Northern District of Iowa

A man involved in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine pled guilty January 6, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City.

Matthew Groat, 41, from Fort Dodge, Iowa admitted that from August 2025 through November 2025 he and others distributed over 2,200 grams of methamphetamine and at least 10 grams of cocaine to individuals in the Fort Dodge area.  Groat also admitted that on two occasions in September 2025 he distributed about 10 grams of cocaine to individuals cooperating with law enforcement and on two other occasions in September 2025 and three times in October 2025, he distributed a total of more than 130 grams of pure methamphetamine.  Groat further admitted to obtaining 5 to 10 pounds of methamphetamine from a local source during the four months of the conspiracy and selling it to people around Fort Dodge.   

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

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

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

The case file number is 25-3054.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Charles Robinson, 44, from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison, after a September 2, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

Between at least May 2023 and continuing through September 2024, Robinson was involved in an ongoing methamphetamine distribution conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa, where law enforcement documented Robinson actively engaged in drug trafficking.  Robinson has an extensive criminal history, including numerous assault and domestic abuse-related convictions.  

Robinson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 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.

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

The case was investigated by Cerro Gordo County, Iowa Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.  

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The case file number is 25-3032.

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A man who sent multiple threatening text messages to his ex-girlfriend and who possessed an unregistered short-barreled rifle and silencer was sentenced today to five years in federal prison.

Steven Michael Conroy, age 34, from La Motte, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 9, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce.

In a plea agreement, Conroy admitted that, following a child support hearing on July 19, 2024, he sent threatening text messages to his ex-girlfriend.  In some of the messages, Conroy said that he wanted to “pay the child support in lead and flesh,” he told her that her “days are numbered,” and he threatened to shoot her if he ever saw her again.  In another text message, Conroy sent her a photograph of himself with a gun.  Later that same day, as Conroy was driving towards his ex‑girlfriend’s home in Minnesota, Conroy sent additional threatening text messages to her, including that he would be seeing her and her “bodyguard police officer very soon” and asking if the officer’s “plates are rated for level 4.”  On July 22, 2024, officers searched Conroy’s home in La Motte, Iowa.  During the search, officers found multiple firearms, including a short-barreled rifle that was not properly registered to Conroy.  An unregistered homemade silencer was attached to the short‑barreled rifle. 

Conroy was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Conroy was sentenced to 60 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 is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Conroy 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 Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Jackson County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa State Patrol, the Sabula, Iowa, Police Department, and the Winona County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office.  

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

The case file number is 24-CR-1036.

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A man who formerly operated a used appliance business in Marion, Iowa, was sentenced on December 30, 2025, to 20 years in federal prison.

Cordell Maleec Mayfield, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 15, 2025, jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

The evidence at trial showed that Mayfield had a gun with an obliterated serial number in his Marion business on September 19, 2024, when Marion police arrived late in the evening to perform a welfare check.  The welfare check came after a 911 call to Marion Police to have officers check on a child who was with Mayfield at his business.  Officers saw the gun in Mayfield’s hand and later found it in a search.  Evidence further showed that a few months before the firearm seizure, Mayfield stated in a recording that he preferred guns with obliterated serial numbers. 

At sentencing, the evidence showed Mayfield’s very lengthy criminal history started at age 10 and continued into adulthood with numerous drug-related and violent offenses.  The sentencing judge noted that Mayfield’s criminal conduct occurred while he was under supervision and while incarcerated, including within the last month while awaiting sentencing by possessing weapons and fighting. 

Mayfield was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Mayfield was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment, fined $2,000, and ordered to forfeit the firearm seized from him.  He must also pay special assessments of $200 and serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Mayfield 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 Patrick J. Reinert and Ashley Corkery and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Marion Iowa Police Department, Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. 

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

The case file number is 24-CR-00094.

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A convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced December 30, 2025, to more than four years in federal prison.

Brandon Hentz, age 37, from Galena, Illinois, received the prison term after a July 25, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

On January 12, 2025, an officer with the Dubuque Police Department stopped a car that Hentz was driving for a traffic violation.  During the traffic stop, officers located marijuana, pills, and a loaded gun in the car.  Hentz was prohibited from possessing firearms based on two prior felony convictions.  

Hentz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Hentz was sentenced to 51 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 is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Hentz 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 Adam J. Vander Stoep and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  

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

The case file number is 25-CR-1026.

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A man who was previously sentenced in state court for obstruction of justice based on his involvement with a murder was sentenced on December 29, 2025, to more than three years in federal prison.  Marshawn Ladarius Jeffries, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 5, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

Information from the plea and sentencing showed that on February 28, 2025, Jeffries was a passenger in a rideshare car when the driver was pulled over for a nonworking taillight.  Officers smelled marijuana coming from the car and had Jeffries step out.  Officers patted Jeffries down after noticing that he seemed nervous and as if he was trying to conceal his waistband.  An officer located a 9mm pistol equipped with a high-capacity magazine in Jeffries’s waistband.  The firearm had been previously reported stolen.  Earlier that month, on February 2, 2025, Jeffries led police officers on a high-speed chase before he crashed his car into the wall of an apartment building. 

In sentencing Jeffries, Chief Judge C.J. Williams noted that this was Jeffries’s fifth criminal involvement with a gun and that he was a real and present danger to the community.  Jeffries was previously convicted of obstruction of justice for his involvement in a murder that took place at a home in Cedar Rapids in June 2020.  Jeffries’s associate shot and killed the victim.  Jeffries was also carrying a gun on the night of the murder.  After Jeffries’s associate killed the victim, Jeffries fled with the murderer, disposed of clothing, and made false denials to police officers.  

Jeffries was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Jeffries was sentenced to 42 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.

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa State Patrol.  

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

The case file number is 25-CR-0038.

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A felon who possessed a gun was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.  Nathan Lee Armstrong, age 42, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 13, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

In October 2024, police searched Armstrong’s home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, during a theft investigation.  While searching his bedroom, officers found a gun with a loaded magazine.  Armstrong admitted to using methamphetamine the day before police searched his home.  Armstrong was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction for intent to manufacture/deliver methamphetamine. 

Armstrong was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Armstrong was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.   He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Armstrong 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 Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department.  This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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

The case file number is 25-CR-00021.   

