Southern District of Iowa

DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced yesterday to 200 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography and distribution of child pornography.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Evan Robert Steinberg, 26, received and distributed files containing child sexual abuse material. In December 2021, local law enforcement seized electronic devices during a search of Steinberg’s Iowa City residence. A forensic examination of the seized electronic devices showed that Steinberg used the devices to solicit, receive, and distribute images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. Defendant’s five devices contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including prepubescent males, as young as under 1 year old, engaging in sex acts with adults.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Steinberg will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Steinberg was also ordered to pay $8,000 in assessments.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the University of Iowa Police Department and the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Coal Valley, Illinois woman was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for using interstate facilities in a murder-for-hire.

According to public court documents, in late 2023, Autumn Jeanine Carianna Markley, 30, attempted to facilitate a murder-for-hire by wiring money through a financial services application, specifically Western Union. Markley, from her residence in Colorado, contacted a confidential source who was located in the Southern District of Iowa. In the communication, Markley made numerous statements that she would pay for someone to murder one of her relatives. Markley went so far as to give the confidential source a target name, address, and downpayment for the murder-for-hire.

After completing her term of imprisonment, Markley will be required to serve a three-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. This case was investigated by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.

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

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Honduran man was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in federal prison for illegally returning to the United States after being deported.

According to public court documents, Kristian Alexander Hernandez Aguilar, 29, had previously been deported from the United States five times. On July 18, 2024, law enforcement encountered Hernandez Aguilar. In September 2024, Hernandez Aguilar was convicted in the Iowa District Court for Scott County of operating while under the influence.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Hernandez Aguilar will be required to serve a one-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. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in federal prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in January 2023 that Benjamin Riley Blankenship, 22, had uploaded images and videos containing child sexual abuse material to a Snapchat account registered to Blankenship. A search warrant was executed on Blankenship’s residence. Law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices. The devices had all previously logged into the Snapchat account that uploaded child sexual abuse material.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Blankenship will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Blankenship was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.

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

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

DAVENPORT, Iowa –A Muscatine woman was sentenced today to 45 years in federal prison for producing and possessing child pornography.

According to public court documents, Jessica Rochelle Peters, 37, produced seven videos and three photos containing child sexual abuse material in July 2021, including videos of Peters sexually abusing a minor victim. Peters sent the videos and photos to a man in Indiana, who sent Peters money. The Indiana man was charged with felony child endangerment and possession of child pornography. The charges were dismissed following the man’s death.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Peters will be required to serve a 10-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. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Muscatine man was sentenced yesterday to 27 years in federal prison for production and possession of child pornography.

According to public court documents, law enforcement received CyberTips that an account, later determined to be associated with Calvin Shawn Carter, 29, contained files with child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement seized electronic devices during a search of Carter’s residence. The seized electronic devices had videos and images containing child sexual abuse material that Carter produced of a minor victim between 2021 and 2023. Carter’s phone also contained additional images and videos of child sexual abuse material of minor males.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Carter will be required to 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. This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Two men were sentenced to federal prison yesterday for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

According to public court documents, between 2022 and 2023, Zachariah Terrell Ross, 27, of Davenport, and co-defendant, Cristian Inostros-Aquino, 29, of Los Angeles, California, conspired to distribute thousands of fentanyl pills in the Quad Cities area. In furtherance of their conspiracy, Inostros-Aquino shipped numerous packages containing controlled substances, including thousands of fentanyl pills, from California to Ross, in Iowa. Law enforcement searched Ross’s residence and located two loaded firearms. Text message evidence showed Ross discussed purchasing a firearm from Inostros-Aquino. Inostros-Aquino was also found in possession of a firearm in May 2022.

On May 6, 2025, Ross received a 108-month prison sentence, followed by a four-year term of supervised release. Inostros-Aquino was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison, followed by a four-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. This case was investigated by the Bettendorf Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, and the Davenport Police Department.

Fentanyl is the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Fentanyl deaths for youth ages 15 to 24 more than doubled between 2018 and 2022. 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 the dangers of fentanyl and the One Pill Can Kill program.

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

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

As part of this operation, the FBI Omaha Field Office, with the assistance of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, arrested 3 people, served 4 federal search warrants, and identified 15 victims from approximately 1,000 images submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Yesterday, a federal grand jury in Davenport returned a two-count indictment charging Anthony Charles VanMeter, 55, of Davenport, with receipt and possession of child pornography. VanMeter is serving an eight-year term of supervised release for a 2016 possession of child pornography conviction. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

“The harm child sexual predators inflict is vast.  Locking them up is one of the most important actions the FBI and our law enforcement partners can take to protect children,” said FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel. “We are proud of the work of our Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force in Operation Restore Justice and will remain relentless in our pursuit of these criminals to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable members of our community.”

Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, New York.

This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

Other online resources:

• Violent Crimes Against Children
• How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Nevada, Iowa man made his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa today.

According to allegations in the criminal complaint, between January and April 2025, Tanner Dean Bandy, 28, engaged in a pattern of threatening conduct against a former romantic partner through text messages and voicemails. Two days prior to his arrest, on April 17, 2025, Bandy left a voicemail message discussing his intention to conduct a mass shooting at an Iowa State University commencement ceremony. On April 17, 2025, law enforcement searched Bandy’s residence and vehicle and located two firearms and ammunition. Bandy will remain detained in federal custody pending further proceedings.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigations, Iowa State University Police Department, and Story County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this case.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Las Vegas, Nevada woman was sentenced today to five years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance containing fentanyl that led to an overdose death.

According to public court documents, in the fall of 2023, Alica Marie Hawkins, 34, was identified as a source of supply of fentanyl pills in the Southern District of Iowa. On September 11, 2023, Hawkins distributed a fentanyl mixture to the victim in Jefferson, Iowa. The victim died due to an overdose from the fentanyl mixture. Hawkins did not render aid to the victim, tried to conceal any involvement, and eventually returned to Nevada during the investigation.

