Southern District of Iowa

DAVENPORT, IA – A Cedar Rapids man was sentenced on April 25, 2023, to 270 months in prison for charges of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

According to court documents, Ricky Timothy Williams, 41, engaged law enforcement in a high-speed chase along the interstate in Scott County before leaving the road and driving to the edge of a cornfield. Williams attempted to flee but was apprehended by officers a short distance from the vehicle. A search of Williams’ vehicle revealed a loaded pistol and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Williams was convicted of the charges against him by a federal jury on November 15, 2022, following a two-day trial.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

DAVENPORT, IA – A Burlington man was sentenced on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, to 264 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of an unregistered firearm, and cyberstalking.

Law enforcement identified Kevin Arthur Andries, 32, following a traffic stop in September 2021 when Andries fled from law enforcement at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. Andries eventually crashed the vehicle into the backyard of a residence. Andries then fled on foot and was apprehended nearby. Law enforcement located a backpack, that contained two pounds of methamphetamine, on the ground outside of the driver’s door of the vehicle. There was also a sawed-off shotgun in the trunk.

In November 2021, the Burlington Police Department investigated Andries for stalking. Andries appeared at the victim’s children’s bus stop and school. When Burlington police officers attempted to apprehend Andries, he drove at high rates of speed in a stolen vehicle. When apprehended and arrested, Andries was in possession of methamphetamine and ammunition. A search of Andries’ residence revealed two additional firearms.

Meanwhile, the Iowa City Police Department had a separate investigation into Andries for cyberstalking the same victim from May 2020 until his arrest in November 2021. Andries obtained approximately 25 TextNow phone numbers that he used to call and send text messages to the victim, which at times were hundreds of contacts within one day. Andries also used the numbers to “spoof” people or businesses known to the victim, to induce her to answer the phone. Andries hacked the victim’s email, social media, cell phone, and bank accounts. He added himself to her cell phone plan and wiped the contents of her phone remotely. Andries used the access he gained to her financial accounts to make purchases for himself. Additionally, Andries locked the victim out of all her accounts which prevented her access to the accounts and their contents. Andries coupled his cyberstalking with physical stalking and showed up at the victim’s and the victim’s family’s residences. Andries’ conduct caused the victim substantial emotional distress.

Following his prison term, Andries must also serve seven years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Muscatine Police Department, Burlington Police Department, and Iowa City Police Department investigated the case.

DES MOINES, IA – The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa join federal, state, and local communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 23-29, 2023 and features the theme, “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change,” which emphases the importance of engaging with victims of crime, learning from their lived experiences, amplifying their voices, and fostering an environment where they are heard, believed, and supported.

As part of this observance, the Southern District of Iowa recognizes the courage and bravery of victims, and the outstanding work of law enforcement, victim advocates, and community service partners throughout Iowa. Seven individuals are recognized for outstanding service to victims:

Award for Excellence in Victim Services
• United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Iowa, Victim Witness Specialist Charlotte Kovacs
• Family Resources/Braking Traffik Survivor Advocate Gretchen McCall

Law Enforcement Victim Service Award
• Des Moines Police Department Detective Ben Carter
• Council Bluffs Police Department Sergeant John Focht
• Altoona Police Department Detective David Lowe
• FBI Special Agent Amber Mann
• Ottumwa Police Department Investigator Jeremy Tosh

“These awards proudly recognize the exceptional efforts of individuals providing assistance to federal and state victims in the Southern District of Iowa,” said United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. “Advocacy for the rights and safety of victims is a cogent reminder of the long-term human impact of these crimes. The service of these individuals, and other state and federal victim advocates, are a vital component of our criminal justice system.”

The 2023 Award for Excellence in Victim Services is awarded to United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Iowa, Victim Witness Specialist Charlotte Kovacs. Kovacs provides selfless and dedicated advocacy to federal crime victims. Kovacs epitomizes the highest quality of victim advocacy in support of victims, witnesses, and their families during the investigation and prosecution of all federal crimes, and specifically human trafficking cases and fentanyl-related death cases. Kovacs’s extraordinary dedication to her profession and to the citizens of the Southern District of Iowa cannot be replicated.

The 2023 Award for Excellence in Victim Services is awarded to Family Resources/Braking Traffik Survivor Advocate Gretchen McCall. McCall has provided excellent victim services to the Davenport community and the Southern District of Iowa. McCall and her services were instrumental in a Davenport human trafficking case where, as a victim advocate, she provided the human trafficking victim with vital resources to ensure a solid foundation for the victim, before, during, and after trial. McCall’s devotion to her profession, time and time again, has proven to be an invaluable resource to the community and the victims for whom she relentlessly advocates.

The 2023 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Des Moines Police Department Detective Ben Carter. Detective Carter showed outstanding work and unrelenting perseverance in the investigation and prosecution of Tyrone Cameron. Detective Carter’s dedication to the case began in early spring of 2022 from the death of Jeff Gillom and extended into April 2023 when Tyrone Cameron was convicted in federal court on charges related to the death of Gillom. During a year’s time, Detective Carter showed unwavering commitment to bring justice to the victim’s family and ultimately received justice by performing in his role as an investigator and as the victim’s family’s lifeline by exuding empathy and understanding with the victim’s family. Detective Carter went above and beyond in his duties for the victim’s family and for the Des Moines community, resulting in a conviction largely due to his unparalleled commitment and service.

The 2023 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award is awarded to Council Bluffs Police Department Sergeant John Focht for his support and dedication to his profession through the investigation and prosecution of several cases involving child victims. Sergeant Focht’s investigative skills were vital in the prosecution of Myron Brandon who was charged and convicted of Kidnapping and Transportation of a Minor. Sergeant Focht spent countless hours meeting with witnesses across the United States and assisted the prosecution with invaluable support during trial. Sergeant John Focht is an irreplaceable asset to the Council Bluffs community and to the people of Iowa.

The 2023 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award is awarded to Altoona Police Department Detective David Lowe for his outstanding service, commitment, and dedication to assisting victims in the Altoona community and the State of Iowa. Detective Lowe has established himself as an outstanding detective in the investigations of human trafficking and child exploitation cases by providing support to victims and witnesses. Detective Lowe has exceptional skills in communication, investigation, and prosecutorial support and exemplifies the highest order of conduct and performance in every investigation and with each victim.

