Northern District of Iowa

A man who conspired across multiple states to distribute methamphetamine while possessing a firearm was sentenced March 31, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa.

Shawn Gaston, 32, from Fairmont, Minnesota, pled guilty on July 8, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from February 2020 through October 2021, Gaston and others distributed approximately 27 pounds of methamphetamine across Northern Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  In October 2021, law enforcement in Clay County, Iowa, attempted to effectuate a traffic stop on a vehicle Gaston was operating.  Gaston led law enforcement on a lengthy high-speed pursuit with Gaston’s vehicle ultimately crashing into a creek in Dickinson County, Iowa.  Gaston exited the vehicle after the crash and attempted to dispose of a gun and methamphetamine before being apprehended.  The gun and methamphetamine were found approximately 20 yards from the crashed vehicle.  Gaston was in Iowa to collect on a drug debt owed to him.  Defendant has multiple prior felony convictions, including possession of stolen property and possession of drugs.  These convictions prohibit Gaston from legally possessing guns.  

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Gaston was sentenced to 295 months’ imprisonment, and must serve a term of five years’ supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Gaston remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.

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 was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Spencer Police Department, H.E.A.T., Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force, Minnesota BCA, Worthington Police Department, Wisconsin DCI, Sauk County Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office, Iowa-Grant Wisconsin Drug Task Force, Crawford County Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Iowa DCI Laboratory.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood 

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

The case file number is 21-4094.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who distributed methamphetamine to a woman, which resulted in her death, was sentenced today to serve 14 years in federal prison.

Eric A. Young, age 43, from St. Ansgar, Iowa, was convicted of distribution of methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Young admitted that he provided methamphetamine to a woman from Nashua, Iowa, on the night of her death.  Young admitted to selling the methamphetamine to the woman in exchange for $90.  He further admitted that he was present when the woman became unresponsive after taking the methamphetamine.  The woman was later pronounced dead at the scene.  During the sentencing hearing, the judge indicated that the woman died as a result of a methamphetamine overdose.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Young was sentenced to serve 168 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three‑year term of supervised release following his term of incarceration.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Young remains in the custody of the United States Marshal until he is transported to federal prison.

This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood.

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

The case file number is 22-CR-2024-CJW.

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A man who possessed a firearm on multiple occasions and intentionally fired upon a car full of people including two young children and who negligently shot a woman in the leg was sentenced, to 3-years in federal prison.         

Jalond Hills, 19, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence in the case showed that on or about September 16, 2021, Jalond Hills, fired at an individual who was in a car with a woman and her two minor children.  Jalond Hills was caught with the gun and confessed he was in possession of the gun and had fired it while being a user of illegal drugs.

Further, on or about April 15, 2022, Jalond Hills, was at an apartment in the 2200 block of Gibson Street where he and another person began wrestling over a firearm.  The other person was trying to make the weapon safe, and Hills wanted the weapon.  In the end, the other person was shot in the leg while attempting to take control of the gun.  After Hills contributed to this horrible accident, he cut off his location monitoring bracelet, and absconded without even stopping to check on the other person as she began to bleed out.

Jalond Hills was previously convicted of possession of a controlled substance as a juvenile, in the Woodbury County, Iowa District Court at Case Number SRCR112683.

Jalond Hills was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand, to 36 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term and pay a $100 special assessment fee.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Jalond Hills 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 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 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 22-04057.

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Ahmed Abdullahai Khalif, 23, from Owosso, Michigan, pled guilty on March 30, 2023, to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.  Khalif was a user of marijuana and was previously convicted of felony Illegal Sale/Use of a Financial Transaction Device in Michigan. Both prohibit a person from possessing a firearm. 

At the plea hearing, defendant admitted that on October 19, 2022, during a traffic stop, he possessed a 9mm Taurus pistol and marijuana while being a felon.  Prior to the traffic stop, an Iowa State Patrol trooper clocked the vehicle defendant was driving traveling in excess of 100 mph.  After the trooper activated his emergency lights, Khalif led the trooper on a high-speed pursuit into Wright County, at times traveling toward oncoming traffic.  Ultimately, the defendant hit the trooper’s vehicle, and defendant fled on foot a short distance before being apprehended.  The vehicle defendant was driving was stolen in Massachusetts.  During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found the 9mm Taurus pistol and marijuana.  In addition to the federal conviction for the firearm possession, defendant was convicted in Iowa District Court for Wright County with felony Eluding, Theft 2nd Degree, Assault on Persons in Certain Occupations, Possession Marijuana, and Operating While Under the Influence.  

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Khalif remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Khalif 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.

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 Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa DCI, 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 22-3035.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who illegally possessed firearms that were stolen was sentenced on March 30, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City to over 11 years in federal prison.

Logan Rhinehart, 27, from Fairfield, Iowa, pled guilty on November 16, 2022, to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Rhinehart was previously convicted of felony burglary, escape and theft.  These convictions prohibit a person from possessing any firearm.  Evidence showed that on January 13, 2022, law enforcement located a stolen .22 caliber firearm under circumstances which indicated it had been stolen by Rhinehart.  On January 28, 2022, law enforcement attempted to pull Rhinehart over when they observed him driving a stolen vehicle. As law enforcement attempted to stop the vehicle, Rhinehart attempted to flee driving at a high rate of speed (113+ mph) and the vehicle ended up crashing into a snow drift.  Rhinehart then attempted to flee on foot before apprehended by law enforcement.  During the attempted flight Rhinehart threw a 40 caliber pistol, which was also stolen, out of the vehicle which was later recovered from the scene.  Further evidence showed that from between January 13, 2022 and January 28, 2022, Rhinehart burglarized two separate homes and stole numerous items, including two firearms.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Rhinehart was sentenced to 136 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Rhinehart remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin 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 22-3008.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who distributed heroin in Dubuque, Iowa, plead guilty on March 30, 2023.

John A. Pruitt, age 39, formerly of Dubuque, was convicted of distribution of heroin.

In a plea agreement, Pruitt admitted to distributing heroin in the Dubuque area.  In the fall of 2021, Pruitt was stopped by Dubuque police officers because he had three active arrest warrants.  During the stop, officers recovered a distribution quantity of heroin from Pruitt’s person and from the floorboard area, where he was reaching during the stop. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Pruitt remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Pruitt faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of not more than $1 million, and of at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason D. Norwood.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 22-CR-1030-CJW.

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A man that made false statements during an attempted purchase of a firearm was sentenced March 29, 2023, to more than 2 years in federal prison.

Dean Kohler, age 56, from Remsen, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 3, 2022, guilty plea to making false statements during the purchase of a firearm.

Evidence in the case showed Kohler knowingly made false statements and representations to a Federal Firearms Licensee in Sioux City, Iowa, in the attempted acquisition of a rifle. Kohler represented that, 1) he had never been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution when, in fact, he had been subject to two court orders adjudicating him as mental defective; and 2) that he was not subject to a court order restraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening a child or an intimate partner or the child of such partner when, in fact, at the time of the attempted acquisition, he was then the subject of a protective order with an intimate partner.  When the federal background check prevented the sale, Kohler found a private party willing to sell him a firearm. 

Kohler’s criminal history includes Operating While Intoxicated, Carrying Weapons, Violation of Protective Order, Disorderly Conduct, Assault With a Dangerous Weapon – where he threatened people in a Walmart parking lot with a chainsaw, and Harassment – where Kohler told a person "…time was running out for [him] and [his] stupid mother” and Kohler repeatedly drove by the victims’ home honking his horn.

Kohler was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 33 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.

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

The case was investigated by USDOJ-ATF 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 22-4038.

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A man who was found in possession of cocaine in 2022 while he was federal supervised release from a 2002 drug offense was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.

Vachon Robertson, age 48, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 3, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense.

At the guilty plea and during the sentencing hearing, Robertson admitted he was in possession of 364 grams of cocaine and 28 grams of cocaine base, commonly called crack cocaine, on April 25, 2022, when he was stopped by Cedar Rapids police officers.  At that time, Robertson was still on supervised release from his 2002 federal drug conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine within 1000 feet of a public playground in Cedar Rapids.

