Northern District of Iowa
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man involved with the distribution of methamphetamine was sentenced on February 24, 2025, to ten years in federal prison.
James Vincent Thornton, age 53, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 11, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Thornton was involved with the distribution of methamphetamine. In November of 2021, law enforcement officers searched a residence where Thornton had been staying. Thornton had been living in the basement of the residence, and officers located approximately 224.17 grams of ice methamphetamine in his room. In March and April 2022, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential informant to buy methamphetamine from Thornton twice. In May 2022, law enforcement officers searched another residence associated with Thornton and located approximately 71.31 grams of ice methamphetamine.
Thornton was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Thornton was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Thornton is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force. The DEA Task Force consists of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. This effort was 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-72.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Refusing a Court OrderRead the Press Release
A man was sentenced on January 31, 2025, to 24 months imprisonment for contempt of court.
Joel Perea-Duenas, age 24, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 30, 2024, guilty plea to contempt of court.
In the evening hours of June 23, 2020, Perea-Duenas was asked to serve as the getaway driver for a drive-by shooting. He agreed, put on dark clothing, and joined three armed men in a waiting car. The attackers drove to the home of their intended victim, but seeing law enforcement in the area, aborted their attack. Perea-Duenas suggested a secondary target, drove to that new target and identified it to his conspirators. It was a home, occupied by seven people including children. One of the gunmen repeatedly fired upon the home hitting the house at least eight times. Perea-Duenas was later caught by police and admitted he knew about the intended shooting before agreeing to drive, admitted knowing there were people, including children, in the targeted home, and he wanted the shooting to occur to in retaliation against a resident of the home and his family. On November 19, 2021, Perea-Duenas pled guilty to two counts of being a drug user in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison.
On October 27, 2022, defendant was called as a witness at the federal sentencing of an accomplice. He was sworn by the district court judge. When he was questioned under oath, however, he refused to testify because he did not want to testify. The district court advised him that he did not have a lawful right to refuse to answer the questions. Nonetheless, Perera-Duenas persisted in his refusal to testify. The district court continued the sentencing, in part, to give Perea-Duenas time to reconsider his refusal of the district court’s lawful order. The sentencing resumed on December 8, 2022. Perera-Duenas again, communicated his refusal to testify. He was sent back to federal prison to complete his federal sentence for the firearms charge.
On October 19, 2023, while he was still in federal prison, he was charged with contempt of court. On November 20, 2023, he was released from federal prison on the gun charges, he was re-arrested and haled back into federal court to answer for his criminal contempt. On July 30, 2024, he plead guilty. He was sentenced on January 31, 2025, in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Judge Strand indicated in sentencing Perea-Duenas that this was the only time in his career as a jurist that he had encountered a refusal to testify of this nature and that the crime had to be sanctioned stiffly to ensure others do not follow suit.
United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax said: “refusals to testify, like refusals of court orders generally, strike at the very heart of the American justice system and the rule of law. As a result, those who disobey lawfully issued court orders risk prosecution and incarceration.”
Perea-Duenas is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4026/20-4071.
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Georgia Man Sentenced for Distributing Meth and HeroinRead the Press Release
A man who distributed approximately 40 kilograms of methamphetamine and a kilogram of heroin was sentenced February 11, 2025, to more than 19 years in federal prison.
Manuel Tomas Gaspar, age 25, from Atlanta, Georgia, received the prison term after an August 30, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Information at the sentencing hearing showed that, between December 1, 2023, and February 14, 2024, Gaspar traveled between Georgia and Iowa transporting significant quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. In January 2024, Gaspar delivered 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of heroin to an individual in Cedar Rapids. On February 14, 2024, Gaspar was arrested after delivering an additional 20 kilograms of methamphetamine to the same individual in Cedar Rapids. During that time‑period, Gaspar carried a gun to protect large amounts of drug proceeds and he conducted international wire transfers to the Mexico‑based source of supply.
Gaspar was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Gaspar was sentenced to 236 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Gaspar is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑00029‑CJW.
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Mason City Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.
Todd Aaron Howard Hamilton Sutton, Jr., age 33, from Mason City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of pure methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Sutton admitted that on July 27, 2024, he was the driver of a vehicle pulled over for a traffic violation in Cerro Gordo County. He was arrested for driving while barred and taken to the Cerro Gordo County Jail. While being booked into the jail, law enforcement found a plastic baggie containing methamphetamine on his person.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Sutton was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Sutton faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and 4 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR03037.
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2020 Census Contractor Agrees to Pay $8,000,000 to Settle Fraud AllegationsRead the Press Release
Maximus, Inc., a government services contractor based in Virginia, has agreed to pay the United States $8 million to resolve allegations that it misled the United States Census Bureau about the quality of its call handling as a contractor for the 2020 Census. The settlement resolves allegations brought by whistleblowers under the federal False Claims Act.
Maximus operated several multi-lingual call centers throughout the United States that took incoming calls from individuals with questions about Census operations and made outgoing calls to assist individuals in responding to the Census. Its contract with the United States Census Bureau also required Maximus to perform services to assess the quality and data accuracy of its call center operations. Maximus employed quality monitors to score calls for the accuracy of the call taker’s data input and adherence to standards of professionalism and decorum, based on a set of scoring standards agreed on between Maximus and the Census Bureau. In addition to compensation for its costs incurred, the contract provided that Maximus would receive an “award fee.” An “award fee” is a contract incentive paid to encourage contractors to meet certain contract goals. The Census Bureau used the call quality scores Maximus reported to help determine an appropriate “award fee” to pay Maximus.
The United States alleges that Maximus provided the Census Bureau inaccurate or misleading score information to improve the Census Bureau’s impression of the quality of Maximus’s work. While the contract required Maximus
to score a random sample of calls, the United States alleges that Maximus encouraged its quality monitors to choose which calls to score in a way designed to
improve the quality scores reported to the Census Bureau. The United States contends that Maximus did not tell the Census Bureau about these practices, which artificially increased the quality scores and permitted Maximus to receive greater award fees than it would have received with accurate reporting.Maximus cooperated with the investigation. The claims asserted against Maximus are allegations only; there was no determination or admission of liability. The lawsuit does not allege that Maximus manipulated any census enumeration data it helped collect.
The lawsuit arose under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act permits private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the government to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the United States and share in the recovery. The whistleblowers will receive a $1.2 million share of the settlement.
“Government contractors must be honest and accurate in their reporting to their government partners. This is particularly true when the information they report affects the amount the government pays them. Our office is committed to holding accountable contractors that enrich themselves by misleading American taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax.
“The U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General is dedicated to investigating schemes to defraud U.S. Census Bureau contracts and programs,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Eric Arcand with the United States Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General (Commerce-OIG). “Census data informs policy and decision-making at all levels of government, and fraud affecting any aspect of the Census Bureau’s programs must not be tolerated. We are committed to protecting the Census Bureau’s funding and programs from fraud, waste, and abuse. We also appreciate the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa’s efforts toward resolving this matter.”
The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys
Brandon J. Gray and Brian J. Keogh and investigated by the Department of Commerce-OIG, particularly Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Judd Leinum.
