Northern District of Iowa

A man who unlawfully possessed a firearm after being convicted of a felony was sentenced on November 19, 2019, to four years in federal prison.

Shevin Caston, age 28, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.  Officers found a loaded handgun underneath a couch cushion while searching Caston’s house.  Multiple minor children lived at the house.  At the time Caston unlawfully possessed the gun, he had two prior firearm-related convictions.

Caston was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Caston was sentenced to an imprisonment term of 48 months.  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 Jacob Schunk and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 19-CR-2032-LTS.    Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

An Idaho man who agreed to help his brother try to pay off a victim of his brother’s $2.4 million wire fraud and identity theft scheme was sentenced on November 19, 2019, to two months in federal prison.

David Emerson Smith, age 71, from Pocatello, Idaho, received the prison term after a May 6, 2019, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding.

In a plea agreement, David Smith admitted that, from June 2017 through July 2018, he agreed with his brother Darrell Smith to obstruct, influence, and impede Darrell Smith’s federal sentencing hearing in late 2018.  While he was in jail awaiting his sentencing hearing in June 2017, Darrell Smith told David Smith in a recorded telephone call that one of the victims of his fraud scheme could “make it really hard” for Darrell Smith if she continued to “complain” to the government.  Darrell Smith told David Smith it would be “two extra years” if the victim continued her complaint, but Darrell Smith could get the victim some stock shares within a year.  At Darrell Smith’s request, David Smith agreed to contact the victim on the telephone and, in February 2018, David Smith sent a letter to the victim at Darrell Smith’s request.  The letter indicated Darrell Smith had $40,000 for the victim, in her children’s names, in accounts at an investment company.  The letter also reminded the victim she had “$350,000 in tax credits” and two million shares of an energy company available to her.  In truth, the “tax credits” and shares were fraudulent.

Law enforcement officers discovered the scheme to obstruct justice before Darrell Smith’s sentencing.  In October 2018, the court found Darrell Smith stole $2.4 million from his investment clients, including $161,800 from the victim whom David Smith contacted at Darrell Smith’s request.  The court also found Darrell Smith had obstructed justice and sentenced Darrell Smith to 175 months in federal prison upon his guilty pleas to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

David Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  David Smith was sentenced to 2 months’ imprisonment and fined $5,500.  He was ordered to make $161,800 in restitution to the victim of his obstruction on a joint and several basis with Darrell Smith.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

David Smith was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal in Boise, Idaho, on January 2, 2020.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

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

The case file number is 18-CR-2071.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who used another person’s Social Security number to get a job was sentenced today to more than six months in federal prison.

Ernesto Gonzalez-Casas, age 46, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Williamsburg, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 2, 2019, guilty plea to two counts of misuse of a social security number.

At the guilty plea, Gonzalez-Casas admitted that on July 12, 2017, and September 5, 2017, he used someone else’s name and social security number on state and federal tax forms when completing employment forms in Williamsburg, Iowa. 

On December 7, 2018, Gonzalez-Casas came to the attention of law enforcement when he tried to transfer title to a vehicle under an alias name at the Iowa County Treasurer’s Office.  The alias name was in the Iowa Department of Transportation records system as possibly being a stolen identity as reported by the true victim.  Gonzalez-Casas told law enforcement officers that he was a United States citizen born in Texas and falsely claimed he had previously filed a report in Iowa County of the identity theft of his alias name.  Gonzalez-Casas’ fingerprints showed he was not the person he claimed to be.  Instead, immigration records showed he was a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States and not a United States citizen as he claimed.  On June 17, 2019, Gonzalez-Casas was convicted in the Iowa District Court for Iowa County of making a false report to law enforcement and sentenced to 180 days’ imprisonment.

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

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Iowa Department of Transportation, and the Iowa County Sheriff’s Department. 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-67.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced today to four years in federal prison.

Christopher Forbes, age 27, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 13, 2019, guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence during the case showed police located a firearm in Forbes’ vehicle after conducting a traffic stop.  Forbes was on parole at the time, having been convicted of first degree burglary, assault on a peace officer with a dangerous weapon, eluding, and domestic abuse assault.

Forbes was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Forbes was sentenced to 48 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.

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

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

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

The case file number is 19-CR-0012.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

An illegal user of controlled substances who unlawfully possessed a handgun was sentenced today to nearly two years in federal prison.

Torey Dunn, age 19, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 1, 2019, guilty plea to being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of a firearm.

Information at sentencing showed that on August 2, 2018, Dunn was a passenger in a car that was stopped shortly after midnight by the Waterloo Police Department.  As the car stopped, Dunn and another man got out of the car and ran in separate directions.  Officers chased Dunn and caught him.  Officers also found a loaded 9mm handgun in the bushes along the path Dunn ran.  Dunn told officers he had the gun for protection.  Dunn admitted he smoked marijuana and he tested positive for marijuana.

Dunn was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Dunn was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

Dunn 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 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 19-cr-2009.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A convicted felon who was twice previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced November 14, 2019, to nearly seven years in federal prison following his third such conviction.

Jamaal Baker, age 41, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 30, 2019 guilty plea to possessing a firearm as a felon.

At the guilty plea, Baker admitted he unlawfully possessed a handgun on January 23, 2019.  Evidence at sentencing established that Baker took a gun to his ex-wife’s house.  Baker and his ex-wife got into a heated argument.  During the argument, Baker told his ex-wife that he was going to kill her and then have the police kill him.  The ex-wife left the house along with minor children that were present.  As they were walking away from the house, Baker pulled the handgun out and at least one round was fired. 

Police responded to the house after a neighbor, who operated a daycare in her home, called 9-1-1.  After setting up a perimeter around the house, officers learned that Baker had fled the home and went to a local convenience store.  Officers found him in the store attempting to hide from them in a walk-in freezer.   

Baker has a long criminal history starting at age 17 while he was living in Chicago.  From age 18 through age 32, Baker was convicted of five drug offenses, two battery offenses, and aggravated vehicular hijacking for being part of an incident involving armed robbery, carjacking, and kidnapping.  He was also twice convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Baker was a member of the Gangster Disciples gang during this time. 

Baker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Baker was sentenced to 81 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.

Baker 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 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 19-cr-2023.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A compounding pharmacy headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas, along with its owner, agreed to pay $205,000 to resolve allegations that the pharmacy submitted false claims to Tricare, the health care program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families.  Neither the owner nor the pharmacy admitted liability as part of the settlement.   

Midwest Compounders, Inc., and its owner, Troy DeLong, agreed to settle allegations that claims submitted to Tricare from June 2012 to December 2014 were fraudulent for purposes of the False Claims Act.  The United States alleged that certain claims for compound medications during this period resulted from unlawful arrangements between the pharmacy and prescribers or marketers, or were otherwise improperly inflated in that the claims sought payment for medically unnecessary dosages or for redundant active ingredients. 