After completing her term of imprisonment, Hawkins will be required to serve a five-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. This case was investigated by the Jefferson Police Department and Des Moines Police Department.

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. In 2023, accidental overdose was the number one cause of death in 37 states for residents under 40 years old. https://stateline.org/2023/09/05/death-rates-for-people-under-40-have-skyrocketed-blame-fentanyl/. In Iowa, opioid-related deaths reached a record high 258 in 2021, up 64% compared with 2019, and decreased 8% in 2022. https://hhs.iowa.gov/media/11935/download.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on April 15, 2025 to 46 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to public court documents, Rafael Partida, 47, attempted to elude law enforcement while armed with a loaded pistol. On May 19, 2024, an Iowa State Patrol Trooper attempted to stop Partida on his motorcycle. Partida eventually crashed the motorcycle, fled on foot, tossed his backpack, and was apprehended. In Partida’s backpack was a loaded handgun and 23 additional rounds of ammunition.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Partida will be required to serve a three-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. This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Iowa State Patrol.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa – Three men were sentenced to federal prison for their role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

According to public court documents, three men were involved in fentanyl distribution in the Des Moines metro throughout 2024: Chuol Peter Mai, 32, of Des Moines, Rickey Raymone Hayes, also known as “Dee,” of Des Moines, formerly of Detroit, and Keith Holliday, 35, of Detroit. In 2024, law enforcement purchased fentanyl pills from Mai using a confidential informant. Mai introduced the confidential informant to Hayes, Mai’s drug source of supply. Hayes directed Holliday to distribute the fentanyl pills to the confidential informant. In June 2024, Hayes’ vehicle and Des Moines residence were searched and law enforcement located more than $21,000 in cash in his vehicle, and a firearm and more than 200 grams of fentanyl at his residence.

Mai was sentenced on April 2, 2025 to 60 months in federal prison. After completing his term of imprisonment, Mai will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release.

Hayes was sentenced on March 28, 2025 to 150 months in federal prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release.

Holliday was sentenced on April 17, 2025 to 60 months in federal prison, followed by a five-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. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – An Omaha, Nebraska man was sentenced, March 11, 2025, to 37 months in federal prison for threatening a federal law enforcement officer.

According to public court documents, Larry Eugene Burns, 36, while on federal supervised release, left threatening voicemail message for his assigned United States Probation Officer. Once in custody, Burns threatened United States Marshal deputies, including using racial epithets.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Burns will be required to serve three-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. This case was investigated by the United States Probation Office and United States Marshal’s Service.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Nauvoo, Illinois man was sentenced today for diverting opioids from a healthcare facility where he was employed as a pharmacist.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Josef Andres Blunier, 47, between at least July 2022 and July 2023, obtained prescription pills from a Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center hospital while working as a pharmacist. To obtain the pills, Blunier would order and not report the pills in the pharmacy’s inventory, misrepresent the destination of inventory, and take out-of-date pills instead of disposing them. In total, Blunier diverted 10,592 Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydromorphone, morphine, and hydrocodone. In 2023, Blunier also obtained part-time employment at another Iowa pharmacy and diverted Schedule II controlled substances by taking them from filled patient prescriptions.

Blunier received a three-year term of probation. Blunier was also ordered to pay $5,311.61 in restitution, a fine of $5250, and a $200 special assessment.

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

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Carter Lake man was sentenced on March 12, 2025, to 84 months in in federal prison for receiving child pornography.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that an account, later determined to be associated with Jay McCall Schnider, 52, received and uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material between April 2020 and July 2023. Law enforcement seized an electronic device during the execution of a search warrant of Schnider’s Carter Lake residence. A forensic examination of the seized electronic device showed that Schnider used the device to receive images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Schnider will be required to serve a five-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. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Saskatchewan, Canada man was sentenced on March 6, 2025 to 14 years in federal prison for transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

According to public court documents, Quentin Joel Nighttraveller, 45, drove his fourteen-year-old daughter from Canada to the United States. Nighttraveller worked as a commercial truck driver. In Rogers, Minnesota, Nighttraveller stopped to get the truck repaired. Nighttraveller sexually assaulted the victim. They continued the trip and while in Avoca, Iowa, the victim ran from the truck in the gas station and requested assistance. Nighttraveller drove away.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Nighttraveller will be required to serve a five-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. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – An Adel man was sentenced on March 6, 2025 to 18 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Charles Adam Bradshaw, 41, drove from Adel to Omaha, Nebraska to pick up methamphetamine from a Mexican-based source of supply, who facilitated the transactions through local couriers. Bradshaw was on parole for 2021 convictions for eluding and possession of methamphetamine in the Iowa District Court for Dallas County at the time he committed this offense.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Bradshaw will be required to serve a five-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. This case was investigated by the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, and DEA.

DES MOINES, Iowa – 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 6 to 12, 2025, and features the theme, “KINSHIP,” which encourages people to recognize the shared humanity of crime survivors and victims. The 2025 theme is a call to action for all of us—friends, family members, neighbors, colleagues, community leaders, victim service providers, criminal justice practitioners, and health professionals— to pursue these KINSHIP connections that foster the increased access to vital services, rights and healing.

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. Eleven individuals are recognized for outstanding service to victims:

Awards for Excellence in Victim Services

• Scott Crouch, Polk County Sheriff’s Office
• Roberta Cruz, Victim/Witness Liaison at the Polk County Attorney’s Office
• Molly Jansen, Polk County Sheriff’s Office

Law Enforcement Victim Service Awards

• Michael Banfield, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Luke Eblen, Des Moines Police Department
• Kira Lazenby, Jasper County Sheriff’s Office
• Blake Marshall, Ames Police Department
• Aaron McConnell, Wapello County Sheriff’s Office
• Brook McPherson, Ames Police Department
• Caleb Mitchell, Ottumwa Police Department
• Jeremy Tosh, Ottumwa Police Department

“Everyday across Iowa law enforcement officers, agents and victim service providers offer a bridge between the criminal justice system and the shared humanity of victims and survivors. This KINSHIP is critical not only to the justice system, but more importantly to healing and hope for victims. During this week we are proud to honor all officers and service providers who, often 24 hours a day, are available as a resource and counsel to victims and survivors who bravely participate in the investigation and prosecution of violent offenders. These awards proudly recognize the exceptional efforts of a number of these individuals who provided assistance to federal and state victims in the Southern District of Iowa,” said United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa.

