Southern District of Iowa

DES MOINES, IA – On Thursday, May 29, 2014, Dr. Lafayette James Twyner, age 65, of Newton, Iowa, was sentenced to 5 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose on charges relating to his alleged unlawful dissemination of controlled substances to patients, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.

“Neither state nor federal authorities in Southern Iowa will turn a blind eye to health care professionals who criminally abuse their authority to prescribe controlled substances and bill insurance companies,” explained U.S. Attorney Nicholas Klinefeldt. “The safety of the community is our top priority.”

Dr. Twyner had previously pled guilty on February 21, 2014 to federal charges of illegally dispensing hydrocodone resulting in death, and health care fraud. Over the course of several years, Dr. Twyner prescribed various controlled substances, mostly pain medications, to patients who had no legitimate need for them, and to some who were admittedly addicted to them. He then billed the patients - and their insurance companies - for the office visits when they sought drugs from him.

Judge Rose accepted the terms of a plea agreement between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Dr. Twyner, which also called for Dr. Twyner to serve three years of home confinement after he is released from the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Court based its decision to accept the agreement, in part, on Dr. Twyner’s extraordinary acceptance of responsibility for his actions, which he demonstrated by surrendering his registration to prescribe controlled substances and his medical license while the investigation was ongoing, but before he was charged.

A search warrant was executed on Tuesday, April 5, 2011, at the location of Urgent Care Clinic in Newton, where Dr. Twyner formerly practiced medicine. Records of the Iowa Board of Pharmacy show Dr. Twyner voluntarily surrendered his registration to prescribe controlled substances on April 12, 2011, which was accepted by the Iowa Board of Pharmacy on April 27, 2011. Urgent Care closed one month later, on May 27, 2011. After being charged with unprofessional conduct in January 2012 by the Iowa Board of Medicine related to his dispensing of controlled substances, Dr. Twyner entered in a settlement agreement on July 12, 2012, with the Iowa Board of Medicine in which he agreed to voluntarily surrender his Iowa medical license, and pay a $10,000 fine.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulates the distribution of highly-addictive, or controlled, substances. Its regulatory system classifies substances based on their potential for abuse and dependence, their accepted medical use, and their safety for use under medical supervision. Schedule I contains the most dangerous, addictive, and restricted drugs, with Schedule V containing the least, though still dangerous, of the substances in the hierarchical scheme.

Doctors, pharmacists, and other health care professionals with DEA registrations can lawfully dispense controlled substances if they are doing so in the usual course of their professional practices and for a legitimate medical purpose, but act unlawfully when they do things such as knowingly issuing a prescription to someone who is abusing or diverting a drug, like Dr. Twyner.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jasper County Sheriff's Department, the Newton Police Department, and the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA – On May 30, 2014, Corey Damon Keys, age 29, of Burlington, Iowa, was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release following the imprisonment, and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

Beginning in approximately March 2012 and continuing until about April 24, 2013, Keys conspired with other persons to distribute cocaine in the Burlington, Iowa, area. On multiple occasions during the above-mentioned time period, co-defendant Shane Francis Culbertson sold an undercover law enforcement agent cocaine in multi-ounce quantities. Keys conspired with Culbertson for at least some of those transactions.

On January 21, 2014, Judge Jarvey sentenced Culbertson, of Burlington, Iowa, to 30 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. On January 24, 2014, co-defendants Akeem Levelle Eison and Zachary Robert Shullaw, both of Burlington, Iowa, were sentenced by Judge Jarvey to 100 months and 37 months imprisonment, respectively, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Both were also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following the imprisonment and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Burlington, Iowa, Police Department, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On May 15, 2014, Newberry Winfield Wright, a 22 year-old resident of Oakland, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge James Gritzner to 36 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after the term of imprisonment, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.

On February 6, 2014, Wright pled guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm which was the result of an investigation by law enforcement into a report of shots being fired at the Farm Creek Wildlife Area near Carson, Iowa. Wright was located a short distance from the Farm Creek Wildlife Area by deputies with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department. Wright was found to have in his possession a Smith and Wesson .50 caliber handgun and .50 caliber ammunition. Wright was prohibited from possessing a firearm after he pled guilty in 2012 to a felony controlled substance violation.

The investigation was conducted by the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA – On May 12, 2014, Charles Louis Linville, age 71, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. United States District Judge John A. Jarvey also sentenced Linville to a five-year term of supervised release, following his term of imprisonment.

Linville was identified during a peer-to-peer file sharing investigation. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Linville’s address, seized his computer, and determined that Linville possessed thousands of images of child pornography. Linville also possessed multiple digital recording devices, including video capable underwater face masks, which he had used to create videos of a minor female swimming in her bathing suit.

This case was investigated by the Scott County Sherriff’s Office and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On April 25, 2014, Heather Jean Reekers, a 38 year-old resident of Glenwood, Iowa, was sentenced by United States Senior District Court Judge Robert Pratt to 60 months in prison, and five years of supervised release, following the period of imprisonment, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On January 3, 2014, Reekers pled guilty to the charge, which resulted from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration into the distribution of methamphetamine from the Southwestern United States into Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa.

Reekers’ co-defendant, Jose Raul Guevara, was sentenced previously by Senior Judge Robert Pratt to ten years in prison.

The investigation was conducted by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Glenwood, Iowa, Police Department, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On April 25, 2014, Franklin D. Schmidt, Jr, a 49 year-old resident of Atlantic, Iowa, was sentenced by United States Senior District Court Judge Robert Pratt to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Judge Pratt also ordered Schmidt to serve five years of supervised release following the period of imprisonment.

On April 26, 2013, Schmidt obtained methamphetamine from his South Omaha source and was stopped by law enforcement before he could distribute it in and around Cass County, Iowa. The investigation revealed that Schmidt was also responsible for distribution of marijuana along with methamphetamine.

On December 5, 2013, Schmidt pled guilty to the charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which resulted from an investigation by law enforcement into the transportation and distribution of methamphetamine from South Omaha, Nebraska to Cass County, Iowa.