The allegations were made in a qui tam, or whistleblower, lawsuit.  The lawsuit was brought under the False Claims Act, which punishes violators who submit false claims to the government or who knowingly attempt to avoid an obligation to repay federal funds.  The whistleblower provisions allow private parties who have knowledge of fraud committed against the government to file suit on behalf of the government and share in any recovery.  The individual who filed this lawsuit received a share of the total amount recovered. 

The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jake Schunk and investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.  The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Sten v. Midwest Compounders, et al.          

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who was involved in distributing pounds of methamphetamine throughout Northern Iowa was sentenced on November 13, 2019, to more than five years in federal prison.

Jose Ordaz, age 27, from Marshalltown, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 26, 2019 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. 

In a plea agreement, Ordaz admitted that beginning in December 2014, he became involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  During his involvement in the conspiracy, he was responsible for distributing at least eight pounds of ice methamphetamine. 

Ordaz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Ordaz was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Ordaz 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 Lisa C. Williams and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force (Waterloo Police Department; Cedar Falls Police Department; Waverly Police Department; Bremer County Sheriff’s Office; Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office; LaPorte City Police Department; Evansdale Police Department; Hudson Police Department), Mid Iowa Drug Task Force (Marshalltown Police Department; Marshall County Sheriff’s Office; Tama County), and Dubuque Drug Task Force (Dubuque Police Department; Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office). 

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

The case file number is 18-CR-2025.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Project Guardian, a new initiative designed to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws across the country. Specifically, Project Guardian focuses on investigating, prosecuting, and preventing gun crimes.

Reducing gun violence and enforcing federal firearms laws have always been among the Department’s highest priorities. In order to develop a new and robust effort to promote and ensure public safety, the Department reviewed and adapted some of the successes of past strategies to curb gun violence. Project Guardian draws on the Department’s earlier achievements, such as the “Triggerlock” program, and it serves as a complementary effort to the success of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In addition, the initiative emphasizes the importance of using all modern technologies available to law enforcement to promote gun crime intelligence.

“Gun crime remains a pervasive problem in too many communities across America. Today, the Department of Justice is redoubling its commitment to tackling this issue through the launch of Project Guardian,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Building on the success of past programs like Triggerlock, Project Guardian will strengthen our efforts to reduce gun violence by allowing the federal government and our state and local partners to better target offenders who use guns in crimes and those who try to buy guns illegally.”

“My office has worked very closely with our outstanding local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to target and prosecute the most dangerous and violent offenders in our communities,” said United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr.  “It is our hope that Project Guardian will help create even more opportunities to work together and make our communities safer.  I look forward to continuing and strengthening our partnerships as we work to reduce gun violence and keep guns out of the wrong hands.”

“ATF has a long history of strong partnerships in the law enforcement community,” said Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Make no mistake, the women and men of ATF remain steadfast to our core mission of getting crime guns off of our streets. ATF and U.S. Attorneys nationwide will leverage these partnerships even further through enhanced community outreach initiatives and coordination with local, state, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to cut the pipeline of crime guns from those violent individuals who seek to terrorize our communities. Project Guardian will enhance ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence, to include identifying, investigating and prosecuting those involved in the straw purchases of firearms, lying on federal firearms transaction forms, and those subject to the mental health prohibition of possessing firearms.” 

Project Guardian’s implementation is based on five principles:

1. Coordinated Prosecution. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement will coordinate with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to consider potential federal prosecution for new cases involving a defendant who: a) was arrested in possession of a firearm; b) is believed to have used a firearm in committing a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime prosecutable in federal court; or c) is suspected of actively committing violent crime(s) in the community on behalf of a criminal organization.
    
2. Enforcing the Background Check System. United States Attorneys, in consultation with the Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in their district, will create new, or review existing, guidelines for intake and prosecution of federal cases involving false statements (including lie-and-try, lie-and-buy, and straw purchasers) made during the acquisition or attempted acquisition of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees.
    
   Particular emphasis is placed on individuals convicted of violent felonies or misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, individuals subject to protective orders, and individuals who are fugitives where the underlying offense is a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; individuals suspected of involvement in criminal organizations or of providing firearms to criminal organizations; and individuals involved in repeat denials.
    
3. Improved Information Sharing. On a regular basis, and as often as practicable given current technical limitations, ATF will provide to state law enforcement fusion centers a report listing individuals for whom the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has issued denials, including the basis for the denial, so that state and local law enforcement can take appropriate steps under their laws.
    
4. Coordinated Response to Mental Health Denials. Each United States Attorney will ensure that whenever there is federal case information regarding individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm under the mental health prohibition, such information continues to be entered timely and accurately into the United States Attorneys’ Offices’ case-management system for prompt submission to NICS. ATF should engage in additional outreach to state and local law enforcement on how to use this denial information to better assure public safety. 
    
   Additionally, United States Attorneys will consult with relevant district stakeholders to assess feasibility of adopting disruption of early engagement programs to address mental-health-prohibited individuals who attempt to acquire a firearm. United States Attorneys should consider, when appropriate, recommending court-ordered mental health treatment for any sentences issued to individuals prohibited based on mental health.
    
5. Crime Gun Intelligence Coordination. Federal, state, local, and tribal prosecutors and law enforcement will work together to ensure effective use of the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGICs), and all related resources, to maximize the use of modern intelligence tools and technology. These tools can greatly enhance the speed and effectiveness in identifying trigger-pullers and finding their guns, but the success depends in large part on state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners sharing ballistic evidence and firearm recovery data with the ATF.

Federal law enforcement represents only about 15% of all law enforcement resources nationwide. Therefore, partnerships with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the communities they serve are critical to addressing gun crime. The Department recognizes that sharing information with our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners at every level will enhance public safety, and provide a greater depth of resources available to address gun crime on a national level.

For more information on Project Guardian, see the Attorney General’s memorandum at: https://www.justice.gov/ag/project-guardian-memo-2019/download

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who intended to distribute nearly 60 grams of heroin laced with fentanyl pled guilty on November 4, 2019, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Lashon M. Jefferson, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance containing heroin and fentanyl.

In a plea agreement, Jefferson admitted that on July 25, 2019, and again on July 30, 2019, he was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.  On both occasions, Jefferson entered the Linn County Correctional Center in possession of heroin laced with fentanyl.  On July 30, Jefferson possessed nearly 56 grams of the fentanyl-laced heroin.  Jefferson admitted that he intended to distribute some or all of the drugs to another person. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Jefferson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Jefferson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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

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

The case file number is 19-CR-91-LTS.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

The former treasurer of a homeowner’s association who defrauded his neighbors out of $124,524.57 was sentenced October 31, 2019, to 18 months in federal prison.