The 2025 Award for Excellence in Victim Services recognizes the performance of Investigators Scott Crouch and Molly Jansen. As members of the Polk County Attorney’s Office, both Crouch and Jansen are assigned to the Drug Endangered Children (DEC) program. They aid children involved in criminal investigations and diligently act as a liaison with the children and Health and Human Services (HHS) to assure placements in a safe environment.

The 2025 Award for Excellence in Victim Services recognizes the performance of Roberta Cruz. Cruz is a Victim/Witness liaison with the Polk County Attorney’s Office. Cruz has exhibited supreme dedication in providing a communication bridge between English and Spanish speaking individuals. Her helpful nature and humanity facilitate a valuable connection between victims, witnesses and the criminal justice system.

The 2025 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent Michael Banfield, Ames Police Department Sergeant Blake Marshall, and Ames Police Department Detective (former) Brook McPherson for their extraordinary investigation and prosecution of a serial sexual abuser. They showed tremendous compassion, support, and flexibility for the numerous victims and an unrivaled empathy for the shame and trauma the victims continue to endure. The dozens of victims that courageously participated in this investigation were a testament to the tireless effort and established relational kinship that is at the heart of this years’ National Crime Victims’ Rights awards.

The 2025 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Wapello County Sheriff’s Office Detective Aaron McConnell, and Ottumwa Police Department Investigators Caleb Mitchell and Jeremy Tosh in the investigation and prosecution of a violent sexual trafficker. Through caring, listening, and showing empathy, they were able to develop relationships of trust with each of the victims. Their work on this investigation demonstrated their tremendous capacity to nurture relationships with victims in the pursuit of justice and in hopes of leaving the victims better having gone through the criminal-justice system.

The 2025 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance Des Moines Police Department Investigator Luke Eblen in the investigation and prosecution of a dangerous sex trafficker. Investigator Eblen exemplified fortitude, determination, and a commitment to obtaining justice for victims by overcoming the challenges that arose. His abilities to interact with traumatized victims with respect, honesty and sincere compassion were critical to obtaining a conviction in this case.

The 2025 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Jasper County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Kira Lazenby and her unwavering commitment to ensuring victims receive immediate and comprehensive support. Sergeant Lazenby has investigated a wide range of victim-related cases, including domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and other violent crimes. She has displayed compassion, diligence, and professionalism in her work, ensuring that victims are heard, supported, and protected throughout the investigative and judicial process. In 2024, without direction, Sergeant Lazenby independently developed and implemented a county-wide victim information system to ensure that every law enforcement officer in Jasper County—across five separate agencies—had a standardized and easily accessible process for providing resources to victims.

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: NCVRW 2025.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Boone man was sentenced on March 28, 2025, to five years in federal prison for attempted transfer of obscene material to a person he believed to be a minor.

According to public court documents, Travis Lee Morgan, 40, used a Facebook account to communicate with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old female, but was instead a law enforcement officer. Between June and August 2023, Morgan sent numerous videos and images to the female, including images of his genitals and himself engaged in a sex act, and discussed in-person sex acts Morgan desired to occur with the minor female.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Morgan will be required to serve a three-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. This case was investigated by the FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, the Altoona Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Boone Police Department and the Boone County Sheriff's Office.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Fairfield pharmacist pleaded guilty on March 27, 2025, to stealing thousands of prescription pills from a pharmacy he owned and operated.

According to public court documents, Bryan Paul Vander Linden, 42, admitted that from June 2022 to at least November 2023, he obtained prescription pills from Summit Pharmacy of Iowa for his own use. To obtain the pills, Vander Linden would order and not report the pills in the pharmacy’s inventory, take from the pharmacy stock, or take pills from the controlled substance collection bin. In total, Vander Linden obtained more than 3,500 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills, Schedule II controlled substances, and more than 400 carisoprodol pills, a Schedule IV muscle relaxant.

Vander Linden is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2025 and faces a potential sentence of up to four years in prison. 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 Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating this case.

DES MOINES, Iowa – An Ottumwa man was sentenced today to 125 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in early 2024, Nolan Ryan Rork, 19, was on probation with the State of Iowa. In April 2024, Rork removed his electronic ankle monitor. In June 2024, law enforcement located Rork. While fleeing, Rork threw his backpack, which had two loaded firearms and more than 60 grams of methamphetamine.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Rork will be required to serve a three-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. This case was investigated by the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office and the Ottumwa Police Department.

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

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs woman and man were sentenced on March 20, 2025 to federal prison for their roles in conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Heather Lee Vore, 34, and Nicholas Carl Thomas, 42, facilitated the distribution of methamphetamine in Council Bluffs, Omaha, and elsewhere. Vore sent money to a drug source of supply in Mexico, and recruited others, including Thomas, to communicate with the Mexican source of supply and send money to Mexico for meth.

On January 16, 2025, Vore received a ten-year prison sentence, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. On March 20, 2025, Thomas received a twelve-year sentence, followed by a five-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. This case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on March 18, 2025 to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon and Armed Career Criminal.

