Northern District of Iowa

A convicted felon who unlawfully possessed a firearm was sentenced June 22, 2021 to more than five years in federal prison.

Brandon Miller, age 35, from Sioux City, Iowa received the prison term after a February 16, 2021, guilty plea to a one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.  Miller was previously convicted of robbery in Jefferson County, Colorado and forgery, eluding and assault with weapon on a peace office in Woodbury County, Iowa.

Evidence at Miller’s detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed Miller was with two groups of people who met at an apartment complex in Sioux City, and after a short time, several gunshot were exchanged between the two groups.  A person in Miller’s group was struck twice by gunfire.  Miller can be seen on a video returning fire towards the initial shooter as that person drove away.     

Miller was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Miller was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Miller 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.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the following Project Guardian partners:  For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.

The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, 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 20-4069.

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A man who was found in possession of more than five grams of fentanyl that he intended to distribute was sentenced June 28, 2021, to more than a year in federal prison.  Jonathan Matthew Duffey, age 42, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 11, 2021 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

In a plea agreement, Duffey admitted that during early 2020 he sold heroin and fentanyl in the Dubuque area.  In February 2020, Duffey was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Dubuque police.  During the traffic stop, Duffey swallowed three or four baggies of heroin that also contained fentanyl.  The next day, law enforcement searched Duffey’s home.  During the search, officers seized digital scales, vials of naloxone, drug packaging, and a little over five grams of a substance that tested positive for heroin and fentanyl.  Duffey’s residence was within 1,000 feet of Orange Park and Madison Park in Dubuque.

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

Duffey 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 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 20-CR-1030-CJW-MAR.

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A man who signed out to go to work from a residential correctional facility in Waterloo, Iowa, and never returned was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.

Michael Jon Rohrick, age 35, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 1, 2021 guilty plea to escape from custody.

At the guilty plea, Rohrick admitted he left the halfway house on April 10, 2020, without authorization.  He was on the loose for several months until he was apprehended in Waterloo as a result of a high-speed chase months later.

Rohrick was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Rohrick 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.

Rohrick 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 U.S. Marshals Service and the Waterloo Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-2039.

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A man who met an acquaintance at her home in Dubuque, Iowa, and stole a .380 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver from her was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.

Michael Coates, age 28, from Cassville, Wisconsin, received the prison term after a January 20, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon. 

At the guilty plea, Coates admitted he possessed the stolen revolver on November 30, 2019, and took it to Wisconsin.  Coates was previously convicted of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine in Dubuque County, Iowa, in 2014.

Coates was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court  Judge C.J. Williams.  Coates was sentenced to 46 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.

Coates 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 Dubuque Police Department and the Department 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-1025.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine while possessing a firearm was sentenced in federal court on June 28, 2021. 

Jeremy Werneburg, age 41, from Carroll, Iowa, pled guilty on January 19, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearm by a prohibited person.  Werneburg was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in November 2007, in the United States District Court for Northern District of Iowa.  This conviction precluded Werneburg from legally possessing guns.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from November 2017 and continuing to on or about December 2018, Werneburg and others distributed more than 150 grams of pure methamphetamine. On October 7, 2018, law enforcement, utilizing a confidential informant, conducted a controlled buy of over 27 grams of pure methamphetamine from Werneburg.  On November 9, 2018, law enforcement received a tip that Werneburg’s vehicle contained drugs.  On this same date, a search warrant was executed on the vehicle and law enforcement seized approximately one ounce of methamphetamine (pre-packaged in smaller quantities) and a handgun, from Werneburg’s vehicle.  The methamphetamine and gun were located in two separate hidden compartments in the vehicle. 

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Werneburg was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 6 year term of supervised release. Werneburg remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 20-3017. 

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A man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced on June 28, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Jeffrey Carothers, 52, from Lake City, Iowa, pled guilty on January 19, 2021, to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.  Carothers was previously convicted of a crime which prohibited him from possessing guns, namely, receiving stolen property, in the Superior Court for the State of California in and for the county of Plumas, on or about November 17, 1995.

At the hearings, Carothers admitted that around April or May 2019, Carothers possessed a stolen 9mm pistol and sold it to another person he knew to be prohibited from possessing a firearm.  Carothers further admitted he was an illegal user of methamphetamine and that on approximately 6 occasions he traded methamphetamine and marijuana for guns over the last 1-2 years, using his home as a “clearing house” of stolen property.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Carothers was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 2-year term of supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Lake City 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 20-3018. 

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A man who escaped from federal custody twice in just over two years was sentenced today to nearly three years in federal prison.

Gabriel Mangum, age 45, from Iowa City, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 31, 2020 guilty plea to one count of escape from custody.

Evidence from Mangum’s plea and sentencing hearings showed that he was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in federal court in 2009 and sentenced to seven years in prison.  In June 2017, Mangum escaped from federal custody while in a halfway house.  He was arrested approximately one month later and sentenced to another 18 months’ imprisonment.

Beginning on July 12, 2019, Mangum was in custody and under supervision at the halfway house again.  On July 31, 2019, Mangum left the halfway house without permission and escaped from custody for the second time.  Mangum remained on the loose and his whereabouts were unknown until October 25, 2020, when he was arrested by law enforcement.

Mangum has a long criminal history.  This is his third federal conviction.  He was first convicted of robbery in state court and sentenced to 25 years in prison when he was 18.  He also has convictions involving drugs, thefts, forgery, and disorderly conduct.

Mangum was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Mangum was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment, consisting of 18 months in prison for violating his supervised release conditions and 15 months in prison for his most recent escape.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Mangum 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 numbers are 20-CR-97, 17-CR-56, and 09-CR-2008.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced June 25, 2021, to more than 8 years in federal prison.

Joshua Minich, 43, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 22, 2021, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the guilty plea, Minich admitted his involvement from August 2017 through February 2018 in a conspiracy that distributed more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area. Evidence showed that on three occasions in 2017 and 2018, Minich distributed meth to individuals cooperating with law enforcement. Evidence further showed that Minich possessed various firearms at various times in 2017 and 2018, including during the time period of his participation in the methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. 

Minich was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Minich was sentenced to 105 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.  Minich is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

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

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

The case file number is 19-3034. 

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A man who possessed a firearm on two occasions while he was prohibited was sentenced on June 24, 2021, to more than 4 years in federal prison.

Kwane Demarchel Wheat, age 27, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 22, 2021, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user.

At the guilty plea, Wheat admitted that on May 30, 2020, he was in possession of a firearm despite being prohibited under a June 6, 2019, protection order in Webster County.  At that time, law enforcement also found marijuana in Wheat’s vehicle.  During an April 27, 2019, traffic stop, Wheat was found in possession of a gun, two plastic baggies of marijuana, and cocaine.

