Northern District of Iowa

A Waterloo felon who possessed 65 rounds of ammunition in a senior citizen home was sentenced December 18, 2018, to more than two years in federal prison.           

Robert Donzell Luckie, age 20, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 14, 2018 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Evidence at detention and sentencing hearings showed that in March 2017, Luckie received a suspended sentence in state court for possessing a firearm as a felon.  In April 2017, a law enforcement officer saw a Facebook photograph of defendant with a .40 caliber handgun, which he was trying to sell.  Luckie further posted on Facebook that he had been smoking marijuana all day by “blowing woods.”  Luckie’s state probation officer then conducted an unexpected home visit of Luckie’s residence, which was an apartment in a senior citizen home in Waterloo.  During a search of Luckie’s room, officers found 65 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition and marijuana.  A receipt for the ammunition then led law enforcement officers to a local sporting goods store, which provided law enforcement with a surveillance video that showed Luckie grabbing a box of .40 caliber ammunition and handing it to a woman who purchased the ammunition.  Law enforcement ultimately apprehended Luckie in May 2017 in Chicago, Illinois, where he was found with a different gun and convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon.

Luckie was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Luckie was sentenced to 27 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.  At the sentencing, Judge Reade found Luckie posed a high risk to reoffend in light of his strong desire to possess firearms and ammunition notwithstanding the fact he is a felon.

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.

Luckie 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 Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 17-CR-2036

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A man who was convicted of nine crimes committed in the first few months of 2018 was sentenced on December 17, 2018, to more than a year in federal prison.

Patrick Andrew Lugrain, age 22, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 2, 2018 guilty plea to one count of being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm.

In a plea agreement, Lugrain admitted he was using methamphetamine in early 2018.  In February 2018, he purchased a .45 caliber pistol from a business in Dubuque.  On March 3, 2018, Lugrain was stopped in a traffic stop by Dubuque police and arrested on outstanding warrants.  Officers then found a Smith & Wesson .45 caliber pistol loaded with seven rounds and a large number of baggies used for drug packaging in the car.  Lugrain later stated he had been living in his car and admitted he possessed the firearm for his own protection. 

Court records reflect that at the time he was charged in federal court, Lugrain had fourteen pending criminal cases in the state of Iowa arising from conduct occurring in the first four months of 2018.  In December, Lugrain was convicted of eight of those charges, with the remaining charges being dismissed.  During an earlier federal court hearing, a federal magistrate judge described Lugrain’s early-2018 behavior as a “one-man crime spree.”

Lugrain was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Lugrain was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Lugrain was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on December 27, 2018.

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

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

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

The case file number is 18-CR-1018-LTS.

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A felon and drug user was sentenced December 18, 2018, to six months in federal prison for possessing a gun.

Willie B. Hodges II, age 57, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 25, 2018 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

At the guilty plea, Hodges admitted that, on December 22, 2017, he possessed a loaded handgun while driving a car on Highway 151 in rural Iowa County.  Information at sentencing showed that Hodges was a regular marijuana user and had a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa State Patrol.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 18-CR-44-LTS.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Missouri man who fraudulently sold tens of millions of dollars’ worth of non-organic grain as though it was organic pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. 

Randy Constant, age 61, from Chillicothe, Missouri, was convicted of one count of wire fraud.  Constant admitted the fraudulent scheme involved at least $142,433,475 in grain sales, and the vast majority of those sales were fraudulent.  At the hearing, he admitted that, from 2010 to 2017, he misled customers into thinking they were buying certified organic grain when the grain he was selling was not organic.  Constant admitted falsely telling customers the grain he sold was grown on his certified organic fields in Nebraska and Missouri when the grain was not organic either because he purchased the grain from other growers, the certified organic fields were sprayed with unauthorized substances, or organic grain was mixed with non-organic grain.  Constant made many of the sales through a brokerage he owned that operated in Ossian, Iowa, known as Jericho Solutions.  As part of the plea, Constant also agreed to forfeit $128,190,128 in proceeds from the fraudulent scheme.

In related matters, three farmers from Nebraska previously pled guilty to fraud involving sales of grain they grew that was fraudulently marketed as organic.  On October 12, 2018, Tom Brennan, age 70, James Brennan, age 40, and Mike Potter, age 41, all from Overton, Nebraska, were each convicted of one count of wire fraud.  At their respective plea hearings, each man admitted to growing grain between 2010 and 2017 that was not organic.  Each further admitted that they knew the grain was being marketed and sold as organic, even though it was not in fact organically grown.  The charging documents allege that, during the 2010 to 2017 period, each of the three farmers received more than $2.5 million for grain fraudulently marketed as organic.

Sentencing before United States District Court C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Constant was released on bond pending further proceedings.  He faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, at least a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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

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

The case file number are 18-CR-2034, 18-CR-2058, 18-CR-2059, and 18-CR-2060.

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A woman who stole the identities of an elderly woman and her deceased son, a former Navy SEAL, in order to withdraw nearly $200,000 from their bank accounts, was sentenced December 18, 2018, to seven years in federal prison.

Robin Ann Bertelli, age 61, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 17, 2018 guilty plea to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

In a plea agreement, and at her plea hearing, Bertelli admitted that, in 2013 she began a romantic relationship a former Navy SEAL, who resided with his elderly and widowed mother in rural Central City, Iowa.  Bertelli soon moved into the home the widow and her son shared.  The widow was unable to walk to her mailbox to get her mail, and Bertelli stole mail, including mail from the widow’s financial institution, Collins Community Credit Union (“CCCU”).

In December 2015, the former Navy SEAL received an inheritance of approximately $18,000 from a relative and deposited this inheritance into his checking account at CCCU.  In February 2016, defendant and the former Navy SEAL travelled together to Puerto Rico for a vacation.  On that trip, the former Navy SEAL unexpectedly died.  Bertelli reported to others that the former Navy SEAL went swimming, hit his head on a rock, and accidentally drowned.

Family members of the former Navy SEAL ultimately discovered that Bertelli had stolen blank CCCU checks from the former Navy SEAL and his mother.  From July 2013 through September 2016, Bertelli fraudulently made over 60 checks payable to herself, inserted a dollar amount, and forged their signatures.  Bertelli deposited these forged checks into her own account at NXT Bank, causing transfers of funds from the CCCU accounts of the former Navy SEAL and his mother into Bertelli’s account at NXT Bank.  The three transfers from the former Navy SEAL’s CCCU account all occurred after the date of his death.  In total, Bertelli stole a total of $192,500 from the CCCU accounts of the former Navy SEAL and his mother.  Bertelli used the stolen funds for her own purposes, including to purchase a luxury car and purses.

