Northern District of Iowa

A Cedar Rapids man, responsible for selling over 480 grams of heroin, was sentenced September 30, 2019, to 200 months in prison.

Lloyd Koger, age 42, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a December 28, 2018 guilty plea to distribution of heroin after a prior felony drug conviction. 

Information disclosed at sentencing and at his plea hearing showed that Koger was convicted in 1995, 1999, and 2004 of felony drug offenses in Illinois.  During one such offense, Koger was found in possession of 170 baggies of heroin within 1,000 feet of a school.  In 2016, Koger started selling heroin in the Cedar Rapids area.  At times, he was selling daily and people would line up to get heroin from him.  In February 2018, Koger led police on a pursuit after Cedar Rapids police officers attempted to stop the car he was driving.  Koger eventually came to a stop.  Officers located over $3,000 in drug proceeds on him. 

On August 3 and August 9, 2018, Koger sold heroin to a confidential informant.  In August 2018, Koger again led officers on another pursuit after Cedar Rapids police officers tried to stop the car he was driving.  Koger drove up to 80 miles per hours through residential areas of Cedar Rapids.  He eventually came to a stop after colliding with another vehicle.  No one was injured in the crash.  Koger had over $9,000 on him at that time. 

In total, Koger was responsible for selling over 480 grams of heroin in the Cedar Rapid area.  Koger has 17 criminal convictions going back to the age of 17.

Koger was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Koger was sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and was investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Marion Police Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Department, Johnson County Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Agency. 

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

The case file number is 18-CR-00093.

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A convicted felon who was stopped with a loaded firearm while under the influence of drugs in Waterloo was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.

Jesus David Jimenez, age 33, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 2, 2019 guilty plea to being a felon and drug user in possession of a firearm.

At the guilty plea, Jimenez admitted he possessed a pistol in Waterloo, Iowa, in September 2018.  Court documents reflect that Waterloo officers saw Jimenez walking on a public street, apparently intoxicated.  Jimenez had in his possession a loaded .45 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number.  Jimenez admitted that he assumed the gun had been stolen because its serial number had been removed.  Jimenez’s backpack contained methamphetamine, cocaine, two syringes, marijuana, and two digital scales.

Before moving to Waterloo in 2017, Jimenez was convicted of two felonies in California involving firearms.  He was convicted of committing a robbery involving a carjacking with a gun.  Jimenez was later convicted of assault with a gun in relation to a drive-by shooting.  He was as also convicted of another felony for evading a peace officer.

Jimenez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Jimenez was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case 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, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.  

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

The case file number is 19-CR-02016-LTS-MAR.

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Seven men, all from Waterloo, Iowa, were sentenced over the last fifteen months in federal court in Cedar Rapids based on their involvement in a crack cocaine trafficking conspiracy.  Evidence from various hearings showed the investigation, which was a cooperative effort of numerous law enforcement agencies, included use of wiretaps and confidential sources.

Gregory Porter Washington, age 40, was sentenced on June 13, 2018, to 180 months’ imprisonment and supervised release of ten years.  The sentence came after he pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.  Washington had previously been convicted of possession of cocaine and marijuana with intent to deliver in state court.

Ronald Corey, age 62, was sentenced on August 13, 2018, to 57 months’ imprisonment and supervised release of five years.  The sentence came after he pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and distribution of crack cocaine. 

Melvin Maurice Grubbs, age 37, was sentenced on October 11, 2018, to 179 months’ imprisonment and supervised release of three years.  The sentence came after he pled guilty to two counts relating to the use of a phone to facilitate drug trafficking.  Grubbs had previously been convicted possession of marijuana with intent to deliver on two occasions in state court.

Michel Earl Snow, age 42, was sentenced on November 20, 2018, to 197 months’ imprisonment and supervised release of eight years.  The sentence came after he pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.  Snow had  previously been convicted of delivery of cocaine, possession of crack cocaine with intent to deliver, and delivery of cocaine base.

Deon Marcell Goldsmith, age 38, was sentenced on December 17, 2018, to 46 months’ imprisonment and supervised release of one year.  The sentence came after he pled guilty to two counts relating to the use of a phone to facilitate drug trafficking. 

Keylynn Landon Goldsmith, age 34, was sentenced on January 3, 2019, to 60 months’ imprisonment and supervised release of one year.  The sentence came after he pled guilty to two counts relating to the use of a phone to facilitate drug trafficking.  Goldsmith had previously been convicted of ongoing criminal conduct in state court. 

Corey Demarcus Jones, age 39, was sentenced on September 24, 2019, to 71 months’ imprisonment and supervised release of six years.  The sentence came after he pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.  Jones had previously been convicted of possession of cocaine base with intent to deliver and a drug tax stamp violation in state court.

All seven defendants were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Waterloo Police Department, the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar Falls Police Department, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa City Police Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol. 

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

The case file number is 17-cr-2051.

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

Daniel Riz-Morente, age 35, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 3, 2019, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document and one count of misuse of a social security number.

At the guilty plea, Riz-Morente admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card when he completed employment and tax forms using an alias name in April 2019, at a business in West Union, Iowa.  The Social Security account number on the card used by Riz-Morente belonged to another person.  On June 4, 2019, Riz-Morente was arrested by immigration agents at the business in West Union where Riz-Morente was working under the alias name.

On March 4, 2019, Riz-Morente first came to the attention of Custom and Border Patrol agents in New Mexico after he illegally entered the United States with a minor child.  Riz-Morente was released and instructed to report to the ICE office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, pending further immigration proceedings.  As part of his release conditions, Riz-Morente was told he could not work in the United States without government authorization and proper documentation.

Riz-Morente was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Riz-Morente was sentenced to 115 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Riz-Morente 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-1016.

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A 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 more than four months in federal prison.

Jose Mariano Choch-Quiej, age 32, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 1, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

In a plea agreement, Choch-Quiej admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in August 2007 and that he illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  When he was found in 2007, Choch-Quiej initially claimed to be a Mexican citizen to avoid being returned to Guatemala.  In May 2019, immigration agents found Choch-Quiej at the Winneshiek County Jail in Decorah, Iowa, following his arrest for driving with a suspended license. 

Choch-Quiej 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 forms in August 2018, at a business in Decorah, Iowa.  The Social Security account number on the card used by Choch-Quiej belonged to another person.  The Alien Registration number on the “green card” was issued to another person. 

Choch-Quiej was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Choch-Quiej was sentenced to 133 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Choch-Quiej 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-2034.

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A Cedar Rapids man who carjacked an 18-year old woman at gunpoint and carried a loaded handgun during and in relation to the robbery of a Cedar Rapids cell phone store was sentenced in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids on September 25, 2019, to 222 months’ in federal prison.

Cedric Antonio Wright (a/k/a “Tony” or “Mitch”), age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted by a federal jury in November 2018 of four charges: carjacking; carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the carjacking; unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon and unlawful drug user; and carrying a firearm during and in relation to the October 23, 2017 robbery of a phone store in southwest Cedar Rapids.  Wright had earlier pleaded guilty in the same case, on October 29, 2018, to one count of robbery and conspiracy to rob the phone store.

