Northern District of Iowa

Douglas Studer, age 62, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been charged with being a drug user in possession of firearms and ammunition.  The charge is contained in an Indictment unsealed on September 27, 2021, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. 

The Indictment alleges that, in May 2019, Studer possessed two firearms and ammunition when he was an unlawful user of methamphetamine and marijuana.

If convicted, Studer faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years on supervised release following any imprisonment.

Studer appeared for a detention hearing on September 28, 2021, in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was released on bond.  Studer’s next appearance for trial is set for November 29, 2021.

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

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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is CR 21-1027.

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Douglas Hurt, age 41, of Anamosa, Iowa, has been charged with being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition.  The charge is contained in an Indictment unsealed on September 17, 2021, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. 

The Indictment alleges that, in June 2020, Hurt possessed two firearms and ammunition after having been convicted of one felony and three misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence.

If convicted, Hurt faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years on supervised release following any imprisonment.

Hurt appeared for a detention hearing on September 23, 2021, in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was released on bond.  Hurt’s next appearance for trial is set for November 22, 2021.

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

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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is CR 21-59.

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A man who escaped from the Waterloo Residential Correctional Facility and later failed to appear in federal court pursuant to a subpoena pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Eugene Davis, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of an April 23, 2021 escape from federal custody at the Residential Correctional Center in Waterloo and for contempt of court by failing to appear in federal court on April 26, 2021, pursuant to a trial subpoena.

In a plea agreement, Davis admitted that he was in the Waterloo Residential Correctional Center in Waterloo, Iowa, on April 23, 2021, as a condition of his term of supervised release in a 2009 federal firearms case.  On April 23, 2021, Davis left the facility to go to work and never returned.  Davis was later arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Prior to Davis’s escape, he was served with a subpoena that required him to appear in federal court in Cedar Rapids on April 26, 2021.  Davis never appeared in court as required.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Davis remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  For the escape offense, Davis faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.  For the contempt offense, Davis faces any term of imprisonment the Court finds appropriate in its discretion, a fine of not more than $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to five years. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file numbers are CR-21-0041 (contempt of court) & CR-21-2042 (escape).

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A woman who admitted conspiring with others to sell methamphetamine was sentenced September 24, 2021, to nearly four years in federal prison.

Jennifer Marie Klingsmith, age 36, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 15, 2021 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

At the guilty plea, Klingsmith admitted she conspired with others beginning around November 2019 through February 2020 to distribute methamphetamine.  Klingsmith admitted selling methamphetamine to two other people.  Overall, Klingsmith was involved in trafficking more than 200 grams of methamphetamine.

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

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

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alex Geocaris and Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Waterloo Police Department, the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar Falls Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 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 20-cr-2046.

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A Northeastern Iowa man who guided and outfitted illegal deer hunts was sentenced on September 23, 2021, to federal prison.  Cory Gene Fritzler, age 46, from Lansing, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 18, 2021 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy.

Evidence at Fritzler’s plea, sentencing, and other hearings established that Fritzler operated a guiding and outfitting business in Northeastern Iowa known as “NE Iowa Outfitters.”  The Northeastern Iowa region is nationally recognized as a prime geographic area for hunting mature whitetail buck deer.  Hunters travel to Northeastern Iowa from all over the United States to hunt high value, mature buck deer with large antlers.  The demand for out-of-state hunting licenses, however, greatly exceeds the supply.

During the 2015 hunting season, Fritzler agreed to conduct an illegal hunt with two hunters from Florida who were actually undercover law enforcement officers.  The agreed-upon cost of the illegal five-day hunt was $3,450 per person, plus an additional $500 per person for illegal licenses that Fritzler provided. Fritzler recruited others to participate in the illegal hunting scheme by applying for and receiving Iowa hunting licenses and tags to cover the deer.

That same hunting season, Fritzler legally provided guiding and outfitting services to two non-resident hunters from Louisiana.  In 2015, one of the hunters shot a valuable “double drop tine buck” but wounded this deer in its backside only. When the hunters did not obtain out-of-state licenses the next year to obtain this deer, known as “the Monster Buck,” Fritzler accepted $3,450 from the hunters to guide and outfit their illegal hunts during the 2016 hunting season.  Fritzler instructed the Louisiana hunters to tell people, falsely, that they were hunting in a public area in Wisconsin to hide the fact that they were illegally hunting on Fritzler's ground in Iowa.  When questioned by law enforcement, Fritzler and the Louisiana hunters falsely stated they were hunting in Wisconsin.  In the ensuing months, Fritzler later encouraged the Louisana hunters to continue to “stick to their story” as law enforcement was investigating the case.           

Fritzler was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Fritzler was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, two months of home detention, and fined $5,000.  Fritzler must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Fritzler 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 Tim Vavricek and investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-1034.

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CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – There will be a press conference held on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at the United States Attorney’s Office in the federal courthouse, 111 Seventh Ave SE, in Cedar Rapids.  Representatives from the United States Attorney’s Office and federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the Waterloo Police Departments, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the United States Marshal’s Service will be present at the press conference..  The purpose of the press conference is to announce more than a dozen recent Project Safe Neighborhood gun charges and arrests in Waterloo.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (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   

Event Details

When:           September 29, 2021

Where:         Cedar Rapids Federal Courthouse (United States Attorney’s Office), 111 Seventh Ave. SE

Time:           11:00 a.m.

A press release will be provided and interview opportunities will be available.

Please RSVP to Tony Morfitt at tony.morfitt@usdoj.gov if you plan to attend. 

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A man who possessed a gun despite being legally prohibited was sentenced September 20, 2021, to more than two years in federal prison.

John Michael Dockery, age 37, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 1, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a gun by a prohibited person.