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Mason City Man Sentenced to More than 20 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Monroe Thompson, age 40, from Mason City, was sentenced February 7, 2025, to more than 20 years in federal prison after an August 28, 2024, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence in the case revealed that between May 2023, and August 2023, Thompson was part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Thompson purchased methamphetamine from sources working with law enforcement. During the execution of a search warrant at Thompson’s residence, officers located counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl.
Thompson has an extensive criminal history including several convictions for possession of controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a felon, and assault – inflicting serious injury in Iowa; Absence from custody in Minnesota; possession of controlled substances and/or selling or manufacturing controlled substances, and possession of firearms in Illinois; as well as Burglary, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, disorderly conduct and resisting or obstructing, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in Wisconsin.
Thompson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 262 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Thompson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3014.
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Fort Dodge Woman Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
Braleigh Schossow, 24, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on February 11, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that between December 2020 and February 2024, Schossow and others involved in the conspiracy, distributed at least 22 pounds of fentanyl in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and elsewhere.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Schossow remains in the custody of United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Schossow faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3026.
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Fort Dodge Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Meth ChargesRead the Press Release
Alesha Rasmussen, 34, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty February 10, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to distribution of methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Rasmussen admitted that on July 10, 2024, she distributed over 28 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Rasmussen was convicted in 2011 of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rasmussen remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Rasmussen faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $2,000,000 fine, and at least six years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Webster County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3042. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
Braleigh Schossow, 24, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on February 11, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that between December 2020 and February 2024, Schossow and others involved in the conspiracy, distributed at least 22 pounds of fentanyl in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and elsewhere.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Schossow remains in the custody of United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Schossow faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3026. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Dubuque Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison After Hiding Gun for Her BrotherRead the Press Release
A Dubuque woman who purchased a gun for her brother and then hid it after it was used in a shooting was sentenced February 10, 2025, to over a year in prison.
Delicia Lee, age 36, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 17, 2024, guilty plea to tampering with evidence.
Information disclosed during the plea and sentencing hearings revealed that in March 2023, Lee purchased a Walther CCP M2, 9mm gun from a business in Dubuque. When Lee filled out the paperwork to purchase the gun, she indicated that the gun was for her. Lee actually purchased the gun for her brother, Marvin Brantley, a convicted felon. Approximately three weeks later, in April 2023, Brantley was involved in a fight and fired the gun at a group of people outside a bar in Dubuque. No one was injured. Brantley hid the gun in the ceiling of his basement before being arrested on state charges related to the shooting. In jail phone calls between Brantley and Lee, Brantley walked Lee, step-by-step, to the location of the gun in his residence. After she found it, he told her to wipe it down and get rid of it. Lee drove the gun to a residence in Chicago. Later, investigators searched her residence looking for the gun. Lee admitted that the gun was in Chicago. At law enforcement’s request, she turned the gun into police one week later.
Law enforcement also determined that Lee had purchased 15 guns between 2017 and 2020 in Indiana. These firearms were purchased by Lee for others prohibited from purchasing the guns themselves. More than half of the firearms were recovered after they were used in criminal conduct including, but not limited to, homicide, kidnapping, robbery, and, in one instance, to shoot a police officer. Several of the firearms have not been recovered.
Marvin Brantley was later charged in the Northern District of Iowa with felon in possession of a firearm. In April 2024, Brantley was sentenced to 145 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm and his role in the shooting.
Lee was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lee was sentenced to sixteen months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-1016.
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Sioux City Woman Pleads Guilty to Multiple Federal Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
A woman who violated multiple firearm laws pled guilty on February 7, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Maria Francisca Portalatin, age 53, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms, one count of making false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of straw purchase of firearms, and one count of concealing a person from arrest.
In a plea agreement, Portalatin admitted that in April of 2023, she knowingly made false statements and representations on ATF forms to Dunham’s Sports Store in Sioux City in connection with her acquisition of multiple firearms. Portalatin later admitted to law enforcement in April of 2023, she was an unlawful user of methamphetamine and purchased the firearms for Freddie Summerville who she knew was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
In January of 2024, Sioux City Police stopped a car being driven by Summerville but owned by Portalatin. One of the firearms was located in the vehicle.
In March of 2024, Portalatin purchased two more firearms and, once again, lied on the ATF forms regarding her address, drug use and intended recipient of the firearms.
In June of 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the address Portalatin listed on the forms and located the four firearms she had purchased. During an interview with law enforcement, Portalatin admitted she lied on the ATF forms and that she was aware that Freddie Summerville was wanted on a federal warrant.
In July of 2024, Portalatin and Summerville were stopped in a vehicle near Sioux Falls. Subsequently, in an interview with law enforcement she admitted they were smoking methamphetamine and that she had helped harbor and conceal Summerville.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Portalatin remains free on bond previously set. Portalatin faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-04053.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Charges in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Phillip Plummer, 42, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty February 10, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school, and another count of distributing methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea hearing showed that between 2022 and May 2023, Plummer and others conspired to distribute more than 5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. Plummer admitted to distributing methamphetamine on seven separate occasions to an individual cooperating with law enforcement, four of said occasions occurred within 1,000 feet of schools, namely, Mater Dei Elementary School and Hunt Elementary School in Sioux City. Evidence further showed that during a search warrant at Plummer’s residence in May 2023, law enforcement seized approximately one half-pound of meth, two (2) bags of medicated Jolly Rancher Gummies containing 600mg of THC and two (2) vape pens. Plummer intended to sell some or all of the controlled substances to others in the area.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Plumer remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Plummer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4069. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Man Sentenced for Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
A man who conspired with others to distribute large quantities of cocaine that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman was sentenced today to more than 16 years in federal prison.
Michael Samuel Knight, age 38, from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, received the prison term after a September 10, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of cocaine within 1000 feet of several parks and schools in Dubuque, Iowa, between 2017 and April of 2021, that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman on February 14, 2021. Knight also pled guilty to personally distributing the cocaine on February 14, 2021, that caused the woman’s death.
At the plea hearing, Knight admitted he was a member of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the Dubuque area near numerous parks and schools. He admitted getting cocaine from the individual who brought it from Chicago, and then worked with others to distribute the cocaine to customers in Dubuque. On February 14, 2021, Knight distributed cocaine to a young woman in Dubuque who went home, used the cocaine and died.
Knight was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Knight was sentenced to 201months’ and 19 days imprisonment and was ordered to make $13,911 in restitution to the victim’s family. He must also serve a 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Knight is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office. 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-01013.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Re-Entering the United States as a FelonRead the Press Release
A man who illegally re-entered the United States as a felon was sentenced yesterday to 2 years in federal prison.
Erasmo Roberto Mendez-Lopez, age 29, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 4, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal re-entry as a felon.
At the guilty plea, Mendez-Lopez admitted he illegally re-entered the United States after being deported as a felon in 2019. On May 17, 2024, he was arrested by Sioux City police for operating while under the influence (OWI) 2nd offense, eluding, and an active failure to appear warrant for a prior OWI 2nd offense charge out of Woodbury County. He also had 4 active warrants out of Plymouth County, Iowa for Eluding - speed over 25 over limit, speeding, open container, and improper use of lanes from 2022. Mendez-Lopez is a citizen of Guatemala and has been removed from the United States on two separate occasions.
Mendez-Lopez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mendez-Lopez was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Mendez-Lopez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and investigated by the Enforcement and Removal Office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-04038.