A previously convicted drug trafficker who escaped from a halfway house was sentenced on December 30, 2025, to a year in federal prison.

Paul Dean White, age 35, from Center Point, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 16, 2025, guilty plea to escape from custody.

Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that White was convicted in August 2019 for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.  Overall, White was involved in trafficking more than 18 kilograms of ice methamphetamine.  White was eventually sentenced to 126 months in federal prison.

In August 2025, White was completing his prison sentence at a halfway house in Waterloo, Iowa.  White left the facility with permission, but did not return at the scheduled time.  Staff contacted White.  White told staff that he was not coming back and would rather go back to prison than be in the halfway house.  A week later, the United States Marshals Service arrested White.   

White was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  White was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  White is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the United States Marshals Service.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 25-CR-2049.

A twice convicted felon who was previously deported eight times from the United States was sentenced on December 30, 2025, to more than a year in federal prison.

Odilon Fuentes-Avila, age 43, from Mexico City, Mexico, received the prison term after a September 18, 2025, guilty plea to illegal reentry into the United States.

Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Fuentes-Avila, a Mexican citizen, was removed from the United States after a 2009 conviction for illegally entering the country.  At some point, he reentered the country without permission.  In 2020, he was convicted of two drug-related felony offenses and two driving while impaired offenses in Minnesota.  He was then removed again in January 2020.  Overall, he has been ordered removed from the country eight times.  At some point after January 2020, he again reentered the United States without permission.  On August 1, 2025, ICE agents found Fuentes-Avila in a county jail in Iowa after he was arrested on a warrant from Minnesota.   

Fuentes-Avila was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  White was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by 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 25-CR-1037.

Omar Barrientos, 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on December 19, 2025, to over 17 years’ imprisonment.  Barrientos pled guilty August 19, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Evidence in the case showed that on June 20, 2024, law enforcement responded to remove an individual sleeping in a vehicle in the Thompson Electric parking lot in Sioux City.  Law enforcement arrived and knocked on the driver’s window eventually waking up Barrientos.  Barrientos was the sole occupant of the vehicle and exhibited strange behavior and signs of impairment.  Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found a bag under the driver’s seat containing just under a pound of methamphetamine.  Barrientos admitted that he planned to distribute the methamphetamine to others.

Barrientos had previously been convicted of willful injury and criminal gang participation in 2009, and in 2016 he was again convicted of willful injury along with assault while displaying a dangerous weapon and going armed with intent. 

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Barrientos was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of ten years of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Barrientos remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  

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

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The case file number is 24-4065.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Joseph Longanga Okoko, Medard Lotahe Elonge, Joseph Onolenga Okamba pled guilty on August 7, 2025, September 8, 2025, and November 13, 2025, respectively, to conspiracy to defraud the United States in federal court in Cedar Rapids.  Bienvenu Saido Binyangi pled guilty on December 11, 2025, to visa fraud.

All four men were charged in a ten-count indictment in the Northern District of Iowa.  The indictment alleged a fraudulent conspiracy related to the diversity visa lottery system in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as aiding and abetting marriage fraud, other types of visa fraud, and obstructive conduct.  There are various types of fraud that may occur in the diversity visa lottery process, specifically related to marriage. If a diversity visa lottery winner was not married at the time they won the lottery, they may engage in “coupling.”  “Coupling” is where an individual falsely claims that they have a “spouse,” so that they can later petition to bring their “spouse” to the United States.

In plea agreements, Okoko, Elonge, and Okamba admitted to assisting individuals in the Congo who won the diversity visa lottery to enter contracts of fake marriages to help additional individuals who would not be eligible for entry come to the United States.  Binyangi also admitted to obtaining a non-immigrant visa by fraud so that he could come to the United States.  Binyangi admitted in his plea that when in Congo, he was in a relationship with Okoko’s daughter.  Okoko’s daughter, who also came to the United States, gave birth to Binyangi’s child in the United States.  After Binyangi entered the United States, he reunited with Okoko’s daughter and their shared child.  Okoko’s daughter and Binyangi are married. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams has been set for January 30, 2026, at 1:30 P.M., for Okoko. Sentencing for Elonge, Okamba, and Binyangi will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  All men remain free on bond.  Okoko, Elonge, and Okamba face a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.  Binyangi faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. 

The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Matt L. Cole and Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the United States Postal Inspection, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Waterloo Police Department, the Sioux City Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Transportation. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 

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

The case file number is 24-CR-2052.

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Kenneth Brown, 60, from Badger, Iowa, was sentenced on December 19, 2025, to 4 years’ imprisonment.  Brown pled guilty on July 22, 2025, to one count of possession of child pornography in a Sioux City federal court.

Evidence in the case showed that from early May 2023, through April 3, 2024, Brown received and possessed child pornography.  A CyberTip to law enforcement revealed 32 files of child pornography had been uploaded to the internet from Brown’s cell phone.  Brown was a volunteer firefighter with Badger Fire and Rescue.  During a forensic examination of Brown’s phone, 27 videos and 28 images of child pornography were found, some containing materials depicting sadistic and masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children and toddlers.   

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Brown was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system. Brown remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  Brown was also ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution to the victims in this case, as well as $1,100 in fines and assessments. 

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.”

The case was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.  

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The case file number is 25-3013.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Joshua Solis, age 37, from Sioux City, was sentenced December 17, 2025, to 8 years in federal prison after a September 9, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

 Evidence in the case revealed on May 9, 2025, law enforcement responded to a report of a motor vehicle stopped in a turn lane, with a witness reporting the driver of the vehicle appeared to be slumped over the steering wheel.  Solis was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle.  Law enforcement observed Solis displaying signs of drug impairment.  Solis consented to a search, where law enforcement located a baggie containing methamphetamine, as well a loaded handgun, magazines, several other rounds of ammunition, and further drug paraphernalia.  He was arrested on state charges for these crimes and later formally charged in state court with possession of a firearm as a felon and possession of a controlled substances.

He paid a bond and was released on the state charges prior to trial. However, on June 3, 2025, Solis was observed walking in the middle of a roadway.  Law enforcement contacted Solis and found him in possession of another handgun, more methamphetamine, a digital scale, and $750 in cash. He was then charged federally for his criminal conduct.    

