casing in the garage where Rhoden lived, and one of the locations where he held his victim.

Rhoden was previously convicted of two counts of forgery in Scott County, Iowa, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in Scott County, Iowa and conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.

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.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Rhoden remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Rhoden faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, ATF and is 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 22-04073.

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Thomas Alan Newman, from Mason City, Iowa, who received, distributed, and possessed images of child pornography was sentenced on April 25, 2024, to 6 years in federal prison.

Newman, age 60, from Swaledale, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 18, 2023, guilty plea to Possession of Child Pornography.

Evidence at the hearing showed that in May 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report from Facebook of a user trafficking in child pornography.  Pursuant to a search warrant, the content of Newman’s account was provided to law enforcement.  The content included several chats of a sexual nature where Newman solicited child pornography from others.  Newman and another individual proposed they create a group on Facebook in order to share and trade child pornography.  When interviewed by agents, Newman admitted to the activity associated with the NCMEC CyperTip report as well as sharing and receiving child pornography that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or the sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant or toddler.  Newman admitted he shared approximately 50 videos of child pornography.

Newman was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Newman was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a total of $30,000 in fines and assessments.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term and register as a sex offender.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Newman 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 is being was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office and 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-3016.

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A man who received child pornography over the internet while in a residential facility for a prior child pornography charge pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Brady David Salow, age 27, from Vinton, Iowa, was convicted of one count of receiving child pornography.

In a plea agreement, Salow admitted that he was convicted of four counts of possession of a depiction of a minor in a sex act in Dubuque County in 2019.  As a condition of his sentence in that case, in 2023 he was residing at a residential facility in Vinton.  Per the rules of the facility, Salow was not permitted to have access to a phone or a computer.  Beginning in the summer of 2023, however, Salow repeatedly persuaded an employee at the facility to loan him her cellular phone under the pretense that he was going to use it for either looking up photos of celebrities or to listen to music.  By at least August 2023, Salow began receiving and downloading child pornography to the employee’s phone without the employee’s knowledge, saving downloaded images to a hidden folder on the phone.  In October 2023 a fellow resident alerted staff that Salow had been using a phone, and the staff member turned over her phone for examination.  A forensic examination of the phone revealed child pornography, and Salow admitted that he had downloaded child pornography to the phone.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Salow remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Salow faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham. 

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

The case file number is 23‑CR‑00089.

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A man who was responsible for forty-seven cars that had lower, false odometers was sentenced to federal prison on April 8, 2024.

Randolph Forrest, age 69, from Cascade, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 17, 2023 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

Information from sentencing showed that from June 2012 through July 2021 Forrest conspired with others to roll back odometers on used cars to sell them for more money.  Forrest and others involved in the scheme tampered with the odometers of at least forty-seven cars by having the odometers fraudulently altered to reflect lower mileages.  They then sold the cars to unsuspecting buyers at higher sales prices than the buyers would have paid had the true mileage been disclosed.  As part of the fraud, Forrest mailed forms to a repair business requesting that odometers be changed to reflect lower mileages.  Forrest advertised the cars with the lower, false mileages on Facebook and Craigslist.     

Forrest was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Forrest was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and six months’ home confinement.  He was ordered to make $140,178.55 in restitution to forty-seven victims of his offense.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually and has established a special hotline to handle odometer fraud complaints.  Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call (800) 424-9393 or send an email to odometerfraud@dot.gov. 

More information on odometer fraud is available on the NHTSA website https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/odometer-fraud and tips on detecting and avoiding odometer fraud are available at this page: www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nvs/pdf/811284.pdf.

Forrest was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on May 6, 2024.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Iowa Department of Transportation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. 

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

The case file number is 22-CR-1016.

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Kelli Biller, 38, from Sheldon, Iowa, pled guilty April 24, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.  Biller was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

At the plea hearing, Biller admitted that from about January 2022 through November 2023, she was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 1200 grams of methamphetamine and at least 200 grams of fentanyl.  Biller admitted to facilitating the receipt of 2,000 fentanyl pills from a source in Sioux City to later distribute in the Sheldon and Primghar area.  Biller further admitted to obtaining several ounces of methamphetamine from her source for redistribution in and around Northwest Iowa.  During a traffic stop in Sioux City on November 10, 2023, agents seized 19 M30-type fentanyl pills from Biller.    

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Biller remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Biller faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three 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 24-4010.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who distributed heroin and fentanyl to a victim who subsequently overdosed was sentenced today to more than 19 years in federal prison.

Jacob Lee Blauer, age 32, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 29, 2023 guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury.

Evidence in the case established that on November 7, 2022, in Cedar Rapids, Blauer prepared a shot of heroin and fentanyl and gave it to another person.  The victim used the drugs and immediately overdosed.  Blauer left the scene.  Emergency personnel arrived and revived the victim with Narcan.  After this incident, Blauer continued to sell heroin and fentanyl. 