The 2023 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award is awarded to FBI Special Agent Amber Mann as a fierce investigator and committed advocate for justice especially for minor victims in human trafficking and sex trafficking cases. Special Agent Mann successfully investigated and aided in the prosecution of two defendants, one convicted of Transportation of a Minor and Coercion and Enticement and one convicted of Travel with the Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. Both defendants preyed on children for their personal intentions. Special Agent Mann investigated the cases to the core, worked directly with the minor victims and their families, and dedicated long hours on the ultimate prosecution of two predators. Special Agent Mann is dedicated to our community and to fighting for justice for all victims.

The 2023 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award is awarded to Ottumwa Police Department Investigator Jeremy Tosh for his commitment to his work and for his relentless efforts to provide victims and witnesses of crimes with outstanding support. Investigator Tosh’s skills were put to the test during the investigation and prosecution of Nesly Mwarecheong and Bertino Weires, both of which plead guilty to forced labor crimes against three victims from the small island of Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia. Investigator Tosh provided constant support to the victims, despite significant obstacles with language barriers and American customs and norms. At sentencing, the victims expressed their gratitude for Investigator Tosh in their victim impact statements, proof that Investigator Tosh’s impact on the lives of victims makes him most deserving of this award.

President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, putting crime victims' rights, needs, and concerns in a prominent spot on the American agenda. He also established the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims.

For more information on how to create your own public campaigns to raise awareness about crime victims’ rights online and at events throughout the year, please visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2022/overview.

DES MOINES, IA – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned an indictment on April 19, 2023, charging a Clive man with seventeen counts of mail and wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and two counts of money laundering over $10,000.

As alleged in the indictment, Zachary James Flaherty, 46, used his position as an insurance agent and annuity salesperson to defraud elderly individuals out of their retirement savings and other monies. To do that, Flaherty misrepresented information to and concealed information from his clients, including information relating to: the returns and bonuses his clients would receive by investing with him; the clients’ ability to make penalty-free withdrawals from their investments; and the losses clients could incur. After the clients agreed to invest money with Flaherty, he continued to misrepresent and conceal information, including information regarding: the returns clients were earning; the amount of money clients had invested with him; and the costs associated with withdrawing funds or cancelling their investments.

In addition, Flaherty encouraged victims to write checks to Flaherty personally and his businesses, including Midwest Senior Solutions Retirement Group, Inc. and Infinity Construction Group, LLC. At the same time, Flaherty misrepresented and concealed information about what he would do with the funds he received from the victims. Instead of depositing or investing the funds on the victims’ behalf, Flaherty deposited the funds into accounts he controlled, and he then used the funds for his own purposes and benefits, including to buy a boat and pay his mortgage and vehicle loans.

The indictment alleges that Flaherty’s conduct affected twelve specific victims in Iowa and Nebraska. On behalf of those victims, Flaherty obtained at least thirty-five annuities. Those twelve victims lost over $900,000 in charges, taxes, and fees in relation to their annuities. Those victims also wrote checks to Flaherty personally and his businesses which totaled over $1 million.

Further, the indictment alleges that Flaherty defrauded insurance companies out of commission payments. To do so, Flaherty caused annuity paperwork to be submitted to insurance companies which included misrepresentations and concealed information. Among other things, Flaherty submitted paperwork containing forged policyholder signatures. As a result of the annuity policies issued for the twelve victims in Iowa and Nebraska, insurance companies awarded commissions of over $650,000.

Finally, the indictment alleges that Flaherty conspired with another individual to commit mail and wire fraud. Flaherty and a co-conspirator agreed to execute and attempt to execute a scheme to defraud elderly individuals, primarily individuals in the Kansas City area.

If convicted, Flaherty faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison on each count.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.

The Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case, with assistance from the Des Moines Police Department, Clive Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Essley is prosecuting the case.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – An Audubon County man was sentenced on April 18, 2023, to 60 months in prison following his plea of guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

On September 15, 2022, Audubon County Sheriff’s Department, Atlantic Police Department, Audubon Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Department, and Iowa State Patrol, responded to a call of shots fired. Deputies found Adam Lee Karstens, 41, standing outside the residence by a locked pickup truck. A search of the vehicle revealed a nine-millimeter Taurus handgun with an obliterated serial number underneath the driver’s seat. Karstens was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had a prior felony conviction. Karstens must serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement investigated the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

DES MOINES, IA – A Sigourney man pleaded guilty on April 17, 2023, to mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

According to court records, Mark Lynn Haines, 48, engaged in a scheme to defraud and obtain money from 2015 to 2018 concerning sales of grain as organic, when in fact, the grain was grown in violation of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP). NOP is a federal regulatory program governing organic agricultural products. Key among Haines’ NOP violations were the use of treated seed, which is prohibited by NOP. Haines concealed his NOP violations from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), the organic certifier. The grain was then sold by Haines to a number of unwitting purchasers.

Haines also conspired to impede and obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the assessment and collection of income taxes. Between April 2017 to April 2019, Haines obtained false invoices, backdated checks, and exchanged checks to give the appearance of an expense that was not in fact incurred. This conduct increased Haines’ expenses and decreased Haines’ federal income taxes.

“The USDA Organic Seal is a symbol of trust and confidence amongst consumers seeking to purchase organically grown produce. When farmers, like Haines, subvert NOP and its regulations, they compromise the integrity of the program and impair USDA’s ability to protect the health and value of American agriculture,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shantel R. Robinson, USDA, Office of Inspector General, Midwest Region.

Haines is scheduled to be sentenced on August 18, 2023. A related defendant, Daniel DeRycke, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, and is also pending sentencing.

A federal district court judge will determine the sentences of Haines and DeRycke after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.

The United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) revoked Haines’ organic certificate in 2018 due to several NOP violations and assisted the federal agents in the investigation and the prosecution of the case.

If you witness or have knowledge of any violations of laws and regulations related to USDA programs, contact the OIG Hotline by telephone at (800) 424-9121 or TDD (202) 690-1202.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – An Omaha man was sentenced yesterday, April 18, 2023, to 168 months in prison following his plea of guilty to distribution of a controlled substance.

