Northern District of Iowa
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Red Oak Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Ann Sulsberger, 49, from Red Oak, Iowa, pled guilty April 18, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that between April 2023 and May 2023 Sulsberger and others conspired to distribute over a pound of methamphetamine in the Woodbury and Monona County areas.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Sulsberger remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Sulsberger 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 Bureau of Indian Affairs, DEA Laboratory, 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 24-4002. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Spencer Man Sentenced to More Than Thirteen Years’ Imprisonment for Second Federal Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
A man who had previously been convicted of Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Methamphetamine in 2004 was sentenced April 17, 2024, to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and will spend more than 13 years in federal prison.
Todd Williams, age 57 from Spencer, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2023, guilty plea to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Evidence showed on March 4, 2023, after receiving information that Williams was possessing and selling methamphetamine, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence in Spencer, Iowa. During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement seized approximately 2.7 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately $50,000 in cash. Williams was not present during the execution of the search warrant but was observed by law enforcement driving by. Law enforcement attempted to traffic stop Williams who then led law enforcement on a short pursuit driving at speeds up to 100mph before being stopped and arrested.
Williams was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Williams was sentenced to 158 months’ imprisonment and must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Williams 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 Jack Lammers and Patrick Greenwood and investigated by Spencer Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Estherville Police Department, the Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4061. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Sheldon Man Sentenced to 12 years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who distributed child pornography to a minor was sentenced today, April 18, 2024, to 12 years in federal prison.
Henry Araica-Gonzalez, age 22, from Sheldon, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 5, 2023, guilty plea to Distribution of Child Pornography.
Evidence showed that in February 2023, a minor victim disclosed a sexual relationship with Araica-Gonzalez and an investigation began. Law enforcement executed a search warrant and during an interview with law enforcement, Araica-Gonzalez admitted he knew the victim was a minor, admitted to the sexual relationship, and admitted he filmed some of the sexual encounters on both his and her phones. Araica-Gonzalez further admitted that on at least one occasion he sent the videos to the victim.
Araica-Gonzalez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Araica-Gonzalez was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $1,100 in fines 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.
Araica-Gonzalez 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 the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sergeant Bluff Police Department, and Sheldon Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
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The case file number is CR23-4031. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Ida Grove Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Scott Allen Tomlinson, 49, from Ida Grove, Iowa, was sentenced April 18, 2024, to 10 years in federal prison for Possession of Child Pornography.
Evidence in the case established that between September 1, 2021, and February 23, 2022, Tomlinson possessed child pornography and used a cellular phone to access the images on the cloud. Law Enforcement recovered dozens of images from Tomlinson’s cloud-based storage system. These images included material that portrayed sadistic and masochistic conduct. Evidence at the sentencing hearing established that Tomlinson engaged in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor.
Tomlinson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Tomlinson was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $2,600 in fines 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.
Tomlinson 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 State of Iowa Department of Public Safety 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 22-CR-04904.
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Humboldt, Iowa, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who was found in possession of a stolen gun was sentenced on April 16, 2024, to 21 months in federal prison.
Joseph Isiah Hardy, Sr., age 38, from Humboldt, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 28, 2023, guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Evidence at the hearing showed that on October 27, 2022, the Humboldt Police Department responded to a call of a possible stolen gun. During a search of the property Hardy was detained and found with the stolen firearm. Hardy admitted he had previously been convicted of the felony assault of an at-risk person in Colorado in 2012. Hardy further admitted he knowingly possessed a stolen firearm.
Hardy was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Hardy was sentenced to 21 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.
Hardy 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 Humbolt Police Department, Humbolt County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol 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 CR23-3010. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Felon Who Pretended to Work for the ATF to Steal Firearms Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A felon who possessed twenty firearms in May and June 2023 was sentenced on April 11, 2024, to more than eight years in federal prison.
Ken Nakato, age 36, from Coralville, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 20, 2023 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information from a plea agreement and sentencing hearing showed that on May 17, 2023, Hiawatha police officers responded to a domestic disturbance involving Nakato. Officers began to assist Nakato with removing his belongings, including several firearms, from a residence, but a criminal history check showed Nakato had a felony conviction. Nakato falsely denied being a felon. Officers seized seven firearms, including a short-barreled rifle, from the residence and Nakato’s car.
Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) spoke with Nakato at his residence on May 19, 2023, and Nakato admitted that he was not allowed to possess firearms. That night, Nakato texted someone else that he was officially an employee of the ATF, which would be “a clear record.” On May 23, 2023, Nakato told an acquaintance that he was working for the ATF, and he needed to seize the acquaintance’s firearms. Nakato took seven firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition from the acquaintance. Law enforcement subsequently seized these seven firearms from Nakato on May 24 and May 25, 2023.
On June 7, 2023, Nakato convinced a family member to buy two firearms for him from a licensed firearms dealer in Coralville. He was in possession of one of those firearms on June 15, 2023, when he was pulled over by Iowa City police officers. Between May 17, 2023, and June 15, 2023, Nakato possessed at least twenty firearms.
Nakato was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Nakato was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Nakato is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hiawatha Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, the Coralville Police Department, and the Iowa City Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-0048.
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Dubuque Man Sentenced to More than a Decade in Prison for His Role in Shooting Outside Dubuque BarRead the Press Release
A Dubuque man who fired a gun near a group of people following a fight was sentenced on April 16, 2024, to more than 12 years in prison.
Marvin Brantley, age 31, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 13, 2023, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information disclosed during the plea and sentencing hearings revealed that on April 8, 2023, Brantley was involved in a fight outside a bar in Dubuque, Iowa. Brantley and a group of people were observed on surveillance video fighting with another group of people. At one point, a victim fell on the ground and Brantley stomped on him twice. The groups separated and as Brantley and his group were walking through the parking lot of a bar, Brantley pulled a gun out and fired at the group. Several people were standing outside the bar at the time. No one was hurt. Following the shooting, officers searched Brantley’s house. They found marijuana but no firearm. Brantley was arrested on related state charges. While in custody, Brantley called his sister and, talking in code, directed her to his house where he told her the firearm was hidden. Over the course of multiple calls, Brantley’s sister located the firearm. Brantley directed her to wash the gun and throw it away. Based on the phone calls, officers searched the sister’s residence. While they did find a gun, it was not the gun used in the shooting. The sister admitted that she took the gun to Chicago and left it with a family member. The sister was able to get the gun back and turned it into law enforcement.