At the guilty plea, Dockery admitted possessing a firearm following two felony convictions from California and while he was an unlawful user of methamphetamine.  Dockery was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped in Cedar Rapids and a gun was found in the back of vehicle behind Dockery’s seat.

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

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.         

Dockery 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 Cedar Rapids Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-80.

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A man who led Dubuque, Iowa, police on a high‑speed chase that ended with his car on its hood and his gun, heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in the snow, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Richard Allen Roberts, age 39, from Chicago, Illinois, was convicted of one count of distributing crack near a playground and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In a plea agreement, Roberts admitted that he sold about a half gram of crack cocaine to a confidential informant near Jefferson Park in Dubuque on January 26, 2021.  About a week later, police tracked Roberts’s car from Dubuque to Chicago.  When he returned to Iowa on February 5, 2021, officers stopped the car after it crossed the bridge into Dubuque from Wisconsin.  A narcotics K9 alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from Roberts’s vehicle.  After an officer asked Roberts to get out of his car, Roberts put the car in gear and fled.  During the subsequent chase, Roberts’s vehicle reached speeds over 80 miles per hour and collided with a snowplow but kept going.  Roberts eventually lost control of his car approximately three-and-half miles away in Illinois, flipping the car over onto a snow‑filled median.  When the car was turned back over, officers found a plastic bag containing about 32 grams of powder cocaine, 44 grams of crack cocaine, over 9 grams of heroin, and 1.5 grams of heroin and fentanyl.  Next to the bag was a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol.  Roberts had previously been convicted of 11 felony crimes in Illinois.

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

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Roberts remains in custody of the United States Marshal.  On the drug charge, Roberts faces a mandatory minimum sentence of one year imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $2,000,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.  On the gun charge, Roberts faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years’ supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force 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‑1017‑CJW‑MAR.

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A Sioux City man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine around the tri-state area was sentenced September 22, 2021 to 10 years in federal prison.

Leroy Eric McCoy, age 39, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 15, 2021 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, McCoy admitted to conspiring to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine around the tri-state area.  McCoy was previously convicted in 2005 of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine near a private location and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

McCoy was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  McCoy was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

The case file number is 20-4039.

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A former employee who stole more than $270,000 from the church that employed her was sentenced today to more two years in federal prison.

Melissa Noland, age 47, from Polk City, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 12, 2021, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

Information from a plea agreement and court hearings showed that Noland was employed by a church between January 2015 and January 2019.  During that time, Noland stole money from the church in various ways.  Noland wrote checks to herself using the church’s checkbook, used church bank accounts to pay her own credit card bills, and made excess payroll distributions to herself.  Noland eventually stole $274,222.09 from the church.  Once the church discovered her thefts, she was terminated from her employment. 

Noland was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Noland was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment.   She was ordered to make $274,222.09 in restitution the church.  She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Noland 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 and the Mason City Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-3025.

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A Waterloo woman who purchased a gun for her boyfriend and attempted to purchase at least one other gun for him and a friend was sentenced yesterday to 12 months in prison.

Ashley Nichole Lies, age 26, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison sentence after an April 12, 2021 guilty plea to making a false statement during purchase of a firearm. 

Information disclosed at sentencing and at her plea hearing showed that, in July 2020, Lies purchased a 9mm pistol from a business in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  During the purchase, Lies represented to the business that she was purchasing the gun for herself.  Lies was actually buying the gun for her boyfriend at the time, who was prohibited from possessing guns because he had a prior conviction for domestic abuse.  The gun was seized from Lies’ boyfriend a few weeks after she purchased it.  Investigators also determined that Lies attempted to purchase at least one other guns for Lies’ boyfriend and another friend but was denied. 

Lies was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Lies was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment.  She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Lies will have to pay $100 to the special assessment fund.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Cedar Falls Police Department, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.

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 20-CR-02061.                                    

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A man who received almost $17,000 in fraudulently obtained CARES Act unemployment funds was sentenced on September 20, 2021, to five months in federal prison.  Larry Neal Wells, age 63, from Center Point, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 5, 2021 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

Information from sentencing and a plea agreement showed that Wells received $16,978 in unemployment funds to which he was not entitled from the states of Maine and New York.  Wells withdrew the funds in cash, kept some of the funds for himself, and mailed the rest to other individuals. 

Wells was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Wells was sentenced to 5 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $7,728 in restitution to the New York State Department of Labor and $9,250 in restitution to the Maine Department of Labor.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Wells was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on October 4, 2021.

This prosecution is an example of the Department of Justice’s strong commitment to combating fraud and criminal activity related to COVID-19. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 20-CR-113. 

A Wisconsin man, who burglarized a residence during the summer of 2016 and then supplied some of the stolen firearms to a Dubuque drug dealer, was sentenced on September 20, 2021, to ten years in federal prison.

Shiloh Michael Wolf, age 23, from Montfort, Wisconsin, received the prison term after a March 17, 2021 guilty plea to one count of possession, barter, and sale of a stolen firearm.

In a plea agreement, Wolf admitted that, in July 2016, he burglarized a residence in Bagley, Wisconsin, and stole ten pistols and revolvers, as well as about 800 rounds of ammunition.  Wolf was a methamphetamine dealer who targeted the pistols and revolvers in the burglary because he wanted to steal firearms that would be helpful in the drug trade.  Later in the summer of 2016, Wolf traded five of the firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition to another methamphetamine dealer in Dubuque, Iowa, for cash and methamphetamine.

Over the course of the next several years, Iowa law enforcement officers discovered a number of felons and drug users in possession of the firearms that Wolf had stolen in the burglary:

In August 2016, law enforcement officers searched Jordan Dakota Ness’s home in Dubuque and discovered a revolver and a pistol that Wolf had stolen in the burglary.  Ness was a felon.  In May 2021, Ness was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison.