The evidence at trial showed that on October 22, 2017, Wright carjacked an 18 year-old Kirkwood Community College student who was returning to her apartment near Kirkwood after spending an evening with her parents.  As the student parked her car outside her apartment, Wright approached and pointed a handgun at her head while demanding she give Wright her car keys and cell phone.  The student later identified a photo of Wright that appeared online and identified Wright from a group of photos at the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

Trial evidence showed that on October 23, 2017, Derrick Ford agreed to give Wright and Gage Rupp a ride in his minivan from southeast Cedar Rapids to an apartment complex on the west side of Cedar Rapids, where Wright claimed the group could transfer into the stolen car.  After transferring into the stolen vehicle, the group drove to a parking lot adjacent to the strip mall where the phone store is located.  Wright and Rupp then entered the store and demanded the clerk let them into the room where the store inventory was located.  The clerk complied and testified at trial he did so because the robbers entered the store aggressively and “I felt in fear of my life.”

Wright and Rupp returned to the waiting car with more than $1,000 in cash and about $40,000 in cell phones and other electronic devices they had stolen from the store.  One of the stolen devices was a tracker that alerted police of the robbery.  Police responded to the tracking device within a few minutes and were able to quickly apprehend Wright, Rupp, and Ford.

Information at the sentencing hearing showed that Wright had an extensive criminal history, even at his relatively young age, including a prior aggravated robbery conviction and numerous other offenses.  The government also presented evidence that in the months preceding the robbery, Wright had been engaged in a financial fraud scheme, whereby Wright agreed to pay bills for others, in exchange for them paying him half of the cost of the bill being paid.  Wright then apparently paid the bills using a fraudulently obtained credit card. 

Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand noted that Wright’s crimes in this case were extremely violent and had been committed on back-to-back evenings, something that “stood out” from others.  Further, the nature and circumstance of the offenses were “frankly, disgusting” according to the judge. 

Wright was ordered to serve 222 months’ in prison, or 18 and a half years, to be followed by five years of supervision upon release from imprisonment.  Wright was also ordered to pay $600 in special assessments.  Wright remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending designation to a federal prison.

Rupp was sentenced on August 22, 2019, to serve twelve years’ imprisonment in connection with the same case.  Ford was sentenced on January 18, 2019, to serve 20 months’ imprisonment following his plea of guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the phone store robbery.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Murphy and Emily Nydle and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force.  The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshal Service, 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-0015.

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A man who sexually exploited a 14-year-old girl, enticed her to engage in prostitution, and received child pornography was sentenced today to 32 years in federal prison.

Kevin Herring, age 30, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after a September 28, 2018, guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of receipt of child pornography.  Evidence at sentencing showed that, in January 2018, Herring was at a halfway house in Cedar Rapids following his federal prison sentence for being a felon and domestic abuser in possession of a firearm.  While on a pass from the halfway house, he met the victim, a runaway 14‑year-old girl.  Herring persuaded, induced, and enticed the victim to engage in prostitution and to send him sexually explicit images of herself.  Herring asked the victim if she loved him and told her she could live with him after he left the halfway house.

Herring was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Herring was sentenced to 384 months’ imprisonment in this case and an additional 24 months’ imprisonment for a supervised release violation in a previous case, to be served consecutively.  A special assessment of $200 was imposed, Herring was ordered to pay $111,654 in victim restitution, and he also must serve a seven-year term of supervised release.  He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.

“Kevin Herring preyed upon the vulnerability of a 14-year-old runaway girl,” said United States Attorney Peter Deegan.  “His repulsive conduct earned him every minute of the sentence he received.  Our office has and will continue to hold accountable predators like Herring and prosecute them the full extent of the law.”

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Waterloo Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.

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 18-58.

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

Gabriel Hernandez-Martinez, age 39, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States received the prison term after a June 21, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

At the guilty plea, Hernandez-Martinez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in October 2009, December 2009, March 2010, and November 2010 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Hernandez-Lopez and other illegal aliens were found by immigration agents in May 2019 after a traffic stop in Bremer County, Iowa.  Hernandez-Martinez was also deported to Mexico one time in November 1998, three times in November 1999, two times on the same day in June 2005, and one additional time in October 2009.

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

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by 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-2038.

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A Sioux City man was sentenced September 20, 2019, to more than 9 years in federal prison.

On April 25, 2019, Brandon Esquibel, age 26, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.  Esquibel was previously convicted of a felony controlled substance violation in 2012 and possession of a controlled substance 3rd or subsequent offense in 2017, both in the Iowa District Court.

Evidence at the detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed that on October 30, 2018, defendant fled from law enforcement, grabbed a gun from his waistband and discarded it as he fled.  During the foot pursuit, defendant ran into an officer, grabbing the handrails of the officer’s rifle.  Esquibel continued to flee from officers and was subsequently tased, and taken into custody.  Law enforcement later determined that the firearm defendant possessed – a loaded pistol -- had been reported as stolen.       

Esquibel has a substantial criminal history, including an assault conviction and involvement in an assault committed while he was in custody. In addition, Esquibel has a history of fleeing from law enforcement, and violating previous grants of release from custody.

Esquibel was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Esquibel was sentenced to 110 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.

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

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

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

The case file number is 19-CR-4005.

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A Colorado man pled guilty on September 23, 2019, in United States District Court in Sioux City.

Blake Gibbins, 27, from Lafayette, Colorado, pled guilty to one count of assaulting a member of congress. At his guilty plea hearing, and in a plea agreement, Gibbins admitted that on March 22, 2019, at the Mineral City Mill & Grill in Fort Dodge, Iowa, he approached a table where U.S. Congressman Steve King and others were seated and assaulted Congressman King by intentionally throwing a cup of water on him. 

Sentencing before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Kelly Mahoney will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Gibbons faces a possible maximum sentence of not more than one year imprisonment, a $100,000 fine, and up to 5 years’ probation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fort Dodge Police Department, and the United States Capitol Police. 

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

The case file number is CR19-3033-LTS.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine while illegally possessing guns pled guilty September 20, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.

Dustin Julich, 35, from Estherville, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegal possession of a firearm.  Julich was previously convicted of theft and burglary, and was prohibited from possessing firearms in Iowa.

At the plea hearing, Julich admitted that from about December 2015 through February 2019 he and others distributed over 1 kilogram of methamphetamine in the Estherville, Iowa area.  During a search warrant of Julich’s truck and trailer, law enforcement seized approximately ½ pound of methamphetamine along with two guns. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Julich remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Julich faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment on the conspiracy conviction.  On the firearm conviction, Julich faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala Steenholdt and was investigated by Estherville Police Department, Emmet County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Laboratory. 

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

The case file number is 19-3010.  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 three months in federal prison.

Rony Sandoval-Ramirez, age 28, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Toledo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 25, 2019, guilty plea to one count of misuse of a social security number.

In a plea agreement, Sandoval-Ramirez admitted that on November 3, 2015, he used someone else’s name and social security number on employment forms and state and federal tax forms when applying for work in Tama, Iowa. 