Solis was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 96 months’ imprisonment to be served consecutively to any state sentence, if one is imposed. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.  

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

The case file number is 25-4034.

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Jarrami Berndt, 46, from Sioux City, Iowa, who, on two separate occasions, possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty December 16, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.

At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on August 10, 2024, Sioux City police stopped Berndt’s vehicle and observed Berndt throw something out of the window of the vehicle during the traffic stop.  Officers found the thrown object, a black bag which contained a scale, marijuana and over 13 grams of pure methamphetamine.  On May 1, 2025, Sioux City police conducted a traffic stop of a taxi occupied by Berndt.  Berndt admitted ownership of a bag found in the back seat which contained over 16 grams of pure methamphetamine.  Berndt admitted that on both occasions, he intended to distribute some or all the drugs to another person or persons. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Berndt remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. 

On October 4, 1999, Berndt was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, terrorism, going armed with intent, possession and use of an offense weapon (firearm) in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County.  These convictions constitute a serious violent felony conviction which subjects Berndt to a sentencing enhancement.  Berndt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $8,000,000 fine, and at least eight years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the 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 25-4029.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A man who distributed methamphetamine on two occasions while on state probation was sentenced yesterday to more than seven years in federal prison.

Desmond Collins, age 34, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 13, 2025, guilty plea to two counts of distribution of a controlled substance.

At his plea and sentencing hearings, Collins admitted that in October 2024, he distributed a total of approximately three ounces of methamphetamine to a person cooperating with law enforcement in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  At the time of the distribution, Collins was on state probation for three separate crimes: assault with a dangerous weapon and criminal mischief; driving while barred; and possession of marijuana.  Collins has an extensive criminal history including multiple eluding convictions and four domestic assault convictions.    

Collins was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Collins was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment for each count, to be served concurrently.  He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.  

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

The case file number is 25-CR-03021. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Brandon Mitchell, 29, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced December 18, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa.  Mitchell pled guilty April 30, 2025, to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.  Mitchell was previously convicted twice for domestic abuse assault in the Iowa District Court for Cerro Gordo County.  The convictions prevented Mitchell from legally possessing firearms. 

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Mitchell had two prior convictions for misdemeanor domestic violence and was an unlawful user of marijuana.  Evidence further showed that on February 24, 2024, when Mitchell possessed the 9mm pistol, he was under state felony indictment for attempted murder, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm by a domestic abuser.  Mitchell also admitted that during a search warrant at his residence he discarded the 9mm pistol out of a bedroom window in an attempt to avoid being found in possession of a firearm.   

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Mitchell was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 2-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Mitchell remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Division of Narcotic Enforcement, and Mason City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.  

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

The case file number is 24-3038.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty December 16, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.

Cori Benson, 36, from Mason City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Benson admitted that from August 2024 through October 2024, she and others conspired to distribute at least 150 grams of pure methamphetamine.  In October 2024, law enforcement stopped a vehicle Benson was driving and found over ½ pound of pure methamphetamine in Benson’s purse, and two firearms in the vehicle.  Benson admitted that she and another transported about one kilogram of methamphetamine from Des Moines, Iowa, to Pierre, South Dakota, for distribution.  

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

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

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The case file number is 24-4080.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

On November 25, 2025, Carlos Zamudio-Hernandez, 43, from Mexico, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.  Zamudio-Hernandez pled guilty on September 10, 2025, to illegal re-entry of a previously removed alien, in federal court in Sioux City.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Zamudio-Hernandez is a citizen of Mexico.  Zamudio-Hernandez was previously deported from the United States in September 2020, after serving a 10-year term in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking.  Zamudio-Hernandez admitted that he illegally reentered the United States and was later found in the United States in November 2024 in Twin Falls, Idaho, then in June 2025 in California.  

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Zamudio-Hernandez was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Zamudio-Hernandez remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

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The case file number is 25-4049.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Melvin Boone, 46, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty December 15, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location.

At the plea hearing, Boone admitted that between October 2023, and March 2025, he and others conspired to distribute over 5 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area.  Evidence also showed that in July 2024, Boone distributed 2 ounces of methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement within 1,000 feet of St. Edmond Catholic School in Fort Dodge.  Boone admitted to receiving and distributing methamphetamine with a number of individuals in Fort Dodge.  

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

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

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The case file number is 25-3027.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A woman who pointed a gun at a Social Security Office and repeatedly threatened a security guard with the gun was sentenced October 30, 2025, to 4 years in federal prison.

Stella Ross, age 28, from Louisiana, received the prison term after a May 15, 2025, guilty plea to one count of assault, threatened assault, attempted assault of a federal officer, and one count of influencing a federal official by threat.

Evidence in the case revealed on September 3, 2024, Ross pulled a gun on a Protective Security Officer (PSO) at the Sioux City, Iowa, Social Security office, and threatened to kill him.  When the PSO pulled his weapon in response, Ross withdrew, but remained at the scene until she saw Sioux City Police arrive, then she drove away. Ross began a Facebook live post detailing her interaction at the Social Security Office and making additional death threats, racial slurs, and other complaints against law enforcement.  Responding officers located Ross at a residence, and after communicating with her via phone at the scene, she was peacefully taken into state custody without further incident.  The firearm, magazine and ammunition were located along with items belonging to Ross in the residence.  After being released from state custody she repeated her threats against the PSO and law enforcement.  

Ross was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 48 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa Police Department, Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security, Federal protective Service and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

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The case file number is 24-4071.

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A man convicted of drug trafficking, who fled from police two times, was sentenced today to 17 years in federal prison.

Pablo Elias-Lopez age 35, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a July 2, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance, methamphetamine, after having been convicted of a serious drug felony.

Evidence in the case revealed on or about December 11, 2024, during a traffic stop, Elias-Lopez was found to be in possession of a Taurus .44 Revolver, and a Sig Sauer P320 9mm Pistol, and ammunition, as well as 225 grams of methamphetamine and more than $10,000 cash.  On January 11, 2025, Elias-Lopez was again subject to a traffic stop, and this time he fled law enforcement.  During the short pursuit, law enforcement was able to maneuver and stop his vehicle. Elias-Lopez was found with a bag of cash totaling $27,005 and $600 in his wallet. On March 21, 2025, as officers were attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Elias-Lopez, he again fled, ramming into a police vehicle.  During the eluding, Elias-Lopez also hit another individual head-on.  As Elias-Lopez sped through neighborhoods, his vehicle ended in a wooded area where he then fled on foot.  Officers were able to locate him nearby where he was taken into custody.  Officers located 112 grams of methamphetamine and more than $2,200 in cash.