Wayne P. Jones, age 55, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after he pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.  In a plea agreement, Jones admitted that in November 2011, shortly after becoming the treasurer of his homeowners’ association, he opened a new bank account where he had sole access. Jones then deposited member dues and other income into the new account, and used the funds for his own purposes.  Jones concealed his fraud by under reporting deposits and disbursements to the homeowners association. 

Jones was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Jones was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $124,524.57 in restitution to the home owners association. He must also pay a fine of $7,500 and serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Jones was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on November 14, 2019.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cole 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 19-CR-4.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who traveled from Minnesota to Iowa to have sex with minors was convicted by a jury on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Terrance Nordwall, age 50, of Faribault, Minnesota, was convicted of attempted sex trafficking of children, attempted enticement of minors, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. 

The evidence at trial showed that, in March and April of 2019, Nordwall exchanged text messages with a man who he believed was a “pimp” with a 14-year-old girl and a 15‑year‑old girl available.  The man was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.  Nordwall agreed to pay the pimp $200 for a half hour with the two girls, and he drove to the Cedar Rapids area, where he met law enforcement officers.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Nordwall remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Nordwall faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, $15,300 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 Hiawatha 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 19-57.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Cedar Rapids man who was escaped from federal custody at the Gerald R. Hinzman Center in Cedar Rapids was sentenced to additional time in federal prison on October 29, 2019, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Ramius Hardiman, age 26, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 11, 2019 guilty plea to escape from federal custody.

In a plea agreement, Hardiman admitted that beginning September 14, 2018, he was in federal custody pursuant to federal court order as a condition of his supervised release sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  On November 15, 2018, Hardiman left the facility claiming he was going to work and never returned.  Hardiman was found and arrested in North Liberty, Iowa, on January 9, 2019.  

Hardiman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hardiman was sentenced to serve an additional eight months’ imprisonment, which must be served after he finishes serving a fourteen-month term of imprisonment imposed for violating his supervised release.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and was investigated by United States Marshals Service and the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, with the assistance of the North Liberty Police Department. 

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

The case file number is CR-19-00050.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Two years ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.

Throughout the past two years, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  According to FBI’s 2018 Crime in the United States Report released this week, the violent crime rate decreased for the second consecutive year, down 3.9 percent from the 2017 numbers.

“The revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a major success,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “It packs a powerful punch by combining advanced data with local leadership, further reducing violence in communities across the country and improving overall public safety. U.S. Attorneys continue to focus their enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals and work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal police. The Justice Department’s relationships across the board have never been stronger.”

“Reducing violent crime and protecting our communities has been and remains a top priority for my office,” said United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr.  “Our Project Safe Neighborhood partnership with local, state, and federal law enforcement has made our streets safer.  But the fight is not over.  We will continue to work together to bring violent and dangerous offenders to justice.”

As we celebrate the two-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions over the past year:

Enforcement Actions

In the Northern District of Iowa, we continue to work in partnership with local and federal law enforcement agencies. In June of this year, we announced charges and arrests in thirty-two federal gun cases.  The charges were brought as a joint effort with the following agencies as a continued commitment to prosecute the most dangerous offenders in our communities: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Dubuque Police Department, the United States Marshal’s Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Waterloo Police Department.

Community Partnerships

The Iowa SAFE Task Force was created in January of 2018.  The task force is comprised of members of the US Attorney’s Office, Black Hawk County Attorney’s Office, Department of Corrections, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Waterloo Police Department, The Federal Bureau of Investigation, University of Northern Iowa, United States Probation Office, Unity Point, Family & Children’s Counsel of Black Hawk County, Center for Violence Prevention, Iowa WORKS, Friends of the Family, Cedar Valley Iowa Works, Violent Crimes Program, Catholic Charities, and multiple community members.  The group meets bi-weekly to discuss and implement strategies to deter and reduce gun crimes in the Waterloo area. 

Improvements to Community Safety

• For the second consecutive year, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation decreased when compared with the previous year’s statistics, according to FBI figures released today. In 2018, the number of violent crimes was down 3.3 percent from the 2017 number.

• The 2018 statistics also show the estimated rate of violent crime was 368.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. The violent crime rate fell 3.9 percent when compared with the 2017 rate.

These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

A Waterloo man who was observed on two separate occasions with guns on social media by the police was sentenced today to more than a year in federal prison.

Jumonie Dontez Wilson, age 18, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 17, 2019, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user.

In a plea agreement, Wilson admitted he possessed guns on two separate occasions in January 2019, at a time he was a marijuana user.  On both occasions, Wilson was observed on social media possessing a gun just prior to police finding him with the gun.  Other social media posts showed Wilson in possession of and using marijuana.  During the first incident, Wilson threw a gun out the window of his residence as officers approached to conduct a search.  At sentencing, the court found that Wilson possessed the firearms in connection with the crimes of possessing a controlled substance with the intent to deliver and carrying weapons.

Wilson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Wilson was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

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.

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

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

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

The case file number is 19-cr-02018.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Marion man who lied about his drug use to the Linn County Sheriff in order to obtain a permit to carry, and then purchased multiple guns with fraudulent checks, was sentenced October 28, 2019, to nearly three years in federal prison.

Edinton Grugbay Wright, age 23, from Marion, Iowa, originally from Monrovia, Liberia, received the prison term after a May 9, 2019, guilty plea to one count of a possessing a firearm as a drug user.

Evidence presented at multiple court hearings showed that, in September 2017, Wright applied for a permit to carry weapons from the Linn County Sheriff.  Wright lied to the Sheriff by falsely stating that he had not unlawfully used any controlled substances in the previous twelve months.  In truth, Wright had used marijuana while a member of the Iowa Army National Guard.  The Iowa Army National Guard later discharged Wright in part because of his drug use.

Between October 2017 and July 2018, Wright used the fraudulently obtained gun permit to purchase seven firearms from Linn County businesses.  Wright also used phony checks to fund the purchases.

On October 21, 2018, Wright was involved in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend in Cedar Rapids.  While arresting Wright on an unrelated warrant in state court, law enforcement officers found a gun and a small amount of marijuana on his person.  In the course of the investigation, officers recovered all but one of the seven guns, which Wright often pawned shortly after purchasing them.

In March 2019, after a grand jury indicted Wright, officers arrested him on a warrant.  Wright was driving a rental car and attempting to pass another fraudulent check at a local financial institution at the time of his arrest.  Unbeknownst to officers, Wright had a gun under the seat of his rental car.  In jail calls after his arrest, Wright asked his girlfriend to work with his mother to retrieve the gun before the rental car company found it.  Wright also spoke with a federal felon about selling the gun to the felon for $300.