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Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Michael Turner, 35, from Fort Dodge, Iowa pled guilty February 5, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to felony possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
At the plea hearing, Turner admitted that between March 1, 2024 and March 29, 2024, he possessed a Glock .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, knowing that he was then previously convicted of robbery/no firearm in Cook County, Illinois in March of 2011, and introduction of drugs into a detention facility in Webster County, Iowa, in 2017, each a felony crime punishable of a term of imprisonment for more than one year. On March 8, 2024, a shooting occurred in Fort Dodge, Iowa. On March 29, 2024, law enforcement stopped a vehicle in which Turner was a passenger and located a .45 caliber Glock pistol under Turner’s seat. Officers found that Turner was wearing a holster that fit the pistol, and upon inquiry admitted that he had possessed the firearm at various times in March 2024.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Turner remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Turner faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3023. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
A man with a history of burglaries who was found in possession of a firearm, a digital scale and methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than 4 years in federal prison.
Joseph Tapia, age 25, from Sioux City, received the prison term after an August 28, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence in the case revealed on December 11, 2023, Sioux City Police stopped defendant for operating a bicycle just after midnight, without a headlamp, as required by city code. Tapia immediately began resisting arrest and attempted to pull away from officers. Once Tapia was in custody, officers located a fanny pack he was carrying that contained a loaded 9mm pistol, along with a digital scale that contained methamphetamine residue.
Tapia had previously been convicted of six counts of second-degree burglary and one count of third-degree burglary, in 2017. Tapia was paroled on his state convictions in 2021. During his parole, he attended a meeting where he was warned of the consequences of possessing a firearm, and offered access to any services he might need to rebuild his life (employment, mental health counseling, transportation, etc.). Despite this opportunity, defendant committed the instant federal offense within two years of being discharged from state supervision.
Tapia was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 51 months’ imprisonment (less time served). He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Tapia is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4006.
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Crawford County, Iowa Man Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Brandon Michael Halsey, age 20, from Denison, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea on October 8, 2024, to possession of child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Halsey admitted that between February 5, 2022, and February 1, 2023, he knowingly received, distributed, and possessed visual depictions of child pornography. Evidence in the case showed that on May 6, 2022, a Kik user was reported to have uploaded/shared two videos that depicted child pornography. This activity was reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and a CyperTip report was generated. Law enforcement reviewed the two videos and determined that at least one of the videos involved a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years old.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Halsey’s home, and he admitted to possessing approximately 100 files of images and videos depicting child pornography. Additionally, Halsey admitted he also sent images and videos to other Kik users. While Halsey was walking to the agent’s vehicle he attempted to discard two iPhones outside in a nearby snowbank. Law enforcement officers observed this, and the iPhones were seized as evidence. A forensic review of all three phones showed Halsey possessed 263 images and 104 videos of child pornography. The images and videos included depictions of toddlers, bondage, and sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Halsey was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Halsey was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to pay $18,600 in restitution and assessments. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Halsey is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation-Cyber Crime Bureau-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-4043. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Spencer, Iowa Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Meth and Gun ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Oscar Navarro-Zepeda, 43, from Spencer, Iowa, was sentenced on January 31, 2025, to 204 months’ imprisonment. Navarro-Zepeda was convicted by a jury on August 22, 2024, after a 3 ½ day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Navarro-Zepeda was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of firearm by prohibited person; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at the trial showed that between April 2021 and April 2023, in the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere Navarro-Zepeda was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 31 kilograms of methamphetamine. Evidence also showed that on April 18, 2023, during a search warrant at Navarro-Zepeda’s residence in Spencer, Iowa, law enforcement seized approximately 33 pounds of methamphetamine in separate one-pound packages, which he intended to distribute to others in the Spencer, Iowa, area. Officers also seized $17,932; an AR-15 style .223 caliber rifle, two loaded magazines, other .223 ammunition, as well as various items of drug distribution and use paraphernalia. Navarro-Zepeda was prohibited from possessing firearms and possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking, to protect himself, his drugs and drug proceeds from others.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Navarro-Zepeda was sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Navarro-Zepeda remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4029. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Second Defendant to Federal Prison for Webster County Firearm TheftsRead the Press Release
A woman who stole firearms during two burglaries she committed with a wanted fugitive was sentenced on January 31, 2025, to more than four years in federal prison.
Madison Diane Kidd, age 26, from Stratford, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 16, 2024 guilty plea to possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person.
Information from a plea agreement showed that in late 2022 and early 2023, Kidd harbored Michael Ackerson, a federal fugitive who had a warrant for his arrest, at her residence in Stratford. On January 11, and January 13, 2023, Kidd and Ackerson burglarized two homes on Brushy Creek Road in Webster County, Iowa. During these burglaries, they stole five firearms, a safe containing coins and jewelry, and a compound bow, among other items. Kidd hid four of the stolen firearms and the stolen bow in a crawl space in her residence in Stratford. On January 25, 2023, law enforcement officers searched Kidd’s home. During the search, they located and arrested Ackerson. They also found the firearms, the bow, other property stolen during the burglaries, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.
In January 2023, Kidd was a methamphetamine user who had at least three prior felony convictions. After Ackerson’s arrest, Kidd and Ackerson discussed who would take responsibility for the firearms on recorded jail calls. Ackerson gave Kidd login information for a Google account, and Kidd logged into the account, changed the password, and deleted information from the account to conceal evidence of their crimes. On December 6, 2023, Ackerson was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment after he pled guilty to escape from custody and possession of firearms by a felon.
Kidd was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Kidd was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $865.34 in restitution to the victims. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Kidd is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-3021.
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Former Hospital Administrator Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison in Identity Theft Scheme that Spanned Three DecadesRead the Press Release
An Iowa hospital administrator who lived under a false identity for more than 30 years and caused the false imprisonment, involuntary hospitalization, and forced medication of his victim was sentenced today to 12 years in federal prison.
Matthew David Keirans, age 59, from Hartland, Wisconsin, received the prison term after an April 1, 2024, guilty plea to one count of false statement to a national credit union administration insured institution and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Evidence presented at hearings in the case established that Keirans and his identity theft victim worked together at a hotdog cart in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the late 1980s. Keirans assumed the victim’s identity and, for the next three decades, used that identity in every aspect of his life. Keirans obtained several false documents in the victim’s name, including a Kentucky birth certificate.
In 2013, Keirans obtained employment as a high-level administrator in an Iowa City hospital. Keirans provided the hospital with false identification documents during the hiring process, including a fictitious I-9 form, social security number, date of birth, and other identification documents in his victim’s name. After getting hired, Keirans worked for the hospital remotely from his residence in Wisconsin. Keirans’ access to, and roles in, the system architecture of the hospital’s computer infrastructure were “the highest it could be,” and Keirans “was the key administrator of critical systems.”
Between March 2014 and May 2022, Keirans repeatedly obtained vehicle and personal loans from two credit unions in the Northern District of Iowa using the victim’s name, social security number, and date of birth. Keirans obtained nine loans with a total value of over $250,000 from the credit unions. Keirans also obtained various lines of credit from other lenders in the victim’s name and with his personal identifiers.