Brantley was a felon at the time of the shooting. He has seven prior adult criminal convictions, four of which involve violence or assaultive conduct.
Brantley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Brantley was sentenced to 145 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 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 23-CR-1021.
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Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Escape from Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
A man who escaped from custody in the Gerald R. Hinzman Center pled guilty on April 16, 2024, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Casey Duhme, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of escape from federal custody. At the plea hearing, Duhme admitted that he was in custody at the Hinzman Center under a federal court order pursuant to his prior conviction for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. Duhme admitted that, between June 12, 2023, and August 31, 2023, he left custody without authorization by failing to return to the Hinzman Center as required.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Duhme remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Duhme faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 24-20.
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Mexican 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 today to three months in federal prison.
Jorge Luis Laguna-Razo, age 35, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Charlotte, North Carolina, received the prison term after a January 31, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Laguna-Razo admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Laguna-Razo was previously deported in October 2017 following his conviction in the Southern District of Texas for illegally entering the United States. He was also deported to Mexico in February 2008. On September 30, 2023, immigration officials learned Laguna-Razo had illegally returned to the United States and found Laguna-Razo at the Tama County Jail following his arrest for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Laguna-Razo was convicted of OWI on January 3, 2024.
Laguna-Razo was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Laguna-Razo was sentenced to 92 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Laguna-Razo is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over 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-02.
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Goodell, Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Gun and Ammunition While Being an Illegal User of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm while being an illegal drug user pled guilty on April 11, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Larry Wayne Robbins, age 67, from Goodell, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user, marijuana, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), and 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(8).
In a plea agreement, Robbins admitted that he waived a gun at a neighbor in Hancock County while that individual was mowing a ditch approximately 300 yards east of Robbins’s house. A search warrant later executed at Robbins’ home located guns, ammunition, and marijuana.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Robbins remains on supervision with the United States Probation Office until sentencing. Robbins 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 Hancock 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 23-CR-03031.
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Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing More Than Two Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine out of a hotel room pled guilty on April 11, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Jordan Todd Taylor, age 34, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Taylor admitted that he distributed more than 2 pounds of methamphetamine out of a hotel room in Fort Dodge from August 2023 through September 2023. Law enforcement executed a search warrant of Taylor’s room on September 29, 2023, and observed him dumping a product in the toilet and located additional methamphetamine, several hundred dollars cash, and drug distribution paraphernalia.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Taylor remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Taylor faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and 5 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 Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-03041.
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Cedar Rapids Man Involved in Methamphetamine Trafficking Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison.
Calvin Williams, age 39, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 20, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after a prior conviction for a serious drug felony and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Williams was involved in a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was responsible for mailing methamphetamine from California to Iowa through the United States Postal Service. Williams and a co-defendant developed a source of supply in California who was sending packages containing methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service to several addresses in Cedar Rapids. Williams and a co-defendant would wrap the cash proceeds from the distribution of controlled substances, and they would mail the proceeds back to their source of supply in California in packages that listed fake names and return addresses.
Williams was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Williams was sentenced to 183 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Williams 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 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 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-91.
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California Man Involved in Methamphetamine Trafficking Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on April 11, 2024, to more than 12 years in federal prison.
Carlos Sanchez, age 36, from San Bernardino, California, received the prison term after an October 23, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Sanchez was involved in a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was responsible for mailing methamphetamine from California to Iowa through the United States Postal Service. Sanchez mailed multiple packages that contained many pounds of methamphetamine on behalf of the drug trafficking organization.
Sanchez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Sanchez was sentenced to 150 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.
Sanchez 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 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 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-91.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Gun as a FelonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who assaulted a woman and young child was sentenced April 9, 2024, to two years in prison.
Ryan Thomas Beattie, age 31, from Cedar Rapids, received the prison term after an October 30, 2023, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information disclosed during the plea and sentencing hearings revealed that on December 14, 2022, Beattie was arrested after an incident where he assaulted a female and toddler. Beattie was arrested and later convicted of child endangerment, assault causing bodily injury, and interference with official acts. Officers located two loaded firearms near where the assault took place. Beattie admitted that the firearms were his and that he had his girlfriend at the time buy them for him since he could not buy firearms. In total, Beattie’s girlfriend bought four firearms, only two of which were recovered with Beattie. The third firearm was recovered during an incident in Iowa City. The fourth firearm has not been recovered.
At the time of the December incident, Beattie was a convicted felon. He has a lengthy criminal history and has previously been to prison for child endangerment resulting in bodily injury.
Beattie was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Beattie was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Cedar Rapids 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 23-CR-52.
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Traffic Stop Leads to Discovery of Large Quantity of Meth and Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
A woman who possessed over 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison. Rebecca Ann Rose, age 36, from La Porte City, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 6, 2023 guilty plea to possessing at least 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing demonstrated that on December 27, 2022, Rose was driving a vehicle in Tipton, Iowa, when law enforcement officers stopped her. Officers searched her car and found thousands of dollars, over 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine, and marijuana. Seven months later, on July 15, 2023, Rose was driving a vehicle in Jones County, Iowa, when law enforcement officers again stopped her. This time, officers found over 20 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine in the car. Rose was transported to a local jail, where jail staff found over 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine and a methamphetamine pipe hidden on Rose’s person.
Rose was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Rose was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rose 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 Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Tipton Police Department, the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Muscatine County Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 23-CR-45. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Mexican Man Sentenced to over Four Years in 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 on April 9, 2024, to more than four years in federal prison.
Sergio Sanchez-Juarez, age 37, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Hiawatha, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after a prior felony conviction. Sanchez-Juarez also received a prison term for violating the conditions of supervised release imposed on his 2019 conviction in the Northern District of Iowa for illegal reentry.
At the guilty plea, Sanchez-Juarez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the country without the permission of the United States government. Sanchez-Juarez was previously deported in February 2007, July 2014, September 2017, November 2017, October 2020, and May 2021. On September 19, 2023, immigration officials learned Sanchez-Juarez had illegally returned to the United States and found Sanchez-Juarez at the Linn County Jail following his arrest on state charges. Sanchez-Juarez was previously convicted in 2019 in the Northern District of Iowa of illegally reentering the United States, served 24 months in prison, and was deported.