Wright was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Wright was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $900 in restitution.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Wright is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. Wright was detained shortly after his release in federal court after violating the terms of his pretrial release.  Among other things, Wright violated a no contact order and repeatedly had contact with his girlfriend against the court’s order not to do so.  In April 2019, officers responded to an incident in which defendant was driving a car erratically near Westdale in Cedar Rapids, and his girlfriend was shouting for help out the car’s window and claiming the Wright was assaulting her.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-34.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who distributed cocaine and possessed a gun in furtherance of his drug trafficking pled guilty October 22, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.

Quinn Schleimer, 21, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of two counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

At the plea hearing, Schleimer admitted that on three occasions in 2017 he distributed 1/8 ounce of powder cocaine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  Schleimer also admitted to selling about 4 ½ ounces of cocaine and 10 pounds of marijuana in 2017.  During a search of Schleimer’s residence, officers seized two loaded shotguns.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Schleimer was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  On the drug convictions Schleimer faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.  On the firearm conviction, Schleimer faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years’ (which must be consecutive to any term imposed on the other two counts), and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of not more than three years of supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminalistics Laboratory, 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 17-3051.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Tama man who hit another man with a shovel and who spit on and bit police officers was sentenced today to twelve months in prison.

Lucius Bear, age 42, from Tama, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a May 16, 2019 guilty plea to assault by striking, beating, or wounding. 

Information disclosed at sentencing and at his plea hearing showed that on February 17, 2019, Bear, while on the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa Meskwaki Settlement, got into an argument with his daughter’s boyfriend.  Bear hit the boyfriend over the head with a garden shovel containing a metal blade.  This caused a large cut to the victim’s head, requiring fifteen staples to close. Officers who responded to the scene tried to take Bear into custody.  Bear fought with the officers, biting one on the arm and spitting on the other.  

Bear was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Bear was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make payment of $25 to the special assessment fund.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Bear has over 30 prior criminal convictions, including two operating while intoxicated and some relating to violent assaults.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and was investigated by the Meskwaki 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 19-CR-00037.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced October 25, 2019, to more than seven years in federal prison.

Winona Freemont, 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on June 11, 2019, to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine within a protected location.

At the plea hearing, Freemont admitted that from about July 2017 through April 2018 she participated in the distribution of more than 7 pounds of mixed methamphetamine in Sioux City.  Freemont distributed methamphetamine at a residence that was within 1000 feet of Cook Park.  Freemont admitted that she and others involved in the conspiracy would travel to Omaha, NE to obtain up to pounds of methamphetamine to bring back to Sioux City to distribute to others.  

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Freemont remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison.  Freemont was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve 6-year term of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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

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

The case file number is 19-4018.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Cassandra Rheuport, 30, from Rolfe, Iowa, pled guilty to theft of mail by a postal employee, on October 23, 2019, in United States District Court in Sioux City. 

Rheuport admitted that from about February 2018 through July 28, 2018, she opened mail and/or stole mail entrusted to her as an employee of the United States Postal Service.  Rheuport stole at least $395, as well as narcotic medications prescribed for others.  At the time of the thefts, Rheuport was a city carrier assistant assigned to the Pocahontas Post Office.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Rheuport remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing.  Rheuport faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a fine of up to $250,000, a mandatory special assessment of $100, and a term of supervised release of up to one year following any imprisonment.­

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Office of Investigations.

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

The case file number is CR19-3051.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Missouri man who assisted in perpetrating the largest organic grain fraud scheme in United States history was sentenced today to nearly two years in federal prison.  Another Missouri man and three farmers from Nebraska were previously sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a scheme to defraud customers across the country.

John Burton, age 52, from Clarksdale, Missouri, received the prison term after a May 10, 2019 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Evidence at sentencing showed that Burton grew grain that was not organic and sold it to Randy Constant, knowing that Constant was going to market and sell the grain as organic.  By selling his grain to Constant, Burton was able to receive a premium, selling the grain for more than he could have on the open market.  Burton also worked for Constant, raising grain on farm fields that Constant either owned or rented.  While doing this work, Burton often sprayed Constant’s fields with chemicals and fertilizers, even though he knew those substances were not allowed on organic fields.  Burton either sold or raised over $5,000,000 in crops for Constant.  Overall, Constant’s scheme involved at least $142,433,475 in grain sales, and the vast majority of those sales were fraudulent in that the grain he sold was not organic even though it was marketed as organic. 

Burton was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Burton was sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment.  He was also ordered to forfeit over $1,000,000 in proceeds from his crime and was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jacob Schunk and Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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

The case file number are 19-CR-2025.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who trafficked meth in Iowa and had numerous prior criminal convictions was sentenced October 23, 2019, to 14 years in federal prison.

Chase Kincaid Secrist, age 26, from Mechanicsville, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 6, 2019, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute controlled meth.

In a plea agreement, Secrist admitted he was part of a conspiracy to sell methamphetamine in Iowa in 2018.  In September 2018, officers attempted to stop Secrist while he was driving.  Secrist refused to stop and then led officers on a high-speed chase.  The chase lasted 23 minutes.  During the chase, Secrist threw a gun and meth from his car. 

Secrist’s criminal history includes a felony child endangerment conviction and a felony burglary conviction.  Secrist has also been convicted multiple times for operating cars without owners consent, trespass, public intoxication, voluntary absence, possession of marijuana, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, leaving the scene of an accident, and absence from custody

Secrist was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Secrist was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment.  Secrist must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by, the Tipton Police Department, Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, Muscatine County Drug Taskforce, and the University of Iowa Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 18-cr-122.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Cedar Rapids man who went with an associate to rob individuals of their money and drugs using a firearm was convicted by a jury October 24, 2019, after a 4-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Carl McArthur, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of being in possession of a firearm, specifically a Taurus .45LC/.410 caliber “Judge” handgun after having been convicted of a 2003 misdemeanor domestic abuse assault in Linn County, Iowa, and a 2009 federal, felony conviction for possessing a firearm as a drug user and as a person with a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.  The verdict was returned on October 24, 2019, following about nine hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that on March 17, 2018, McArthur and an associate entered a residence on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids with firearms to rob the occupants of the house of any money or methamphetamine that was in their possession.  Three of the occupants of the house testified that McArthur and his associate forced their way into the residence, assaulted them, and threatened to shoot them and pour hot grease on them in an effort to get money and drugs from them.  One of the occupants called 911, and officers from the Cedar Rapids Police Department responded within minutes.  The officers found McArthur inside the residence, and his associate was outside.  The unknown associate fled the scene, leaving behind the ski mask he wore to conceal his identity.  Upon searching the residence officers found a Taurus .45LC/.410 caliber “Judge” handgun, a 9mm handgun, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  McArthur remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  McArthur faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Corkery and Patrick Reinert and was investigated by Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force.  The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

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

The case file number is 18-CR-0102.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Mexican man who had been deported, illegally returned to the United States, and then used false identification documents to obtain a job was sentenced today to almost three months in federal prison.