According to public court documents, Dontae Lamonte Burrage, 36, had multiple outstanding arrest warrants. Members of a bail bond company attempted to arrest Burrage on February 26, 2022. Burrage ran and threw a loaded pistol. Burrage has six prior state felony drug convictions. Therefore, Burrage is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law and, as an Armed Career Criminal, faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Burrage will be required to serve a five-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. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa – An Ames man was sentenced today to life in federal prison on each of fifteen counts of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Carl Dale Markley, 45, from at least 2001 to April 2023, used fraud and coercion to cause dozens of teenage boys and young men, and a few young women, to engage in sex acts in exchange for money or some other benefit. Markley was a nurse practitioner in Ames and owned several businesses. Over a course of years, Markley used his professions and position in the community to befriend and gain the trust of victims, and then groom and repeatedly sexually abuse them. For a number of victims, Markley placed hidden cameras in locations to record this abuse.

Markley exploited the trust his victims placed in him. He lied to victims that sex acts and sexual contact were needed because, among other things, he was conducting research for various research institutions or sexual-health companies, his insurance company required victims to undergo physicals which he could perform, or he was obtaining advanced degrees. None of Markley’s justifications were true.

The criminal investigation into Markley’s activities began in December 2022, when the Ames Police Department received a complaint that Markley had been conducting physicals on minor male children without parental consent. Ultimately, the Ames Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation interviewed hundreds of victims and witnesses, completed roughly thirty-five search warrants, and obtained documents and other materials from various research institutions and sexual-health-related entities. They also seized and searched dozens of electronic devices, including seven cellphones and ten computers determined to be Markley’s and on which they located the hidden-camera materials Markley had created, internet-based child pornography, including images depicting children under the age of twelve, and other evidence of Markley’s crimes.

At sentencing, Markley continued to provide false justifications for his behavior. Chief District Judge Stephanie M. Rose described Markley’s claims as “delusional.”

In November 2023, Markley was charged with 17 federal crimes, including 15 counts of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion, one count of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of possession of child pornography. In November 2024, Markley pleaded guilty to the 15 sex-trafficking counts.

“This case is a stark reminder that those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain will be held accountable,” said Ames Police Department Police Chief Geoff Huff. “We commend the bravery of the victims who came forward and the relentlessness of our officers and partner agencies in bringing this perpetrator to justice.”

FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “Carl Markley used trust and manipulation to exert control over his victims and fulfill his criminal sexual fantasies. His young victims suffered reprehensible abuse. The FBI and our local, state, and federal partners are committed to bringing sexual predators to justice, holding them accountable for their crimes and helping to provide a path towards healing for survivors.”

DCI Assistant Director Don Schnitker said, “Today marks a significant victory in Iowa’s ongoing fight against human trafficking.  The survivors in this case showed immense bravery in coming forward, and today’s outcome ensures that Markley will never harm another person again.”

“Markley’s life sentence was absolutely warranted and necessary to permanently prevent anyone from being victimized by him again,” said United States Attorney Richard Westphal. “His defiance and failure to accept responsibility only exemplifies what a monstrous sexual predator he is. Our gratitude to the courage of the victims in this investigation and the dedication of the law enforcement personnel who identified and proved Markley’s horrendous acts of sex trafficking and abuse.”

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This criminal case was investigated jointly by the Ames Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Essley and Amy L. Jennings prosecuted the case with the assistance of Victim Witness Specialist Charlotte Kovacs.

Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines, or that someone is physically restrained. Signs that a person is being trafficked can include working excessively long hours, unexplained gifts, physical injury, substance abuse issues, running away from home, isolation from others, or having a person in their life controlling them or monitoring them closely. Victims particularly susceptible to being trafficked include those with criminal histories, a history of physical or sexual abuse, uncertain legal status, and dependency on controlled substances.

Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring, be it a minor engaging in paid sex acts, or anyone being coerced into prostitution or labor, is urged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. If anyone has information about this case, they are urged to call the Ames Police Department, FBI, or Iowa’s Division of Criminal Investigation, or call the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Two Iowa men were sentenced for their role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

According to public court documents, Shannon D. Robertson, 44, of Chicago, Illinois and Des Moines, and Earl Sandeleo Galtney, 44, of Cedar Rapids, distributed fentanyl in the Des Moines metro throughout 2023 and 2024. Robertson and Galtney obtained the fentanyl in Chicago. In May 2024, law enforcement located more than 75 grams of fentanyl at Robertson’s residence. Robertson and Galtney were each held responsible for more than 750 grams of fentanyl.

Robertson was sentenced on February 20, 2025, to 142 months in federal prison, followed by a four-year term of supervised release.

Galtney was sentenced on March 20, 2025 to 125 months in federal prison, followed by a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Co-defendant Ashley Lynn Andrews, 37, Des Moines, is scheduled for sentencing on July 1, 2025.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Central Iowa Gang Task Force.

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. In 2023, accidental overdose was the number one cause of death in 37 states for residents under 40 years old. https://stateline.org/2023/09/05/death-rates-for-people-under-40-have-skyrocketed-blame-fentanyl/. In Iowa, opioid-related deaths reached a record high 258 in 2021, up 64% compared with 2019, and decreased 8% in 2022. https://hhs.iowa.gov/media/11935/download.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Quad Cities Man was sentenced on March 13, 2025 to 235 months in federal prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy and possession of a distribution quantity of cocaine base.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at trials and sentencing, Timothy Justin Beaver, 30, was a Fifth Street gang member. The Fifth Street gang is also known as the Arsenal Courts Posse, Zone Fifth, Fifth Street Mafia, Rock Town Money Getters (RTMG), and Money Team.” The Fifth Street gang engaged in a years-long pattern of violence, including murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking in the Davenport and Rock Island area. Evidence at trial demonstrated the criminal enterprise was connected to dozens of shooting investigations and at least seven homicides over the course of two decades.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Beaver will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

On January 23, 2025, co-defendant Ricky Lee Childs, Jr., 40, of Peoria, Illinois, was sentenced for his role in the racketeering conspiracy. He received a 160-month prison sentence, followed by a three-year term of supervised release.