The investigation was conducted by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the Atlantic, Iowa, Police Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA - On Friday, April 18, 2014, the last of ten defendants from Marshalltown, Iowa and elsewhere were sentenced on federal drug trafficking and money laundering charges announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. District Judge Stephanie M. Rose sentenced Jose Sanchez Adame, age 40, of Marshalltown, Iowa, to 216 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. Sanchez Adame was also ordered to serve a term of five years supervised release following the period of imprisonment, and to pay $200 to the Crime Victim Fund. Julian Marin Gutierrez, age 53, of San Jose, California, was sentenced to 204 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and two counts of money laundering. Gutierrez was sentenced to a concurrent five years imprisonment for three counts of structuring financial transactions, and was ordered to serve concurrent terms of supervised release of five and three years, following imprisonment, as well as to pay $700 to the Crime Victim Fund.

This case arose from a two-year investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine in the Marshalltown area. This organization was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine in and around Marshalltown from at least 2010 through 2012. Proceeds from the sale of the methamphetamine were transported in bulk cash shipments, including $134,960 seized during a traffic stop in March 2012, in Cass County, Iowa. Other drug proceeds were funneled through bank deposits made in Iowa and withdrawn in California.

The investigation culminated in the arrests of ten individuals in Marshalltown and Ankeny, Iowa on November 20, 2012. The individuals, charged in December 2012 with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, included: Jose Luis Sanchez Adame, Jose Sanchez Adame, Julian Marin Gutierrez, Antonio Cebrero Mendiola, Raymundo Sotel Calderon, Fidel Sanchez, Kyla Forbes, Shannon Fogle, James Buffington and Fernando Camacho.

After seven defendants plead guilty, Jose Sanchez Adame, Julian Marin Gutierrez and Fidel Sanchez were convicted following a jury trial in November 2013. Fidel Sanchez, age 42, of Marshalltown, was sentenced to 108 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and ordered to serve five years supervised release, following the period of imprisonment, and to pay $600 to the Crime Victim Fund.

The following defendants were sentenced on prior dates:

-- Kyla Forbes, age 39, of Marshalltown, was sentenced to 75 months imprisonment and ordered to serve five years and three years concurrent supervised release, after being released from prison, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

-- Fernando Camacho was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment and ordered to serve a one-year term of supervised release for use of a communication facility in the commission of a drug felony.

-- Jose Luis Sanchez Adame, age 37, of Marshalltown, and Antonio Cebrero Mendiola, age 27, of Ankeny, were each sentenced to 120 months imprisonment and ordered to serve five years supervised release, after being released from prison, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

-- Raymundo Sotel Calderon, age 40, of Marshalltown, was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment, and ordered to serve three years of supervised release, following the term of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

-- James Buffington, age 44, of Marshalltown, was sentenced to 92 months imprisonment followed by five years supervised release, following his term of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

-- Shannon Fogle, age 32, of Marshalltown, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, and ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release, following the term of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

In a related case, Rogelio Guevara, Jr., age 32, of Marshalltown, was sentenced to 144 months and ordered to serve five years supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

This investigation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The principal mission of the OCDETF Program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation's illegal drug supply. Agencies participating in this investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Mid Iowa Drug Task Force (MIDTF), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Marshalltown, Iowa, Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (MINE) Task Force. This case was prosecuted by the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA- On April 17, 2014, Isrrael Anthony Santiago, Jr., age 25, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner to 46 months imprisonment, after pleading guilty to felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Santiago was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund. In determining Santiago’s sentence, the district court noted that on March 1, 2012, Santiago displayed a handgun to a victim at a Davenport residence, and later fled from responding police officers armed with the same handgun.

This case was being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Davenport Police Department.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On Friday, April 11, 2014, Sergio Maldonado-Butler, age 29, of Avoca, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment for failing to register with the sex offender registry, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Judge Rose also ordered Maldonado-Butler to serve a five-year term of supervised release following incarceration.

In August of 2013, law enforcement was called to a disturbance involving Maldonado-Butler, and during the investigation determined that Maldonado-Butler was required to register as a sexual offender based on a 2005 conviction for rape in the State of Oregon.

On December 5, 2014, Maldonado-Butler entered a guilty plea to failing to register with the Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Sheriff's Office as required when he began residing in Avoca, Iowa. Maldonado-Butler had resided in Avoca, Iowa for approximately six months without registering with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

The investigation was conducted by the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshal's Service, and the case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On Friday, April 11, 2014, Jeramie L. Reazer, age 37, last known address in Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment for failing to register with the sex offender registry by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Judge Rose also ordered Reazer to serve a five-year term of supervised release following incarceration.

In May of 2013, law enforcement determined that Reazer had been residing in Mills County, Iowa, for approximately a month without registering with the Mills County Sheriff's Office as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Reazer was required to register with the Mills County Sheriff’s Office as a result of a conviction for Sexual Assault in the Third Degree in Douglas County, Nebraska in 2005. On November 25, 2014, Reazer entered a guilty plea to failing to register with the Mills County, Iowa, Sheriff's Office as required when he began residing in rural, Mills County, Iowa.

The investigation was conducted by the Douglas County Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshal's Service and the case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DES MOINES, IA – On April 2, 2014, an indictment charging Mark Graziano, part owner of Bauder Pharmacy, and A. Michael Enloe, was unsealed following the defendants’ arraignment, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. The sixteen-count indictment charges both Graziano and Enloe with the charge of conspiracy to distribute hydrocodone, a controlled substance, and further charges Graziano with eleven counts of mail fraud and four counts of tax evasion.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000. The charge of mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The charge of tax evasion, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7201, carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000.

Today’s indictment is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Prosecution of this matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The public is reminded that an indictment is only an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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On March 25, 2014, Tony Lee Stogdill, age 46, of Imogene, Iowa, was sentenced in the United States District Court in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the charge of interstate transportation of a person under 18 years of age for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Stogdill to 210 months imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release to follow the prison term. Stogdill was ordered to register on the sex offender registry, pay restitution (in an amount yet to be determined) and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim Fund. Stogdill remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending his designation to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.

Stogdill pled guilty on November 7, 2013, to a United States Attorney’s Information charging one count of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The Information alleged that Stogdill transported a 15 year-old female from Iowa to Nebraska, Missouri, and Illinois, then back to Iowa and during the trip, Stogdill forcibly and against the will of the child, engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor. During the change of plea proceeding, Stogdill admitted he was an over-the-road trucker and from June 4 – 6, 2009, he took a 15 year-old female with him on a trucking trip and engaged in sex acts with the child. Stogdill admitted his actions were a historical pattern of conduct with the minor female.