Robertson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Robertson was sentenced to a total sentence of 74 months’ imprisonment comprised of 46 months’ imprisonment for the new crime and a consecutive sentence of 28 months imprisonment for the supervised release violation.  He must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

These cases were prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Adam Vander Stoep and Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert 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 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. 

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

The case file number are 02-CR-00029 and 22-CR-00057.

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A man who distributed methamphetamine in the Charles City and Mason City areas was sentenced on March 31, 2022, to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Brandon Glaser, age 43, from Charles City, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 7, 2022, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Glaser was getting pound quantities of methamphetamine in Missouri and redistributing it in and around North Central Iowa.  On November 21, 2021, Glaser’s car was stopped in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, and he was found in possession of approximately 2 pounds of pure methamphetamine and over $3500 in cash.

Glaser was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Glaser was sentenced to 134 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.

Glaser 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 investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Department, Mason City Police, Charles City Police, Clear Lake Police, and the Iowa State Patrol. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 22-CR-3009.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine, who also distributed methamphetamine, and was illegally in the United States was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa on March 23, 2023, to 11 ½ years in prison. 

Jose Duenas-Topete, 29, from Hawarden, Iowa, pled guilty on October 12, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of distributing methamphetamine, and one count of illegal reentry.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, the evidence showed that from January 2020 to April 2, 2022, as part of the conspiracy, Topete distributed at least 45 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area. On April 2, 2022, law enforcement conducted a controlled drug buy/bust operation from Topete and his co-conspirators.  Agents observed Topete receive 10 pounds of methamphetamine, in exchange for an initial payment of $5000, from a transporter from Arkansas, sent by Mexico-based sources, at Topete’s request. Topete then transferred the majority of the methamphetamine to an informant working with agents. Thereafter, agents conducted traffic stops of the vehicles involved and seized from the various participants the 10 pounds of meth and the $5000 in buy money supplied by the agents. Topete later admitted he had previously received four shipments containing 5-6 pounds each of methamphetamine from sources in Mexico to distribute to persons in Sioux City and the surrounding area. Evidence further showed that Topete is a native and citizen of Mexico, illegally in the United States and was subject to six previous removals from the United States.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Duenas-Topete was sentenced to 138 months’ imprisonment and a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Duenas-Topete remains in U.S. Marshal custody pending transport to a federal prison. 

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

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

The case file number is 22-4026. 

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

Jose Lopez-Martinez, age 42, a citizen of Honduras illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 19, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.

At the guilty plea, Lopez-Martinez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Lopez-Martinez was previously deported to Honduras in April 2000, March 2001, March 2011, July 2011, October 2011, November 2011, February 2012, August 2012, and July 2014.  On November 21, 2022, immigration officials learned Lopez-Martinez had illegally returned to the United States and found Lopez-Martinez at the Linn County Jail following his arrest for operating while intoxicated.

Lopez-Martinez was previously convicted in the Northern District of Iowa in January 2014 of illegally reentering the United States, a felony, and received an eight-month prison term.  Lopez-Martinez also has prior convictions in Texas for misdemeanor illegal entry into the United States in April 2011 and December 2011. 

Lopez-Martinez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Lopez-Martinez was sentenced to ten 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.

Lopez-Martinez 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 22-CR-96.

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Gold Wings (HK) Limited (“Gold Wings”), a Hong Kong company, and its CEO, Min Zheng, have agreed to enter a consent decree to resolve allegations made by the United States that they participated in and furthered a fraud scheme against an Iowa company. In the consent decree, United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand prohibited Gold Wings and Zheng from continued fraudulent activity, exercising control over fraudulently obtained funds, and contesting ownership over certain fraud proceeds.

The United States alleged in a court filing that Gold Wings and Zheng participated in a scheme that defrauded an Iowa company of over $8 million by knowingly receiving and laundering $2.3 million sent to them for purposes of purchasing a chemical used to manufacture fertilizer. The United States alleged the victim company never received the promised chemicals, yet Gold Wings and Zheng almost immediately dissipated the victim’s funds, leaving only slightly more than $575,000 in the recipient bank account.

Under the parties’ consent decree, Gold Wings and Zheng disclaimed all property interests in the $2.3 million received from the victim company and agreed not to contest ownership of those funds in any future proceeding, which will allow for the return of fraudulently obtained funds to victims. They further are permanently enjoined from engaging in certain related financial transactions and engaging in future fraudulent or unlawful activity.

“Every day, individuals and entities around the country fall victim to bad actors committing scams both at home and abroad,” said United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax. “We take these schemes seriously and will use all tools at our disposal to prevent and remedy the damages stemming from such fraudulent schemes. In this case, we are pleased fraud victims will have the opportunity to recoup their funds.”

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Gillespie and Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 22-CV-3015-LTS-KEM.

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A man who fired a .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun in a residential neighborhood in the middle of the day was sentenced today to more than 9 years in federal prison.

Deshaun Jackson, age 24, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 13, 2022 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

At the guilty plea, Jackson admitted he possessed an Intratech Tech .22 semi-automatic handgun and a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun while he was prohibited due to being previously convicted of burglary and robbery in Black Hawk County.  Jackson also possessed a 110 round drum-style magazine.  At sentencing, the Judge stated Jackson created a “firefight in a residential neighborhood,” and that his conduct was “extremely dangerous and unjustified in any sense.”  The Judge further stated that Jackson did not have any business possessing a 110 round drum magazine.

Jackson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Jackson was sentenced to 114 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.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 22-CR-2045.

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A Cedar Rapids woman who harbored and concealed a felon who had escaped from a local halfway house was sentenced on March 28, 2023, to approximately 5 months in custody.  Rachel Louise Monthie, formerly known as Rachel Louise Chronister, age 45, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the term of incarceration after a February 3, 2023 guilty plea to one count of harboring and concealing an escapee, Ricky Joe Vaughn.

In Monthie’s plea agreement, as well as at prior hearings in the Monthie and Vaughn cases, the evidence showed that Vaughn was sentenced in June 2015 to serve 96 months in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition illegally. Vaughn has an extensive criminal history extending back to 2001.  In addition to his prior federal firearms conviction, Vaughn’s criminal history in state court includes felony convictions for theft and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.

Vaughn was scheduled to be released from a federal prison in Michigan in February 2022.  In December 2021, however, the United States Bureau of Prisons permitted Vaughn to reside in a Cedar Rapids halfway house with work release privileges.  On January 10, 2022, Monthie drove to Vaughn’s workplace.  In Monthie’s presence, Vaughn cut off his ankle monitor and threw it into a nearby ditch.  Monthie drove Vaughn to a Cedar Falls hotel, where she provided food and lodging for three nights.

On January 13, 2022, Monthie drove Vaughn to her apartment in Marion, Iowa.  Monthie allowed Vaughn to use her shower and placed a loaded, chambered firearm on an ottoman next to the front door.  Monthie conducted countersurveillance against law enforcement, going in and out of the apartment on the false pretense that she was taking things from her vehicle.  Deputies of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) approached the apartment and knocked twice but received no response.  Eventually, Monthie allowed the deputies inside the apartment and told them about the firearm.  Vaughn was arrested without incident. 

Monthie has a misdemeanor criminal history, including three drunk driving offenses, that extends over two decades.  Before the sentencing hearing, Monthie’s pretrial release was revoked after she used methamphetamine and possessed a compressed air BB pistol.  Monthie was later released to a halfway house but failed to comply with its rules concerning alcohol use and re-ordered by a federal judge into USMS custody.

Monthie was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Vaughn was sentenced to a time-served sentence of 154 days of jail.  She must also serve a one-year term of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.  In August 2022, Vaughn was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for his escape from custody.

Monthie is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until April 20, 2023, when she is ordered to report to a local halfway house for up to 180 days.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the USMS. 

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

The case file numbers are 22-CR-80 (Monthie) and 22-CR-12 (Vaughn).

