Northern District of Iowa
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Lime Springs Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Dustin George Burnikel, age 45, from Lime Springs, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 27, 2025, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Between June 2022 and January 2024, Burnikel received packages containing controlled substances through the mail from an individual in California. In August 2023, Burnikel sold methamphetamine to an individual who was working with law enforcement. In October 2023, Burnikel sold methamphetamine to an undercover officer.
Burnikel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Burnikel was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Burnikel is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the United States Postal Inspector Service, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa State Patrol, the Howard County Sheriff’s Office, the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office, and the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2036.
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Jury Finds Sioux City Man Guilty to Meth ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine was convicted by a jury April 29, 2026, after a 2-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.
Shelton Lapointe, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and aiding and abetting another to do so. The verdict was returned following roughly three hours of jury deliberations. Lapointe had been convicted twice previously in Woodbury County Iowa District Court for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, in 2018 and again in 2022.
The evidence at trial showed that on July 17, 2024, agents were conducting surveillance at WinnaVegas Casino during which a vehicle was observed traveling away from the casino over the speed limit. Law enforcement attempted a traffic stop of the vehicle, which took off at speeds ranging from 100 to 140 mph, in an attempt to elude law enforcement. During the flight, two packages of methamphetamine were thrown out the passenger window. The methamphetamine thrown from the car, approximately ½ pound, was located and seized by law enforcement. Lapointe, who was driving the vehicle, handed his co-conspirator the methamphetamine and instructed him to throw it out the window in an attempt to avoid apprehension with the methamphetamine in their possession. Five co-conspirators also testified to their involvement with Lapointe in multiple-pound methamphetamine trafficking for several months from about 2022 through July 2024.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Lapointe was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the verdict was returned and will remain in
custody pending sentencing. Lapointe faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least 10 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde, Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the DEA 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 24-4078. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Career Offender Who Distributed Methamphetamine and Cocaine Sentenced to over 15 years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed over 50 grams of ice methamphetamine was sentenced April 28, 2026, to more than 15 years in federal prison.
Burrell Marquis Jackson, age 35, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 6, 2025, guilty plea to three counts of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that between July 2024 and August 2024, law enforcement officers conducted multiple controlled buys of methamphetamine and, on one occasion, cocaine from Jackson. On August 20, 2024, officers searched Jackson’s home and located over 45 grams of methamphetamine, cocaine, and a digital scale. That same day, officers stopped Jackson, searched him, and located over $10,000 in cash. Jackson was considered a career offender because he had least two prior felony convictions that are crimes of violence or controlled substance offenses.
Jackson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Jackson was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Jackson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-43.
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Man Subject to No-Contact Order Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Kenneth Thompson, age 24, from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced April 28, 2026, to 7 years in federal prison, after a September 19, 2024, guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Drug User and One Subject to an Order of Protection.
Evidence in the case revealed on July 15, 2021, Thompson was a passenger in a vehicle subject to a traffic stop and found in possession of marijuana and a pistol, but Thompson denied the firearm was his. He was warned he could not lawfully possess firearms. On August 19, 2022, Sioux City police responded to a report of a burglary and that a Glock handgun had been stolen. On October 15, 2023, Woodbury County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence in Moville where Thompson was not allowing a female victim to leave the residence. The victim had a valid no-contact order against Thompson. Thompson was arrested for possession of marijuana and violation of a no-contact order. Once Thompson was transported away from the scene, the victim reported Thompson had a firearm in the house and had pointed a gun at her and assaulted her. Law enforcement located a Glock handgun with a loaded, extended magazine. Deputies ran the serial number and learned this firearm was reported stolen on August 19, 2022, in Sioux City. While deputies were transporting Thompson, he made threats against law enforcement.
On November 10, 2023, Sioux City Police were dispatched to a neighborhood to locate Thompson, who had an active warrant for violation of a no-contact order. While Thompson was being taken into custody, he admitted to having a firearm on him. Officers located a fully loaded pistol.
Thompson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 84 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.
Thompson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department, Sioux City Police Department, and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4013.
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Former Marshalltown Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who distributed, received, and possessed child pornography was sentenced today to more than 10 years in federal prison. Jordan Michael Million, age 26, formerly from Marshalltown, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 14, 2025, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography.
Evidence at sentencing showed that in 2024, Million was working in Independence and Manchester, Iowa, as a traveling nursing assistant. In December 2024, law enforcement officers searched his home in Independence and took electronic devices. In total, between April 2024 and December 2024, Million received and possessed over 800 images and videos of child pornography, including of sadistic and masochistic conduct. A search of Million’s Kik account also showed that in 2021, when he lived in Marshalltown, he distributed child pornography to another person.
Million was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Million was sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $6,000 in restitution to victims. 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.”
Million 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 Marshalltown Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Independence Police Department, and the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2048.
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Man Who Escaped from Residential Reentry Center Sent Back to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who escaped from the Gerald R. Hinzman Center was sentenced today to serve two months in federal prison.
Robert Fleming, age 61, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a guilty plea to escape from custody.
At the guilty plea, Fleming admitted that in July 2025, while confined to the Gerald R. Hinzman center, he escaped from custody. At the time, Fleming was serving a federal prison sentence after being convicted of possession and aid abet the possession with intent to distribute cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a protected location after a prior felony drug conviction.
Fleming was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Fleming was sentenced to two 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.
Fleming 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 Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-00065.
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Dubuque Man Found Guilty of Possessing Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute it After Four Day TrialRead the Press Release
A Dubuque man who possessed methamphetamine intending to distribute it was convicted by a jury on April 23, 2026, after a four-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Justin Noel Allen, age 43, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The verdict was returned following about four hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that law enforcement officers stopped Allen on March 24, 2025. During the stop, officers realized Allen had outstanding arrest warrants. Officers arrested Allen and located just over 15 grams of methamphetamine and one gram of fentanyl on his person. Allen was previously convicted of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine in 2017 in Illinois and a controlled substance violation in 2025 in Iowa. Expert witnesses established that 15 grams of methamphetamine was consistent with distribution amounts of methamphetamine, and not personal use.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Allen remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Allen faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers, and was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Dubuque Police Department, the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, 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 25-CR-1029.