On February 10, 2025, co-defendant Rasheem Damonte Bogan, 33, of the Quad Cities, also known as “Sheem,” plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy and felon in possession of a firearm. Bogan is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2025. Bogan faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

On February 20, 2025, following a six-day jury trial, a jury found co-defendant Kylea Dapri Cartwright Jr., 28, of the Quad Cities, guilty of racketeering conspiracy and possessing ammunition as a felon. Cartwright is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine the 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. This case was investigated by the Davenport and Rock Island Police Departments, with assistance from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Criminal Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison for possessing firearms as a felon, possessing a distribution quantity of methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in September 2023, Scott Eugene Smith, 43, led law enforcement on a car chase shortly before 10:15 am. The car chase concluded with Smith jumping out of a moving vehicle in a parking lot of a Des Moines hotel. Smith fired several shots at a Polk County Sheriff Deputy. Smith then hid his loaded pistol and threw away his cell phone. Smith hid inside the hotel office, where he was found and arrested several hours later. Methamphetamine, marijuana, pills containing fentanyl, and a second gun were found in the vehicle Smith drove during the car chase.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Smith will be required to serve a five-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. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

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

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 121 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing a distribution quantity of marijuana.

According to public court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, Demarcus Letrelle Culberson Jr., 22, possessed a distribution quantity of marijuana in his car and at his residence. At Culberson’s residence, law enforcement also found a loaded firearm. A shell casing found at the scene of an October 2023 shooting was identified as having been fired from the firearm found at Culberson’s residence. Culberson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he is a felon.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Culberson will be required to serve a three-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. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.

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

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during in and relation to drug trafficking.

According to public court documents, Kyle Ogden Antle, 23, was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Quad Cities area with co-conspirators, Rosston Tate, 40, and Jason Douglas Ringold, 26, both Davenport residents.

On February 6, 2024, Antle was arrested by the Davenport Police Department for violations of his state probation. Antle fled and dropped a backpack, found to contain more than 50 grams of meth, packaging materials, a digital scale, and 68 rounds of ammunition. Antle also dropped a loaded pistol as he fled.

While incarcerated at the Scott County jail pending trial, Antle continued to participate in the drug conspiracy, including by placing phone calls to collect drug debts, directed others to collect debts on his behalf, and connected other people with his source of supply, Tate.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Antle will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

In December 2024, Tate received a 20-year sentence, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Ringold’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 15, 2025. 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. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department, the Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Rock Island Police Department.

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

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 114 months in federal prison for conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, while on federal supervised release.

According to public court documents, Terrance Lamont Mason, 49, conspired with others to obtain cocaine in Rockford, Illinois and bring it to Iowa for distribution. Law enforcement stopped Mason returning to Iowa and stopped a car trailing Mason’s vehicle. In the trail car, officers located more than a quarter pound of cocaine inside of a black stocking cap. Surveillance video from a Rockford gas station showed Mason met with another person, received the black stocking cap, and placed the black stocking cap inside the trail car.

Mason was serving a term of federal supervised release at the time he committed these crimes. He had been released from federal prison in February 2023, after serving a 108-month sentence for possessing a firearm as a felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Due to the violation of his federal supervised release terms, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa ordered Mason to serve an additional two‑year prison term, consecutive with his 90-month prison sentence, for a total prison term of 114 months.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Mason will be required to serve a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

In July 2024, a co-conspirator, Dedrick Montez Jones, 44 of Davenport, was sentenced to a 162-month prison term for selling cocaine. Jones was also on federal supervised release.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bettendorf Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced on March 13, 2025, to 192 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography.

According to public court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that an account, later determined to be associated with David Enrique Remigio, 30, received files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement seized Remigio’s cellular phone during a search of his residence. A forensic examination of the cellular phone showed that Remigio used the device to receive 143 images and 265 videos containing child sexual abuse material.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Remigio will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Remigio was also ordered to pay $39,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Marshalltown woman pleaded guilty yesterday to diverting controlled substances for her own use and falsely noting the administration of a controlled substance in a patient record.

According to public court documents, Amanda Nicole Manatt, 37, was employed as a registered nurse at a hospital in Marshall County in 2023 and at a hospital in Story County in 2024. While working as a nurse at each hospital, Manatt obtained controlled substances intended for patient use. Manatt took the controlled substances, including fentanyl and hydromorphone (Dilaudid), for her own use. Manatt also falsely documented the administration of a controlled substance in a patient record.

Manatt is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2025, and faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the 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 Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (DIA/MFCU), the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau investigated this case.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced yesterday to 41 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to public court documents, Javeyel Johnta Jones, 22, was identified at the scene of a May 2023 shooting in Muscatine. A gun was recovered from the scene and, following additional analysis, Jones’ fingerprint was found on the gun. During a 2024 investigation, Jones was found to be in possession of a second gun in West Liberty.

In 2023, Jones was convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County and was on probation for this charge at the time of federal indictment.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Jones will be required to serve a three-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. This case was investigated by the Muscatine County Police Department and Muscatine County Drug Task Force.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 54 months in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering charges.

According to public court documents, Bryan David Sampica, 49, executed a scheme to defraud financial institutions responsible for issuing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans between May 2020 and March 2021. Sampica fraudulently obtained two PPP loans for a company that had no employees, no operations, and no payroll. Sampica falsely claimed that the company had approximately 100 employees and annual payroll in excess of $1 million. Sampica also provided false claims by submitting fraudulent tax documents asserting that the company had millions of dollars in annual receipts and expenses. The PPP loans obtained by Sampica totaled nearly $2 million. Once Sampica received the fraudulently obtained PPP loan funding, he used the fraudulently obtained funds to, among other things, pay off a car loan, transfer money to a family member and trust accounts, and to purchase a yacht.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Sampica will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Sampica was also ordered to pay $1,978,345.82 in restitution.

“It’s unfortunate that a relief program such as the Paycheck Protection Program was targeted by fraudsters looking to enrich themselves,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “Mr. Sampica used millions of dollars in stolen taxpayer funds to pay for cars and yachts while legitimate businesses struggled to survive the pandemic. We’re committed to working alongside our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect taxpayer resources by holding thieves like Mr. Sampica accountable.”