Blauer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Blauer was sentenced to 236 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Blauer 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 Devra T. Hake and was 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 Drug Enforcement Administrative and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 23-CR-61.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Ashley Brown, DNP, ARNP, from Des Moines, Iowa, has agreed to pay $52,560 to the United States to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, by signing hundreds of medically unnecessary prescriptions for expensive orthotic braces in exchange for kickback payments of $20 per patient. The full claims against Brown are contained in a Civil Complaint filed earlier this month in the United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.

“Our office will aggressively pursue any medical providers that seek to profit by outsourcing their medical decision-making,” said Timothy T. Duax, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. “We will continue to work with our federal and state partners to identify and hold these providers accountable to the public.”

The complaint alleged that from approximately April 17, 2020, to May 19, 2021, Brown, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, knowingly caused the submission of over $1 million in false claims to Medicare. Specifically, the complaint alleged that Brown wrote hundreds of prescriptions for orthotic braces that were unreasonable, not medically necessary, and in contravention of both state and federal law. The complaint refers to several patients who stated that they did not know Brown and did not need or request the orthotic braces Brown prescribed to them, including an Elkhart resident to whom Brown prescribed a left knee brace even though the patient’s left leg had been amputated years prior.

The complaint alleged that Brown spent as little as nine seconds reviewing patient records before approving the braces. Brown is alleged to have falsely represented she established valid prescriber/patient relationships when, in fact, she had no contact with her ‘patients’ at all. The complaint also alleged Brown received $20 per patient reviewed, sometimes resulting in Brown receiving hundreds of dollars for mere minutes of review.

The claims asserted against Brown are allegations only; there was no determination of liability.

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon J. Gray and was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

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

The case file number is 1:24-cv-00036.

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National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 21-27, 2024. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa is commemorating this important awareness week by announcing winners of Law Enforcement Victim Services Awards.

In 2022, there were nearly 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.6 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.6 million, only about 42% were reported to police.

This year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” We must create an environment in which victims and survivors feel safe talking about what happened to them. The theme aims to ensure that everyone in a community knows where and how crime victims and survivors can find help — including friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, service providers, or other trusted members of the community. We must all be prepared to offer support.

“We are fortunate in the Northern District of Iowa to have excellent resources for victims of domestic and sexual violence as well as resources for survivors of homicide and other violent crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy T. Duax.  “Our personnel are our greatest asset. They are trained to provide compassionate, consistent, and comprehensive services to crime victims across the state of Iowa.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa is proud to join the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and communities throughout the United States during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in raising awareness of victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and their advocates.

This week, U.S. Attorney Duax announced winners for the Law Enforcement Victim Services Awards in the Northern District of Iowa.  This award is presented to law enforcement officers in Iowa who go beyond the call of duty to help crime victims. It is the highest federal honor in Iowa for victim services by a law enforcement officer.  The following individuals won the award based on their service to victims:

• Detective Ian Mallory of the University of Iowa Police Department, in recognition of his outstanding investigative and advocacy work that led to the successful discovery and prosecution of Matthew Keirans, perpetrator of a sophisticated, three-decades-old, aggravated identity theft. The vulnerable victim of Mr. Keirans' scam maintained his true identity even after he was jailed, found mentally incompetent, and ordered to receive psychotropic medication. But for Detective Mallory’s open mindedness, patience, and diligence, this victim would have remained the target of a scam that fooled other law enforcement officers, courts, banks, and government officials. Detective Mallory’s persistence and commitment to finding justice for this victim is a credit to himself, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the entire Iowa law enforcement community.

• Detective Michael Sitzman and Detective Nate West, Sioux City Police Department, Investigator Joaquin Orduno, South Sioux City Police Department, and Special Agent Bradley Colligan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, in recognition of their outstanding investigation and advocacy that led to the successful prosecution of Kevon Spratt, perpetrator of at least five armed robberies during one month in 2022 within the Siouxland area. The danger that Spratt posed to the community cannot be overstated. This team’s compassionate, reassuring, strong, and inspirational conduct during the investigation empowered more than thirty victims and witnesses to cooperate with the investigation.

To learn more about how to support all victims of crime, visit the Office for Victims of Crime’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.

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Ann Sulsberger, 49, from Red Oak, Iowa, pled guilty April 18, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, evidence showed that between April 2023 and May 2023 Sulsberger and others conspired to distribute over a pound of methamphetamine in the Woodbury and Monona County areas.    

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Sulsberger remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Sulsberger 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 Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Bureau of Indian Affairs, DEA Laboratory, 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 24-4002.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who had previously been convicted of Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Methamphetamine in 2004 was sentenced April 17, 2024, to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and will spend more than 13 years in federal prison. 

