Northern District of Iowa

A man who possessed over fifteen grams of methamphetamine was sentenced July 6, 2022, to more than five years in federal prison.  Kevin Kautman, age 37, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 1, 2022 guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

In a plea agreement, Kautman admitted that in December 2020, he was living in Dubuque, Iowa.  Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for his residence.  Inside Kautman’s bedroom, police located a .45 caliber pistol, a stolen shotgun, a wide variety of ammunition, over 15 grams of methamphetamine, counterfeit money, digital scales, marijuana, and other narcotic-related items.  At sentencing, the evidence showed that Kautman had a lengthy criminal history with convictions for domestic abuse, assault, harassment, and violating a no contact order.  Kautman also threatened his roommate with a firearm.      

Kautman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Kautman was sentenced to 66 months’ imprisonment and fined $100.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Kautman 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 Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 21-cr-1028.

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The final person charged after five guns were found during a search in Waterloo, Iowa, was sentenced July 6, 2022, to more than three years in federal prison. 

William Rashad Burt, age 28, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 22, 2022 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

 Evidence in this case showed that, on July 6, 2021, law enforcement officers searched a residence and located four felons, including Burt, and five firearms.  Officers also found evidence of marijuana trafficking.  Burt was found with a revolver and $1,272 in cash.  While being arrested, Burt told officers that he would obtain more guns and threatened them.  Burt was previously convicted of the felony offense of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. 

Burt’s co-defendants were sentenced on June 10, 2022.  Qunshaundes Davion McNealy was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  William McNealy III was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment.  Sahjit Mcyle Phillips was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment for possessing firearms and the Court revoked Phillips’ term of supervised release for a 2017 federal conviction and imposed an additional term of 10 months’ imprisonment to run consecutively to the new case for a total of 110 months’ months imprisonment.        

Burt was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Burt was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

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

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

The case file numbers are 21-cr-2064

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A man who used false identification documents and someone else’s social security number was sentenced today to six months in federal prison.

Fernando Moreno-Moreno, age 43, a citizen of Nicaragua illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 17, 2022 jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of unlawful use of identification documents and one count of misuse of a social security number. 

Evidence at trial showed that Moreno-Moreno illegally entered the United States in November 2021, and after being released by immigration authorities, traveled to Iowa looking for work.  Despite being told that he could not work in the United States without authorization, Moreno-Moreno used an alias name and a Social Security number assigned to another person when completing employment paperwork in January 2022 at a business in West Union, Iowa.  Specifically, Moreno-Moreno presented the company with a fraudulent Lawful Permanent Resident card, also known as a “green card,” bearing the alias name and an Alien Registration number, to prove his authorization to work in the United States.  The Alien Registration number on the green card was not assigned to anyone and was invalid.  He also presented a Social Security card bearing his alias name but containing the social security number assigned to another person when completing state and federal tax forms.  Moreno-Moreno admitted at trial that he used the alias when employed at the company between January and March 2022 but denied knowingly using another person’s identification documents.

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

Moreno-Moreno 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 was 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-2010.

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

Marcos Espina-Cruz, age 27, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Iowa City, Iowa, received the prison term today after a guilty plea on May 20, 2022, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.

At the guilty plea, Espina-Cruz admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Espina-Cruz was first deported to Mexico by immigration officials in March 2016 following a conviction in the Western District of Texas for illegal entry into the United States.  He was also deported in May 2016 after being caught at the border in California and in September 2019 following his arrest on state charges in Johnson County, Iowa.  On April 22, 2022, immigration officials learned Espina-Cruz had illegally returned to the United States and found Espina-Cruz at the Linn County Jail following his arrest on state charges.

Espina-Cruz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Espina-Cruz was sentenced to 65 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.

Espina-Cruz 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-42.

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A former mental health therapist and licensed independent social worker who was employed by Polk Alternative Education Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who pursued a romantic relationship with a fourteen-year-old student from 2019 to 2020, was sentenced today to more than eleven years in federal prison.

Miranda Breeden, age 46, from Monticello, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 13, 2021 guilty plea to one count of enticement of a minor.

At the guilty plea, Breeden admitted that between November 2019 and January 2020, she knowingly enticed a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

At the sentencing hearing, evidence was presented that messages between Breeden and the fourteen-year-old victim began in November 2019.  In December 2019, Breeden agreed to purchase a firearm for the teenager and did purchase a firearm at Theisen’s.  Also in December 2019, Breeden took the victim and his minor friend to her parent’s residence in Scotch Grove, Iowa, for an overnight stay where they used a hot tub, smoked marijuana, and discharged firearms.  In January 2020, Breeden checked into at least two hotel rooms with the victim and his minor friends in the Cedar Rapids area, and attempted to check into a third hotel room at the Isle of Capri casino in Davenport, Iowa.  During this same time period, Breeden also rented and stayed in another hotel room with the minor’s brother, and his minor friend.  The investigation revealed that Breeden had sex with the minor victim while in hotel rooms, inside her personal vehicle, and during school hours in her locked office.  During the above described time period, Breeden was employed as the victim’s mental health therapist at the Polk Alternative Education Center in Cedar Rapids.    

At the sentencing hearing, the judge called Breeden’s behavior “horribly egregious” and stated that providing a deadly weapon to a child was both reckless and dangerous.

Breeden was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Breeden was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment and fined $100.  She must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison erm.  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.”

Breeden 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 Attorneys Liz Dupuich and Ashley Corkery and investigated by 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 20-CR-65.

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 A Montana man who cheated a Cedar Rapids derecho victim out of more than $15,000 was sentenced June 30, 2022, in federal court in Iowa.  William Allen Hurlbut, Jr., age 57, from Belgrade, Montana, received his sentence after a February 23, 2022 guilty plea to one count of mail fraud.

The derecho was a severe windstorm that swept through Cedar Rapids on August 10, 2020.  The derecho caused widespread damage and long-term power outages.  In Cedar Rapids alone, over 1,000 housing units were rendered unlivable, while hundreds of additional homes and businesses suffered damage.

In a plea agreement, and at his plea and sentencing hearings, Hurlbut admitted he came to Iowa after the derecho, professing to be a handyman and doing business as “Trinity 321.”  Hurlbut lacked a required contractor license but obtained a cell phone number with a local 319 area code to conduct business.  Hurlbut has 16 prior adult convictions, including a prior federal felony conviction in Idaho for destruction of government property.