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A woman who escaped from custody was sentenced March 16, 2023, to more than one year in federal prison.

Sarah Renee Pray, age 32, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a December 15, 2022, guilty plea to one count of escape from custody. 

At the guilty plea, Pray admitted that on August 31, 2022, she escaped from custody from the Dismas Charities Residential Reentry Center (RRC) in Sioux City.  Pray was confined to Dismas pursuant to a conviction for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance out of the United States District Court for South Dakota.   

On August 31, 2022, at approximately 9:00 p.m., Dismas staff conducted a routine head count and were not able to locate Pray.  Staff determined Pray did not have permission to be out of the facility and checked with her emergency contacts, local jails, and hospitals with negative results.  Pray’s whereabouts were unknown until she turned herself in to authorities on October 4, 2022, at the Union County Jail in Elk Point, South Dakota.     

Pray was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Pray was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Pray 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 Kevin C. Fletcher and investigated by United States Marshal’s Service. 

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

The case file number is 22-CR-4082.

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The University of Iowa (“UI”) has agreed to training and payment of $16,444 to the United States to resolve allegations that UI, through its academic medical center in Iowa City, Iowa, submitted claims for payment to the Medicare program for x-ray interpretations by resident physicians where an attending physician’s review of the residents’ interpretations did not satisfy government payment requirements.

Specifically, the government alleged that it had certain civil claims against UI arising from its submission of claims for payment for resident x-ray interpretations, where review by an attending physician did not satisfy the requirements of 42 C.F.R. § 415.180, between the period July 2018 to May 2020. Under 42 C.F.R. § 415.180, a Medicare payment regulation identifying requirements for the interpretation of diagnostic radiology in a teaching setting, physician fee schedule payment may be made for x-ray interpretations if the interpretation is reviewed or performed by a physician other than a resident. 

Under the settlement agreement, UI will implement mandatory physician training regarding Medicare requirements for physician fee payment for interpretations of diagnostic radiology in teaching settings.   

UI cooperated fully during the investigation and did not admit to any liability as part of the settlement agreement.

This civil matter arose from an action brought under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act.  The whistleblower will share in the United States’ financial recovery.

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Melissa A. Carrington and Jacob A. Schunk and investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General.

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

The case file number is 19-cv-00007-CJW-KEM.

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A man who illegally possessed a firearm as a felon on multiple occasions was sentenced March 15, to 8 years in federal prison. 

Carter Brinkerhoff, 28, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence in the case showed that on May 4, 2019, August 20, 2020, and June 27, 2021, Brinkerhoff knowingly possessed three separate firearms. Each of the occasions were discovered when law enforcement responded to allegations of other crimes of violence involving Brinkerhoff.

Brinkerhoff was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand, to 96 months imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term and pay a $100 special assessment fee.  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.

Brinkerhoff 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 Rock Valley, Iowa Police Department, Dennison, Iowa Police Department, Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, Tri-State Drug Task Force, the DEA and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

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

The case file number is 22-04040.

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A man who escaped from federal custody was sentenced March 17, 2023, to 27 months in federal prison.

Anwar Amaya, 32, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, received the prison term after he pled guilty on October 20, 2022, to escape from federal custody.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Amaya was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment on June 1, 2020, after a federal conviction for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota.  On February 7, 2022, Amaya departed a Federal Correctional Complex in Florida on furlough.  According to the conditions of furlough, Amaya was required to arrive at Dismas Charities, a residential reentry center, halfway house in Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa, on February 9, 2022.  Amaya did not arrive at Dismas Charities residential reentry center in Sioux City, Iowa as ordered.  On February 17, 2022, Amaya was arrested by Sioux Falls Police Department after responding to a call for service of a burglary in progress. 

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Amaya was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 3-year of supervised release following the imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Amaya 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 the United States Marshal Service. 

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

The case file number is 22-4016.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

An Onawa, Iowa man, was sentenced March 14, to more than 4 years in federal prison.

Antonio Palmer, age 44, from Onawa, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 20, 2022, guilty plea to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence in the case showed Palmer was stopped by Sioux City Police for traffic infractions. When the officer approached Palmer’s vehicle, there was a strong odor of marijuana, and the officer observed a handgun in the driver’s side door.  When the officer requested assistance, Palmer opened his door and told the officer to take the firearm. Palmer also had 19-round magazine for the firearm.  During the encounter, Palmer admitted to smoking marijuana in the vehicle and that he had just purchased the firearm via a private sale.

Palmer was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 57 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.

The case was investigated by the Sioux City 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 22-04037.

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A man who illegally possessed a firearm pled guilty March 16, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.

Damian Ortega Rojas, 19, from South Sioux City, Nebraska, was convicted of possession of a firearm by a drug user.

Evidence at the plea hearing showed that on July 22, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Ortega Rojas was driving. Also present in the vehicle were Rojas’s three minor siblings.  Ortega Rojas showed signs of driving impaired and as the officer approached the vehicle, he detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.  Ortega Rojas provided law enforcement with a bag containing approximately ¼ to ½ pound of marijuana.  The officer also located a backpack in the vehicle which contained a Glock .40 caliber handgun.  Also located and seized in the vehicle were numerous spent .22 casings, multiple .40 rounds, baggies, grinder, tobacco pre-rolls, marijuana pipe, and storage container with marijuana residue.  Ortega Rojas admitted to being a user of marijuana and a daily smoker of marijuana.  Ortega Rojas further admitted that he stole the backpack containing the handgun from a vehicle in Sioux City.

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.  Ortega Rojas remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing.  Ortega Rojas 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 Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, and 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 22-4064.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who possessed over 900 grams of heroin and fentanyl and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase pled guilty in federal court on March 15, 2023.

Donald Ray Owens, age 43, from Markham, Illinois, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute and aiding and abetting with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Northern District of Iowa.

In a plea agreement, Owens admitted to taking the Iowa State Patrol on a high-speed chase and, during the chase, someone threw a vacuum-sealed package out of the vehicle, which contained 975.7 grams of heroin and fentanyl.  Officers also found over $17,000 in cash.  Officers also recovered text messages related to possible drug transactions, photographs of controlled substances, and photographs of drug paraphernalia from Owens’s phone.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Owens remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Owens faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and the following maximum penalties: (1) not more than life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole; (2) a fine of not more than $8 million; (3) a mandatory special assessment of $100; and (4) a term of supervised release of at least eight years and up to life.

This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 22-CR-00032-CJW.

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A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty on March 15, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.

Christina Gianopoulos-Rohrer, 50, from Cherokee, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Gianopoulos-Rohrer admitted that on December 6, 2021, in Woodbury County, Iowa, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in which she was a passenger.  During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement seized approximately one pound of methamphetamine which Gianopoulos-Rohrer intended, with others, to distribute.  Gianopoulos-Rohrer also admitted her involvement in a conspiracy that distributed at least 3 kilograms of methamphetamine from December 2019 through May 2022.  Gianopoulos-Rohrer further admitted her involvement with others in obtaining methamphetamine from sources in California and Nevada and transporting it back to the Cherokee, Iowa area for further distribution. 

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the 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, United States Postal Inspectors, Homeland Security Investigations, Iowa DCI Laboratory, and Cherokee Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 22-4002 and 22-4066.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A woman who escaped from custody was sentenced March 8, 2023, to more than one year in federal prison.

Karen Rose Merrick, age 39, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a December 13, 2022, guilty plea to one count of escape from custody, and revocation of her supervised release. 

At the guilty plea, Merrick admitted that on August 2, 2022, she signed out of Dismas Charities Residential Reentry Center (RRC) to report for work at a company in Sioux City.  RRC staff called the company to verify Merrick had arrived at work on August 1 and 2, 2022.  The company advised she had not arrived at work.  She did not return to the RRC on August 2, 2022, or after.  Defendant’s whereabouts were unknown until her arrest on September 9, 2022, by the Minneapolis, Minnesota, Police Department.