Tony Stogdill’s wife, Jennifer, in an agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office, pled guilty in the Iowa District Court for Fremont County to compounding a felony regarding her “cover-up” of Tony Stogdill’s sexual abuse of a minor child in late 2009. Jennifer Stogdill was sentenced by the state court to a term of probation.

Tony Stogdill has been convicted of sex related crimes twice, prior to the instant offense. Stogdill was convicted on March 13, 1989, in Fremont County, Iowa, of false imprisonment and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. Stogdill was also convicted in Fremont County, Iowa, on October 21, 1991, of third degree sexual abuse.

The criminal investigation was carried out by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, the Fremont County Attorney’s Office, the South West Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department, the Omaha, Nebraska, Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA - On March 28, 2014, Shannon Wade Watson, age 39, formerly of Wapello, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to 120 months imprisonment for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Watson was ordered to serve fifteen years of supervised release following the period of imprisonment, and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund. Watson will also be required to register as a sex offender.

In July of 2011, a Scott County Deputy and member of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force participated in an online investigation of the possession of child pornography. The deputy identified images of child pornography on a computer later identified as belonging to Shannon Wade Watson. On September 26, 2011, a search warrant was conducted at Watson’s Wapello residence, resulting in the seizure of the identified computer and related equipment. A forensic examination of a computer hard drive and two thumb drives identified over 300 images of child pornography. Watson pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in November of 2013.

This case was investigated by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force and the United States Secret Service Cyber-Crimes Unit. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA - On March 28, 2014, Matthew Scott Hiles, age 29, formerly of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to 70 months imprisonment for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Hiles was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following imprisonment, and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund. Hiles will also be required to register as a sex offender.

In April 2013, a Davenport, Iowa, police detective, and member of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, conducted an online investigation and identified images of child pornography on a computer later identified to Hiles at his Davenport residence. As part of an April 26, 2013, search warrant this identified computer and computer equipment were seized from Hiles’s bedroom and determined by forensic examination to contain multiple child pornography images and videos. Hiles pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in November of 2013.

This case was investigated by the Davenport, Iowa, Police Department, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force and the United States Secret Service Cyber-Crimes Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On March 25, 2014, Jesse R. Salmons-Rice, a 31 year-old resident of Malvern, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge John Jarvey to 132 months in prison for manufacturing methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Salmons-Rice was also ordered to serve eight years of supervised release following the period of imprisonment.

On September 4, 2013, Salmons-Rice pled guilty to manufacturing methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of the real property of a school. The guilty plea was the result of an investigation by law enforcement into the manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine in and around Mills County, Iowa. Salmons-Rice was found to have been manufacturing methamphetamine on or about November 6, 2012, in the loft of his garage which was located within twenty-eight feet of an elementary school in Malvern, Iowa.

The investigation was conducted by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Iowa Division of Narcotic Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On March 25, 2014, Matthew Corey Cummings, a 31 year-old resident of Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge John Jarvey to 63 months in prison for money laundering and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Judge Jarvey also ordered Cummings to serve two years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

On November 1, 2013, Cummings pled guilty to both charges as a result of an investigation being conducted by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force into the distribution of controlled substances being distributed in Pottawattamie County from Colorado. Money from the sale of these controlled substances was being returned to Colorado through a bank account which was set up for that purpose. In addition, when arrested while transporting marijuana into Pottawattamie County, Cummings was found to have a handgun in his possession.

The investigation was conducted by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Aurora Colorado Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA – On March 21, 2014, Kyle Joseph Boileau, age 27, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 48 months in prison for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Boileau was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following the imprisonment and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

Beginning in during or about April 2012, and continuing until on or about December 5, 2012, Boileau conspired with others to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine in the Washington County, Iowa area. During this time period Boileau manufactured methamphetamine both for himself and several other persons. During this period other persons provided Boileau pseudoephedrine, or other materials necessary for methamphetamine manufacture, and he provided them a portion of the resultant methamphetamine he manufactured. On December 5, 2012, law enforcement approached a vehicle occupied by Boileau after it parked on the town square in Washington, Iowa. Boileau was in the process of manufacturing methamphetamine in the vehicle when it was approached. On that same date, police located a variety of items indicative of methamphetamine manufacture during a search of Boileau’s apartment residence in nearby Wayland, Iowa.

This case was investigated by the Washington-Louisa County Drug Task Force, the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Johnson County Drug Task Force, and the Muscatine County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA – On January 22, 2014, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Shane Roger Hoiland, age 21, with the February 25, 2013, bank robbery of the Clinton National Bank, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Hoiland made his initial appearance in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 13, 2014. He is being held in custody pending resolution of the case. Hoiland faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years and a maximum fine of $250,000.

As in all criminal cases, the indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clinton, Iowa, Police Department, and is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Any media inquiries should be directed to Kevin VanderSchel, First Assistant United States Attorney, at the contact number provided above.

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DAVENPORT, IA- On March 7, 2014, Samuel Henderson III, age 61, formerly of Davenport, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to 156 months imprisonment, after pleading guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Henderson was also ordered to serve fifteen years of supervised release and pay $200 towards the Crime Victims Fund. Henderson will also be required to register as a sex offender. Between June 14 and July 11, 2013, Henderson used a cellular phone to persuade, induce, entice and coerce a 14 year old female to engage in criminal sexual offenses. During this same time period, Henderson knowingly possessed images of child pornography on his cellular phone.

This case was being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service Cyber-Crimes Task Force, the Davenport Police Department and the Moline Police Department.

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DES MOINES, IA – On February 21, 2014, Benjaman Shelabarger, a thirty-six-year-old former resident of Dallas Center, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner to 210 months in prison on child pornography charges, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Judge Gritzner also ordered Shelabarger to serve five years of supervised release following the period of imprisonment.

Shelabarger’s sentence was enhanced, in part, because he falsely testified during trial that a relative was responsible instead of the defendant, which the judge found constituted an obstruction of justice. Shelabager’s sentence was also enhanced because he had movies and images of very young children being sexually assaulted, used a computer, and had a large number of child pornography movies and images.