In November 2016, law enforcement officers found a pistol that Wolf had stolen in the burglary during a search of a car that an unlawful drug user, felon, and domestic abuser, Jeremy Michael Kieffer, was operating in Dubuque.  In June 2017, Kieffer was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for possessing the pistol illegally.

In January 2019, law enforcement officers recovered a pistol that Wolf had stolen in the possession of an unlawful drug user, John David Orr III, in Dubuque.  In October 2019, Orr was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.

Two other firearms that Wolf stole in the burglary were discovered during a roadside cleanup in Linn County, Iowa, and following an incident in Clinton, Iowa.  The other firearms remain at large.

Wolf was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Wolf was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $6,000 in restitution the victim of the burglary.  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.

Wolf 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 Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Dubuque Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-1003.

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On September 17, 2021, a man who conspired to distribute meth was sentenced to 15 years’ in federal prison.

Adrian Estrada, 29, from Rockford, Illinois, had previously pled guilty on April 10, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. 

Evidence from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from about December 2018 through November 8, 2019, Estrada regularly provided co-conspirators in central Iowa one to three-pound quantities of methamphetamine for over a year, totaling more than 35 pounds of methamphetamine.  Estrada resided in Illinois (Rockford) and would transport methamphetamine to co-conspirators in Eagle Grove, Iowa, for further re-distribution in the Northern District of Iowa.  Estrada would also collect drug money owed by his co-conspirators.  At sentencing, after the presentation of evidence, the district court found that in January of 2019, Estrada and three others confronted a co-conspirator and his friend, and assaulted them by force and threats over a disputed drug debt, including pistol-whipping each victim in an effort to obtain money or methamphetamine.  Each of the two victims were treated at local hospitals for injuries consistent with blunt force trauma to the head.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Estrada remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  Estrada was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, the Eagle Grove Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Laboratory and the United States Marshal Service. 

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

The case file number is 20-3012.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A drug user who possessed a loaded .40 caliber pistol was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.

Shuntez Porter, age 23, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 15, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user.

In a plea agreement, Porter admitted he was a passenger in a car stopped in Waterloo on August 1, 2020.  Police searched the car and found a pistol inside the glovebox.  The car had an odor of burnt marijuana and small pieces of marijuana were found around the passenger seat.  Porter’s urine was positive for marijuana metabolites.  A DNA test comparing swabs taken from the firearm to Porter’s DNA, showed there was strong support that the DNA from the gun was Porter’s DNA.  

Porter was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Porter was sentenced to 24 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.

Porter 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 Elizabeth Dupuich and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-2004.

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A Sioux City woman who stole government funds using a COVID-19 unemployment scheme was sentenced September 16, 2021, to 6 months in federal prison.

Linda Bosquez, age 59, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to theft of government funds.  In a plea agreement, Bosquez admitted that from April 30, 2020 through July 22, 2020, she stole at least $24,235 from the United States Department of the Treasury and the states of Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio.

Bosquez falsely filed claims, in her name and those of others, for unemployment benefits, through the States of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Colorado, and Ohio, including benefits related to COVID-19 relief funds to which she was not entitled.  Bosquez made cash withdrawals following the deposits of Unemployment Insurance credits into her account, totaling approximately $27,299.30.  Bosquez was receiving benefits from other states via ACH and prepaid cards in the names of other individuals, while she was also receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.  Bosquez has three prior theft convictions and two prior convictions for fraudulent practice.   

The case was prosecuted by United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the United States Department of Labor and the Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Rooting out COVID-19 fraud is a priority of the Department of Justice. On March 27, 2020, the President signed the CARES Act, which provides emergency assistance to individuals, families, and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased unemployment benefits.

These prosecutions are an example of the Department of Justice’s strong commitment to combating fraud and criminal activity related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Bosquez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Bosquez was sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment.  She was ordered to make $24,235 in restitution in various amounts to the Georgia Department of Labor, the State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, and the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services.  She must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Bosquez is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

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

The case file number is 21-CR-4029.

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A man who sold three deadly doses of opioids in April and May of 2019 was sentenced today to 35 years in federal prison.

Travis Gordon Jones, age 40, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 29, 2020 guilty plea to one count of conspiring to distribute controlled substances resulting in death.

At the plea hearing, Jones admitted that he conspired with others to distribute the opioids in Dubuque in April and May 2019.  Jones also admitted that he personally sold mixtures of heroin, fentanyl, and a synthetic opioid called valeryl fentanyl that were used by three individuals who then died of overdoses.  Court records reflect that the first victim died on April 24, 2019.  A heroin customer of Jones’s met with Jones at a bar in Dubuque, after which Jones sold the customer approximately 1.25 grams of a substance that contained heroin, fentanyl, and valeryl fentanyl.  The customer then provided the drugs to the first victim, who took them home, used some of them, and was found dead a few hours later. 

The second victim died on May 20, 2019.  Court records reflect that Julius Irvin was a regular customer of Jones’s, and that he regularly purchased heroin from Jones for himself and others.  On May 19, 2019, Jones sold Irvin some heroin laced with fentanyl and valeryl fentanyl, which Irvin was going to provide to one of his customers.  The customer took some of the substance to a local women’s shelter in Dubuque, where she had been staying.  She used the substance, overdosed, and was found dead by shelter staff the next morning.

The third victim died on May 27, 2019.  Evidence at prior hearings showed that Jackie Birch drove her boyfriend, Mateusz Syryjczyk, and the third victim to Jones’s home in Dubuque during the early morning of May 27, 2019.  Birch and the third victim went into the home, where they purchased what was purported to be heroin from Jones.  The three then drove to a hotel in Dubuque, where they all used the purported heroin.  The third victim began to overdose in the room.  Birch and Syryjczyk did not immediately call 911, but, over the course of multiple hours, Birch would occasionally perform CPR on the third victim to restore some breathing function, though the victim never regained consciousness.  Eventually, Birch and Syryjczyk decided they needed to call 911, and Syryjczyk took the remaining drug paraphernalia from the room to prevent law enforcement from finding it.  The third victim never recovered.