In January 2020, Merrick was convicted of Accessory After the Fact to Bank Robbery in the United States District Court of the Northern District of Iowa, where she was sentenced to 30 months in prison and a term of supervised release of 2 years after her term of imprisonment. On January 27, 2021, defendant started her original supervised release term.  In July 2022, she was placed at the RRC located in Sioux City for a period of 90 days. 

Merrick was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Merrick was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a 1-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Merrick 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 Kevin C. Fletcher and investigated by United States Marshal’s Service. 

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

The case file number is 22-CR-4088.

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A man with a lengthy criminal history entered a plea of guilty March 13, 2023, after seating a jury in federal court in Sioux City.

Marlo Harper, aka Umar Amir Al-Sayyaad Allahdheen, age 46, from Sioux City, Iowa, plead guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user.

After proceeding to a trial and seating a jury, Harper admitted that on two separate occasions, within the month of August 2021 he unlawfully possessed firearms.

On August 10, 2021, Harper was stopped by Sioux City Police for traffic infractions.  Upon contact with the occupants in the vehicle, the officer detected an odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle.  The occupants were removed, and a subsequent search of the vehicle was conducted.  When Harper exited the vehicle, he admitted having a firearm and a knife on his person.  A loaded handgun – with a round in the chamber – was removed from his waistband. Officers also located a fanny pack in the trunk that contained ammunition. Harper also had an open container of alcohol.

On August 24, 2021, Harper was stopped for illegal window tint. When the Iowa State Trooper made contact with the occupants, he noted an odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. During the traffic stop investigation, approximately 2 grams of marijuana was found, along with a loaded handgun in the center counsel, which was positioned for easy access by Harper, who was driving the car.  Harper also had a set of nunchucks between the driver seat and center counsel.  Three additional firearms were found in the trunk as well as ammunition and a samurai sword. 

Harper has a lengthy criminal history including: Assault in the 1st Degree, in Hennepin County, Minnesota; Assault in the Second Degree, in Ramsey County, Minnesota; Aggravated Assault (Family Violence), and one count of Terroristic Threats in Fulton County, Georgia; and Theft, in Tarrant County, Texas.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set for a later date, after a presentence report is prepared.  Harper remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Harper faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5-years of supervised release following any imprisonment on each of the two counts of conviction.

This case was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office and the Sioux City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ron Timmons and Forde Fairchild. 

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

The case file number is 21-4085.

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   Dustin Coates, 36, from Cherokee, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  He was sentenced on March 7, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.  Coates was previously convicted of distribution of a controlled substance in the United States District Court for South Dakota in 2013.

Evidence at the hearing established Coates admitted his involvement in a conspiracy that distributed at least 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, including 150 grams of pure methamphetamine, from March 2021, through March 8, 2022.  On March 8, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Coates was driving.  Coates threw two baggies of methamphetamine from his person while attempting to flee the traffic stop on foot.  C2oates admitted that he planned to distribute the 60+ grams of pure methamphetamine to other persons.

Coates was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 180 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve 10 years of supervised release after the term of imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This 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 and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.

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

The case file number is 22-4027.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who possessed a firearm as an illegal user of a controlled substance was sentenced today to almost five years in federal prison.

Adaris Hawkins, age 23, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 29, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user.

In a plea agreement, admitted that, on December 6, 2021, he knowingly possessed a firearm, a Glock G19 pistol, as a drug user.  Specifically, police went to Hawkins’ residence in Waterloo to execute a search warrant.  Police officers located Hawkins outside the residence in possession of the Glock pistol.  The firearm was equipped with an extended magazine and 33 rounds of ammunition.  Police obtained a sample of Hawkins’ urine which subsequently tested positive for marijuana.  Inside the home, police located marijuana and drug paraphernalia belonging to Hawkins.  Prior to the search, police officers located various social media posts depicting Hawkins using marijuana.  In addition, between July 2021 and April 2022, Hawkins purchased at least ten firearms.  On the ATF paperwork he completed when purchasing the firearms, Hawkins falsely claimed that he was purchasing the guns for himself and that he was not a drug user.  Several of the guns Hawkins purchased were on behalf of other persons who could not lawfully obtain firearms.  

Hawkins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hawkins was sentenced to 57 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.

Hawkins 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 Attorneys Lisa C. Williams and Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

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

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

The case file number is 22-CR-2020.

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SingleSpeed Brewing Co., an Iowa corporation that owns and operates a facility at 325 Commercial Street in Waterloo, Iowa (the “Facility”), has agreed to settle a dispute with the United States regarding an allegation that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).

The settlement agreement resolves allegations that the Facility was noncompliant with the ADA’s accessibility requirements for public accommodations. As part of the settlement agreement, SingleSpeed has agreed to provide additional accessible seating to its seating spaces, standing spaces, and other dining surfaces. In addition, SingleSpeed has agreed to a number of additional alterations to its dining areas, entrances, and restrooms to come into compliance with ADA accessibility standards.

Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including restaurants and bars, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Justice Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or raises an issue of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.

U.S. Attorney Timothy T. Duax noted that SingleSpeed cooperated throughout this investigation. “The steps agreed to by SingleSpeed will give individuals with disabilities the same opportunity to enjoy what SingleSpeed has to offer, as required by the ADA. We hope others will continue to take their ADA obligations seriously as our office remains committed to ensuring that individuals with disabilities have full and equal access to places of public accommodation in the Northern District of Iowa.”

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Gillespie.

Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in the Northern District of Iowa is not accessible to persons with disabilities may file a complaint online at www.ada.gov or directly with the U.S. Attorney’s Office at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/civil-rights-environmental-justice.

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A man who was arrested in Los Angeles while trying to transport five pounds of methamphetamine to Iowa was sentenced today to twelve years in federal prison.

Kiyonte Levell Sowell, age 22, from Los Angeles, California, received the prison term after a September 14, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

Evidence at prior hearings and court records reflect that in late 2021, the Cedar Rapids Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) conducted a wiretap investigation into a drug organization being primarily run by David Belton (a/k/a “Blood”).  In February 2022, intercepted communications indicated that a shipment of 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine was going to be coming to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from California.  Investigators tracked a courier driving a rental truck from Los Angeles to Nebraska, where the truck was stopped.  During a search of the cargo area of the truck, officers found a plastic tote containing 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine.

Following the seizure of the 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine, Belton continued to purchase additional methamphetamine from his source in California.  On February 27, 2022, Belton was intercepted speaking with Sowell, who is a relative of Belton’s.  Belton told Sowell that he was booking Sowell a flight, instructed Sowell to “pack you a big ass suitcase, you already know you ain’t going to stay for that many days” and then said, “You already know what the rest is so we gonna, I’m gonna book you out a ticket in the morning.”  The next day, Sowell went to Los Angeles International Airport, taking a large roller bag with him through airport security as carry‑on luggage.  Airport security conducted an X‑ray of the roller bag and observed multiple bags of an unknown substance underneath the clothes inside the bag.  During a secondary search of the bag, security found five vacuum‑sealed bags containing ice methamphetamine.  Sowell admitted that the bag was his but said his brother had packed it.  When asked if he was aware of the contents of the bag he shrugged and said, “It looks like cocaine or meth, I don’t know.”  He then said he was going to Iowa, “but all I know is that I’m missing my flight and I’m going to jail.”  Airport security eventually searched the bag, found that it contained approximately five pounds of ice methamphetamine, and arrested Sowell.  Later testing determined the substance in Sowell’s bag was approximately 2,208 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine.

The following ten co‑defendants charged in the same indictment had previously pled guilty or been found guilty in federal court and are pending sentencing:

            David Poitier Belton

            Derek Michael Mims

            Phillip Lanell Rogers

            Robert Lee Michael Bates

            Anton Tarrice Whitney, Jr.

            Christopher Eric Curley

            Calub Joseph Storlie

            Elmer Mims

            Timothy Michael Webber

            Jesus Vera

“Methamphetamine is a highly dangerous drug that continues to threaten the safety of our communities,” said United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax.  “We remain committed to working with the DEA and all of our law enforcement partners to protect the public from dangerous drug dealers and hold accountable those who bring methamphetamine into our communities.”    