Bertelli was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Bertelli was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment.  She was ordered to make $192,500 in restitution to her victims.  She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

At the sentencing, Judge Reade found Bertelli had an “extremely high risk to recidivate” and pointed out that Bertelli had a number of prior state court theft convictions for which she had received no time in jail—including a six-figure embezzlement from a prior employer.  Judge Reade characterized Bertelli as an “opportunist” whose acts were “shameful.”  Judge Reade found that, if not confined or under court-ordered supervision, Bertelli “will steal again.”  Judge Reade also noted Bertelli had two prior drunk driving convictions, limited legal employment, and violated the court’s orders by using alcohol while on pretrial release.

The prosecution of Bertelli is part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Abuse Initiative.  In March 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa was selected as one of ten districts nationwide to launch regional Elder Justice Task Forces. The Elder Justice Task Forces reflect the department’s larger strategy and commitment to protecting our nation’s seniors, spearheaded by the department’s Elder Justice Initiative.  The Elder Justice Initiative coordinates and supports the Department’s law enforcement efforts and policy activities on elder justice issues.  It plays an integral role in the department’s investigative and enforcement efforts against nursing homes and other long-term care entities that deliver grossly substandard care to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.  The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa has rededicated its efforts and resources to investigate and hold accountable those who have been involved in activities incompatible with ensuring that the state’s more vulnerable citizens are treated with dignity and respect.

The charges also were brought in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.  The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.  With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud.  Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations.  Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants.  For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.

Bertelli 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 Timothy L. Vavricek and 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 18-CR-30-LRR.

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A man who sold heroin and crack cocaine for ten weeks in Dubuque was sentenced today to a decade in federal prison.

Gregory Fugi Anderson, Jr., age 32, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 22, 2018, guilty plea to possessing heroin and crack cocaine which he was planning to sell near Orange Park in Dubuque.

Information at sentencing and prior hearings showed that Anderson sold heroin and crack cocaine for ten weeks in Dubuque between September and November 2017.  During that time, Anderson admitted he sold at least 400 grams of heroin and more than 58 grams of crack cocaine.  Anderson had a long criminal history, starting at age sixteen when he was convicted of attempted robbery which included multiple assault and drug convictions. 

Anderson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Anderson was sentenced to 120 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.  Anderson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

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

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

The case file number is 18-CR-1001.

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

Juana Brito-Raymundo, age 20, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 18, 2018, guilty plea to one count of misuse of a social security number.

In a plea agreement, Brito-Raymundo admitted that on April 15, 2017, she used someone else’s social security number on employment and tax documents when applying for work using an alias name in Dubuque, Iowa.  She also used a fraudulent permanent resident card, also known as a “green card,” when she completed the employment forms.  The Alien Registration number on the “green card” had been issued to another person.  Brito-Raymundo was arrested by the United States Border Patrol in Texas in September 2016 after she illegally entered the United States.  Brito-Raymundo was released from immigration custody in November 2016, and was on ICE bond when she committed the offense.

Brito-Raymundo was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Brito-Raymundo was sentenced to 79 days’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Brito-Raymundo is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she 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 18-CR-1040-CJW.

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A Guatemalan woman who used false identification documents to obtain a job was sentenced today to one month in federal prison.

Eulalia Francisco-Pedro, age 39, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 18, 2018, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of identification documents and one count of misuse of a social security number.

At the guilty plea, Francisco-Pedro admitted she used a fraudulent Social Security card bearing the social security number assigned to someone else, and a fraudulent permanent resident card, also known as a “green card,” when she completed a Form W-4 and other employment paperwork on July 28, 2016, at a business in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  The Alien Registration number on the “green card” was invalid.  Francisco-Pedro also used someone else’s social security number when she completed state and federal W-4 forms at the Cedar Rapids business on June 14, 2018.

Francisco-Pedro was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Francisco-Pedro was sentenced to 31 days’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Francisco-Pedro was ordered to begin her term of supervised release immediately.

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 18-CR-0091-CJW.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Guatemalan man who used a false identification document to obtain a job was sentenced today to nearly three months in federal prison.

Miguel Leon-Quinilla, age 21, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and living in Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 30, 2018, guilty plea to two counts of unlawful use of an identification document.

At the guilty plea, Leon-Quinilla admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card when he completed an employment form at a business in Tama, Iowa, on January 30, 2018, and April 26, 2018.  Leon-Quinilla, claiming to be a United States citizen, used the name and social security number of a United States citizen on the employment paperwork.  Leon-Quinilla claimed to have paid $2,000 to a U.S. citizen for that person’s Social Security card and a birth certificate which he used to obtain an Iowa ID card on April 19, 2018.  At the time of his arrest, Leon-Quinilla also had an Arkansas identification card bearing his picture but in the name of a third individual.

Leon-Quinilla was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Leon-Quinilla was sentenced to 85 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.

Leon-Quinilla 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 18-CR-0098-CJW.

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A man who obtained drugs including methamphetamine and marijuana over the “dark web” was sentenced today to a decade in federal prison.

William Kirk Vanatti, age 36, from Vinton, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 25, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Information from the sentencing hearing showed that Vanatti, purchased numerous drugs over the “dark web,” an encrypted network that cannot be found using normal search engines or internet browsers.  Vanatti purchased marijuana, methamphetamine, and MDMA at various times.  Vanatti also began selling methamphetamine to other people.  He eventually ordered more than a kilogram of nearly 100% pure methamphetamine from a source in California intending to sell it to others.  Law enforcement intercepted the package and two other packages containing marijuana before they reached Vanatti.  Law enforcement also conducted searches of Vanatti’s car and home, finding a handgun that Vanatti had carried with him during a drug deal as well as two homemade explosive devices, including one that had staples in it as potential shrapnel. 

Vanatti was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  He was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Vanatti 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 Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew Inman and Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/.  The case file number is 18-CR-27.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty December 17, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.

Melvin John Begay, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Begay admitted that from November 2015 through March 2016, he was involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in and around Sioux City. Begay also admitted to distributing methamphetamine on two occasions in January 2016 to individuals cooperating with law enforcement. 

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala M. Steenholdt 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 18-4017.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty December 17, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.