Sanchez-Juarez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Sanchez-Juarez was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment on the illegal reentry conviction and 12 months’ imprisonment for violating the term of supervised release imposed on the 2019 conviction in the
Northern District of Iowa. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Sanchez-Juarez 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 23-CR-68.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Six TimesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Miguel Araujo-Rocha, age 38, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 8, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Araujo-Rocha admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Araujo-Rocha was previously deported in April 2018, September 2018, October 2019, February 2021, September 2021, and October 2021. On October 6, 2023, immigration officials learned Araujo-Rocha had illegally returned to the United States and found Araujo-Rocha at the Tama County Jail following his arrest on state charges. Araujo-Rocha was previously convicted in the Western District of Texas in August 2018 and in February 2019 of illegally reentering the United States. He was also convicted in the Iowa District Court for Tama County in March 2014 of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and child endangerment for driving drunk with minor children in the car, including a two-year-old.
Araujo-Rocha also knowingly used a fraudulent Social Security card and alias to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in March 2022 at a business in Grinnell, Iowa. Illegal aliens are not authorized to work in the United States. The name and number on the Social Security card was a real Social Security number assigned to a United States citizen whose name was on the card.
Araujo-Rocha was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Araujo-Rocha was sentenced to 24 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.
Araujo-Rocha 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 23-CR-73.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Two TimesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported two times was sentenced April 5, 2024, to almost three months in federal prison.
Javier Juarez-Cuaquehua, age 35, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cresco, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 15, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Juarez-Cuaquehua admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Juarez-Cuaquehua was previously deported in July 2009 and November 2019. On December 19, 2023, immigration officials learned Juarez-Cuaquehua had illegally returned to the United States and found Juarez-Cuaquehua at the Howard County Jail following his arrest on state charges.
Juarez-Cuaquehua was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Juarez-Cuaquehua was sentenced to 81 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Juarez-Cuaquehua is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over 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-2001.
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Central American 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 today to five months in federal prison.
Luis Montiel-Rincon, age 29, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 30, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Montiel-Rincon admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Montiel-Rincon was previously deported in April 2015. On October 10, 2023, immigration officials learned Montiel-Rincon had illegally returned to the United States and found Montiel-Rincon at the Linn County Jail following his arrest on state charges for eluding.
In November 2023, Montiel-Rincon was convicted in the Iowa District Court for Linn County of eluding. In that case, Montiel-Rincon eluded officers in August 2023 and willfully failed to bring his motorcycle to a stop while reaching speeds of up to 101 mph in a 30-mph zone. Montiel-Rincon was also convicted in the Iowa District Court for Linn County in November 2023 for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated from an incident occurring in July 2023.
Montiel-Rincon was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Montiel-Rincon was sentenced to 148 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Montiel-Rincon is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over 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 23-CR-83.
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North Carolina Man Who Caused Dubuque Man’s Death Sentenced to over 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A North Carolina man who sold fentanyl to a Dubuque, Iowa, man who overdosed and died was sentenced today to more than 30 years in prison.
James Adam Earwood, age 39, of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, received the prison sentence after a jury found Earwood guilty on October 5, 2023, of distribution of a controlled substance, heroin and fentanyl, causing the death of the victim.
Evidence introduced at trial and sentencing showed that on November 18, 2021, Earwood mailed a package of heroin and fentanyl to the victim. Earwood was living in North Carolina at the time and the victim was living in Dubuque. The victim used the heroin and fentanyl and overdosed in the parking lot of a local business. The victim survived the overdose. One month later, on December 17, 2021, the victim received another package of heroin and fentanyl in the mail from Earwood. The victim used the heroin and fentanyl and died shortly thereafter. He was found deceased by hotel staff in a hotel in Dubuque.
Earwood operated what he deemed to be a business selling fentanyl for at least a year. The business had a name, which he marketed, and even included the business’s logo in packages of fentanyl that he sold. Earwood marketed his product to a private Facebook group for recovering heroin addicts. He asked his customers to leave positive reviews of his products. Earwood bragged about the quality of his product and even used the victim’s death to show how strong his product was. He would ship his product nationwide using the US Postal Service or would leave the product for local customers in discreet locations so the customer could later find it.
Earwood was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Earwood was sentenced to 365 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.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Corkery, Patrick Reinert, and Devra Hake, and was 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 United States Postal Inspection Service, the Dubuque Drug Task Force which includes the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office and the Dubuque Police Department, and the Rutherford County North Carolina Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-1024.
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Woman Sentenced for Voter Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An Iowa woman was sentenced today to four months in prison, four months of home confinement, and two years of supervised release for a voter fraud scheme she perpetrated during the Iowa 2020 primary and general elections.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kim Phuong Taylor, age 50, of Sioux City perpetrated a scheme to generate votes in the June 2020 primary election and November 2020 general election. Taylor’s husband was an unsuccessful candidate for Iowa’s 4th U.S. Congressional District in the primary election, and subsequently a successful candidate for Woodbury County Supervisor in the 2020 general election. Taylor submitted or caused others to submit dozens of voter registrations, absentee ballot request forms, and absentee ballots containing false information. For example, although many of these documents required the signer to affirm that he or she was the person named in them, Taylor signed them for voters without their permission and told others that they could sign on behalf of relatives who were not present.
A federal jury convicted Taylor in November 2023 of 26 counts of providing false information in registering and voting, three counts of fraudulent registration, and 23 counts of fraudulent voting.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Timothy T. Duax for the Northern District of Iowa; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office; and Acting Inspector in Charge Brad Mahs of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Denver Division made the announcement.
The FBI Omaha Field Office and USPIS Denver Division investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Richard B. Evans of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Timmons for the Northern District of Iowa prosecuted the case.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-4004.
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Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Fentanyl and Acetyl Fentanyl Causing DeathRead the Press Release
A man who faced his second sentencing in federal court in a case involving an overdose death was sentenced March 28, 2024, to 27 years in federal prison.
Kevin Lorenzo Perry, age 35, from Austell, Georgia, received the prison term after a September 12, 2023, guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.
In a plea agreement, Perry admitted he supplied fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl to another person causing the death of that person on February 6, 2020. This death occurred in Independence, Iowa.
Perry was previously sentenced to 240 months in the Southern District of Iowa for another overdose death in case number 20-cr-58 that also occurred in 2020 in Iowa City, Iowa.