In September 2020, Hurlbut promised his victim, a Cedar Rapids resident, that Hurlbut would fix damage to the victim’s residence as soon as possible if the victim advanced funds to him for that purpose.  The derecho had caused more than $10,000 worth of damage to the victim’s residence, including damage to the roof and the siding, fences, and the interior of the home.  Hurlbut’s victim was using a wheelchair on account of physical disabilities.  

Instead of repairing the derecho damage to the victim’s residence, Hurlbut spent insurance funds advanced to Hurlbut for the repair costs on gambling and personal items and expenses.  Hurlbut made false statements to his victim about the status of the project and made purchases at a home improvement store on

the false pretense that he was buying materials to complete the project.  Hurlbut then returned the items for a cash refund, which he used for his own purposes.  The investigation revealed that, over a two-week period in October 2020, Hurlbut spent at least $22,532.50 gambling at an Iowa casino.

On January 25, 2021, Hurlbut had a tow truck tow the victim’s vehicle from the victim’s backyard to a junkyard without purchasing it from the victim or getting his permission.  In February, Hurlbut convinced his victim to loan him $1,000 for lodging and food, which Hurlbut never repaid.  Through March 2021, Hurlbut performed little to no work on the project despite the fact that the victim had advanced more than $10,000 to Hurlbut for the repairs.

Hurlbut was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hurlbut was sentenced to 14 months and 12 days imprisonment, which represented the amount of time he has spent in federal and state custody since his arrest, and up to 180 days in a halfway house upon his release.  He was ordered to make $15,892.79 in restitution to his victim.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Hurlbut is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he is released to the halfway house.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek 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-16.

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A man that possessed firearms in connection with marijuana distribution was sentenced June 30, 2022, to more than five years in federal prison.

Kaleb James Huffman, age 23, from Fayette, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 28, 2021 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user. 

Evidence disclosed at sentencing showed that, on December 4, 2020, law enforcement searched Huffman’s residence and seized a Mossberg 715T, .22 LR caliber rifle with an obliterated serial number, a Raven Arms P-25, .25 Auto caliber pistol, and at least two pounds of marijuana, all in the same bedroom.  Law enforcement also located evidence of marijuana use throughout the residence.  A later search of Huffman’s social media accounts revealed pictures and videos of Huffman smoking marijuana, advertising the sale of marijuana, and possessing large sums of cash. 

Huffman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Huffman was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Fayette Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-02045-CJW.

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Justin Haubrich, 46, from Milford, pled guilty June 28, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Haubrich admitted that from May 2018 through January 2019, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least five pounds of methamphetamine.  Haubrich was supplied methamphetamine from sources in Denison and Council Bluffs, Iowa for further distribution in Northwest Iowa.  During a traffic stop in January 2019, Haubrich was found in possession of a .45 caliber handgun and was known to keep and store guns during his drug trafficking activities.  

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

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

The case file number is 21-4097. 

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Jesse Chavez, 43, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty June 28, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  In 2015, Chavez was convicted of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in Iowa District Court.

At the plea hearing, Chavez admitted that between September 2021 and December 2021, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed over a pound of meth in the Sioux City area.  On December 14, 2021, Sioux City Police officers observed suspicious conduct by Chavez in the Walgreens parking lot and inside the store.  Officers confronted Chavez, obtained consent to search his vehicle, and seized three ounces of methamphetamine.  Chavez would obtain multiple ounce quantities of methamphetamine from his sources of supply and then sell lesser quantities of the methamphetamine to others.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Chavez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  On Count 1, Chavez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and on Count 2, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.  Chavez faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $28,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment. 

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 22-4009. 

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A man who used a false identification document and someone else’s social security number was sentenced today to ten months in federal prison.

Alvaro Ortiz-Camarillo, age 25, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 13, 2022, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document and one count of misuse of a social security number.

At the guilty plea, Ortiz-Camarillo admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card bearing someone else’s name and Social Security number when he completed employment and tax forms in July 2021 at a business in Lime Springs, Iowa.  On the employment application, Ortiz-Camarillo falsely claimed to be a United States citizen.  However, Ortiz-Camarillo has been deported to Mexico in April 2014, January 2019, April 2020, two times in July 2020, and October 2020 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government after each removal.  Ortiz-Camarillo was also convicted in the Northern District of Iowa in April 2020 of illegal reentry into the United States after deportation and sentenced to 104 days’ imprisonment.

Ortiz-Camarillo was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Ortiz-Camarillo 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.

Ortiz-Camarillo 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 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 21-CR-2071.

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A former private school administrator and elementary school principal, who stole over $500,000 from the school system at which he worked, was sentenced on June 28, 2022, to more than three years in federal prison.

Todd Charles Wessels, age 50, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2021 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.  In his plea agreement, and at a sentencing hearing, Wessels admitted he was the Curriculum and Technology Director for a private, religious, not-for-profit school district in Dubuque.  Wessels was responsible for ensuring that the school district met the technology needs of approximately 1,800 students at its high school, middle school, and elementary schools.  Before 2016, Wessels also served in a dual role as the principal of one of the elementary schools.

Beginning sometime prior to June 2011, and continuing into early 2020, Wessels devised and executed a scheme to make purchases for his own benefit with the school district’s funds.  Wessels made purchases of pre-paid debit cards using the school district’s store credit cards at area businesses upon the false and fraudulent pretense that he needed funds for “apps” for students’ computers.  Wessels then electronically transferred the balances of the pre-paid debit cards to another account that he controlled at PayPal, Inc., an electronic payment transfer system based in California.  Wessels had, without the school district’s knowledge, falsely and fraudulent opened the PayPal account in the school district’s name but under the handle “WENWESS”.  Finally, Wessels provided the school district receipts for the purchases of the pre-paid debit cards on the false and fraudulent pretense that the use of the store credit cards was for legitimate purchases.  Wessels also sold the school district’s computer equipment on third-party Internet websites without its knowledge or permission.

Based on available records, Wessels admitted he stole over $500,000 as a part of his scheme.  Due to a lack of a written inventory and lack of records before 2011, however, the full extent of his scheme remains unknown.  The school district hired Wessels in 2001, and he was one of its highest paid employees, earning nearly $100,000 at the time the scheme was discovered.  During the time that Wessels was perpetuating his scheme against the school district, the school district was experiencing financial difficulties and closing a number of schools as a result.