Wheat was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Wheat was sentenced to 52 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Wheat 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 Mikala Steenholdt and 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-CR-3031.

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A man who illegally possessed stolen firearms was sentenced June 23, 2021, to almost 6 years in federal prison.

Travis Grote, 43, from Webb, Iowa, pled guilty January 22, 2021, to possessing stolen firearms and possessing firearms as a prohibited person.

Evidence at the hearings, showed that on June 25, 2019, Grote was involved in a transaction to sell multiple stolen firearms to an undercover law enforcement officer.  Grote also admitted that he knew he had previously been convicted of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, on or about December 19, 2001, and therefore was a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. 

Grote was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Grote was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DCI Crime Laboratory, and Spencer Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 20-4014. 

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A woman who falsely claimed that she was purchasing a firearm for herself pled guilty on June 25, 2021, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Jamie Marie Graham, age 23, from Waterloo, Iowa, was convicted of one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

At the plea hearing, Graham admitted that she purchased firearms from Mr. Guns in Waterloo in December 2020.  Graham admitted that, in connection with those purchases, she filled out a form indicating that she was the actual purchaser of the firearms.  She further admitted that those statements were knowingly false, as another person was actually buying the guns. 

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.  Graham remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing.  Graham faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force and Waterloo Police Department.  The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-115-CJW.

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A man who purchased printers and counterfeiting materials at Wal-Mart in in an attempt to create and pass off counterfeit notes in order to defraud a victim was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.

Peter Hobart, age 23, from Lisbon, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to dealing in counterfeit currency.

In a plea agreement, Hobart admitted he intended to defraud a victim by attempting to pass counterfeit currency in exchange for the victim’s Dodge Charger in addition to other vehicles, including a Jeep and water skis.  At sentencing, the victim testified that he abandoned the transaction.  Shortly thereafter, while on the phone, Hobart threatened to put a bullet in the victim if the victim did not return to complete the transaction.  Hobart stated he knew all about the victim and could kill his family.

Hobart was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Hobart was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and fined $100.  He was ordered to make $650.16 in restitution to the victim.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Hobart 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 United States Secret Service, the Pocahontas Police Department, and the Emmetsburg Police Department.

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

The case file number is 20-CR-3037.

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A woman who used a false identification document and someone else’s name and social security number was sentenced today to five years of probation.

Xiomara Lopez-Martinez, age 26, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Decorah, Iowa, received the sentence after an April 21, 2021 guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document.

In a plea agreement, Lopez-Martinez admitted she used someone else’s name and Social Security number, and also a fraudulent Social Security card, when she completed employment and tax forms in October 2017 and October 2018 at a business in Decorah.  In September 2020, the victim of the identity theft from Texas contacted the Winneshiek County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office and informed them that someone was using her name and Social Security number to work in Decorah and that the IRS had contacted her about paying back taxes on this employment.  On December 2, 2020, immigration agents arrested Lopez-Martinez at her place of employment in Decorah where she initially identified herself to immigration agents using the victim’s name.

Lopez-Martinez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Lopez-Martinez was sentenced to five years of probation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office.

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

The case file number is 21-CR-2002.

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A Waterloo woman who used a power of attorney to defraud a disabled elderly widow of nearly $500,000 was sentenced on June 25, 2021, to more than five years in federal prison.  Kimberly Ann Henny, age 54, received the prison term after an August 5, 2020 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

Evidence presented at Henny’s sentencing showed that Henny operated Healing Harvest Ministries (“HHM”) in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area.  HHM was a charitable and religious organization that provided services to Medicaid recipients.  In 2014, however, the Iowa Medicaid program discovered that HHM lacked required accreditation, suspended HHM, and ordered Henny to repay over $200,000 in Medicaid moneys.  An FBI agent testified at Henny’s sentencing hearing about other irregularities at HHM, including alleged “exorcisms” performed on clients and failures to pay wages and withhold taxes.

Henny admitted that, between 2014 and 2016, she stole $494,724.12 from her victim, an elderly widow who lived in an assisted living facility and later a nursing home.  Henny’s victim had dementia, was legally blind, and had difficulty hearing.  United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams, who sentenced Henny, observed at Henny’s sentencing that Henny’s victim was “highly vulnerable” and perhaps one of the most vulnerable victims he had seen in a case.

As part of her fraud scheme, Henny used a power of attorney to gain access to her victim’s bank accounts and annuities.  The victim already had a power of attorney in favor of one of the victim’s children, who lived out of state.  In 2015, however, knowing that the victim clearly lacked the capacity to understand her actions due to severe cognitive and physical disabilities, Henny obtained a power of attorney over her victim’s finances.  Henny then began transferring and spending the victim’s funds for her own purposes.  The power of attorney form required Henny to act loyally for the victim’s benefit and not to make any gifts to herself, but Henny used the power attorney to drain her victim’s accounts and cash out her annuities, and then to make purchases for Henny’s own benefit, including a vacation, hair and spa expenses, and for rent and furniture.

In November 2018, state authorities arrested Henny on related criminal charges.  The next month, Henny entered into a stipulation in a divorce proceeding, which Judge Williams found was a “sham divorce,” that awarded Henny $90,000 in retirement benefits.  Over a four-month period in 2019, Henny transferred the $90,000 to other accounts she controlled, including a prepaid debit card, and then spent the funds.  In addition, after she pled guilty in federal court, Henny understated to the probation office certain COVID-19 related unemployment benefits she was receiving from the government.

Henny was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Henny was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment.  She was ordered to make $494,724.12 in restitution to her victim’s children.  She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Henny was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

In 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa was selected as one of 10 districts in the nation to form an Elder Justice Task Force (http://go.usa.gov/cSngj).  The task force was assembled to foster a collaborative working relationship among all levels of government officials, advocacy groups for the elderly and the disabled, and others charged with the care and protection for these vulnerable groups.  The goals include ensuring the integrity of all government expenditures by eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse in health programs, and protecting some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens from harm, whether it occurs in nursing homes or other institutions or involves financial fraud schemes.  To learn more about the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, visit: https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Waterloo Police Department.  The United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, assisted the investigation. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-2035.

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A man who possessed ammunition after having prior convictions for felonies and domestic abuse assaults, and who was subject to no contact orders, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. 

Daryl Harden, age 41, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition.  At the plea hearing, Harden admitted that, on January 11, 2020, he knowingly possessed five rounds of ammunition after having been convicted of six crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment, after having been convicted of nine misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, and while he was subject to two no contact orders.

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

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by 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 20-46.

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A Denison woman who was involved in a scheme resulting in nearly 1.5 million being embezzled from a local credit union was sentenced today, June 25, 2021, to three years in federal prison.