Shelabarger was originally charged in March 2013 with one count of illegally possessing child pornography, and was additionally charged with knowingly receiving child pornography when the indictment was superseded in October 2013. A jury unanimously convicted Shelabarger on both counts on November 6, 2013.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, a division of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, Cyber Crime Unit, and the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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WASHINGTON – A civilian employee of the U.S. Navy posted at the Capodichino Navy Base near Naples, Italy, was arraigned yesterday in Norfolk, Va., for allegedly obtaining more than $360,000 in housing benefits that he was not entitled to receive.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.

Steven William Ashton, 41, was charged in a seven-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the Southern District of Iowa on Feb. 19, 2014. He is charged with theft of government funds for obtaining more than $360,000 in housing benefits, called Living Quarters Assistance (LQA), to which he was not entitled. He is also charged with presenting a falsified lease and making false statements in an effort to justify those benefits when confronted by a federal agent from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).

According to court documents, from April 2004 to the present, Ashton has been employed by the Navy as the NATO and Host Nation Programs Manager for the regions of Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia, managing contracts and agreements among the Navy and other countries to support the United States’ military efforts. Because he lived off-base, he was entitled to an LQA allowance to reimburse him for his payments for rent and other housing expenses. But when he allegedly moved in with his future wife and stopped paying rent in November 2005, he continued receiving the rental subsidies even though he was no longer eligible for them. When confronted by an NCIS agent investigating the matter, Ashton allegedly forged a lease in 2013 with his father-in-law – who had died in 2007 – and provided the lease along with false explanations to the NCIS agent.

Ashton is also charged with creating and submitting to the U.S. Navy various fraudulent documents to obtain other benefits. According to the indictment, Ashton created false documents to obtain a Foreigners’ Permit of Stay from the Italian government that allowed him to travel in and out of Italy without a visa and to be tax exempt for wages earned in Italy. He also allegedly created false documents to obtain a Permanent Logistic Support letter that gave Ashton Navy benefits such as purchasing tax-free gas at a savings of more than 50 percent, and a Civilian Access Card that provided him free access to U.S. military facilities world-wide, including use of the tax-free military shopping facilities. In addition, Ashton used fraudulent U.S. Coast Guard documentation purporting to show that Ashton had the licenses needed to moor a boat at discounted rates in the Bay of Naples, which saved him more than $28,000 in mooring fees.

Ashton was arrested on the Navy base in Italy and flown to Norfolk for his initial appearance. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 4, 2014 in the Southern District of Iowa.

This case was investigated by the NCIS and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Director of Procurement Fraud Litigation Catherine Votaw of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifford Cronk of the Southern District of Iowa.

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DES MOINES, IA - The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, Nicholas A. Klinefeldt, announces that Lafayette James Twyner, Jr., age 64, a former doctor in Newton, Iowa, pleaded guilty in United States District Court on February 21, 2014, to one count of health care fraud and one count of illegal distribution of a schedule III controlled substance resulting in death, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. If approved by the district court at sentencing, the plea agreement calls for Twyner to serve a total of 8 years of incarceration, which will include 5 years in prison and 3 years of home and/or community confinement.

“The illegal distribution and abuse of prescription drugs is a significant problem,” explained Klinefeldt. “Our office, and the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that assisted with this prosecution, take seriously our duty to protect the public from such practices,” he added.

Federal law permits doctors, pharmacists, and other health care professionals with U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration registrations to lawfully dispense controlled substances if they are doing so in the usual course of their professional practices and for a legitimate medical purpose, but makes it illegal for them to knowingly issue a prescription to someone who is abusing or diverting a drug.

The indictment, filed October 23, 2012, charges Twyner with prescribing controlled substances in a manner likely to cause, and that did cause, dependence, addiction, and in one case, death, as well as failing to change his prescribing practices, even after being made aware of obvious signs of patient drug abuse and diversion. Additionally, the indictment alleges he caused various insurance companies to be billed for prescriptions and services that were not for a legitimate medical purpose.

Twyner surrendered his registration to prescribe controlled substances to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in April 2011, shortly after a federal search warrant was executed at the location of now-defunct Urgent Care Clinic in Newton, where he then practiced medicine. According to public records from the Iowa Board of Medicine, Twyner, who was first licensed in Iowa in 1976, surrendered his license to practice medicine in 2012, and agreed to pay a $10,000 fine. Twyner was cited by the Iowa Board of Medicine for “engaging in a pattern of willful and repeated violation of the laws and rules governing the practice of medicine in Iowa, placing patients at risk of serious harm, when he prescribed excessive controlled substances to numerous patients, including patients with known drug histories.”

The investigation was a joint local, state, and federal effort, spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-Office of Diversion Control, and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office. Other assisting agencies were the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (MINE)-East Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Jasper County Attorney’s Office, and Iowa Board of Medicine. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA - On February 19, 2014, Julian Jerome Collins, age 22, formerly from Burlington, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner to 90 months of imprisonment, after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm as a felon, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Collins was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release following the period of imprisonment, and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

On June 14, 2013, Collins was found in possession of a 9 millimeter Ruger handgun, after a prior felony drug conviction. In determining Collins’s sentence, the district court found he had two prior convictions for crimes of violence, and possessed the firearm in connection with another felony offense.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Burlington, Iowa, Police Department, the West Burlington, Iowa, Police Department, and the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On February 14, 2014, Patrick Lawrence Estrada, a 35 year-old resident of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 77 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.

Estrada pled guilty on November 1, 2013, to the charge, which was the result of an investigation conducted by the Council Bluffs, Police Department into a disturbance at a retail store on April 21, 2013. The investigation determined that Estrada possessed a .40 caliber Springfield semi-automatic firearm in his car’s glove box. Estrada has been prohibited from possessing a firearm since 2003.

The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On February 14, 2014, Azucena Carmen Cordero, a 35 year-old resident of Atlantic, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from July of 2012 until January 21, 2013, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.