Ernesto Bedolla, 31, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  Bedolla had moved to Mexico just prior to an Indictment being filed in July 2015, but later returned to the United States.

At the plea hearing, Bedolla admitted that from 2014 through June 2015, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed over ½ pound of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area.  Bedolla also admitted to distributing methamphetamine on five separate occasions in 2015 to individuals cooperating with law enforcement.   

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Bedolla remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Bedolla faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala M. Steenholdt 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 15-4044.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Mexican man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced December 10, 2018, to nearly three months in prison.

Jose Arenas-Aguilar, age 32, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Denver, Colorado, received the prison term after an October 2, 2018, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

At the guilty plea, Arenas-Aguilar admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in April 2015 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Arenas-Aguilar admitted he illegally returned to the United States in May 2015, one month after being deported.  Arenas-Aguilar had also been granted a voluntary departure from the United States in September 2012.  Arenas-Aguilar was found by immigration agents in September 2018 after he was charged in Floyd County, Iowa, with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.  That case is still pending. 

Arenas-Aguilar was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Arenas-Aguilar was sentenced to 88 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.

Arenas-Aguilar 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 18-CR-2046-CJW.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A woman who threw away a federal garnishment against her wages sent to her employer was sentenced December 4, 2018, to 90 days’ imprisonment. 

Terri Cosgrove, age 55, from Badger, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 20, 2018, guilty plea to one count of obstruction of correspondence. 

On July 13, 2004, as part of the sentence she received in federal court for committing bank fraud, Cosgrove was ordered to pay $188,708.01 in restitution.  After repeated attempts to collect restitution from Cosgrove, the United States attempted to garnish Cosgrove’s wages by contacting her employer.  After the employer did not respond to the garnishment letter, law enforcement questioned Cosgrove.  Cosgrove told law enforcement that she destroyed the garnishment paperwork sent to her employer because she did not want her wages garnished. 

Cosgrove was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett.  Cosgrove was sentenced to 90 days’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Cosgrove continues to owe restitution for her bank fraud.   Cosgrove 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 Matthew J. Cole and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov.  The case file number is CR 18-3014 MWB.   

The United States Attorney’s Office works to ensure victims are made whole as quickly as possible.  If you know someone who owes federal restitution and may have assets available to satisfy their restitution obligation, you are urged to call 319-731-4080. 

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David Vogelpohl, age 21, of Vista, California, has been charged with sexual exploitation of a child.  The charge is contained in an Indictment unsealed on December 3, 2018, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.  

The Indictment alleges that, between about August 2018 and October 2018, Vogelpohl persuaded, induced, and enticed a minor under 18 years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions. 

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

Vogelpohl appeared on December 3, 2018, in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond.  Vogelpohl’s next appearance for trial is set for February 4, 2019.

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

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Mason City Police Department, the North Platte, Nebraska, 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 and click on the tab “resources.” 

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

The case file number is CR 18-3053. 

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CEDAR RAPIDS – Assistant United States Attorney and Army Reserve Major General Patrick J. Reinert, age 57, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will retire from military service this week after thirty-five years of service in the Army.  

Major General Reinert began his military career as a ROTC scholarship cadet at Iowa State University in 1979.  After graduating as a distinguished military graduate, Major General Reinert was commissioned in 1983 as a military intelligence officer.  He then obtained a law degree from the University of Iowa.  While in law school, Major General Reinert served with the 234th Signal Battalion in the Iowa National Guard.  In 1986, he transferred to the Judge Advocate General's Corps and entered active duty.  After initial training, he was assigned to Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he served in various assignments.  Major General Reinert left active duty in 1990 and began his service in the Army Reserve.

Since joining the Army Reserve, Major General Reinert has served in numerous roles, including as a Military Judge and a Commander.  During this time, Major General Reinert deployed twice.  During his deployments he served as a Military Judge in Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005 and 2006.  In his second deployment in 2013 and 2014, Major General Reinert was the Commander of the Rule of Law Field Force, and later the Commander of Combined, Joint InterAgency Task Force 435, in Afghanistan. 

Most recently, Major General Reinert commanded the 88th Readiness Division, headquartered on Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.  The 88th “Blue Devil” Division provides services and base operations support to more than 55,000 Army Reserve soldiers, civilians and families serving in 633 units at 278 sites dispersed across 19 states in the northern United States from the Ohio River Valley to the Pacific Coast. 

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker stated, “The Department of Justice is very proud of General Reinert.  Our service men and women make great sacrifices to keep us safe and their personal sacrifices are essential to the strength of our nation.  General Reinert is the epitome of that service and sacrifice.  He has been a tremendous leader for over three decades of military service.”

“General Reinert has used his leadership ability and unique skills to serve our nation for years,” said United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan.  “By serving his country as both a military officer and an Assistant United States Attorney, General Reinert has made the country and the Northern District of Iowa safer for us all.”  

“I have been fortunate to serve with thousands of great officers and enlisted members of our military,” said Major General Reinert.  “Men and women who have sacrificed much and, in some cases, everything, to keep us free and safe.  I am humbled that I was able to play a part in protecting this great country.”

In his civilian capacity, Major General Reinert has been with the United States Attorney’s Office in Cedar Rapids for nearly thirty years and has served in a variety of roles within the office including as a Deputy Criminal Chief and as the lead Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Attorney.  He currently serves as a Senior Litigation Counsel for the office.

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A Mexican man who used another person’s social security number and a fraudulent “green card” to get a job was convicted by a jury on November 28, 2018, after a one-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Luis Gonzalez-Esparsa, age 45, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cascade, Iowa, was convicted of one count of unlawful use of an identification document and one count of misuse of a social security number.  The verdict was returned following about one hour of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that on June 14, 2018, Gonzalez-Esparsa used someone else’s social security number on employment and tax documents when applying for work in Peosta, Iowa.  He also used a fraudulent permanent resident card, also known as a “green card,” to claim he was legally present and authorized to work in the United States.  The Alien Registration number on the “green card” had been issued to another person, a female from Mexico.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Gonzalez-Esparsa was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the verdict was returned and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Gonzalez-Esparsa faces a possible maximum sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/.  The case file number is 18-CR-1035. 

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A woman who laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars of drug money was sentenced today to three years in federal prison.