Brenda Jensen, age 53, from Denison, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to credit union embezzlement. 

In a plea agreement, Jensen admitted that from at least May 2012 to March 2018, she embezzled money from Consumer Credit Union (CCU) in Denison, Iowa while working there as an employee.  CCU serviced the following counties: Crawford, Carrol, Shelby, Ida, Monona, Sac, and Harrison. 

Jensen and at least one other employee, including Jensen’s sister, Janine Keim, embezzled a total of nearly $1.5 million.  Jensen, at times the credit union’s head teller, was responsible for all cash and cash counts at CCU during the relevant timeframe.  Jensen successfully concealed her crime from auditors and CCU for years by overstating the change fund in the credit union’s general ledger balance and creating fictitious deposits into her personal accounts at CCU.  This aspect of the scheme resulted in $922,480.29 in losses.  After years of embezzling, the employees developed an internal kiting scheme.  The kiting scheme caused CCU an additional $539,000 in losses.  CCU’s total cash loss caused the institution to become insolvent, resulting in a forced merger with SAC Federal Credit Union.  CCU’s assets had decreased by over a million dollars.  This million-dollar decrease was a direct result of Jensen’s criminal activity.

Former board members from CCU submitted letters/victim impact statements to Chief Judge Strand setting forth the substantial harm Jensen’s crime caused the small community of Crawford County, Iowa.  For some, CCU was the only institution willing to extend emergency credit. A former CCU board member recalled a story of a single mother with three children who could not get approval elsewhere to obtain an emergency loan, but who was helped by CCU. Jensen’s theft caused the insolvency of CCU and deprived the community of such financial services. 

Jensen was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Jensen was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment.  She was ordered to make $1,461,480.29 in restitution.  She must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Jensen was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal; Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation 

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

The case file number is 20-4083.

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A Waterloo man who unlawfully possessed a firearm was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison.

Karon Bennett, age 22, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 4, 2021 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Information disclosed at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on November 21, 2020, Bennett possessed a Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol after previously being convicted of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, burglary in the second degree, and unauthorized possession of an offensive weapon.  Bennett was apprehended by law enforcement shortly after a 9-1-1 caller reported that he was attempting to break into a garage in Waterloo.  At the time he possessed the gun, Bennett was on parole for the prior felony convictions.

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

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 Melissa A. Carrington and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-2005.

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A Cedar Rapids man, responsible for possessing multiple guns while being under the influence of marijuana, was sentenced today to 50 months in prison.

Cameron Jay Burgess, age 29, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison sentence after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a drug user.

Information disclosed at sentencing and at his plea hearing showed that in February 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Burgess’ residence in Cedar Rapids.  During their search, officers located and seized seven firearms and three high capacity magazines.  The firearms, which consisted of handguns and shotguns, were located in different areas throughout his residence.  Officers also seized over 4 grams of cocaine, approximately 38 grams of hash oil, approximately 92 grams of hashish balls, 25 THC cartridges, approximately 147 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and drug packaging materials.  Burgess admitted that he intended to distribute some or all of the THC and marijuana.  Burgess also admitted that he was a daily marijuana user and also used cocaine.   

Burgess was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Burgess was sentenced to 50 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make payment of $100 to the special assessment fund.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and 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 20-CR-67.

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A man who distributed methamphetamine while illegally possessing firearms pled guilty June 17, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Melvin Cloud, Jr. 43, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Cloud, Jr. had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, specifically, Assault While Participating in a Felony, in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County, in 2016 and Trafficking in Controlled Substance, First Degree, First Offense – Cocaine, in the Christian County Circuit Court for Kentucky, in 2007.

At the plea hearing, Cloud, Jr. admitted that on four separate occasions in 2020 in Sioux City, Iowa, he distributed a total of over 82 grams of methamphetamine to another individual.  On February 25, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cloud Jr.’s residence and seized four guns, including a 12 gauge shotgun, .357 revolver, .45 caliber ACP, and .40 caliber pistol. As a drug user and felon, Cloud Jr. was prohibited from possessing guns. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Cloud, Jr. remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  On the drug distribution conviction, Cloud, Jr. faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and four years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.  On the gun conviction, Cloud, Jr. faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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

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

The case file number is 21-4018.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute over 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine pled guilty June 17, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Cory Mackey, 34, from Ida Grove, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, evidence showed that from February 2019 through July 9, 2020, Mackey and others conspired to distribute over 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.  On January 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Mackey’s home and found approximately 49 grams of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.  In July 2020, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Mackey was a passenger.  Upon a search of the vehicle, law enforcement discovered over 1.25 kilograms of methamphetamine and over $18,000 in cash.  Mackey admitted he planned to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to other persons.

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

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

The case file number is 21-4004.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Guatemalan man who was illegally in the United States while possessing a gun pled guilty June 16, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Sergio Mendez-Perez, 26, from Guatemala, was convicted of illegal reentry and alien in possession of a firearm.

Evidence at the plea hearing showed that on March 17, 2021, Mendez-Perez was arrested in Woodbury County, Iowa for assault while displaying a dangerous weapon (.22 caliber firearm), interference with official acts – dangerous weapon, carrying a weapon, eluding, and operating under the influence – 1st offense.  On March 18, 2021, ICE determined that Mendez-Perez is a citizen of Guatemala and was previously removed from the United States on one occasion.  Mendez-Perez admitted that at the time he possessed the gun he knew he was illegally in the United States.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Mendez-Perez remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  On the illegal reentry conviction, Mendez-Perez faces a possible maximum sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than one year of supervised release following any imprisonment.  On the firearm conviction, Mendez-Perez faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Sioux City Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 21-4026.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Law enforcement agencies across Iowa continue to make communities safer by vigorously investigating and prosecuting gun related crimes.  This effort has resulted in charges and arrests in forty-eight federal cases between November 2020 and June 2021 in the eastern half of the state and thirty-two in the western half of the state. 

“All too often, when individuals, including convicted felons, drug users, and those who have committed domestic violence, unlawfully possess guns, an act of gun violence occurs,” said Acting United States Attorney Sean R. Berry.  “The charges in these cases demonstrate the remarkable work that local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies do to reduce violence and get the most dangerous criminals off the streets.  As we head into the summer months, when gun violence historically rises, my office will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners to take unlawfully possessed guns, and those who possess them, off the street.”