On September 5, 2016, Sandoval-Ramirez was arrested in Nobles County, Minnesota, and charged with driving while intoxicated.  On September 7, 2016, Sandoval-Ramirez was arrested by immigrations for being illegally present in the United States and then released on an immigration bond.  In July 2017, Sandoval-Ramirez was convicted of driving while intoxicated.

Following his release from immigration custody, Sandoval-Ramirez continued working under the false name in Tama, Iowa.  He updated his employment forms in October 2018, again using the name and social security number of the other person.  Sandoval-Ramirez worked under that person’s name until he was again arrested by immigration officials after he was charged with domestic assault with injury and two counts of child endangerment on May 25, 2019.  These charges are currently pending in the Iowa District Court for Tama County.  

Sandoval-Ramirez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Sandoval-Ramirez was sentenced to 98 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.

Sandoval-Ramirez 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-61.

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A man who distributed 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine was sentenced Thursday, September 5, 2019 to 10 years in federal prison.

Andrew Karlos Orellana, age 40, from Sioux City, Iowa received the prison term after a guilty plea to one Count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

In a Plea Agreement, Orellana admitted to distributing a quarter pound of methamphetamine for $3,200.

Orellana has an extensive criminal history including Theft, Possession of Marijuana, Criminal Trespass, and Assault in the Second and Third Degree, Burglary in the Third Degree, Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated, Public Intoxication, and Possession of Methamphetamine.

Orellana was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Orellana was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and fined $100. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Orellana 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 Sioux City Police Department and the Tri-State Drug Task Force. 

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

The case file number is 18-CR-4007.

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A man who possessed numerous guns stolen in a burglary was sentenced September 10, 2019 to 10 years in federal prison.

Daniel Solano, age 33, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

In a plea agreement, Solano admitted to possessing seven firearms from May 12, 2017 to May 30, 2017 and committing a felony crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, specifically, Reckless Homicide in Cook County, Illinois on or about July 26, 2007.

On May 12, 2017, Solano and others broke into a Thompson, Iowa residence and stole seven guns.

Solano was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Solano was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. Solano must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Solano 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 18-CR-3058.

The owner of a local energy efficiency company who defrauded a utility company by making false statements on rebate forms and paying a kickback to an employee of one of the utility’s contractors, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Dustin James Hutcheson, age 39, from Marion, Iowa, was convicted of one count of mail fraud and one count of money laundering.  At the plea hearing, Hutcheson admitted that, from May 2017 through June 2018, he falsely represented to a utility company’s customers that Hutcheson’s company, Hutch Energy, LLC, could replace the customer’s current lighting at no cost to the customer on account of the utility company’s energy efficiency rebate program.  In truth, Hutcheson and other Hutch Energy, LLC, representatives made false and fraudulent representations to the utility company on energy efficiency rebate forms and associated invoices about the amount of money the utility company’s customers had paid Hutch Energy, LLC, for replacement LED tubes.  He also made further false and fraudulent representations to the utility company about the number of LED tubes that Hutch Energy, LLC, had sold to the customers of the utility company.  Hutcheson also forged the signatures of the authorized representatives of the utility company’s customers on the rebate forms.  By doing so, Hutcheson ensured that the utility company would mail a rebate check to the customer, for later transfer to Hutch Energy, LLC, because Hutcheson made it appear that the utility company’s customers had certified the truth and accuracy of the false and fraudulent representations on the rebate forms.  Hutcheson also admitted at the plea hearing that he had paid an employee of one of the utility company’s contractors $1,400 as a kickback for referring the utility company’s customers to Hutch Energy, LLC.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Hutcheson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Hutcheson faces a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $1,500,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and was investigated by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office 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 19-CR-32.

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A man who was in possession of a stolen firearm and methamphetamine was sentenced Tuesday, September 11, 2019 to more than 12 years in federal prison.

Jacob Dean Ganseveld, age 27, from Klemme, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

In a plea agreement, Ganseveld admitted to distributing methamphetamine. On January 6, 2019, law enforcement stopped Ganseveld for multiple traffic violations. An officer’s K9 smelled a controlled substance coming from Ganseveld’s car. After searching the car, police located eight baggies containing methamphetamine, marijuana, multiple syringes, as well as a digital scale with methamphetamine residue. Police also discovered a revolver and a box of ammunition. Ganseveld admitted to possessing the gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime as well as distributing methamphetamine.

Ganseveld was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Ganseveld was sentenced to 145 months’ imprisonment and must pay a special assessment of $200. Ganseveld must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Ganseveld 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 Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Garner 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-3012.

A licensed occupational therapist who improperly accessed the private health and residence information of at least 1,900 patients, and then entered or burglarized thirteen homes across North Central Iowa in repeated attempts to steal prescription opioids from vulnerable and elderly persons, was sentenced September 9, 2019, to more than one year in federal prison.

Samantha Jo Rogers, age 33, from Mason City, Iowa, originally from Lapeer, Michigan, received the prison term after a March 11, 2019, guilty plea to one count of acquiring and attempting to acquire a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge, one count of wrongfully obtaining individually identifiable health information under false pretenses and with intent to use for personal gain, and one count of false statements relating to health care matters.

In a plea agreement and at sentencing, it was established that Rogers was an Iowa-licensed occupational therapist who worked for a North Iowa hospital and various therapy companies.  From at least July 2017 through June 2018, Rogers illegally accessed the private health and residence information of no less than 1,900 patients at the hospital.  Rogers also similarly accessed such information from one of the therapy companies no less than 1,572 times.  Rogers then used this information to locate and travel to some of the residences and attempted to obtain the patients’ prescription pain medication on the pretense that she was a public health worker.  On other occasions, Rogers used a crow bar to break down the patients’ doors and commit burglaries to obtain the narcotics.  In early 2018, for example, Rogers burglarized the same Forest City home twice in attempts to steal an elderly man’s prescription pain killers.

Another one of Rogers’s victims was an elderly woman who had recently been discharged to her residence from a Waverly nursing home after receiving skilled nursing care.  In January 2018, Rogers travelled to the woman’s home and falsely stated that the woman’s doctor did not want her taking her pain medications anymore.  Rogers then took the medications from the woman.  As a result of Rogers’s false statements, the woman’s family had to take the woman to the emergency room due to the excruciating pain she began experiencing.  The woman eventually had to return to the Waverly nursing home for more skilled care as a result of Rogers’s actions.  Then, after the woman was discharged a second time from the nursing home, Rogers returned to the woman’s home and knocked on her doors and windows trying to get into the home, until one of the woman’s family members arrived to help the elderly woman.

Rogers was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Judge Williams called Rogers’ crimes “egregious” and emphasized that the victims of her burglaries would never fully regain the sense of safety they had previously felt in their homes.  Judge Williams also found it was “particularly egregious” when, less than a month after law enforcement officers had executed a search warrant at Rogers’ Mason City home, Rogers took a crow bar to another home as a part of her scheme.