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Coralville Woman Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
A Coralville woman who initiated a bankruptcy case in order to defraud a nursing home out of more than $70,000 pled guilty on April 22, 2026, in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Donita Rose Eckrich, age 64, from Coralville, Iowa, was convicted of one count of bankruptcy fraud.
In a plea agreement, Eckrich admitted that, in 2021 and 2022, a former nursing home resident was suffering from severe cognitive impairments and unable to manage the resident’s financial affairs. The resident owed a nursing home over $150,000 for care since 2019. The resident had assets, including valuable real estate in Holy Cross, Iowa, and an annuity check from an insurer in the amount of nearly $75,000.
Eckrich devised a scheme to defraud the nursing home by fraudulently concealing and transferring the nursing home resident’s assets and otherwise violating the bankruptcy laws of the United States. For example, Eckrich caused an attorney to file a bankruptcy case in the former nursing home resident’s name, but hid the annuity check from the nursing home and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Iowa. Once the bankruptcy court discharged the former nursing home resident’s debt to the nursing home, Eckrich cashed the insurance company’s check and made five cash withdrawals of $15,000 each in order to conceal the location of the annuity money.
Eckrich and others at her request also created a “quit claim deed” in which the former nursing home resident purported to convey real estate in Holy Cross to Eckrich for “One Dollar(s) and other valuable consideration.” Eckrich obtained the Holy Cross property free and clear of any debt to the nursing home and without using any of the annuity moneys to pay the debt owed to the nursing home.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Eckrich remains free on bond previously set. Eckrich faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three 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 Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, the Coralville Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-94.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited children and possessed child pornography was sentenced April 27, 2026, to 25 years in federal prison.
Dawson Sanderson, age 24, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after a November 13, 2025, guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Sanderson admitted that, in 2021, he got minors to produce and send depictions of sexually explicit conduct to him. He also admitted he possessed child pornography. Information at the sentencing hearing showed that Sanderson used the Internet to attempt to persuade, induce, and entice four girls, and two of the girls sent him sexually explicit depictions of themselves.
Sanderson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Sanderson was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term, and he must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 25-51.
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Six-Time Felon Sentenced to over a Decade in Federal Prison After Firing a Gun in a Residential NeighborhoodRead the Press Release
A man who was convicted of his sixth felony offense after firing a gun eight times in a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, neighborhood was sentenced today to more than eleven years in federal prison.
Larnell Logn, age 41, from Frankfort, Illinois, received the prison term after a November 5, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
At the guilty plea, Logan admitted he had five felony convictions that prohibited him from possessing a gun. His convictions included domestic abuse assault by strangulation and drug conspiracy. He further admitted that on November 15, 2023, he possessed a 9mm handgun.
Evidence at sentencing showed that on the afternoon of November 15, 2023, Logan got into an argument with two people outside a home in Cedar Rapids. Logan grabbed one of the people and demanded money. The victim got inside the house and shut the door. Logan kicked the door open. He entered the home and assaulted the victim in the home. After doing so, he said he was going to get his “30” and kill everyone.
Logan left the home. A short time later, the assault victim and another person in the house heard gunshots in the backyard. They looked out the windows and saw Logn driving away from the house. Multiple neighbors heard the gunshots and saw Logan’s car driving away.
CRPD began looking for Logan’s car. Just before 3:00 p.m. a CRPD officer located the car. After the officer activated his lights and sirens, Logan sped away. While fleeing, he reached speeds of at least 50 mph in a residential area. At one point, Logan sped by a school bus with children nearby. Officers were able to corner Logan and he stopped his car. Logan got out of his car and ran. Officers caught him, but Logan resisted until the officers were able to put handcuffs on him.
Officers searched Logan’s car. They found a 9mm handgun in the car. The handgun had an extended magazine capable of holding 32 rounds of ammunition. There was a round in the chamber and 12 rounds in the magazine. Logan was intoxicated at the time of his arrest.
Logan was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Logan was sentenced to 137 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.
Logan 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 Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-cr-35.
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Felon Who Illegally Possessed Gun Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who unlawfully possessed a gun was sentenced on April 24, 2026, to five years in federal prison.
Nicholas John Baker, age 35, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 25, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Baker was previously convicted of conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance (methamphetamine), in the Iowa District Court for Jackson County in 2014.
On July 31, 2025, Baker possessed a gun during a domestic dispute. Later that same day, officers searched Baker’s home and they found a stolen gun in the attic. The gun was equipped with a 32-round magazine. At the guilty plea, Baker admitted he knowingly possessed the firearm.
Baker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Baker was sentenced to 60 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.
Baker is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was 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 25-CR-1044.
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Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Laundering Pandemic Loan MoneyRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who laundered over $20,000 in fraudulently obtained government loan moneys during the COVID-19 pandemic was sentenced on April 23, 2026, to more than two years in federal prison. Joshua Brandon Johnson, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, formerly of Elkhart, Indiana, received the prison term after a December 1, 2025, guilty plea to one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity.
In a plea agreement, Johnson admitted that, in June 2021, he received $20,208 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan proceeds. The PPP was a forgivable loan program that Congress enacted in 2020 to help small businesses that were struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson’s fraudulent PPP loan application falsely stated that he was a barber who had earned nearly $100,000 in 2020.
In his fraudulent PPP loan application, Johnson instructed that the PPP money be deposited into a bank account that he controlled in Cedar Rapids. By 10:00 a.m. on the morning of the deposit of the fraudulently obtained government money into his account, Johnson withdrew $20,000 in cash. Johnson later admitted that he quickly withdrew the PPP loan money in cash because he owed child support and knew the money could be garnished from his account. Between 2021 and 2024, Johnson was in and out of prison in Indiana for failing to meet his child support obligations.