Cordero pled guilty on October 15, 2013, to the charge, which was the result of an investigation conducted into methamphetamine distribution in and around the Atlantic, Iowa area. Cordero obtained methamphetamine from a source in South Omaha, Nebraska, distributing it in Atlantic, Iowa, and to a person in Polk City, Iowa. Co-defendant Paul Jessen was previously sentenced to 122 months by Judge Rose.

The investigation was conducted by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the Atlantic, Iowa, Police Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotic Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On February 14, 2014, Jason Shane Steckelberg, a 49 year-old resident of Fontanelle, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on April 3, 2013, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.

Steckelberg obtained methamphetamine from a source in South Omaha, Nebraska, and transported it back to Adair County for redistribution. On April 3, 2013, Steckelberg was stopped by law enforcemen,t and over 125 grams of pure methamphetamine was located in his car along with cash and other items that are indicative of drug trafficking. Steckelberg pled guilty on November 1, 2013, to the charge, which was the result of an investigation conducted into methamphetamine distribution in and around the Adair and Cass County area.

The investigation was conducted by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Narcotic Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA – On February 14, 2014, Cesar Alexis Gonzalez, age 29, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey to 168 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Gonzalez was also ordered to serve eight years of supervised release following imprisonment and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

Beginning in approximately November 2011 and continuing until about April 10, 2012, Gonzalez agreed, with co-defendant Tony Young, to distribute methamphetamine for profit. Gonzalez knowingly shipped “ice” (also known as “crystal”) methamphetamine from Yuma, Arizona to Young in Washington County, Iowa, in exchange for money, and Gonzalez knew that the purpose of providing the methamphetamine to Young was for Young and others to distribute it. Specifically, on March 20, 2012, Gonzalez received a parcel containing a large amount of U.S. currency that had been sent by co-defendant Young in Iowa. On March 21, 2012, Gonzalez shipped ice methamphetamine from Yuma, Arizona to Young in Iowa. The next day law enforcement in Iowa intercepted the parcel sent by Gonzalez. The parcel contained approximately 200 grams of ice methamphetamine. Portions of the ice methamphetamine sent to Young were distributed by Young, co-defendant Kurt Brookhart, and co-defendant Nahida Buchheit.

On October 16, 2012, Chief Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Young to 135 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine.

On November 20, 2013, Judge Jarvey sentenced Kurt Brookhart to 110 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. On the same date, Judge Jarvey sentenced Buchheit to 68 months imprisonment and four years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of actual methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Washington-Louisa County Drug Task Force, the Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the City of Yuma (Arizona) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa

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DES MOINES, IA - On February 10, 2014, Harry Lincoln Garrison, III, a 26 year-old resident of Des Moines, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 132 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt, United States Attorney. As part of the same case, Matthew Steven Steward, age 21, of Des Moines, Iowa, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine and for carrying a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking, and Elizabeth Heather Neilson, age 30, of Des Moines, Iowa, was sentenced to 60 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. The indictment was filed on March 27, 2013, and all three entered their guilty pleas on October 28, 2013.

This case stems from an undercover investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Des Moines Police Department wherein a confidential informant made several illicit purchases of drugs and firearms from Garrison, Steward and others. In the same case, Allen Fortner Jr., Brien Leroy Watson Jr., and Orlando Paul Valadez have also pleaded guilty, and are scheduled for sentencing at a later date.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Des Moines, Iowa, Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA - On February 7, 2014, a twelve-member jury found Michael G. Efthimiatos, age 35, of Danbury, Connecticut guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana. The trial commenced on Monday, February 3, 2014. Michael Efthimiatos was charged along with his brother, Angelo Efthimiatos, and the jury concluded that Michael Efthimiatos was a member of the conspiracy with his brother.

Angelo Efthimiatos was arrested on February 19, 2013, in Washington, Iowa, after he landed an airplane at the Washington Municipal Airport. The airplane contained approximately 55 pounds of high grade marijuana. Angelo Efthimiatos pleaded guilty on December 20, 2013, to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute more than 50 kilograms of marijuana, and a separate charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Washington, Iowa, Police Department, the State of Connecticut Department of Public Safety, and the Danbury, Connecticut, Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On January 28, 2014, Shawn Michael Carrico, a 47 year-old resident of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.

On February 17, 2012, Carrico was stopped by the Iowa State Patrol as he traveled on Interstate 29 through Harrison County, Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol determined that there was an arrest warrant for Carrico from Arizona which led to a subsequent search of his items. In his possession a computer was found that appeared to have several suspicious files on it. When examined later by computer forensic experts, the computer contained images of child pornography. On October 3, 2013, Carrico entered a guilty plea to possession of child pornography.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa State Patrol, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, Cyber Crime Unit. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DES MOINES, IA - On January 28, 2014, Scott Norman Hart, age 37, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced in United States District Court in Council Bluffs on charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and carrying a firearm regarding drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Chief United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Hart to a total of 240 months imprisonment, that is, 180 months imprisonment on the drug charge, and a consecutive 60 months imprisonment on the firearm charge. Hart was further sentenced to concurrent terms of 5 years of supervised release on both charges. Hart was also ordered to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he possessed, and to pay a $200.00 special assessment for the Crime Victim Fund. Hart remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at which he will serve his sentence.

The charges arose from the Fugitive Task Force encountering Hart at a residence in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on November 9, 2012. Hart was wanted on a fugitive warrant for absconding from parole in Nebraska. At the time Hart was arrested, he was found in possession of approximately 95 grams of methamphetamine and a small quantity of marijuana. Also found on his person at the time of his arrest was a loaded .380 caliber pistol.

The case was investigated by the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA B On January 28, 2014, an indictment charging Robert L. Budd, Jr. (Budd), formerly of Brown Traffic Products, Inc. (Brown Traffic) of Davenport, Iowa, and Robert W. Webster (Webster), a former city electrician for the city of Bettendorf, Iowa, was unsealed, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. The thirteen-count indictment charges Budd and Webster with conspiracy and bribery in connection with Webster’s work at the city of Bettendorf. The city of Bettendorf, Iowa is a government agency that has received funds under federal programs involving grants, contracts, or other forms of federal assistance in excess of $10,000 each year over the past several years and has conducted transactions with Brown Traffic in amounts exceeding $5,000.