In the past six months, the work of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies has resulted in the following matters in federal court in Cedar Rapids:

Kierin Craig Johnson, Ricky Trevill Eatman, John Douglas Clark, Marshall Leon Mosby, Nicholas Cameron Anderson, Christopher Lee Cungtion, John Christopher Jacobson, Dmontrey Rayshaun Redmond, Jamie Marie Graham, Leon Sheley, Todd Fritz Groom, Anthony Hughes, Nicholas Robert Campbell-Scott, Chad Edward Lee, Adnan Alibegic, Ashley Nicole Lies, Raykwon Stevenson, Sylvester Cunningham, Wonyae Malik Black, Friday Deel Gardner, Jumonie Dontez Wilson, Eric James Lyle, Darren James Ackerman, Sir Frank Nelson, Dejswah Sibley, Shuntez Anthony Porter, Terrance Golden, Justin Carlson, Donte Kent, Christopher Evans, Trenton Sliekers, Charles Anthony Ware, Demitrius Cannon, DeVonte Wright, Chandrique Day, David Wright, Jr., Demond Rollins, Karon Bennett, Shawndell Phillip Smith, Christopher Daniel Taylor, Johnny Mack Hill, Jr., Dannish Dontreal Robertson, Jaryous Cooper, Richard Allen Roberts, Deanye Bowmen-Owens, Josh Adam Rode, Curtis James Johnson, Dai’Sean Battles, and Joshua Ray Hunley.  Four additional people have been charged but their cases remain under seal.  The charges are contained in complaints and indictments filed within the last six months in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.

“The Cedar Rapids Police Department is fortunate to have a strong working relationship with federal partners that results in making our community safer by holding violent offenders accountable,” said Cedar Rapids Chief of Police Wayne Jerman.  “With our participation in federal task forces and enforcement and prosecution of federal firearms laws, there has been a significant impact on gun violence.  Those who illegally possess a firearm and choose to commit violence not only commit crimes, but they endanger lives, property and the community’s sense of peace and safety.  We value the opportunity to work side by side with our federal law enforcement partners and prosecutors.”

Dr. Joel Fitzgerald, Waterloo Chief of Police, shared his thoughts on the collaboration, and stated, “Although there are many variables at play accounting for the increase in violent crime across our nation, it should comfort those in Waterloo and the region to know that a strengthened partnership among law enforcement entities stands ready to prevent, investigate, arrest, and prosecute firearm related crimes.  The message for violent offenders in our city is crystal clear.  We encourage you to exercise your ability to choose; you can engage in community problem solving, civilly work through ‘beefs,’ and surrender illegal weapons, or face the surety of an unrelenting, life-altering, and rehabilitative solution that we have waiting.  Far too many innocent lives are being changed by those who do not stop and think, so choose wisely.”

“Like much of Iowa, the Midwest, and the country in general, we have seen an increase in gun violence over the past five to ten years.  Locally we have had great success in identifying and prosecuting offenders,” said Dubuque Chief of Police Mark Dalsing.  “Much thanks to our federal law enforcement partners who provide investigative resources, and we especially appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice in prosecuting gun crimes. Law enforcement is facing many challenges as we head into the traditionally busiest months of the year, but we are confident that with our federal partners, we will be able to prosecute violent criminals and hold them accountable for their actions.”

In the past six months, the work of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies has resulted in the following matters in federal court in Sioux City:

Bendigo Augustino, Diego Ayala, Nhial Biliew, Tyne Castino, Brandon Christiansen, Melvin Cloud, Joshua Currier, Tavin Daudinot, Scott Demers, Rafael Gomez, Maleke Goodwin, Joseph Haack, Jamie Hansman, Dexter Howard, Alejandro LaPointe, Alexander Laurel-Olea, Esai Lopez, Lucas Lowman, Douglas Mackey, DJ McMillan, Sergio Mendez-Perez, Daniel Moss, Christopher O’Tool, Joel Perea-Duenas, Jerry Powell, Stephen Springer, Alvaro Vite, William Wayne Hageman, and Jeremy Walters, have all been charged with various violations of federal firearms laws.  The charges are contained in indictments filed within the last six months in the United States District Court in Sioux City.

“I cannot overstate the value of our close partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s office,” said Sioux City Chief of Police Rex Mueller.  “Our focused major offender approach allows the surgical removal of suspects who pose a significant danger to local residents.  The many cases we have worked together have led to successful prosecutions and sentences that had a meaningful positive impact on community safety.”

All the charges against the defendants in both Cedar Rapids and Sioux City involve the unlawful possession or use of firearms, including being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.  The cases charged include the following:

1. The indictment and criminal complaint against Christopher Daniel Taylor charges Taylor with carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.  The criminal complaint alleges that, on December 3, 2020, Taylor led state probation officers on a high-speed chase through the city of Cedar Rapids.  The complaint alleges that at times, Taylor reached speeds nearing 100 miles per hour.  According to the complaint, Taylor eventually ditched his car and stole another one, which contained a Taurus .44 caliber revolver.  Taylor then led police on a chase utilizing that car.  At one point, Taylor shot the gun out of the car.  Taylor later tried to carjack the driver of another car, threatening to shoot that person if he didn’t give Taylor the car.  Law enforcement later apprehended Taylor. 

 

1. The indictment and criminal complaint against Wonyae Black charges Black with being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The criminal complaint alleges that Black led Waterloo police officers on a high-speed chase, which ended when Black crashed his car into another car and a tree.  The complaint alleges that Black then attempted to run from police and tossed his backpack over a fence.  Officers located the backpack, which contained a handgun with an extended magazine and marijuana.

 

1. The indictment against Bendigo Augustino alleges that, in March 2021, in Storm Lake, Iowa, Augustino was in possession of three guns while knowing, as a convicted felon, he could not legally possess guns.  The indictment also alleges that Augustino was in possession of a Glock 9mm handgun he knew or had reason to know was stolen.  Finally, the indictment alleges Augustino, who was already under indictment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, willfully received two handguns.

 

1. The indictment against Nhial Biliew alleges that, in June 2020, Biliew committed a robbery at the County Store in Denison, Iowa. The indictment further alleges that during the robbery, Biliew used or brandished a handgun.  The indictment also alleges that in July 2020, Biliew possessed a Ruger .380 handgun with a removed, altered, or obliterated serial number.   

 

If convicted on these charges, all defendants face at least a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, $100 in special assessments, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.­

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

The cases were 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 cases were investigated by numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force (composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshal Service, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department), the Waterloo Federal Task Force (composed of the Waterloo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department), the Dubuque Police Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol, the Sioux City Police Department, the Storm Lake Police Department, the Denison Police Department, the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office, and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office. 