Johnson spent the remainder of the PPP loan money on fast food, at gas stations, and for home food delivery. In August 2021, Johnson submitted a false application to have the government loan forgiven, falsely stating that he had spent the $20,208 from the loan on “Payroll Costs.” When federal agents asked Johnson why his PPP loan application had false statements about his purported income as a barber, Johnson replied he was just “shootin’ [his] shot.”
Johnson is a convicted felon with an extensive criminal history in Iowa and Indiana. Johnson’s prior convictions include resisting law enforcement, theft, domestic-abuse assault, possession of controlled substances, and nonsupport of a dependent child.
Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Johnson was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $20,208 in restitution to the United States Small Business Administration. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Johnson was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-53-LTS.
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Six-Time Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison After Police Find Him with a GunRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who possessed a gun after having six felony convictions was sentenced April 22, 2026, to five years in federal prison.
James Merlin Hall, age 48, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 19, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Hall was previously convicted of six felony offenses. On May 20, 2024, police officers searched Hall’s recreational vehicle and located a gun inside. Hall was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his felony convictions.
Hall was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Hall was sentenced to 60 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 Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Hall 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 Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-35.
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Felon who Possessed a Firearm that was Used in a Robbery Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced on April 23, 2026, to 60 months in federal prison.
Blake Allen Ott, age 23, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 10, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
In October 2024, while searching Ott’s home, law enforcement officers found a loaded gun in his bedroom. They also found cash and marijuana around the home. Evidence showed that Ott was involved in distributing controlled substances. Prior to October 2024, Ott gave the gun to another person who used the gun to rob a home in Dubuque. Ott was aware the gun would be used in a robbery. Ott’s prior convictions include participation in a riot and robbery.
Ott was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ott was sentenced to 60 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.
Ott is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and Dan Chatham and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-01038.
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Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a Firearm Found During Traffic StopRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced on April 22, 2026, to 24 months in federal prison.
Keontis Dontrell Cunningham, age 29, from Chicago, received the prison term after a November 14, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
In 2024, as he was driving, law enforcement officers stopped Cunningham based on an outstanding warrant. During the traffic stop, officers located a gun in the car. Cunningham was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions, including an aggravated assault conviction from Tennessee.
Cunningham was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Cunningham 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. Cunningham 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 Attorneys Nicole L. Nagin and Dan Chatham and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-00062.
Dubuque Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A prohibited person who possessed a gun was sentenced April 23, 2026, to more than three years in federal prison.
Nathan Frazier Stark, age 48, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 29, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
On January 24, 2024, officers searched defendant’s home in Dubuque, Iowa. During the search, officers found a revolver that had an obliterated serial number, Stark’s cell phone, and a bag containing approximately 2.35 grams of methamphetamine on a table in the kitchen. At the guilty plea, Stark admitted that he possessed the firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Stark was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Stark was sentenced to 37 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.
Stark is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was 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 25-CR-1004.
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United States Attorney’s Office Announces Recipients of Victims Services AwardsRead the Press Release
As part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 19–25, 2026, United States Attorney Leif Olson announced the recipients of awards for outstanding work in service to victims of crime.
Receiving the Victim Services Award is Sarah Harms, victim-witness coordinator of the Statewide Prosecution Section of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Receiving the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award are Deputy Erin Bennett, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office; Special Agent Holly Witt, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; and Detective Christopher Wuebker, Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office.
The Award for Victim Services honors individuals or groups working in a victim-service role. The Law Enforcement Victim Services Award is the highest federal honor for victim services presented to law-enforcement officers in Iowa.
“These recipients are heroes,” said Olson. “Victims and their families don’t ask to be made part of our criminal-justice system, but the system can’t succeed without their help. Ensuring that they are safe, respected, and understood throughout investigation and trial is crucial to making sure that justice is done. Deputy Wuebker, Deputy Bennett, Special Agent Witt, and Ms. Harms are role models, going above and beyond even the high standards of the local, state, and federal law-enforcement and victim-services teams serving Iowans every day.”
Detective Christopher Wuebker, Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. Detective Wuebker receives the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award for his work investigating a cold case involving a missing 15-year-old victim, Jade Colvin. Detective Wuebker coordinated a multi-agency investigation that spent countless hours putting together a case that resulted in a second-degree murder conviction.
Detective Wuebker’s investigation began after the U.S. Marshal’s Service determined that Jade had last been seen in Winneshiek County in 2017. She was in Winneshiek County for only five days and was never seen again. Detective Wuebker worked with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to conduct interviews all over the country after identifying a suspect who was living in Georgia, James David Bachmurski, Sr, and finding evidence linking him to Jade. Bachmurski had moved from Winneshiek County and left behind a cell phone that was recovered during the investigation. Information from that cell phone put Jade at Bachmurski’s home and provided photos and text messages that showed her last few days were spent with Bachmurski. Deputy Wuebker did not just organize and analyze a tremendous amount of information to make the case against Bachmurski. He also connected with Jade’s family members, who were spread across the country, doing so even before charges were filed and keeping them updated on the status of the case. His communication with the family facilitated not only their cooperation, but also their commitment to pursuing justice for Jade.
Deputy Erin Bennett, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office; Special Agent Holly Witt, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; Sarah Harms, Statewide Prosecutions Section, Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Deputy Bennett and Special Agent Witt receive the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award and Harms receives the Award for Victim Services for their work leading to the successful arrest of two predatory criminals alleged to have sexually abused a vulnerable young girl over a period of time.