Todd Williams, age 57 from Spencer, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2023, guilty plea to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

Evidence showed on March 4, 2023, after receiving information that Williams was possessing and selling methamphetamine, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence in Spencer, Iowa.  During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement seized approximately 2.7 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately $50,000 in cash.  Williams was not present during the execution of the search warrant but was observed by law enforcement driving by.  Law enforcement attempted to traffic stop Williams who then led law enforcement on a short pursuit driving at speeds up to 100mph before being stopped and arrested.

Williams was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Williams was sentenced to 158 months’ imprisonment and must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Williams 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 Jack Lammers and Patrick Greenwood and investigated by Spencer Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Estherville Police Department, the Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa DCI Laboratory. 

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

The case file number is 23-4061.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who distributed child pornography to a minor was sentenced today, April 18, 2024, to 12 years in federal prison.

Henry Araica-Gonzalez, age 22, from Sheldon, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 5, 2023, guilty plea to Distribution of Child Pornography.

Evidence showed that in February 2023, a minor victim disclosed a sexual relationship with Araica-Gonzalez and an investigation began.  Law enforcement executed a search warrant and during an interview with law enforcement, Araica-Gonzalez admitted he knew the victim was a minor, admitted to the sexual relationship, and admitted he filmed some of the sexual encounters on both his and her phones.  Araica-Gonzalez further admitted that on at least one occasion he sent the videos to the victim.

Araica-Gonzalez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Araica-Gonzalez was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $1,100 in fines and assessments. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Araica-Gonzalez 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sergeant Bluff Police Department, and Sheldon Police Department and 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 CR23-4031.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Scott Allen Tomlinson, 49, from Ida Grove, Iowa, was sentenced April 18, 2024, to 10 years in federal prison for Possession of Child Pornography.

Evidence in the case established that between September 1, 2021, and February 23, 2022, Tomlinson possessed child pornography and used a cellular phone to access the images on the cloud.  Law Enforcement recovered dozens of images from Tomlinson’s cloud-based storage system. These images included material that portrayed sadistic and masochistic conduct.  Evidence at the sentencing hearing established that Tomlinson engaged in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor. 

Tomlinson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Tomlinson was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $2,600 in fines and assessments.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Tomlinson 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 State of Iowa Department of Public Safety and 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 22-CR-04904.

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A convicted felon who was found in possession of a stolen gun was sentenced on April 16, 2024, to 21 months in federal prison.

Joseph Isiah Hardy, Sr., age 38, from Humboldt, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 28, 2023, guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Evidence at the hearing showed that on October 27, 2022, the Humboldt Police Department responded to a call of a possible stolen gun.  During a search of the property Hardy was detained and found with the stolen firearm.  Hardy admitted he had previously been convicted of the felony assault of an at-risk person in Colorado in 2012.  Hardy further admitted he knowingly possessed a stolen firearm.

Hardy was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Hardy was sentenced to 21 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.

Hardy 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 Humbolt Police Department, Humbolt County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol and 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 CR23-3010.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A felon who possessed twenty firearms in May and June 2023 was sentenced on April 11, 2024, to more than eight years in federal prison.

Ken Nakato, age 36, from Coralville, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 20, 2023 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Information from a plea agreement and sentencing hearing showed that on May 17, 2023, Hiawatha police officers responded to a domestic disturbance involving Nakato.  Officers began to assist Nakato with removing his belongings, including several firearms, from a residence, but a criminal history check showed Nakato had a felony conviction.  Nakato falsely denied being a felon.  Officers seized seven firearms, including a short-barreled rifle, from the residence and Nakato’s car. 

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) spoke with Nakato at his residence on May 19, 2023, and Nakato admitted that he was not allowed to possess firearms.  That night, Nakato texted someone else that he was officially an employee of the ATF, which would be “a clear record.”  On May 23, 2023, Nakato told an acquaintance that he was working for the ATF, and he needed to seize the acquaintance’s firearms.  Nakato took seven firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition from the acquaintance.  Law enforcement subsequently seized these seven firearms from Nakato on May 24 and May 25, 2023.

On June 7, 2023, Nakato convinced a family member to buy two firearms for him from a licensed firearms dealer in Coralville.  He was in possession of one of those firearms on June 15, 2023, when he was pulled over by Iowa City police officers.  Between May 17, 2023, and June 15, 2023, Nakato possessed at least twenty firearms.         

Nakato was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Nakato was sentenced to 100 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.

Nakato 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 Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hiawatha Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, the Coralville Police Department, and the Iowa City Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 23-CR-0048.

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A Dubuque man who fired a gun near a group of people following a fight was sentenced on April 16, 2024, to more than 12 years in prison. 