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Two Council Bluffs man were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

According to public court documents, in March and April 2024, Jessie Lee Holtz, 35, and co-defendant, Andrew Joseph Kaipus, 38, conspired to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs area. During the conspiracy, Kaipus obtained a quarter pound of methamphetamine from Holtz and Kaipus then sold that methamphetamine to a confidential informant in April 2024.

On November 14, 2024, Kaipus, received a 10-year prison sentence, followed by a five-month term of supervised release.

On March 12, 2025, Holtz was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison. After completing his term of imprisonment, Holtz will be required to serve a five-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. This case was investigated by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Council Bluffs Police Department.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced today to 8 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to public court documents, Jesus Everardo Medina, 40, possessed a loaded, stolen pistol in his waistband in July 2024. In 2018, Medina was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa and was discharged from his term of supervised release in December 2022.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Medina will be required to serve a three-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. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Council Bluffs Police Department.

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

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man and Guatemalan native was sentenced today to 192 months in federal prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to public court documents, Wilton Omar Garcia-Castillo, 19, distributed 500 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in June 2024. Two days later, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Garcia-Castillo’s Council Bluffs residence and located 27 pounds of methamphetamine along with a loaded firearm, an extended firearm magazine, digital scales, and more than $4,000.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Garcia-Castillo will be required to serve a five-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. This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety–Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Council Bluffs Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Iowa State Patrol.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Vietnamese native formerly of Des Moines was sentenced yesterday to three years in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.

According to public court documents, in 2020 and 2021, Long Ly, 45, used his connections in the Des Moines Vietnamese community to convince five victims to let him file unemployment benefits claims on their behalf, even though the victims were employed and ineligible for unemployment benefits. Several of the victims had little English-language proficiency. Ly also submitted unemployment benefits claims for himself, even though he was gainfully employed.

In submissions to Iowa Workforce Development, Ly misrepresented that he and his victims were unemployed. And in some of the submissions, without his victims’ knowledge or approval, Ly filed unemployment benefits claims with Iowa Workforce Development directing benefits payments be sent to bank accounts Ly controlled.

As a result of Ly’s misrepresentations, Iowa Workforce Development issued nearly $100,0000 in benefits payments to Ly and his victims to which they were not entitled. Some of the benefits payments included funds which had been authorized and paid in connection with COVID-19 pandemic emergency declarations.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Ly will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Ly was also ordered to pay $72,872.20 in restitution.

“Long Ly defrauded Iowa Workforce Development by filing for unemployment insurance benefits using the compromised identities of vulnerable and elderly victims who had limited English proficiency. This sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to safeguard the unemployment insurance program for American workers who need it,” said Casey Howard, Special Agent-in-Charge, Central Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

Executive Director of Iowa Workforce Development Beth Townsend echoed those sentiments: “Iowa Workforce Development takes unemployment fraud seriously and in recent years has significantly expanded its set of tools to help catch individuals who seek to defraud taxpayers. We are grateful for efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other partner prosecutors who are willing to work with us to keep fraudsters accountable and to maintain the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.”

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form

DES MOINES, Iowa – On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, the final defendant in a multi-Indictment, 17-defendant gang investigation involving the Only My Brothers (OMB) street gang was sentenced to federal prison. All 17 defendants had previously pled guilty or been found guilty following a jury trial. The defendants were charged with various crimes in federal court, including RICO conspiracy, fentanyl distribution, possessing machineguns, straw purchasing firearms, firearms trafficking, and illegally possessing firearms.

According to public court documents and evidence presented in court, the charged defendants were members and associates of a criminal organization or Enterprise known as “Only My Brothers” or “OMB.” OMB originated in early- to mid-2021. Prior to that, some members and associates of OMB referred to themselves as various other names, including C-Block, 600, East Side Crips, Crips, and Gangster Disciples. From at least 2021, and continuing until their arrests, OMB’s members and associates engaged in a plethora of criminal activity in an attempt to earn and maintain respect in the neighborhood. This included attempted murders, including at least 30 gang-related shootings, the distribution of over 22 kilograms of fentanyl, as well as a number of convenience store armed robberies in the Des Moines metro.

Some of the shootings OMB has been held responsible for include a November 2021 shooting at a celebration of life party being held at a residence in Des Moines, Iowa; a second November 2021 shooting at a residence on Southeast 9th Street in Des Moines, during which over 20 shots were fired; a February 2022 shooting in and around Good Park in Des Moines; an April 2022 shooting at a rival gang member’s home in Des Moines, during which over 70 shots were fired; a July 2022 shooting at an apartment complex in Sixth Avenue in Des Moines, during which at least 40 shots were fired; an August 2022 shooting at a residence on 23rd Street in Des Moines; and an August 2022 shooting at an apartment complex on Southeast 22nd Street in Des Moines, during which over 36 shots were fired.

In order to obtain the firearms used to commit their criminal activity, OMB utilized a network of firearms straw purchasers, most of whom were drug customers or family members of the OMB members. This included Dawn Ellease Robinson, who purchased guns for her son, OMB member Santiz Langford. Langford then either personally used the guns himself to conduct OMB activity, or he trafficked the guns to other OMB members. One of those guns was later found in the possession of a victim in the January 2023 Starts Right Here double homicide in Des Moines. Deon Cooper, Langford’s sister, also straw purchased firearms for Langford, and Johnetta Strode, OMB member Deadrian Nelson’s mother, straw purchased firearms for Nelson.

The straw purchasers purchased guns for the OMB members, who then used those guns to commit violent acts against rival gang members and other victims. OMB members and associates were also prolific possessors of machinegun conversion devices (also known as automatic selector switches). These devices convert semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic firearms and are considered machineguns under federal law. During the investigation, law enforcement was able to identify over 90 guns involved in the OMB-involved shootings, with over 70 of the involved guns seized.