Deputy Bennett began investigating when the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a vulnerable 18-year-old girl was being sexually abused. When she asked the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to assist, Special Agent Witt joined the investigation. Over several months, they built a case while building a close rapport with the victim. As a result of their work, the mother and mother’s boyfriend were arrested and charged with Human Trafficking, Kidnapping in the First Degree, Sex Abuse in the Second Degree, and Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Harms was assigned as the victim-witness coordinator on the criminal case and immediately began supporting the victim and providing her with necessary resources.
When the victim signed herself out of the out-of-state residential facility where she had been placed, the team became concerned that she was again being victimized. They contacted local law enforcement while Harms travelled to the victim’s location. Thanks to their strong relationship with the victim, they were able to assist the local law-enforcement officers with calming and reassuring her while they arrested the man with whom she was found, and Harms remained on the phone with the victim for the duration of her trip to the site. Harms then accompanied the victim to a local hospital to support her during a sexual-abuse exam, and Special Agent Witt travelled to pick up the victim from the hospital to transport her personally to Des Moines (and stay with her overnight) so the victim would not have to suffer yet another lengthy, traumatic interaction with a stranger. Harms, Deputy Bennett, Special Agent Witt, continue to make sure the victim is getting the services and resources she needs while the criminal cases against those accused of abusing her are pending.
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Department of Justice and United States Attorney Honor Crime Victims and Survivors During 2026 National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa will commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) from April 19–25, 2026.
This year’s NCVRW theme is Listen. Act. Advocate. Protect victims, serve communities. The weeklong initiative promotes victims’ rights and honors crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. “This week gives us a chance to thank the people and organizations whose tireless work comforts victims of crime in Iowa, giving them support, life-saving services, and, most importantly, hope,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson.
NCVRW 2026 is commemorated in Iowa with many events across the state, including:
· Sioux City Community Awareness Event: A large gathering at the Sioux City Convention Center featuring 30+ agencies to support survivors and share resources.
· 17th Annual “Go the Distance for Crime Victims” 5K: Held at Thomas Park in Marion to support victims’ costs.
· Iowa Department of Corrections Annual Crime Victims’ Rights Week Commemoration: A presentation honoring deceased crime victims, their loved ones, and those that supported them through the criminal justice system.
Olson also announced winners of awards given to those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to crime victims in Iowa. The Award for Victim Services honors individuals or groups working in a victim-service role. The Law Enforcement Victim Services Award is the highest federal honor for victim services presented to law-enforcement officers in Iowa.
Receiving the Victim Services Award is Sarah Harms, victim-witness coordinator of the Statewide Prosecution Section of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Receiving the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award are Deputy Erin Bennett, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office; Special Agent Holly Witt, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; and Detective Christopher Wuebker, Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office.
NCVRW began in 1981 to honor victims and survivors of crime, raise awareness of victims’ rights and services, and recognize the dedication of those who work with crime victims.
For additional information about this year’s NCVRW activities and more ideas on supporting crime victims, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov.
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Child Pornography Distributor from Dubuque Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed child pornography to multiple people was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison.
Jonathan Reed Snow, age 26, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 24, 2025, guilty plea to distribution of child pornography.
Evidence at sentencing showed that in August 2024, law enforcement officers searched Snow’s home and seized electronic devices. Officers discovered that between September 2023 and August 2024, Snow distributed, received, and possessed child pornography in Discord accounts and on multiple electronic devices. Snow traded child pornography with others online. In total, he possessed over a thousand images and videos of child pornography, which included depictions of prepubescent children and of sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Snow was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Snow was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $24,000 in restitution to victims in this case. He must also serve a 10‑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 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Snow 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 Dubuque Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1018.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Valon Jackson, Jr., age 40, from Sioux City, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison, after a November 5, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user.
Evidence in the case revealed on June 19, 2024, at approximately 11:30 p.m., a concerned citizen reported a reckless driver, later identified as Jackson, speeding through residential neighborhoods with no headlights on. Officers located the vehicle and observed the car traveling at a high rate of speed, then abruptly stop, and park. As officers activated their emergency lights, Jackson accelerated at a high rate of speed again with the headlights off evading police. As Jackson fled law enforcement, another concerned citizen reported his reckless driving in another part of town. Law enforcement proceeded to that area and located the vehicle. As officers approached, Jackson began reversing in a reckless manner, leaving the roadway and hitting an unoccupied vehicle before again fleeing officers. Jackson continued to flee, driving through a person’s yard, through driveways, and along Broken Kettle Road, where he struck yet another vehicle ultimately incapacitating his vehicle. He then fled on foot but was apprehended a short distance away. Jackson had blood-shot and watery eyes and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. Officers located marijuana, cocaine and multiple items of drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. After he was taken into custody, Jackson began making threats against law enforcement.
On June 20, 2024, a citizen walking a dog on Broken Kettle reported finding a firearm in a yard. Officers located the firearm and observed that it was on the Jackson’s flight path. Fingerprint testing confirmed the firearm and loaded magazine bore Jackson’s fingerprints.
Jackson has a history of violence, a 2023 arson conviction, and a 2011 federal conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon. Jackson left a location after a verbal altercation, retrieved a gun bearing a homemade silencer, and waited outside the location to ambush his victim. Jackson repeatedly fired at his victim, hitting him once.
Jackson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Jackson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4084.
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Hardy, Iowa, Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Scott Devries, 57, from Hardy, Iowa, pled guilty April 20, 2026, to one count of possession of child pornography in federal court in Sioux City.