Birch was previously sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment after her guilty plea to aiding and abetting the distribution of a controlled substance.  Syryjczyk was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment after his guilty plea to misprision of a felony.  Irvin was sentenced to 183 months’ imprisonment after his guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

Jones was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Jones was sentenced to 420 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $21,044.60 in restitution to the victims.  He must also serve a six‑year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and 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 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 19-CR-1041-CJW-MAR.

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A Dickinson County woman who conspired to distribute meth pled guilty September 14, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.  Meghan Renken, 29, from Spirit Lake, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Renken admitted her involvement in a conspiracy that distributed more than 1500 grams of pure methamphetamine from July 2018 and continuing to on or about March 2020 in the Dickinson County, Iowa area. On March 17, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a co-conspirators residence and seized 20 pounds of methamphetamine from the residence.  During the course of the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement stopped Renken and another co-conspirator leaving the residence in a vehicle.  Upon a search of the vehicle, law enforcement seized 3 pounds of pure meth that Renken and her co-conspirator admitted they had plans to distribute to other persons.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Renken was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Renken faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and 5 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and 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; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office, as well as the Iowa State Patrol.

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

The case file number is 20-4050.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man and woman who were responsible for participating in a robbery that led to the murder of another man were sentenced today to federal prison.

Danielle Busch, age 31, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received a decade in prison after an April 13, 2020 guilty plea to conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce and using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in murder.

William Leo Yancey, age 46, also from Cedar Rapids, received over 30 years in prison after a May 13, 2021 guilty plea to robbery affecting interstate commerce and using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in murder.

Evidence during the case established that, in May 2014, Busch, Yancey, and Matthew Robbins, who will be sentenced at a later date, conspired to rob a local drug dealer, and then robbed the dealer on May 31, 2014.  During the robbery, Robbins possessed a firearm which was discharged, murdering the victim. 

Busch and Yancey were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand, who described the case as an “horrific offense.”  Busch was sentenced to 120 months’ and one day imprisonment.  She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  Yancey was sentenced to 400 months’ imprisonment.  Judge Strand noted that Yancey has been a drain on the criminal justice system who has engaged in criminal conduct throughout his adult life.  Yancey is currently serving a 188-month prison term for conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine and will begin serving this sentence once he finishes serving that term of imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“The volatile combination of drugs and guns resulted in a man’s tragic death,” said Acting United States Attorney Sean R. Berry.  “Today’s sentences hold accountable two of the individuals who participated in a plan to rob that man of drugs and money.  Our office is committed to vigorously prosecuting those who mix drugs, guns, and violence.”

Busch and Yancey are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa C. Williams and Emily K. Nydle and was investigated by the Marion Police Department, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Iowa City Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Davenport Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and the Daytona Beach Shores Florida Police Department.  Assistance was also provided by the Waypoint Services Survivor's Program in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  

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

The case file number is 19-cr-53.

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A man who possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty September 7, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Todd Gruis, 50, from Melvin, Iowa was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Gruis admitted that in March 2021 he received multiple packages by mail, each containing methamphetamine.  Gruis planned to use some of this methamphetamine and the remainder he planned to distribute to another.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Gruis was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Gruis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and four years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. 

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

The case file number is 21-4044.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A convicted sex offender who lived and worked in Iowa for about 14 months without registering as a sex offender was sentenced on September 9, 2021, to more than a year in federal prison.

Charles Gregory, age 50, from Charles City, Iowa, and previously from Illinois, received the prison term after a January 5, 2021 guilty plea to one count of failing to register as a sex offender.

Information disclosed at the sentencing hearing showed that Gregory is required to register as a sex offender for life because he was convicted of multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault in 1990.  Gregory was also convicted of failing to register in Illinois state court in 2000.  In May 2018, Gregory began working and living in Iowa.  He continued to work and live in Iowa until September 2019.  Gregory’s failure to register during this time was discovered when he was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in Bremer County.  He was eventually convicted of that offense, his second such conviction.

Gregory was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Gregory was sentenced to 16 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.  Gregory 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 United States Marshal’s Service.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 20-CR-2054.

A convicted felon who unlawfully possessed a firearm that he then sold to a confidential informant was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison.

Delano Antwuan Deshazer, age 34, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a March 8, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

The facts in this case show that Deshazer sold a firearm to a confidential informant in Dubuque, Iowa, in February 2020.  Deshazer has an extensive criminal history, including convictions in over 30 different cases.  His convictions include felony convictions for eluding and escape.  Deshazer was also previously convicted of domestic abuse on four occasions.

Deshazer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. William.  Deshazer was sentenced to 84 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.

Deshazer 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 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 20-cr-1029.

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Rakeem Leonard, age 30, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been charged with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.  The charge is contained in an Indictment unsealed on September 6, 2021, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. 

The Indictment alleges that, in July 2021, Leonard possessed a pistol after having been convicted of two felonies and while he was subject to a no contact order.

If convicted, Leonard faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years on supervised release following any imprisonment.

Leonard appeared for a detention hearing today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond.  Leonard’s next appearance for trial is set for November 8, 2021.

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

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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the High Risk Unit of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, 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 21-53.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty on September 8, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Fabian Alcaraz-Santillan, 24, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Alcaraz-Santillan admitted that from August 2020 through September 11, 2020, he and others conspired to distribute more than 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area.  Alcaraz-Santillan received multiple packages of methamphetamine from Mexico with the intent for further distribution.

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

The case is being 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 20-4090.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, on September 8, 2021, to a total of twenty years in prison.