Janeth Pineda, age 36, from Chula Vista, California, received the prison term after a July 12, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

In a plea agreement, Pineda admitted that from the summer of 2013 through August 2014, she agreed with various people to launder drug money.  Pineda’s husband, Michael Pineda, was the head of a drug trafficking organization responsible for bringing ice methamphetamine to Iowa from California.  He instructed Pineda to open various bank accounts into which his Iowa drug customers would deposit drug money they owed to Michael.  In less than two years, Pineda laundered more than $370,000 of drug money accounts she opened.

Pineda was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Pineda was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  She is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.  Michael Pineda has plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering and is pending sentencing.

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

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

The case file number is 17-cr-2084.

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A man who previously operated a freight business and created fake documents for his bank was sentenced today to more than two years in prison.

David Giannetto, age 63, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 23, 2018, guilty plea to one count of bank fraud.

In a plea agreement, Giannetto admitted that he produced numerous fraudulent invoices that he provided to his bank in order to continue to receive financing to operate his business.  Giannetto created fake invoices purporting to show he had performed work for various customers and then sold those invoices to his bank to secure his financing.  Information at sentencing showed that Giannetto submitted more than 600 fraudulent invoices in a two-year period.  As a result, the bank loaned him more than $850,000 that he was unable to repay before closing his business and declaring bankruptcy.

Giannetto was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Giannetto was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $872,065 in restitution his bank.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Giannetto was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on December 31, 2018.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/.  The case file number is 18-cr-20.

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A drug dealer and user who possessed numerous guns, sold cocaine, and accidently shot someone after smoking marijuana was sentenced today to more than a dozen years in federal prison.

Kyler Jacob Junkins, age 20, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 28, 2018, guilty plea to being a drug user in possession of a firearm and distribution of cocaine.

In a plea agreement, Junkins admitted that on March 28, 2017, he possessed a .22 caliber rifle.  Information at sentencing showed that on that day, Junkins used marijuana and then accidently shot the rifle.  The gunshot struck another person in the abdomen.  Junkins admitted to possessing at least eight other guns in 2016 through 2017.  One of the guns had an obliterated serial number and another gun had been altered in an attempt to make it silent.  Junkins also admitted to selling cocaine on multiple occasions and trading drugs for guns. 

Junkins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Junkins was sentenced to 151 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), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department of Justice announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

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

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew Inman and Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Marion Police 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 18-cr-16.

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A convicted felon who illegally possessed a gun after previous felony drug convictions was sentenced today to two months in federal prison.

Alan Cherry, age 39, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

In a plea agreement, Cherry admitted that on February 24, 2018, he was driving a car that was stopped by the Cedar Rapids Police Department.  Cherry told officers that he had a gun in the car.  Officers searched the car and found a semi-automatic 9mm pistol and ammunition.  Cherry had previously been convicted of manufacture and delivery of marijuana and manufacture and delivery of cocaine, both of which are felony drug offenses.    

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

Cherry was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on December 31, 2018.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force.  The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 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-0045.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Cedar Rapids man who carjacked an eighteen-year old woman at gunpoint and carried a loaded handgun during the robbery of a Cedar Rapids cell phone store was convicted by a jury on November 27, 2018, after a two-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Cedric Antonio Wright, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of four counts: 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 robbery of a Sprint Store in Cedar Rapids.  The verdict was returned following about one hour of jury deliberations.  Wright had previously pled guilty in the same case when, on October 29, 2018, he pled guilty to one count of robbery and conspiracy to rob the Sprint phone store.

The evidence at trial showed that on October 22, 2017, Wright carjacked an eighteen-year old Kirkwood Community College student who was returning to her apartment near Kirkwood after spending the 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 gave a description of Wright to the police, including the fact that he was wearing a black face mask and camouflage clothing.  The student later identified a photo of Wright that appeared online and also 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 his sister’s car.  After getting into the other car, the group drove to and parked in a parking lot adjacent to the strip mall where the Sprint Store was located.  The group sat in the car and watched as customers in the store completed their business and left the store.  The lone clerk in the store then began to prepare the store for closing.  Ford was then directed to drive to the side of the cell phone store and park, where Wright and Rupp got out of the car and put on gloves and clothing to partially obscure their faces.  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 he felt in fear of his life.

Wright and Rupp returned to the waiting car with more than $1000 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.  The group then drove back to the west side apartment complex.  Wright and Rupp celebrated along the way, and Rupp stated how “sweet” it was that they “didn’t even have to use the gun.”  Upon returning to the apartment complex where Ford’s minivan was parked, Wright stated that that they all needed to get back in Ford’s minivan because the car they were in was stolen.

Police responded to the tracking device within a few minutes.  The group spotted the police and Wright attempted, unsuccessfully, to get Ford to hide a handgun in the console of the van.  The police then pulled over the minivan and detained Wright, Rupp, and Ford.  The police located the stolen cash, phones, and electronic devices inside the minivan.  The police also recovered a loaded .40 caliber Smith and Wesson handgun from inside the van.  The car used in the robbery was determined to have been stolen from the student the previous evening.

Investigators discovered the handgun had been purchased by one of Wright’s friends in Indiana several weeks prior to the Sprint Store robbery.  Evidence at trial included several photos from Wright’s Facebook account showing Wright in possession of the same handgun.  A video from the Facebook account showed Wright shooting the gun seized from the minivan at a gun range.  Other photos taken from Wright’s Facebook account showed him wearing items of camouflage clothing and a black knit ski-type mask.  Videos taken from the Facebook account showed Wright in possession of other handguns.

Finally, the evidence showed Wright had a prior aggravated robbery conviction in Illinois in 2016 for committing a robbery while threatening the use of a firearm in the course of the robbery.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Wright remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Wright faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 32 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $1,500,000 fine, and 22 years’ of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Rupp previously pleaded guilty to participating in the robbery of the Sprint Store, conspiring to commit the robbery, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to the robbery.  Ford previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit the robbery of the Sprint Store.  Both men are pending sentencing at a future date.

The case is being 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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Two convicted felon who each possessed a gun were sentenced on November 26, 2018, to nearly six years apiece in federal prison.

Tereall Deshawn Green, age 24, and Javonta Juan Herbert, age 26, both from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison terms after each previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Information from the sentencing hearing and prior court hearings showed that on January 13, 2018, Green and Herbert were passengers in a car that the Waterloo police stopped shortly after 1:00 a.m.  During the course of the stop, officers found a gun stuck in the front of Green’s pants and tied to a drawstring in the pants.  Officers also found a gun on the backseat floor where Herbert had been sitting and hiding under his foot.  After Green was arrested, he slipped out of his handcuffs and ran from officers but was apprehended a short time later.  Both Green and Herbert had prior felony convictions. 