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A man who distributed crack cocaine and illegally possessed firearms was sentenced June 16, 2021, to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Preston Mosley, age 35, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 13, 2021, guilty plea to one count of distribution of crack cocaine; one count of possession of a firearm by a felon; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Mosley was previously convicted of possession of a firearm by a domestic abuse offender and possession of crack cocaine with intent to deliver, in 2016, and possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, in 2019, both in the Iowa District Court for Webster County.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that the day after Mosley’s arrest and release on state charges stemming from his possession of drugs and guns, Mosley was again caught with drugs and a gun. Law enforcement agents caught Mosley driving a vehicle, and ultimately seized small amounts of marijuana and methamphetamine, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine from Mosley’s pockets.  Mosley’s identification, items indicative of drug distribution, more crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and a loaded 9mm handgun were found and seized from the vehicle Mosley was operating.  Mosley intended to distribute some or all of the cocaine to another person or persons, and used the firearm to protect his drugs and himself during drug trafficking activities.  Evidence further showed that when law enforcement attempted to serve the federal arrest warrant for this case on Mosley, Mosely assaulted an officer with a brick. 

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.

Mosley was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Molsey was sentenced to 138 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.  Mosley is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

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

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

The case file number is 19-3029.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A former Cedar Rapids hospital employee, who wrongfully accessed and distributed her ex-boyfriend’s medical records, was sentenced on June 14, 2021.  Jennifer Lynne Bacor, age 41, from Las Vegas, Nevada, received probation after pleading guilty to one count of wrongfully obtaining individually identifiable health information under false pretenses.

In a plea agreement, Bacor admitted she was employed as a patient care technician at a Cedar Rapids hospital.  Bacor was authorized to access individually identifiable health information but only as necessary to provide services to her patients.  In 2017, Bacor’s ex-boyfriend was repeatedly treated at the same hospital.  On multiple occasions between April and October 2017, Bacor used her login credentials to access her ex-boyfriend’s protected private health information even though he was not one of her patients.  In September 2017, Bacor took a picture of a medical photograph that showed one of her ex-boyfriend’s injuries and sent the picture to a third person.  The third person then sent the picture to the ex-boyfriend and others on Facebook messenger along with taunting language and emojis.

Bacor was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Bacor was sentenced to five years of probation and fined $1,000. During her probationary term, Bacor will be restricted from employment in which she would have access to private medical information of others.  In sentencing Bacor, Judge Williams observed that Bacor had “weaponized” her ex-boyfriend’s private medical information.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 20-CR-77.

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A man with multiple prior convictions for domestic violence was sentenced today to more than nine years in federal prison. 

Nyle Brocks, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to possessing a firearm after being convicted of domestic violence.  Statements at sentencing indicated that Brocks participated in stealing the gun prior to his unlawful possession of it and also violently resisted arrest. 

At sentencing, the judge noted that Brocks had 16 prior state court convictions for violent offenses and was both a “violent menace” and an “extreme danger.”  The judge further found that “every day Brocks was out of circulation was a slightly safer day for society in Cedar Rapids.”  

Brocks was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Brocks was sentenced to 115 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.  Brocks 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 prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jake Schunk and investigated by the Cedar Rapids 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 20-CR-00068-CJW-MAR.

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A man who conspired to distribute meth while possessing guns pled guilty June 15, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Christopher O’Tool, 43, from Arcadia, Iowa, was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

At the plea hearing, O’Tool admitted he was involved in two conspiracies, one from about January 2016 through June 2016 and another from March 2019 through July 2019, in which he and others distributed more than four pounds of methamphetamine.  In May and June 2016, O’Tool distributed over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine to individuals cooperating with law enforcement.  On June 2, 2016, law enforcement stopped O’Tool, searched his vehicle, and seized nearly a pound of methamphetamine and a .45 caliber handgun and ammunition.  O’Tool admitted to his involvement in the distribution of methamphetamine in and around the Carroll, Iowa area, which he acquired from a source in Omaha, Nebraska.  On July 11, 2019, law enforcement agents met with O’Tool, and with his consent, seized two 9mm pistols from O’Tool’s truck.  Later that day, O’Tool also admitted to again distributing methamphetamine in and around the Carroll, Iowa area.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  O’Tool remains in custody pending sentencing.  On the conspiracy convictions, O’Tool 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 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.  On the firearm conviction, O’Tool faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, consecutive to any term of imprisonment imposed on the conspiracy convictions, and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Denison Police Department, Carroll Police Department, and Iowa DCI. 

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

The case file number is 21-3017.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who stole a semiautomatic firearm with a 16-round magazine from Fleet Farm in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and ran from the store was sentenced today to five years in federal prison.

Dalyn Jamil Culp, age 19, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 11, 2020 guilty plea to theft of a firearm from a federal firearms licensee.

In a plea agreement, Culp admitted he stole a Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol from Fleet Farm in Cedar Falls on February 27, 2020, and fled from the store.  Law enforcement was able to find photographs on Culp’s cell phone where he was wearing pants that matched the pants worn by the perpetrator in the surveillance video obtained from Fleet Farm.  There was also a video of a firearm with the same make and model as the stolen gun, as well as a photograph of the Fleet Farm barcode attached to the same make and model of firearm which was stolen.  

Culp was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Culp was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and fined $100.  He was ordered to make restitution to Fleet Farm.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Culp 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 prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Dupuich and investigated by the Cedar Falls Police Department, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Department 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-2041-CJW.

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A man who called a United States Congressman’s office and told a staffer that he was going to find someone to assassinate the Congressman was sentenced today to more than a year in federal prison.

Kenneth Brown, age 57, previously living in Cedar Falls, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 4, 2020 guilty plea to one count of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce.

At the plea hearing, Brown admitted that on December 18, 2019, he called the Washington D.C. office of Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York.  Brown admitted that he spoke with a staff assistant working in the office and threatened the Congressman.  Specifically, as charged in the indictment, Brown said “I will find someone to assassinate that piece of (expletive deleted) you work for.  Jerry Nadler is going to be assassinated.”

Information at sentencing showed that Brown has prior criminal convictions involving violence and threats of violence.  In 1996, he was convicted of inflicting injury on a spouse and threatening to commit a crime to terrorize the victim.  In 2005, he was convicted of two counts of aggravated battery against a household member using a deadly weapon.  In that case, Brown restrained a woman against her will and used a knife to hurt the victim in a way that caused or could have caused the victim great bodily harm.  In 2010, a warrant was issued for Brown’s arrest because he violated his probation by failing to report to his probation officer, failing to maintain employment, and by incurring new criminal charges.  According to a witness, Brown then fled to Mexico because he knew there was a warrant for his arrest.  Law enforcement ultimately arrested Brown in 2017 and he was sentenced to almost a year in prison.

Brown was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Brown was sentenced to 15 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.

Brown 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Waterloo Police Department, and the United States Capitol Police. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-2042.

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A Sioux City man who received methamphetamine which he intended to distribute was sentenced June 8, 2021, to more than 21 years in federal prison.