On January 12, 2021, the Council Bluffs Police and Council Bluffs Fire Departments were dispatched to a motel to provide medical treatment to an unresponsive victim, who ultimately died from a fentanyl overdose. Jason D. Hartzell, 22, distributed fentanyl pressed pills to the victim. Officers linked Hartzell to the fentanyl overdose death after reviewing phone information, social media information, surveillance footage, and conducting witness interviews. Hartzell must serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website to learn more about One Pill Can Kill.

DAVENPORT, IA – A North Liberty man was sentenced on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, to 60 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

According to court documents, on May 20, 2021, Ronald Lee Robi, 71, entered a retail store in Coralville, browsed the firearm section, and selected two pistols to purchase. Robi paid for the pistols but told the sales associate he would come back later with his firearms permit and other documents to complete the paperwork. On June 1, 2021, Robi returned to the same retail store, convinced a different sales associate he had already provided the necessary documentation when he paid for the pistols, and took possession of the firearms. Robi has multiple prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

On June 7, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Robi’s residence in North Liberty. During the search, law enforcement recovered a third firearm. At the time of his offense in the Southern District of Iowa, Robi had been indicted in the Southern District of Texas for being a felon in possession of firearms. He was granted the privilege of pretrial release. As a result of this offense, his pretrial release was revoked. He was sentenced for his crime in the Southern District of Texas on June 10, 2022. His sentence will be served consecutively to the sentence for the Texas firearms conviction.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Coralville Police Department and North Liberty Police Department investigated the case.

DAVENPORT, IA – A New London man was sentenced on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, to 24 months in prison for embezzlement and theft of labor union assets.

According to court records, James Darin Boatman, 53, the former president of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 617 Union, embezzled and stole union funds for his personal use. UFCW Local 617 members include production workers and skilled trade workers at the Conagra plant located in Fort Madison. Investigation revealed that Boatman, the president of the Union from 2010 until 2019, set up a credit card in the Union’s name, without authorization, and from at least May 2017 to August 2019 used the card for personal expenses, including vacations to Florida, large repairs on his personal vehicle, and to pay for attorney representation for an unrelated matter. Additionally, Boatman wrote checks from the Union funds to cover personal expenses and to pay himself for unauthorized lost time for periods of time Boatman claimed he was conducting Union business. Boatman pled guilty and agreed to pay $74,231.34 in restitution to the Union.

Following his prison term, Boatman was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The United States Department of Labor and Office of Labor-Management Standards investigated the case.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced today, April 18, 2023, to 48 months in prison following his plea of guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

On February 27, 2022, Jake Campbell, 38, was stopped driving a vehicle that was reported stolen. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a loaded Smith and Wesson firearm under the driver’s seat, along with other items belonging to Campbell. The firearm was reported stolen. Campbell was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had a prior felony conviction, and he was a methamphetamine user. Campbell must serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

Des Moines, IA – A Muscatine County man was sentenced Friday, April 7, 2023, to twenty years in prison following his guilty plea for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Child.

According to court documents, from February 2022 to September 2022, David Franklin Duncan III, 33, used cellphones and Facebook to communicate with a person he believed to be a fifteen-year-old child. During the conversations, Duncan attempted to employ, use, persuade, entice, or coerce the person he believed to be a child to capture and send Duncan images and videos of the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct, to travel to Duncan’s location or meet him at an agreed location for the purpose of engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and to engage in commercial sex acts. Duncan also sent images and videos of his penis and of him masturbating. Unbeknownst to Duncan, the person he was communicating with was an undercover law enforcement officer.

Following his prison term, Duncan must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Altoona Police Department, in conjunction with the Iowa Crimes Against Children Task Force, investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Essley prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

DES MOINES, IA – On April 5, 2023, a federal jury convicted a Des Moines man of possessing ammunition in connection with the April 2022 shooting death of a man.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Tyrone Scott Cameron, 29, shot and killed a man after a fight over a debt Cameron owed. The evidence showed that Cameron left the apartment complex where the fight occurred and later returned with a gun. He fired 15 rounds of ammunition through a closed apartment door, striking and killing a male victim. A second victim survived. Cameron then fled the scene and was later identified as the shooter through surveillance video, witness statements, and cell site location records.

Cameron’s sentencing date has not yet been set. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department, with assistance at trial by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Mikaela Shotwell and Kristin Herrera are prosecuting the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

DAVENPORT, IA – A federal jury convicted a Davenport man on Wednesday following a two-day trial on drug charges stemming from a fentanyl overdose of an 18-month-old child.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in 2021 Davenport Police Department investigated an influx of pressed fentanyl pills into the area, which resulted in numerous overdoses. On October 30, 2021, emergency personnel were dispatched to a residence on 4th Street in Davenport, for a child ingesting pills. When first responders arrived, they found the child unresponsive, with shallow breathing. The child eventually stopped breathing. First responders performed CPR on the child and administered Narcan. The child was revived and transported to Genesis Medical Center. While at Genesis, the child required additional doses of Narcan, and was eventually transferred to the University of Iowa pediatric intensive care unit for further care. Toxicology testing revealed fentanyl in the child’s system.

During the investigation of the child’s overdose, officers learned that Kathan Daniel Wiley, 23, had been distributing fentanyl. The fentanyl had been pressed into pills resembling prescription Percocet pills—blue pills stamped with “M30”—which the child had ingested and caused the overdose. Officers located evidence that Wiley had been obtaining and distributing the fake Percocet pills in the Quad Cities area, along with other individuals. Wiley was charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, along with co-conspirators Linder Kai Divos (a.k.a. Lindo), Jordan Thomas Hopper, Austen Michael Thomas (a.k.a. Waynski, a.k.a. Mitch), and Marshall Matthew James Carver.

On April 5, 2023, the jury found Wiley guilty of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, as well as possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, relating to the overdose of the child on October 30, 2021.

Wiley faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years with a maximum of life in prison for the possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury charge. Wiley faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. There is no parole in the federal system. Wiley’s sentencing is scheduled for September 27, 2023, at 10:30 a.m.

The other charged co-conspirators have pled guilty and are pending sentencing.

Linder Kai Divos pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm. On February 21, 2023, Divos was sentenced to 14-and-a-half years in federal prison.

Jordan Thomas Hopper pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, relating to an April 2021 overdose which occurred in Bettendorf, and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, relating to a June 2021 overdose which occurred in Davenport. Hopper faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years with a maximum of life in prison for each of the overdose charges, and a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years with a maximum of 40 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. Hopper’s sentencing is scheduled for September 26, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.