Elias-Lopez’s criminal history includes multiple charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, eluding, and participating in a felony or resulting in serious injury.

Elias-Lopez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 204 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department, and Sgt. Bluff, Iowa Police Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. 

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The case file number is 25-4018.

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A former sergeant in the Cuban military, who obtained fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans and recruited others to do so, was sentenced on December 3, 2025, to four years in federal prison.  Yovany Ciero, age 48, from Mason City, Iowa, formerly of Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela, received the prison term after a May 8, 2025, jury verdict finding him guilty of three counts of wire fraud, 23 counts of money laundering, one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity, and one count of money laundering conspiracy.

Evidence at Ciero’s trial and sentencing showed that Ciero is a former sergeant in the Cuban military who crossed the Mexican border nearly twenty years ago after his request for a visa to enter the United States was denied.  In 2020, Ciero was working at an Algona meatpacking plant when the COVID-19 pandemic began.  Beginning in July 2020, Ciero and over one hundred other immigrants from Cuba obtained fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans by falsely claiming that they were self-employed and each had earned approximately $100,000 in gross income in 2019 when they actually worked at the meatpacking plant or elsewhere.       

Ciero was one of six “bundlers” in the fraudulent PPP loan scheme.  Ciero’s role was to recruit individuals into the scheme, obtain their personal identifying information for the fraudulent loan applications, and then pass that information to others who submitted the fraudulent loan applications to lenders who were participating in the PPP.  The evidence established that over $4 million in fraudulent loan PPP applications were submitted, and the government lost over $2.4 million as a result.

Once the individuals received their fraudulent PPP loan funds, typically $20,000 each, Ciero served as a “funnel” in a money laundering conspiracy.  Ciero collected fees that the organizers of the scheme charged the applicants, typically $3,000 per $20,000 fraudulent loan.

Ciero also obtained two fraudulent PPP loans for himself and his paramour.  Ciero used most of this PPP loan money to purchase a semi-truck.  After obtaining the PPP money, Ciero also obtained a Federal Housing Administration loan for the purchase of a home in Mason City.  The district court judge found that Ciero had obstructed justice when he testified falsely at trial.

Ciero is the fifth former Iowa meatpacking plant worker sentenced in the PPP scheme:

●          In December 2024, Dinneris Matos Delgado, age 41, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, formerly of Storm Lake and Algona, Iowa, and Cuba, was sentenced to ten months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $60,744 in restitution, after she pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.

●          In December 2024, Ada Irma Rodriguez Fontaine, age 59, from Auburndale, Florida, formerly of Storm Lake, Iowa, and Cuba, was sentenced to six months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $75,417 in restitution, after she pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.

●          In May 2025, Yordanis Perez Velazquez, age 41, from Tampa, Florida, formerly of Algona, Iowa, and Cuba, was sentenced to five months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $111,195 in restitution, after he pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.

●          In July 2025, Maikel Sanchez Garcia, age 44, from Tampa, Florida, formerly of Algona, Iowa, and Cuba, was sentenced to 11 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $138,662 in restitution, after he pled guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

Ciero was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Ciero was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $212,293 in restitution to the SBA.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Ciero 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 Timothy L. Vavricek and Daniel A. Chatham and investigated by the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Storm Lake Police Department.

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The case file number is 24-CR-3013.

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A man who possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl pled guilty on December 4, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.

Alfredo Soberanes, age 31, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

At the plea hearing, pursuant to a plea agreement, Soberanes admitted that around midnight on August 31, 2023, in Sioux City, Iowa, law enforcement attempted a traffic stop on his vehicle. Soberanes first stopped his vehicle, however, when law enforcement began to approach, he drove away.  Law enforcement did not pursue the vehicle but went to the address in Sioux City associated with the vehicle registration.  Another person answered the door, and stated they knew Soberanes, but that he was not at the residence.  Law enforcement was given permission to search the residence.  Soberanes was ultimately located hiding in the basement, and he was arrested.  Found in Soberanes’ possession at arrest was, amongst other illicit items, a digital scale, a firearm, and over 2,500 pills containing fentanyl.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  

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The case file number is 25-CR-04046.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Three men from South America were sentenced for their involvement in an ATM jackpotting scheme in Iowa.  

Jhonger Suarez, age 23, from Venezuela, was sentenced on November 3, 2025, after a September 4, 2025, guilty plea to one count of aiding and abetting bank larceny.  Ysmael Martinez Jimenez, age 38, from Venezuela, was sentenced on November 13, 2025, after a September 24, 2025, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit bank larceny and one count of bank larceny.  Cristian Guillermo Canas Gomez, age 22, from Columbia, was sentenced on December 1, 2025, after an October 1, 2025, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit bank larceny and one count of bank larceny.  

At his plea hearing, Suarez admitted to assisting a bank larceny from a bank in Dubuque, Iowa, on May 25, 2025.  At Martinez Jimenez’s and Canas Gomez’s respective plea hearings, they both admitted that they had conspired to commit the bank larceny.  Martinez Jimenez and Canas Gomez both admitted that they carried out a jackpotting scheme on an ATM at a bank in Dubuque.  A jackpotting scheme is a type of cyberattack where vulnerabilities of an ATM’s software are exploited, causing an ATM to dispense cash without debiting an account.  Martinez Jimenez and Canas Gomez obtained approximately $33,600 from the jackpotting scheme on the ATM in Dubuque.  Suarez was acting as a lookout in the area while they were conducting the jackpotting scheme. 

Suarez, Martinez Jimenez, and Canas Gomez were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Suarez was sentenced to 125 days’ imprisonment.  Martinez Jimenez and Canas Gomez were each sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.  They were ordered to make $33,600 in restitution.  All three men must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after their prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Suarez has been turned over to immigration officials.  Martinez Jimenez and Canas Gomez are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be turned over to immigration officials. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Marshals Service, and Enforcement and Removal Operations of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  

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The case file number is 25-CR-1028.