In July 2019, a new chief administrator at the school district began looking into Wessels’s spending practices.  Wessels repeatedly lied to administrators and submitted fraudulent invoices and receipts to them in order to conceal his scheme to defraud.  At meetings in January and February 2020, Wessels provided hardcopy versions of false, fraudulent, and fictitious spreadsheets purporting to show the apps he had purchased.  In truth, Wessels had made hundreds of purchases for food, hotel stays and other travel-related expenses for himself and his family, tickets to off-Broadway shows, new pools each year, and expensive electronics such as a virtual reality headset, robots, and Apple televisions.  When law enforcement began investigating Wessels, he repeatedly lied to law enforcement officers and hid stolen items in his house during a search.

Wessels was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Wessels was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $503,539 and also to repay $3,927 in legal fees that his victim incurred during the course of the investigation.  Wessels must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Williams found that Wessels’s fraud was a “systemic, calculated fleecing of the school district.”  Judge Williams also observed that Wessels had not attempted to repay a cent of restitution to his victim since admitting guilt in November.

Wessels was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-1031.

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A man who participated in an armed robbery during a drug robbery in which a marijuana dealer was shot was sentenced June 28, 2022, to five years in federal prison.

Cortez Riggins, age 20, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 4, 2022 guilty plea to one count of robbery affecting interstate commerce.

Evidence at a prior hearing and information at sentencing showed that in October 2020, Riggins arranged to buy marijuana from another individual, the eventual victim.  Riggins then drove three coconspirators to the purported deal.  One of Riggins’s coconspirators entered the victim’s apartment to conduct the drug deal, but instead produced a firearm and demanded the drugs.  A shot was fired and Riggins and the other coconspirators kicked in the apartment door and entered.  The victim was shot at least five times in the upper torso by Riggins’s coconspirators.  While the victim was laying on the floor, bleeding and unconscious, Riggins stole a PlayStation video game system, kicked the victim in the head, and took a designer belt off the victim’s body.  Despite sustaining severe injuries from the attack, the victim survived.

Riggins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  At the sentencing, the judge commented that it was “remarkable” that the victim survived the attack.  The judge also noted that Riggins’s actions in kicking the unconscious, bleeding, and likely dying victim were “callous, heartless, thoughtless, [and] cruel.”  Riggins was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

Riggins 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 Cedar Rapids Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Williams. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-00058‑CJW.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison on June 24, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City.

William Thompson, 62, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on February 8, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  Thompson was previously convicted of possession of methamphetamine and unlawful user/felon in possession of a firearm in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, in 2000.  Thompson was also convicted of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance as a habitual offender in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County in 2011.

Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that between 2019 and June 8, 2021, Thompson and others who worked at the Madonna Rose Café participated in the distribution of approximately 10 pounds methamphetamine.  On four separate occasions between April and May 2021, Thompson distributed methamphetamine out of the Café to individuals cooperating with law enforcement.  In June 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Café building and seized approximately one pound methamphetamine from Thompson.  Thompson agreed to plead guilty to his conspiracy, but arrived for his first scheduled change of plea hearing under the influence of methamphetamine.   

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Thompson was sentenced to 126 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Thompson remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.   

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

The case file number is 21-4066. 

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A man who led a multi-year heroin and fentanyl distribution ring pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Brian Jarell Dennis, age 32, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, four counts of distributing controlled substances (heroin, fentanyl, and another synthetic form of fentanyl called acetyl fentanyl), and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

At the plea hearing, Dennis admitted that he conspired to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin between 2017 and June 2021.  He also admitted that, in early June 2021, he possessed a firearm after he had previously been convicted of a felony.  Dennis also admitted to personally distributing substances containing heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl on four occasions in December 2020 and January 2021. 

Evidence presented at prior hearings showed that during the early part of 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration in Cedar Rapids initiated a wiretap investigation into Dennis’s drug distribution ring.  That evidence showed that during the months of the wiretap, Dennis employed intermediaries whom he supplied with purported heroin (which almost always also contained fentanyl or another synthetic opioid) to distribute to customers.  Several of those customers regularly distributed that purported heroin to other individuals.

Seven other individuals, Cody Scott Deklotz, Andrew James Lehman, Jerry Dwayne Banghart, Melinda Salvatora Werning, Thomas Nathaniel May, and Demico Demon Irvin, previously pled guilty to the heroin conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.  Ryan Rick Schlitter was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.  Three other individuals charged in the same indictment are still pending trial.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Dennis remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Dennis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $14,250,000 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 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 and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  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 21‑CR‑32‑CJW.

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A man who illegally possessed firearms, stored them for a convicted felon, and provided a false statement to a firearms dealer was sentenced June 24, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City to more than three years in federal prison.

Jason Blau, 46, from Le Mars, Iowa, pled guilty on February 10, 2022, to being a drug user in possession of firearms and providing a false statement to a federal firearms dealer.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Blau was a daily user of methamphetamine.  Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Blau’s residence in January of 2021, and seized drug user paraphernalia, methamphetamine, thousands of rounds of ammunition and 17 guns, including rifles, shotguns, and handguns.  Blau had obtained guns and ammunition from Robert Hansen, and stored them for Hansen, who was a convicted felon. Blau had previously straw-purchased (with a false statement) two AR-15 rifles for Hansen.  Hansen asked Blau to purchase and store guns because Hansen was prohibited from doing so due to his criminal history.  

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

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Blau was sentenced to 45 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of three years of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Blau 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office. 

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

The case file number is 21-4053. 

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A man who illegally possessed a stolen firearm and ammunition was sentenced on June 23, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City.

Leonard Weimer, 46, from Storm Lake, Iowa, pled guilty on January 6, 2022, to illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.  Weimer was previously convicted of multiple felony offenses including Terrorism, where Weimer shot at two police vehicles occupied by deputies.  Weimer’s prior felony convictions prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition. 