Keirans also maintained deposits at a national bank in the victim’s name. In August 2019, the victim, who was homeless at the time, entered the branch of the national bank in Los Angeles, California, and told a branch manager that he had recently discovered that someone was using his credit and had accumulated large amounts of debt. The victim stated that he did not want to pay the debt and wished to close his accounts at the bank. The victim presented the bank with his true social security card, as well as an authentic State of California identification card. Due to the large amount of currency in the accounts, the branch manager asked the victim a series of security questions, which the victim was unable to answer. The national bank then called the Los Angeles Police Department (“LAPD”).
LAPD officers spoke with Keirans on the telephone, who stated he lived in Wisconsin and did not give anyone in California permission to access his bank accounts. After faxing the LAPD a series of phony identification documents, the LAPD arrested Keirans’ victim on two felony charges. After Keirans requested his victim’s prosecution, the victim was charged in Keirans’ name and held without bail at the Los Angeles County Jail.
In the ensuing months, Keirans contacted the LAPD and Los Angeles District Attorney (LADA) numerous times requesting updates on the victim’s prosecution. Meanwhile, Keirans’ victim continued to assert throughout the California criminal proceedings that he was not Keirans. A California state court judge ultimately found Keirans’ victim was not mentally competent to stand trial and ordered Keirans’ victim to a California mental hospital. The California state court also ordered Keirans’ victim to receive psychotropic medication.
In March 2021, Keirans’ victim pled “no contest” to the two felony charges in exchange for a “time-served” sentence, a $400 fine, and immediate release from custody. In total, Keirans’ victim spent 428 days in county jail and 147 days in the mental hospital as a result of Keirans’ false reports to the LAPD and LADA. The state court also ordered Keirans’ victim to “use only their true name, Matthew Keirans” in the future.
After his release from jail and hospital, Keirans’ victim made numerous attempts to regain his identity. For his part, Keirans continued to make false reports and statements to law enforcement officials in Wisconsin and California. The State of California billed the victim over $118,000 for the costs of his “care” in the mental hospital between October 20, 2021, and March 15, 2021.
In January 2023, after learning where Keirans was employed, the victim contacted the Iowa City hospital’s security department about Keirans. The hospital referred Keirans’ complaint to a local law enforcement agency, which assigned an experienced detective, Ian Mallory, to investigate the victim’s complaint. The detective conducted an investigation and, over the course of the ensuing months, unraveled Keirans’ identity theft scheme. Among other things, the detective obtained DNA evidence that conclusively proved that Keirans was not the son of an elderly man in Kentucky, as Keirans had claimed, but that Keirans’ victim was the man’s son.
During an interview with the detective in July 2023, Keirans initially insisted that the victim was “crazy” and “needed help and should be locked up.” After the detective presented Keirans with the results of the DNA testing, however, Keirans confessed to the three-decade identity theft scheme. Keirans also admitted to providing fraudulent documents to authorities in Los Angeles from his residence in Wisconsin to aid in the arrest, prosecution, and incarceration of the victim. A California court ultimately exonerated the victim after Keirans pled guilty in federal court.
Keirans was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Keirans was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment and fined $10,000. He was ordered to make $6,191 in restitution the victim and ordered to repay $10,000 in court-appointed attorney fees. Keirans must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
At the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Williams said Keirans’ crime was “egregious,” “callous,” and “Kafkaesque.” Chief Judge Williams stated Keirans “weaponized the criminal justice system to achieve his goals.” Chief Judge Williams praised the “remarkable and exceptional work” of the Iowa detective.
“Matthew Keirans spent decades pretending to be someone he was not, all the while knowing that his victim was suffering,” said United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax. “Keirans used his victim’s identity to live his life, obtain loans, and lines of credit. When the victim tried to clear his name of Keirans’ debts, Keirans deliberately and calculatedly lied to police officers and prosecutors in California in order to keep his victim locked up, unable to live his life, and to keep his own secret safe. Today, Keirans has been held responsible for his actions and will spend years in prison.”
“I would like to thank Detective Mallory for his tenacious work on this case,” said University of Iowa Police Chief Lucy Wiederholt. “His persistence in finding the facts highlights our commitment to helping victims of crime.”
“The FBI is committed to working with our local law enforcement partners wherever we can to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution,” said Eugene Kowel, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge. “The FBI commends the University of Iowa Police Department’s tenacity in bringing Keirans’ fraudulent crimes to an end, and we remain dedicated to holding individuals like Keirans accountable when they break the laws of our country and impose harm on victims.”
Keirans is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the University of Iowa Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-1020.
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Marion Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jeffrey Alan Bradley, age 51, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 8, 2024 guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography.
Evidence in this case demonstrated that Bradley received at least 7,086 images and 1,048 videos of child sexual abuse material. These depictions of child sexual abuse material included prepubescent minors, children engaged in sexual acts with animals, sadistic and masochistic conduct, and infants or toddlers. Bradley used sophisticated software to download these images, which he then organized into folders on his computer hard drive. When Bradley was arrested, he resisted arrest by reaching for a loaded firearm he had stored in his pants, refusing to comply with law enforcement commands, and trying to pull away from officers.
Bradley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Bradley was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $39,000 in restitution to the victims in the case. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Bradley is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-40.
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Man with History of Violence Sent to Federal Prison for Possessing Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
A man with a history of violence was sentenced today, to 10 years in federal prison.
Conrad Lyons, age 36, from Sioux City, received the prison term after an August 26, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of receipt and possession of a National Firearms Destructive Device not registered to the possessor, i.e., a sawed-off shotgun.
Evidence in this case revealed that on March 23, 2024, at approximately 1:00 a.m., law enforcement received a report of an altercation in an apartment in Sioux City, Iowa, involving Lyons (who is a felon) and several other individuals. Reports indicated the altercation involved a large machete-style knife, and that Lyons had a “sawed-off shotgun”. Law enforcement responded to the apartment in Sioux City where the altercation took place. Outside of the apartment, law enforcement encountered an individual, who confirmed there had been an altercation, and identified some of the individuals, but the individuals inside the apartment were reluctant to cooperate.
Further, on March 23, 2024, at approximately 8:22 p.m., law enforcement observed Lyons and two other individuals, walking in Sioux City, Iowa. As law enforcement approached, Lyons dropped a black backpack and walked into the street. The other individual attempted to throw a machete into a storm drain. The individuals were stopped by police. The machete was retrieved, and through the open zipper of the backpack, law enforcement observed a barrel and what appeared to be a cut-off gunstock that was covered with a sock. It was later determined Lyons was in possession of the sawed-off shotgun.
Lyons has a history of violent offenses, failure on supervision, disciplinary violations in custody and a history of eluding, resisting and fighting with law enforcement. Lyons criminal history includes (1) assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer, in the United States District Court of Nebraska; (2) assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country, in the United States District Court of Nebraska; and (3) assault by striking, beating, and wounding, in the United States District Court of Nebraska.
Lyons was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Lyons is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-4026.
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Charles City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who possessed meth with intent to distribute it was sentenced today to more than 7 years in federal prison.
Jeremy Thomas Scott, age 46, from Charles City, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 17, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams of methamphetamine.
At the guilty plea, Scott admitted that he was a passenger in a van that was stopped by law enforcement on I-35 on June 6, 2024, in Cerro Gordo County. Law enforcement had received a tip that Scott was traveling to Iowa from California with multiple pounds of methamphetamine.