At the plea hearing, Devries admitted that between January 2021 and August 2022, he possessed and received visual depictions of child pornography, which included prepubescent minors or a minor under the age of 12. While executing a search warrant, law enforcement discovered 20 electronic devices that contained child sexual abuse material. Forensic analysis of the devices found almost one million images of child pornography, some of which involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as infants and toddlers.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Devries remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Devries faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Charles City Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3060. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Tripoli Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
A man who received and possessed child pornography pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Isiah Michael Morse, age 22, from Tripoli, Iowa, was convicted of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Evidence at a prior hearing showed that in January 2024, law enforcement officers searched Morse’s person and seized a phone. On the phone were images and videos of child pornography, including of prepubescent children. Morse had paid for child pornography on at least two occasions. In an interview with officers, Morse admitted that he had downloaded child pornography and then moved it to a “hidden folder” on his phone. At the plea hearing, Morse admitted that between November 2021 and November 2023, he received child pornography, and that between May 2023 and January 2024, he possessed child pornography on his phone.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Morse was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Morse faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $62,200 in special assessments, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Johnson County Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2036.
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Sex Offender Who Failed to Register Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who came to Iowa from Minnesota and did not register with the state sex offender registry was sentenced on April 15, 2026, to more than two years in federal prison. Blake William Johnson, age 31, from Austin, Minnesota, received the prison term after a December 29, 2025, guilty plea to failure to register as a sex offender.
Information from sentencing and other hearings showed that Johnson was previously convicted of electronic solicitation of children in 2022 in Minnesota after he repeatedly messaged an online profile represented to be that of a female child under the age of fifteen. The profile was operated by an undercover law enforcement agent. Johnson sent explicit messages to the profile, including pictures of his genitals. In July 2025, Johnson absconded from correctional supervision in Minnesota. He began living in Iowa and was arrested on August 21, 2025. Johnson did not register with the state of Iowa sex offender registry as he was required to do. In addition to his sex offense conviction, Johnson’s criminal history includes convictions for drug possession, burglary, domestic assault, and violating a no contact order.
Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Johnson was sentenced to 30 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. Johnson 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 United States Marshals Service and the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-2057.
Pharmacist Who Stole Controlled Substances SentencedRead the Press Release
A licensed pharmacist who created fake patient profiles to steal prescription drugs containing controlled substances was sentenced on April 15, 2026, to a three‑year term of probation.
Ryan Paul Etscheid, age 40, from La Salle, Illinois, received the sentence after an October 27, 2025, guilty plea to acquiring a controlled substance by means of misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge.
Information from sentencing and public court records showed that on July 9, 2023, Etscheid worked a shift at a pharmacy in Waterloo, Iowa. Etscheid created three fake patient accounts and dispensed prescription drugs containing controlled substances, including oxycodone, under the fraudulent accounts. Etscheid used similar methods to acquire controlled substances while working as a pharmacist in Ottumwa on February 13, 2022, March 10, 2023, and May 23, 2023. On August 20, 2024, Etscheid pled guilty to three counts of acquiring a controlled substance by means of misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in relation to that conduct and subsequently sentenced to three years of probation on December 20, 2024.
Etscheid was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Etscheid was sentenced to three years of probation. He was ordered to make $1,177.04 in restitution to the victim pharmacy.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2041.
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Woman Sentenced to over Five Years in Federal Prison for Committing Assault on Meskwaki SettlementRead the Press Release
A woman who stabbed another woman in the neck with a piece of trim that broke off in the victim’s neck was sentenced April 14, 2026, to more than five years in federal prison.
Ashley Thompson, age 38, from Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 31, 2025, guilty plea to one count of assault causing serious bodily injury.
At the guilty plea, Thompson admitted that on January 14, 2024, she assaulted a woman on the Meskwaki Settlement near Tama, Iowa. Thompson was in another person’s home along with the victim. An argument between multiple people occurred. Thompson picked up a loose piece of wooden wall trim. She thrusted the piece of trim at the victim. The wood hit the victim in the neck. A piece of the wood broke off in the victim’s neck.
Law enforcement officers responded to the scene. The victim was having difficulty breathing and appeared to be losing consciousness. The victim was transported to Marshalltown and then to Des Moines for surgery. The piece of wood was against the victim’s jugular vein but had not pierced it.
Thompson has a lengthy criminal history. She has four previous assault convictions in state court. While detained in the Polk County jail in February 2024 following her arrest, she assaulted another inmate by throwing a cup of hot water at her. She also has multiple convictions for child endangerment, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, disorderly conduct, and theft.
Thompson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Thompson was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Thompson 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 Anthony Morfitt and investigated by Meskwaki Nation Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-cr-00069.
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Woman Who Defrauded Four Federal Needs-Based Programs Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who lied to government agencies to receive benefit funds to which she was not entitled was sentenced to federal prison on April 13, 2026.
Gladys Louise Stephenson, age 48, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after an October 27, 2025, guilty plea to theft of government property, supplemental security income benefits fraud, and false statement or representation.
Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that between March 2017 and April 2022, Stephenson made false statements to the Social Security Administration to receive Social Security benefits. Stephenson concealed her marital status and living arrangements, specifically that she was married to her spouse and that she lived with him. During this time, Stephenson made the same false representations to the Iowa Department of Human Services in connection with her receipt of food and family assistance benefits.
Stephenson also committed fraud in connection with two types of federal benefits authorized during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, Congress authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses through a program called the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). In May 2021, Stephenson applied for a PPP loan and represented that she operated a sole proprietorship with nearly $100,000 in gross income. She received a PPP loan in the amount of $20,416 from the Small Business Administration based on those false representations. Stephenson spent that money on her personal expenses, including hotel rooms and casino visits. The CARES Act also authorized additional types of unemployment insurance benefits. In January 2021, Stephenson applied for unemployment benefits and falsely said that she had been employed as a housekeeper but could no longer work due to COVID-19. Based on these false statements, Stephenson received unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled.
Stephenson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Stephenson was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $106,058.97 in restitution. Stephenson was ordered to pay $58,950.97 to the Social Security Administration; $15,123 to the Iowa Department of Human Services; $20,416 to the Small Business Administration; and $11,569 to Iowa Workforce Development. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Stephenson was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on May 11, 2026.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-0096.
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Repeat Drug Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
A man who possessed cocaine that he intended to distribute was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison.