Sowell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Sowell was sentenced to 144 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.

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

The case 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 DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids 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.  Also assisting in the investigation were the Transportation Security Administration and Los Angeles International Airport Police, and DEA LAX Group 3 in Los Angeles.  The case was 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 22‑CR‑39‑CJW‑MAR.

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A man who possessed methamphetamine he intended to distribute was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.

Richard Dean Hamilton, Jr., age 42, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 13, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, on October 8, 2021, a bail bondsman and his friend were attempting to locate Hamilton, Jr., to take him into custody for an active warrant.  The bail bondsman and his friend utilized a woman to set up a deal to purchase methamphetamine from Hamilton, Jr., and a meeting was arranged for the woman and Hamilton, Jr., to conduct the drug deal at a Dairy Queen in Cedar Rapids.  During the meeting between the woman and Hamilton, Jr., the bail bondsman and his friend pulled up in their vehicle and approached Hamilton, Jr.  The bail bondsman told Hamilton, Jr., that he had a warrant, but Hamilton, Jr., disagreed.  When the bail bondsman attempted to take Hamilton, Jr., into custody by placing a handcuff around one of his wrists, Hamilton, Jr., started to resist, and there was a struggle.  During the struggle, the friend of the bail bondsman struck Hamilton, Jr., with an asp baton.  At one point, Hamilton, Jr., grabbed the bail bondsman’s handgun and hit the magazine release causing the magazine to drop from the handgun.  Additionally, Hamilton, Jr., grabbed a knife and swung it at the bail bondsman.  The bail bondsman yelled that Hamilton, Jr., had a knife, and the bail bondsman’s friend fired one shot at Hamilton, Jr., striking him in the leg.  Hamilton, Jr., put his vehicle in reverse, dragging the bail bondsman backwards.  Hamilton, Jr., then put the vehicle in drive, driving towards the friend of the bail bondsman and dragging the bail bondsman forwards through the parking lot.  The friend fired multiple shots at Hamilton, Jr., striking him multiple times, and the bail bondsman eventually let go of the handcuffs.  Hamilton, Jr., drove away from the scene and drove to a residence belonging to someone he knew.  Officers located Hamilton, Jr., at that residence, and he was taken to the hospital for his injuries.  In the bathroom of the house where Hamilton, Jr., was treating his wounds, officers located a pocketknife and a set of handcuffs.  In Hamilton, Jr.’s, car, officers located an empty baggie and six bags containing a total of 49.32 grams of actual methamphetamine.

Hamilton, Jr., was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hamilton, Jr., was sentenced to 120 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.

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

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 22-CR-63.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine while illegally possessing firearms was sentenced March 6, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.

Alden Hendrickson, 57, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on October 11, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a prohibited person.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from January 2021 through March 23, 2022, Hendrickson and others conspired to distribute over 6 pounds of methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area.  On March 23, 2022, law enforcement conducted a controlled buy operation and purchased 42.5 grams of pure methamphetamine from Hendrickson.  Also on March 23, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hendrickson’s residence in Sioux City and seized 394.8 grams of pure methamphetamine, marijuana, $5,975, and five guns.  Hendrickson admitted to the distribution of methamphetamine and being a user of methamphetamine, which prohibits anyone from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Hendrickson was sentenced to 56 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 3-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Hendrickson 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 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 22-4030.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who committed two kidnappings, 13 months apart, was convicted by a jury on March 3, 2023, after a five-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.

Arjune Ahmed, age 27, of South Sioux City, Nebraska, was convicted of two counts of kidnapping.  The verdict was returned Friday afternoon following about two hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that on August 21, 2019, Ahmed followed a woman from the Hard Rock Casino on Fourth Street, where he tricked her into getting close to his car.  Once she was close, he grabbed her and pulled her into his car.  He then sped into Nebraska from Iowa, where he then sexually assaulted her.  

13 months later, on October 16, 2020, Ahmed used social media to trick a woman into meeting him for breakfast.  Instead of driving her to breakfast, Ahmed drove her from midtown Sioux City, Iowa to Bacon Creek Park where he then sexually assaulted her.  

Additionally, the jury heard evidence that in 2015 a woman was the victim of a home-invasion and sexual assault.  That crime went unsolved for nearly five years until DNA evidence discovered in the investigations of the 2019 and 2020 assaults were linked to Ahmed.

United States Attorney Timothy Duax stated that “the investigative team of local, county, and federal investigators did an exceptional job of gathering the evidence in this case. When combined with the courtroom efforts of AUSA Fairchild and his team from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the result was that a very dangerous man, who preyed upon the women of our community was convicted and taken off the streets. I was impressed with courage of the victims who were able to confront their attacker and help prevent him from hurting anyone else.”           

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

The case was investigated by the Dakota County, Nebraska Sherriff’s Office, the South Sioux City, Nebraska Police Department, the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, and the FBI.  The case is being 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 21-CR-04087.

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A man who was found in possession of a firearm by Fayette County authorities who were initially assisting in a runaway child investigation was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.

Rusty Joe Barker, age 39, from Hawkeye, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 7, 2022 guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

At the guilty plea, Barker admitted he possessed a firearm on August 10, 2022, and that he had previously been convicted in 2007 in Chickasaw County, Iowa, of the felony offenses of third-degree kidnapping, and two counts of willful injury-causing serious injury.  The firearm was found in Barker’s house.

Barker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Barker was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by Fayette 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 22-CR-02057.

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

Raymundo Gutierrez-Lagunas, age 35, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Linn County, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 12, 2023 guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.

At the guilty plea, Gutierrez-Lagunas admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Gutierrez-Lagunas was previously deported in November 2013.  On December 3, 2022, immigration officials learned Gutierrez-Lagunas had illegally returned to the United States and found Gutierrez-Lagunas at the Linn County Jail following his arrest on state charges.

Gutierrez-Lagunas was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Gutierrez-Lagunas was sentenced to 80 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.  Gutierrez-Lagunas 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 22-CR-98.

A man who was intercepted in a wiretap conspiring to distribute large quantities of ice methamphetamine was convicted by a jury today after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Elmer Mims, age 68, from Cedar Rapids, was convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.  The verdict was returned this afternoon following about four hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that the Cedar Rapids Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a wiretap investigation in late 2021 and early 2022 targeting a group of individuals who were shipping large quantities of ice methamphetamine from Los Angeles, California, to Cedar Rapids.  The DEA intercepted calls over phones used by David Belton (a/k/a “Blood”) and Derek Mims (a/k/a “D Mo”) in which they orchestrated the shipment of loads of thirty to sixty pounds of ice methamphetamine.  Elmer Mims was intercepted in a call in early December 2021 discussing a prior occasion during which Elmer Mims had obtained 14 pounds of ice methamphetamine for $26,000.  During an intercepted call in early February, Belton and Derek Mims discussed how they were going to obtain 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine, 20 pounds for each of them and 20 pounds for “Unc,” a nickname for Elmer Mims. 

Less than two weeks after that call, DEA contacted local authorities in York County, Nebraska, to assist in stopping a truck that was believed to be transporting the 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine.  The Nebraska officers stopped the truck and seized a tote that contained sixty, one‑pound packages of 99% pure methamphetamine.  During an intercepted call on February 28, 2022, Elmer Mims and Belton discussed the seizure of the 60 pounds in Nebraska, believing that Derek Mims may have been stealing from them.

In March 2022, investigators searched Elmer Mims’s Cedar Rapids residence, seizing nearly $19,000 in cash drug proceeds, a box for a Glock handgun, ammunition, a holster, a tactical vest, and over four pounds of marijuana.  Elmer Mims had previously been convicted in federal court in 1985 for a heroin conspiracy that involved smuggling large quantities of heroin using drug couriers and sending drug money to Hong Kong and Nepal.