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Timothy Koons, 66, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term December 4, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.  Koons pled guilty April 10, 2025, to distribution of methamphetamine.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on two separate occasions in March 2024, Koons was involved in the distribution of seven ounces of pure methamphetamine to others, including an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  In 2000, Koons was federally convicted of felony possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and in 2010, Koons was again federally convicted for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

           Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Koons was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment and must serve a four-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Koons remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  

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

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The case file number is 24-4034.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A woman involved in a drug conspiracy in Waterloo, Iowa, was sentenced on December 2, 2025, to five years in federal prison.

Nicole Ann Fordyce, age 50, who lived in Waterloo, Iowa, at the time of her involvement in distributing marijuana, received the prison term after an April 16, 2025, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

 From August 2022 through January 2024, Fordyce was involved in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of marijuana intended for further distribution in Waterloo.  Fordyce received marijuana in the mail from her son, Jonathan Reins, who was living in California.  Fordyce gave the marijuana to other people involved in distributing it throughout Waterloo.  During this time, Fordyce also deposited approximately $191,896 in drug proceeds into a bank account used by the people involved in distributing the marijuana.

Fordyce was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Fordyce was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

Fordyce 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 Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force

Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Denver Iowa Police Department, Fullerton California Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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The case file number is 24-CR- 02050-002.

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On December 1, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Ryan Miller, 40, most recently residing in Pilot Mound, Iowa, was sentenced.  On June 27, 2025, Miller pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.  Miller was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2017, this conviction prohibits him from possessing a firearm. 

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from January 2024 through April 27, 2024, Miller and others conspired to distribute at least ½ pound of methamphetamine and more than 1700 fentanyl pills.  On April 21, 2024, Miller and two others were headed to Colorado to pick up more methamphetamine and to sell fentanyl pills.  They attempted to elude law enforcement in a high-speed vehicle chase during which Miller threw two pop cans containing fentanyl pills from the vehicle. In an attempt to distract the police, Miller’s two co-defendants made “false” 911 calls. Later on the same date, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Miller’s residence and seized a small amount of methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, and a loaded .22 caliber Beretta handgun.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Miller was sentenced to 112 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Miller remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  

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

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The case file number is 24-4042.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A seven-time felon who, along with another person, used fake military IDs and passports to steal money from credit unions was sentenced on December 1, 2025, to more than seven years in federal prison.

Jeffrey Blake Palmer, age 44, from Davenport, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 27, 2025, guilty plea to one count of financial institution fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from June 22, 2021, through September 30, 2021, Palmer and his coconspirator, Maegen Fortin, used stolen personal information, such as dates of birth and Social Security numbers, to apply for checking accounts, saving accounts, credit cards, lines of credit, and loans from credit unions.  Palmer and Fortin provided false documents and IDs, including fraudulent United States passports, military IDs, state driver’s licenses, and employment documents, to the credit unions with their applications.  In one instance in June 2021, Palmer and Fortin used assumed names and stolen personal identifiers to open a joint account at a credit union in Cedar Rapids.  They applied for two auto loans totaling more than $57,000 from the credit union.  Based on their fraudulent applications, the credit union deposited the loan proceeds into an account under their control.  

Palmer has a long criminal history that includes seven prior adult felony convictions.  On August 4, 2023, Fortin was sentenced to 93 months’ imprisonment on charges related to this scheme.  

Palmer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Palmer was sentenced to 94 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make $253,572.26 in restitution to victims of the offense.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Palmer 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 Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  

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The case file number is 24-CR-113.

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A man who distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine was sentenced on December 2, 2025, to 35 years in federal prison.

Cordarryl Cortez Smith, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 3, 2025, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance near a protected location.

In March 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, law enforcement officers purchased methamphetamine from Smith twice.  One of the purchases occurred within 1,000 feet of a school.  On March 22, 2023, officers stopped Smith’s car as it was returning to Cedar Rapids.  Although the car belonged to Smith, Smith’s brother and another individual were driving it.  Smith was in a separate car also on the way back to Cedar Rapids.  In the trunk of Smith’s car, officers located approximately an ounce of cocaine and approximately nine pounds of methamphetamine.  In November 2023, in Cedar Rapids, officers again purchased cocaine from Smith multiple times.  

Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Smith was sentenced to 420 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Smith 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 Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the

Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

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The case file number is 24-CR-28.

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A convicted felon who possessed a gun while on supervised release was sentenced on December 2, 2025, to more than seven years in federal prison.

Marcus Dejohn Wallace, age 30, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 11, 2025, jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Evidence at trial showed that on September 5, 2024, Wallace led officers on a high-speed car chase through Cedar Rapids before pulling over in a residential neighborhood and running from officers.  As he ran, he threw a loaded gun, which hit a nearby roof before landing in the grass.  Police officers using a K-9 caught Wallace.  Officers found the loaded gun, which was missing a magazine.  Officers later found the missing magazine in the path Wallace had run.  Wallace was on supervised release at the time he possessed the gun because of a prior federal conviction for distribution of heroin resulting in serious bodily injury. 

Wallace was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Wallace was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment, plus 18 months’ imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release, for a total of 88 months’ imprisonment.  Wallace must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Wallace 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 Devra T. Hake, Shawn Wehde, and Dan Tvedt, and it was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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The case file number is 24-CR-90.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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Two men with lengthy criminal histories were convicted by a jury on November 25, 2025, after a 11-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.

Floyd Clifford Coates, Jr., aka Cliff Coates, age 44, from St. Francis, Kansas, was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession of Ammunition by a Felon and Drug User, Conspiracy to Conceal Objects with the Intent to Impair Their Availability for an Official Proceeding, and Concealing Objects with the Intent to Impair their Availability for an Official Proceeding. Coates was acquitted of other charges related to threats, and obstruction of justice. 

Dennis Lawson, age 65, from Whiting, Iowa, was convicted of Using Threat of Physical Force Against Another with the Intent to Hinder, Delay, or Prevent the Communication to a Law Enforcement Officer and Judge of the United States of Information Relating to the Commission and Possible Commission of a Federal Offense. Lawson was acquitted of other charges relating to drugs, threats and obstruction. 