Levi Hamilton, age 40, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Hamilton admitted that beginning on August 25, 2020 and continuing to August 27, 2020, he and another received 2.7 pounds of methamphetamine via mail which they intended to redistribute around the Sioux City area.  Hamilton has an extensive criminal history with over twenty convictions.  His prior convictions include: serious assault on a peace officer; three theft convictions; two eluding a peace officer convictions; terrorism; resisting arrest; possession of a controlled substance; three eluding convictions; assault on a peace officer; domestic abuse; and serious assault.   

Hamilton was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Hamilton was sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Hamilton 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 investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Woodbury County Sheriff's Office; the Sioux City 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 20-4078.

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A man who sexually exploited two girls and committed child pornography offenses was convicted by a jury today after a two-and-a-half-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Nathan Nosley, age 30, of Cedar Rapids, was convicted of sexual exploitation of children, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, three counts of possession of child pornography, and accessing child pornography.

The evidence at trial showed that, between 2018 and 2020, Nosley persuaded, induced, and enticed two girls to produce and send him pornographic images of themselves.  Nosley also distributed child pornography to others, used cell phone apps to receive child pornography, used a cell phone to access child pornography, and possessed child pornography on a cell phone, on a memory card, and in an e-mail account.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Nosley remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Nosley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 150 years’ imprisonment, a $1,750,000 fine, $188,700 in special assessments, and supervised release for 5 years to life following any imprisonment.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Marion Police Department.

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

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is CR 20-101.

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A man who distributed pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced June 4, 2021, to nearly two decades in federal prison.

Henry Wilke Eilders, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 6, 2020 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

During a search of Eilders’s residence in March 2020, officers located over 800 grams of methamphetamine, a firearm, and $63,151 in cash.  Eilders later admitted selling 104 pounds of methamphetamine during the previous year.

Eilders was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Eilders was sentenced to 230 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.  Eilders 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 as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration  

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

The case file number is 20-CR-27.

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A felon who, after an argument, shot wildly on a populated street, was sentenced today to over eight years in federal prison.

Derrick Damon Timmons, age 30, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 17, 2020 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Evidence at sentencing showed that, during the early morning hours of New Year’s Day 2020, Timmons had a discussion with another person in Dubuque.  Video evidence showed that Timmons left and then returned to the area, where another felon, Katwan Brown, handed Timmons a pistol.  Brown and Timmons then went inside a residence for a brief time.  When Brown and Timmons returned to the street, Timmons engaged in an animated argument with the other individual.  Someone fired a round and people in the area scattered, with Timmons running back into the residence.  After a few moments Timmons leaned back out of the doorway and shot wildly up the street multiple times, striking one individual.  Another of the rounds Timmons fired struck an occupied apartment nearby, and yet another round struck an unoccupied vehicle.  Timmons fled the area after the shooting. 

At sentencing, the judge found that Timmons’s conduct was “reprehensible and incredibly dangerous.”  Timmons had previously been convicted of felony obstruction of justice and a prior misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, domestic abuse assault with strangulation.

Timmons was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Timmons was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Brown was previously sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release.

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

This case was made possible in part by evidence from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).  NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms.  NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles.  For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

Timmons 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 Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), 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 20-CR-01013-1-CJW-MAR.

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A Sioux City man who engaged in rebate schemes, fraudulent invoice schemes, and stole items belonging to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska was sentenced on May 28, 2021, to 1 month in federal prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

Jason Ehlers, age 48, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of embezzlement and theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.

In a plea agreement, Ehlers admitted that he stole and embezzled from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska at least $22,432.00.  Ehlers admitted to using his position as a General Manager with BluStone Homes, also known as HoChunk Real-Estate, solely owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, to engage in rebate schemes, a fraudulent invoice scheme, and theft of construction supplies for his own benefit. 

Ehlers was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Ehlers was sentenced to 1 month of imprisonment.  He must also pay a $10,000 fine and serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 20-4089.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced May 26, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Jimmy Crouch, 48, from Everly, Iowa, pled guilty on December 7, 2020, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine within a protected location, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine within a protected location.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Crouch and others conspired to distribute over seven pounds of methamphetamine mixture from January 2019 through April 2020 in the Wright and Webster County areas.  In March/April 2020, law enforcement seized nearly four ounces of methamphetamine from Crouch.  On a number of occasions, Crouch and his co-conspirators were observed on home security recordings receiving and distributing ounces to ¼ pounds of methamphetamine to other co-conspirators.  Finally, Crouch’s offense conduct included methamphetamine distribution in Eagle Grove, Iowa, within 1,000 feet of two separate protected locations, specifically public parks with playgrounds.    

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Crouch remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  Crouch was sentenced to 136 months’ imprisonment and must serve an 8-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

The case file number is 20-3012. 

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A Chicago man who intended to distribute fentanyl and a heroin/fentanyl mixture was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison.

Chanord Hawkins, age 28, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a November 30, 2020 guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. 

Evidence at sentencing showed that on September 1, 2016, Hawkins was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of federal supervised release after he had pled guilty to distribution of heroin and crack cocaine in federal court.  On September 12, 2020, while he was on federal supervised release, Hawkins was a passenger in a car that was stopped by officers with the Cedar Rapids Police Department in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  During the traffic stop, officers searched a fanny pack belonging to Hawkins and recovered a small baggie that contained 0.5 grams of heroin.  Hawkins was arrested and transported to the Linn County Correctional Center.  After he arrived at the Linn County Correctional Center, deputies searched Hawkins’ person and located two bags of marijuana in his underwear.  As a result, officers conducted a strip search and deputies located multiple small plastic baggies tucked inside Hawkins’ buttocks that contained a total of over 9 grams of fentanyl and 25 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture.  Hawkins intended to distribute some or all of the fentanyl and heroin/fentanyl mixture to another person. 

Hawkins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hawkins was sentenced to a total of 70 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Hawkins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

The case was prosecuted by Special 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-00081.

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A man who was illegally in the United States was sentenced May 21, 2021 to 99 days imprisonment.

Armando Ramirez-Lopez, 28, from Guatemala, received the prison term after a March 19, 2021, guilty plea to illegally re-entering the United States.

At the guilty plea and sentencing hearing, evidence showed that Ramirez-Lopez was arrested on August 29, 2020, in Sioux City, Iowa for possession of methamphetamine.  On December 30, 2020, defendant was arrested on an active warrant for failure to appear.  Investigation revealed Ramirez-Lopez is an alien who had been ordered removed from the United States to Guatemala on April 22, 2014.  Ramirez-Lopez had been physically removed from the United States on January 11, 2017, through the Alexandria, Louisiana, Port of Entry. 

Ramirez-Lopez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Ramirez-Lopez was sentenced to time served of 99 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by 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 21-4016.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Waterloo convicted felon who possessed a gun was sentenced today to 94 months in prison.