The defendants involved in this investigation include:

• Awot Tsegaye Baliho, 23, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment.
• Armani Eugene Gates, 21, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute at least 400 grams of fentanyl, unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm, two counts of conspiracy to traffic firearms, conspiracy to straw purchase firearms, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and was sentenced to 276 months’ imprisonment.
• Bakier Mohamd Esmaeil, 20, pled guilty to one count of being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment.
• Dontavius Rashaun Sharkey, 28, was found guilty by a jury of two counts of straw purchasing conspiracy, two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, illegal possession of a machinegun, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and supervised release violations, and was sentenced to 384 months’ imprisonment.
• Deadrian Maurice Nelson, 20, pled guilty to two counts of being a felon and unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment.
• Johnetta Marie Strode, 37, pled guilty to straw purchasing conspiracy, and two counts of unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment.
• Christopher Scott Eason, 43, pled guilty to false statement during purchase of a firearm, and was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
• Raleigh John Potter, 30, pled guilty to false statement during purchase of a firearm and unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment.
• Deon Ellease Cooper, 28, pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, false statement during purchase of a firearm, straw purchasing conspiracy, and straw purchasing of a firearm, and was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment.
• Dawn Ellease Robinson, 45, pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, straw purchasing conspiracy, straw purchasing of a firearm, and two counts of unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.
• Avontae Lamar Tucker, 21, pled guilty in two federal cases to racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, two counts of unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm and ammunition, two counts of interference with commerce through robbery, and two counts of brandishing and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He was sentenced to 444 months’ imprisonment.
• Santiz Cortez Langford, 21, pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, two counts of straw purchasing conspiracy, two counts of firearms trafficking, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, illegal possession of a machinegun, and two counts of unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to 295 months’ imprisonment.
• Semaj Johnson, 20, pled guilty under two separate cases to illegal possession of a machinegun, racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, firearms trafficking conspiracy, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and was sentenced to 211 months’ imprisonment.
• Majok Majok, 20, pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, firearms trafficking conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and illegal possession of a machinegun, and was sentenced to 195 months’ imprisonment.
• Trent Douglas Brown Jr., 20, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment.
• Dahaba Bahari Lula, 20, pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, and was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment.
• Derrick Dwayne Smith, 41, pled guilty to four counts of false statement during purchase of a firearm, and was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Herrera and Mallory Weiser prosecuted the case.

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Des Moines Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), Iowa State Patrol, and Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Honduran citizen was sentenced today to six months in federal prison for illegally returning to the United States after being deported.

According to public court documents, Francisco Antonio Santos Martinez, 35, had previously been deported three times from the United States. In February 2024, Minnesota law enforcement encountered Santos Martinez when he was arrested for disorderly conduct. He was released from Minnesota state custody. In August 2024, Santos Martinez was encountered by Iowa law enforcement and later convicted for public intoxication in the Iowa District Court for Polk County.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Santos Martinez will be surrendered to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings and will also be required to serve a one-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 Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Mexican citizen was sentenced yesterday to two years in federal prison for illegally returning to the United States after being deported.

According to public court documents, Juan Carlos Solis Roan, 40, had previously been deported from the United States four times between 2008 and 2020. Solis Roan had been convicted twice of illegal reentry, including in 2019 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. In January 2024, law enforcement encountered Solis Roan, and in March 2024, Solis Roan was convicted in the Iowa District Court for Polk County of contempt for violating his probation for a 2006 drug conviction. 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 Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Waukee man was sentenced today to 32 years in federal prison for fraud, money laundering, and fentanyl distribution.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Stephan Rashad Haley, 36, also known as “Ace” and “Bosh,” acquired large quantities of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl from multiple drug sources and distributed the fentanyl-laced pills in the Southern District of Iowa. During an October 2023 search warrant at Haley’s Waukee residence, law enforcement located a stolen, loaded pistol, marijuana, cocaine, and pills containing fentanyl. Haley used the stolen pistol during an October 2023 shooting at an apartment complex in West Des Moines. At sentencing, the Court found Haley was responsible for more than 12 kilograms of fentanyl.

From May to August 2023, Haley also participated in a vast, multi-million-dollar fraud scheme. Working with coconspirators located throughout the country, Haley recruited at least three other individuals to open fraudulent bank accounts and deposit stolen checks. The portion of the conspiracies in which Haley participated caused an intended loss of over $3.5 million to more than 10 victims.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Haley will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Haley was also ordered to pay $66,437 in restitution.

Ten of Haley’s co-defendants in the fraud and money laundering case remain set for trial, currently scheduled to begin on June 23, 2025. Eight co‑defendants have pleaded guilty.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and West Des Moines Police Department, with assistance from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Clive Police Department, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Des Moines Police Department, Secret Service, and numerous state and local agencies from across the country.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Centerville man and Texas native was sentenced on Friday, February 7, 2025 to 40 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.

According to public court documents and evidence produced at sentencing, Luis Nathan Hernandez Jr., 48, exploited a minor victim younger than 12 and produced child sexual abuse material of her between 2022 and March 2024, including material depicting sex acts Hernandez performed on the victim. In March 2024, Hernandez persuaded the victim to take nude photos and videos, which the victim sent to Hernandez. Hernandez’s Centerville residence was searched in April 2024. A search of Hernandez’s seized computer revealed 598 files containing child sexual abuse material from at least 71 known series. Hernandez’s two cell phones had approximately 500 images 17 videos containing child sexual abuse material.

In 2004, Hernandez was convicted in Texas of indecency with a child, which required him to register as a sex offender. Twice in 2013, Hernandez plead guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in Wayne and Appanoose counties.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Hernandez will be required to serve a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Hernandez was also ordered to pay $34,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, and the Osceola Police Department, with assistance from the Centerville Police Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to 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.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A federal grand jury in Council Bluffs returned a two-count indictment on January 29, 2025 charging two individuals with offenses related to distribution and receipt of child pornography.