A K-9 was deployed around the van and provided a positive alert. Scott admitted to having a methamphetamine pipe in the door of the van where he was seated and claimed everything in the van was his. A search of the van by the ISP troopers found approximately 4 pounds of methamphetamine seized from inside a Rice Krispies box.
Scott was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Scott was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Scott is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Fletcher and was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa State Patrol.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR03031.
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Webster County Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Taylor Morrow, 34, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty January 24, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Morrow admitted that between March and April 2024, he and others distributed more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge, Iowa area.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Morrow remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Morrow faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3034. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced January 24, 2025, to one year in federal prison.
Pablo Perez-Chavez, age 24, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 29, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported following a conviction for an aggravated felony.
At the guilty plea, Perez-Chavez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Perez-Chavez was convicted in January 2023 in the Northern District of Iowa of possession of a firearm by an alien, served 10 months’ imprisonment and placed on a three-year term of supervised release before being deported in May 2023. On July 15, 2024, immigration officials learned Perez-Chavez had illegally returned to the United States after Perez-Chavez reported to the Linn County Jail to serve a state OWI sentence. Perez-Chavez was also charged with violating the terms of his supervised release by reentering the United States without permission.
Perez-Chavez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Perez-Chavez was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Perez-Chavez was also sentenced to four months’ imprisonment to be served consecutively for violating the terms of his supervised release on his prior firearm conviction. There is no parole in the federal system.
Perez-Chavez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-67.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to over 24 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child and Destruction of EvidenceRead the Press Release
A man who attempted to solicit a minor to engage in prostitution was sentenced on January 24, 2025, to 292 months in federal prison.
Joshua Johnson, age 50, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after an August 7, 2024, jury verdict finding him guilty of attempted sex trafficking of a child and destruction of evidence. The evidence at trial showed that, in December 2023, Johnson responded to an ad on a website for prostitution. He exchanged text messages with a person who stated that she was 13 years old; she actually was an undercover law enforcement officer. Johnson sent messages describing sex acts he could perform with the minor, and he traveled to Hiawatha, Iowa, to meet with her. After meeting with officers, Johnson wiped his cell phone.
Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Johnson was sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Hiawatha Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 24-38.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids Man who distributed over 1,100 fentanyl pills was sentenced on January 24, 2025, to five years in federal prison.
Deon Hicks, Jr., age 31, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 21, 2024, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Information at sentencing showed that on four separate occasions between December 2023 and January 2024, law enforcement officers conducted an undercover operation and purchased over 1,100 fentanyl pills from Hicks.
Hicks was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court C.J. William. Hicks was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Hicks is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Task Force and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. The Johnson County Drug Task Force consists of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-46.
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Career Offender from Fort Dodge Sentenced to Federal Prison for 16 YearsRead the Press Release
A man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it was sentenced on January 23, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Jordan Taylor, 35, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on April 11, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. Taylor had been convicted of two prior drug trafficking offenses which made him a career offender.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on multiple occasions in August 2023, Taylor distributed methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement. In September 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a hotel in Fort Dodge where Taylor was staying. During the execution of the search warrant on the room, law enforcement found Taylor in the bathroom attempting to flush methamphetamine down the toilet. In the room, law enforcement seized about one pound of pure methamphetamine, along with psilocin mushrooms, pharmaceutical tablets, over $1,100 in cash, and drug distribution paraphernalia. Further investigation showed Taylor was responsible for the possession and distribution of approximately three pounds of methamphetamine.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Taylor was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Taylor remains in U.S. Marshals custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and the Fort Dodge Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-3041.
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Humboldt, Iowa, Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Paul William Flett, age 44, from Humboldt, Iowa, pled guilty January 23, 2025, to one count to sexual exploitation of a child in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa.
In a plea agreement, Flett admitted he sent links and images of child pornography to underage girls and asked them to send images and videos of themselves to him. On June 6, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Flett’s home and in a consensual interview Flett admitted he threw his phone in a closet when law enforcement showed up because he knew they were there for him. Forensic analysis of Flett’s iPhone 12, computer, and Kik account discovered a total of 16 videos and 60 images of child pornography. The images and videos contained material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct, as well as prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Flett was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Flett faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any imprisonment of 5 years to life.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber-Crime Unit, and Webster County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03036. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Second Dubuque Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
A second man who sexually abused a child pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. John James Dixon, age 41, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of distribution of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Dixon admitted that, between September 2023 and May 2024, he knowingly used, persuaded, induced, and enticed a minor under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct. He also admitted that between September 2023 and May 2024, he knowingly distributed visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Dixon is the second man to plead guilty in this case. On December 18, 2024, Justin James Paisley, age 35, from Dubuque, Iowa, pled guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. At Paisley’s plea hearing, he admitted that between the spring of 2022 and May 2024, he knowingly used, persuaded, induced, and enticed minors under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Paisley also admitted that between August 2023 and May 2024, he knowingly distributed visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set for both Dixon and Paisley after a presentence report is prepared. Dixon and Paisley remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. They each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 50 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $95,200 in special assessments, and life term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-1032.
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Man who Aided and Abetted False Statements in the Purchase of Multiple Firearms Sentenced to over Twenty Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who used his girlfriend to purchase guns for others and himself was sentenced today to 260 months in federal prison.
Levi Allen Doolin, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 26, 2024 guilty plea to three counts of aiding and abetting false statements during the purchase of a firearm. In September 2023, Doolin aided and abetted his then girlfriend, Jasmin Fox, who was previously sentenced in federal court, when she attempted to and did successfully purchase multiple firearms on behalf of others. The evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Doolin used one of the firearms purchased by Fox in two different shots fired incidents in Cedar Rapids as well as in a robbery. The evidence at the hearing also showed that Doolin had previously possessed firearms as a drug user while on high-risk supervision. In imposing its sentence, and in reflecting on Doolin’s serious criminal history, the sentencing judge noted that Doolin was “out of control.”
Doolin was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Doolin was sentenced to 120 months on two counts and 20 months on the third count, with the sentences to run consecutively for a total of 260 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Doolin is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR- 00026.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Meth ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed three firearms and several ounces of methamphetamine pled guilty January 21, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Felipe Alcaraz, Jr., 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of three counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Alcaraz, Jr. was previously convicted of eluding and possession of controlled substance – third or subsequent offense, which prohibit a person from possessing a firearm.
At the plea hearing, Alcaraz, Jr. admitted that on a number of occasions he fled law enforcement’s attempts to conduct traffic stops of vehicles he operated, driving at high-speeds and in a reckless manner. During two traffic stops, law enforcement located Alcaraz, Jr. with firearms and ammunition, and on another occasion, drugs. One of the firearms seized had been reported stolen and another had an altered serial number. Alcaraz, Jr. further admitted to his involvement in the possession of at least 350 grams of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to others in the Sioux City area.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Alcaraz, Jr. remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On each of the firearm convictions, Alcaraz, Jr. faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the methamphetamine conviction, Alcaraz, Jr. faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4052. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Uriah Jordan Buffalo Chief-Torrez, II of Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty in federal court January 21, 2025, to receipt and possession of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Buffalo Chief-Torrez pled guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. In an interview with law enforcement, Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted individuals on several social media platforms had tried to show and sell him child pornography. Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted that individuals on Telegram would sell him “CP” for $65. Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted that he viewed 15 or 16 videos of child pornography. Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted he downloaded child pornography on nine separate occasions and had streamed others on social media. The images and videos contained material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or the sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant or toddler.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Buffalo Chief-Torrez will remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Buffalo Chief-Torrez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and five years to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-4029. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Gun and Violation of Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
A man on supervised release was sentenced January 16, 2025, to 16 years in federal prison.