 Jose Martinez-Lopez, age 47, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in West Liberty, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 22, 2019, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of identification documents, one count of misuse of a Social Security number, and one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

At the guilty plea, Martinez-Lopez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and that he illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Martinez-Lopez was deported in April 1992 following a conviction for theft in El Paso County, Texas. 

Martinez-Lopez also admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent permanent resident card, also known as a “green card,” when he completed employment and tax forms in March 2019 at a business in Stanwood, Iowa.  On the employment application, Martinez-Lopez falsely claimed to be a lawful permanent resident of the United States.  The Social Security account number on the card used by Martinez-Lopez was fictitious.  The Alien Registration number on the “green card” was issued to another person.  On July 11, 2019, Martinez-Lopez was found and arrested by immigration agents at the business in Stanwood where Martinez-Lopez was employed.

Martinez-Lopez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Martinez-Lopez was sentenced to 80 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Martinez-Lopez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by 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 19-CR-75.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA –United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr., the Inter-Religious Council of Linn County, and the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission hosted a community forum on October 22, 2019, focused on protecting places of worship.  Leaders of the interfaith community, representatives of houses of worship, and other community stakeholders and members attended.  They discussed hate crime laws, identifying and reporting hate crimes, and best practices for creating safe and secure houses of worship. 

Speakers and panelists included law enforcement officials from the FBI, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa, Linn County Attorney’s Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Linn County Sherriff’s Office.  A second panel of community faith leaders was moderated by Ms. Sarika Bhatka and included panelists Rev. Dr. Sherri Ilg, Krishna Iyer, Rev. Leoma Leigh-Williams, Imam Hassan Selim, and Rabbi Todd Thalblum.

United States Attorney Deegan expressed appreciation to the agencies involved and the community members attending for their willingness to discuss issues that communities across the state and country encounter.  No one in our community should feel threatened because of his or her religion, and everyone should feel safe when going to their chosen house of worship,” said Deegan.  “All of these organizations and people coming together shows that Iowans want to be proactive when it comes to keeping our communities safe.”

“The FBI is tasked with defending civil rights in the United States, and the Constitution guarantees that everyone in the United States has freedom to practice their own religion,” said Special-Agent-in-Charge Kristi Johnson of the Omaha Field Division of the FBI.  “No one deserves to live in fear because of how they choose to worship.” 

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who illegally possessed a firearm while a marijuana user was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.

Christopher Roby, age 19, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 10, 2019 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user.

Evidence during the case showed that Roby was a passenger in a vehicle that police attempted to stop.  The vehicle, driven by an associate of Roby’s, refused to stop and led police on a high speed chase, in excess of 80 miles per hour.  When police finally stopped the vehicle, officers found a loaded revolver was under the area Roby was seated in.  Roby admitted to possessing the gun.  Police also found approximately one-half ounce of marijuana on Roby at the time of his arrest.

Roby was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Roby was sentenced to 41 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.

Roby 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 Lisa C. Williams and 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 18-cr-2062.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced October 18, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.

Robinson Nguyen, 38, from Selma, California, pled guilty on June 3, 2019, to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine; one count of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and one count of illegally possessing a firearm.  Nguyen was previously convicted of at least four felony offenses in California, ranging from thefts to possession of a controlled substance to possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.

At the plea hearing, Nguyen admitted that from about September 2017 through July 2018, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 500 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine.  Evidence showed that Nguyen transported ½ to ¾ pounds of methamphetamine a number of times from California to Colorado then Sioux City, Iowa for distribution and later had his girlfriend transport ¼ pound of methamphetamine by bus.  Nguyen and others in the conspiracy intended to distribute this methamphetamine to another person.  Law enforcement later seized a 9mm pistol from a search of the house were Nguyen resided.  Nguyen admitted he possessed the firearm for protection.    

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Nguyen remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  Nguyen was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a four year term of supervised release following any 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 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 18-4089.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty October 16, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.

Stephanie Holbrook, age 32, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Holbrook admitted that from about September 2018 through April 2019, she and others conspired to distribute more than three pounds of methamphetamine in the Woodbury County, Iowa area.  On four separate occasions Holbrook, with the aid of another co-conspirator, distributed nearly one pound of pure methamphetamine (in total) to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  Then on April 17, 2019, after a co-conspirator helped arrange for a methamphetamine transaction, Holbrook was caught with nearly a half pound of pure methamphetamine.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by 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 19-4029.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and illegally possessed ammunition pled guilty October 17, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.

Cole Rongved, 26, from Okoboji, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and one count of illegally possessing ammunition, as Rongved was subject to an order of protection in the Iowa District Court for Dickinson County.

At the plea hearing, Rongved admitted that he was involved in a conspiracy from May 2018 through January 2019 that distributed more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine in the Dickinson County, Iowa area.  Rongved admitted he and two associates acquired over two pounds of methamphetamine from a source in Council Bluffs for later distribution in the Lakes area.  During search warrants executed at Rongved’s residence, law enforcement located and seized over 1000 rounds of ammunition, over 5 pounds of marijuana, 37 doses of LSD, 4 grams of methamphetamine, over 2 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, nearly $38,000 in cash, and other items of drug trafficking and drug paraphernalia.   

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, Palo County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 19-4025. 

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

WASHINGTON – United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr., joined the Department of Justice today in announcing the award of over $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

“Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it.”  

The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, the only tribe in the Northern District of Iowa was awarded over $380,000 in funding. This funding will be used to support the Tribe’s justice systems and alcohol and substance abuse programs.   

“Improving public safety will always be a priority for my office and the Department of Justice,” said Deegan.  “This grant awarded to the Meskwaki Tribe is another step toward making our communities safer for all.”

Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.

The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.

CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.

The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public safety-related topics.

Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards. A listing of all other announced tribal awards are available at: https://go.usa.gov/xVJuE.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who illegally possessed two handguns pled guilty October 17, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.

Christopher Johnson, 45, from Dayton, Iowa, was convicted of possession of firearms by a felon.  Johnson was previously convicted of manufacture of methamphetamine and/or possession with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, a felony, in August of 2001, in Boone County, Iowa.