The following ten co‑defendants charged in the same indictment had previously pled guilty in federal court:

David Poitier Belton

Derek Michael Mims

Phillip Lanell Rogers

Robert Lee Michael Bates

Anton Tarrice Whitney, Jr.

Christopher Eric Curley

Calub Joseph Storlie

Timothy Michael Webber

Kiyonte Levell Sowell

Jesus Vera

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

The case 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 DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids 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.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Chatham and Kraig Hamit. 

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

The case file number is 22‑CR‑39‑CJW‑MAR.

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Two men who made false representations to a bank to obtain more money for Newbo Evolve, a three-day music and cultural event held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in August 2018, were each sentenced on February 16, 2023, to more than one year in federal prison.

Doug Hargrave, age 56, from Puyallup, Washington, and Aaron McCreight, age 48, from Dothan, Alabama, received the prison terms after they each pled guilty on January 26, 2022, to one count of bank fraud.

Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that the two men previously held executive positions in Go Cedar Rapids (“GoCR”), the nonprofit organization that planned and executed Newbo Evolve.  McCreight was President and Chief Executive Officer, and, in the summer of 2018, Hargrave was GoCR’s Finance Director.  Newbo Evolve featured, in addition to other attractions, concerts by singer Kelly Clarkson and the band Maroon 5.  As the Newbo Evolve event dates approached, GoCR did not have enough money to, among other things, pay Kelly Clarkson and buy the alcohol that was to be sold at the concert venue. 

Hargrave and McCreight then defrauded the financial institution that extended a loan to GoCR to finance Newbo Evolve by making misrepresentations about Newbo Evolve’s actual ticket sales, projected revenue, projected expenses, and the true amount of loss they were projecting and expecting Newbo Evolve to generate.  Those misrepresentations fraudulently induced the bank to loan GoCR additional money for Newbo Evolve.  In July 2018, McCreight and Hargrave sent a false and fraudulent Newbo Evolve 2018 Budget to the bank in support of GoCR’s request for an increase in its loan.  In a meeting with representatives of the bank, McCreight fraudulently misrepresented the number of tickets that had been sold for Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson’s performances.  The bank subsequently increased the loan to GoCR from $1.5 million to $2.2 million. 

Newbo Evolve occurred on August 3-5, 2018.  The event lost more than $2 million.  After receiving income that Newbo Evolve produced, the lending bank lost $1,442,231.25 on GoCR’s defaulted $2.2 million promissory note.  Heavily in debt with no cash or assets, GoCR ceased operations in October 2018.  Approximately 97 vendors that provided services for Newbo Evolve did not receive full payment, losing approximately $800,000 in the aggregate.  United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams noted in sentencing Hargrave and McCreight, they committed the offense to save face and, while they did not line their own pockets, they gambled with the bank’s money.

McCreight and Hargrave were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  McCreight was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.  Hargrave was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.  Both men were ordered to make $1,442,231.25 in restitution to the lending bank joint and several with each other.  Both men must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

McCreight and Hargrave were released on bonds previously set and are to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on dates yet to be set.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by former United States Attorney Sean R. Berry, Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cole, and Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist. 

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

The case file numbers are 22-CR-0001 and 22-CR-0002.

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A man who attempted to carjack two cars in Cedar Rapids and later tried to have a witness to those crimes killed was sentenced on February 15, 2023, to twenty-five years in federal prison.

Christopher Daniel Taylor, age 40, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 6, 2022 guilty plea to attempted carjacking and attempted witness tampering.

Information from sentencing showed that on December 3, 2020, Taylor was wanted for parole violations.  After parole officers located him driving a car in Cedar Rapids, he led them and other law enforcement officers on two high-speed chases, reaching speeds of 97 miles per hour.  After abandoning the car he was initially driving, Taylor stole a truck containing a firearm from the garage of a residence in Marion.  Officers tried to pull Taylor over, but he fled at high speeds, moving in the direction of Collins Road NE and into high traffic. 

Taylor stopped the stolen truck near Lindale Mall on the wrong side of the road.  Taylor ran up to an oncoming car and tried to pull open the driver’s side door.  When the car reversed away from him, Taylor shot at the car, using the firearm from the stolen truck.  Taylor then attempted to carjack a truck in the Lindale Mall parking lot, pointing the firearm at the driver, and threatening to shoot.  The driver used his door to push Taylor off the truck.  A police officer took Taylor into custody after chasing him on foot across Collins Road NE.     

After Taylor was arrested, he was detained in the Linn County Correctional Center.  Between April 12, 2021, and December 2021, he repeatedly asked someone to kill a witness to his attempted carjackings.  He wanted his potential accomplice to give the witness a “hot shot,” meaning a lethal dose of contaminated drugs. 

Taylor has prior convictions for extortion, burglary, sexual abuse, and assault causing injury.           

Taylor was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  In sentencing Taylor, Judge Williams noted that on December 3, 2020, Taylor had gone on “a crime spree” and that Taylor’s criminal history showed “an unceasing pattern of violence.”  Taylor was sentenced to 300 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.

Taylor 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, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force.  The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.  

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

The case file number is 21-CR-0016.

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Brett Sauser, 38, from Anthon, Iowa, pled guilty February 10, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.  Sauser was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine within a protected location.  Sauser resided within 1000 feet of Memorial Park and Anthon Elementary School in Anthon, Iowa.

At the plea hearing, Sauser admitted that from January 2019 through August 2022, he participated in the distribution of at least 350 grams of methamphetamine and possessed more than 20 grams each of cocaine; fentanyl; ketamine; and MDMA.  Sauser obtained the controlled substances through the dark web and would receive the drugs through the U.S. Postal Service.  In August of 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sauser’s residence after a covert delivery of a package containing ¼ pound of methamphetamine.  The evidence seized included 3 separate baggies of methamphetamine, approximately 3.5 grams each, plus small amounts of MDMA, heroin, ketamine, LSD, marijuana (including a nearly full-sized marijuana plant), three bags of mushroom roots (for manufacture of psilocybin mushrooms) and various drug use and distribution paraphernalia. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Sauser remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  On the conspiracy conviction, Sauser 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.  On the possession with intent conviction, Sauser faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 80 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000,00 fine, and at least eight 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 22-4065. 

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A man who possessed over 150 grams of methamphetamine in Eldora, Iowa, was sentenced today to serve over nine years in federal prison.

Shane Anthony Johnson, age 45, from St. Anthony, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, Johnson admitted to being involved in the transport of 165 grams of methamphetamine before being apprehended by Eldora police officers.  It was later discovered Johnson had obtained approximately four ounces of methamphetamine from the same supplier before the date of his arrest.  Johnson’s criminal history included methamphetamine-related convictions in 2019 and 2014, several theft convictions, and other offenses.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Johnson was sentenced to serve 109 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five‑year term of supervised release following his term of incarceration.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Johnson remains in the custody of the United States Marshal until he is transported to federal prison.

This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood.

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

The case file number is 22-CR-00031-CJW.

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An Iowa corporation and four of its high-level managers have been sentenced in federal court after law enforcement uncovered a wide-ranging scheme to defraud that victimized livestock producers throughout the Midwest, caused over $3 million in loss, and spanned nearly two decades.

Lynch Family Companies, Inc., of Waucoma, Iowa, also known as “Lynch Livestock,” pled guilty on July 29, 2022, to one count of Failing to Comply with an Order of the Secretary of Agriculture.  On February 10, 2023, Lynch Livestock was sentenced to five years of probation, fined $196,000, and ordered to pay over $3 million in restitution to livestock producers and farmers.

Billie Joe Wickham, age 51, of Waucoma, Iowa, pled guilty on July 15, 2022, to one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.  On January 13, 2023, Wickham was sentenced to six months of imprisonment and fined $3,000.  Wickham must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Charlie Lynch, age 65, of Fort Atkinson, Iowa, pled guilty on July 25, 2022, to one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.  On January 13, 2023, Lynch was sentenced to five years of probation and fined $3,000.