Leondraie Antwarn Johnson, age 36, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 29, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance after a conviction for a felony drug offense.
On September 13, 2024, Cedar Rapids Police Department officers stopped Johnson’s car for a traffic violation. Johnson sped off in his car. While driving through a residential area, he reached speeds of more than 70 miles per hour. Johnson eventually stopped, left his car, and tried to elude officers on foot. Before officers were able to catch Johnson, he placed a bag containing cocaine and marijuana in a yard waste receptacle. Officers, using a police dog, found the bag that Johnson hid. At the guilty plea, Johnson admitted he intended to distribute the cocaine. Johnson was previously convicted of two different felony controlled substance offenses.
Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Johnson was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Johnson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
Gun-Toting Felon Who Ran from Officers Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A felon who ran from officers and dropped a gun pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Darrell Jawon Wilson, age 18, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence at a prior court hearing demonstrated that on October 1, 2025, in Waterloo, Iowa, officers went to a liquor store because of a report that two men, wearing masks, were walking around the area and looking in cars. Officers arrived and located the two men. One man, later identified as Wilson, ran. An officer chased him and saw him pull out a gun from his waistline. Wilson fell and dropped the gun. After Wilson was taken into custody, officers retraced the path of the pursuit and found the gun. Wilson has felony convictions for conspiracy to commit a forcible felony and going armed with intent.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Wilson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Wilson faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2067. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Citizen of Congo Sentenced to Federal Prison for Involvement in Scheme to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who came to the United States in 2022 on a student visa and claimed asylum was sentenced on April 10, 2026, for his involvement in a conspiracy to defraud the government.
Medard Lotahe Elonge, age 40, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and living in Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 8, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
In January 2022, Elonge entered the United States on a student visa and later applied for asylum. The mother of his children, who was in the Congo, then participated in a sham or fraudulent marriage in order to come to the United States. Elonge and his co-conspirators helped arrange the fraudulent marriage and filed a fraudulent petition to bring the family to the United States. In a plea agreement, Elonge admitted to having another man marry his wife. Their plan was for the other man to divorce Elonge’s wife six months after Elonge’s family arrived in the United States.
Elonge was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Elonge was sentenced to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Elonge was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on May 4, 2026. Joseph Onolenga Okamba and Bienvenu Saido Binyangi, who were charged in the same indictment and have also pled guilty, have yet to be sentenced. Joseph Okoko, who was also charged in the same indictment, was previously sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. Cole and Nicole L. Nagin and was investigated by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Waterloo Police Department, the Sioux City Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Transportation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2052.
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Cedar Rapids Woman Sent to Federal Prison for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced today to 12 years in federal prison. Rose Lee Beranek, age 44, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 24, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Beranek admitted that in February 2024, she obtained nearly two pounds of methamphetamine in Arizona. She was driving to Cedar Rapids to distribute the methamphetamine, when law enforcement officers pulled over her car in Oklahoma. Law enforcement officers searched her car and found the methamphetamine in vacuum-sealed bags.
Beranek was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Beranek was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF Kansas City is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, covering Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. HSTF Kansas City is composed of agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the State Investigative Agencies for Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska, and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.
This HSTF case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by HSTF Kansas City, with the assistance of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Beranek is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-13.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced for Fentanyl PossessionRead the Press Release
A man who possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl was sentenced today to over 12 years in federal prison.
Alfredo Soberanes, Age 31, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 4, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
In a plea agreement, Soberanes admitted that around midnight on August 31, 2023, in Sioux City, Iowa, law enforcement attempted a traffic stop on his vehicle but he drove away as officers approached. Law enforcement did not pursue the vehicle but went to the address in Sioux City associated with the vehicle registration. Law enforcement were given permission to search the residence where they located Soberanes hiding in the basement. Found in Soberanes’ possession at arrest was methamphetamine, a stolen firearm, a digital scale, and over 2,500 pills marked “M-30” which contained fentanyl. For possessing the methamphetamine, defendant was charged by the State and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment but ultimately served a total of 620 days before he was federally indicted for possession with intent to deliver fentanyl.
Soberanes was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Soberanes was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment but was given credit for 620 days he had served on the related State conviction. He must also serve a four-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 Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-04046. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Illegal Alien with 8 Prior Removals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Reentering United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally reentered the United States from Mexico was sentenced April 9, 2026, to 54 months in federal prison.
Julio Cesar Moreno, age 47, a citizen of Mexico, received the prison term after a November 24, 2025, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry as a felon.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that on September 15, 2025, Moreno was arrested in Britt, Iowa, for speeding and not having a valid driver’s license. While in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been removed from the United States to Mexico on eight previous occasions. Moreno admitted he illegally reentered the United States without permission and was previously convicted of four aggravated felony offenses while in the United States. Additionally, Moreno had been convicted of two counts of felony deadly conduct in the discharge of a firearm in Hidalgo, Texas, in 2005.
Moreno was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Moreno was sentenced to 54 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.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-03047. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Iowa Farmer Sentenced to More Than a Decade in Federal Prison After Cheating Federal Taxpayers Out of More than $1.7 MillionRead the Press Release
An Iowa farmer who defrauded federal taxpayers out of more than $1.7 million in agricultural subsidies, stole multiple identities, and stalked a witness, was sentenced today to 13 years in federal prison.
Tanner James Seuntjens, age 33, from Danbury, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty on September 19, 2025, to one count of theft of government funds, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of crop insurance fraud, and one count of stalking.
Evidence in Seuntjens’ cases established that, between June 2020 and June 2021, he was a Western Iowa farmer who defrauded the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) out of more than $1.5 million in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (“CFAP”) grant moneys. Livestock producers qualified for CFAP subsidies on a per head basis that depended upon the producer’s self-certified livestock inventory. Seuntjens filed CFAP applications at three Iowa county USDA-Farm Service Agency (“FSA”) offices that each falsely claimed ownership of thousands of swine. Seuntjens forged the signatures of two other people when filing the applications with USDA. Seuntjens later submitted false documents to USDA-FSA county commissioners who were attempting to verify the USDA payments during so-called “spot checks.”