In 2012, Green was convicted in Iowa state court of intimidation with a dangerous weapon and willful injury causing serious injury.  In that case, Green got a gun out of a car and fired shots at a group of people.  Green hit two people, one person in the abdomen and one in the arm.  The person who was struck in the abdomen required surgery because the bullet hit the person’s liver.

In sentencing Herbert, the court noted he had a long criminal history that showed he was a danger to the community and likely to commit further crimes.  Herbert’s criminal conduct began as a juvenile and continued as an adult with multiple burglary and theft convictions. 

Green and Herbert were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Each was sentenced to 71 months’ imprisonment.  They 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), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department of Justice announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

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

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

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

The case file number is 18-cr-2006.

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A Guatemalan man who used another person’s social security number to complete employment paperwork was convicted by a jury on November 26, 2018, after a one-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Adner Toj-Velasquez, age 35, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, was convicted of one count of misuse of a social security number.  The verdict was returned following about 25 minutes of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that on February 8, 2015, Toj-Velasquez used someone else’s social security number on employment and tax documents when applying for work in Luana, Iowa.  On the employment form, Toj-Velasquez falsely claimed to be a United States citizen.   

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Toj-Velasquez was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the verdict was returned and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Toj-Velasquez faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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

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

The case file number is 18-CR-1036-CJW.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty November 26, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.

Craig Eugene Essing, 59, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Essing admitted that from June 2015 through September 2017, he and others in the conspiracy distributed over 100 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area.  Essing was obtaining methamphetamine from sources in Des Moines, Iowa for redistribution in the Fort Dodge area.  During a search warrant at Essing’s residence on September 8, 2017, law enforcement seized approximately fourteen ounces of methamphetamine, eleven firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, approximately $4,900, three digital scales, packaging material, and other drug paraphernalia. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Essing remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Essing faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Alexander and Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, DCI Criminalist Laboratory, Iowa State Patrol, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Dodge Police Department and the Central Iowa Drug Task Force. 

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

The case file number is 17-3047. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A convicted felon who went “car hopping” with others in Alburnett, Iowa, and possessed a stolen gun was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.

Sejuan Walker, age 22, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 25, 2018, guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Information from the sentencing hearing showed that on January 28, 2018, Walker and two others went “car hopping” in Alburnett, a town in rural Linn County, Iowa.  Their “car hopping” involved going from parked car to parked car to see which cars were unlocked.  After finding an unlocked car, the three searched the car to find any valuables.  One of the three found a handgun in a pickup truck and stole it and a wallet from the truck.  Walker later used a debit card from that wallet to make purchases at the Wal-Mart in Anamosa.

Law enforcement officers located Walker at an apartment building in Coralville, Iowa, on February 1, 2018.  As officers were approaching him, Walker went into the apartment building and then out a back door.  Officers later located the handgun stolen from Alburnett in a clothes dryer located in the common area of the apartment building.  At his plea hearing, Walker admitted he possessed that handgun on February 1.

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

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The Department of Justice has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department of Justice announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

Walker 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 Linn County Sheriff’s Office. 

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

The case file number is 18-cr-55.

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Two men who possessed and sold counterfeit carfentanil pills were sentenced today to a total of more than 11 years in federal prison.

Cameron James Lensmeyer, age 20, and Evan Paul Sage, age 20, both from Waverly, Iowa, received the prison terms after their May 2018 guilty pleas.  Lensmeyer pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute carfentanil and marijuana.  Sage pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute carfentanil, cocaine, and marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

In a plea agreement, Lensmeyer admitted that he and Sage purchased hundreds of purported prescription pills, including purported oxycodone and alprazolam pills, through a “dark web” marketplace.  Evidence at an earlier hearing showed that, during a search of Lensmeyer’s and Sage’s shared Cedar Falls residence in June 2017, investigators seized over 800 blue pills that appeared to be prescription oxycodone pills (depicted below), over $20,000 in cash, over 30 grams of cocaine, over 600 grams of marijuana, and a loaded .32 caliber handgun.  Later testing determined that most of the blue pills contained carfentanil, while a smaller amount contained another synthetic fentanyl called cyclopropyl fentanyl.  Carfentanil is a powerful narcotic that is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl.  It is not approved for use by humans, but is used as an elephant tranquilizer.

Lensmeyer and Sage were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Lensmeyer was sentenced to 52 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  Sage was sentenced to 85 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was investigated by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.

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

The case file number is 18-CR-2004-LRR.

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Two men who worked with each other and others to sell heroin throughout the Cedar Rapids area, were sentenced on November 19, 2018, to lengthy federal prison terms.

Garland Lightfoot, age 28, and Rolando Brown, age 30, both from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison sentences after their guilty pleas to heroin-related crimes.  Lightfoot pled guilty on June 25, 2018, to the distribution of heroin after a prior drug felony conviction, and was sentenced to over fifteen years in prison.  Brown received a sentence of ten years in prison after his June 19, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin near a protected location after a prior drug felony conviction.

According to sentencing documents and information disclosed during the sentencing hearing, Lightfoot and Brown were involved with a group of heroin dealers from at least February 2018 through April 2018.  During that time, the group had at least eighty customers and made, on average, twenty sales of heroin per day.  One additional member of this group, Eddy Watt, was previously sentenced to more than five years’ imprisonment. 

Lightfoot and Brown were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Lightfoot was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment followed by a six-year term of supervised release.  Brown was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment, and must serve an eight-year term of supervised release following his prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Lightfoot and Brown are both being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot 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 (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 18-CR-42.  The case file number for Eddy Watt is 18-CR-43.

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Three law enforcement officers from Iowa are being honored by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for their commitment to reducing drug abuse.  The recipients of the 2018 Enrique S. Camarena Award are Special Agent Carlos Lavastida of the DEA, Lieutenant Brad Bollinger of the Sioux City Police Department, and Officer Justin Brandt of the Waterloo Police Department.      

The award is named after Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who was an 11-year veteran agent of the DEA before being kidnapped, brutally tortured and then murdered in Mexico in 1985 while working undercover gathering information and evidence about drug lords.  This award is presented each year to local law enforcement officers who best exemplify the qualities and principles for which Agent Camarena gave his life—specifically, making their communities a safer place to live through outstanding drug prevention and enforcement efforts.