At the plea hearing, Johnson admitted that on May 28, 2017, in Webster County, Iowa, law enforcement officers were dispatched to a residence in Dayton, Iowa, on reports of a person (later identified as Johnson) at the residence under suspicious circumstances.  Law enforcement officers located Johnson nearby (at a residence where Johnson was known to reside) in a barn.  Law enforcement officers located and seized two guns, namely a Ruger .22 caliber pistol and a Jimenez Arms .22 caliber pistol, along with some .22 caliber ammunition from Johnson.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Johnson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Johnson faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Dayton Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

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

The case file number is 17-3028.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who sold heroin laced with fentanyl was sentenced on October 16, 2019, to more than 13 years in federal prison.

Reginald Love, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 6, 2019 guilty plea to one count of distributing heroin and fentanyl.

In a plea agreement, Love admitted that on two occasions in November 2018 he sold heroin laced with fentanyl to another individual.  At sentencing, Love admitted that he had actually sold over 20 grams of heroin in the Cedar Rapids area.  Love had a prior adjudication for aggravated assault in Chicago, during which he had displayed a firearm to another person and stated, “Don’t run, cause I’ll shoot you!”  He also had prior convictions in Chicago for assault (after he again threatened to shoot another person), attempted battery, residential burglary, two convictions for delivery of cannabis, and a conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Love was on parole for the firearm charge at the time he sold heroin and fentanyl in Cedar Rapids.

Love was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Love was sentenced to 166 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.

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

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and 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 18-CR-00121-CJW-MAR.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

On October 16, 2019, a federal court in Cedar Rapids entered a consent judgment for a total of $3,133,282.95 against five home health providers located in Iowa and South Dakota.  The providers – Sergeant Bluff Healthcare, LLC (Iowa); Red Oak Healthcare, LLC (Iowa); Logan Healthcare, LLC (Iowa); Elk Point Health Care #1 LLC (South Dakota); and Flandreau Healthcare 2, LLC (South Dakota) – provided home health services to Medicare beneficiaries.

In a complaint filed on October 2, 2019, the United States alleged that, between January 2012 and December 2015, the five companies submitted false claims to Medicare for therapy services.  The complaint alleged the claims were false either because the services provided were not skilled or because the beneficiaries’ medical conditions did not justify the need for skilled therapy services.  The United States further alleged that the companies received notifications that their claims for therapy services were inordinately high and that the companies failed to take adequate steps to address their billing procedures after receiving the notifications. 

In a civil judgment filed in federal court in Cedar Rapids on October 16, 2019, judgment was entered against each entity as follows: Sergeant Bluff Healthcare, LLC ($1,245,149.01); Red Oak Healthcare, LLC ($228,333.42); Logan Healthcare, LLC ($775,373.15); Elk Point Healthcare #1, LLC ($788,484.69); and Flandreau Healthcare 2, LLC ($115,942.46).  The entities are all affiliates of Welcov Healthcare, LLC, a Minnesota entity in the midst of assignment proceedings in Hennepin County (Minnesota) District Court.  

The matter arose from an affirmative investigation. False Claims Act cases can also be brought under the qui tam provisions of the Act, which encourage whistleblowers to bring suit on behalf of the United States and share in any financial recovery.

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys from three different United States Attorney’s Offices: Jacob Schunk, Northern District of Iowa (United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr.); Meghan Roche, District of South Dakota (United States Attorney Ron Parsons); and David Faith, II, Southern District of Iowa (United States Attorney Marc L. Krickbaum).  The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General led the investigation.     

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

The case file number is 19-cv-4066-LTS-KEM.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Two Cedar Rapids men, responsible for possessing a gun when they were prohibited from doing so, were sentenced October 10, 2019.  Jontreyvius Richmond was sentenced to 24 months in prison and Darnell Henderson was sentenced to 31 months in prison.

Jontreyvius Richmond, age 21, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Darnell Henderson, age 23, received the prison sentences after June 10, 2019 guilty pleas to possession of a firearm by a felon.

Information disclosed at sentencing and at their plea hearings showed that

in October 2018, Richmond, Henderson, and another man were travelling to a firing range near Solon, Iowa, to shoot a gun they had in the car.  Richmond was driving.  Police conducted a traffic stop on the car.  Officers could smell marijuana and see marijuana in the car.  Officers searched the care and located a .22 caliber rifle and ammunition in the trunk.  Richmond admitted that he had recently smoked marijuana and that he and his friends were travelling to the firing range to shoot the rifle.  The gun had been in the passenger compartment of the car prior to officers stopping it, but as they were being pulled over, the occupants passed it back to the trunk. 

Richmond has a prior carrying weapons conviction.  He also has a felony conviction for extortion.  Henderson has a prior felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.  

Richmond and Henderson were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Richmond was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.  Henderson was sentenced to 31 months’.  Both were ordered to make payment of $100 to the special assessment fund.  Both must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery.  This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) through a cooperative effort of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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

The case file number is 19-CR-00041.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Dr. Tracey Wellendorf, an otolaryngologist with a clinic in Carroll, Iowa, agreed to pay $1,000,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations relating to as many as 115 procedures performed on Iowa Medicaid beneficiaries between October 13, 2014, and November 27, 2015.  

The allegations relate to claims for endoscopic sinus surgeries.  The United States alleges that the claims submitted for the subject procedures were improper either because they did not meet the applicable medical necessity standard or were otherwise incorrectly coded for payment. 

“Medical providers who perform unnecessary procedures or wrongfully code claims violate the public trust,” said Peter E. Deegan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa.  “This settlement is another indication of our office’s dedication to vigorous enforcement of the False Claims Act and our unyielding effort to protect patients, save taxpayer money, and ensure a fair marketplace for honest practitioners.” 

In addition to agreeing to pay the $1,000,000 settlement, Dr. Wellendorf also entered into an Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.  That agreement requires Dr. Wellendorf to engage in enhanced compliance measures for the next three years.

“Medically unnecessary services pose potential harm to patients and place needless burdens on taxpayers who fund government health programs,” said Curt Muller, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  “HHS OIG entered into an integrity agreement requiring Dr. Wellendorf submit to three years of intensive quarterly monitoring by an independent review organization.”    

The matter arose from an affirmative investigation. False Claims Act cases can also be brought under the qui tam provisions of the Act, which encourage whistleblowers to bring suit on behalf of the United States and share in any financial recovery.      

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Schunk and investigated by the State of Iowa’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. 

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Sioux City man with a criminal history that included a domestic violence conviction, and a felony conviction was sentenced October 7, 2019 to more 13 years in federal prison.

Freddy Bernal, age 33, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 23, 2019, jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a prohibited person, and one count of cyberstalking

Evidence at trial showed that on or about December 5, 2017, police were dispatched to the victim’s home where they found a gun that defendant, nicknamed “Trigger” for his habit of carrying a gun, had hidden at the home, and where officers learned of the unwelcome course of conduct defendant had visited upon the victim for a number of years.