The following individuals are charged in the Indictment:

• Jason J. Traina, 52, Rockland County, New York is charged with distribution of child pornography. On January 31, 2025, Traina made his initial appearance in the Southern District of New York. The government argued Traina should remain detained pending trial. The United States Magistrate Judge released Traina on conditions of home detention and location monitoring.
• Carrie Marie Campbell, 40, of Council Bluffs, is charged with receipt of child pornography. On February 3, 2025, Campbell made her initial appearance in the Southern District of Iowa. Campbell was temporarily ordered detained until a detention hearing.

Traina and Campbell each face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Council Bluffs Police Department are investigating this case, with assistance from the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, FBI Safe Streets NY, and the Stony Point Police Department.

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

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Rock Island man was sentenced on Thursday, January 30, 2025 to 151 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Adrian Warren Neeley, 38, led officers on a high-speed chase from Rock Island, Illinois, over the Centennial Bridge, into Iowa on October 9, 2022. Officers in Rock Island received reports of a reckless driver, saw Neeley’s vehicle, and heard gunshots and observed muzzle flash from the area where the vehicle had turned. Neeley failed to obey traffic devices and signs and traveled at over 80 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone. Neeley’s vehicle eventually became disabled and Neeley ran from the driver’s seat on foot. During the foot chase, Neeley dropped a firearm which was recovered after Neeley was apprehended.

Cartridge casings and a bullet recovered from a shooting near the Moline Police Department on August 21, 2022, were examined and determined to have been fired from the gun Neeley drop as he was attempting to flee from police. At sentencing, the Court found that Neeley shot at his significant other from a vehicle on August 21, 2022. Neeley has prior felony convictions, including a 2008 conviction in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Neeley will be required to serve a three-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. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department, the Rock Island Police Department, the Moline Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 17 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance containing fentanyl.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at trial, in the fall of 2023, Sharmarke Omar Mohamed, 37, was identified as a source of supply of counterfeit fentanyl pills in the Des Moines metro. Police conducted several controlled buys of hundreds of fentanyl pills from him. In early 2024, law enforcement surveilled Mohamed as he traveled to Arizona and quickly returned to Iowa. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Mohamed’s vehicle and found him in possession of approximately 30,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills.

On September 30, 2024, following a one-day bench trial, a federal judge found Mohamed guilty. At his sentencing, a federal judge found Mohamed obstructed justice by committing perjury at his trial by lying under oath.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Mohamed will be required to serve a 6-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. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department-Narcotics Division.

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. In 2023, accidental overdose was the number one cause of death in 37 states for residents under 40 years old. https://stateline.org/2023/09/05/death-rates-for-people-under-40-have-skyrocketed-blame-fentanyl/. In Iowa, opioid-related deaths reached a record high 258 in 2021, up 64% compared with 2019, and decreased 8% in 2022. https://hhs.iowa.gov/media/11935/download.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at a four-day trial and sentencing, Paul Antonio Deon Parrow, 41, also known as “Tone,” distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl over nearly a year period in the Quad Cities. Parrow recruited others to assist him in distributing drugs and stored and sold drugs at multiple residences within the Quad Cities. In total, Parrow was responsible for more than 26 pounds of methamphetamine and 145 grams of fentanyl.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Parrow will be required to serve a five-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. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.

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

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for possessing five firearms as a drug user.

According to public court documents, Isaac Davon Carter, 31, purchased four firearms on August 5, 2020, from four different guns stores in Burlington, Clive, and Des Moines. Five days later, the United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted a package shipped from Cedar Rapids to California and located ten firearms inside, including all four firearms Carter purchased. In September 2020, law enforcement executed search warrant at Carter’s Burlington residence and located a loaded Glock pistol. Carter admitted he was an unlawful drug user, lied on the ATF form to obtain the four firearms he purchased, and had procured the firearms for another person, who was with him when he purchased them.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Carter will be required to serve a three-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. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office.

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

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to public court documents, Giovani Denario Timmons, 24, participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Burlington between December 2019 and November 2021. Timmons served as a source of supply along with Kendric Centrall Childs, 25. Timmons facilitated the transportation of methamphetamine to Iowa, including approximately 362 pounds of methamphetamine seized during a January 2020 traffic stop in Arizona. This traffic stop was the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s largest single seizure of ice methamphetamine at the time.[1] Timmons’s eight co-defendants, including Childs, were sentenced in 2022.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Timmons will be required to serve a five-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. This case was investigated by the Burlington Police Department, Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce, West Burlington Police Department, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson County Drug Taskforce, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Drug Taskforce, Muscatine County Drug Taskforce, Iowa State Patrol, and Arizona Department of Public Safety.

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

[1]  https://www.azdps.gov/news/releases/933.

DES MOINES, Iowa – An Illinois man was sentenced on Friday, January 17, 2025, to 35 years in federal prison for enticement and attempted enticement of a minor and for committing an offense while a registered sex offender.

According to public court documents, in 2020, Anthony Alan Anderson, 40, while serving in the United States Air Force, was convicted via general court martial of two counts of attempting to commit a lewd act with a person he believed to be a child who had not attained the age of 16 years old. As a result of that conviction, Anderson was required to register as a sex offender in his state of residence. Anderson moved to Illinois in 2022.

From May to November 2023, Anderson, from his residence in Illinois, used text messaging and social-media applications to communicate with a 14-year-old child from Ottumwa, Iowa. During their communications, Anderson convinced the child to produce and send him child pornography. In September 2023, Anderson traveled from his home in Illinois to Ottumwa, where he picked the child up from her residence and took her to a hotel. There, he and the child engaged in sex acts. Anderson also captured child sexual abuse material of the child while in the hotel.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Anderson will be required to 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 case was investigated by the Ottumwa Police Department with assistance from the Illinois State Police.

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 information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.