Perry was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Perry was sentenced to 324 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. Judge Strand ordered that part of sentence in this case be run consecutive to the sentence in Southern District resulting in a total term of 32 years in federal prison.
Perry 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 Emily K. Nydle 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 Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Independence Police Department, the Iowa City Police Department, and the Johnson County Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-cr-2016.
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Iowa Nurse Sentenced to Federal Prison after Stealing Pain Medication from at Least 50 New Mothers at Waterloo HospitalRead the Press Release
An Iowa nurse who stole pain medication from at least 50 new mothers at a Waterloo hospital was sentenced on March 27, 2024, in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Christina Eileen Olson, formerly known as Christina Eileen Hovey, age 43, of Waterloo, received the prison term after pleading guilty on October 12, 2023, to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge, one count of adulteration and misbranding with intent to defraud and mislead, and one count of false statements relating to health care matters.
At the plea hearing, and in a plea agreement, Olson admitted that the State of Iowa granted her a nursing license in 2004. In 2017, a Waterloo hospital hired Olson to work as a nurse in its labor and delivery unit. Olson was responsible for caring for late-term pregnant women, women in active labor, and post-partum women, including women recovering from recent Caesarean section (“c-section”) surgery. Obstetricians prescribed these women Schedule II narcotics, including hydromorphone, oxycodone, and fentanyl, in order to control physical pain associated with the birthing process.
From no later than January 2022, to at least March 25, 2022, Olson used her nursing license to gain access to controlled substances in the hospital’s labor and delivery unit. Instead of administering the controlled substances to the women in pain, Olson diverted the controlled substances to herself for her own illicit drug use. Olson admitted she stole narcotics from no less than 50 victims. In order to cover up her crimes, Olson used a variety of fraudulent means, including falsely documenting that she had administered pain medication to new mothers when she had not done so. Olson also admitted to tampering with pain medication—replacing fentanyl inside a vial with saline and diverting the narcotic for her own use.
For example, on March 25, 2022, Olson was supposed to care for three new mothers and their babies during her shift from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. One of Olson’s victims, known in court documents as “Mother-1,” had given birth via c-section on March 23, 2022, in a high-risk pregnancy. In addition to caring for Mother-1, it was Olson’s responsibility to come into Mother-1’s room and document how much the baby was eating every hour, as this is important to ensure the health of a newborn. Instead of caring for Mother-1 and her baby, however, Olson never came into the room or checked on Mother-1 or her baby or administered pain medication to Mother-1 on March 25, 2023, even though Olson documented in the hospital’s records that she was administering pain medication to Mother-1. Rather, Olson diverted the pain medication to her own use.
As a result of Olson’s crimes, Mother-1 suffered “horrible and excruciating pain” on March 25, 2023. Further, because Olson had created false health care records documenting that she had administered the pain medication to Mother-1, the next nurse on shift declined to give pain medication to Mother-1 for at least 30 additional minutes in order to ensure Mother-1 was not feigning her need for narcotics. And despite repeated requests by Mother-1’s husband for formula, Mother-1’s newborn did not receive any formula until the end of Olson’s shift.
Another c-section patient, Mother-2, did not speak fluent English. Olson stole needed pain medications from Mother-2, as well. Mother-2’s husband made multiple complaints to the hospital about Mother-2’s pain to no avail.
The next day, March 26, 2023, Olson was again working first shift at the hospital. During this shift, the hospital drug tested Olson. The drug test was positive for opiates (oxycodone and hydromorphone) and marijuana. Another nurse then found an open fentanyl vial, an open ephedrine vial, and an epidural bag in another new mother’s room. The hospital’s records revealed that Olson had removed these three items under the new mother’s name despite the fact there were no such orders for her. The fentanyl vial had puncture marks on the top and bottom stopper surfaces, and laboratory results later revealed that nearly all the fentanyl in the vial had been replaced with saline.
Olson admitted that she routinely drank alcohol and used marijuana while working at the Waterloo hospital. In order to pass a drug test at the hospital, Olson injected another person’s urine into her bladder. In September 2021, after receiving reports that Olson was disappearing from her shift for extended periods of time, the hospital’s director referred Olson to an employee assistance program. On September 9, 2021, however, Olson took a leave of absence from the hospital for about three months after she was arrested for drunk driving. Olson’s blood alcohol level at the time of her arrest was no less than .274.
In July 2022, Olson entered into a settlement agreement with the Iowa Board of Nursing under which she agreed to voluntarily surrender her nursing license for one year. As a part of her plea agreement, Olson has now forfeited her nursing license to the United States.
“Ms. Hovey callously stole pain medications from over 50 new mothers, subjecting them to additional suffering during their procedures,” said United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax. “Our office is committed to protecting new mothers, and all medical patients, from such violations of trust by prosecuting health care employees who prey on their patients.”
“Patients rely on the knowledge that they will receive FDA-approved medications to manage their pain,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice healthcare professionals who jeopardize patients’ health by interfering with their pain medications.”
Olson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Olson was sentenced to one year and one day of imprisonment. She 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 was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-2055.
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Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Purchase of FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who illegally purchased a firearm pled guilty April 1, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Hunter Collier, 22, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
At the plea hearing, Collier admitted to purchasing a.380 ACP pistol in July of 2022, from The Iowa Outdoor Store, in Fort Dodge. At the time of purchase, Collier represented he was purchasing the firearm for himself, when in fact he was purchasing the firearm for another. Collier purchased an additional firearm for this same individual from JT Guns & Supply in Des Moines, Iowa.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Collier remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Collier faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives 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 23-3035. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Former Hospital Administrator Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Scheme That Spanned Three DecadesRead the Press Release
A former Iowa hospital administrator who lived under a false identity for more than 30 years and caused the false imprisonment of his victim pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Matthew David Keirans, age 58, from Hartland, Wisconsin, was convicted of 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 August 2016 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 eight loans with a total value of over $200,000 from the credit unions.
Keirans also maintained deposits at a national bank. In 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. 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 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.
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 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.” When 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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Keirans remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Keirans faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 32 years’ imprisonment, a $1.25 million fine, and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being 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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Felon Who Possessed Ghost Gun Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a ghost gun, a rifle, and high-capacity magazines was sentenced on March 28, 2024, to more than one year in federal prison.