Austen Michael Thomas pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm. Thomas faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years with a maximum of 40 years in prison for the conspiracy charge, and a maximum of 10 years in prison for the firearm charge. Thomas’ sentencing is scheduled for September 26, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.

Marshall Matthew James Carver pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, relating to an April 2021 overdose which occurred in Bettendorf. Carver faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years with a maximum of life in prison for the distribution resulting in serious bodily injury charge, and a maximum of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. Carver’s sentencing is scheduled for September 26, 2023, at 12:30 p.m.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated this case.

Des Moines, IA – A Central Iowa man made his initial appearance today in federal court for numerous tax charges.

Bakou Kees Vonty (also known as Bob Vonty), 40, is charged in a 39-count indictment returned on March 21, 2023. As alleged in the indictment, from at least 2015 through 2021, Vonty prepared Individual Income Tax Returns for numerous customers who paid him to prepare and file their tax returns. Vonty acted as a “ghost preparer,” meaning that Vonty did not sign his customers’ tax returns when he prepared and filed them. Vonty prepared the customers’ tax returns but did not explain the contents of the returns to the customers, review the returns with the customers, or provide copies of the returns to the customers before Vonty electronically filed the returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Instead, Vonty would typically inform the customer of the amount of their anticipated refund. It is alleged that Vonty often included on his customers’ federal tax returns, schedules, and forms, items that Vonty knew to be false, such as false claims for business-expense deductions and education expenses. The effect of Vonty including false items on the tax documents was to increase the refunds his clients received.

In addition, it is alleged that Vonty also filed several of his own federal income tax returns knowing that they contained false information.

Vonty is charged with thirty-six counts of Preparing and Presenting a False Tax Return and three counts of Making and Subscribing a False Tax Return. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on March 16, 2023, to 295 months in prison following his plea of guilty to sexual exploitation of a child.

The investigation into Brandon Scott Holmes, 43, started in 2021 after law enforcement found evidence that an IP address linked to Holmes was receiving child pornography from a peer-to-peer program. In October 2021, FBI executed a search warrant at Holmes’ residence. Forensic analysis of several seized devices identified thousands of images and videos of child pornography. Holmes also produced images and videos of child pornography. Holmes must serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.

Des Moines, IA – An Iowa City man was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison for tampering with his dental practice’s fentanyl supply by removing the medication from vials for his own personal use.

Dr. Andrew Charles Hartwig, 55, previously worked as an oral surgeon in Iowa City and Mt. Pleasant. According to court documents, Hartwig diverted fentanyl from his previous employer, Oral Surgery Associates of Iowa City, also known as Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Center of Iowa City, beginning at least as early as April 2019 and until at least July 10, 2019. Hartwig admitted that his actions resulted in the dilution and contamination of the fentanyl supply. Hartwig admitted he acted with reckless disregard that dental patients would be placed in danger of death and bodily injury and manifested extreme indifference to such risk. In October 2022, Hartwig pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with consumer products, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1365(a)(4).

The Court imposed a term of supervised release of two years, a fine of $50,000, and a $100 special assessment.

“Patients rely on receiving the proper FDA-approved medications from those entrusted with their medical care,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian G. McClune, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We must hold medical personnel accountable when they take advantage of their unique position and tamper with medications their patients need.”

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.

DAVENPORT, IA – An Iowa City man was sentenced to 204 months in prison for receiving child pornography.

Law enforcement identified Jesus Rafael Diaz-Figueroa, 31, after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip from KIK that videos depicting child pornography were uploaded using IP addresses found to be associated with Diaz-Figueroa. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Diaz-Figueroa’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices, which contained more than 3,300 images and videos depicting child pornography. Diaz-Figueroa admitted he had been viewing child pornography since high school.

Following his term of imprisonment, Diaz-Figueroa was ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. He was also ordered to pay $48,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The University of Iowa Department of Public Safety investigated the case.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.

Davenport, IA – A Salem man was sentenced yesterday to 100 months in prison for possession of child pornography.

According to court records, law enforcement began investigating Jason Robert Wesely, 39, a former member of the Iowa National Guard, after receiving a cybertip from a social media platform in May 2020. The tip included descriptions of Wesely’s sexual conversations with an undercover agent, pretending to be a 14-year-old child. Further investigation revealed that Wesely belonged to a chat group where child pornography was shared among its members. Wesely admitted to belonging to the group and to viewing and sharing child pornography. Wesely was ultimately discharged from the Iowa National Guard.

Following his prison term, Wesely was ordered to serve eight years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and the Iowa State Patrol investigated the case.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.

DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, to 84 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms, and 12 months for violating his term of federal supervised release.

According to court documents, law enforcement encountered Ki-Jana Kolajuan Ivey, 25, as the front seat passenger during an April 2022 traffic stop. Officers observed a pistol under the front passenger seat where Ivey was sitting. Pursuant to a search warrant of Ivey’s phone, officers found videos and photographs of Ivey in possession of other firearms in the weeks preceding the traffic stop. During an interview, Ivey admitted to possessing the firearms shown on his phone.

In 2018, also in the Southern District of Iowa, Ivey was convicted of felon in possession of a firearm. For that conviction, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. At the time of the traffic stop, Ivey was serving that period of supervised release. As a result of this conviction, Ivey’s supervised released was revoked, and he was sentenced to serve a period of 12 months in prison consecutive to the 84-month sentence. Following his prison term, Ivey was ordered to serve three years of supervised release.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Scott County Sheriff’s Office and the Bettendorf Police Department investigated the case.

DAVENPORT, IA – A Clinton man was sentenced Tuesday to 27 years in federal prison for production of child pornography and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Timothy Craig Geerts, 49, sexually abused a child and recorded the abuse. Geerts also surreptitiously recorded that child, and two other children, naked, in the bathroom. As a part of the investigation, officers also located videos of Geerts sexually assaulting an incapacitated adult, who he admitted to drugging. Geerts was previously convicted in state court of sexually assaulting one of the child victims.

Geerts also possessed three firearms. He was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was a drug user.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Geerts will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Geerts will also be required to register as a sex offender.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clinton Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.