Hugo Arechiga Torres, 40, most recently from Sioux City, Iowa, but formerly from Washington and South Dakota, was sentenced on September 8, 2021, after having pled guilty on February 18, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  Torres was previously convicted three times in South Dakota for felony drug trafficking offenses, including a federal case in 2014.

At his plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that between December 2019 and August 2020, Torres and others distributed at least 15 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area, including Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  On August 13, 2020, law enforcement used a confidential informant to purchase ten pounds of methamphetamine from Torres.  On August 17, 2020, law enforcement used a confidential informant to make a $13,000 drug debt payment to Torres, and obtained another two pounds of methamphetamine from him.  Upon his arrest the next day, officers seized $754 from Torres, which was found to include five of the pre-serialized $100 bills provided to Torres, as part of the $13,000 drug debt payment.  Torres committed this offense while under terms of federal supervised release for a similar drug trafficking offense in the District of South Dakota.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Torres was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment and must serve a seven-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment.  Torres committed was also sentenced to 60-months’ imprisonment for violation of his federal supervised release, 30 months of which must be served consecutive to, and 30 months concurrent with, his 210-month sentence. Torres remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.

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

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

The case file number is 20-4067.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who placed an incendiary device on the property of another was sentenced September 7, 2021, to more than three years in federal prison.

Aaron Hinke, age 46, from Bellevue, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 22, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a national firearms act destructive device not registered to possessor. 

Information disclosed at a prior hearing showed that, on September 6, 2020, Hinke placed an incendiary device on the property of a homeowner in La Motte, Iowa.  The incendiary device consisted of a cigarette, firework, and a long firework fuse that was taped to a small gasoline container that contained a gasoline/oil mixture.  The incendiary device was later found by the homeowner’s five-year-old child. 

Hinke was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hinke was sentenced to 37 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.

Hinke 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 Jackson 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-CR-01006.

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A man who attempted to pilot an airplane from Wisconsin to New Mexico without a pilot’s license was sentenced today in federal court.  Keith Alexander Thomas, age 44, from Portales, New Mexico, received the sentence after an April 15, 2021 guilty plea to one count of operating as an airman without an airman certificate.

Information disclosed at sentencing showed that in June 2018, Thomas and another man flew from New Mexico to Wisconsin so that the other man could purchase a Cessna airplane.  Thomas, who did not have a pilot’s license, agreed to serve as the pilot of the Cessna and attempt to fly it back to New Mexico.  The Cessna was not air-worthy and sustained engine failure as it flew over Iowa.  Thomas was required to make an emergency landing in Waterloo, Iowa, but also failed to establish radio communication with the aviation company whose airstrip he landed on.  The Cessna not only suffered engine failure, the plane was also out of inspection compliance and the landing gear was not operational.  No one was hurt during the emergency landing.

Thomas was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Thomas was sentenced to two years’ probation and fined $5,000. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of the Inspector General. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-2003.

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A woman who distributed crack cocaine with her father was sentenced September 3, 2021, to eight months in federal prison.

Lekeya Shantay Gillenwater, age 29, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 1, 2021 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. 

Information at sentencing showed that, between January 2020 and August 2020, Gillenwater agreed to distribute crack cocaine with her father and others.  Law enforcement bought crack cocaine from Gillenwater or her father on four different occasions in the summer of 2020.  On August 10, 2020, law enforcement searched Gillenwater’s residence in Dubuque and recovered over 14 grams of crack cocaine, $1,400, and drug packaging.     

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

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-01043.

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A man who was previously convicted of multiple felony offenses, and later possessed over 1 kilogram of pure methamphetamine and guns, pled guilty on September 7, 2021, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Matthew Shawn Victor Bridges, age 30, from Marshalltown, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine, one count of possessing three rifles on January 3, 2020, after having been previously convicted of multiple felony offenses, and one count of possessing two more firearms on February 16, 2020.

In a plea agreement, Bridges admitted that, on January 3, 2020, he was in possession of more than 1000 grams of pure methamphetamine when Iowa Falls police officers responded to a suspicious car near a warehouse. Officers found a running vehicle that contained a large quantity of methamphetamine and three rifles near the vehicle.  On February 16, 2020, Iowa Falls police officers were investigating a home invasion and assault when the saw Bridges driving by the scene.  When they searched his vehicle, officers found more methamphetamine and two more firearms.  

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

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and was investigated by the Iowa Falls Police Department, Hardin County Sheriff’s Department, the Hardin County Attorney’s Office, 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-00108-CJW.

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A man who distributed heroin that resulted in an overdose was sentenced September 3, 2021 to more than three years in federal prison.

Diondray Louis Wilson, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 8, 2021 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance. 

Information at sentencing and a prior hearing showed that, on two occasions in 2018 and five occasions in 2019, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of heroin from Wilson.  On November 21, 2019, Wilson distributed heroin to an individual who later overdosed but regained consciousness after emergency personnel arrived. 

Wilson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Wilson was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Wilson 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 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-00091.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, on September 2, 2021.  

Daniel Moss, age 45, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on April 19, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegal possession of a firearm.  Previously, in 2009, Moss was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine within a protected location, and employment or use of a person under 18 to assist in conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. While on supervised release for the 2009 offense, Moss was convicted of escape from custody in 2017.

Evidence at hearings in the case showed that from June 2020 through July 5, 2020, while on federal supervised release, Moss conspired to distribute more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine to others in the Fort Dodge area.  On July 5, 2020, Moss was involved in a hit and run accident with another vehicle.  After he fled the scene, Fort Dodge police officers pursued Moss and ultimately caught him that same day, at which time Moss picked up a police officer and a loaded firearm fell from his waistband. The firearm was later determined to be stolen.  Moss also had approximately $17,000 cash during the incident, drug paraphernalia, baggies with residue, and over 50 grams pure methamphetamine.  Moss was previously convicted of a felony offense, and was a drug user, which prohibited him from possessing a gun.   