Marvin Brantley, age 31, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 13, 2023, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

Information disclosed during the plea and sentencing hearings revealed that on April 8, 2023, Brantley was involved in a fight outside a bar in Dubuque, Iowa.  Brantley and a group of people were observed on surveillance video fighting with another group of people.  At one point, a victim fell on the ground and Brantley stomped on him twice.  The groups separated and as Brantley and his group were walking through the parking lot of a bar, Brantley pulled a gun out and fired at the group.  Several people were standing outside the bar at the time.  No one was hurt.  Following the shooting, officers searched Brantley’s house.  They found marijuana but no firearm.  Brantley was arrested on related state charges.  While in custody, Brantley called his sister and, talking in code, directed her to his house where he told her the firearm was hidden.  Over the course of multiple calls, Brantley’s sister located the firearm.  Brantley directed her to wash the gun and throw it away.  Based on the phone calls, officers searched the sister’s residence.  While they did find a gun, it was not the gun used in the shooting.  The sister admitted that she took the gun to Chicago and left it with a family member.  The sister was able to get the gun back and turned it into law enforcement. 

Brantley was a felon at the time of the shooting.  He has seven prior adult criminal convictions, four of which involve violence or assaultive conduct.

Brantley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Brantley was sentenced to 145 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 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 Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the 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 23-CR-1021.

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A man who escaped from custody in the Gerald R. Hinzman Center pled guilty on April 16, 2024, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Casey Duhme, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of escape from federal custody.  At the plea hearing, Duhme admitted that he was in custody at the Hinzman Center under a federal court order pursuant to his prior conviction for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.  Duhme admitted that, between June 12, 2023, and August 31, 2023, he left custody without authorization by failing to return to the Hinzman Center as required.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force.

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

The case file number is CR 24-20.

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A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to three months in federal prison.

Jorge Luis Laguna-Razo, age 35, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Charlotte, North Carolina, received the prison term after a January 31, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.

At the guilty plea, Laguna-Razo admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Laguna-Razo was previously deported in October 2017 following his conviction in the Southern District of Texas for illegally entering the United States.  He was also deported to Mexico in February 2008.  On September 30, 2023, immigration officials learned Laguna-Razo had illegally returned to the United States and found Laguna-Razo at the Tama County Jail following his arrest for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.  Laguna-Razo was convicted of OWI on January 3, 2024.

Laguna-Razo was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Laguna-Razo was sentenced to 92 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Laguna-Razo 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-02.

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A man who possessed a firearm while being an illegal drug user pled guilty on April 11, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

Larry Wayne Robbins, age 67, from Goodell, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user, marijuana, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), and 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(8).

In a plea agreement, Robbins admitted that he waived a gun at a neighbor in Hancock County while that individual was mowing a ditch approximately 300 yards east of Robbins’s house.  A search warrant later executed at Robbins’ home located guns, ammunition, and marijuana. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Robbins remains on supervision with the United States Probation Office until sentencing.  Robbins faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and The 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 23-CR-03031.

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A man who distributed methamphetamine out of a hotel room pled guilty on April 11, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

Jordan Todd Taylor, age 34, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, Taylor admitted that he distributed more than 2 pounds of methamphetamine out of a hotel room in Fort Dodge from August 2023 through September 2023.  Law enforcement executed a search warrant of Taylor’s room on September 29, 2023, and observed him dumping a product in the toilet and located additional methamphetamine, several hundred dollars cash, and drug distribution paraphernalia.        

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Taylor remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Taylor faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C.  Fletcher and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol. 

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

The case file number is 23-CR-03041.

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A man who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison.

Calvin Williams, age 39, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 20, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after a prior conviction for a serious drug felony and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Williams was involved in a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was responsible for mailing methamphetamine from California to Iowa through the United States Postal Service.  Williams and a co-defendant developed a source of supply in California who was sending packages containing methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service to several addresses in Cedar Rapids.  Williams and a co-defendant would wrap the cash proceeds from the distribution of controlled substances, and they would mail the proceeds back to their source of supply in California in packages that listed fake names and return addresses.

Williams was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Williams was sentenced to 183 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.

Williams 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 as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of

Justice through a cooperative effort of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force.  The DEA Task Force consists 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 22-CR-91.

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A man who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on April 11, 2024, to more than 12 years in federal prison.

Carlos Sanchez, age 36, from San Bernardino, California, received the prison term after an October 23, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Sanchez was involved in a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was responsible for mailing methamphetamine from California to Iowa through the United States Postal Service.  Sanchez mailed multiple packages that contained many pounds of methamphetamine on behalf of the drug trafficking organization.

Sanchez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Sanchez was sentenced to 150 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.

Sanchez 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 as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force.  The DEA Task Force consists 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 22-CR-91.

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A Cedar Rapids man who assaulted a woman and young child was sentenced April 9, 2024, to two years in prison. 