At the sentencing hearing, evidence showed that defendant possessed a total of seven guns, four of which were stolen during a felony burglary.  On April 2, 2021, Storm Lake law enforcement stopped a vehicle driven by Leonard Weimer for a traffic violation.  Law enforcement ultimately found a small amount of methamphetamine in Weimer’s pocket, ammunition, and a .22 rifle that was stolen from Weimer’s ex-wife.  Additionally, on May 19, 2021, as part of a theft investigation, law enforcement located a stolen 12-gauge shotgun in a separate vehicle owned by Weimer.  Law enforcement then searched the residence belonging to Weimer’s ex-girlfriend, where Weimer would stay at times.  There, a .380 handgun was recovered that was previously given by Weimer to his then nine-year-old son.  Weimer’s ex-girlfriend later located four guns and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition hidden behind a false wall in a room where Weimer kept his belongings.  Those firearms and ammunition had been reported stolen from the home of another person associated with Weimer.  

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Weimer was sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Weimer 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office, Storm Lake Police Department, Sac 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 21-4058.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who was secretly armed with a loaded gun while arguing with another and falling into a window was sentenced June 22, 2022, to more than a year in federal prison.

James King, age 44, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence in this case revealed on August 1, 2020, King was secretly armed with a loaded handgun while arguing with another.  When King fell into a window and injured himself, Sioux City, Iowa Fire/Rescue responded, found King to have a severe cut to his right arm, and to be in possession of the firearm.  King had been disarmed by law enforcement in 2018 as well.    

King has a lengthy, but dated, criminal history including misdemeanor conviction for aggravated assault and two serious drug offenses. 

King was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  King was sentenced to 16 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.

King 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 DEA and the Sioux City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

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

The case file number is 21-CR-4050.

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A Dubuque man who displayed a baseball bat during an argument with his girlfriend was sentenced on June 21, 2022, to 18 months in federal prison.  John Michael Gronen, age 24, received the prison term after he admitted that he repeatedly violated the terms of his supervised release from federal prison, including by committing new law violations of domestic abuse.  At the time of the domestic abuse incident, Gronen was serving a three-year term of supervised release that followed his release from federal prison in 2020.  Gronen had pled guilty in 2017 to making a false declaration before a grand jury and received a 27-month prison sentence.  He started his three-year supervised release term in late 2020.

Evidence presented at the supervised release hearing showed that, on June 1, 2022, Dubuque Police Department officers responded to a phone call from Gronen’s girlfriend.  During the call, Gronen’s girlfriend repeatedly pleaded with him to put down a baseball bat that he was holding.

After the officers arrested Gronen, he made a number of calls from local jails asking two other persons to relay messages to the victim and also to encourage the victim to change her story about the bat.  During the supervised release hearing, however, Gronen admitted he displayed the bat during the argument.

Gronen was drinking hard liquor at the time of the domestic incident, which was a violation of the terms of his supervised release.  He broke a window during the argument and knocked over a chair in which the victim was sitting.  Previously, Gronen was also arrested for other alcohol-related offenses while on supervised release, including drunk driving and public intoxication.

Gronen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  During the revocation hearing, the judge referred to Gronen as an “extreme danger to the community.”  Gronen was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek with the assistance of the Dubuque Police Department.  At the revocation hearing, Judge Reade commended the Dubuque Police Department’s procedures for investigating domestic violence cases.

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

The case file number is 17-CR-31-LRR.

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A woman who distributed heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, pled guilty today.

Marsha C. Dismukes, age 54, from Ford Heights, Illinois, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base.

In a plea agreement, Dismukes admitted to engaging in a drug-related conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine in Cedar Rapids.  In 2020, Dismukes set up a transaction involving heroin and fentanyl.  Dismukes later distributed heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Dismukes was taken into custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Dismukes faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a fine of not more than $2 million, and a minimum of six years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration 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 21-CR-00068-CJW.

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A man who had previously been convicted of committing multiple crimes involving guns was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.

Kalon Deon Bruce, age 29, from Atlanta, Georgia, received the prison term after a December 6, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

In June 2021, Bruce possessed a gun that was recovered by the Waterloo Police Department during a search of the home where he was living in Waterloo, Iowa.  Bruce had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including two convictions for interference with official acts while in possession of a firearm, theft, trafficking in stolen weapons, and eluding.

Bruce was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Bruce was sentenced to 24 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.  Bruce is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody.

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

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

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  
The case file number is 21-cr-2063.

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Bryan Ross, 25, from Ellsworth, Iowa, was arrested at his home yesterday on a federal arrest warrant by federal officials with the help of local law enforcement. Mr. Ross has been charged with five counts of child pornography offenses.­ The charges are contained in an Indictment filed on June 8, 2022, in United States District Court in Sioux City. 

The Indictment alleges that, from about July 2019, through August 2021, Ross sexually exploited two minors, as well as received, possessed, and distributed child pornography.

If convicted on all charges, Ross faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.­

Mr. Ross appeared in federal court in Sioux City today for an arraignment. He pleaded not guilty, and a jury trial is set to begin August 15, 2022. He is being detained until trial.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit and was investigated by Department of Homeland Security.

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

The case file number is 22-3016.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Three Waterloo men who were found in a house with five guns and another felon were sentenced on June 10, 2022, to federal prison.  The fourth man is set to be sentenced next month.

All four individuals, Qunshaundes Davion McNealy, age 27, William McNealy III, age 22, Sahjit Mcyle Phillips, age 23, and William Rashad Burt, age 28, all from Waterloo, Iowa, each pled to being a felon in possession of at least one firearm.  Evidence in this case showed that, on July 6, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a search at a residence in Waterloo and located all four individuals along with five guns and evidence of marijuana trafficking.

Qunshaundes Davion McNealy was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  In sentencing Qunshaundes McNealy, the court found he possessed a firearm with an extended magazine, possessed at least three firearms, including a stolen firearm, and that he possessed the firearms in connection with offenses of possessing marijuana with the intent to deliver and carrying weapons.  He has multiple prior convictions, including Burglary, Assault Domestic Causing Bodily Injury, Assault Causing Serious Injury, and Harassment.

William McNealy III was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  In sentencing William McNealy, the court found he possessed a firearm with an extended magazine, possessed more than three firearms, including two stolen firearms, and that he possessed the firearms in connection with the offense of carrying weapons.  At the time of his arrest, he was on parole for a 2017 conviction for Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon from Black Hawk County.