Bob Schonrock, age 54, from Sioux City, received the prison term after pleading guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Schonrock has an extensive criminal history including, aggravated battery, grand theft, possession of controlled substance, eluding and possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) in state court, and possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user and possession of a stolen firearm in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
Evidence in the case revealed that in November of 2023, Sioux City Police officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Schonrock was operating for an equipment violation. Drug paraphernalia was observed in plain view on the front passenger seat. During a search, a scale with methamphetamine residue was located on Schonrock, and a handgun was found in a tool bag in the back seat of the vehicle. A magnetic container was also located underneath the vehicle adjacent the driver’s door which contained approximately 10.74 grams of methamphetamine.
Officers also located a garage Schonrock was known to use. and upon a search found methamphetamine residue on a countertop adjacent to packaging materials and a plastic bag containing methamphetamine with an approximate gross weight of 483 grams.
Schonrock was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 180 months’ imprisonment, consecutive to 12 months imprisonment for the supervised release violation. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Rockwood is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-04081 and 19-04058.
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Marion Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Firearms as a Felon on Multiple OccasionsRead the Press Release
A man who unlawfully possessed firearms was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.
Yasir Jinnah, age 33, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 13, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
In a plea agreement, Jinnah admitted that on February 13, 2023, March 31, 2023, and April 26, 2024, he knowingly possessed firearms as a felon and as an unlawful user of marijuana. In May 2012, Jinnah was convicted in Illinois state court of unlawful sale of a firearm, a felony. As a felon, Jinnah is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
During 2023 and 2024, Jinnah posted photos and videos to social media of himself possessing firearms, shooting firearms, possessing marijuana, and smoking marijuana.
On February 13, 2023, Jinnah’s car was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 80 by a trooper with the Iowa State Patrol. After a drug dog alerted on the car, the trooper searched the car and found a loaded Glock 9mm pistol in the center console and three loaded 30-round 9mm magazines in a backpack on the rear seat.
On March 31, 2023, during the execution of a search warrant at Jinnah’s residence in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, officers found in bedroom nightstands two loaded Glock 9mm caliber pistols and four additional fully loaded 9mm magazines. Officers also found in the bedroom seven additional Glock 9mm magazines along with 137 rounds of 9mm ammunition. In the kitchen, officers found a loaded Beretta .40 caliber pistol and three additional loaded .40 caliber magazines.
On April 26, 2024, during the execution of a search warrant at Jinnah’s residence in Marion, Iowa, officers found in a bedroom a loaded Glock 9mm caliber pistol and an additional magazine containing 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber pistol and an additional magazine containing 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Officers also found a bag with five additional magazines containing 109 rounds of 9mm ammunition. In a hallway closet, officers found a Maverick Arms 12-gauge shotgun along with 10 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition.
Jinnah was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Jinnah was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Jinnah is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-30.
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Fort Dodge Woman Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area was sentenced January 17, 2025, to 126 months in federal prison.
Carolyn Michaels (Woodman), 60, recently from Ankeny, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 19, 2024, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine in a protected zone.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Michaels was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 50 kilograms of methamphetamine in 2023/2024. Additional evidence showed Michaels distributed a total of six ounces of methamphetamine over three transactions to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. During a search warrant at Michaels’ residence, law enforcement seized drug use/trafficking paraphernalia, including: several cellular telephones, a scale, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine. Michaels admitted to obtaining pound quantities of methamphetamine from sources in Fort Dodge and re-distributing it in ounce to ¼ pound quantities to several persons in Fort Dodge area.
Michaels was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Michaels was sentenced to 126 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Michaels is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DCI Laboratory, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Webster County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3012.
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Cedar Rapids Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who distributed more than 900 fentanyl pills was sentenced January 15, 2025, to more than five years in federal prison.
Brogan Eugene McCartney, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 29, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of distribution of a controlled substance, and three counts of use of a communication facility to commit a felony drug offense.
Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, between January 2023 and the beginning of March 2023, McCartney obtained at least 900 pills containing fentanyl from a source of supply. McCartney distributed some or all those pills to other individuals. On March 4, 2023, emergency personnel responded to McCartney’s residence in Cedar Rapids, where they found a female deceased in McCartney’s bed from a fentanyl‑related overdose. McCartney continued to distribute fentanyl pills.
On August 7, 2023, law enforcement officers used an undercover officer to purchase 18 fentanyl pills from McCartney. During the August 7 purchase, McCartney told the undercover officer that he had a firearm on him, and McCartney then lifted up his shirt and flashed the handle of what appeared to be a firearm. Officers later learned that it was actually a BB gun. On August 23, 2023, the undercover officer ordered more fentanyl pills from McCartney. When the officer arrived at McCartney’s residence, McCartney and McCartney’s friend entered the officer’s vehicle, where McCartney’s friend distributed 16 fentanyl pills to the officer. On September 6, 2023, McCartney posted a video on social media of himself with a firearm containing an extended magazine. That same day, the undercover officer ordered more fentanyl pills from McCartney. When the officer arrived at McCartney’s residence, McCartney and McCartney’s friend entered the officer’s vehicle. During the purchase, McCartney offered to purchase a firearm for the officer if the officer paid McCartney $100. McCartney’s friend eventually distributed 30 fentanyl pills to the officer.
McCartney was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. McCartney was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
McCartney is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑00057‑CJW.
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Two Iowa Healthcare Practitioners Settle Allegations for False Submission of Claims to Federal Healthcare Programs in Telemedicine SchemeRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – Two Iowa healthcare practitioners have entered into civil settlements to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of false or fraudulent claims to Medicare as part of a telemedicine scheme.
Nurse practitioner Cori Lempiainen has agreed to pay $150,000 to the United States to resolve allegations that between October 4, 2021 and November 11, 2022 she billed Medicare for over 650 claims for office visits and medical discussions she did not provide, and signed over 2,700 orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, such as orthotic braces.
Paul Baumert, M.D., has agreed to pay $14,325.96 to the United States to resolve allegations that between May 16, 2022 and August 26, 2022 he billed Medicare for over 200 claims for office visits and medical discussions that he did not provide, and signed over 180 orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, such as orthotic braces.
Both practitioners participated in a telemedicine scheme in which they placed orders for braces based on listening to recorded cold calls to Medicare beneficiaries asking about common aches and pains. Neither Lempiainen nor Baumert had any contact with the Medicare beneficiaries for whom they signed orders or submitted claims, and beneficiaries complained of receiving braces they did not want or use.
“Telemedicine schemes like these rely on the willing participation of healthcare providers to defraud the Medicare program by signing orders for expensive and unnecessary medical braces and other equipment,” said Richard D. Westphal, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa. “Our office will continue to aggressively pursue healthcare fraud in all forms.”