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Moss was sentenced to 196 months’ total imprisonment consisting of 150 months for the new offense and an additional 46 months for violating his supervised release.  Additionally, Moss must serve a seven-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 21-3002. 

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Martin Fye, age 58, from Webster City, Iowa, was sentenced August 31, 2021, to more than five years’ imprisonment.  On April 14, 2021, Fye pled guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm.  Fye was previously convicted of burglary third degree in 2008 and 2014, and a felony controlled substance violation in 2008.

Evidence at the hearing showed that, on June 26, 2020, while searching Fye’s residence, law enforcement located Fye with several .22 caliber rounds in his pocket and a loaded .22 handgun in his bedroom nightstand.  Fye disobeyed law enforcement instructions and resisted detention.  The court also found Fye fired the firearm on June 4, 2020, at a former girlfriend in anger after an argument when she left his residence.  Additional evidence established that Fye had another person hide several firearms in a cornfield before law enforcement searched his home.  A few days later, law enforcement seized seven firearms from a third-party custodian who had retrieved them for Fye.  Law enforcement also seized several items of drug paraphernalia in two search warrants at Fye’s residence.  Fye further admitted to being an unlawful drug user.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Fye remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  Fye was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment and he must serve three years of supervised release following the imprisonment.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. 

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

The case file number is 20-3024.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Robert Board, age 45, originally from Brownsville, Texas, more recently living in Medalia, Minnesota, pled guilty on April 15, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  He was sentenced to over a dozen years in prison at a sentencing hearing held on September 2, 2021.  At the hearings, evidence showed that from March 2019 through June 2020, Board was involved in the distribution of more than 12 kilograms of methamphetamine.  In July and August 2019, Board was the leader of a small group in the distribution of over one pound of pure methamphetamine to a confidential informant in four controlled drug operations with law enforcement.  Board later admitted to obtaining at least 12 kilograms of methamphetamine and at least 73 pounds of marijuana from sources in California, Washington, and Texas, and transporting it all to Minnesota and Iowa for further distribution.  Board also admitted to the interstate transport of a number of firearms for additional transactions.  

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Board was sentenced to 159 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 5 years supervised release following imprisonment.  Board is held in United States Marshal custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

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

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

The case file number is 20-4065. 

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A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on September 2, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa.

Jennie Kazena, 38, from Sioux City, pled guilty on February 18, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  Kazena was previously convicted in federal court of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on February 19, 2010.

Evidence at hearings in the case showed that between January 2019 and October 2019, Kazena and others distributed more than 150 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine and more than 10 pounds of mixed methamphetamine overall in the Sioux City area.  On March 1, 2019, agents seized ½ ounce of methamphetamine from Kazena in two separate law enforcement operations.  On October 3, 2019, in a controlled operation by law enforcement, Kazena distributed ¼ pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.  On October 21, 2019, in a traffic stop, Kazena was found to possess ½ ounce of methamphetamine and admitted to agents her involvement in the distribution of at least two pounds of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area for a large source.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Kazena was sentenced to 126 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of seven years of supervised release following imprisonment.

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

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

The case file number is 20-4037. 

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A man who possessed a firearm in furtherance of distributing marijuana was sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prison.

Fredrick Perkins, age 32, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 20, 2019 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Evidence at his detention, plea, and sentencing hearings showed that law enforcement officers searched Perkins’ home as the result of suspected drug related activity.  Perkins told an officer that there were no firearms in the residence but that anything illegal belonged to him and not his girlfriend who also lived in the residence.  During the search, an officer found a handgun on a shelf in the master bedroom along with a loaded magazine in the firearm with 17 rounds of 9mm ammunition.  The firearm was previously stolen from another address in Sioux City.  In Perkins bedroom, closet, and living room, officers found large quantities of marijuana and $2,114 of U.S. currency. 

Perkins has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, receive/possess/sell a stolen vehicle, aggravated battery on a government official, and delivery of cannabis.

Perkins was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Perkins was sentenced to 165 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was 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.

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

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

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

The case file number is 18-4014.

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A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on August 23, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Whitley Mitchell, age 30, from Walthill, Nebraska, pled guilty on April 13, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Mitchell and others conspired to distribute actual (pure) methamphetamine, commonly called “ice” methamphetamine.  During a traffic stop of a car Mitchell was driving, 9.6 grams of pure methamphetamine was found in her purse and a gun belonging to her co-defendant and passenger was found in the glove box.  Additionally, .09 grams of pure methamphetamine was found on the passenger’s person, 116.2 grams of pure methamphetamine were found in a plastic jar elsewhere in the car, and 210.4 grams of pure methamphetamine were found in individual baggies elsewhere in the car.  Mitchell knew about the methamphetamine and planned to benefit from its sale, along with her passenger who had acquired the methamphetamine.  Mitchell had held methamphetamine for and been fronted methamphetamine by her passenger previously.

Mitchell was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Mitchell was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

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

The case file number is 20-4035.

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A man who possessed firearms and ammunition after having prior convictions of two felonies and while being an illegal drug user was sentenced to sixteen months in federal prison on August 26, 2021, in federal district court in Sioux City.

Adam Muecke, age 37, from Climbing Hill, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 16, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon and a drug user.  Muecke was previously convicted of theft in Plymouth County, Iowa, in 2002, and burglary in Plymouth County, Iowa, in 2003.  At the time he possessed firearms, he was also an unlawful user of marijuana.  Evidence presented at Muecke’s detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed that on March 13, 2020, during a search of his residence, law enforcement found Muecke in possession of firearms, a baggie containing marijuana, and marijuana pipes, among other things. 