Defendant’s pattern of behavior toward the victim included a string of threating text messages, frequent voice calls stating he was watching the victim and was going to kill her, and indirect calls by people calling on defendant’s behalf, demanding the victim call defendant. Finally, an incident where defendant held the victim’s baby out the window of a moving car to threaten and harass her.

The jury found, as a result of defendant’s course of conduct, the victim was placed in fear of death or serious injury to herself, and defendant caused substantial emotional distress to the victim.  

Bernal had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses including convictions for Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury; Criminal Gang Participation; Felony Theft; and Domestic Abuse Assault.

Bernal was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Bernal was sentenced to 156 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.

“No one should be subjected to the kind of threatening and dangerous conduct that Freddy Bernal displayed in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Deegan.  “I want to commend Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ford Fairchild and Margaret Groban and Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky for their outstanding work in bringing Bernal to justice.”

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.

Bernal is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.  There is no parole in the federal system

The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Margaret S. Groban, National Domestic Violence Coordinator of the USDOJ’s Office of Legal Programs and Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky, USDOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.   

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

The case file number is 18-4013.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Cedar Rapids man, responsible for possessing nine guns while using drugs, was sentenced October 9, 2019, to 120 months in prison.

Logan Gerber, age 30, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a May 6, 2019 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user.

Information disclosed at sentencing and at his plea hearing showed that on June 9, 2018, Gerber was stopped by Cedar Rapids police officers for driving his grandparent’s Mustang without their consent.  Officers found Gerber had a loaded Glock 9mm firearm in his waistband.  Gerber was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time.  Officers also searched another car Gerber was driving prior to taking his grandparent’s car.  They located additional guns including a sawed-offed shotgun, a large amount of ammunition, extended magazines, tactical vests, and zip ties.  Gerber was later released.  In October 2018, Gerber was once again stopped by Cedar Rapids police officers.  In his vehicle, officers located a nine-inch knife within Gerber’s reach, marijuana, and another firearm. In total, Gerber was found responsible for unlawfully possessing nine guns. 

Gerber was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Gerber was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make payment of $100 to the special assessment fund.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery.  This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) through a cooperative effort of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Marion Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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

The case file number is 19-CR-00024.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA –United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr., the Inter-Religious Council of Linn County, and the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission will host a community forum focused on protecting places of worship.  Leaders of the interfaith community, representatives of houses of worship, and other community stakeholders and members are encouraged to attend to discuss hate crime laws, identifying and reporting hate crimes, and best practices for creating safe and secure houses of worship.  Speakers include officials from local, state, and federal law enforcement as well as from local community organizations.

Event Details

When:        5:30PM-8:30PM, Tuesday, October 22, 20019

Where:      Cedar Rapids Public Library- Whipple Auditorium

450 5th Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

This event is open to the press.  Photography permitted.  A press release will be provided and interview opportunities will be available. 

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who physically assaulted a woman who was similarly situated to him as a spouse was sentenced today to four years in federal prison.

Daniel Shawn Posey, age 40, from Garwin, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 5, 2019, guilty plea to domestic assault by a habitual offender.

In a plea agreement, Posey admitted he assaulted the victim while the two were staying in a hotel room at the Meskwaki Bingo Casino.  Posey and the victim were involved in a verbal argument which became physical when Posey took the victim’s cellular telephone and broke it as the victim attempted to call the police.  Posey then hit the victim with a closed fist in the victim’s right eye, resulting in injuries to the victim including a swollen right eye and bruising.

Posey was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Posey was sentenced to 48 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.

Posey 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 Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Meskwaki Nation Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-0028.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Michael Stevenson was sentenced October 7, 2019 to more than 16 years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty on all five counts of a five-count indictment.

Michael Stevenson, age 29, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 25, 2019 jury verdict finding him guilty of conspiracy and distribution of heroin and crack cocaine.

Evidence at trial showed Stevenson intentionally conspired to distribute crack cocaine from January of 2017 to September of 2017. As part of his drug dealing activities, Stevenson sold drugs to Adam Birch who died of a drug overdose on February 2, 2017. After the death of Birch, police located more than 300 text messages to Stevenson the majority of them being drug-related. Testimony at trial proved that Stevenson had provided Birch with heroin on February 1st, the day before Birch’s overdose death.  Stevenson continued to sell heroin and crack cocaine even after the overdose of Birch. At trial Stevenson admitted he dealt drugs for 2-3 years and that he traveled to Chicago, Illinois to get re-supplied with heroin and crack cocaine for redistribution in Dubuque.  Judge Williams found that Stevenson obstructed justice by threatening a trial witness as well as by being untruthful in his trial testimony.  Judge Williams also found that Stevenson directed at least one other person in the drug conspiracy that involved more than five people.  Judge Williams determined that an increased sentence was warranted based on Birch’s death, and the fact that even after learning of Birch’s death, Stevenson continued to sell heroin.

Stevenson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Stevenson was sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment [and fined $500.  He was ordered to make $13,194.59 in restitution.

He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jack Lammers and Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 18-CR-1023.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Alonzo Henderson, age 45, from Charles City, Iowa, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on October 4, 2019, after an April 19, 2019, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

In Henderson’s plea agreement, he admitted that on December 1, 2017, he was in possession of a total of $65,500 in cash proceeds recovered from his backpack and his residence and over 500 grams of methamphetamine.  Henderson admitted that on May 17, 2018, officers searched his residence again and recovered $106,572 in drug proceeds and over 5.5 kilograms of (pure) methamphetamine.  Henderson had previously been convicted in five felony drug trafficking cases in state court. Henderson also has multiple assault convictions.

Henderson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Henderson was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Henderson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily K. Nydle and Justin Lightfoot and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office. 

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

The case file number is 18-cr-2066.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who assisted with the sale of a stolen firearm was sentenced October 4, 2019 to three years in federal prison.

Amador Ramos, age 46, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of a two-count indictment filed on December 19, 2018. Ramos pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Ramos, a convicted felon, admitted he arranged for the sale of a stolen firearm.

On May 12, 2017, a Thompson, Iowa residence was burglarized and seven firearms were stolen. Joshua Rudnicki, Kyle Krug, and Daniel Solano were involved in the theft of the firearms; Rudnicki, Krug, and Solano were all sentenced in September. Ramos admitted to assisting Krug with the sale of one of the firearms.

Ramos was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Ramos was sentenced to 39 months’ imprisonment.  Ramos must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Mason City Police Department, and the Clear Lake Police Department.

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

The case file number is 19-CR-3058.

A man who was convicted in federal court for illegally possessing a gun for the third time was sentenced October 3, 2019, to more than sixteen years in federal prison.