The verdict was returned following about 2 hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that in Spring 2019, Coates was a member of a drug trafficking organization that funneled pounds of methamphetamine from Colorado to Strubel, Iowa, among other places, for redistribution, and that Coates possessed firearms to protect his illegal drug operation. Evidence also showed that on Easter weekend 2019, Coates had arranged a drug run to Kansas City, Missouri.

To execute the Easter weekend drug run, Coates had convinced an Iowa woman to drive from Sioux City, Iowa; meet him in Blair, Nebraska; and drive him to Kansas City, Missouri, and back. Coates decided to travel to Blair from Trenton, Nebraska, with another woman, 18-year-old Sunny Sramek. Coates and Sramek left Trenton in his wife’s white Ford Explorer to go on the trip. There is no evidence Ms. Sramek knew Coates was going to Kansas City; in fact, she told friends and family that she was going to be on a day trip to Omaha. 

The pair made it to Blair, where Coates went into a home, but Ms. Sramek did not. Coates’s driver arrived from Sioux City and Coates said nothing of Ms. Sramek to the driver. As the driver and Coates left the home, the driver saw Ms. Sramek’s motionless body. The driver testified it looked as if Ms. Sramek had overdosed, and Coates said he had provided her methamphetamine. Coates cancelled his drug run to Kansas City and told his driver to go to the home of his brother-in-law Dennis Lawson near Whiting, Iowa, on the banks of the Missouri River. The driver testified that after they arrived at Lawson’s residence Lawson and Coates disappeared for a time, when they returned, Ms. Sramek’s body was gone. The driver also testified that she and Coates cleaned out the car, and that Lawson threatened her saying if she told anyone, “it would be her funeral.”

Later, Coates told confidants that Ms. Sramek had overdosed. He told other friends a more violent story. In both versions, however, he told people he had thrown Ms. Sramek’s body into the Missouri River to conceal evidence of his crimes. Coates was confident his efforts at concealing Ms. Sramek’s body would insulate him from accountability. He told one person “no body, no case” and asked another “you can’t get charged with murder if there is no body, can you?”

Coates’s confidence was misplaced. Law enforcement gathered a significant amount of physical evidence tying Coates to Ms. Sramek’s disappearance. Forensic analysis indicated Ms. Sramek’s DNA and a significant amount of blood were found in the white Ford Explorer. The forensic findings combined with other evidence provided the proof the jury used to convict Coates and Lawson. 

“Sunny Sramek went missing more than six years ago,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “But the investigators’ dedication kept her case from going cold. Thanks to them, these two criminals now face judgment for Sunny’s disappearance. Those who believe they can escape justice through threats, cover-ups, or the passage of time will discover they are mistaken.”

“The convictions of Coates and Lawson represent years of tireless, unwavering efforts by a dedicated team of FBI personnel who never stopped looking for Sunny Sramek,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel. “Despite the defendants’ best efforts to conceal involvement in her disappearance, the FBI persisted in our mission to hold these subjects accountable for their actions. We hope these convictions bring some measure of solace to Sunny’s family. The FBI will always use every tool and technique in our arsenal to seek justice for the missing and attempts to hinder those efforts will be aggressively investigated.”

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Coates and Lawson remain in custody of the United States Marshal.

Coates faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Lawson faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

 The case was investigated by Hitchcock County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office; the Nebraska State Patrol; the Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Criminal Investigation; the Plymouth County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office; the O’Brien County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa Department of Natural Resources; the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner; the Goodland, Kansas, Police Department; and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. 

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

The case number is 24-4021.

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A Sioux City man who was on parole for a Woodbury County, Iowa burglary, was sentenced September 29, 2025, to more than 5 years in federal prison.

Mchennlley Mutsuo, age 40, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a May 7, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user.

Mutsuo was serving his term of parole for a March 1, 2021, conviction of second-degree burglary when Iowa parole officers were conducting a home visit.  Upon entering his property, officers located a plate with drug paraphernalia and a white crystalline substance.  Sioux City Police were informed, and an Iowa search warrant was obtained, where officers located two semi-automatic pistols and a revolver, along with 132 grams of methamphetamine.

Mutsuo was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 69 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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

The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tabaco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

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The case file number is 24-4063.

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Darius Stackhouse, age 33, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced October 1, 2025, to 25 years in federal prison after a March 12, 2025, jury verdict where he was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Evidence at trial showed that between June 2021 and March 2023, Stackhouse was part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa to distribute methamphetamine.  Stackhouse sold more than 40 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the conspiracy and three pounds to sources working with law enforcement.  During the execution of several search warrants, more than $30,000 cash was located in Stackhouse’s residence, as well as additional methamphetamine, other controlled substances, and a firearm.  

Stackhouse was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 300 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.  Stackhouse is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.  

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The case file number is 24-3001.

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A man who illegally re-entered the United States from Mexico pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.

Julio Cesar Moreno-Anaya, age 47, who was living in Omaha, Nebraska, was convicted of one count of illegal re-entry as a felon.

At the plea hearing, Moreno admitted illegally re-entering the United States without permission, and having a previous felony theft conviction from 2016 in Hidalgo County, Texas.  On September 15, 2025, Moreno-Anaya was arrested in Britt, Iowa, for speeding and not having a valid driver’s license.  While in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been deported from the United States to Mexico on eight previous occasions.  

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Moreno-Anaya remains in custody pending sentencing.  Moreno faces a possible sentence of 10 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 Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.             

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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The case file number is 25-CR-03047.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Yoan Mateo-Cardona, 24, a citizen of Guatemala illegally residing in Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on November 20, 2025, to 15 months’ imprisonment in federal court in Sioux City.

At the plea hearing on July 14, 2025, Mateo-Cardona admitted he was a citizen of Guatemala and had been previously removed from the United States on one previous occasion in 2022.  Mateo-Cardona further admitted that his status as an illegal alien and domestic violence abuser prohibited him from possessing firearms.  Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on November 7, 2024, Sioux City Police officers were called to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino parking lot after security observed an individual displaying a firearm.  Security footage confirmed Mateo-Cardona was the individual with the gun, and he was arrested for public intoxication and possession of a firearm by a domestic abuse perpetrator.  Mateo-Cardona had previously been convicted of being an alien present without admission or parole, operating while intoxicated, domestic abuse assault, and possession of a controlled substance.  