Mueck was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Mueecke was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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 Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office.  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 20-CR‑4029.

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A man who received methamphetamine by mail from Mexico to redistribute was sentenced August 27, 2021 to ten years in federal prison. 

Rafael Perez-Mercado, 29, from Belmond, Iowa, pled guilty in federal court on April 16, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  During the investigation, it was also determined that Perez-Mercado was in the United States illegally.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that between September 2020 and October 22, 2020, Perez-Mercado and others were responsible for the distribution of over ten pounds of methamphetamine in the Wright County, Iowa, area.  On October 8, 2020, law enforcement intercepted a package mailed from Mexico.  The package had two pounds of methamphetamine concealed inside, destined to be delivered to Perez-Mercado.  On October 22, 2020, law enforcement, using a confidential informant, made a controlled delivery of the package to Perez-Mercado at his home.  Thereafter, one law enforcement agent captured Perez-Mercado exiting the rear door of his house as another agent attempted to make contact with him at the front door.  Law enforcement agents seized nine packages of methamphetamine, each weighing one pound, from a bag Perez-Mercado was carrying as he exited the residence.  Later that same day, during the execution of a search warrant at Perez-Mercado’s residence, law enforcement seized two more one-pound packages of methamphetamine that had been hidden inside a statue which was inside the package delivered to Perez-Mercado.  Law enforcement also found other evidence of methamphetamine smuggling, including inside motor vehicle components, in Perez-Mercado’s garage.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Perez-Mercado remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  Perez-Mercado was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Eagle Grove Police Department, and the Dows Police Department.

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

The case file number is 20-3047.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Cedar Rapids man who possessed methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl was sentenced on August 25, 2021, to three years in federal prison.

Troy Allen Walton, age 45, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 18, 2021 jury verdict finding him guilty of seven counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Evidence at trial showed that law enforcement recovered methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl from Walton during a December 6, 2019 traffic stop.  Law enforcement also seized methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and a heroin/fentanyl mixture from Walton during a March 9, 2020 traffic stop. 

Walton was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Walton was sentenced to 36 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.

Walton 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 Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-00047.

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A man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it pled guilty on August 23, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Joshua Boice, age 35, from Webster City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Boice admitted that, in March 2020, he possessed over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine, and that he planned to distribute some or all 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.  Boice remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Boice faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Webster City Police Department, Iowa State University Police Department, and Iowa DCI Laboratory. 

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

The case file number is 20-3048.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who fired a handgun into the air at an apartment complex while children were playing nearby was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison.

Sedrick Mac Johnson, Jr., age 24, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a March 22, 2021 guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence at a prior hearing showed that on May 21, 2020, a call was made to the Cedar Rapids 911 line.  The caller reported shots fired at an apartment complex on North Towne Court in Cedar Rapids.  Police officers arrived at the scene and spoke with multiple witnesses.  One witness saw two individuals, one of whom was later identified as Johnson and the other as Kendall J. Willis, walk into an apartment after the shots were fired.  The witness saw that each was holding a handgun.  Officers searched the ground near where the shots were fired and found three 9mm shell casings.  Willis and Johnson then left the apartment and were detained by police.  During a later search of that apartment, officers found marijuana, drug packaging, and two 9mm pistols, one of which had an extended magazine.  Ballistics testing determined that two of the shell casings found outside the apartment were fired by one of the pistols and that the other shell casing had been fired by the other pistol.  Johnson had previously been convicted of three felony burglaries and two felony charges of trafficking in stolen weapons.

Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Johnson was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  Willis also pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and previously sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment.  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.

Johnson 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 Dan Chatham 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. 

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

The case file number is 20‑CR‑00058‑CJW‑MAR.

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A man who received over $13,000 in fraudulently obtained CARES Act unemployment funds was sentenced today to nine months in federal prison. 

Brian Lynn Whorton, age 55, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 25, 2021 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

Information from sentencing and a criminal complaint showed that Whorton received over $13,000 in unemployment funds to which he was not entitled from the State of Arizona.  Whorton withdrew some of the funds in cash and used a Bitcoin ATM to send the funds to other participants in the scheme.  Whorton kept some of the funds for himself.   

Whorton was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Whorton was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $13,740 in restitution the Arizona Department of Economic Security.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Whorton was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on September 10, 2021.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-64.

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A man from Sioux City, Iowa who admitted being a user of illegal drugs, and who was found in possession of guns, was sentenced to federal prison for firearms charges.

Jason Mota, age 27, from Sioux City, Iowa received the prison term after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a drug user.

Evidence at his detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed Mota was an unlawful user and trafficker of cocaine and marijuana, and illegally in possession of five guns.  On May 3, 2020, Mota’s crime was discovered when officers responded to a shots fired call.  Citizen witnesses described a male walking on the sidewalk firing handguns into the air.  They were able to inform law   enforcement of where the shooter went after he fired the weapons.  When police approached Mota’s apartment, Mota walked out and confessed to being the shooter.  Mota gave consent to search his home, and officers found guns, $2,000 in cash, packaging materials, a digital scale, pounds of marijuana and 100 grams of cocaine.

At his sentencing, Mota claimed he had been hording drugs to support his own personal use in a time of pandemic.  The district court did not credit the claim and instead concluded he had possessed his guns in connection with his drug trafficking activity.

Mota was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Mota was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case 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.

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

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

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

The case file number is 20-4034.

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An unlawful drug user who possessed more than a dozen guns was sentenced August 18, 2021 to more than four years in federal prison.

Derrick Jager, age 19, from Sioux Center, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 19, 2021 guilty plea to one count of being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm.

Evidence at Jager’s detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed that Jager, who was an unlawful user of marijuana and cocaine, stole a dozen guns from a local licensed firearms dealer in three separate burglaries.  Jager illegally disposed of these guns while also trafficking illegal drugs.