The Budd and Webster indictment alleges that Webster received money, airfare to such places as Florida, Texas, and Nevada, tickets for race car events, and other forms of entertainment, lodging expenses for hotels and resorts in such places as Florida, Texas, Nevada, Kansas, and Illinois, meals, drinks, cigars, and golf and resort fees.

The court also unsealed two other files involving David Schiltz (Schiltz), the former CEO of Brown Traffic, and Daniel Fuchs (Fuchs), a former high-level manager and sales representative of Brown Traffic. Schiltz and Fuchs have entered guilty pleas and agreed to cooperate with the Government’s investigation. Within their plea agreements, both men admitted they conspired with Budd to corruptly give, and offer to give, things of value to Webster, and others, acting with the intent to influence and reward Webster in connection with transactions between the city of Bettendorf and Brown Traffic for traffic control devices and services.

Budd has entered a plea of not guilty and a trial is presently scheduled for April 7, 2014. Webster is expected to appear in court later this week.

The public is reminded that an indictment is only an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On January 28, 2014, Nathan Wayne Smith, a 48 year-old resident of Lexington, Missouri was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge James Gritzner to 77 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.

On October 18, 2013, after a three day trial, the jury found Smith guilty of robbing the Great Western Bank of Hamburg, Iowa. The evidence produced at trial showed that on June 11, 2012, Smith traveled from his home in Lexington, Missouri to Hamburg, Iowa, arriving at the Great Western Bank around 9:30 a.m. Smith approached a teller in the bank, placed a plastic bag on the counter in front of her and told her to fill the bag with money. After obtaining the money from the teller, Smith ran from the bank.

Smith was identified as the party responsible when Buckner, Missouri, police officers recalled stopping a vehicle on the afternoon of June 11, 2012, that matched the description of the vehicle disseminated after-the-fact by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Buckner, Missouri, is located approximately 150 miles away from Hamburg, Iowa.

The investigation was conducted by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, the Buckner, Missouri Police Department, the Lexington, Missouri Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DES MOINES, IA – United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt announced that Dr. Palaniappa Molian, of Ames, pled guilty on January 24, 2014, to two felony counts relating to false statements made to the National Science Foundation.

According to the written plea agreement, in December of 2009, Dr. Molian, as a principal investigator on a National Science Foundation grant to Iowa State University, submitted a reimbursement expense voucher that contained false statements. Dr. Molian claimed in a requested reimbursement that he traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, to work on an Iowa State University National Science Foundation grant research experiment. Dr. Molian admitted in the plea agreement that he did not perform any work on the grant research experiment in Boston, and that he traveled to Boston for unrelated reasons.

The plea agreement also provides that Dr. Molian, in his capacity as president of Photon Energy Technology, submitted a Small Business Innovation Research Program Report to the National Science Foundation on July 1, 2010, that contained false statements. Dr. Molian claimed and sought payment for approximately $20,000 in laser rental costs, when he had access to a laser at no cost. Dr. Molian spent the excess grant funds he was awarded on unrelated personal expenses.

Dr. Molian will be sentenced on April 25, 2014, before the Honorable James E. Gritzner. Making a false statement to a federal agency carries a maximum sentence of imprisonment of up to five years and a maximum fine of $250,000.

This case was investigated by the National Science Foundation Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On January 24, 2014, Jason Shawn Allan, age 41, of Hastings, Iowa, was sentenced in United States District Court in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Senior United States District Court Judge Robert W. Pratt sentenced Allan to 24 months imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Allan was also ordered to forfeit the firearm he possessed, and to pay a $100.00 special assessment to the Crime Victim Fund. Allan remained in the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at which he will serve his sentence.

The charge arose from the response by Mills County Sheriff’s deputies to a call of a suspicious person on private property. Upon arrival, deputies found Allan with a disabled vehicle in a private driveway. Alan was observed to have bloodshot eyes, with an odor of marijuana emanating from his person. In the ensuing investigation, deputies found drug paraphernalia and an unloaded .22 caliber revolver in the vehicle, of which Allan was the operator and sole occupant. Along with other criminal history, Allan had previously been convicted of felony charges of theft, serious assault, forgery, and multiple charges of OWI 3rd.

The case was investigated by the Mills County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On January 24, 2014, Michael Phillip Castor, age 40 of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced by Senior Judge Robert W. Pratt, in United States District Court in Council Bluffs on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Senior United States District Court Judge Robert W. Pratt sentenced Castor to 110 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Castor was also ordered to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he possessed, and to pay a $100.00 special assessment for the Crime Victim Fund. Castor remained in the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at which he will serve his sentence.

In sentencing Castor, Judge Pratt found that Castor was subject to the enhanced sentencing provisions of the Armed Career Criminal Act, which increases the sentence of a convicted felon in possession of a firearm based on prior serious drug felony or felony violent crime convictions. Castor was found to have three prior violent crime convictions in Nebraska, including burglary, robbery, and the use of a firearm to commit a felony.

The charge arose from a Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department investigation into a stolen motorcycle. During the search of a residence associated with Castor, officers found a loaded 9mm pistol. Officers had previously found on Castor’s person four rounds of ammunition which matched the make and caliber of the ammunition in the loaded pistol.

The case was investigation by the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA – On January 24, 2014, Akeem Levelle Eison, age 28, and Zachary Robert Shullaw, age 36, both of Burlington, Iowa, were sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Eison was sentenced to 100 months imprisonment. Shullaw was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment. Both were also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following the imprisonment and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

Beginning in approximately March 2012 and continuing until about April 24, 2013, Eison and Shullaw conspired with other persons to distribute cocaine in the Burlington, Iowa area. Specifically, Shullaw personally sold undercover law enforcement personnel cocaine in ounce quantities. Eison distributed cocaine during the course of the conspiracy including providing co-defendant Shane Francis Culbertson with a multi-ounce quantity of drugs which Culbertson then arranged to sell to undercover law enforcement personnel.