Rogers was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment.  She was ordered to make $524.59 in restitution to one of the victims of her burglaries and an additional $20.92 to Medicare.  Rogers must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term, and she must forfeit her State of Iowa occupational therapy license to the United States.  There is no parole in the federal system.  After violating her pretrial release on numerous occasions, Rogers 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 Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mason City Police Department.  The Worth County Sheriff’s Office, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, the Hampton Police Department, the Clear Lake Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol also assisted in Rogers’ prosecution.

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

The case file number is 18-CR-3051.

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A man who sold heroin to two individuals who nearly died was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.

Travon Patterson, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 18, 2019 guilty plea to distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of a protected location after a prior felony drug conviction.

At the guilty plea, Patterson admitted that on December 27, 2016, he distributed heroin to another individual near an elementary school in Marion, Iowa.  Court documents reflect that Patterson also admitted that on December 16, 2016, he sold heroin to two of his customers, a male and a female.  The female used some of the heroin Patterson sold them and lost consciousness inside a gas station bathroom.  Gas station employees discovered her and called the police.  First responders found her unresponsive, with shallow, irregular breathing.  The first responders administered Narcan, the opioid reversal drug, to the female and she regained consciousness. 

Court documents further reflect that, on December 23, 2016, Patterson distributed heroin to the male customer from the December 16 overdose incident.  The distribution occurred at Patterson’s mother’s residence, and the male used the heroin there.  The male lost consciousness shortly thereafter, and Patterson and his mother called 911.  First responders arrived and found the male unconscious with shallow breathing and an abnormally low respiratory rate.  The first responders administered Narcan, and he regained consciousness.

Patterson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Patterson was sentenced to 77 months’ and 10 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Patterson 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 Attorneys Justin Lightfoot and Dan Chatham. 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-00003-CJW-MAR.

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A Guatemalan man who possessed a false identification document in the name of a U.S. Citizen was sentenced today to more than one year in federal prison.

Andres Tzunux-Ordonez, age 22, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and living in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 27, 2019, guilty plea to one count of unlawful possession of an identification document.

In a plea agreement, Tzunux-Ordonez admitted that in February 2013, using the name of a U.S. citizen, he used a fraudulent social security card and a State of Missouri identification card bearing his photograph when completing paperwork to obtain employment in Postville, Iowa.  Tzunux-Ordonez also used the social security number on the card when applying for insurance in December 2017.  The social security number belonged to the U.S. citizen whose name Tzunux-Ordonez used to work. 

On March 11, 2019, defendant was arrested at his place of work and admitted that he knowingly used the identity of a U.S. citizen to work in Iowa.  Tzunux-Ordonez turned over to immigration officials a Texas birth certificate and the social security card and State of Missouri identification card he used to obtain work in Postville.

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

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-1008.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine while possessing guns was sentenced August 30, 2019, to 30 years in federal prison.

On March 21, 2019, Brandon Lee Boone, 46, from Des Moines, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a stolen firearm.  Boone was previously convicted of the manufacture/delivery/possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine in 2004 and possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine in 2008, both in the Iowa District Court.  Boone was also previously convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon in the United States District Court in 2009 and felony drug trafficking of methamphetamine with a firearm in Worthington, Minnesota in 2018.

At the plea hearing, Boone admitted his involvement in a conspiracy that distributed at least 15 kilograms of mixed methamphetamine from January 2018 through February 2018.  On February 6, 2018, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, during a routine traffic stop of a vehicle in which Boone was a passenger, law enforcement seized over 800 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine and three guns, including a loaded .44 caliber handgun on his person and a stolen AR-15 rifle with an extra capacity 60 round drum magazine.  Boone admitted he possessed the methamphetamine with intent to distribute it and possession of guns (as a convicted felon) during the time and in furtherance of the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  At the time of the stop, Boone was heard to say “If I could get to my guns, I would blow their heads off.”    

Boone was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Boone was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 10 year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  Boone remains in U.S. Marshals custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 18-3004.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who failed to register as a sex offender was sentenced on September 29, 2019, to 41 months’ in federal prison.

Charles Lee Cook, age 36, from Sioux City, received the prison term after an April 9, 2019, guilty plea to one count of failure to register as a sex offender.  

At the guilty plea, Cook admitted that from October 20, 2017, through November 18, 2018, he knowingly failed to register or update his registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The investigation showed that beginning in April 2018, Cook registered two different addresses in Sioux City, but failed to reside at either location. Cook is required to register as a sex offender due to a March 28, 2007, conviction for sexual abuse in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska. 

Cook was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Cook was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Cook 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 Kevin C. Fletcher and investigated by the United States Marshals Service. 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-04006.

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A woman who unlawfully obtained SNAP funds for her household was sentenced September 3, 2019, to time served and restitution.

Jessica Martinez-Roque, age 34, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the sentence after a guilty plea to one count of theft of government funds.

In a plea agreement, Martinez-Roque admitted that between about May 1, 2014, and January 31, 2019, she knowingly lied on application forms to acquire Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) funds, to which she knew she was not entitled, in the sum of $34,656.   

SNAP, formerly Food Stamps, is a federally funded program, administered by the states, that assists households in purchasing food.  Households must meet income, resource, and various non-financial eligibility criteria in order to qualify for said benefits.  The amount of monthly assistance is dependent upon reported income and the number of individuals within the household.  Martinez-Roque reported on her Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) applications and review/recertification eligibility documents (RREDs) that she was not employed or only worked short periods of time.  She failed to report the father of her three children was living in the home and working full time.  Properly reporting his  income would have made her household ineligible for benefits. 

Martinez-Roque was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Martinez-Roque was sentenced to time served.  She was ordered to make $34,656 in restitution to the Iowa Department of Human Services.  She must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (IDIA). 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-03006.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine while illegally possessing firearms was sentenced August 30, 2019, to 20 years in federal prison.

Wayne Quillen, age 49, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm by a felon.  Quillen was previously convicted of robbery in the first degree in 1989 and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in 2001, each in Webster County, Iowa.  

At the plea hearing on March 12, 2019, Quillen admitted that from about 2017 through July 2018, he and others conspired to distribute more than three pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area.  On December 27, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence of a co-conspirator, Cody Groat, where Quillen was living.  Officers seized ¾ pound of methamphetamine, three handguns, a modified (short) .410 shotgun with no serial number, and assorted 9mm ammunition.  Two of the 9mm handguns had been stolen and the short shotgun possessed by defendant had a makeshift shoulder strap and was found just outside defendant’s bedroom in the basement.  

Quillen was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Quillen was sentenced to 240 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.  Quillen 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 the Fort Dodge Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Webster County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations.

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

The case file number is 18-3023.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

An Iowa licensed practical nurse (LPN) who stole pain medications from her elderly and vulnerable patients at two Waterloo-area nursing homes was sentenced August 29, 2019, to more than a year in federal prison.

Lacey Staveley, age 36, from Evansdale, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 15, 2018, guilty plea to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge and one count of false statements relating to health care matters.  On May 2, 2019, Staveley also pled guilty to one count of contempt of court.