DES MOINES, IA – On Thursday, March 30, 2023, federal search warrants were executed at the following locations in Des Moines:

• 2500 block of Maury Street, • 2500 block of East 23rd Street, • 3600 block of Amherst Street, • 1500 block of King Avenue, • 3400 block of Southwest 8th Street, • 4100 block of 11th Place, and
• 1600 block of Washington Avenue.

The searches at these locations were an official law enforcement action involving officers, agents, and investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (MINE), United States Marshals Service, Des Moines Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), Iowa State Patrol (ISP), the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Suburban Emergency Response Team (SERT), and Metro Special Tactics and Response (STAR).

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on March 22, 2023, to a total of 144 months in prison, following his guilty pleas to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and escape.

According to court documents, Keven Leroy Spanel, 59, distributed methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs and Omaha metro areas. In early 2022, Spanel was arrested carrying a firearm, which he used to protect himself and his drug trafficking activities. In July 2022, while on temporary release to attend a doctor’s appointment, Spanel escaped on foot by threatening the transportation driver with a screwdriver. Spanel was apprehended five days later by the Council Bluffs Police Department. After his prison term, Spanel will be on supervised release for five years.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Council Bluffs Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and United States Marshal Service investigated the case.

U.S. District Chief Judge Stephanie M. Rose sentenced defendants Nesly Mwarecheong, 46, and Bertino Weires, 51, U.S. residents and Federated States of Micronesia citizens, to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and nearly $70,000 in restitution to the victims for withholding passports to coerce labor of two men in a meat processing plant.

The defendants previously pleaded guilty in October 2022 to two counts of unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of trafficking or forced labor for recruiting two young men from Micronesia to come to the United States for the purpose of coercing their labor in a meat processing plant for the defendants’ financial gain.

According to court documents, the defendants convinced the two victims to leave their homes in Micronesia in December 2019 and travel to the United States by promising them they could work in the United States and send money back to their families. Once in the United States, the defendants confiscated the victims’ passports and obtained jobs for them at a meat processing plant in Ottumwa, Iowa. Each week, the defendants took the victims to cash their paychecks before seizing almost the entire amount and leaving the victims with a nominal amount each week. The defendants used various means to compel the victims’ labor and services, including confiscating the victims’ passports and social security cards, imposing debts on them, limiting and monitoring their communication with family, physically and socially isolating them and creating a system of total financial dependence on the defendants. In so doing, the defendants created a situation where the victims either had to continue complying with the defendants’ demands or risk being homeless and without a means of supporting themselves in a foreign country where they did not speak the language and had no means of returning home.

“These defendants used the promise of well-paid jobs to lure the victims to come to the United States in search of a better future for themselves and their families,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These defendants then proceeded to callously exploit the victims, using their power over them to profit off their hard work. The Department of Justice remains committed to seeking justice for survivors of forced labor schemes, holding perpetrators accountable and stripping wrongdoers of their illegal profits.”

“Forced labor can happen anywhere in the United States, including Iowa. We will continue fighting for victims to ensure those who exploit the promise of working in the United States to coerce labor are held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa. “Thanks to the diligent work of law enforcement, these acts of coercion and compulsion were stopped.”

Investigator Jeremy Tosh of the Ottumwa Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Virginia Bruner and Ryan Leemkuil for the Southern District of Iowa and Trial Attorney Christina Randall-James of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case. 

DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man made his initial appearance today in federal court in Davenport on false statements to a financial institution, bank fraud, and money laundering charges.

Jason Rannfeldt, 51, is charged in a 14-count indictment returned on March 7, 2023. According to court documents, Rannfeldt owned and operated Rannfeldt Clinic or Rannfeldt Family Chiropractic between October 1998 and April 2021 and claimed to own and operate four additional businesses: Perfect Fit Coaching, LLC; PF Nutrition Counseling, LLC; RC Orthotics, LLC: and RC Performance Therapy, LLC. Between January 2021 and May 2021, Rannfeldt submitted eleven false and misleading Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to various financial institutions on behalf of these businesses. Rannfeldt included supporting documents with the PPP loan applications, including tax documents, that contained false or fraudulent misrepresentations. Rannfeldt obtained or attempted to obtain approximately $1,100,000 in PPP loan funds through the submission of the false and misleading PPP loan applications and supporting documentation.

Additionally, on August 9, 2021, Rannfeldt submitted a false and misleading residential mortgage loan application to GreenState Credit Union and provided supporting documents containing false or fraudulent misrepresentations. GreenState Credit Union approved the mortgage loan in the amount of $588,750.

Rannfeldt is charged with seven counts of false statements to a financial institution, six counts of bank fraud, and one count of money laundering. If convicted, he faces maximum sentences of 30 years in prison for each of the false statements to financial institutions and bank fraud counts, and 10 years in prison for money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Small Business Association–Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – A former Iowa State Patrol trooper was sentenced on March 7, 2023, to two years of probation for deprivation of rights under color of law.

According to court documents, on September 25, 2017, Robert James Smith, 58, was on patrol and observed an individual traveling on a motorcycle on Interstate 80 at a speed above the posted speed limit. Smith attempted to catch up to the motorcycle. The motorcyclist exited Interstate 80 in Cedar County, stopped the motorcycle and dismounted. In his marked squad car, Smith exited behind the motorcycle, engaged the overhead lights and siren on his patrol vehicle, parked near and quickly approached the victim with his pistol drawn and pointed at the victim. As the victim was standing next to the motorcycle with hands in the air, Smith delivered an open palm strike to the victim’s chin area. The force of the strike caused the victim to fall back over the motorcycle, after which Smith knelt on and handcuffed the victim, then stood the victim up. In a report about the incident, Smith wrote that he reached with his hand intending to take hold of the victim’s shoulder but instead inadvertently came into contact with the front side of his helmet. In his plea agreement, Smith admitted that his open hand palm strike was intentional, done with a bad purpose or improper motive to disregard the law, and was an unreasonable use of force.

Smith plead guilty in September 2022. Smith was also ordered to pay a fine of $7500.00.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced on March 8, 2023, to 235 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, David Terrell Parrow, 47, sold a pound of methamphetamine on two separate occasions to a confidential informant. In January 2022, the Davenport Police Department then executed a search warrant on Parrow’s residence and recovered marijuana and cocaine base. Following his prison term, Parrow will serve five years of supervised release.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

DAVENPORT, IA – A Muscatine woman was sentenced on March 8, 2023, to 24 months’ imprisonment for Wire Fraud.