From March 2021 through April 2022, Seuntjens defrauded a South Dakota bank. Seuntjens borrowed funds from the bank as early as 2014 and pledged his accounts receivable as collateral, which included payments from the sales of grain and livestock. As a result, when Seuntjens sold grain and livestock at a cooperative and an auction, the bank required the cooperative and auction to issue two-party checks to Seuntjens and the bank. Seuntjens forged an authorized representative of the bank’s signature on two-party checks at least 20 times and. He deprived the bank of more than $400,000 of its collateral. Seuntjens spent the diverted funds on a combination of farming expenditures, a trip to Cocoa Beach and Disney World, transfers to family members, and large cash withdrawals.
Seuntjens committed crop insurance fraud in 2022 and 2023. Crop insurance is a federally subsidized program where farmers may receive payment from an authorized insurer in the event of adverse weather, fire, disease, or price declines. Seuntjens admitted he repeatedly underreported his crop yields during the 2022 and 2023 crop seasons and received crop insurance funds to which he was not entitled. Seuntjens stole an additional $175,000 from federal taxpayers through this crop insurance fraud.
In 2023 and 2024, Seuntjens defrauded multiple agricultural suppliers by selling their collateral out of trust. He also sold livestock and grain in a third party’s name to avoid creditors’ liens and judgments.
Seuntjens stalked one of the victims of his agricultural fraud case, even though there were no contact orders forbidding him from having contact with that witness. In an unrelated state court case, the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County had found that Seuntjens had assaulted the witness and planted a tracking device on a minor. The Iowa District Court stated the court was “deeply concerned” about the safety of minors if Seuntjens were allowed to have contact with them and issued a no contact order. In August 2025, while the Iowa District Court’s no contact order was in effect, and while Seuntjens also was on federal pretrial release, Seuntjens travelled to Nebraska and placed a tracking device on the witness’s car. Seuntjens admitted he did so with the intent to harass and intimidate the witness and to place the person under surveillance.
A federal judge detained Seuntjens for his stalking activity, and the U.S. Marshal held Seuntjens in custody at a local jail. While in jail in late 2025, however, Seuntjens repeatedly contacted the minors. The Iowa District Court found in March 2026 found Seuntjens in contempt of court.
Seuntjens has a significant criminal history involving fraud and violence. In 2020, Seuntjens received a deferred judgment for a felony second-degree theft conviction. In 2023, Seuntjens was convicted of third-degree theft and fined after he presented the state court with a bad check to “pay” his restitution obligations in the prior second-degree theft case. In 2024 and 2025, Seuntjens received three additional fines from the state court after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct in three separate cases. Seuntjens received those fines after he put his hands on the victim’s throat causing fingernail markings on both sides of the victim’s neck. He also pushed his victim into a counter, followed the victim around town, called the victim from a blocked number, and violated a protective order.
Seuntjens was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Seuntjens was sentenced to 156 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $1,704,434.74 in restitution to the USDA. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Seuntjens is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Vavricek and Shawn Wehde and investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and Special Investigations Staff.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 25-CR-4026 and 25-CR-4052.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
On April 7, 2026, Ry Tyler, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced to federal prison after a November 24, 2025, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, in federal court in Sioux City.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that in January 2025, law enforcement received a report that Tyler was accessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) on Russian websites. Tyler appeared on a podcast for sex addicts where he expressed a sexual interest in children and persistent thoughts of children in sexual situations. Tyler admitted to recently deleting images off his computer and told law enforcement the images would be considered “appalling.” A search of Tyler’s electronics revealed child pornography, child erotica, and child pornography search terms. A forensic examination of Tyler’s electronic devices revealed over 2,100 images and 5 videos of child pornography. The videos and images included infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Tyler to 66 months’ imprisonment along with a 5-year term of supervised release after release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system. Tyler remains in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service 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 Sioux City Police Department and was 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 25-4025. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sixteen-Time Waterloo Felon Sentenced to over Two Decades in Federal Prison for Distributing Fatal Dose of FentanylRead the Press Release
A woman who distributed a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and xylazine that caused an overdose death was sentenced April 6, 2026, to 21 years in federal prison.
Bridgette Marie Washington, age 47, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 22, 2025, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.
Court records show that between July 2022 and January 2023, Washington and two other individuals sold methamphetamine, powder heroin, and M-30 pills which contained fentanyl. Washington sold drugs that led to four non-fatal overdoses in September, November, and December 2022. On January 2, 2023, Washington sold substances she marketed as “A1” drugs (meaning that they were potent) to multiple customers. Each person who used the drugs Washington sold on that day lost consciousness. One individual who used some of the drugs died as a result of using them. Washington had an extensive criminal history, including convictions for 15 felony offenses prior to the conduct that led to her federal charge.
Washington was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Washington was sentenced to 252 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Washington 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 Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department, and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Nagin and Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-02014-CJW-MAR.
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Sioux City Man to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Todd Babb, 62, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City on April 6, 2026, to 210 months’ imprisonment. Babb pled guilty November 19, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence showed that Babb was previously convicted of at least five prior felony drug offenses, one in Iowa District Court and one in Federal Court in the Northern District of Iowa. Babb admitted that between 2018 and August 2024, he and others conspired to distribute more than 500 grams of mixed methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. During a search of Babb’s residence, law enforcement seized over $3,000 in cash and ¼ pound of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to others. Approximately one pound of methamphetamine was also seized from a vehicle observed driving away from Babb’s residence.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Babb to 210 months’ imprisonment, and he must serve a ten-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Babb remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4068. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Evansdale Man Sentenced to a Decade in Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography was sentenced today to a decade in federal prison.