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Mateo-Cardona was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 1 year of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Mateo-Cardona remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  

The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino security staff and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.  

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The case file number is 24-4088.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced November 20, 2025, to 15 years in federal prison.

Loren Craig, age 52, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 14, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, Craig admitted that from August to September 2023, he and others came to an agreement to distribute over 14 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area.  Following an investigation, law enforcement became aware Craig was a distributor of methamphetamine.  On September 29, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence and located methamphetamine, two firearms, and drug-distribution items.   

Craig was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Craig was sentenced to 180 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.

Craig 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 Greenwood and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Dodge 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 24-CR-03004. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A woman who possessed nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it was sentenced November 20, 2025, to two years in federal prison.  

Sylvia Rubio-Rincon, age 21, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 9, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.

Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that undercover agents communicated with a suspected methamphetamine source of supply residing in Mexico.  Agents arranged for the delivery of nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine.  As Rubio-Rincon drove to meet with an undercover officer, officers stopped and searched her car.  Officers found over 900 grams of methamphetamine.  Rubio-Rincon said she was paid to deliver the methamphetamine by a family member who lived in Mexico.

Rubio-Rincon was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Rubio-Rincon was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion.  The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.  Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.  In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children.  The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Iowa is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, with a satellite office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is comprised of agents and officers from Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Marshals Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.  This HSTF case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by HSTF Iowa, with the assistance of the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement;.

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The case file number is 24-CR-2046.

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Paul Diamond Sanchez, 52, from Carroll, Iowa pled guilty on November 20, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in federal court in Sioux City.

At the plea hearing, Sanchez admitted that from July 2024 through May 2025 he and others distributed methamphetamine in the Carroll, Iowa area.  On two occasions in the summer of 2024, defendant distributed a total of over 25 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  During a traffic stop in October 2024, Sanchez had over 9 grams of pure methamphetamine in his pants pocket which he admitted he planned to sell to another person.  

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Sanchez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Sanchez 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 four years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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

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The case file number is 25-3022.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Todd Babb, 62, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty November 19, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. 

Evidence at the plea hearing showed that Babb was previously convicted of two prior felony drug offenses, one in Iowa District Court and another in Federal Court.  Babb admitted that between 2018 and August 2024, he and others conspired to distribute more than 1500 grams of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area.  During a search of Babb’s residence, law enforcement seized over $3,000 and ¼ pound of methamphetamine which Babb intended to distribute to others.  Approximately one pound of methamphetamine was also seized from a vehicle outside Babb’s residence.

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

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

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The case file number is 24-4068.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A man who sold fentanyl and possessed a gun in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced on November 19, 2025, to 77 months in federal prison.  Friday Deel Gardner, age 28, from Markham, Illinois, received the prison term after a June 5, 2025, guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance near a school or park and possessing a firearm as a felon.

Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Gardner sold fentanyl on four occasions, three times while near a school or park.  Law enforcement officers then searched where Gardner stayed in Dubuque and located over 275 fentanyl pills, ecstasy pills, marijuana, United States currency, and a stolen firearm.  

Gardner was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2017 in federal court.  The district court sentenced him to 41 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release.  While he was on supervised release in 2021 and 2022, the district court found Gardner had violated his conditions of release twice and returned him to federal prison.

Gardner was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Gardner was sentenced to 77 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.

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 

On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by The Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  

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

The case file number is 25-CR-1006.

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Katie Kammerude, age 39, from Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced on November 19, 2025, to over nine years in federal prison.

Kammerude received the prison term after a June 3, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, and 50 grams of pure methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice.”           

Evidence at the sentencing showed that between July 2024 and September 9, 2024, defendant drove to Des Moines, Davenport, and Iowa City to pick up large amounts of methamphetamine.  Kammerude then drove back to Dubuque, where she sold it to others.  On three occasions, the police pulled Kammerude over.  During the traffic stops, police found methamphetamine in Kammerude’s car.  They found between several ounces to a couple of pounds of methamphetamine each stop.  In total, Kammerude was responsible for over 5,000 grams of methamphetamine.     

Kammerude was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Kammerude was sentenced to 109 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Corkery and Dillan Edwards, with the assistance of Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, and Dubuque Police Department. 

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The case file number is 25-CR-1024.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Dean Christiansen, 64, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on November 18, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.  Christiansen pled guilty July 1, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  Christiansen was previously convicted in the Northern District of Iowa of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in December 2012.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from May 2024 through about August 2024, Christiansen was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 170 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Sioux City area within 1,000 feet of a local elementary school.  Law enforcement conducted two controlled methamphetamine purchases from Christiansen in August 2024 and seized scales and marijuana during a search of Christiansen’s home.  Christiansen admitted purchasing about 12 pounds of methamphetamine to repackage and distribute to others. 

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Christiansen was sentenced to 134 months’ imprisonment and must serve a seven-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Christiansen remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case 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 and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.

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The case file number is 24-4058.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

Jon Waugh, 55, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced November 17, 2025, to 188 months’ imprisonment for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location.  Waugh pled guilty June 12, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.

On August 14, 2024, police arrested Waugh outside his apartment, when Waugh was searched, police found approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine and $854 in cash.  Police also searched Waugh’s residence and seized over a kilogram of pure methamphetamine, a scale with meth residue, drug paraphernalia, and four firearms, one of which was stolen.  At the plea hearing, Waugh admitted he planned to distribute the methamphetamine to other individuals in Sioux City.  Waugh’s residence was within 1,000 feet of a protected location, specifically a local elementary school in Sioux City. 

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Waugh was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a term of ten years of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Waugh remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case 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 and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.

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The case file number is 24-4058.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

A two-time convicted felon who possessed a gun was sentenced on November 17, 2025, to six years in federal prison.

Jimarus Westley Puckett, age 38, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 28, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

On July 23, 2023, in Waterloo, Iowa, police officers stopped a car.  Puckett was a passenger in the car.  Officers searched the car and found a rifle that was equipped with a large capacity magazine in the back seat.  Puckett was prohibited from possessing guns based on two prior felony convictions and a prior misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence. 