This year’s award recipients have gone above and beyond the call of duty in pursuit of a drug-free community:

• Special Agent Carlos Lavastida saved the lives of two young girls who were the victims of sex trafficking within a crack cocaine distribution organization.  Through Special Agent Lavastida’s hard work, passion, and dedication, these young girls were provided the services they needed to help them deal with the traumatic experiences they endured at the hands of the crack cocaine traffickers.  The case resulted in two consecutive life sentences and an order requiring the payment of over $700,000 in restitution. 
   
• Lieutenant Brad Bollinger has demonstrated a lifelong dedication to fighting drug abuse and working with young people.  Through his work for many years with the GREAT and DARE programs, Lieutenant Bollinger provided valuable anti-drug and anti-gang curriculum to young students in multiple schools.  In his capacity leading the Department’s Youth Bureau and as the Community Policing Coordinator, Lieutenant Bollinger developed and coordinated a numerous programming activities aimed at keeping young people involved in lawful activities and away from criminal activity and drug abuse.  From creating programs such as the “Books for Kids” program, to securing grants to combat opioid abuse, to serving on various boards and advisory committees focused on combatting drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse among minors, Lieutenant Bollinger has demonstrated a robust passion for securing bright futures for young people in the community.
   
• Officer Justin Brandt’s leadership, passion, and vision resulted in the development of the Hail Mary Project, a program focused on providing positive social, emotional, and academic support to at‑risk students in the Waterloo community.  The young men served by this program all had prior juvenile court involvement and were at high risk to continue to commit crimes and use illegal drugs.  Twenty young men have already been helped by this program, and Officer Brandt has demonstrated a determination to expand the reach of the program to many more students.

Peter E. Deegan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, stated, “Lieutenant Bollinger and Officer Brandt are both worthy recipients of the Enrique S. Camarena award.  These officers are true public servants who recognize that there are certain problems that cannot be solved through criminal prosecution alone.  Sioux City and Waterloo are safer due to their hard work and dedication to the young people in our state.”

Southern District United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum added, “Special Agent Lavastida is most deserving of this prestigious honor. Through his tireless efforts, he positively impacted the lives of two young girls and helped ensure that a dangerous criminal would never terrorize the community again. The Southern District of Iowa appreciates Special Agent Lavastida’s commitment to assisting crime victims.”

“The Enrique S. Camarena award is given each year to law enforcement professionals who personify the strong character and values of our fallen colleague,” Darin Thimmesch, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Omaha Division said.  “These three individuals truly represent the best of Special Agent Camarena with their passion, commitment and generosity continuously on display in their work and home life. It is an honor to recognize these men for their outstanding investigative efforts that have aided in disrupting the illegal activities of drug trafficking organizations from in and around Iowa.”

The Enrique S. Camarena Award is awarded each year during Red Ribbon Week.  Red Ribbon Week, observed this year from October 23-31, is an alcohol, tobacco, and drug prevention awareness campaign observed annually in the United States and was established in Agent Camarena’s memory. 

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A man who used another person’s Social Security number to get a job was sentenced November 20, 2018, to more than six months in federal prison.

Jeremias Sanchez-Velasco, age 26, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 23, 2018, guilty plea to one count of misuse of a social security number.

In a plea agreement, Sanchez-Velasco admitted that on October 30, 2014, he used someone else’s social security number on employment and tax documents when applying for work in Hiawatha, Iowa.  He also used a fraudulent permanent resident card, also known as a “green card,” when he completed the employment forms.  The Alien Registration number on the “green card” had been issued to another person.

Sanchez-Velasco came to the attention of immigration officials when he used the social security number in attempt to title a vehicle in Linn County, Iowa.  Sanchez-Velasco was arrested at the Linn County Treasurer’s Office in April 2018 after a clerk discovered that the social security number did not belong to Sanchez-Velasco.

Sanchez-Velasco was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Sanchez-Velasco was sentenced to 195 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.

Sanchez-Velasco 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, and the Iowa Department of Transportation. 

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

The case file number is 18-CR-54-LRR.

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A married couple who worked together to sell heroin on a daily basis were each sentenced on November 19, 2018, to federal prison terms.

Dino Harrington, age 32, received a sentence of over fifteen years in prison following his May 14, 2018, guilty plea to distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of a protected location.  His wife, Tiffany Youngblood, age 40, received a sentence of over three years in prison following her June 19, 2018, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.

In plea agreements, Harrington and Youngblood admitted that, in early March 2018, they sold heroin to an individual at a gas station in Cedar Rapids.  Harrington met the individual in the gas station’s restroom, while Youngblood waited outside.  Law enforcement stopped Harrington and Youngblood after the sale and Youngblood had a heroin and fentanyl mixture.  Harrington and Youngblood both admitted that they intended to sell the heroin and fentanyl mixture.  Officers found a loaded handgun in Youngblood’s purse. 

According to sentencing documents and information disclosed at the sentencing hearings, Harrington and Youngblood started selling heroin in the Cedar Rapids area in approximately February 2017, and continued to do so until their arrests in March 2018.  Harrington had multiple prior drug felony convictions.  Youngblood had no prior criminal record.   

Harrington and Youngblood were each sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Harrington was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment and Youngblood was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment.  Harrington must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after his prison term, while Youngblood is required to serve a three-year term of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

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

The case file number is 18-CR-28.

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A Guatemalan man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced November 20, 2018, to four months in federal prison.

Jorvic Mendez-Mendez, age 26, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Webster City, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 23, 2018, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

At the guilty plea, Mendez-Mendez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in April 2012 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Mendez-Mendez was found by immigration agents in July 2018 after Mendez-Mendez was charged in Franklin County, Iowa with driving while barred.  Mendez-Mendez admitted he illegally returned to the United States in 2014.

Mendez-Mendez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Mendez-Mendez was sentenced to 121 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.