John Wayne Brooks, age 62, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 21, 2023 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Information from a plea agreement and sentencing showed that Marion police officers executed a search warrant at Brooks’s residence on January 25, 2022. Officers found a Polymer80 Inc. PF94c, 9mm caliber pistol without a serial number, a type of firearm known as a “ghost gun,” under a pillow on Brooks’s bed. They also found a 9mm fifty-round drum magazine, two 9mm thirty-round magazines, and a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22, .22 caliber rifle in Brooks’s bedroom. Brooks was convicted of a felony narcotics offense in Illinois in 1999.
Brooks was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Brooks was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-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.
Brooks is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Marion Police Department and the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Marion Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-53.
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Drug Conspiracies Spanning from about May 2020 to about May 2023 that Involved over 35 Kilograms of Methamphetamine and other drugs from Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and California to Northwest Iowa have been DismantledRead the Press Release
12 persons were federally indicted in the Northern District of Iowa, 11 of whom were convicted by plea or trial and sentenced, namely:
Jeffrey Linn (Cherokee, IA), 34 months’ imprisonment
Dustin Martinez (Sutherland, IA), 87 months’ imprisonment
Jason Werner (Cherokee, IA), 28 months’ imprisonment
Lauretta Payce (Fontana, CA), 64 months’ imprisonment
Christina Gianopoulos-Rohrer (Henderson, NV), 47 months’ imprisonment
James Conlan (Las Vegas, NV), 100 months’ imprisonment
Andrea Romo (Gardena, CA), 240 months’ imprisonment
Carl Thompson (Larrabee, IA), 45 months’ imprisonment
Craig Miller (Cherokee, IA), 36 months’ imprisonment
Lenora Jennings (Las Vegas, NV), 3 years’ probation
Sabrina Bradley (Pahrump, NV), 42 months’ imprisonment
Jerilynn Wilson (Las Vegas, NV), Acquitted
Two persons were charged and convicted in Nevada State District Court, namely:
Robert Randall (Encino, CA) and Robert Allen (Sylmar, CA). Two persons have been charged in Kansas State District Court, namely: Ricky Lincoln (Tucson, AZ) and Keven Jones (Tucson, AZ). Two remaining federal targets of these conspiracies continue to be investigated.
Over the course of the multi-jurisdictional investigation, various law enforcement agencies seized 46 pounds methamphetamine, ½ pound fentanyl (pills), ½ pound heroin and a firearm. Various defendants in the conspiracy, namely Martinez, Gianoplous-Rohrer, Payce, Thompson, Werner, Linn, Bradley, and Conlan also admitted to their involvement in the distribution of at least 30 more pounds of methamphetamine over about the same conspiracy time frame.
In the Northern District of Iowa, the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and USAO for NDIA assisted by the; Tri-State DEA Drug Task Force, USPIS, Cherokee Police Department, Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, FBI Las Vegas, Southern Nevada High Impact Narcotics Task Force, Colorado State Patrol, Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation HSI and USMS.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 22-4066; 22-4049; 21-4032; and 22-4002. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to Prison for Shooting at Crowd Outside of BarRead the Press Release
A Waterloo man who shot at a crowd outside a Waterloo nightclub was sentenced today to more than five years in prison.
O’Shea Taelly Wright, age 27, from Waterloo, received the prison term after a November 3, 2023, guilty plea to possession of ammunition by a felon.
Information disclosed during the plea and sentencing hearing revealed that Wright was involved in a fight outside a Waterloo nightclub on December 31, 2022. Multiple people were involved in the fight. During the fight, Wright walked to the SUV he had arrived at the nightclub in and retrieved a firearm from the front passenger seat. Wright then fired multiple shots toward a group of people fighting nearby. No one was shot or injured by Wright. At the time, Wright was a felon based on a drug conviction and was on probation for that felony conviction.
Wright was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wright was sentenced to 66 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 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 Waterloo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-2036.
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Waterloo Felon Returned to Federal Prison for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
A Waterloo man who illegally possessed a firearm shortly after his release from federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison. Shaquan Coffer, age 25, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 26, 2023, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence at Coffer’s guilty plea and sentencing hearings established that, in 2018, Coffer was sentenced in federal court to 34 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after a conviction on one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Coffer has an extensive prior criminal history in state court, including convictions for possessing a firearm by a felon, first-degree harassment, escape from custody, and theft. In early March 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons released Coffer after he completed his federal sentence, and he began his three-year term of supervised release.
On April 2, 2023, Cedar Falls Police Department (“CFPD”) officers were dispatched to investigate a domestic assault in a moving vehicle. Coffer’s girlfriend had called 911, because Coffer, the passenger in the vehicle, had kicked and cracked her windshield during an argument in the vehicle. When the CFPD officers attempted to conduct a pat-down search of Coffer, he fled the scene on foot. During a foot chase, Coffer tossed a firearm on the ground in the driveway of a local business. The firearm was stolen and loaded with an extended magazine.
Coffer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Coffer was sentenced to a total of 85 months’ imprisonment, 71 months for one count of possessing a firearm as a felon and an additional 14 months for violating the terms of his supervised release. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison terms. 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.
Coffer 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 investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 23-CR-2025 and 18-CR-2041.
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Dubuque Man Who Trafficked Hundreds of Pounds of Ice Methamphetamine Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who trafficked over 300 pounds of ice methamphetamine in the Dubuque, Iowa, area was sentenced today to more than 11 years in federal prison.
Jason Laufenberg, age 39, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 5, 2023 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine, a controlled substance.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that from 2019 to 2021, Laufenberg and co-conspirators trafficked over 300 pounds of ice methamphetamine in the Dubuque, Iowa, area. Each pound cost Laufenberg about $3,500.