Ryan Thomas Beattie, age 31, from Cedar Rapids, received the prison term after an October 30, 2023, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

Information disclosed during the plea and sentencing hearings revealed that on December 14, 2022, Beattie was arrested after an incident where he assaulted a female and toddler.  Beattie was arrested and later convicted of child endangerment, assault causing bodily injury, and interference with official acts.  Officers located two loaded firearms near where the assault took place.  Beattie admitted that the firearms were his and that he had his girlfriend at the time buy them for him since he could not buy firearms.  In total, Beattie’s girlfriend bought four firearms, only two of which were recovered with Beattie.  The third firearm was recovered during an incident in Iowa City.  The fourth firearm has not been recovered. 

At the time of the December incident, Beattie was a convicted felon.  He has a lengthy criminal history and has previously been to prison for child endangerment resulting in bodily injury.  

Beattie was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Beattie 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.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the 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 23-CR-52.

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A woman who possessed over 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.  Rebecca Ann Rose, age 36, from La Porte City, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 6, 2023 guilty plea to possessing at least 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.

Evidence at the sentencing hearing demonstrated that on December 27, 2022, Rose was driving a vehicle in Tipton, Iowa, when law enforcement officers stopped her.  Officers searched her car and found thousands of dollars, over 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine, and marijuana.  Seven months later, on July 15, 2023, Rose was driving a vehicle in Jones County, Iowa, when law enforcement officers again stopped her.  This time, officers found over 20 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine in the car.  Rose was transported to a local jail, where jail staff found over 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine and a methamphetamine pipe hidden on Rose’s person. 

Rose was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Rose was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Rose 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 Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Tipton Police Department, the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Muscatine County Drug Task Force. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 23-CR-45.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced on April 9, 2024, to more than four years in federal prison.

Sergio Sanchez-Juarez, age 37, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Hiawatha, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after a prior felony conviction.  Sanchez-Juarez also received a prison term for violating the conditions of supervised release imposed on his 2019 conviction in the Northern District of Iowa for illegal reentry.

At the guilty plea, Sanchez-Juarez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the country without the permission of the United States government.  Sanchez-Juarez was previously deported in February 2007, July 2014, September 2017, November 2017, October 2020, and May 2021.  On September 19, 2023, immigration officials learned Sanchez-Juarez had illegally returned to the United States and found Sanchez-Juarez at the Linn County Jail following his arrest on state charges.  Sanchez-Juarez was previously convicted in 2019 in the Northern District of Iowa of illegally reentering the United States, served 24 months in prison, and was deported. 

Sanchez-Juarez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Sanchez-Juarez was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment on the illegal reentry conviction and 12 months’ imprisonment for violating the term of supervised release imposed on the 2019 conviction in the

Northern District of Iowa.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Sanchez-Juarez 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 23-CR-68.

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A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.

Miguel Araujo-Rocha, age 38, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 8, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.

At the guilty plea, Araujo-Rocha admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Araujo-Rocha was previously deported in April 2018, September 2018, October 2019, February 2021, September 2021, and October 2021.  On October 6, 2023, immigration officials learned Araujo-Rocha had illegally returned to the United States and found Araujo-Rocha at the Tama County Jail following his arrest on state charges.  Araujo-Rocha was previously convicted in the Western District of Texas in August 2018 and in February 2019 of illegally reentering the United States.  He was also convicted in the Iowa District Court for Tama County in March 2014 of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and child endangerment for driving drunk with minor children in the car, including a two-year-old.

Araujo-Rocha also knowingly used a fraudulent Social Security card and alias to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in March 2022 at a business in Grinnell, Iowa.  Illegal aliens are not authorized to work in the United States.  The name and number on the Social Security card was a real Social Security number assigned to a United States citizen whose name was on the card. 

Araujo-Rocha was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Araujo-Rocha 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.

Araujo-Rocha 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 23-CR-73.

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A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported two times was sentenced April 5, 2024, to almost three months in federal prison.

Javier Juarez-Cuaquehua, age 35, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cresco, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 15, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.

At the guilty plea, Juarez-Cuaquehua admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Juarez-Cuaquehua was previously deported in July 2009 and November 2019.  On December 19, 2023, immigration officials learned Juarez-Cuaquehua had illegally returned to the United States and found Juarez-Cuaquehua at the Howard County Jail following his arrest on state charges. 

Juarez-Cuaquehua was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Juarez-Cuaquehua was sentenced to 81 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Juarez-Cuaquehua 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-2001.

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A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to five months in federal prison.

Luis Montiel-Rincon, age 29, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 30, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.

At the guilty plea, Montiel-Rincon admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Montiel-Rincon was previously deported in April 2015.  On October 10, 2023, immigration officials learned Montiel-Rincon had illegally returned to the United States and found Montiel-Rincon at the Linn County Jail following his arrest on state charges for eluding. 

In November 2023, Montiel-Rincon was convicted in the Iowa District Court for Linn County of eluding.  In that case, Montiel-Rincon eluded officers in August 2023 and willfully failed to bring his motorcycle to a stop while reaching speeds of up to 101 mph in a 30-mph zone.  Montiel-Rincon was also convicted in the Iowa District Court for Linn County in November 2023 for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated from an incident occurring in July 2023. 