Jager was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Jager was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to pay $4,400 in restitution.  He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Jager 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 O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Center, Iowa Police Department, Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Justice – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  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 20-4070.

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A Fort Dodge man was sentenced August 19, 2021, to more than 21 years in federal prison.  Terrance Foy, age 34, from Fort Dodge received the prison term after a March 19, 2021, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

In a plea agreement, Foy admitted to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine between 2017 and 2019.  Foy also admitted that on January 5, 2019, he placed a Ruger LC9 firearm on or near an acquaintance’s dresser along with 26.73 grams of actual pure methamphetamine.  Foy has an extensive criminal history, including: four convictions for domestic abuse; four convictions for criminal mischief; two convictions for assault causing bodily injury; two theft convictions; and convictions for possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, possession of methamphetamine, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault, violation of a no contact order, attempted burglary, interference with official acts, and interference with official acts causing bodily injury. 

Foy was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Foy was sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Foy is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mikala Purdy-Steenholdt, Shawn Wehde, and Ron Timmons.  The case was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 20-3032.

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A man who illegally possessed a firearm pled guilty August 19, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

William Howard Rockey Halstead, 34, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

At the plea hearing, Halstead admitted that he had been previously convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon, in the Iowa District Court for Webster County, on or about May 15, 2017.  Reports show that, on September 2, 2020, Halstead was stopped by law enforcement for having an inoperable break light.  During the stop, law enforcement observed multiple items resembling marijuana in plain view within the car.  Halstead was asked to step out of the car at which time he locked his glovebox and exited the car.  A subsequent search of Halstead uncovered a digital scale in his pocket.  A search of the car revealed numerous pieces of marijuana on the seat, floorboard, and center console of the vehicle.  Law enforcement then asked Halstead for the keys to unlock the glovebox.  Halstead at first claimed the keys were in the car, but in fact Halstead had the keys in his hand. Law enforcement then opened the glovebox and found a loaded Hi-Point JCP 40 Smith and Wesson handgun.  Upon arrest, Halstead admitted he also had a small bag of methamphetamine in his sock. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand has been set for time, date, and place.  Halstead remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Halstead faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala Purdy-Steenholdt and Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Fort Dodge 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 20-3040.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who was in the United States illegally pled guilty August 18, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Gabriel Grima-Sanchez, 47, a citizen of Mexico, was convicted of illegally reentry.

At the plea hearing, Grima-Sanchez admitted that on June 23, 2021, he was stopped by Harrison County Iowa Sheriff’s officers for a traffic violation when it was discovered Grima-Sanchez had a federal arrest warrant for illegal reentry into the United States. Evidence showed that on March 28, 2016, Grima-Sanchez, an alien citizen of Mexico, was found knowingly and unlawfully in the United States after having been previously removed from the United States to Mexico on or about May 11, 2005. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Grima-Sanchez remains free on bond previously set.  Grima-Sanchez faces a possible maximum sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to one year of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  

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

The case file number is 16-4044.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who was the enforcer for the Northern Iowa Chapter of the Sons of Silence Motorcycle Club was sentenced yesterday to 10 months in federal prison.

Justin Carlson, age 38, from Sheffield, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 19, 2021 guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In the guilty plea and sentencing proceedings, Carlson admitted that on April 5, 2020, Carlson, a convicted felon, and other members of the Sons of Silence and another affiliated group confronted a motorcyclist, who was an off-duty police officer, claiming the officer needed permission from the Sons of Silence to wear one of the patches on the back of the motorcyclist’s jacket.  In a subsequent search of Carlson’s home in Sheffield, Iowa, officers recovered Carlson’s Sons of Silence motorcycle vest, which had a brass knuckles in the pocket, numerous items of Sons of Silence paraphernalia, and two firearms.

Carlson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Carlson was sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment and must also serve a two-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.         

Carlson 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 Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, Clarion Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Waverly Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Algona Police Department, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Department. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-3035.

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David Alan Tafolla, age 54, from Oelwein, Iowa, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, four counts of distribution of a controlled substance, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The charges are contained in an Indictment that was unsealed on August 16, 2021, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. ­

The Indictment alleges that, between October 2020 and May 2021, Tafolla conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine.        

The Indictment also alleges that, on April 26, 2021, and on May 24, 2021, Tafolla distributed 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine. In addition, the Indictment alleges that on April 21, 2021, and on May 4, 2021, Tafolla distributed 5 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine.

Finally, the Indictment alleges that on May 24, 2021, Tafolla possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine.

If convicted on all charges, Tafolla faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $10,000,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of up to life.

Tafolla appeared today in federal court in Cedar Rapids for a detention hearing, and he is now being held without bond.  Tafolla’s trial is set for October 18, 2021.

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 Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Oelwein Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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

The case file number is 21-CR-2044.

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A man who distributed videos of a toddler being sexually abused by her mother on social media was sentenced today to nine years in federal prison.

Douglas John Buttikofer Jr., age 41, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 2, 2021 guilty plea to accessing child pornography.

At the guilty plea, Buttikofer admitted that between February and March of 2020, he knowingly accessed with intent to view visual depictions of child pornography.  The depictions involved at least one minor under the age of 12.  Buttikofer committed the offense while on pre-trial release in the State of Illinois for the unlawful grooming of a minor.  At sentencing, a witness testified that Buttikofer expressed an interest in traveling to the Philippines to engage in sex with children.   The judge noted Buttikofer maintained a “persistent pursuit” of child pornography, making him a danger to the community. 

Buttikofer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Buttikofer was sentenced to 108 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.

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.”

Buttikofer 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Illinois State Police, the Dubuque County Sherriff’s Office, and the Dubuque Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-1012.

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