Laufenberg was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Laufenberg was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Laufenberg 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 was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 23-CR-1008. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Disturbance Call Results in Fort Dodge Man Pleading Guilty to Federal Firearm and Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
Nicholas Janvrin, 32, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Janvrin pled guilty March 27, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Janvrin was previously convicted of burglary, third degree, in the Iowa District Court for Hamilton County, in 2021. This type of conviction prohibits Janvrin from possessing any firearm.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on August 1, 2023, law enforcement was called to a local hotel in Webster City regarding a disturbance and observed Janvrin. Janvrin was arrested for outstanding arrest warrants. During a search of the hotel room, law enforcement officers seized a Smith & Wesson .22 revolver and drug paraphernalia from a bag in the room. The Iowa DCI Criminalistics Laboratory matched DNA from a known sample of Janvrin to the handle of the firearm and a toothbrush. Evidence further established Janvrin’s involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from January 2023 through August 2023. Janvrin obtained at least 40 pounds of methamphetamine from a source in Des Moines to distribute in the Fort Dodge area.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Janvrin remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On the firearm conviction, Janvrin faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the conspiracy conviction, Janvrin 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 imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, 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 23-3026. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Minnesota Man Who Stole $149,000 from Elderly Victim as Power of Attorney Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Hamilton Girard, age 65, of Stillwater, Minnesota, was sentenced March 19, 2024, to 4 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud and fined $10,000.
Evidence in the case revealed that in February 2020, Girard was designated power of attorney for an elderly person diagnosed with early onset dementia. Girard used his position as power of attorney to misappropriate approximately $149,000 of the victim’s funds. Girard signed and issued unauthorized checks from the victim’s personal checking account to purchase items such as home improvement and home construction-related goods and services for his own benefit, including the installation of a pool.
Girard was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 4 months’ imprisonment and fined $10,000. He was ordered to make $115,171.40 in restitution to the victim. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Girard was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal a date yet to be set.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and 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 23-3015.
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Chicago Man Caught with Stolen Firearm and Marijuana Sent to Prison for Possessing Firearm as a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a prohibited person was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison.
Johnny Martell Brown, age 31, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after an October 20, 2023 guilty plea to possessing a firearm as a felon and drug user.
In a plea agreement, Brown admitted that, on December 16, 2022, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, law enforcement officers stopped a car that he was driving. Two minor children were also in the car. Officers searched the car and found a loaded stolen firearm and marijuana. In Brown’s underwear, officers discovered a Cheetos bag that contained marijuana. Brown admitted that he regularly smoked marijuana. He also has felony convictions for conspiracy to distribute heroin and possessing a controlled substance.
Brown was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Brown was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Brown is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-34.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking and Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty on March 15, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Juan Cardona-Tinajero, 34, from Guadalajara, Mexico, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being an illegal alien in United States.
At the plea hearing, Cardona-Tinajero admitted that from January 2023 to September 22, 2023, he and others in the conspiracy agreed to distribute at least 18 pounds of methamphetamine. Cardona-Tinajero also admitted that he was caught receiving approximately nine pounds of methamphetamine by mail which he intended to further distribute. Cardona-Tinajero was receiving packages through the U.S. postal service from California which contained methamphetamine that he distributed in Sioux City area.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Cardona-Tinjaro remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On the drug convictions, Cardona-Tinajero 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. On the immigration conviction, he faces a possible maximum sentence of not more than 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shawn S. Wehde and Kevin C. Fletcher 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 23-4063 and 23-4072. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Rock Valley Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Terrance Buescher, age 58, from Rock Valley, Iowa, pled guilty on March 15, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Buescher admitted that from April 2022 through January 2023, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 20 pounds of methamphetamine in the Rock Valley area. Buescher further admitted to obtaining pounds of methamphetamine about every ten days from a source in Colorado to distribute in Northern Iowa for about nine months.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Buescher was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Buescher faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three 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, and the Rock Valley Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4014. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Illinois Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Heroin CrimesRead the Press Release
A man who worked with others to distribute methamphetamine and heroin was sentenced today to more than 34 years in federal prison.
Michael Garrick Denson, age 34, from Illinois, received the prison term after a September 14, 2023 jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and one count of possession with the intent to distribute heroin.
The evidence at trial showed that Denson was a methamphetamine and heroin dealer in the Dubuque, Iowa, area who was nicknamed “Ice Mike.” Between February 2018 and February 2020, Denson conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine and heroin in Dubuque and Cedar Rapids. On July 23, 2019, investigators observed Denson outside of a hotel in Dubuque. Denson had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, and investigators stopped a car in which he was a passenger. During the stop, Denson got out of the passenger side of the car and ran from investigators. Investigators located six small baggies containing heroin near where Denson had been seated in the car.
Denson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Denson was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 419 months and 18 days. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Denson 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 Adam J. Vander Stoep and Dan Chatham and was 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 Dubuque Drug Task Force (consisting of the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office and the Dubuque 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 23-CR-01003-CJW.
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Former Employee Convicted of Defrauding His Employer Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
The former Midwest general manager of a nation-wide financial services company who defrauded his employer out of more than $3.4 million was sentenced today to five years in federal prison.
James Dwyer, age 46, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 26, 2023 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return.
Information from the plea hearing and sentencing hearing showed that Dwyer was employed by Mobile Money, Inc. for over 20 years. Part of Mobile Money, Inc.’s business operations were servicing ATMs across eastern Iowa. Starting in January 2016, Dwyer defrauded and stole from Mobile Money, Inc. by stealing cash that was meant for ATMs or cash that was supposed to be deposited into a Mobile Money, Inc. bank account.
In January 2021, Dwyer told his superiors, which included someone Dwyer had been friends with for over 30 years, that there was approximately $1.1 million in cash locked in a vault in Waterloo that he could not access because the vault lock was broken. It was later discovered that Dwyer had intentionally tampered with the vault in order to prevent anyone else from accessing it. In February 2021, other employees got into the vault and discovered there was less than $100,000 in cash in it.
Also in January 2021, Mobile Money, Inc. executives discovered Dwyer had failed to deposit approximately $2.5 million in cash into bank accounts. On February 1, 2021, Dwyer sent ten bank deposit tickets to Mobile Money, Inc., purporting to show he had deposited that money. However, the bank deposit tickets were fraudulent and he had not deposited any such money.
Once Mobile Money, Inc. discovered Dwyer had been stealing from the company, the company determined his fraud had resulted in the company losing $3,407,000. Even though this money was obtained illegally, Dwyer was required to report it as income to the Internal Revenue Service. He failed to do so and filed false tax returns for multiple years.
Dwyer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Dwyer was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $3,407,000 in restitution to Mobile Money, Inc. and the company’s insurance company. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Dwyer was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-cr-2046.