Fernaris Braggs, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 25, 2019 guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

At the guilty plea, Braggs admitted he illegally possessed a handgun on December 23, 2018.  On that day, Braggs was in a car involved in a hit-and-run accident.  Law enforcement officers learned Braggs was involved and searched the area of the accident for him.  The officers found Braggs near a gas station.  Braggs saw the officers and ran from them.  Officers caught and tackled him.  Braggs continued to struggle with the officers.  During the struggle, Braggs dropped a loaded handgun onto the ground.

At the time he possessed the handgun, Braggs was a convicted felon.  In 2001, he was convicted in federal court of distributing crack cocaine two times and illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user.  In 2011, approximately two months after he got out of federal prison, Braggs was caught with a gun and marijuana he planned to sell.  Braggs was then convicted of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  He was still on supervised release from that conviction when he possessed the handgun on December 23, 2018.

Braggs was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Braggs was sentenced to 195 months’ imprisonment in total.  He was sentenced to 135 months in prison on the new charge and 60 months in prison for violating his prior supervised release.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

The case file number is 19-CR-31.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who distributed and possessed child pornography was sentenced today to over 15 years in federal prison. 

William Rolen, age 57, of New Hampton, Iowa, received the sentence after an April 26, 2019, guilty plea to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.  Rolen also communicated with an undercover agent and planned to meet with a child and engage in sex acts, but he did not show up for the meetings. 

Rolen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Rolen was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment.  Special assessments of $10,200 were imposed, and Rolen must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release.  He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Police Department, the New Hampton Police Department, and the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office. 

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. 

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is CR 19-2014. 

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who illegally possessed three separate handguns during a one-year period was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.

Aquarias Tykee Madlock, age 19, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 17, 2019, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user.

Evidence at sentencing showed Madlock possessed a Ruger SR9 9mm handgun in January 2018, a stolen .380 caliber Kel-Tec handgun in April 2018, and a Hi Point JCP .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in November 2018.  At the time he possessed these firearms, Madlock was a regular user of marijuana and was also involved in distributing marijuana. 

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

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

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

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

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

The case file number is 19-CR-2011.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who falsified ATF forms in order to purchase firearms was sentenced October 2, 2019, to more than a year in federal prison.

Joseph Lamont Thompson, age 24, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 2, 2019 guilty plea to one count of making a false declaration during the purchase of a firearm.

In a plea agreement, Thompson admitted that between May 2017 and March 2018, he was an unlawful user of heroin.  Thompson also admitted that, between November 2016 and May 2018, he purchased at least 11 firearms in Iowa.  Law enforcement eventually recovered at least four of those guns in the possession of people other than Thompson.  Thompson admitted that he repeatedly falsified ATF forms while purchasing guns.  At sentencing, Thompson admitted that he had sold two of the guns he purchased to a heroin dealer, and that he had purchased one of the guns for another heroin dealer.

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

Thompson was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on October 16, 2019.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.

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

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

The case file number is 19-CR-00009-CJW-MAR.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A user of meth and marijuana who illegally purchased and possessed 28 guns between August 2015 and August 2018 was sentenced October 1, 2019, to more than three years in federal prison.

Nathan Fisher, age 26, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 12, 2019, guilty plea to being an unlawful user of drugs in possession of a firearm.

At the guilty plea, Fisher admitted he purchased a handgun on August 3, 2018.  He further admitted that at the time he bought and possessed this gun, he was an unlawful user of both methamphetamine and marijuana.

Further information at sentencing showed that the gun Fisher purchased on August 3, 2018, was the 28th gun he had purchased since August 2015.  During this three-year period, Fisher was regularly using both meth and marijuana.  Each time Fisher purchased a gun, he filled out a form.  On that form, he lied each time, telling the seller of the guns that he was not an unlawful user of drugs.

Additionally, Fisher purchased at least six guns for other people, a practice commonly referred to as “straw purchasing.”  Each time he did so, Fisher also lied on the form he had to complete, indicating he was the ultimate purchaser of the gun.  Of the 28 guns Fisher purchased, nine have been recovered.  Eight of those nine were found by law enforcement in the possession of someone other than Fisher.  The whereabouts of the remaining 19 guns Fisher purchased are unknown.  

Fisher was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  In sentencing Fisher, the Judge noted that Fisher’s crime was very serious.  The Judge especially noted that Fisher was likely buying guns to give to others who could not legally purchase or own guns, such as convicted felons.  The Judge also noted that Fisher used drugs, possessed ammunition, and failed to comply with numerous Court orders while awaiting trial. 

Fisher was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Fisher 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

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

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

The case file number is 18-CR-119.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on September 30, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City to 15 years in federal prison.  Armondo Grimaldo pled guilty May 2, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.

Armondo Grimaldo, 33, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Grimaldo was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2015 in Woodbury County, Iowa.

At the plea hearing, on May 2, 2019, Grimaldo admitted his involvement in a conspiracy that distributed more than 4 pounds of meth in the Sioux City, Iowa area from September 2018 through November 2018.  On November 16, 2018, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Grimaldo, for fraudulent license plates.  During a search of Grimaldo and his vehicle, five separate baggies, each containing methamphetamine (total of more than ½ pound), $6,351 and a collapsible baton, all in close proximity with each other were located and seized. 

Grimaldo was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Grimaldo was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Grimaldo 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 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 18-4088. 

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute meth was sentenced on September 30, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City to 15 years in federal prison.

Raul Flores Marin, 47, from Bigelow, Minnesota, was convicted on April 25, 2019, after a four-day jury trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute meth, one count of possession with intent to distribute meth, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The evidence at trial showed that in the early morning hours on July 19, 2017, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call regarding a suspicious pickup truck with Minnesota license plates trespassing on property in rural Osceola County.  While traveling towards the residence, law enforcement observed a pickup bearing Minnesota plates heading away from the property.  Shortly after following the truck, it veered onto the left-hand side of the gravel road and almost into the ditch and a traffic stop was initiated.  Law enforcement encountered Marin and after a search of the truck, law enforcement located and seized a 9mm handgun along with over 15 grams of methamphetamine.  Evidence at trial further showed that Marin was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Osceola County, Iowa area.  

Marin was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Marin was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Marin remains in custody of the United States Marshals until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala M. Steenholdt and was investigated by the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, Osceola County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 18-4011. 

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced October 1, 2019, to five years in federal prison.

Chelsea Collins, 31, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Collins admitted her involvement in a conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area from January 2018 through September 2018.  In four separate transactions in July 2018, Collins distributed and aided others in the distribution of over 35 grams of pure methamphetamine to individuals cooperating with law enforcement.  Evidence at sentencing also showed Collins threatened cooperators and law enforcement officers involved in the investigation of her and her co-conspirators.

Collins was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Collins was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the federal prison term.  This term was ordered consecutive to two state prison sentences Collins is also serving at this time.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Collins 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 Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County, Iowa 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 18-3041. 

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.