In a plea agreement, Staveley admitted that, in November 2016, while employed at a nursing home in Cedar Falls, Iowa, she used her patients’ identities to get drugs.  Staveley got pills containing hydrocodone by accessing her patients’ prescribed medications and diverting pain pills to herself.  Staveley’s victims were long-term residents of the nursing home who had chronic pain and were on Medicare at the time.  To cover up her scheme, Staveley destroyed an original medication log, placed it in a trash can, and replaced it with a fake medication log.  When the nursing home discovered her thefts and asked her to provide a urine sample for testing, Staveley provided the nursing home with a fake urine sample consisting of toilet water.  Because the sample obviously had flecks of toilet paper in it and no urine color, the nursing home obtained an actual urine sample from Staveley.  This urine tested positive for the use of opiates, marijuana, and hydrocodone.  The nursing home terminated Staveley’s employment.   

In January 2018, Staveley was again working as a LPN for a different nursing home in Waterloo, Iowa.  This nursing home was unaware of Staveley’s prior employment in Cedar Falls.  Staveley took two oxycodone pills from a patient’s medication stocks.  She also replaced the pills in the original blister pack with an anti-psychotic drug that did not provide pain relief.  This patient complained of pain constantly.  Staveley also admitted that she took four narcotic pills, containing Vimpat, from another nursing home patient and replaced those pills with an anti-seizure drug that had a similar shape and color.  This second patient was non-verbal and could not even complain of pain.  After discovering her actions, the second nursing home also terminated Staveley’s employment.

After being charged in federal court, Staveley violated the terms of her release more than 30 times.  A federal judge revoked Staveley’s release after Staveley traveled to Tama County, burglarized her sister’s home, and stole her sister’s prescription drugs.  Staveley’s sister suffered from serious medical conditions that required the prescriptions. 

Staveley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Staveley was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.  She was ordered to make more than $500 in restitution.  She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This prosecution is part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations, which are part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and Health and Human Services to focus efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country.  The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide.  Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,700 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $14 billion.

Staveley 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 Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. 

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

The case file number is 18-CR-2031.

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Katie Louise Boll, age 31, from Manchester, Iowa, a nurse who took hydrocodone and morphine from patients, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Boll was convicted of one count of acquiring controlled substances by misrepresentation, fraud, deception and subterfuge, and one count of tampering with a consumer product.

In a plea agreement, Boll admitted that between September 2018 and January 2019, she acquired hydrocodone prescribed for two of her patients for her own use on at least 50 occasions.  Boll took the pills by swapping the hydrocodone pills for over-the-counter pills containing acetaminophen.  Boll admitted that on December 24, 2018, she stole a morphine oral solution that was prescribed for a hospice patient for pain management and used mouthwash to dilute the solution to hide her theft.   Boll also admitted that on December 29, 2018, she acquired controlled substances from ten additional patients by swapping their prescribed pain management medications for other substances.  Boll further admitted she had been acquiring pain medications through fraud from hospitals and other facilities where she worked since October of 2016.  Finally, Boll admitted her nursing license allowed her the ability to commit her crimes.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Boll remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Boll faces a possible maximum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov.  The case file number is 19-CR-2044.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and investigated by Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals and the United States Food and Drug Administration. 

An Iowa man who sold and possessed meth was sentenced August 29, 2019, to five years in federal prison.

Jaime William Hasselbusch, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 11, 2019, guilty plea to distribution of methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, Hasselbusch admitted selling methamphetamine three times in Cedar Rapids.  Hasselbusch also possessed over a half ounce of pure methamphetamine on another occasion.  At sentencing, the district court enhanced Hasselbusch’s sentence after finding that he possessed brass knuckles in connection with his drug offenses.

Hasselbusch was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hasselbusch was sentenced to 60 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.  Hasselbusch is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, 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/.  The case file number is 1:19-cr-00007-CJW-MAR.

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A woman who trafficked methamphetamine was sentenced on August 28, 2019 to five years in federal prison.

Cecelia V. Hardheart, age 26, from Winnebago, Nebraska, received the prison term after an April 11, 2019, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine near a protected location. 

Evidence at the detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearing revealed Cecelia V. Hardheart tried to hide 27 grams of ice methamphetamine in her person during a traffic stop, conducted within 1000 feet of the real property comprising a public playground, Dinosaur Park, located at 1515 Nebraska Street, and Alfred Thompson Children’s Park located at 803 14th Street in Sioux City, Iowa.  She refused to surrender the meth, requiring a search warrant to be obtained and executed by police and medical staff, who removed the meth by force.  Hardheart has a lengthy criminal history including weapons charges (stemming from her possession of a 24-inch machete) and two assault convictions. 

Hardheart was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Hardheart was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.   She must also serve a 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

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

The case file number is 19-4011.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A felon who unlawfully possessed a firearm was sentenced on August 30, 2019 to more than 7 years in federal prison.

Thomas Tuttle, age 34, from Watertown, South Dakota, received the prison term after a March 27, 2019, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. 

Information provided by the United States at the sentencing, change of plea, and detention hearings revealed that on November 2, 2018, Tuttle walked into a convenience store in Sheldon, Iowa carrying a loaded 9 mm, Kel-Tec, Carbine, which contained 30 rounds of ammunition, and stole a pack of cigarettes, frightening customers and employees alike in the process.  Tuttle, in fact, possessed and brandished the gun in connection with other felony offenses and contemporaneously with his possession of methamphetamine.

Tuttle was arrested from inside his car by a law enforcement tactical team. He had ingested a large amount of illegal drugs, and had the loaded gun in close proximity.  He later commented that he had come to Iowa with “bad intentions” and had he not been sleeping when the tactical team approached him “things would have gone differently” during his arrest.

It was also revealed that Tuttle has a history of dangerousness and violence.  He has been convicted four times for Driving Under the Influence, three times for assaultive conduct, and repeatedly for controlled substance violations and other offenses.            

Tuttle was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Tuttle was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $8.00 in restitution (for the packet of cigarettes).  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

Tuttle 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 Sheldon, Iowa, Police Department, which was assisted by the O’Brien County Attorney’s Office and Sherriff’s Office and other nearby agency and departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. 

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

The case file number is 19-4008.

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

Cesar Hernandez-Lopez, age 29, a citizen of Honduras illegally present in the United States and residing in Muscatine, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 24, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been convicted of an aggravated felony.

At the guilty plea, Hernandez-Lopez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in May 2017 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Hernandez-Lopez was found by immigration agents in April 2019 at a traffic stop in Cedar County, Iowa.

Hernandez-Lopez was deported after being convicted in September 2016 of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, an aggravated felony, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi.  In that case, law enforcement officers found a loaded handgun during the execution of a search warrant under the mattress in Hernandez-Lopez’s bedroom.

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

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

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

The case file number is 19-CR-39.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed firearms illegally was sentenced August 23, 2019, to more than 17 years in federal prison.

Tate Owen Steburg, 48, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 6, 2019, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm.  Steburg had previously been convicted of two felony drug trafficking convictions in the Iowa District Court. 