Jason John Evans, age 39, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a December 8, 2020 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

Information disclosed at sentencing and in a plea agreement show that in July 2020, law enforcement searched Evans’ home.  During the search, officers located a loaded gun, ammunition, approximately one ounce of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.  At the time, Evans was a convicted felon, having previously been convicted of felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a sawed-off shotgun in federal court. 

Evans was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Evans was sentenced to 94 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make payment of $100 to the special assessment fund.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Mid-Iowa Task Force (Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Tama County Sheriff’s Office, Marshalltown Police Department), the Iowa National Guard and Counter Drug Program, the Tri-County Task Force (Cedar Falls Police Department, Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and 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 20-CR-2036.

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A Denison woman who served as CEO of Consumers Credit Union (CCU), and falsified financial records to hide embezzlement, pled guilty on May 24, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Janine Keim, age 68, from Denison, Iowa, was convicted of making false statements to auditors of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

In open court, Keim admitted to falsifying documents to hide the embezzlement of money from CCU in Denison, Iowa.  Keim was the CEO of CCU and she admitted to abstracting funds from the credit union.  Keim submitted call reports she knew to be false to the NCUA alleging the existence of funds held by CCU.  Keim’s actions contributed to a total cash and cash equivalent loss for CCU that resulted in CCU’s insolvency.  In October 2020, Keim’s sister, Brenda Jensen, pled guilty to embezzling from CCU.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Keim remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing.  Keim faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 20-4091.

A Fort Dodge woman who used a power of attorney to defraud an elderly disabled veteran out of more than $120,000 was sentenced May 21, 2021, to more than two years in federal prison.

Janice Kay Jurgensen, age 40, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 22, 2020 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.

In a plea agreement and at the sentencing hearing, Jurgensen admitted that, in 2018 and 2019, she stole the life savings of an elderly resident of a nursing home.  The victim suffered from significant cognitive and physical disabilities due to dementia and a severe stroke.  The nursing home resident was a veteran who had served in the Army and was stationed in Germany for a time.  The victim had lived frugally during his lifetime and was related to Jurgensen.

In 2018, Jurgensen hired a lawyer to draft a power of attorney for her victim, which purported to appoint Jurgensen as the victim’s attorney-in-fact with complete authority to manage his financial affairs.  The victim ostensibly signed the power of attorney form despite his disabilities.  The form stated Jurgensen was not entitled to any compensation and could not make any gifts to herself.  After obtaining the power of attorney, however, Jurgensen used a debit card linked to her victim’s bank account to make purchases for her own benefit, including food, gas, teacher union fees, “wonder nails,” and a dating website.  As a result of Jurgensen’s crime, her victim lost his life savings and was unable to pay for his nursing home care. 

Jurgensen was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Jurgensen was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment.  She was ordered to make $122,351.93 in restitution to her victim’s conservator.  She must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“Jurgensen callously stole her elderly victim’s life savings.  The sentence she received reflects the seriousness of her crime,” Acting United States Attorney Sean R. Berry stated.  “Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who target the most vulnerable members of our communities.”

In 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa was selected as one of ten districts in the nation to form an Elder Justice Task Force (http://go.usa.gov/cSngj).  The task force was assembled to foster a collaborative working relationship among all levels of government officials, advocacy groups for the elderly and the disabled, and others charged with the care and protection for these vulnerable groups.  The goals include ensuring the integrity of all government expenditures by eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse in health programs, and protecting some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens from harm, whether it occurs in nursing homes or other institutions or involves financial fraud schemes.  To learn more about the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, visit: https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/        

Jurgensen was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal’s Service on a date yet to be set.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-3051.

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A man who received and transferred over $35,000 in fraudulently obtained CARES Act unemployment funds from multiple states was sentenced on May 20, 2021, to five years in federal prison.  Alvin Lavon Rex, age 61, from Schaller, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 18, 2020, guilty plea to one count of mail fraud.

In a plea agreement, and at his plea and sentencing hearings, Rex admitted he opened multiple bank accounts in the Storm Lake, Iowa, area in May and June 2020.  Rex received over $35,000 in unemployment benefits in the names of other individuals from Arizona, Ohio, and Massachusetts.  He then withdrew the benefits in cash and mailed the cash through the United States Postal Service.  Rex also admitted that, in the months preceding the pandemic, he had received a false and fraudulent tax refund in the name of another person and cashed counterfeit checks at local banks.  As a part of his plea agreement, Rex agreed to make full restitution to those banks.

Rex was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Rex was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $63,070.03 in restitution.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“Alvin Rex took advantage of unemployment benefits intended for those who lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting United States Attorney Sean R. Berry.  “We will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who seek to profit from fraud involving COVID-19 benefits.  Rex’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his offense and demonstrates that there will be consequences for committing fraud, including prison.”

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 Tim Vavricek and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Storm Lake Police Department.  The Sac County Sheriff’s Office, the State of Arizona’s UI Benefit Fraud Investigation Unit, Office of Inspector General, the State of Massachusetts’ Program Integrity Unit, Department of Unemployment Assistance, and the State of Ohio’s Benefit Payment Fraud Control Unit, Department of Job and Family Services provided assistance to the investigation.

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

The case file number is 20-CR-4062.

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Maria Manzo-Melchor, age 40, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea on January 21, 2021, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported following a conviction for an aggravated felony.

In a plea agreement, Manzo-Melchor admitted she had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Manzo-Melchor was deported in November 2008 following a conviction in the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County for forgery, an aggravated felony, for using a fraudulent permanent resident card, also known as a “Green” card.  In September 2020, Manzo-Melchor came to the attention of immigration agents following her arrest for Domestic Abuse Assault and Reckless Use of Fire or Explosives in Black Hawk County, Iowa.  These charges are still pending in state court.

Manzo-Melchor was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Manzo-Melchor was sentenced to six 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.

Manzo-Melchor 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 Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

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

The case file number is 20-CR-2047.

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A man who has a lengthy criminal history and possessed a loaded gun and drugs was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.

Zaire Young, age 34, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 7, 2020 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

At the guilty plea, Young admitted he possessed a firearm after felony convictions for possession of cocaine base with the intent to distribute, drug tax stamp, and eluding.  Evidence in the case showed that Young was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by law enforcement in May 2020.  Officers found a loaded gun inside the car.  Young admitted possessing the gun.  He also had marijuana in his pocket. 

In a previous written order, the court described Young as having a “long-term relationship with lawlessness—spanning more than two decades.”  The court also noted that prior to his federal charge, Young had “willfully flouted the law, disregarded authority, and disobeyed the orders of every court he has appeared before.”

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

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 also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.

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

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

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

The case file number is 20-cr-2040.