On January 21, 2014, Judge Jarvey sentenced Culbertson to 30 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The remaining co-defendant, Corey Damon Keys, has pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and is awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Burlington, Iowa, Police Department, and the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DES MOINES, IA B United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt announced that nine individuals from the Des Moines, Iowa metro area have been sentenced on federal drug trafficking charges. Following the execution of multiple search and arrest warrants in December 2012, ten individuals were charged in the Southern District of Iowa with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and other substantive drug offenses, including: Juan Carlos Hernandez Gonzalez, Miguel Bazan Cardenas, Bertoldo Zuniga, Azael Bernal Balderas, Ubaldo Carrasco Alcantar, Josue Castaneira Cruz, Andres “Andy” Gomez, III, Gabriel Carrasco, Beverly Ann Hickcox and Danny Lee Iseminger. All ten of these individuals pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

The following nine individuals were sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey on January 22 and 23, 2014:

• Juan Carlos Hernandez Gonzalez, age 33 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 300 months imprisonment and ordered to serve a term of 5 years supervised release following imprisonment.

• Miguel Bazan Cardenas, age 36 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 90 months imprisonment followed by 5 years supervised release.

• Bertoldo Zuniga, age 60 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release.

• Azael Bernal Balderas, age 31 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment followed by 5 years supervised release.

• Ubaldo Carrasco Alcantar, age 46 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release.

• Josue Castaneira Cruz, age 34 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release.

• Gabriel Carrasco, age 32 of Des Moines, was sentenced to time served and was also ordered to serve 3 years supervised release with special conditions of 4 months in a residential facility followed by 4 months house arrest.

• Beverly Ann Hickcox, age 61 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release.

• Danny Lee Iseminger, age 54 of Newton, was sentenced to 104 months imprisonment followed by 5 years supervised release.

Each of the above defendants also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the crime victim’s fund.

The remaining defendant, Andres “Andy” Gomez, III, age 25 of Bondurant, Iowa, is scheduled to be sentenced April 30, 2014, at the United States Courthouse in Des Moines.

This investigation focused on the distribution of multiple-ounce quantities of extremely pure methamphetamine in the Des Moines area. The organization received shipments of 30 pounds of methamphetamine at a time that originated from Mexico. Bulk cash shipments of drug proceeds were sent to Mexico by the organization, which was headed in the Des Moines area by Juan Carlos Hernandez Gonzalez. During the searches conducted in December 2012, agents seized 1.9 kilograms of 100% pure methamphetamine, $117,749 in drug proceeds and 17 firearms. Other properties, including a vehicle and residence, were also seized and forfeited as a result of the investigation.

The case was the result of the multiple-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF Program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

Agencies involved in this case included the: Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Des Moines Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations; Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations; Iowa Division of Intelligence; Iowa National Guard Counter-Drug Unit; Iowa State Fire Marshals; Iowa State Patrol; Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force and Urbandale Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On January 24, 2014, Dawn R. Hightree, a 43 year-old resident of Fremont, Nebraska, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Robert Pratt to 64 months in prison followed by six years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. On May 22, 2013, Hightree pled guilty to the charge which was the result of an investigation conducted into methamphetamine distribution at Harrah’s Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Hightree was found to have methamphetamine and drug trafficking paraphernalia in the hotel room at Harrah’s Casino where she was staying.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Special Enforcement Operations Bureau, the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA- On January 24, 2014, Michael E. Hannum, a 53 year-old resident of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Robert Pratt to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for escape, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. On November 1, 2013, the defendant pled guilty to escaping on August 2, 2013, from CH Inc. the residential re-entry center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. On August 4, 2013, the defendant was arrested by officers with the Council Bluffs Police.

The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department and the United States Marshal Service, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA- On January 24, 2014, Manuel Partida Garcia, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to 36 months imprisonment, after pleading guilty to illegal re-entry into the United States, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Partida Garcia was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund. Partida Garcia was found in the United States after being convicted in Marshall County, Iowa for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to deliver, eluding and carrying weapons. Partida was also found to be an aggravated felon based on a prior assault conviction out of the state of Washington.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On January 22, 2014, Tiffany Ann Stanley, a 40 year old resident of Tarkio, Missouri, previously of Shenandoah, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie Rose to four months in prison, followed by four months of home confinement, and four years of supervised release for theft by a bank employee, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.

On June 6, 2013, Stanley pled guilty to the charge which was the result of an investigation conducted into a reported bank robbery of the Great Western Bank of Riverton, Iowa. On November 17, 2012, Stanley reported to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, that she was forced to give money to a male robber. The investigation showed that Stanley was not robbed, but reported the robbery to cover her stealing of bank funds during the course of her employment as a teller.

As part of her sentence, Stanley was ordered to pay $25,166.40 in restitution to the Great Western Bank.

The investigation was conducted by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On January 22, 2014, Paul William Jessen, a 44 year-old resident of Atlantic, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie Rose to 122 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.

On September 4, 2013, Jessen pled guilty to the charge which was the result of an investigation conducted into methamphetamine distribution in and around the Atlantic, Iowa area. Jessen was part of a drug trafficking group who distributed methamphetamine obtained from a source in Omaha, Nebraska.

The investigation was conducted by the Atlantic, Iowa, Police Department, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

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DAVENPORT, IA – On January 16, 2014, DeMarko Onslow Williams, age 25, of Rock Island, Illinois, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge James E. Gritzner to 100 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Williams was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release.

On March 31, 2013, Williams walked into the parking lot of The Chorus Line gentlemen’s club and fired multiple shots at a group of people standing near the entrance of the business. Williams did not hit anyone but his shots hit vehicles and the business’ front door in the immediate vicinity of numerous bystanders. Williams is a known affiliate of Fifth St. Mafia, aka Zone Fifth, a street gang in Rock Island, Illinois. Multiple members of the rival Davenport gang, Savage Life, aka 12th Street Boys, were standing in front of The Chorus Line when Williams opened fire. Davenport, Iowa, Police officers responded to the scene and Williams and another individual led the police on a high-speed vehicle pursuit that ended with Williams’ vehicle crashing into a fence. Williams then fled on foot and discarded the handgun that he had used in the shooting. Bullet casings recovered from The Chorus Line were analyzed and were determined to have been fired by the gun discarded by Williams.

This case was investigated by the Davenport, Iowa, Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA – On January 17, 2014, Charles Arthur Ruhl, Jr., age 59, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced to twelve months and one day of imprisonment for wire fraud and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. United States District Judge Stephanie M. Rose also imposed a $144,000 fine and a two-year term of supervised release.