Sahjit Mcyle Phillips was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  In sentencing Phillips, the court found he possessed a firearm with an extended magazine, possessed more than three firearms, including a stolen firearm, and that he possessed the firearms in connection with the offense of carrying weapons.  Phillips was on parole for a 2017 conviction for Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon from Black Hawk County and was on supervised release on a 2017 federal conviction for Theft of a Firearm from a Licensee.  The court revoked Phillips’ term of supervised release in the 2017 federal conviction and imposed an additional term of 10 months’ imprisonment to run consecutively to the new case for a total of 110 months’ months imprisonment.       

All three men were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  There is no parole in the federal system.

William Rashad Burt is currently set for sentencing before Judge Williams on July 6, 2022, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

All four men are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody.

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

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

The case file numbers are 21-cr-2064 and 17-cr-2001.

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HAMMOND- Jalen Sanders, 19 years old, of Gary, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon on his plea of guilty to possessing a machinegun, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Sanders was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, a few days after a shooting incident, in July 2021, law enforcement discovered that Sanders had made a Snapchat video showing him displaying firearms; one appeared to be a machinegun.  A subsequent search warrant of Sanders’ home revealed a Glock firearm that had been modified to be a fully automatic weapon with a conversion device known as a “Glock Switch”.  The firearm was also equipped with a 50 round drum magazine.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.      

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.

Antwoine Johnson, 29, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty June 14, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City, to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Evidence at the plea hearing showed that on January 23, 2022, the Sioux City Police Department stopped Johnson for a traffic violation.  Law enforcement detected the smell of marijuana emanating from the car.  During a subsequent search of the car, Officers found a 9mm firearm in the void between the driver’s seat and console.  Officers also found approximately 120 grams of marijuana in four separate baggies in the center console.  Johnson was a convicted felon, previously convicted of felony burglary third degree in 2016, and was an unlawful user of marijuana, both of which prohibited him from legally possessing any firearm.  

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

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Johnson remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing.  Johnson faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Sioux City Police Department and 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 22-4019.  

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A man who illegally possessed two separate guns, on two separate occasions, was sentenced, June 3, 2022, to more than 8 years in federal prison.

Demetrius Wright, 41, from Spencer, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 19, 2021, guilty plea to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

Evidence in the case revealed Wright, on two occasions in 2021, illegally possessed two different guns, a Glock .22 Caliber semi-automatic handgun and a Smith and Wesson, M&P 15-22, .22 LR Caliber semi-automatic handgun. 

This after Wright had been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence in January 2017, and while he was subject to two different protection orders, issued in Iowa and Florida.  Each of these prohibitions prohibited Wright from lawfully possessing firearms.

On April 23, 2021, in Spencer, Iowa Wright possessed the Smith and Wesson, M&P 15-22, .22 LR caliber pistol after it was “straw purchased” for him by another person.  Wright then used it in an attempt to threaten another person by making a threatening video with the firearm.

On or about August 1, 2021, in Sioux City, Iowa Wright possessed the Glock .22 Caliber semi-automatic handgun after another person used it to commit a shooting in an apparent effort to conceal it from law enforcement investigating the shooting. 

Wright was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Wright was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve 36 months of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Wright 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 Spencer, Iowa Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, the Clay and Woodbury County Attorneys’ Offices, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety: Division of Narcotics Enforcement.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. 

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

The case file number is 21-4071.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced June 10, 2022 to almost three months in federal prison.

Hector Vasquez-Vasquez, age 36, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Tama County, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea on April 11, 2022, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.

At the guilty plea, Vasquez-Vasquez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  In March 2005 Vasquez-Vasquez was arrested in Florida on drug charges using an alias and was convicted in June 2005 of felony possession of cocaine and marijuana.  Vasquez-Vasquez was first deported to Mexico by immigration officials in October 2007.  In January 2018, Vasquez-Vasquez was returned to Mexico after illegally reentering the United States.  He was again formally deported to Mexico in October 2018 following his arrest by immigration officers in the United States.  On March 8, 2022, immigration officers learned Vasquez-Vasquez had illegally returned to the United States and found Vasquez-Vasquez at the Tama County Jail following his arrest on state charges. 

Vasquez-Vasquez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Vasquez-Vasquez was sentenced to 86 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Vasquez-Vasquez 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-24.

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A felon who possessed a firearm was sentenced on June 9, 2022, to 87 months in federal prison.

Dewon Campbell, age 23, of Waterloo received the sentence after a November 3, 2021 guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  At the plea hearing, Campbell admitted that, on March 29, 2021, he knowingly possessed a pistol after having been convicted of a felony offense.

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

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

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

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is CR 21-2056.

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A man who sold methamphetamine twice was convicted by a jury on June 9, 2022, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Justin Michael Buehler, age 39, from Oelwein, Iowa, was convicted of two counts of distribution of methamphetamine.  The verdict was returned after about two hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that Buehler was distributing methamphetamine to an employee at his workplace.  In January 2019, law enforcement agents coordinated with the employee to set up two controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Buehler’s home.  The agents surveilled the purchases and the purchases were also audio recorded.  Buehler had a prior state conviction for his involvement with methamphetamine in 2007.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Buehler remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Buehler faces a possible maximum sentence of up to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a fine of up to $8,000,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Dorval Norwood and Patrick J. Reinert.  The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

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

The case file number is 22-CR-2006.

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A convicted felon who was caught with marijuana and a gun during a traffic stop was sentenced June 8, 2022, to five years in federal prison.

Cameron Hatcher, age 29, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 2, 2021, guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on May 2, 2021, Hatcher was stopped by an officer from the Dubuque Police Department because Hatcher was barred from driving.  A police K9 alerted to the odor of drugs coming from Hatcher’s car.  Officers searched the car and found marijuana and a loaded 9mm handgun.  Hatcher was prohibited from possessing guns because he was convicted of the felony offense of possessing marijuana with the intent to sell it in 2016.

After catching Hatcher with the gun in his car, law enforcement officers reviewed Hatcher’s social media posts.  In two videos, Hatcher could be seen with guns.  In one of the videos, Hatcher is seen with a Smith and Wesson, M&P 15, 5.56x45mm rifle and a black handgun that was different from the handgun found in his car during the traffic stop.

Hatcher was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hatcher was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

Hatcher 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 Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 21-cr-1022.

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A felon who possessed a firearm was sentenced today to 114 months in federal prison.

Lloyd James Allen III, age 29, of Waterloo received the sentence after a January 6, 2022 guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  At the plea hearing, Allen admitted that, on February 7, 2021, he knowingly possessed a pistol after having been convicted of three crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment.  At the sentencing hearing, evidence was introduced that defendant possessed firearms on two other occasions in 2020 and 2021.