Mendez-Mendez 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 18-CR-3031-LTS.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A Cedar Rapids man who conspired to make meth was convicted by a jury on November 20, 2018, after a two-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Justin Michael Cinkan, age 27, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to manufacture five grams or more of methamphetamine near a school and possessing pseudoephedrine for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine.  He was found not guilty of a third charge, manufacturing methamphetamine near a school.  The verdict was returned following about two hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that between September 2015 and May 2016, Cinkan purchased over 25 grams of pseudoephedrine for the purpose of cooking into meth.  On four other occasions during that time, Cinkan was blocked from purchasing pseudoephedrine as a result of the State of Iowa’s electronic pseudoephedrine tracking system.  Trial evidence also showed that Cinkan had other people buy pseudoephedrine and other materials for manufacturing methamphetamine.  In the few days prior to May 1, 2016, Cinkan and a woman gathered materials to cook meth at a home in Marion.  Cinkan and the woman got into an argument, during which Cinkan threatened to blow up the woman by lighting an active one-pot meth lab on fire.  After the woman’s brother found an apparent one-pot meth lab in the house and called authorities, the Marion Police Department discovered the one-pot lab and other meth-making materials in the house.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Cinkan remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Cinkan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $16,250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Chatham and Kyndra Lundquist and was investigated by the Marion Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 18-CR-00053-LTS.

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

Pedro Macias-Torres, age 38, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 21, 2018, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

At the guilty plea, Macias-Torres admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in April 2002 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Macias-Torres was found by immigration agents at the Fayette County, Iowa, jail in July 2018 after Macias-Torres was arrested for traffic violations.  Macias-Torres has prior convictions for operating while intoxicated in Des Moines County, Iowa in 2002, and Allamakee County, Iowa in 2007.

Macias-Torres was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Macias-Torres was sentenced to 121 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.

Macias-Torres 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 18-CR-2037-CJW.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man entered the United States illegally from Honduras was sentenced on November 13, 2018, to three months’ in prison.

Denis Orlando Orellana-Martinez, age 32, from Honduras, received the sentence after a September 18, 2018, guilty plea to one count of illegal re-entry.

At the guilty plea, Orellana-Martinez admitted he had illegally entered the United States from Honduras in 2012, after previously being deported. On August 23, 2018, Orellana-Martinez was arrested for public intoxication in Sioux County, Iowa.   

Orellana-Martinez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Orellana-Martinez was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 1-year term of supervised release after the prison term. 

Orellana-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 Kevin C. Fletcher and investigated by Enforcement and Removal Office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau.

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

The case file number is 18-CR-04077.

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A man who entered the United States illegally from Guatemala was sentenced on November 13, 2018, to 10 months’ in prison.

Elmer Martinez-Niz, age 24, from Guatemala, received the sentence after a September 17, 2018, guilty plea to one count of illegal re-entry.

At the guilty plea, Martinez-Niz admitted he had illegally entered the United States from Guatemala in 2012, after previously being deported from the U.S.  On February 15, 2017, Martinez-Niz was arrested in Osceola County for possession of controlled substance (meth), and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also has subsequent arrests in Osceola County for OWI 2nd and driving without a license.   

Martinez-Niz was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Martinez-Niz was sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment to be served consecutively with any terms of imprisonment he may receive from the State of Iowa, Osceola County offenses. He must also serve a 1-year term of supervised release after the prison term. 

Martinez-Niz 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 Enforcement and Removal Office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau.

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

The case file number is 18-CR-04011.

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A man who illegally possessed a firearm pled guilty November 15, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.

Torre Ashton Mosley, 25, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon.

At the plea hearing, Mosley admitted that in November, 2017 he possessed a .40 caliber Glock for protection.  Mosley further admitted to being dealer of cocaine and marijuana.  Mosley was previously convicted of possession and/or introduction of contraband into a detention facility, in the Iowa District Court for Webster County, on or about September 21, 2015.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Mosley remains free on bond previously set.  Mosley faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala M. Steenholdt and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations. 

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

The case file number is 18-3019.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

A man who tossed a loaded semi-automatic pistol and a bag of marijuana into a wooded area near the I-380 and Glass Road interchange in Cedar Rapids after a car accident in July 2017 was sentenced November 7, 2018, to more than 33 years in federal prison.

David Tachay Heard, age 40, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 24, 2018, jury verdict finding him guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Evidence at trial showed that on July 30, 2017, Heard ran a red light and crashed into another car at the Glass Road and I-380 interchange.  Heard drove his car to a more secluded spot on Redbud Road and tossed a bag of marijuana and a gun into the nearby brush.  Someone driving by in a car saw him do so and called 911.  The evidence at trial also showed that after Heard was arrested, the witness received calls from a girlfriend of an associate of Heard, telling the witness that Heard had his name and address.

Heard’s cousin purchased the gun that Heard possessed in 2013.  Heard’s cousin testified at trial that he did not give Heard permission to have the gun, because he knew Heard was a felon.

In 2000, Heard was convicted in federal court in Cedar Rapids of possessing a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.  He was sentenced to more than ten years in prison.  While in federal prison in 2005, Heard was convicted of possessing a weapon in the prison.

Heard was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Heard was sentenced to 397 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Vavricek and Lyndie Freeman and investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address the tide of rising violent crime in America, the Department of Justice announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

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

The case file number is 17-CR-83-LRR.

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine while possessing a firearm was sentenced November 7, 2018, to twenty years in federal prison.

Carl Douglas Lambert, Jr. 47, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

At the plea hearing, Lambert, Jr. admitted that from January 2017 through December 2017 he and others distributed more than 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge, Iowa area.  On November 4, 2017, officers found Lambert, Jr. possessed a .22 caliber pistol in his waistband and over 46 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine.  Lambert, Jr. admitted he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to other person(s) and that he carried the pistol for protection.  

Lambert, Jr. was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Lambert, Jr. was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Lambert, Jr. is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

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

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

The case file number is 17-3056.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

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

Austin Marek, age 23, of Anamosa, Iowa, received the sentence after a June 4, 2018, guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography.  At the plea hearing, Marek admitted that, in 2016, he knowingly possessed child pornography, including at least one image of prepubescent children. 

Marek was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Marek was sentenced to 136 months’ imprisonment.  Special assessments of $5,100 were imposed, and Marek must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release.  He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. 

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 18-34. 

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced November 2, 2018, to seven years in federal prison.

Gregory Stockdale, 52, from Eagle Grove, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 12, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the guilty plea, Stockdale admitted that from about February 2017 through November 2017, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed 1.5 kilograms of actual (pure) methamphetamine in the Eagle Grove, Iowa area.  Evidence showed Stockdale was involved in meth dealing for over ten years. In addition, Stockdale and a co-conspirator each possessed a firearm during an attempted drug deal.  A search warrant was executed at Stockdale’s residence where officers seized over 8 grams of pure methamphetamine, $600 in cash, and other indicia of drug distribution including a drug scale and packaging materials.

Stockdale was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Stockdale was sentenced to 84 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.  Stockdale is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

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

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

The case file number is 17-3057.