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Former Cedar Rapids Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison in COVID-19 Pandemic Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
A former Cedar Rapids, Iowa, resident who helped other individuals procure more than 30 false and fraudulent COVID-19 pandemic loans, valued at more than $600,000, was sentenced on March 8, 2024, to six months in federal prison. Diamond Davies, age 24, from Maple Grove, Minnesota, received the prison term after a July 31, 2023 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law enacted in late March 2020 that provided emergency financial assistance, including Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan funds, to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence at Davies’s plea and sentencing hearings showed that, over a two-month period in 2021, Davies helped to facilitate approximately 50 fraudulent PPP loan applications with a total value of approximately $1 million. Of these fraudulent PPP applications, over 30 were successful, and the government and its participating lenders in the PPP lost over $600,000. To obtain the fraud proceeds, false, fraudulent, and fictitious documents and statements, including fake tax documents, were submitted to various lending institutions in support of the PPP loans for the PPP applicants. Davies helped collect a fee (a portion of the fraudulent loan proceeds) from some of the PPP applicants.
Davies was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Davies was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $651,582 in restitution to the Small Business Administration and one of its participating lenders. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department's response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Davies is being held in 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 Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-9.
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Two Convicted of Drug and Firearm Charges After Mailing Fentanyl from Arizona to IowaRead the Press Release
A man who drove to Arizona several times to mail fentanyl pills to his co-conspirator in Sioux City, was convicted by a jury on March 1, 2024, after a 5-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.
Aki Awou, age 33, from Omaha, Nebraska, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute and aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The verdict was returned following about 4 hours of jury deliberations.
On February 21, 2024, just prior to heading to trial, Awou’s co-conspirator, co-defendant, and brother, Karom Bol, age 20, of Sioux City, entered a guilty plea to five counts: conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, two counts of possession with intent to distribute and aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of firearms by a drug user, and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence in the case revealed that between January 2022 and May 2022, Awou traveled to the Phoenix, Arizona area, where he would mail packages containing thousands of fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone to Bol’s address’ in Sioux City, Iowa. The Omaha Police Department’s Gang Intelligence Unit utilized a GPS tracker on Awou’s vehicle to pinpoint Awou’s travels and possible package locations, including at addresses in Sioux City and Post Offices in Arizona. Postal Inspectors were able to intercept a package, and conduct a controlled delivery at one of the Sioux City addresses. Afterwards, Postal Inspectors executed a search warrant. During the search warrant, Bol was observed throwing firearms out a second story bedroom window. During the search, agents identified a second location tied to Bol and Awou, and obtained a second search warrant for that residence. Smaller quantities of additional illegal pills were found, as well as documents identifying Bol and Awou as the occupants of both Sioux City residences.
The day after the search warrants were executed, Postal Inspectors received notice of another package being sent from Arizona to the address in Sioux City. The Postal Inspector was able to intercept that package as well before delivery, revealing that package also contained thousands of fentanyl pills. Laboratory results subsequently revealed that Awou’s fingerprints were on three packages used as evidence in the case and Bol’s palm print was located on the package used during the controlled delivery. Evidence also established Bol and Awou are known Trip Set gang members aka South Sudanese Soldier gang members.
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Timothy T. Duax stated: “This was a great example of local law enforcement from Iowa and Nebraska working with federal law enforcement to stop fentanyl dealers in their tracks, and prevent thousands of fentanyl pills from hitting the streets.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Awou and Bol both remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.
Awou and Bol face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and 5 years to life of supervised release following any imprisonment. Bol must also serve a mandatory minimum and consecutive 5 years’ imprisonment for his possession of firearms during and in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
This case was investigated by the Omaha, Nebraska Police Department, Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, United States Postal Inspector, DEA Tri-State Drug Task Force, Lancaster County, Nebraska Sheriff’s Department, and the ATF. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons, Shawn Wehde, and Patrick Greenwood.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4051.
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Cedar Rapids Woman Who Produced and Distributed Child Pornography Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who created child pornography videos and distributed them online was sentenced today to 40 years in federal prison.
Abigail Elizabeth Lambert, age 32, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 12, 2023 guilty plea to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of children.
At the guilty plea, Lambert admitted that she used, persuaded, induced, or enticed at least one minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing one or more visual depictions of the conduct. She also admitted that she knowingly distributed visual depictions of child pornography over the internet. Court documents reflect that, in June 2023, Lambert exchanged messages with an undercover officer over a fetish website. Lambert told the officer that she had committed sexual acts with two minors and that she had videos of the sexual acts. On June 29, 2023, Lambert sent the undercover officer some of the videos she had previously described.
Lambert was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Lambert was sentenced to 480 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lambert is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
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 at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23‑CR‑00049‑CJW‑MAR.
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Illegal Drug User Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced March 6, 2024, to 18 months in federal prison.
Andrew Mitchell age 36, from Spirit Lake, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 25, 2023, guilty plea to a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
In a plea agreement, Mitchell admitted that on August 8, 2023, he was stopped by law enforcement for riding his bike on the wrong side of the road in Spencer, Iowa. Once stopped, Mitchell was recognized and identified by the stopping officer. However, Mitchell provided a false name. Other officers arrived and attempted to handcuff Mitchell while his proper identity was determined. Mitchell resisted being handcuffed and was placed under arrest. During a search of Mitchell, law enforcement located a suspected THC vape pen, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a scale with methamphetamine residue, and a loaded 9mm firearm with an obliterated serial number strapped to his chest. Mitchell admitted to being a user of controlled substances which prohibited him from possessing firearms.
Mitchell was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mitchell was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, fined $100, and he must also serve a 2-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.
Mitchell is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Greenwood and Jack Lammers and investigated by the Spencer, Iowa Police Department, Clay 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 23-4060.
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Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Four TimesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported four times was sentenced today to one year in federal prison.
Pedro Guzman-Matom, age 30, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 8, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Guzman-Matom admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Guzman-Matom was previously deported in November 2012, March 2013, February 2017, and August 2019. On September 18, 2023, immigration officials learned Guzman-Matom had illegally returned to the United States and found Guzman-Matom at the Dubuque County Jail following his arrest on state charges. Guzman-Matom was previously convicted in February 2017 in the Northern District of Iowa of illegally reentering the United States, served 98 days and was deported. He was convicted in March 2018 in the Western District of Texas of illegally reentering the United States and sentenced to 13 months in prison along with an additional 10 months for violating his Northern District of Iowa supervised release by returning to the United States without permission.