Allen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Allen was sentenced to 114 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

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

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and was investigated by the Waterloo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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

The case file number is CR 21-2067.

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A man who was previously convicted of second-degree murder in state court pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids to unlawfully possessing a gun and ammunition.

Johnny Blahnik Church, f/k/a Drew Alan Blahnik, age 35, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of methamphetamine and cocaine.

At the plea hearing, Blahnik admitted that, in February 2019, he possessed a Glock .40 caliber handgun and multiple rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.  Blahnik also admitted that at the time he possessed this gun and ammunition, he was prohibited from doing so because he was a knowing user of both cocaine and methamphetamine. 

In July 2021, Blahnik was convicted after a trial in the Iowa District Court for Linn County of second-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and abuse of a corpse related to the December 2018 death of Chris Bagley.  In December 2021, Blahnik was sentenced to 57 years in Iowa state prison as a result of these convictions.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and was investigated by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

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.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 19-CR-30.

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A woman who sold heroin and fentanyl in Cedar Rapids was sentenced today to over seven months in federal prison.

Ladonna Cynthia Givens, age 33, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2021 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

In a plea agreement, Givens admitted that she agreed with another person to distribute heroin on multiple occasions in January 2021.  Givens admitted that the other person would receive orders from drug customers, but that Givens would arrive at the meeting location and distribute the drugs.  She also admitted that on two occasions in January 2021, Givens sold $500 worth of purported heroin, which was later determined to contain both heroin and fentanyl.

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

Because Givens has already served seven months and fourteen days in custody pending sentencing, following her sentence she was released to the supervised release portion of her sentence.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and 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 21‑CR‑00033‑CJW‑MAR.

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A California man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced June 3, 2022, to more than five years in federal prison.

Felton Fitzgerald, 52, from Orange, California, received the prison term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on this same date.

Evidence at the combined plea and sentencing hearings showed that Fitzgerald was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 22 kilograms of methamphetamine from June 2017 through August 2019.  Defendant was the broker between California sources of supply and a Sioux City, Iowa drug trafficking organization led by three-time convicted federal felon, Melroy Johnson Sr. The Johnson organization obtained methamphetamine and cocaine via bulk transportation and the mail.

Fitzgerald was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Fitzgerald was sentenced to 67 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.  Fitzgerald 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 Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the United States Postal Service, 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, and the Cypress (CA) Police Department.   

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

The case file number is 19-4065.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Two men who conspired to distribute heroin in Cedar Rapids pled guilty on June 2, 2022, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Thomas Nathaniel May, age 27, from Iowa City, Iowa, and Demico Demon Irvin, age 30, from Chicago, Illinois, were each convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute heroin.  May admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.

Evidence at a prior hearing showed that, during an early 2021 wiretap investigation involving a large-scale heroin distributor in Cedar Rapids named Brian Dennis, May was identified as one of the top callers to Dennis’s phone.  May was typically purchasing at least 3.5 grams of heroin and upwards of 10.5 grams of heroin per day from Dennis and his associates, totaling well over 100 grams in a six-week period.  In April 2021, May was arrested after meeting with Dennis and found in possession of 7.39 grams of a substance containing heroin, fentanyl, and synthetic opioids acetyl fentanyl, parafluorofentanyl and metonitazene.

In a plea agreement, Irvin admitted that he conspired to distribute heroin with Dennis and others.  Irvin admitted that he obtained heroin from Dennis, which he then sold to various customers for multiple months in 2020.  In September 2020, Irvin’s apartment and vehicle were searched by Cedar Rapids police.  Irvin was found in possession of 32 baggies of purported heroin packaged for sale.  The substance was later determined to weigh 14.86 grams and found to contain fentanyl, and not heroin.  Irvin admitted to selling between 80 and 100 grams of heroin for Dennis.

Four other individuals, Cody Scott Deklotz, Andrew James Lehman, Jerry Dwayne Banghart, and Melinda Salvatora Werning, previously pled guilty to the heroin conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.  Ryan Rick Schlitter was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.  Four other individuals charged in the same indictment, including Dennis, are still pending trial.

Sentencings before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after presentence reports are prepared.  May and Irvin remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  May faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $2,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.  Irvin faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of imprisonment following any imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.

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

The case file number is 21‑CR‑32‑CJW.

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

Juan Raymundo-Perez, age 34, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea on February 28, 2022, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.

In a plea agreement, Raymundo-Perez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  In June 2017, Raymundo-Perez was convicted in the Northern District of Iowa of using a fraudulent permanent resident card and a fraudulent Social Security card with numbers assigned to other people to illegally obtain employment in Dubuque.  Illegal aliens are not authorized to work in the United States.  Raymundo-Perez was deported to Guatemala by immigration officials in July 2017.  He claimed to have illegally re-entered the United States through Texas in April 2021.  On November 8, 2021, immigration officials learned Raymundo-Perez had illegally returned to the United States and found Raymundo-Perez at the Dubuque County Jail following his arrest on state charges.  Further investigation by immigration officials showed that Raymundo-Perez again used a fraudulent permanent resident card and a fraudulent Social Security card with numbers assigned to other people to illegally obtain employment in Dubuque using an alias in April 2021.

Raymundo-Perez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Raymundo-Perez was sentenced to imprisonment of 12 months and one day.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Raymundo-Perez 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 21-CR-1035.

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A man who sexually abused a sleeping woman was convicted by a jury today after a two-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Robin Roberts, age 67, from the Meskwaki Settlement was convicted of sexual abuse.  The verdict was returned this afternoon following about ninety minutes of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that on July 8, 2021, the victim went to Roberts’ residence and spent the night.  The next day, the victim woke up to Roberts’ performing oral sex on her.  The victim never consented to the sex and Roberts began the sex act while she was sleeping and not capable of consent.  

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa C. Williams and Liz Dupuich and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Meskwaki Nation Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-0060.

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A man who was caught taking marijuana and over $37,000 in cash through the Eastern Iowa Airport security screening was sentenced today to two months in federal prison and fined $2,000.

Andre Burns, age 38, from Atlanta, Georgia, received the prison term after a February 1, 2022 guilty plea to interfering with airport security.