According to court documents, Kimberly Nicole Hollingshed, 37, of Muscatine, intentionally and deliberately defrauded an insurance company under materially false pretenses. In February 2022, Hollingshed accessed her neighbor’s term-life insurance policy and created an online profile for the policy without permission of the neighbor. With online account access, Hollingshed made changes to the victim’s policy and added herself as a policy beneficiary.

The fraud continued in April 2022 when Hollingshed falsely reported the victim died and initiated the process to claim death benefits. In fact, the victim was alive in April 2022 when Hollingshed electronically uploaded and submitted a falsified death certificate to the insurance company and was paid $100,138.87 by the life insurance company. In the same period, Hollingshed used the fraudulent funds to purchase three motor vehicles and other personal property. Hollingshed was ordered to pay restitution and serve three years of supervised release at the conclusion of her prison sentence.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Insurance Fraud Bureau and the Muscatine Police Department investigated the case.

DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced on February 28, 2023, to 106 months in prison for possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to court documents, the investigation into Darron Javon Mayo, 25, began when law enforcement found a car with multiple guns in it while clearing a parking lot before a Lil Durk concert in Moline. Law enforcement reviewed surveillance footage and recognized Mayo as one of the people associated with the car. One of the pistols had Mayo’s fingerprint on it.

A search warrant was then executed on Mayo’s residence in Davenport. During the search of Mayo’s residence, law enforcement found cocaine, Clonazolam, and more than 700 grams of marijuana. Officers also located a loaded firearm. As part of his plea, Mayo admitted to possessing the marijuana with the intent to distribute it in the Quad Cities area. Furthermore, Mayo admitted to possessing the firearm in furtherance of distributing and protecting his marijuana. Mayo was convicted of a felony in Illinois and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms. Following his prison term, Mayo was ordered to serve five years of supervised release.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Forest City man was sentenced on February 28, 2023, to 120 months in prison following his plea of guilty to possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, on April 28, 2021, an Iowa State Trooper pulled over Gerald Lawrence Von Ruden, age 53. Von Ruden had an outstanding arrest warrant. Based on the nature of the warrant, the Trooper seized Van Ruden’s electronic devices. A forensic analysis of those devices revealed that Von Ruden received and possessed numerous images and videos of child pornography.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.

DAVENPORT, IA – A Cedar Rapids man was sentenced on February 28, 2023, to 108 months in prison for receipt of child pornography.

According to court documents, the investigation of Justin Richard Mezera, 34, began following a cybertip that Mezera had child pornography-related discussions using his Kik account. Law enforcement executed search warrants at Mezera’s known residences in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City and located multiple devices containing depictions of child pornography, including those depicting masochistic conduct and depicting infants or toddlers. Mezera admitted to possessing, accessing, and receiving child pornography. Following his prison term, Mezera was ordered to serve five years of supervised release and pay $21,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC). In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced on February 27, 2023, to 210 months in prison for Receiving Child Pornography and Possession of Obscene Visual Representation of the Sexual Abuse of Children.

The investigation of Adam Carney Conn, 40, began when the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip that images and videos of child pornography were downloaded to two of Conn’s Google accounts. Conn’s Google accounts had over 1,100 images of child pornography, which were categorized and organized. When law enforcement arrested Conn, he was in possession of electronic devices that contained several hundred more images of child pornography.

Prior to this investigation, a child disclosed that Conn had sexually abused her. The government submitted evidence of the sexual abuse at sentencing, which the Court found to be credible.

Conn’s sentence was ordered to be served consecutively to a sentence he is currently serving in the Iowa Department of Corrections. Following his prison term, Conn was ordered to serve ten years of supervised release and pay $24,000 of restitution.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC). In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 27 months in federal prison for lying to a federal grand jury.

According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Kaleb Bentley, 23, was called to testify as a witness before a federal grand jury in May 2021. While under oath, Bentley provided multiple false statements to the grand jury about a felony investigation involving multiple shots fired incidents and drug trafficking. Bentley’s false statements substantially interfered with the grand jury’s investigation.

After Bentley completes his prison sentence, he will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.

DAVENPORT, IA – A Clinton man was sentenced on February 28, 2023, to 178 months in prison following his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Jovan Fedrick, 38, was identified as part of a large-scale methamphetamine drug trafficking organization operating in California, Iowa, and Illinois. Fedrick and a co-defendant traveled to California to have large quantities of ice methamphetamine transported to Chicago. As part of the investigation, agents seized more than 15 pounds of “ice” methamphetamine and conducted a half-pound purchase of methamphetamine from Fedrick at his residence in Clinton. Following his prison term, Fedrick was ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release.

In December 2021, co-defendant Brent White, 52, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 135 months in prison. In January 2022, co-defendant Michaelene Damian Rojas, 50, of Hemet, California, was sentenced to 135 months in prison. Rojas served as a source of supply for the methamphetamine.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

Des Moines, IA – A Des Moines woman was sentenced Friday, February 24, 2023, to a total of 45 years in prison for conspiring to produce child pornography and child exploitation.

According to court documents, Ashley Marie Butler, age 33, produced child pornography on at least three occasions in 2021 when she videorecorded her co-defendant and husband, Shane William Butler, sexually abusing a minor victim. Videos of the sexual abuse of the minor victim and child pornography were located on Shane Butler and Ashley Butler’s cell phones.

Chief United States District Court Judge Stephanie Marie Rose imposed a 30-year sentence on the conspiracy count and a 15-year sentence on the production count, to be served consecutively, for a total sentence of 45 years. After her prison term, Butler was also ordered to serve a total of 10 years of supervised release. In addition, Butler was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution as well as a $200 fine to the Crime Victim’s Assistance Fund.

Co-defendant Shane Butler also received a 45-year sentence in December 2022.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines Police Department, the Polk County Attorney’s Office, the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa prosecuted the case.

Davenport, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced to 174 months of imprisonment, on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, for possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing a distribution amount of fentanyl.