From 2008 to 2012 Ruhl embezzled over $1.3 million from four limited liability companies that he managed. Ruhl used the stolen money for business expenses related to NAI Ruhl and Ruhl Commercial Company, and for personal expenses such as property taxes on a vacation home, real estate investments, and his daughter’s college tuition. For years, Ruhl concealed his fraud by directing his employees to generate false financial statements and distribute them to the members of the defrauded LLC’s. Ruhl’s fraud was discovered on May 31, 2012, after he had so depleted the bank accounts of the Lincoln Healthcare Building, LLC, that there was not enough money to pay the taxes on the property owned by the company. Over the next eighteen months Ruhl repaid all of the money that he had taken.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA – On January 21, 2014, Shane Francis Culbertson, age 29, of Burlington, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey to 30 months of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Culbertson was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following the imprisonment and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

Beginning in approximately March 2012 and continuing until about April 24, 2013, Culbertson conspired with other persons to distribute cocaine in the Burlington, Iowa area. Specifically, during the above-mentioned time period Culbertson personally sold cocaine in quantities ranging from one to nine ounces to undercover law enforcement. Over the course of the conspiracy Culbertson was responsible for over 500 grams of cocaine. Culbertson’s three co-defendants, Zachary Robert Shullaw, Corey Damon Keys, and Akeem Levelle Eison, have each plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and are awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement; the United States Drug Enforcement Administration; the Burlington, Iowa, Police Department; and the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DAVENPORT, IA – On January 16, 2014, Marqueis Letrell Lewis, age 34, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 113 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute at least 100 kilograms of marijuana, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Lewis was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release following the imprisonment and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

Beginning in approximately July 2008 and continuing until about July 31, 2012, Lewis conspired with other persons to distribute marijuana in the Davenport, Iowa area. Specifically, during the above-mentioned time period Lewis regularly purchased multiple pound quantities of marijuana directly from his co-defendant, Edwin James Goodwin, in Davenport and then further distributed the marijuana to various customers. Over the course of the conspiracy Lewis was responsible for distributing over 700 kilograms of marijuana. Goodwin pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute at least 100 kilograms of marijuana and is awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Davenport, Iowa, Police Department, the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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DES MOINES, IA - U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt announced today that the Southern District of Iowa collected $5,607,017.30 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2013. Of this amount, $4,094,883.39 was collected in criminal actions and $1,512,133.91was collected in civil actions.

Additionally, the Southern District of Iowa worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $4,108,435.35 in civil cases pursued jointly with these offices.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Justice Department collected approximately $8.1 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2013. The more than $8 billion in collections in FY 2013 represents nearly three times the appropriated $2.76 billion budget for the 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period.

“The Department’s enforcement actions help to not only ensure justice is served, but also deliver a valuable return to the taxpayer,” said Attorney General Holder. “It is critical that Congress provide the resources necessary to match the Department’s mounting caseload. As these figures show, supporting our federal prosecutors is a sound investment.”

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Southern District of Iowa, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $2,377,955 in administrative and judicial asset forfeiture actions in FY 2013. Forfeited assets are deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund and are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. $862,737 in forfeited assets was returned to victims during FY 2013, and $543,406 was equitably shared with state and local law enforcement agencies.

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DES MOINES, IA - United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt announced the indictment on December 17, 2013, of six Chinese nationals for conspiracy to steal trade secrets from U.S. seed companies. The indictment alleges that from on or about April of 2011, to on or about December of 2012, Mo Hailong, Li Shaoming, Wang Lei, Wang Hongwei, Ye Jian and Lin Yong conspired to steal the trade secrets of several U.S. based seed manufacturing companies, and transport those trade secrets to China for the benefit of their China-based seed company. Mo Hailong was previously charged by criminal complaint on Tuesday, December 10, 2013.

Mo Hailong is employed as the Director of International Business of the Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Company, which is part of DBN Group. DBN Group is believed to be a Chinese conglomerate with a corn seed subsidiary company, Kings Nower Seed.

Li Shaoming is Chief Executive Officer of Beijing Kings Nower Seed S & T Co., Ltd. Beijing Kings Nower Seed S & T, Co. (BKN) is the wholly owned seed subsidiary of DBN. Beijing Kings Nower Seed is headquartered in Beijing, China.

Wang Lei is a citizen and resident of China, and the Vice Chairman of Beijing Kings Nower Seed S & T CO., LTD.

Wang Hongwei is believed to be a resident of Quebec, Canada. Wang Hongwei is believed to be a citizen of both Canada and China.

Ye Jian is a citizen and resident of China, and a research manager for Beijing Kings Nower Seed S & T Co., Ltd.

Lin Yong is a citizen and resident of China, and an employee for Beijing Kings Nower Seed S & T Co., Ltd.

The defendants are alleged to have conspired to steal inbred corn seed from Dupont Pioneer, Monsanto, and LG Seeds. This “inbred” or “parent” line of seed constitutes valuable intellectual property of a seed producer. After stealing the inbred corn seed, the conspirators attempted to covertly transfer the inbred corn seed to China. The estimated loss on an inbred line of seed is approximately 5-8 years of research and a minimum of 30-40 million dollars.

The public is reminded that an indictment is merely a charge, and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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DAVENPORT, IA – On December 19, 2013, Autumn E. Skelton, age 38, of Port Byron, Illinois, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge James E. Gritzner to 18 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute at least 50 kilograms of marijuana, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Skelton was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following the imprisonment and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

Beginning in approximately October 2010 and continuing until about October 27, 2012, Skelton conspired with other persons to distribute marijuana in the Quad Cities area. Specifically, Skelton and co-defendant John Michael Masterson received multiple kilograms of marijuana on multiple occasions from persons transporting the marijuana in vehicles from Northern California to the Davenport, Iowa area on behalf of co-defendant David Gabriel Morago. Skelton further distributed the marijuana he received to customers in the Port Byron, Illinois area.

On October 8, 2013, Chief Judge Gritzner sentenced Masterson to 24 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. On October 23, 2013, Judge Gritzner sentenced Morago to 110 months imprisonment and four years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency - Quad Cities Metropolitan Enforcement Group; Davenport, Iowa, Police Department; South Dakota Highway Patrol; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Mendocino County California Sherriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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