At the plea hearing, Steburg admitted that from about 2017 through February 2018, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area.  Evidence at the plea hearing also showed that in two separate transactions in January 2018, Steburg sold about four ounces of methamphetamine; and on another occasion sold a firearm to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  It was later determined that the firearm had been stolen in a Calhoun County, Iowa, burglary/arson case. 

Steburg was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Steburg was sentenced to 208 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.  Steburg 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 the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 18-3013.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was convicted by a jury today after a three-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.

Timothy Wunder, age 44, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  The verdict was returned this morning following about 3 hours of jury deliberations.  Wunder was previously convicted of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, in 2002.

The evidence at trial showed that from about February 2017 through March 2018, Wunder and others conspired to distribute more than 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine.  A number of witnesses testified at trial as to their involvement in obtaining methamphetamine from Wunder for personal use as well as further distribution. Also evidence at trial showed that during the time period for the conspiracy, Wunder sold small quantities of methamphetamine to several workers at Liguria Foods in Humboldt, Iowa, where Wunder worked. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Wunder remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Wunder faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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

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

The case file number is 18-3026.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced August 23, 2019, to four years in federal prison.

Henock Castillo, 33, from Mesa, Arizona, received the prison term after a March 18, 2019, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the guilty plea, Castillo admitted he participated in a conspiracy that distributed at least 13 kilograms of methamphetamine.  Castillo arranged for the delivery of methamphetamine to Sioux City.  Castillo obtained the meth from his source in Mexico and traveled from Phoenix to Sioux City with the methamphetamine for distribution in Sioux City. 

Castillo was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Castillo was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Castillo 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 the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.   

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

The case file number is 18-4069.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A former medical student who sold two guns to a felon and tried to pay for a murder with a machine gun was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.

Steven Arce, age 36, from Waterloo, Iowa, previously from Florida, received the prison term after a March 20, 2019, guilty plea to one count of selling a firearm to a felon.

In a plea agreement, Arce admitted that, on December 21, 2018, he sold an AR-15 rifle to another person whom he knew to be a felon.  During the exchange, Arce asked the felon if the felon could murder one of Arce’s medical school professors.  The felon told Arce he would need to talk to someone more qualified.

On January 2, 2019, Arce sold a second gun to the same convicted felon.  During this meeting, Arce and the felon arranged to meet with a hitman the next day.  Arce told the felon that he might want to delay killing the professor because Arce was pursuing an appeal regarding his expulsion from medical school.  Arce said he might want someone to give the professor a beating instead.  During this same meeting, Arce told the felon that Arce had two automatic weapons, or machineguns, that he could assemble.

On January 3, 2019, Arce met with the hitman, who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.  During the meeting, Arce told the officer posing as a hitman that Arce now wanted his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend killed but might want the professor killed at a later time.  Arce offered to give the hitman a machinegun as a down payment on the murder.

Law enforcement later arrested Arce and searched his apartment in Waterloo.  During the search, officers found two additional guns in full working order.  Officers also found a box of gun parts.  These parts were examined by an expert, who concluded that the parts could be assembled into a machinegun.  Such a gun would have been able to fire in either semiautomatic or fully automatic modes.

Arce was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Arce was sentenced to 90 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.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, 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-2005.

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Cedar Rapids, IA – U.S. Attorney Peter. E. Deegan, Jr. will meet with fellow members of the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Native American Issues (NAIS) in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, in order to discuss public safety and law enforcement issues that impact Native American and Alaska Native communities.

The annual meeting will begin Aug. 28 and run through Aug. 30. During this time, the NAIS will engage with tribal leaders and develop strategies and best practices to address missing and murdered indigenous people, drug trafficking, needed law enforcement resources, and safeguarding children from sexual abuse in Indian country.

The most common crimes investigated in Indian country include child sexual abuse, violent assaults, and adult sexual assaults, followed by homicide, other forms of child abuse, drug, and property crimes.  According to a 2016 study funded by the National Institute of Justice, more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native adults have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime, and more than half of all American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence from an intimate partner. Native women and girls suffer a high rate of violence, including murder.

“United States Attorneys nationwide are committed to improving public safety in Indian country and rural Alaska. The work of Attorney General Barr’s Native American Issues Subcommittee is focused on reducing violent crime, improving law enforcement resources, and combating the distribution of methamphetamine and opioids,” said U.S. Attorney Shores, Chair of the NAIS. “The disproportionate rates of violence affecting Native American and Alaska Native women is particularly troubling to me. With Attorney General Barr’s leadership, we will continue working with tribal leaders to find solutions to the epidemic of violence against indigenous women.”

“Our office’s mission is to protect the public,” said United States Attorney Deegan.  “This includes working with tribal authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to safeguard the Native American communities in this district.”

Panel discussions will also focus on the Indian Arts and Crafts Act and preserving Native American cultural patrimony. The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 is a truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation in the marketing of Indian arts and crafts products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States. 

U.S. Attorney John Anderson of the District of New Mexico will host the three-day conference.

The NAIS consists of 53 U.S. Attorneys serving in districts that include Indian Country or one or more federally recognized tribes and makes policy recommendations to the Attorney General. The NAIS has identified four priority areas: 1) Violent crime 2) Law enforcement resources 3) Drug trafficking and substance abuse, and 4) White collar crime. It is the longest standing subcommittee to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and helps develop, shape, and otherwise implement justice policies affecting Native Americans and Alaska Natives. U.S. Attorney Trent Shores of the Northern District of Oklahoma is the subcommittee Chair. U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme of the District of Montana is the Vice Chair.

In fiscal year 2018, the Department of Justice awarded $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs, to 134 Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages.  In addition, the Department awarded a total of 154 grants totaling $88 million as part of the first-ever Tribal Victim Service Set-Aside program; these awards were supported by the Crime Victims Fund, a repository of federal criminal fines, fees, and special assessments. The awards will help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance.  Even more funding will be available – up to $168 million – under the set-aside this year. 

In July 2019, the Department announced a new tool giving tribal governments the ability to input data directly and gain access to the FBI’s National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) using the Tribe and Territory Sex Offender Registry System (TTSORS).  TTSORS is a fully functioning registry system that complies with Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act requirements. The system connection will be available to all tribal governments already participating in the Tribal Access Program (TAP), which allows information sharing between tribal and federal government criminal information systems. TAP has been instrumental in assisting tribes with ongoing implementation of SORNA.  In fiscal year 2019, the department expanded TAP to 25 more tribes, for a total of more than 70 participating tribes across the country.

A man who escaped from custody while serving a federal sentence in the Gerald R. Hinzman Center was sentenced August 26, 2019, to serve an additional four months in federal prison.

Shaquandis Thurmond, age 25, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 10, 2019 guilty plea to escape from federal custody.

In a plea agreement, Thurmond admitted he was in the Gerald R. Hinzman Center in Cedar Rapids pursuant to an August 3, 2018, federal court order issued for a supervised release violation following his previous conviction in a firearms case.  On August 26, 2018, Thurmond left the facility claiming he was going to a local church.  Thurmond remained a fugitive until his arrest on March 18, 2019, when he was found by the University of Northern Iowa Police Department. 