According to court documents, on November 1, 2021, Linder Kai Divos, age 27, was in possession of a Taurus, nine-millimeter pistol, as well as 96 grams of methamphetamine and 564 fake Percocet pills, which contained fentanyl. Divos ran from the police. Prior to his arrest, law enforcement purchased pills containing fentanyl from Divos. After he is released from prison, Divos will serve five years of supervised release.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

Des Moines, IA – A West Des Moines man was sentenced today to 60 years in prison for multiple child exploitation offenses.

For the last twelve years, Jonathan Francis Speidel, age 31, of West Des Moines, used social media platforms, including Snapchat, Kik, TikTok, and MeetMe, to communicate with minor females. During the conversations, Speidel directed numerous children to take explicit photos or videos of themselves. To persuade children to produce and send him child pornography, Speidel used various tactics. Among other things, Speidel misrepresented facts about himself, such as his name, employment information, and age; he paid children in exchange for sexually explicit content; he claimed to be looking for models; and he sent children child pornography or depictions of him masturbating. The minor victims ranged in age from 8 to 17 years old and were located across the United States, including several victims who lived in or near Des Moines.

Over the same period, Speidel collected and exchanged child pornography using various internet sites. On or about March 30, 2022, Speidel knowingly possessed visual depictions of child pornography, including over 800 images and over 200 videos, some of which included minors younger than twelve years old.

Speidel also traveled over state lines with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a child. While living in Oregon from October 2018 to August 2019, Speidel engaged in a sexual relationship with a child, who was between 14 and 15 years old. Speidel was charged in Oregon with several counts of sexual abuse. Those charges remain pending. After being charged, Speidel returned to the Des Moines area some time in 2020. In September 2020, Speidel flew to Oregon, picked up the child, who by that time had turned 16 years old, and drove the child to Washington. Speidel took the child to Washington, where the age of consent is 16, younger than the age of consent in Oregon. The purpose of Speidel’s trip was to engage in sexually explicit conduct with the child and to produce child pornography. In Washington, Speidel did both of those things with the child.

Following his prison term, Speidel will be on supervised release for life and required to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.

After the sentencing, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “We are proud of the work of our FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in Des Moines. This joint investigation brought an end to Jonathan Speidel’s appalling and heinous crimes. Today’s sentence ensures Speidel will no longer be allowed to victimize children. It also sends a message to predators, the FBI and our federal, state, and local partners will remain relentless to ensure children are protected.”

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber Crime Bureau Special Agent in Charge, and Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Commander Nathaniel McLaren said “This case highlights the collaboration of information between ICAC Task Force agencies combating this type of child sexual exploitation. The DCI Cyber Crime Bureau - Iowa ICAC Task Force worked closely alongside Ohio Law Enforcement, and Oregon (State) Law Enforcement to arrest the suspect. This collaboration ultimately led to the identification of numerous victims nationwide and multiple victims locally in the Des Moines area.”

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa said “Speidel is a dangerous child predator, pure and simple. Today’s sentence provides some degree of justice for Speidel’s actions to the victims, who in the face of indescribable trauma, have courageously contributed to help prevent Speidel from harming any other minors. For over a decade, he targeted, manipulated and enticed minors, exchanging thousands of electronic messages, with the goal to produce child pornography and engage in illegal sex acts. Our thanks to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and their continued dedication to protecting children and bringing individuals like Speidel to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Cyber Crime Bureau and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in Des Moines, the North Olmstead, Ohio Police Department, and the Gladstone, Oregon Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Essley prosecuted the case.

The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to have open and ongoing conversations about internet safety with children. For more information about internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the Publication & Resources tab.

Des Moines, IA – A Nevada, Iowa man was sentenced today to 121 months in prison following his guilty plea for possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, on or about December 21, 2021, William Ryan Buttermore, age 24, knowingly possessed visual depictions of child pornography, including 44 images and four videos, some of which depicted infants and other minors younger than 12 years old. Buttermore downloaded the material from the internet. In addition, Buttermore used an account on Kik Messenger to transport child pornography to others and to encourage others to produce child pornography and engage in sex acts with children. Following his prison term, Buttermore must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Story County Sheriff’s Department, in conjunction with the Iowa Crimes Against Children Task Force, investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Essley prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

DAVENPORT, IA – An Iowa City man was sentenced on February 21, 2023, to 14 years in prison following his plea to two counts of receiving child pornography.

According to court documents, Luke Kenneth Beckner, age 21, utilized his cellphone and social media accounts to meet minor females and solicit pornography from them. Beckner traveled to meet at least two of the minors and engaged in sexual intercourse with them. After receiving pornographic images, Beckner distributed some of the images of two identified minors to another person. Following his prison term, Beckner was ordered to serve an eight-year term of supervised release.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Diamond Cook, age 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 16, 2023, to 48 months in prison following his plea of guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. After he is released from prison, Cook will serve three years of supervised release.

On February 24, 2022, a Fremont County Deputy stopped a car on Interstate 29 for not displaying registration and a nonworking brake light. The deputy could smell marijuana coming from the car. Cook was a passenger and lied about his name. During a search of the car, law enforcement located a loaded handgun. Cook is prohibited from having any firearms because he is a convicted felon.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Fremont Cunty Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

DES MOINES, IA – A Dallas Center woman was sentenced on February 14, 2023, to 18 months in prison for wire fraud.

According to court documents, Jordyn Darion Culp, age 28, stole $273,698 from the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program. From approximately October 2019 to September 2021, Culp accessed FEGLI trust accounts through her employment and fraudulently transferred money from the FEGLI accounts to her personal bank account. Using the funds, Culp purchased a motorcycle, motorhome, and cargo trailer which were forfeited. Culp posted TikTok videos discussing her purchases. Culp was ordered to pay restitution and after her prison sentence she will serve three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Insurance Fraud Bureau investigated the case.

DAVENPORT, IA – A federal jury convicted Davenport men, Najawaun Marcus Quinn, 26, and Dimetri Alexander Smith, 30, yesterday following a 7-day jury trial for racketeering related charges. Quinn was convicted of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Smith was convicted of two counts of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering and two counts of Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in 2016 and 2017, as members of Savage Life Boys (SLB), a Davenport-based street gang, Quinn and Smith were involved in multiple shootings, including at a residence on the 5400 block of North Division Street in October 2016, at the NorthPark Mall in January 2017, and at Centennial Park in April 2017. These shootings were due to a feud with a rival gang and responses to perceived disrespect to the SLB gang.