Montiel-Rincon was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Montiel-Rincon was sentenced to 148 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Montiel-Rincon 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 23-CR-83.

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A North Carolina man who sold fentanyl to a Dubuque, Iowa, man who overdosed and died was sentenced today to more than 30 years in prison.

James Adam Earwood, age 39, of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, received the prison sentence after a jury found Earwood guilty on October 5, 2023, of distribution of a controlled substance, heroin and fentanyl, causing the death of the victim.

Evidence introduced at trial and sentencing showed that on November 18, 2021, Earwood mailed a package of heroin and fentanyl to the victim.  Earwood was living in North Carolina at the time and the victim was living in Dubuque.  The victim used the heroin and fentanyl and overdosed in the parking lot of a local business.  The victim survived the overdose.  One month later, on December 17, 2021, the victim received another package of heroin and fentanyl in the mail from Earwood.  The victim used the heroin and fentanyl and died shortly thereafter.  He was found deceased by hotel staff in a hotel in Dubuque.  

Earwood operated what he deemed to be a business selling fentanyl for at least a year.  The business had a name, which he marketed, and even included the business’s logo in packages of fentanyl that he sold.  Earwood marketed his product to a private Facebook group for recovering heroin addicts.  He asked his customers to leave positive reviews of his products.  Earwood bragged about the quality of his product and even used the victim’s death to show how strong his product was.  He would ship his product nationwide using the US Postal Service or would leave the product for local customers in discreet locations so the customer could later find it.  

Earwood was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Earwood was sentenced to 365 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.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Corkery, Patrick Reinert, and Devra Hake, and was 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 United States Postal Inspection Service, the Dubuque Drug Task Force which includes the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office and the Dubuque Police Department, and the Rutherford County North Carolina Drug Task Force. 

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

The case file number is 22-CR-1024.

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An Iowa woman was sentenced today to four months in prison, four months of home confinement, and two years of supervised release for a voter fraud scheme she perpetrated during the Iowa 2020 primary and general elections.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kim Phuong Taylor, age 50, of Sioux City perpetrated a scheme to generate votes in the June 2020 primary election and November 2020 general election. Taylor’s husband was an unsuccessful candidate for Iowa’s 4th U.S. Congressional District in the primary election, and subsequently a successful candidate for Woodbury County Supervisor in the 2020 general election. Taylor submitted or caused others to submit dozens of voter registrations, absentee ballot request forms, and absentee ballots containing false information. For example, although many of these documents required the signer to affirm that he or she was the person named in them, Taylor signed them for voters without their permission and told others that they could sign on behalf of relatives who were not present.

A federal jury convicted Taylor in November 2023 of 26 counts of providing false information in registering and voting, three counts of fraudulent registration, and 23 counts of fraudulent voting.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Timothy T. Duax for the Northern District of Iowa; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office; and Acting Inspector in Charge Brad Mahs of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Denver Division made the announcement.

The FBI Omaha Field Office and USPIS Denver Division investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Richard B. Evans of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Timmons for the Northern District of Iowa prosecuted the case.

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

The case file number is 23-CR-4004.

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A man who faced his second sentencing in federal court in a case involving an overdose death was sentenced March 28, 2024, to 27 years in federal prison.

Kevin Lorenzo Perry, age 35, from Austell, Georgia, received the prison term after a September 12, 2023, guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

In a plea agreement, Perry admitted he supplied fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl to another person causing the death of that person on February 6, 2020.  This death occurred in Independence, Iowa.

Perry was previously sentenced to 240 months in the Southern District of Iowa for another overdose death in case number 20-cr-58 that also occurred in 2020 in Iowa City, Iowa.

Perry was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Perry was sentenced to 324 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.  Judge Strand ordered that part of sentence in this case be run consecutive to the sentence in Southern District resulting in a total term of 32 years in federal prison.

Perry 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 Emily K. Nydle and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Independence Police Department, the Iowa City Police Department, and the Johnson County Drug Task Force. 

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

The case file number is 23-cr-2016.

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An Iowa nurse who stole pain medication from at least 50 new mothers at a Waterloo hospital was sentenced on March 27, 2024, in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Christina Eileen Olson, formerly known as Christina Eileen Hovey, age 43, of Waterloo, received the prison term after pleading guilty on October 12, 2023, to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge, one count of adulteration and misbranding with intent to defraud and mislead, and one count of false statements relating to health care matters.