Information disclosed at sentencing showed that Burns was flying out of the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on June 16, 2019.  While he was going through the airport security checkpoint, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents discovered approximately 35 grams of marijuana and an envelope containing $37,723 in cash in Burns’ luggage.  Burns grabbed some of the cash from the agents and then ran from the security checkpoint.  As he was running, Burns struck a TSA agent in the stomach, causing a contusion and requiring the agent to go to the hospital.  Burns then ran from the airport and into a cornfield across the street.  Officers from the Cedar Rapids Police Department located and arrested him in the cornfield.

Burns was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Burns was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment and fined $2,000.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Burns was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Transportation Security Administration. 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-80.

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A man with a prior federal drug conviction was sentenced May 25, 2022 to five years in federal prison.

Gary Alan Happel, age 60, from Ladora, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 15, 2021 guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the guilty plea, Happel admitted that, in January 2021, he was in possession of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute to others.  Happel was driving a vehicle and was stopped for speeding.  Officers recovered over a half pound of methamphetamine on his person.  Happel has a prior federal conviction from 1997 for conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and a conviction in 2010 for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in Utah. 

Happel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Happel was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and fined $20,000.  He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Happel is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. 

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

The case file number is 21-cr-37.

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A man who conspired to deal methamphetamine was sentenced May 25, 2022, to more than 15 years in federal prison.

David Alan Tafolla, age 55, from Oelwein, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 9, 2021 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

In a plea agreement, Tafolla admitted that he was involved in drug trafficking from October 2020 to May 2021.  Tafolla admitted selling methamphetamine on four occasions during April and May 2021.  Law enforcement officers searched Tafolla’s home in May 2021 and recovered methamphetamine, marijuana, and $36,473 in cash that represented drug proceeds.  Tafolla has previous convictions in more than twenty cases including assaults, going armed with intent, burglary, violations of no contact orders, and stalking.

Tafolla was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Tafolla was sentenced to 188 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.  Tafolla 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 Devra Hake and Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Oelwein Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, and Iowa Division of Intelligence. 

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

The case file number is 21-cr-02044.

A Cedar Rapids drug dealer with 59 prior adult convictions was sentenced May 24, 2022, to more than 13 years in federal prison. 

Kyle Anthony Doolin, age 61, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 26, 2021 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance near a protected location after having previously been convicted of a felony drug offense.

Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, on July 24, 2020, officers with the Cedar Rapids Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Doolin’s vehicle.  As an officer attempted to initiate the traffic stop, Doolin drove away and a car chase ensued.  Doolin turned into a driveway of a house, struck a wooden fence, and then fled on foot.  After a short foot pursuit, Doolin was taken into custody with the assistance of a trained law enforcement K9.  In the immediate area around where Doolin was taken into custody, law enforcement recovered several baggies containing a total of over 26 grams of ice methamphetamine.  Officers also recovered methamphetamine and heroin from Doolin’s person.  Prior to July 24, 2020, Doolin had previously been convicted 59 times, including a prior federal conviction for a drug-related offense. 

Doolin was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Doolin was sentenced to 157 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve an eight-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-00088.

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A man who shot at a car injuring two people was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison.

Dai’Sean Dupree Battles, age 30, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 19, 2021 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence in the case established that Battles and his girlfriend were involved in an altercation with another individual at a home in Waterloo.  That individual left the residence with two others and Battles and his girlfriend followed in their vehicle.  As they drove through downtown Waterloo, Battles took a firearm and discharged at least three rounds at the vehicle striking the driver and the backseat passenger.  The backseat passenger suffered serious bodily injury. 

Battles was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  At the sentencing, Judge Williams commented that Battles presented an “extreme danger to the community.”  Battles was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams 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. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-2034.

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A Canadian man who unlawfully imported pseudoephedrine from Canada into the United States and Australia during 2011 and 2012 pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Joseph Damgajian, age 42, from Laval, Quebec, Canada, was convicted of one count of using the United States and Canadian mail systems to distribute pseudoephedrine, one count of unlawfully importing pseudoephedrine into the United States, and one count of making false customs declarations to illegally import pseudoephedrine into the United States.

In a plea agreement, Damgajian admitted that, during 2011 and 2012, he was selling pseudoephedrine on the Internet.  A methamphetamine lab search in July 2011 identified Damgajian as a source for pseudoephedrine, a chemical used to manufacture methamphetamine.  Damgajian sold over 3 kilograms of pseudoephedrine through an online market.  He hid the pseudoephedrine in vitamin bottles that he resealed in an effort to avoid the seizure of the substances by customs officials.  Agents in the United States purchased pseudoephedrine from Damgajian and coordinated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who seized additional packages of pseudoephedrine Damgajian was illegally sending from Canada to other countries, including the United States and Australia.    

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Damgajian remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Damgajian faces a possible maximum sentence of 16 years’ imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, and seven years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. 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 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Postal Inspectors, Canadian Border Services Agency, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of: the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. 

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

The case file number is 12-CR-2035.

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A man who illegally possessed a 3D printed Glock switch designed to convert a handgun into an automatic weapon was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.

Jose Morales-Ramirez, age 20, from Marshalltown, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 20, 2022 guilty plea to illegal possession of a machine gun.

Evidence during the case at trial showed that police responded to Morales-Ramirez’s residence after receiving reports from neighbors regarding possible gun shots.  During a search, police located a Glock conversion device designed and intended solely and exclusively for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun.  The Glock conversion device, also known as a Glock switch, had been printed on a 3D printer. 

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

This case 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.

Morales-Ramirez was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Tama, Iowa, Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-0056.

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A man who sought out and obtained depictions of child pornography, including infants and toddlers, on the dark web was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.

Collin Nissen, age 21, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 14, 2021 guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography and three counts of possession of child pornography. 

At the guilty plea, Nissen admitted that, between March of 2019 and September of 2020, he received and possessed visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct on two cell phones and an SD card.  Evidence at sentencing showed that Nissen took steps in order to conceal his identity online for the purpose of obtaining child pornography.  He received and possessed sexually explicit photographs and videos of babies and toddlers.  He also possessed sado-masochistic depictions of children.  When confronted by law enforcement, he stated that he was trying to help find missing children. 

Nissen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Nissen was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment and fined $400.  He must also serve a 10-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.”          

Nissen 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 Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force. 

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

The case file number is 21-cr-1015.