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A Waterloo, Iowa, man that fired several shots into the air in a residential area was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.

Marcus DeShawn Harmon-Wright, age 35, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 16, 2020 guilty plea to one-count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Evidence at sentencing showed that, on April 12, 2020, Harmon-Wright fired several shots into the air, striking his own residence, after observing individuals breaking into his partner’s car.  Several minutes later, Harmon-Wright got into an argument with his neighbor, while he continued to possess the firearm.  After officers arrived, Harmon-Wright was uncooperative, knocking off an officer’s body worn camera and spitting in that officer’s face intentionally.  Harmon-Wright was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was a drug user. 

Harmon-Wright was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Harmon-Wright was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

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

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

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.

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

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

The case file number is 20-CR-02044.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed a firearm during his drug trafficking pled guilty May 19, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Jerry Powell, 32, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of illegal possession of a firearm, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Powell was previously convicted of two felony drug offenses, namely, felony possession of a controlled substance in South Dakota in 2007, and felony possession of a controlled substance – 3rd offense in Iowa in 2018.

At the plea hearing, Powell admitted that between 2016 through about December 17, 2020, he and others conspired to distribute 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine in the Sioux City area.  On December 17, 2020, in Sioux City, Iowa, law enforcement caught Powell attempting to flee a legal traffic stop, at first by vehicle, including at speeds in excess of 100 mph on city streets, then after crashing the vehicle, on foot.  Law enforcement observed Powell, while running, possess and then throw a handgun (later determined to be a loaded .357 magnum revolver) away during his attempted flight.  Law enforcement later seized the firearm and six ounces of methamphetamine from the vehicle operated by Powell.  Powell admitted he had acquired the methamphetamine from a source and possessed it with the intent to distribute some or all of it to another person or persons.  Powell also admitted he was prohibited from the possession of the firearm due to being a previously convicted felon.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Powell was previously in the custody of the United States Marshals Service and after the guilty plea will remain in custody pending sentencing.  On all of the convictions, Powell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.

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

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

The case file number is 21-4005.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who illegally possessed a gun on two occasions was sentenced to seven years in federal prison.

Angelo Campbell, age 28, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 16, 2020, guilty plea to two counts of possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user and domestic abuse misdemeanant.

Evidence at Campbell’s detention, change of plea and sentencing hearings revealed he possessed two different guns on two separate occasions after having been convicted of Domestic Abuse Assault in 2014 and 2016, and while an unlawful user of methamphetamine and marijuana.    

Campbell was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Campbell was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Campbell 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.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline

The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney. 

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

The case file number is 20-4058.

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A Sioux City man who illegally possessed firearms, was sentenced May 13, 2021, to more than three years in federal prison.

Yoni Duenas, 23, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 21, 2020, guilty plea to two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and a drug user.

Evidence presented by the United States at the detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed Duenas unlawfully possessed two firearms on two separate occasions.  Counting Duenas’ past criminal history and his instant conduct, he has been disarmed by law enforcement four times.     

Duenas was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Duenas was sentenced to 40 months’ and five days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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 also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from Project Guardian partners. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of Justice – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Sioux City Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

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

The case file number is 20-4031.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A woman who imported approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and a half pound of cocaine, over a two-year period was sentenced on May 11, 2021, to almost 9 years in federal prison.

Brisa Paniagua-Trejo, 40, from Casa Grande, Arizona, pled guilty on December 8, 2020, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Paniagua-Trejo coordinated shipments of several pounds of methamphetamine, and cocaine, from 2018 through early 2020 to the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere.  On February 5, 2020, after conducting active surveillance for suspected drug activity, a Woodbury County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Paniagua-Trejo was operating.  Upon conducting a search within the vehicle, law enforcement discovered approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 30 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, several phones, and four rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.  Paniagua-Trejo was previously convicted of possession with intent to manufacture/deliver methamphetamine, in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County, and drug possession in the Minnesota District Court for Faribault County.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Paniagua-Trejo was sentenced to 107 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system. Paniagua-Trejo remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she is transported to a federal prison. 

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

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

The case file number is 20-4054.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Two brothers who ran a farming operation together while also farming their own land were sentenced today to federal prison for evading taxes.

Scott Stecher, age 61, and Doug Stecher, age 58, from Clarion, Iowa, received the prison terms after each pled guilty to tax evasion on December 9, 2020.

At the guilty pleas, each brother admitted that each took steps to hide income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to evade paying income taxes.  Information from their plea agreements and from their sentencing hearings showed that, for tax years 2011 through 2013, each brother diverted income from their farming operations into bank accounts that their accountant did not know about.  The accountant then prepared tax returns for each brother, which they then signed knowing that the tax returns were false because the returns did not report each brother’s full income.  During those three tax years, Doug Stecher hid $718,995 of income from the IRS and paid $240,053 less in income tax than he should have paid.  Scott Stecher hid $448,059 of income from the IRS and paid $183,785 less in income tax as a result.

The Stechers were sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Each was sentenced to one month of imprisonment and fined $30,000.  They must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our federal income tax system requires taxpayers to be honest,” said Acting United States Attorney Sean R. Berry.  “These sentences show that hiding income from the IRS to avoid paying taxes is a crime with significant consequences.  In this case those consequences include federal prison.”

“Today’s sentencings of Scott Stecher and Doug Stecher show that enforcement of our tax laws is vital to maintaining a fair and honest system,” said David Talcott, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “There are consequences for individuals who intentionally conceal income and evade taxes that includes going to jail and paying back all the taxes owed plus steep penalties and interest.”

Both Scott and Doug Stecher were released on the bond previously set and are 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 Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division. 

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

The case file numbers are 20-CR-3049 and 20-CR-3050.

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A felon and convicted domestic abuser who possessed firearms pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. 

Jason Drew, age 38, from Gladbrook, Iowa, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms.  At the plea hearing, Drew admitted that, on February 26, 2020, he knowingly possessed two revolvers after having been convicted of two crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment and after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.  According to the indictment, Drew was convicted of theft in the first degree and theft in the second degree in Tama County in 2009.  He also was convicted of domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury in Tama County in 2016. 

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

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

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is CR 20-74.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Sioux City man who sold methamphetamine was sentenced on May 7, 2021, to 10 years in federal prison.

Tad Lynch, age 32, from Sioux City, IA, received the prison term after a guilty plea to two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Sioux City.

Lynch admitted that on February 20, 2020 and March 4, 2020 that he possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it around the Sioux City area.  Lynch has a significant criminal history, including prior convictions for possession of drug paraphernalia, drug possession, check forgery, disorderly conduct, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, and eluding a peace officer.  Lynch also has five prior theft convictions

 Lynch was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Lynch was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Lynch 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 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 20-4075.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.