Thurmond was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Thurmond was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment to be served consecutively with the 12 month sentence Thurmond received for his supervised release revocation.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

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

The case file number is 19-CR-00035.

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A man who admitted trafficking meth from California to Iowa was sentenced August 26, 2019, to more than 25 years in federal prison.

Thomas Edward Clutts, Jr., age 45, from Riverside, California, received the prison term after a January 4, 2019, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, Clutts admitted he arranged for another man to purchase a total of seven pounds of methamphetamine from a California source for distribution in Iowa.  Clutts also admitted possessing a gun while in Iowa that he carried in connection with and furtherance of the drug conspiracy.  Clutts has a long criminal history, including prior convictions for multiple drug-related crimes and robbery in California

Clutts was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Clutts was sentenced to 323 months’ and 25 days imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.  

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

The case file number is 1:18-cr-00070-CJW-MAR.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced August 23, 2019, to 10 years in federal prison.

Jeremy Alan Frye, age 35, from Webster City, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 18, 2019, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the guilty plea, Frye admitted his involvement in a conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine from July 2017 through August 2018 in Webster City, Iowa.  Frye also admitted that on four occasions in 2018 he distributed more than 53 grams of pure meth to law enforcement within a public park zone in undercover drug operations.  During a search warrant at Frye’s residence, located within 1000 feet of Nokomis Park and East Twin Park, law enforcement seized over 37 grams of pure meth.  Frye further admitted that he intended to distribute this methamphetamine.  

Frye was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Frye was sentenced to 120 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.  Frye 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 the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, Webster City Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 18-3035.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who used another person’s Social Security number to get a job was sentenced August 22, 2019, to four months in federal prison.

Bonifacio Martin-Martin, age 20, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Iowa City, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 10, 2019, guilty plea to one count of misuse of a social security number.

At the guilty plea, Martin-Martin admitted that on July 12, 2018, he used someone else’s name and social security number on employment forms and state and federal tax forms when applying for work in Lime Springs, Iowa.  Martin-Martin worked under that person’s name until he was arrested by immigration officials after he was charged with public intoxication in Postville, Iowa, on April 6, 2019.  The public intoxication charge was later dismissed after federal charges were filed.

Martin-Martin was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Martin-Martin was sentenced to 120 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

Martin-Martin 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-2021.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who sold opioids that resulted in two near-fatal overdoses was sentenced August 22, 2019, to 25 years in federal prison.

Jason Bates, age 44, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after guilty pleas on August 6, 2018, to possessing heroin with intent to distribute it near a protected location and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a guilty plea on March 21, 2019, to distributing heroin resulting in serious bodily injury.

In a plea agreement, Bates admitted he distributed at least 110 grams of heroin during two months in 2018.  He further admitted that, on March 16, 2018, he sold a customer approximately a quarter gram of heroin for $40.  The customer used the heroin and lost consciousness.  When first responders arrived at the scene, they found the customer unconscious, with pale, cool skin, and breathing only four to six times per minute.  First responders administered Narcan to the customer, who regained consciousness and breathing function. 

In April 2018, federal officers executed a warrant at Bates’s home.  When the officers arrived, Bates threw a baggie containing 32.66 grams of a mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl out of a window.  Officers also found nearly $2000 in cash, a loaded .40 caliber pistol, digital scales, an empty box for another handgun, and 33 rounds of ammunition.  The .40 caliber pistol had been reported stolen after a 2016 home burglary.

Evidence at the sentencing hearing demonstrated that in September 2015, Bates sold another customer approximately a half gram of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl.  The customer injected himself and his girlfriend with defendant’s drugs, and both lost consciousness.  The girlfriend remained unconscious for a period of hours and eventually her lips began to turn blue and her skin turned pale.  The customer drove his girlfriend to a park in Cedar Rapids, propped her up against a tree, called 911, and then waited in the area until first responders arrived before leaving.  The girlfriend was admitted to a hospital, and during her hospital stay she suffered multiple seizures and a stroke, which caused potentially permanent problems with her balance and vision.

Bates was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Bates was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Bates 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 Attorneys Justin Lightfoot and Dan Chatham.

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

The case file number is 18-CR-00052-LTS-MAR.

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A Cedar Rapids man who participated in an armed carjacking of a young woman near Kirkwood College on October 22, 2017, and planned and participated in a robbery of a Sprint phone store in Cedar Rapids using the stolen car the following day, was sentenced August 22, 2019, to serve twelve years in federal prison.

Gage Rupp, age 25, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty to one count of interference and attempted interference with commerce by threats and violence (Hobbs Act robbery), one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to, and in furtherance of, Hobbs Act robbery.

Evidence at sentencing showed Rupp had a long history of criminal activity in Cedar Rapids.  His criminal history included prior convictions for drug possession, attempted burglary, twice assaulting a pregnant girlfriend, and interference with official acts.  Other evidence showed Rupp had been implicated in, or present at, at least thirteen incidents where gunshots had been fired in the five years prior to the crimes in this case.  Evidence also showed that Rupp was an active dealer of marijuana in the fall of 2017, and was involved in a fraudulent scheme to pay outstanding bills of his friends and associates, in exchange for being paid half the cost of the bill.  The scheme involved the apparent use of stolen credit cards or unauthorized access to bank accounts belonging to others. 

Rupp was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  In sentencing Rupp, Judge Strand found that the nature and circumstances of the offenses were “hugely aggravating.”  Further, Judge Strand noted Rupp has been a “menace,” a “drain on society,” and has been a “thug.”  Judge Strand noted Rupp had many chances in the past to conform his conduct to the law.  He rejected Rupp’s plea for a “second chance,” noting it would be more like a “fifth chance.”  Judge Stand told Rupp there was “no excuse” for his conduct and said, “it’s time to pay the price.”

Rupp was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Rupp 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 Richard Murphy 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 18-cr-00015-LTS.

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A woman who had more than a pound of methamphetamine in her home with three minor children was sentenced on August 21, 2019, to ten years in prison.

Dara Briann Redmond, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 25, 2019 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, Redmond admitted she sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant on two occasions.  Police later searched Redmond’s home, where her three minor children also lived.  During the search, officers located over pound of methamphetamine.

Redmond was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Redmond was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Redmond 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 Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Linn County Sheriff’s Department, 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-14.

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Two men who illegally returned to the United States after being deported were sentenced today to federal prison.  Both men were arrested by immigration agents following a traffic stop for speeding in Bremer County, Iowa. 

Alfredo Noe Puente-Chavez, age 34, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, pled guilty on June 18, 2019, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.  At the guilty plea, Puente-Chavez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in March 2013, July 2017, and August 2017 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Evidence in the cases shows that Puente-Chavez was arrested by the United States Border Patrol on July 13, 2017, and was deported on July 14, 2017.  Puente-Chavez was again arrested by the United States Border Patrol on July 16, 2017, and was deported again on August 15, 2017.  Puente-Chavez has prior misdemeanor convictions in March 2013 and July 2017 for illegal entry into the United States.  Puente-Chavez was also deported to Mexico in October 2010.   