At the plea hearing, and in a plea agreement, Olson admitted that the State of Iowa granted her a nursing license in 2004.  In 2017, a Waterloo hospital hired Olson to work as a nurse in its labor and delivery unit.  Olson was responsible for caring for late-term pregnant women, women in active labor, and post-partum women, including women recovering from recent Caesarean section (“c-section”) surgery.  Obstetricians prescribed these women Schedule II narcotics, including hydromorphone, oxycodone, and fentanyl, in order to control physical pain associated with the birthing process.

From no later than January 2022, to at least March 25, 2022, Olson used her nursing license to gain access to controlled substances in the hospital’s labor and delivery unit.  Instead of administering the controlled substances to the women in pain, Olson diverted the controlled substances to herself for her own illicit drug use.  Olson admitted she stole narcotics from no less than 50 victims.  In order to cover up her crimes, Olson used a variety of fraudulent means, including falsely documenting that she had administered pain medication to new mothers when she had not done so.  Olson also admitted to tampering with pain medication—replacing fentanyl inside a vial with saline and diverting the narcotic for her own use.

For example, on March 25, 2022, Olson was supposed to care for three new mothers and their babies during her shift from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m.  One of Olson’s victims, known in court documents as “Mother-1,” had given birth via c-section on March 23, 2022, in a high-risk pregnancy.  In addition to caring for Mother-1, it was Olson’s responsibility to come into Mother-1’s room and document how much the baby was eating every hour, as this is important to ensure the health of a newborn.  Instead of caring for Mother-1 and her baby, however, Olson never came into the room or checked on Mother-1 or her baby or administered pain medication to Mother-1 on March 25, 2023, even though Olson documented in the hospital’s records that she was administering pain medication to Mother-1.  Rather, Olson diverted the pain medication to her own use.

As a result of Olson’s crimes, Mother-1 suffered “horrible and excruciating pain” on March 25, 2023.  Further, because Olson had created false health care records documenting that she had administered the pain medication to Mother-1, the next nurse on shift declined to give pain medication to Mother-1 for at least 30 additional minutes in order to ensure Mother-1 was not feigning her need for narcotics.  And despite repeated requests by Mother-1’s husband for formula, Mother-1’s newborn did not receive any formula until the end of Olson’s shift.

Another c-section patient, Mother-2, did not speak fluent English.  Olson stole needed pain medications from Mother-2, as well.  Mother-2’s husband made multiple complaints to the hospital about Mother-2’s pain to no avail.

The next day, March 26, 2023, Olson was again working first shift at the hospital.  During this shift, the hospital drug tested Olson.  The drug test was positive for opiates (oxycodone and hydromorphone) and marijuana.  Another nurse then found an open fentanyl vial, an open ephedrine vial, and an epidural bag in another new mother’s room.  The hospital’s records revealed that Olson had removed these three items under the new mother’s name despite the fact there were no such orders for her.  The fentanyl vial had puncture marks on the top and bottom stopper surfaces, and laboratory results later revealed that nearly all the fentanyl in the vial had been replaced with saline.

Olson admitted that she routinely drank alcohol and used marijuana while working at the Waterloo hospital.  In order to pass a drug test at the hospital, Olson injected another person’s urine into her bladder.  In September 2021, after receiving reports that Olson was disappearing from her shift for extended periods of time, the hospital’s director referred Olson to an employee assistance program.  On September 9, 2021, however, Olson took a leave of absence from the hospital for about three months after she was arrested for drunk driving.  Olson’s blood alcohol level at the time of her arrest was no less than .274.

In July 2022, Olson entered into a settlement agreement with the Iowa Board of Nursing under which she agreed to voluntarily surrender her nursing license for one year.  As a part of her plea agreement, Olson has now forfeited her nursing license to the United States.

“Ms. Hovey callously stole pain medications from over 50 new mothers, subjecting them to additional suffering during their procedures,” said United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax.  “Our office is committed to protecting new mothers, and all medical patients, from such violations of trust by prosecuting health care employees who prey on their patients.”

“Patients rely on the knowledge that they will receive FDA-approved medications to manage their pain,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice healthcare professionals who jeopardize patients’ health by interfering with their pain medications.” 

Olson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Olson was sentenced to one year and one day of imprisonment.  She 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 was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. 

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

The case file number is 23-CR-2055.

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A man who illegally purchased a firearm pled guilty April 1, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

Hunter Collier, 22, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

At the plea hearing, Collier admitted to purchasing a.380 ACP pistol in July of 2022, from The Iowa Outdoor Store, in Fort Dodge.  At the time of purchase, Collier represented he was purchasing the firearm for himself, when in fact he was purchasing the firearm for another.  Collier purchased an additional firearm for this same individual from JT Guns & Supply in Des Moines, Iowa.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Collier remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing.  Collier faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Webster County Sheriff’s Office. 