Quinn and Smith were also involved in a February 2017 homicide at the Hotel Davenport for which Darion Gardner, 27, of Davenport, another SLB member, pleaded guilty to racketeering related charges and was sentenced to 450 months in prison.

Quinn and Smith committed these acts with the intent to maintain or increase position in the SLB gang.

Quinn and Smith will be sentenced at a later date.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal stated “We will continue to pursue and aggressively prosecute those individuals and groups of individuals that choose to commit violent crimes. This investigation, trial and hard work of our partners at the Davenport Police Department exemplifies our joint commitment to using every tool available to combat gun violence and protect the communities we serve.”

Davenport Police Chief Jeffery E. Bladel said “The tremendous work of our investigators and federal partners delivered justice for those impacted by these violent crimes. This case demonstrates the outstanding partnership and collaboration between federal prosecutors and local law enforcement that is vital to keeping our community safe. The Davenport Police Department is dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of our community and bringing those who commit violent crimes to justice.”

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Cornelius Lavaughn David, age 35, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced on February 15, 2023, to 30 months in prison following his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. After he is released from prison, David will serve three years of supervised release.

In January 2022, David possessed and sold a firearm that was reported stolen. Prior to possessing the firearm, David was convicted of a felony which prohibited him from possessing firearms.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Omaha Police Department, Council Bluffs Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Alan Scott Lawton, age 42, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced on February 15, 2023, to 66 months in prison following his plea of guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. After he is released from prison, Lawton will serve three years of supervised release.

On June 8, 2022, a law enforcement observed Lawton putting items in a storage unit. Lawton fled in his Jeep and drove through a security fence, then took off on foot. After a short chase, he was apprehended. Along Lawton’s flight path, law enforcement located a loaded pistol that had been reported stolen.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Her Tou Yang, age 42, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced on February 15, 2023, to 60 months and 1 day in prison following his plea of guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. After he is released from prison, Yang will serve two years of supervised release.

On August 15, 2021, Yang possessed approximately five pounds of marijuana and a firearm that was reported stolen and sold them to another individual in Council Bluffs. On September 9, 2021, Yang possessed and sold an AR-style rifle in Council Bluffs.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Cindy Anne Ortiz, age 46 of Omaha, was sentenced on February 1, 2023, to 156 months in prison. In September 2022, a jury rendered a guilty verdict convicting Ortiz of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Upon her release from prison, Ortiz was ordered to serve five years of supervised release.

On November 21, 2021, law enforcement officers were called to the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Council Bluffs regarding an unresponsive male in one of the hotel rooms. Ortiz rented the hotel room and reported the unresponsive male (an acquaintance) in her room to the front desk. The male was pronounced dead. Law enforcement searched the hotel room and bags Ortiz was seen carrying into the room on surveillance footage. Ortiz’s bag contained 643 grams of methamphetamine, empty baggies, a scale, and other paraphernalia.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated the case.

Des Moines, IA – Russell Glenn Crane, age 44, of Urbandale, was sentenced today to 78 months in prison following his guilty plea to a charge of Possession of Child Pornography. Crane must also serve a five-year term of supervised release following his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on or about January 6, 2022, Crane knowingly possessed visual depictions of child pornography, including over 20,000 images and at least four videos, some of which depicted minors younger than 12 years old. Using several electronic devices, Crane had collected the child pornography over the course of at least a decade by downloading the material from various internet sites.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Urbandale Police Department, Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Essley prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Ryan Daniel Linehan, age 42, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 31, 2023, to 100 months in prison following his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. After he is released from prison, Linehan will serve three years of supervised release.

On February 5, 2021, law enforcement encountered Linehan at work, operating an excavator. When notified officers were there to arrest him on an outstanding warrant, Linehan barricaded himself in the excavator, in possession of a loaded Ruger handgun, which led to a nine-hour standoff. In Linehan’s truck, officers also located a loaded Hi-Point handgun.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department, United States Marshal Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Garret Allen Horgdal, age 39, of Henderson, was sentenced on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, to 84 months in prison following his plea of guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. After he is released from prison, Horgdal will serve three years of supervised release.

On March 8, 2022, a Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy stopped Horgdal and found him in possession of three loaded firearms. Horgdal was prohibited from possessing any firearms because of his prior felony convictions and his drug use.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, Mills County Sheriff’s Department, and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement investigated the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.

DES MOINES, IA – Shaun Taylor Solem, age 27, of Des Moines, was sentenced on February 1, 2023, to a total of 360 months in prison for multiple child exploitation offenses. Following his prison term, Solem will be on supervised release for ten years and required to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.

In 2019 and 2020, Solem communicated with multiple minor females on Snapchat, including victims he knew were as young as twelve years old. During his communications, Solem falsely stated that he was a similar age. Solem requested and received sexually explicit images from many of the victims. He directed several of the minor victims to take explicit photos or videos of themselves and multiple victims did. After receiving the images, Solem threatened to disseminate their images to family, friends, or publicly if the victims did not continue to send sexual images to him. The minor victims ranged in age from 12 to 16 years old and were located across the United States, including at least three minor victims who lived near Des Moines.

“Parents, please continue to be aware of who your children and teenagers are interacting with on social media sites. Relentless predators like Solem have no reservation in attempting to exploit their way into any home via the internet. In this case, the combined efforts of a vigilant parent and dedicated law enforcement officers brought a dangerous predator out from behind his keyboard and into incarceration for a lengthy period of time. Child exploitation of any kind will not be tolerated, and predators will be brought to justice,” United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal said. The case was investigated by the Urbandale Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force.

The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to have open and ongoing conversations about internet safety with children. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the Publications & Resources tab.

Des Moines, IA – Kenneth Quinton Crosby, age 24, of Des Moines, was sentenced today to 12 months and 1 day in prison following his guilty plea to four counts of False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm and one count of Unlawful Drug User in Possession of Firearms. Following his prison term, Crosby also will have to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, Crosby purchased at least five firearms in 2020 and 2021. Each time he did, Crosby knowingly made several false misrepresentations on a required form, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive (ATF) Form 4473. This Form requires firearm buyers to answer several questions, including those about the buyer’s competency, criminal history, drug use, immigration status, and history with domestic violence. On February 9, 2022, Crosby knowingly possessed four pistols while being an unlawful user of marijuana.

U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Essley prosecuted the case.

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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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.