Mauricio Rodriguez-Hernandez, age 27, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, pled guilty on June 27, 2019, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.  At the guilty plea, Rodriguez-Hernandez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States on April 28, 2019, and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Rodriguez-Hernandez illegally reentered the United States on May 10, 2019, and was arrested five days later on May 15, 2019, by immigration agents in Bremer County.

Both men were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. 

Puente-Chavez was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  Puente-Chavez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

Rodriguez-Hernandez was sentenced to 87 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  Rodriguez-Hernandez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.

There is no parole in the federal system.   

The cases were 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 numbers are 19-CR-2039 and 19-CR-2040.

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A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison.

Jesus Felipe-Urbano, age 25, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in West Dundee, Illinois, received the prison term after an April 11, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

At the guilty plea, Felipe-Urbano admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in January 2011 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Felipe-Urbano was deported after being convicted in Tama County, Iowa, in December 2010 of Operating While Intoxicated (OWI). 

Felipe-Urbano also has an OWI conviction in Black Hawk County, Iowa, in February 2019 based on an arrest in January 2015.  Felipe-Urbano was convicted in Cook County, Illinois in May 2016 on traffic charges and driving without a license where he provided law enforcement a false name upon his arrest.  The Cook County arrest and conviction occurred while Felipe-Urbano was a fugitive from justice after being released on the January 2015 Black Hawk County OWI charge and then failed to appear for court.  Felipe-Urbano was found by immigration agents in January 2019 at the Black Hawk County Jail after he was arrested for failing to appear for court on the 2015 OWI charge. 

Felipe-Urbano sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Felipe-Urbano was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

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

The case file number is 19-CR-2012.

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

Pablo Romero-Mata, age 27, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 9, 2019, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

At the guilty plea, Romero-Mata admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in November 2015 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Ventura-Diaz was found by immigration agents after he was charged in Black Hawk County, Iowa, with assault causing bodily injury, operating a motor vehicle without owner’s consent, and eluding.  On the eluding conviction, defendant led law enforcement on a high speed chase by driving 70 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone and lost control of the vehicle causing it to spin, roll and collide with a house on December 30, 2018.  Romero-Mata was convicted of these offenses in Iowa District Court in March 2019. 

Romero-Mata also has a conviction in Black Hawk County, Iowa, in March 2019 for providing false identification information to police in February 2018, and a conviction in Jasper County, Iowa, in March 2019 for possession of drug paraphernalia in August 2018.  Romero-Mata was also convicted in Texas for possession of a controlled substance in August 2014 and possession of marijuana in April 2015.

Romero-Mata was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court C.J. Williams.  Ventura-Diaz was sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

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

The case file number is 19-CR-2020.

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A convicted felon who possessed a gun was sentenced August 15, 2019, to one year in federal prison.

Bradley Dean Mohring, age 56, from Nashua, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 5, 2019 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence at a previous hearing showed that in October 2018, officers were investigating a burglary at a co-op in Nashua, Iowa.  During the investigation, officers reviewed video footage from the burglary.  They were able to see a dog present at the time of the burglary.  Police identified the dog as Mohring’s.  Officers then searched Mohring’s home and recovered some of the property stolen in the burglary.  Officers also found a rifle and ammunition.  Mohring was previously convicted of a felony drug trafficking offense in Colorado.

Mohring was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Mohring was sentenced to 12 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.

Mohring 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 Nashua Police Department and the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Department. 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-02002.

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An unlawful user of controlled substances who possessed a loaded handgun was sentenced today a year in federal prison.

Rodonus Echols, age 19, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 27, 2019 guilty plea to one count of being a drug user in possession of a firearm.

Information at sentencing showed that Echols was in a car in Waterloo in the early morning hours of October 21, 2018.  The Waterloo Police stopped the car for speeding.  During the traffic stop, Echols initially refused to get out of the car when officers asked him to do so.  After Echols got out, officers found a loaded revolver in the waistband of his pants.  At the time Echols possessed the gun, he was an unlawful user of marijuana.

Echols was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Echols was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney 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-2008.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty August 20, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.

Billy Soule, 37, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Soule admitted that from about October 2018 through January 2019 he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 300 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Sioux City, area.  In November/December 2018, in four separate transactions, Soule distributed a total of approximately 9 ounces of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement in both Nebraska and Iowa.  During a traffic stop in January 2019, Soule was found in possession of over more than 4 ounces of pure methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute to other persons. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Soule remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Soule 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 19-4004.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty August 19, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.

Bradley McPeek, Sr., 60, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine within a protected location.

At the plea hearing, McPeek admitted that from about July 2017 through December 2018 he participated in the distribution of more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in Sioux City.  McPeek distributed methamphetamine at his residence that was within 1000 feet of Cook Park.  McPeek admitted that he and others involved in the conspiracy would regularly travel to Omaha, NE to obtain multiple ounces up to pounds of methamphetamine to bring back to Sioux City to split up and distribute to others.  

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  McPeek remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  McPeek faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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

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

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

A man who was a member of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced Tuesday, August 20, 2019, to more than 10 years in federal prison.

Charles Lee Segebart, age 27, from Schleswig, IA, received the prison term after a February 15, 2019 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, Segebart admitted that he voluntarily and intentionally distributed methamphetamine from December of 2016 to July 23, 2018. On July 23, 2018, Segebart was stopped by law enforcement. Law enforcement seized a quarter-pound of methamphetamine in the search of the vehicle. Segebart admitted to law enforcement that he had been receiving an estimated two to three pounds a week of methamphetamine to distribute from another source.

Segebart was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Segebart was sentenced to 124 months’ imprisonment and fined $100. He must also serve a 5-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 Jack Lammers and investigated by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Department of Narcotics enforcement. 

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

The case file number is 18-CR-4074.

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A man traveling from Detroit, Michigan to Mason City, IA to deliver heroin was sentenced Tuesday, August 20, 2019 to more than 10 years in federal prison.

Keith Bernard Tucker, age 51, from Detroit, Michigan received the prison term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a drug user.

At his plea hearing held on March 20, 2019 before United States Magistrate Judge Mark A. Roberts, Tucker admitted he was traveling from Detroit, MI to Mason City, IA in a rental car on December 31, 2018 when he was stopped by law enforcement. He admitted at the time of the traffic stop to having a firearm in the vehicle. Law enforcement located approximately 297.9 grams of heroin in a backpack in the trunk of Tucker’s rental car. Tucker admitted to owning the heroin and admitted his intention to deliver the heroin to Mason City residents. After being arrested, law enforcement discovered a tissue with marijuana in Tucker’s sock. Tucker admitted to being under the influence of marijuana while possessing a firearm.

Tucker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Tucker was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and fined $400. He must also serve a 4-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 Jack Lammers and investigated by the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department, the Mason City Police Department, Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, and the North Central Iowa Drug Task Force. 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-2003.

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