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

The case file number is 23-3035.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A former Iowa hospital administrator who lived under a false identity for more than 30 years and caused the false imprisonment of his victim pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Matthew David Keirans, age 58, from Hartland, Wisconsin, was convicted of one count of false statement to a national credit union administration insured institution and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Evidence presented at hearings in the case established that Keirans and his identity theft victim worked together at a hotdog cart in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the late 1980s.  Keirans assumed the victim’s identity and, for the next three decades, used that identity in every aspect of his life.  Keirans obtained several false documents in the victim’s name, including a Kentucky birth certificate.

In 2013, Keirans obtained employment as a high-level administrator in an Iowa City hospital.  Keirans provided the hospital with false identification documents during the hiring process, including a fictitious I-9 form, social security number, date of birth, and other identification documents in his victim’s name.  After getting hired, Keirans worked for the hospital remotely from his residence in Wisconsin.  Keirans’ access to, and roles in, the system architecture of the hospital’s computer infrastructure were “the highest it could be,” and Keirans “was the key administrator of critical systems.”

Between August 2016 and May 2022, Keirans repeatedly obtained vehicle and personal loans from two credit unions in the Northern District of Iowa using the victim’s name, social security number, and date of birth.  Keirans obtained eight loans with a total value of over $200,000 from the credit unions.

Keirans also maintained deposits at a national bank.  In 2019, the victim, who was homeless at the time, entered the branch of the national bank in Los Angeles, California, and told a branch manager that he had recently discovered that someone was using his credit and had accumulated large amounts of debt.  The victim stated that he did not want to pay the debt and wished to close his accounts at the bank.  The victim presented the bank with his true social security card, as well as an authentic State of California identification card.  Due to the large amount of currency in the accounts, the branch manager asked the victim a series of security questions, which the victim was unable to answer.  The national bank then called the Los Angeles Police Department (“LAPD”).

LAPD officers spoke with Keirans on the telephone, who stated he lived in Wisconsin and did not give anyone in California permission to access his bank accounts.  After faxing the LAPD a series of phony identification documents, the LAPD arrested Keirans’ victim on two felony charges.  The victim was charged in Keirans’ name and held without bail at the Los Angeles County Jail.

In the ensuing months, Keirans contacted the LAPD and Los Angeles District Attorney (LADA) numerous times requesting updates on the victim’s prosecution.  Meanwhile, Keirans’ victim continued to assert throughout the California criminal proceedings that he was not Keirans.  A California state court judge ultimately found Keirans’ victim was not mentally competent to stand trial and ordered Keirans’ victim to a California mental hospital.  The California state court also ordered Keirans’ victim to receive psychotropic medication. 

In March 2021, Keirans’ victim pled “no contest” to the two felony charges in exchange for a “time-served” sentence and immediate release from custody.  In total, Keirans’ victim spent 428 days in county jail and 147 days in the mental hospital as a result of Keirans’ false reports to the LAPD and LADA.  The state court also ordered Keirans’ victim to “use only their true name, Matthew Keirans” in the future.

After his release from jail and hospital, Keirans’ victim made numerous attempts to regain his identity.  For his part, Keirans continued to make false reports and statements to law enforcement officials in Wisconsin and California.

In January 2023, after learning where Keirans was employed, the victim contacted the Iowa City hospital’s security department about Keirans.  The hospital referred Keirans’ complaint to a local law enforcement agency, which assigned an experienced detective to investigate the victim’s complaint.  The detective conducted an investigation and, over the course of the ensuing months, unraveled Keirans’ identity theft scheme.  Among other things, the detective obtained DNA evidence that conclusively proved that Keirans was not the son of an elderly man in Kentucky, as Keirans had claimed, but that Keirans’ victim was the man’s son.

During an interview with the detective in July 2023, Keirans initially insisted that the victim was “crazy” and “needed help and should be locked up.”  When the detective presented Keirans with the results of the DNA testing, however, Keirans confessed to the three-decade identity theft scheme.  Keirans also admitted to providing fraudulent documents to authorities in Los Angeles from his residence in Wisconsin to aid in the arrest, prosecution, and incarceration of the victim. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Keirans remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Keirans faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 32 years’ imprisonment, a $1.25 million fine, and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the University of Iowa Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 23-CR-1020.

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A man who possessed a ghost gun, a rifle, and high-capacity magazines was sentenced on March 28, 2024, to more than one year in federal prison.

John Wayne Brooks, age 62, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 21, 2023 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.           

Information from a plea agreement and sentencing showed that Marion police officers executed a search warrant at Brooks’s residence on January 25, 2022.  Officers found a Polymer80 Inc. PF94c, 9mm caliber pistol without a serial number, a type of firearm known as a “ghost gun,” under a pillow on Brooks’s bed.  They also found a 9mm fifty-round drum magazine, two 9mm thirty-round magazines, and a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22, .22 caliber rifle in Brooks’s bedroom.  Brooks was convicted of a felony narcotics offense in Illinois in 1999.    

Brooks was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Brooks was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a two-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.

Brooks 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 Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Marion Police Department and 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-53.

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