Guzman-Matom was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Guzman-Matom was sentenced to 12 months’ and one day of imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Guzman-Matom 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 23-CR-1025.
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Arion Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.Read the Press Release
A man, who was found with a firearm after being a convicted felon, was sentenced February 29, 2024, to 10 years in federal prison. Kevin DeWolf, age 34, from Denison, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 21, 2023, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon. Shortly after being indicted for the firearm charge, DeWolf set a vehicle on fire in Crawford County, attempting to fraudulently collect the insurance proceeds.
DeWolf was previously convicted of manufacture, deliver, or possess with intent to manufacture or deliver controlled substance, in the Iowa District Court for Crawford County, Iowa on or about July 15, 2022. DeWolf also has a prior assault conviction.
DeWolf was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand and was sentenced 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. DeWolf 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 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 23-4021.
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Marijuana User Who Possessed Firearms Sentenced to Three Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Dubuque man who possessed multiple firearms, including one with a device to convert it into a fully automatic weapon was sentenced February 26, 2024, to three years in federal prison.
Jacqusyn Zechariah Grubb, age 21, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 29, 2023 guilty plea to possessing a firearm as a marijuana user.
Evidence in the case showed that Grubb possessed multiple firearms, including one that had a conversion device attached making it a fully automatic weapon, and high-capacity magazines. Grubb also possessed a personally made firearm, also known as a “ghost gun.” The court also found Grubb possessed a firearm in connection with the offense of possession for marijuana with intent to deliver.
Grubb was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Grubb was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Grubb 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 Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-cr-1014.
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Dubuque Man Who Solicited Explicit Photos from an Eleven-Year-Old Girl Sentenced to Two Decades in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed child sexual abuse material and solicited sexually explicit images from minor children was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison.
Steven Niedert, age 47, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 14, 2023, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Niedert admitted he communicated with an eleven-year-old girl in November and December 2017. The communications occurred using an app called AntiChat, which does not automatically retain copies of communications. During those communications, Niedert asked the girl to send him sexually explicit photos, including two photos in which the victim was digitally penetrating herself. The victim’s mother discovered the communications and reported them to the police.
Police officers used Niedert’s AntiChat and social media usernames to identify him as the individual communicating with the victim. Pursuant to search warrant, officers searched Niedert’s Dubuque home in January 2019. The officers seized numerous electronic devices. Officers discovered thousands of files containing child sexual abuse material on the devices. The files included the explicit images the victim had sent, as well as communications and images Niedert solicited from other minors.
Niedert was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Niedert was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution. 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.”
Niedert 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 Reinert and Tony Morfitt and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, the Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-1007.
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Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A felon and drug user who possessed a firearm pled guilty on February 26, 2024, in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Christopher King, age 52, of Cedar Rapids, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, King admitted that, in February 2023, he possessed a Glock pistol after having been convicted of two felonies and while being an unlawful drug user.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. King remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. King faces a possible maximum sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the High Risk Unit of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 23-62.
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Cedar Rapids Man Charged with Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Kyler Goettsch, age 26, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been charged with being a prohibited person in possession of firearms. The charges are contained in an Indictment filed on February 22, 2024, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Indictment alleges that, in November 2023, Goettsch possessed two pistols after having been convicted of four felonies and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
If convicted, Goettsch faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years on supervised release following any imprisonment.
Goettsch appeared for an initial appearance today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond. Goettsch’s next appearance for trial is set for April 15, 2024.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 24-16.
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Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Four TimesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison.
Juan De Leon-Santiago, age 42, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 13, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
In a plea agreement, De Leon-Santiago admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. De Leon-Santiago was previously deported in November 2009, December 2015, September 2016, and May 2017. On June 20, 2023, immigration officials learned De Leon-Santiago had illegally returned to the United States and found De Leon-Santiago at the Linn County Jail following his arrest on state assault charges. On August 11, 2023, the defendant was convicted in Linn County, Iowa, of Domestic Abuse Assault (Strangulation), a felony. De Leon-Santiago was also previously convicted in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas of Illegal Entry into the United States, a misdemeanor, in November 2015, and Illegal Reentry into the United States, a felony, in February 2017.
In the plea agreement, De Leon-Santiago also admitted he knowingly used a fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent Permanent Resident Card (a/k/a “Green Card”) to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in February 2023 and May 2023 at two different businesses in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Illegal aliens are not authorized to work in the United States. The number on the Social Security card was unassigned. The number on the number on the Permanent Resident Card was assigned to a male from Vietnam.
De Leon-Santiago was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. De Leon-Santiago was sentenced to 18 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.
De Leon-Santiago 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 23-CR-47.
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Arizona Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Transporting MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it was sentenced today to more than 10 years in federal prison.
John Trinidad Qualls, age 43, from Tucson, Arizona, received the prison term after a September 22, 2023 guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Qualls admitted that, on December 31, 2022, in Floyd County, Iowa, deputies with the sheriff’s office stopped him for speeding. Qualls was driving 33 miles per hour over the speed limit. Qualls handed the deputies a pouch that contained his license, insurance, and registration. There was marijuana residue inside the pouch, and both the pouch and documents smelled of marijuana. Qualls admitted that he had used marijuana earlier that day. Deputies searched the car and found 1,200 grams of methamphetamine.
Qualls was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Qualls was sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Qualls 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 Floyd County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-2021. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Third Revocation of Supervised Release Lands Fort Dodge, Iowa Man Back in Federal Prison for Fourth TimeRead the Press Release
A man who violated the terms of his federal supervised release for the third time was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment.
Matthew Brockway, 44, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after admitting to multiple violations of his supervised release, including several failures to report/submit to urinalysis, numerous uses of controlled substances, and failures to report as directed by U.S. Probation. Brockway initially was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment in 2010 for drug trafficking offenses and was first released to supervision on February 24, 2021. Less than a year later, on January 27, 2022, Brockway’s supervised release was revoked for various supervised release violations, including new state law violations and he was sentenced to federal prison for 24 months. After being released a second time on November 25, 2022, mere months later, on January 9, 2023, Brockway was revoked again for various supervised release violations, including using drugs and sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment. On November 17, 2023, Brockway was released on his third supervision and has now been ordered to serve 30 months in federal prison.
Brockway was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Brockway is being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the United States Probation Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 08-3026. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.