Puckett was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Puckett 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 is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Puckett 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 Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Waterloo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  

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The case file number is 24-CR-2037.

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A man who sexually abused three children, and distributed, received, and possessed child pornography, was sentenced on November 14, 2025, to more than 38 years in federal prison.  Austin Kingsbury, age 24, from Tripoli, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 20, 2025, guilty plea to distribution and possession of child pornography.  

Evidence at sentencing showed that over many years, Kingsbury sexually abused three children.  Kingsbury photographed himself sexually abusing one of the children.  Kingsbury also distributed child pornography to multiple people in May 2023, and he downloaded child pornography between August 2022 and June 2023.  

Kingsbury was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Kingsbury was sentenced to 460 months’ and 22 days’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $18,000 in restitution to victims in this case.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

Kingsbury 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 Devra T. Hake and Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Tripoli Police Department, the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Anchorage, Alaska, Police Department, and the Alaska State Troopers Technical Crimes Unit.  

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The case file number is 24-CR-2049.

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A man who was a certified nurse anesthetist working in a Dubuque hospital in January 2022 and stole fentanyl pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Benjamin K. Albert, age 53, from Round Lake, Illinois, was convicted of three counts of acquiring fentanyl through fraud.

In a plea agreement, Albert admitted that he worked at a Dubuque hospital as a certified registered nurse anesthetist from January 13, 2022, through January 27, 2022.  A certified registered nurse anesthetist administers anesthesia and provides pain management to individuals undergoing surgical procedures.  Over the five days that he worked, Albert administered fentanyl to 18 patients.  Albert admitted that on each day he worked, he acquired fentanyl from the hospital by drawing extra fentanyl from the hospital pharmacy in a patient’s name.  Albert then only administered a portion of the fentanyl to the patient.  He stole the rest for his own use.  Several of Albert’s patients who he charted as having received appropriate dosing of fentanyl exhibited signs of feeling significant pain during surgery.    

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Albert remains free on release pending sentencing.  For each count, Albert faces a possible maximum sentence of four years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release following any imprisonment.  As part of sentencing, Albert has agreed to forfeit his Iowa nursing license to the United States.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Timothy Vavricek and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Investigative Division of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. 

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The case file number is 25-CR-1045.

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A man who was previously convicted of robbing the Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust on January 3, 2024, was sentenced on November 14, 2025, to nearly three years in federal prison after convictions for robbing two convenience stores.

Andrew Philip Derr, age 23, from Fredrick, Maryland, received the prison term after a June 24, 2025, guilty plea to robbing two convenience stores and one count of money laundering.

In a plea agreement, Derr admitted that after being discharged from the military for misconduct in 2023, he moved to Iowa City and conducted a series of robberies in the Cedar Rapids area.  Derr admitted that, on December 27, 2023, he robbed the Casey’s General Store in Robins and obtained over $7,000 in cash and other merchandise.  On January 1, 2024, he robbed the Kum & Go store on Four Oaks Drive in Cedar Rapids.  Derr was previously convicted and sentenced in state court for robbing the Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust branch on Council Street in Cedar Rapids on January 3, 2024, stealing over $16,000 in cash.  Derr admitted that after each robbery he laundered the stolen funds by making multiple deposits into his Maryland Bank account to disguise the nature, source, and ownership of the funds.  On January 3, 2024, Derr flew to Maryland, and subsequently made two deposits of robbery proceeds totaling more than $4,800. 

When the United States Marshals Service tried to arrest Derr at his Iowa City apartment, they found a note stating, “Catch me if you can.”  As a result of the United States Marshals Service efforts to apprehend him, Derr turned himself into the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office on January 12, 2024.        

Derr was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Derr was sentenced to 34 months and 29 days’ imprisonment.  This prison term was imposed concurrently with the remainder of Derr’s state prison sentence for the bank robbery.  The court ordered Derr to pay $7,359.89 in restitution to Casey’s, $308.20 to Kum & Go, and $16,705 to Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The United States Marshals Service is holding Derr in custody until he can be transported back to the Iowa prison system to continue serving his state prison sentence.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the United States Marshals Service’s Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Robins Police Department, Linn County Attorney’s Office, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office.  

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

The case file number is 24-CR-00105.

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A convicted felon who was on federal supervised release when he possessed marijuana and a loaded and stolen handgun was sentenced on November 17, 2025, to seven years in federal prison.

Tremaine Laron Moore, Jr., age 25, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 22, 2025, guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a November 15, 2025, admission that he violated the terms of his supervised release in a prior federal gun case.

Evidence at the hearing showed that, on December 19, 2024, United States Probation Officers went to Moore’s house in Dubuque for an unannounced home visit.  The officers, along with a police officer from Dubuque, searched the home.  They found a loaded, previously stolen 9mm handgun, baggies of marijuana, a scale, and cash.  The District Court sentenced Moore to five years in prison for the new firearms charge and a second consecutive sentence of two years in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release. 

Moore was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Moore was sentenced to a total of 84 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by the United States Probation Office for the Northern District of Iowa, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Dubuque Police Department.  

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

The case file numbers are 25-CR-01003 and 22-CR-01007.

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A man who sexually exploited children and possessed child pornography pled guilty on November 13, 2025, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Dawson Sanderson, age 24, of Cedar Rapids, was convicted of one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography.  At the plea hearing, Sanderson admitted that, in 2021, he got minors to produce and send depictions of sexually explicit conduct.  He also possessed child pornography.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Sanderson remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Sanderson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $67,200 in special assessments, and supervised release for five years to life following any imprisonment.

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.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is CR 25-51.

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A man who distributed, received, and possessed child pornography was sentenced today to more than 17 years in federal prison.

Jacob Samuel Yang, age 37, from Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 22, 2025 guilty plea to distribution and possession of child pornography.

Evidence in a plea agreement and at sentencing showed that between September 2019 and February 2025, in Tama, Iowa, Yang downloaded child pornography and stored it on a cellular telephone and laptop computer.  He also distributed child pornography to multiple people in March 2024.  In addition, Yang solicited sex from several children via messaging applications.

Yang was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Yang was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $15,000 in restitution to victims in this case.  He must also serve a 5‑year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

Yang 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 Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, the Tama Police Department, and the Marshalltown Police Department.

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

The case file number is 25-CR-24.

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