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United States Attorneys Peter Deegan and Marc Krickbaum announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Daniel Tvedt and Virginia Bruner will lead the efforts of their respective Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election.  In that capacity, AUSA Tvedt and AUSA Bruner are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa Krickbaum said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”

United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Deegan said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of all members of the public.  I am asking that anyone with specific information about discrimination or election fraud immediately contact my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.  We all must do our part to safeguard the integrity of our elections and protect everyone’s right to vote.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur.  The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.  For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law.  Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Tvedt and Bruner will be on duty while the polls are open. AUSA Tvedt can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 319-363-6333.  AUSA Bruner can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 515-473-9300. 

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field offices can be reached by the public at 319-366-2461 (Cedar Rapids) or 515-223-4278 (Des Moines).

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.

United States Attorneys Peter Deegan and Marc Krickbaum announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Daniel Tvedt and Virginia Bruner will lead the efforts of their respective Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election. In that capacity, AUSA Tvedt and AUSA Bruner are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa Krickbaum said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”

United States Attorney Deegan said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of all members of the public. I am asking that anyone with specific information about discrimination or election fraud immediately contact my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division. We all must do our part to safeguard the integrity of our elections and protect everyone’s right to vote.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Tvedt and Bruner will be on duty while the polls are open. AUSA Tvedt can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 319-363-6333. AUSA Bruner can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 515-473-9300.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field offices can be reached by the public at 319-366-2461 (Cedar Rapids) or 515-223-4278 (Des Moines).

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email or by complaint form.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced October 29, 2018, to 12 years in federal prison.

Anthony Watkins, Sr., 41, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 15, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.

At the guilty plea, Watkins admitted that from about January 2016 through about August 2017, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine mixture.  On March 30, 2017, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Watkins.  Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed Watkins was the manager of five or more other people in this criminal activity.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala M. Steenholdt and 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 17-4052.

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

Sergio Aguilar-Velasco, age 34, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Riceville, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 4, 2018, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

At the guilty plea, Aguilar-Velasco admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in August 2006 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. 

Aguilar-Velasco was deported in August 2006 following his misdemeanor conviction in the Northern District of Iowa on July 6, 2006, for illegal entry into the United States following his arrest during an immigration enforcement action at a meatpacking plant in Clarion, Iowa.  Aguilar-Velasco was also deported to Mexico two times in one week in April 2004 and two times on the same day in November 2006.  Aguilar-Velasco was found by immigration agents at the Mitchell County, Iowa, jail in July 2018 after Aguilar-Velasco was arrested for traffic violations.  While Aguilar-Velasco initially denied ever being encountered by immigration officials, an analysis of his fingerprints confirmed that he had been deported in 2006 and removed from the United States four other times. 

Aguilar-Velasco was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Aguilar-Velasco was sentenced to 84 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.

Aguilar-Velasco 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 18-CR-2043-CJW. 

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An El Salvadoran man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison.

Boris Martines-Garcia, age 35, a citizen of El Salvador illegally present in the United States and residing in Hopkinton, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 4, 2018, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.

At the guilty plea, Martines-Garcia admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in December 2006 and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government.  Martines-Garcia was found by immigration agents in July 2018 after Martines-Garcia was stopped for speeding in Delaware County, Iowa. 

Martines-Garcia was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Martines-Garcia was sentenced to 100 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.

Martines-Garcia 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 18-CR-2038-CJW.

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A man who possessed an unregistered sawed-off shotgun and who was an unlawful user of methamphetamine was sentenced on October 26, 2018, to one year in federal prison.

Michael Dennison, age 41, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 18, 2018, guilty plea to possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.

In a plea agreement, Dennison admitted that he possessed the sawed-off shotgun from the summer of 2017 until February 16, 2018, when police officers seized it during a search warrant executed at his home.  The gun was loaded.  Sentencing documents indicate that officers also found methamphetamine hidden in a hole cut out from the Dennison’s mattress.  Dennison also provided a urine sample that tested positive for methamphetamine. 

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

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

Dennison 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 Justin Lightfoot and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office. 

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

The case file number is 18-CR-1015.

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A man who got ice methamphetamine from California and then resold it in Iowa was sentenced on October 25, 2018, to more than seven years in federal prison.

Jeffery Westberg, age 50, from Dike, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 25, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine. 

At the guilty plea, Westberg admitted that between the summer of 2013 and August 2015, he distributed methamphetamine throughout northern Iowa.  Westberg obtained methamphetamine from multiple sources, including an individual in California, and then sold it to a number of people in northern Iowa.  Overall, Westberg was responsible for distributing nearly ten pounds of methamphetamine.

Westberg was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Westberg was sentenced to 87 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.  Westberg is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

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

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

The case file number is 17-cr-2084.

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A Mexican man who used a false identification document to obtain a job was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison.

Jose Moctezuma-Hernandez, age 33, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and living in Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 23, 2018, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document.

At the guilty plea, Moctezuma-Hernandez admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card when he completed an employment form at a business in Clarion, Iowa, on December 1, 2015.  Moctezuma-Hernandez, claiming to be a United States citizen, used the name, date of birth, and social security number of a United States citizen on the employment paperwork.  Moctezuma-Hernandez came to the attention of immigration authorities in July 2018 following his third conviction for driving while barred in Wright County, Iowa.  Moctezuma-Hernandez was previously removed to Mexico in June 2004 after illegally entering the United States.

Moctezuma-Hernandez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Moctezuma-Hernandez was sentenced to 94 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.

Moctezuma-Hernandez 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 18-CR-3030-LTS.

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A man who distributed marijuana and possessed a firearm was sentenced today to six years in federal prison.

Tyran Collins, age 19, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 4, 2018 guilty plea to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a drug user, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

In a plea agreement, Collins admitted that on October 29, 2017, he was an unlawful user of marijuana, and that he possessed a loaded 9mm handgun.  Collins also admitted he possessed eleven individual bags of marijuana, totaling 26 grams.  Collins admitted he intended to distribute the marijuana to other individuals.  Law enforcement discovered the marijuana and handgun when they stopped a car in which Collins was a passenger.  During the traffic stop, Collins threw the gun onto the driver’s lap and instructed her to hide it.  Police later recovered the gun in the center console of the car and learned that it had previously been reported stolen. 

Collins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Collins was sentenced to 72 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), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated 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 the Cedar Falls Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 17-CR-2091.

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