The cases were investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy C. Licht of the Southern District of Iowa and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Keogh of the Northern District of Iowa.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Links to the settlement agreements are available below.
Baumert Final Settlement
Lempiainen Final Settlement
Eleven Time Felon Found Guilty of Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
An eleven‑time felon who fired a pistol during an argument was convicted by a jury on January 15, 2025, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Kenneth Moore, age 50, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. The verdict was returned following less than three hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that on August 4, 2023, around 4:00 a.m., Moore got into an argument with an individual on the porch of a residence in Dubuque. During the argument, two individuals attempted to push Moore away from the argument and de‑escalate the situation. As they were pushing Moore away, Moore fired a pistol towards the residence. The bullet nearly hit two people, went through the front wall of the residence, and lodged in the back living room wall. Moore then fled the scene. Twelve days later, on August 16, 2023, officers arrested Moore and searched the car he was driving, where they recovered the pistol Moore fired on August 4. Moore was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of eleven felony convictions.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Moore remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Moore faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑01009‑CJW.
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Dubuque Man Who Distributed Fentanyl Resulting in an Overdose Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed and sold fentanyl pills was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.
Anthony Frank Ernst, age 39, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 9, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, in April 2023, Ernst distributed pills that contained fentanyl to an individual who, in turn, distributed pills to another person. That person took the pills, which caused the person to suffer an overdose. A few days later, officers stopped a car that Ernst was a passenger in. Ernst was in possession of more than 240 fentanyl pills. On June 7, 2023, Ernst sold marijuana and fentanyl to a confidential informant who was working with law enforcement, and, in the early morning on June 9, 2023, officers again stopped a car that Ernst was a passenger in. Ernst was in possession of controlled substances, including fentanyl.
Ernst was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Ernst was sentenced to 94 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ernst is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was also investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Lacrosse, Wisconsin, Drug Task Force, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-1019.
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Doctor Jailed for HIPAA ViolationsRead the Press Release
An Iowa emergency room doctor and medical resident, who violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) by viewing the medical records of multiple women who were not his patients, was sentenced today to a month in jail. Dr. Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Roman, age 31, from Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, received the term of incarceration after a June 28, 2024, guilty plea to one count of wrongfully obtaining individually identifiable health information relating to an individual under false pretenses.
At his plea and sentencing hearings, Dr. Hernandez-Roman admitted that, between 2020 and 2022, he knowingly and without authorization obtained the protected health information of multiple women at hospitals in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Dr. Hernandez-Roman was working as a resident doctor in Iowa emergency rooms at the time, including at “Hospital-1” in Cedar Rapids and “Hospital-2” in Iowa City.
In January 2022, Dr. Hernandez-Roman viewed the medical records of “K.F.” at Hospital-1 in Cedar Rapids without her knowledge or consent. K.F. was never Dr. Hernandez Roman’s patient and was not a patient in Hospital-1’s emergency department at the time. When K.F. discovered what Dr. Hernandez-Roman had done, Dr. Hernandez-Roman asked K.F. to tell Hospital-1, falsely, that K.F. had given Dr. Hernandez-Roman permission to look at her medical records.
Dr. Hernandez Roman also admitted to accessing K.F.’s medical records at Hospital-2 in March 2021, as well as the medical records of “M.C.” at Hospital-2 in October 2020. After receiving an anonymous complaint about Dr. Hernandez-Roman being romantically involved with patients, accessing their medical records, and threatening them, Hospital-2 discovered that Dr. Hernandez-Roman had illegally accessed K.F. and M.C.’s records. The records included M.C.’s health records when she was a minor and her adult psychological records.
Dr. Hernandez Roman also admitted that, in January 2022, he sent a photograph of one of Hospital-1’s patients in Cedar Rapids to another individual via SnapChat. The photograph showed the patient in a hospital setting, wearing a gown, with the patient’s rectum clearly hanging out of the body. Dr. Hernandez Roman had no legitimate medical purpose for taking this photograph or, further, for sending it via SnapChat to the individual.
Finally, Dr. Hernandez Roman admitted that, in June 2023, he mailed a letter to the Iowa Board of Medicine in which he admitted accessing the confidential medical records of K.F. and M.C. and also to sharing the photograph of the prolapsed rectum. In his plea agreement, Dr. Hernandez Roman admitted he falsely wrote in the letter that he had sent the photograph of the prolapsed rectum to his mother to remind her of the importance of fiber intake.
Dr. Hernandez-Roman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Dr. Hernandez Roman was sentenced to a month of imprisonment and fined $1,000. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Dr. Hernandez-Roman is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-34.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm After Illegally Returning to the United StatesRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.
Julio Parra-Moralez, age 41, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 15, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry following a conviction for a felony offense and one count of possession of a firearm by an alien.
In a plea agreement, Parra-Moralez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Parra-Moralez was deported in September 2010. Parra-Moralez had previously been convicted in September 2002 of forgery, a felony. On February 18, 2024, immigration officials learned Parra-Moralez had illegally returned to the United States and found Parra-Moralez at the Black Hawk County Jail following his arrest on state charges. On April 1, 2024, Parra-Moralez was convicted in state court of possession of methamphetamine, third offense, and sentenced to five years on probation.
Parra-Moralez also admitted that he unlawfully possessed a firearm in April 2023 while being illegally present in the United States. On April 10, 2023, Parra-Moralez’s vehicle was stopped by a sheriff’s deputy on I-380 in Black Hawk County, Iowa. During the traffic stop, the deputy found a Smith & Wesson 38 Special with an obliterated serial number on the rear passenger floorboard. The firearm was later analyzed, and Parra-Moralez’s DNA was found on the firearm.
Parra-Moralez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Parra-Moralez was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Parra-Moralez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2020.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Document FraudRead the Press Release
A man who used a fraudulent social security card was sentenced today to more than five months in federal prison.
Valentin Munoz-Lopez, age 35, a citizen of Mexico residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2024, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document and one count of misuse of a social security number.
At the guilty plea, Munoz-Lopez admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card bearing an alias name to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in February 2024 at a business in Lime Springs, Iowa. The number on the Social Security card was assigned to the person whose name was on the Social Security card. Social Security cards are documents prescribed by statute or regulation for entry into or as evidence of authorized stay or employment in the United States. As an alien unlawfully in the United States, Munoz-Lopez was not authorized to work in the United States. Munoz-Lopez also used the fraudulent Social Security card when he applied for work at businesses in Limes Springs and Cresco, Iowa, in June 2020, January 2022, April 2022, and May 2022.
Munoz-Lopez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Munoz-Lopez was sentenced to 161 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Munoz-Lopez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transferred to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2034.
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Dubuque Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
A man who possessed drugs and a gun was sentenced today to 19 years in federal prison.
Dylan VanScoyoc, age 29, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 30, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance after a prior conviction for a felony drug offense, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, on September 22, 2023, an officer stopped a vehicle that VanScoyoc had been driving. VanScoyoc got out of the vehicle and ran from the officer on foot before he was ultimately taken into custody. In the vehicle, officers located a designer purse that contained a loaded firearm, a digital scale, and multiple baggies containing more than 140 grams of cocaine.
VanScoyoc was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. VanScoyoc was sentenced to 228 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
VanScoyoc is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Dubuque Police Department, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-1013.