Leland “Pete” Blue, age 60, of Fredericksburg, Iowa, pled guilty on July 28, 2022, to one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.  On January 13, 2023, Blue was sentenced to five years of probation and fined $1,000.

Tyler Thoms, age 31, of Fayette, Iowa, pled guilty on August 9, 2022, to one count of Causing a Livestock Dealer to Keep Inaccurate Accounts and Records.  On January 13, 2023, Thoms was sentenced to one year of probation.

In its plea agreement, Lynch Livestock admitted that it was registered with the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) as a dealer under the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 (“the Act”).  Lynch Livestock operated buying stations in the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere.  Lynch Livestock bought swine from livestock producers and sellers at these stations, and the prices Lynch Livestock paid was based on the numbers, classifications, and weights of the swine.

Beginning in about the early 2000s, and continuing through at least late March 2017, Lynch Livestock’s second-ranking official directed other managers and employees to falsely reduce and downgrade the numbers, quality classifications, and weights of swine that producers and sellers had delivered to Lynch Livestock’s buying stations throughout the Midwest, including but not limited to stations in the Northern District of Iowa.  These practices largely concerned large, corporate swine producers who brought their swine for sale to Lynch Livestock.  To effectuate the fraud, managers at Lynch Livestock’s headquarters created false and fraudulent scale tickets bearing the initials of the managers at the buying stations.  By falsifying the producers’ accounts of purchase, Lynch Livestock and its managers created false and fraudulent invoices to pay less than what was due and owing to those producers.  Lynch Livestock managers and employees then routinely shredded and burned evidence of the fraud and document destruction was a routine practice of the company and a specific response when it was anticipated that USDA officials were investigating the company’s practices.

In late 2017, Lynch Livestock and the USDA entered an administrative consent decision under the Act in which Lynch Livestock agreed to pay nearly $800,000 in restitution to two of its corporate customers on account of fraud committed at two Iowa buying stations.  In its plea agreement, Lynch Livestock agreed the amount of loss from the fraudulent conduct prior to 2018 was greater and not isolated to the two corporate customers or two buying stations.

Between about 2018 and March 2021, Lynch Livestock’s managers and employees used a crowbar or other similar object to manipulate the scales on which livestock producers’ swine was weighed at its buying stations.  As a result, Lynch Livestock created, kept, and provided to livestock producers scale tickets that contained false information because they understated the actual weight of the swine.  Consequently, Lynch Livestock paid livestock producers less than what was owed and violated the 2017 consent decision with the USDA.  In 2021, Lynch Livestock and the USDA entered a second administrative consent decision.  Lynch Livestock agreed to pay over $400,000 in restitution to various farmers and producers.      

Evidence at various hearings in the cases established that Wickham reported directly to the second-ranking official and participated in the fraud for over fifteen years.  Wickham also had a leadership role in the conspiracy, directing other employees to stamp fraudulent scale tickets and to manipulate the sorting of swine to lower the values for producers.  Charlie Lynch was involved in sow procurement and marketing for Lynch Livestock and, from no later than 2013 until about 2017, reduced classifications on sows that producers sold to Lynch Livestock.  Blue managed Lynch Livestock’s sow inventory and, no later than 2012, joined the scheme.  Thoms initially worked as a bookkeeper in Lynch Livestock’s headquarters building with Wickham, Lynch, and Blue and then, from about 2018 to early 2021, managed Lynch Livestock’s buying station at Waucoma, Iowa.  While working in the headquarters building as a bookkeeper, Thoms participated in forging scale tickets and then, as a manager, used a crowbar to lift up on a scale to cheat producers.

The defendants were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Wickham was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.  During the various sentencing hearings, Judge Williams referred to Lynch Livestock’s fraud scheme as “a systematic method of cheating and stealing” from livestock producers and sellers and noted “the nature of the fraud [was] to rip off people little by little, day by day.”  Lynch Livestock cooperated with the government’s criminal investigation and has agreed to various compliance measures as a part of its plea agreement.

In its plea agreement, Lynch Livestock agreed to pay over $3 million in restitution with credit for approximately $1.2 million that Lynch Livestock has already paid because of the 2017 and 2021 USDA consent decisions.  With respect to the $1.8 million in new restitution that will be available for livestock producers and sellers, Judge Williams indicated further proceedings will be scheduled to allocate the restitution among Lynch Livestock’s victims.

United States Attorney Timothy Duax stated, “Lynch Livestock and its managers defrauded livestock producers throughout the Midwest for nearly two decades.  These prosecutions help restore the victims by requiring Lynch Livestock to pay 3 million dollars in restitution and make clear that our office is committed to rooting out agriculture fraud in this state.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy L. Vavricek and Matthew J. Cole and investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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

The case file numbers are 21-CR-2074 (Wickham and Lynch), 21-CR-2042 (Blue), 22-CR-2043 (Lynch Family Companies, Inc.), and 22-CR-2044 (Thoms).

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A man who posed as multiple teenagers to engage in sexually explicit communication with minors online and receive child sexual abuse material, was sentenced on February 13, 2023, to 25 years in federal prison.

Robert “Bobby” Lippstock, age 33, from Dubuque, Iowa received the prison term after a September 27, 2022 guilty plea to receipt and possession of child pornography.

At the guilty plea, Lippstock admitted he received and possessed depictions of child pornography from 2019 to 2020.  At a prior hearing, evidence established that Lippstock was previously convicted of attempting to meet with a minor at a local park.  In this case, Lippstock again fooled minors into thinking he was their friend in order to facilitate sexually explicit communication with them.  After gaining their trust, he successfully received and re-distributed child sexual abuse material online through at least eight separate social media aliases.  In addition, Lippstock possessed child sexual abuse material on multiple electronic devices in his residence.  At sentencing, the Judge stated Lippstock poses a real and present danger to the community, particularly to children.

Lippstock was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Lippstock was sentenced to 300 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.

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.”

Lippstock 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 Attorneys Liz Dupuich and Jason Norwood and investigated by the Dubuque County Sherriff’s Department. 

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

The case file number is 22-cr-1029.

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A man who manufactured pipe bombs and distributed methamphetamine was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison.

Thomas Jay Downer, age 34, from Charles City, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 7, 2022 guilty plea to distribution of more than 5 grams of pure methamphetamine, possession of multiple destructive devices (pipe bombs) and possession of firearms as a felon.

At the guilty plea, Downer admitted he distributed more than 5 grams of pure methamphetamine on October 27, 2020.  He further admitted possessing and selling 5 pipe bombs on October 30, 2020.  Downer also admitted possessing firearms after being convicted of one or more felony offenses on November 13, 2020.  At his detention hearing, it was shown that Downer’s pipe bombs were made of plastic plumbing pipe and included BBs and nails as shrapnel. At sentencing, Downer was found to be a career offender based upon his serious prior criminal history.

Downer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Downer was sentenced to 168 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.

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.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement 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 22-CR-02015.

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A woman who provided firearms to others illegally was sentenced on February 9, 2023, to more than a year in federal prison.

Kori Dawn Hobbs, age 41, from Hiawatha, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the possession of firearms by a person convicted of domestic violence.

In a plea agreement, Hobbs admitted that she purchased 22 firearms between May 2019 and August 2021.  She also allowed Jae Bernard, age 49, also from Hiawatha, Iowa, access to them despite knowing that he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior domestic abuse conviction.  Hobbs was previously convicted of transferring a firearm to a minor in 2021, following an incident where Bernard’s son attempted to sell a firearm to another individual and that individual stole the firearm instead.  Bernard’s son was also prohibited from possessing firearms at the time because of a no contact order.  Bernard pled guilty to illegally possessing firearms on December 27, 2022, and is awaiting sentencing at a time and date to be determined.  Firearms purchased by Hobbs were also recovered in Urbandale and Chicago.

Hobbs was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hobbs was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.  She 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.

Hobbs was released on the bond conditions previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Hiawatha Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Urbandale Police Department, and the Chicago Police Department.

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

The case file number is 22-CR-03-CJW.

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A man who intended to distribute heroin was sentenced on February 9, 2023, to 21 months in federal prison.