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Three men were sentenced today for selling vehicles on the internet after re-placing the vehicles’ odometers in order to sell the vehicles at a higher price.  In an attempt to avoid detection, the vehicles would be registered in several different names and then ultimately sold to the unsuspecting public. The public would not have purchased the vehicles had they known the true mileage on the vehicles.     

Jerret Schreiber, age 50, from Parkersburg, Iowa, received 6 months prison term and 6 months home confinement after he pled guilty to wire fraud.  Evidence in the case proved Schreiber was involved in the sale of at least 17 vehicles.  He was ordered to repay $90,832.55 in restitution to the victims of his offense. At sentencing, Schreiber made a payment of $45,000 towards his restitution obligation.

David Stangeland, age 33, from Cedar Falls, Iowa, received a one month prison term after he pled guilty to conspiracy to commit odometer fraud.  Evidence in the case proved Stangeland was involved in the sale of at least 21 vehicles.  He was ordered to repay $85,050 in restitution to the victims of his offense.  At sentencing, Stangeland made a payment of $22,400 towards his restitution obligation.

Dustin Arends, age 36, from New Hartford, Iowa, received three years’ probation after he pled guilty to odometer tampering.  Evidence in the case proved Arends was involved in the sale of at least 6 vehicles.  He was ordered to repay $23,200 in restitution to the victims of his offense.  At sentencing, Arends made a payment of $14,000 towards his restitution obligation. 

The three men were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Schreiber was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.  Stangeland was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on June 23, 2022, at 10:00 am.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

The case file number is 21-CR-2010.

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A man who conspired to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and other synthetic opioids was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.

Ryan Rick Schlitter, age 39, from Vinton, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 14, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.

In a plea agreement, Schlitter admitted that he obtained distribution quantities of heroin through a group of heroin dealers based out of Cedar Rapids.  During a federal wiretap investigation in 2021, investigators intercepted calls between one of the dealers and an associate of Schlitter’s.  After the intercepted calls, Schlitter and his associate drove to meet with the dealer.  The associate purchased over seven grams of a substance containing heroin, fentanyl, and the synthetic opioids acetyl fentanyl, para‑fluorofentanyl, and metonitazene.  Officers stopped the vehicle and seized the drugs, which Schlitter admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute to others.  Schlitter also admitted that, in June 2021, he sold $200 worth of a substance containing heroin, acetyl fentanyl, and fentanyl during an undercover operation in Cedar Rapids.

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

Schlitter 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 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 and 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 21‑CR‑00032‑10‑CJW‑MAR.

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A Waterloo man who exchanged gunfire with others in Waterloo, Iowa, on July 31, 2020, was sentenced today to more than eight years in federal prison.

Tony Terrell Campbell, age 37, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 13, 2021 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

At the guilty plea, Campbell admitted he had a firearm on July 31, 2020, and exchanged gunfire with another individual.  Campbell had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses including three burglary offenses, a theft of lottery tickets, conspiracy to commit a forcible felony, and assault while participating in a felony.

Campbell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Campbell was sentenced to 102 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and was investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-2050.

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A Waterloo man, who possessed a gun as a felon and while under the influence of methamphetamine, was sentenced May 17, 2022, to 137 months in prison.

Willie Traymone Phillips, age 40, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison sentence following a September 10, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm as a prohibited person and possession of a controlled substance after two or more prior drug convictions.

Information disclosed at sentencing and plea hearings revealed that, in August 2020, Phillips was pulled over by an Iowa State Trooper in Black Hawk County.  The trooper approached the vehicle and observed Phillips digging through a bag of what appeared to be drugs.  The trooper asked for Phillips’ identification, at which point Phillips sped off.  Phillips led troopers on a chase.  At one point, he crossed across four lanes of traffic, during the daytime, and crashed his vehicle.  Phillips fled from the vehicle but was stopped by officers.  There was one female passenger in Phillips’ vehicle.  She suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital where she underwent surgery.  Officers searched Phillips’ vehicle and located a sawed-off shotgun and baggies containing methamphetamine, cocaine, and K2.  Phillips admitted he was under the influence of methamphetamine, which was confirmed through additional testing.  Phillips has 10 prior criminal convictions. 

Phillips was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Phillips was sentenced to 137 months’ imprisonment.  Phillips was ordered to make payment of $200 to the special assessment fund.  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 prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery.  This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) through a cooperative effort of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa State Patrol, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.  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.

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

The case file number is 20-CR-2057.

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A man who was riding as a passenger in a vehicle which was shot at in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and found in possession of a .45 caliber pistol, was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.

Darrell Morrow, age 20, from Rock Island, Illinois, received the prison term after an October 14, 2021 guilty plea to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

At the guilty plea, Morrow admitted that on October 5, 2020, he knowingly possessed a .45 caliber Springfield pistol.  At the time he possessed the pistol, he had previously been convicted of trafficking in stolen weapons in Linn County, Iowa, in 2019 and was an unlawful user of a controlled substance.  At sentencing, the evidence showed that Morrow was riding in a vehicle in Cedar Rapids which was riddled with gunfire.  He was transported to the hospital due to injuries and law enforcement officers found his stolen gun lying near the crashed vehicle.  Morrow’s social media accounts showed a history of firearms and narcotic use.

Morrow was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Morrow was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and fined $100.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by 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.

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

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

The case file number is 21-CR-0055.

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A man who stole a friend’s firearm and sold it to a felon was sentenced May 16, 2022, to more than six years in federal prison.

Cole McNamara, age 28, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 2, 2021 guilty plea to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

In a plea agreement, McNamara admitted he was receiving treatment at a substance abuse facility in October 2020.  He left the treatment facility and entered a friend’s home in Independence, Iowa, where he stole a semi-automatic rifle, among other items.  McNamara was later apprehended at the Isle of Capri casino in possession of methamphetamine, his friend’s wallet, and titles to his friend’s vehicles.  McNamara is prohibited from possessing firearms because he is a convicted felon, drug user, and was previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.  At sentencing, McNamara declared, “I am 100% guilty of this crime.”  In reference to his previous convictions, the sentencing judge noted McNamara was a “one man crime wave.”

McNamara was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  McNamara was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment and fined $100.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

McNamara 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 Independence Police Department in Independence, Iowa. 

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

The case file number is 21-cr-2069.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.