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Minnesota Woman Sentenced to Decade in Federal Prison for Defrauding Nail Salon OwnerRead the Press Release
A Minnesota woman who defrauded a nail salon owner out of more than $100,000 and then engaged in “bill stuffing” at an Iowa casino to conceal the fraud proceeds was sentenced on January 10, 2025, to ten years in federal prison. Mary Kate Nguyen, age 37, from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, originally from Vietnam, received the prison term after an April 23, 2023, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud and one count of contempt of court.
In her plea and sentencing hearings, Nguyen admitted that in 2016 she told the owner of a Minnesota nail salon that she operated a loan brokering business known as “My Second Chance Financing, Ltd.” Nguyen told the victim she could help build the victim’s credit by obtaining and then paying off loans for her. The victim provided various means of identification to Nguyen, who used the victim’s identity to obtain over $90,000 in loans at four different financial institutions. Nguyen also instructed the victim to make a series of wires with the loan proceeds to Iowa, purportedly to expedite the loan repayment process. Instead of paying off the loans in full, however, Nguyen used loan proceeds for her own benefit.
Between December 2016, and February 2017, Nguyen and others acting at her direction engaged in “bill stuffing” at a casino in Northwood, Iowa. “Bill stuffing” is the practice of creating slot machine tickets by inserting currency and then cashing out those tickets at a casino in order to create a paper trail. By “bill stuffing,” Nguyen concealed the illegal source of the funds she had obtained.
A grand jury indicted Nguyen in late 2021, and a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Minnesota released Nguyen pending trial. While on pretrial release in Minnesota, Nguyen used methamphetamine and eventually absconded from supervision. In September 2022, the United States Marshal’s Service arrested Nguyen in Minnesota.
While on pretrial release in Minnesota, and later in a jail in Orange City, Iowa, Nguyen attempted to perpetrate a serious of financial frauds in Minnesota and North Dakota. Among other things, Nguyen repeatedly provided false and fraudulent bank statements and other financial documents to banks in attempts to obtain loans to purchase commercial and residential properties. In September 2022, Nguyen submitted the winning bid of $1.3 million to purchase the former federal courthouse in Bemidji, Minnesota. Nguyen also obstructed justice by threating to “hang” investigators.
Nguyen has an extensive criminal history in Minnesota. Nguyen’s prior convictions include four convictions for theft by swindle and three convictions for driving while impaired, as well as convictions for theft by check, giving a peace officer a false name, and drug possession.
Nguyen was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Nguyen was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and fined $20,000. She was ordered to make $131,175 in restitution to her victim. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
In sentencing Nguyen, Judge Strand stated that Nguyen’s conduct while on pretrial release and in jail was “incredible” and “stunning.” Judge Strand found Nguyen was an “extreme danger to society” and a “substantial, serious menace to society” with respect to financial crimes.
Nguyen is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation-Special Enforcement Operations Bureau. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Woodbury (Minnesota) Police Department, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement, and Iowa Division of Intelligence assisted in the investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-3037.
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Spencer Man to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Casey Tuttle, 26, from Spencer, Iowa, was sentenced on January 7, 2025, to 41 months’ imprisonment.
On August 29, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City, Tuttle pled guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Tuttle was previously convicted in 2021 in the Iowa District Court of burglary, third degree; possession of methamphetamine, third or subsequent offense; and in 2018 of burglary, second degree. Each of these are felony convictions which prohibit Tuttle from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that in the early morning of April 4, 2024, Spencer Police Department officers stopped Tuttle riding his bike in the dark without taillights or reflectors. It was determined Tuttle had outstanding arrest warrants, so he was placed under arrest. During a search of Tuttle and a backpack he was wearing, law enforcement located a .22 caliber revolver, ammunition, marijuana, knives, 1 gram of methamphetamine, and other drug-use paraphernalia. Tuttle admitted to law enforcement he was a drug user. As a drug user, Tuttle is also prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Tuttle was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Tuttle remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Spencer, Iowa Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-4032. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute more than 40 kilograms of methamphetamine pled guilty January 7, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Celeste Seaton, 40, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing Seaton admitted that for five months in 2023 she and others conspired to distribute over 3 pounds of pure methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area. Specifically, on three occasions in 2023, Seaton distributed over 750 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Seaton further admitted to methamphetamine trafficking over the last several years in Sioux City and that she obtained and distributed a total of 100 pounds of methamphetamine from her source of supply who was obtaining the methamphetamine from Arizona.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Seaton remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Seaton faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4051. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Drug Dealer with History of Violence Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
A drug dealer with a history of violence who fled a traffic stop was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Antonio Rockwood, age 26, from Sioux City, received the prison term after an August 13, 2024, guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Drug User, and a Misdemeanant Domestic Abuser.
Evidence in the case revealed in September of 2023, officers with the Sioux City Police Department attempted a traffic stop on a Silver Chrysler 300, for dark window tint, that was known to be driven by Rockwood. The vehicle fled officers. Officers went to a nearby address Rockwood was known to frequent. The vehicle was found abandoned and high-centered, where it had collided with two parked vehicles. A neighbor advised officers Rockwood was the driver and had fled into a nearby residence. While officers were clearing the vehicle, they observed a handgun stuck between the driver’s seat and center console. Officers also located a backpack containing a crystalline substance that tested positive for methamphetamine weighing 153 grams. Officers obtained a search warrant for the residence and found Rockwood hiding in a crawl space in the attic.
Rockwood has previous felony convictions for theft and controlled substance violations, as well as a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, all in Woodbury County, Iowa.
Rockwood was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Rockwood is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4082.
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Marion Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
A man who attempted to entice a minor to engage in sex acts was sentenced today to 210 months in federal prison.
Cory Gall, age 30, of Marion, Iowa, received the sentence after a July 3, 2024, jury verdict finding him guilty of attempted enticement of a minor. The evidence at trial showed that, in December 2023, Gall exchanged text messages with a person who stated that she was 13 years old. The person was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Gall sent messages describing sex acts he could perform with the minor, and he traveled to Hiawatha, Iowa, to meet with her.
Gall was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Gall was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Hiawatha Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 24-32.
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Florida Man Returns to Federal Prison for N95 Mask SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man who participated in a scheme to defraud a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, company in 2020 was sentenced on December 9, 2024, to more than three years in federal prison.
Saransh “Sam” Sharma, age 44, from Wellington, Florida, originally from Muscat, Oman, received the prison term after a December 14, 2023, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.
At his guilty plea and sentencing hearings, Sharma admitted that a Cedar Rapids company was in the market to purchase one million 3M N95 masks in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. On October 9, 2020, Sharma falsely represented to the Cedar Rapids company in a phone call that a Florida limited liability company had successfully transacted on 30 million masks in the prior two months when, in truth, the Florida company had not done so. The Cedar Rapids company wired over $3 million to a Florida lawyer’s bank account on October 19, 2020, expecting to receive the one million N95 masks, but the Cedar Rapids company never received them. The United States later filed a civil fraud action and recovered approximately $2.4 million of the Cedar Rapids company’s moneys.
In March 2018, Sharma was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment after he pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in the Northern District of California for his role in a different scheme. Sharma’s prior federal prison sentence was discharged on October 9, 2020.
Sharma was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Sharma was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $390,454.57 in restitution victims of the N95 mask scheme. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-71.
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