Tony Cornell Coleman, Jr., age 25, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a September 23, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, on February 1, 2022, law enforcement arranged a controlled drug buy from Coleman, Jr.  When Coleman, Jr., arrived at the meeting location, officers took him into custody.  Coleman, Jr. was in possession of 15.4 grams of a substance containing fentanyl and 4.91 grams of a substance containing heroin.

Coleman, Jr., was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Coleman, Jr., was sentenced to 21 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.

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

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Fulton, Illinois, Police Department, the Clinton, Iowa, Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative. 

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

The case file number is 22-CR-1017.

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A Mexican man involved in a Mexico‑based drug trafficking organization that was distributing significant amounts of methamphetamine in the Waterloo, Iowa, area was convicted by a jury today after a three‑day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids. 

Luis Carlos Corral Lopez, age 31, from Caborca, Sonora, Mexico, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about five hours of jury deliberations. 

The evidence at trial showed that, in late November or early December 2020, Corral Lopez was sent by a Mexico‑based drug trafficking organization to Waterloo to oversee the organization’s distribution of methamphetamine in the Waterloo area. After he arrived, Corral Lopez acquired approximately twenty‑two pounds of methamphetamine. Corral Lopez then distributed all of the methamphetamine to street‑level distributors in the Waterloo area. 

The evidence at trial also showed that, between January 2020 and January 2022, law enforcement had seized almost two hundred pounds of methamphetamine and twenty‑three pounds of fentanyl from the Mexico‑based organization. 

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dillan Edwards and Ashley Corkery, and it 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 Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and Homeland Security Investigations. 

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

The case file number is 22-CR-02039-CJW.

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A man who barricaded himself in a residence with a small child, stolen firearms, narcotics, and dozens of rounds of ammunition, was sentenced on February 8, 2023, to 15 years in federal prison.

Darren Ackerman, age 39, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 22, 2022 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of firearms.

At a prior hearing in the case, evidence showed that, on October 25, 2020, Ackerman assaulted a victim who fled the home they were in.  After the police were called, Ackerman refused to come to the door and barricaded himself inside with a small child.  Police were forced to break down Ackerman’s door in order to rescue the child.  Ackerman had narcotics in his possession and there were dozens of rounds of ammunition as well as five stolen firearms in the house.  Ackerman was previously convicted of multiple felonies in the state of Iowa including burglary, theft, and narcotics related offenses.

Ackerman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Ackerman was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment and fined $100.  He was ordered to pay restitution.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Ackerman 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 Liz Dupuich and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.

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

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

The case file number is 21-cr-2023.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and distributed methamphetamine was sentenced on February 2, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.

Leocadio Contreras-Sebastian, 38, from Warren, Arkansas, pled guilty on August 24, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing methamphetamine.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from January 2020 through April 2, 2022, Contreras-Sebastian and others distributed at least 3.53 kilograms of pure methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area. On April 2, 2022, law enforcement conducted a controlled drug buy operation from defendant and his co-conspirators.  Contreras-Sebastian distributed over 3 kilograms of pure methamphetamine in exchange for an initial payment of $5,000. Contreras-Sebastian admitted that he traveled from Arkansas to Sioux City, Iowa for the purposes of delivering the methamphetamine to another co-conspirator.           

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Contreras-Sebastian was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Contreras-Sebastian 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 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 22-4026.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who possessed over 6,900 grams of methamphetamine, dealt over 2,000 grams of methamphetamine, and possessed over $460,726 in drug proceeds was sentenced to 30 years in prison on February 6, 2023.

Terrell McBride, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was previously convicted of distribution of methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, McBride admitted to distributing over 2,000 grams of methamphetamine throughout the Cedar Rapids area.  The Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives searched McBride’s home and recovered over 6,900 grams of methamphetamine and $460,726 in United States Currency.  McBride admitted that he used or intended to use all the United States Currency seized for the purpose of drug trafficking.  McBride has over ten scored adult criminal convictions, including violent crimes and other drug-related convictions.

This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 22-CR-00005-CJW.

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Four men who were caught in a federal wiretap investigation into methamphetamine trafficking between California and Iowa pled guilty last week in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Robert Lee Michael Bates, age 30, from Marion, Iowa, Phillip Lanell Rogers, age 48, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Anton Tarrice Whitney, Jr., age 32, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, were each convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  Timothy Michael Webber, age 45, from Waterloo, Iowa, pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Evidence at prior hearings in the case showed that David Belton, a/k/a “Blood,” and others orchestrated shipments of between 30 to 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine between Los Angeles, California, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, between 2017 and March 2022.  Belton paid other individuals to transport the ice methamphetamine, typically in a vehicle that contained a specially made hidden compartment.  Once the ice methamphetamine arrived in Cedar Rapids, Belton or his associate would retrieve the methamphetamine and distribute it to other members of the organization for sale to customers. 

In late 2021, the Cedar Rapids DEA conducted a wiretap investigation into Belton’s drug organization.  In February 2022, intercepted communications indicated that a shipment of 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine was going to be coming from California to Iowa.  Investigators tracked a courier driving a rental truck from Los Angeles to Nebraska, where the truck was stopped.  During a search of the cargo area of the truck, officers found a plastic tote containing 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine.

Evidence at prior hearings showed that Bates was intercepted over the wiretap ordering pounds of ice methamphetamine from the Belton drug organization. 

In a plea agreement, Rogers admitted that he was also involved in the ice methamphetamine conspiracy.  He also admitted that he sold ice methamphetamine to a cooperating individual on three occasions in 2021, and on another occasion in 2022.  During a search of Rogers’s residence in March 2022, investigators seized digital scales, ammunition, marijuana, and a small amount of methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, Whitney admitted that his role in the conspiracy was to collect cash proceeds of the ice methamphetamine sales for Belton and one of his associates.  He also admitted that in addition to collecting drug debts for Belton’s organization, he sold ecstasy pills.  During a search of Whitney’s residence in March 2022, investigators seized over 60 grams of purported ecstasy pills that were later determined to contain methamphetamine.  Investigators also seized a handgun, several rounds of ammunition, two semiautomatic handgun conversion kits, a 31‑round magazine, and a 60-round drum magazine.  Whitney admitted that, at the time he possessed the firearm and ammunition, he was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was an unlawful user of marijuana.

Evidence at a prior hearing showed that Webber was intercepted over the wiretap ordering pounds of methamphetamine from the Belton drug organization.  In his plea agreement, Webber admitted that in April 2022, state investigators searched his residence in Waterloo and seized over 380 grams of ice methamphetamine and $25,550 in cash proceeds of prior ice methamphetamine sales.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after presentence reports are prepared.  Each man remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Each faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case 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 DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids 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.  The case 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 22‑CR‑39‑CJW‑MAR.

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Alicia Loraine Robinson, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced February 2, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa.  On September 6, 2022, Robinson pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a prohibited person in possession of firearms.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on December 30, 2021, in Sioux City, Iowa, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Robinson was driving.  Law enforcement smelled marijuana emanating from the car and noted Robinson was clutching her purse tightly on her lap.  Robinson admitted she smoked marijuana in the car and that she was suspended from driving.  A search of the car found drug paraphernalia and a .380 firearm in Robinson’s purse.  Law enforcement then searched Robinson’s home and found a 12-gauge shotgun, over 50 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, and other distribution-related items.  On July 6, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at another home associated with drug distribution.  Amongst other illicit items, law enforcement found a Glock .40 handgun that had been owned by Robinson.  Robinson admitted to possessing the firearms and being a user of marijuana and methamphetamine.  A person that uses controlled substances is prohibited from possessing firearms.       

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Robinson was sentenced to 62 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 4-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Robinson remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney 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 22-4010. 

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty on February 1, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City.

Joey Post, 34, from Swea City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  At the plea hearing, evidence showed that from February 2022 through May 2022, Post and others distributed 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Post remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Post 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 the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa DCI Laboratory. 

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

The case file number is 22-3029.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.