Robert Thiemann, age 38, from Evansdale, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 7, 2026, guilty plea to one count of receiving child pornography.
Information at sentencing showed that between October 2020 and October 2022, Thiemann downloaded visual depictions of child pornography. In October 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received a tip that Thiemann had uploaded an image of child pornography to an “adult chat” website. Following the tip, FBI agents searched Thiemann’s home in Evansdale. Officers seized an iPhone with images and videos of child pornography, including of prepubescent minors. Thiemann also had depictions of child pornography involving sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Thiemann was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Thiemann was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $18,000 in restitution to six victims. 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.”
Thiemann 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 Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted by the Evansdale Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-2028.
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United States Attorney Announces Leadership Team for Northern District of IowaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Leif Olson announced today his appointments to the leadership team for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.
“These men and women are dedicated to our Office’s mission of protecting the public and upholding the rule of law,” said Olson. “Like all of our attorneys and support staff, each member of our leadership team has made a career of working with our federal, state, and local law-enforcement partners to secure justice, whether that’s in civil cases or criminal prosecutions. I’m proud to have each of these public servants on our team serving the people of Northern Iowa.”
- Matthew Cole, First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Cole has been appointed to continue his service as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, the second in command of the Office. He has held this position since 2022. Cole joined the Office in 1999 and previously served as Civil Chief and Deputy Criminal Chief. Before joining the Office, Cole was a judicial law clerk and assistant county attorney. Cole has received awards and recognition for his work on behalf of the United States, including the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for outstanding work in an affirmative civil fraud prosecution; the Director’s Award for Superior Performance on a Litigation Team; the USDA Secretary Award for Excellence in Asset Recovery and Litigation; and the National Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Award for outstanding contributions to law enforcement and the OCDETF program. Cole is a graduate of Wheaton College and Drake University Law School.
- Ashley Corkery, Criminal Chief. Corkery has been appointed to serve as Criminal Chief. She joined the Department of Justice in 2014 and has served as Deputy Criminal Chief since 2019, where she oversaw prosecutions involving narcotics and violent crime. She has been recognized for outstanding service and investigations by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Midwest High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and Illinois Metropolitan Enforcement Group Directors and Task Force Commanders Association. Before joining DOJ, Corkery was a prosecutor for the Southeast Iowa Interagency Drug Task Force, where she focused on drug-trafficking offenses and asset forfeiture. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa and the Drake University Law School.
- Timothy Duax, Branch Chief. Duax has been appointed to continue his service as Branch Chief of the Sioux City Branch Office. He previously served as First Assistant and was the court-appointed U.S. Attorney from 2022–2025. Before joining the Office Duax served for four years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, or AUSA, in the District of Arizona and for ten years as a prosecutor in the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Phoenix. Duax is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Arizona State University College of Law.
- Brandon Gray, Civil Chief. Gray has been appointed to continue his service as the Civil Chief, a role he has held since 2023. Gray joined the Office in 2022 as a civil AUSA, investigating and litigating cases related to fraud on the government; defending federal agencies and officials in court; and collecting debts owed to the United States. Before joining the Office, Gray worked in private practice in Cedar Falls and was an Assistant Attorney General in the Revenue Division of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. He is a graduate of Iowa State University and the University of Iowa College of Law.
- Mark Tremmel, Appellate Chief. Tremmel has been appointed to continue his service as the Appellate Chief. In that role he supervises post-trial proceedings and matters pending before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Tremmel joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2007 after serving as an Assistant Wapello County Attorney and the Wapello County Attorney. He also served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2001 to 2003. Tremmel is a graduate of Georgetown University and the University of Chicago Law School.
- Jack Lammers and Shawn Wehde, Senior Litigation Counsel. Lammers and Wehde have been appointed to serve as Senior Litigation Counsel. In that role, they are responsible for handling the most complex of the Office’s cases and for training and mentoring AUSAs.
Lammers joined the Office in 2001 as a Special Assistant United States Attorney prosecuting narcotics cases and became an AUSA in 2004. He served as Deputy Branch Chief from 2017–2022 and as Chief of the Criminal Division from 2022 until being appointed SLC. From 2015 to 2016, Lammers served as a legal advisor at the American Embassy in Bangladesh helping improve prosecution of transnational crime. Before joining the Office, Lammers was a state court prosecutor in Black Hawk County and in private practice in Bremerton, Washington. Lammers is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and Drake University Law School.
Wehde joined the Office in November 1999 after serving as an Assistant Black Hawk County Attorney from 1989 to 1999, the last three years as the First Assistant. Wehde served as a judicial law clerk for two years before becoming a prosecutor. Wehde is a litigation and trial specialist, primarily prosecuting various types of drug trafficking and firearms offenses, as well as white collar and immigration cases. He has served as a training lecturer and panel facilitator at DOJ’s National Advocacy Center on numerous occasions. Wehde is a graduate of The University of Iowa’s College of Business and College of Law.
- Daniel Chatham, Deputy Criminal Chief. Dan Chatham has been appointed to continue his service as Deputy Criminal Chief, a role he has held since 2022. He joined the Office in 2008 after completing a clerkship with the Iowa Supreme Court and primarily prosecuted drug and firearms crimes. In 2020, he received a Director’s Award for Superior Performance as a Criminal AUSA based on his work in prosecuting drug overdose cases. Chatham is a graduate of the University of South Dakota and the University of Iowa College of Law.
- Timothy Vavricek, Deputy Criminal Chief. Vavricek has been appointed as Deputy Criminal Chief. Vavricek has served as an AUSA in his native Cedar Rapids since 2014 and has primarily focused on complex fraud and money-laundering cases, including crimes involving the theft of taxpayer money and financial scams perpetrated against the elderly. Before joining the Office, Vavricek served as an Iowa Assistant Attorney General and clerked for several federal and state judges. He is a member of the Eighth Circuit Subcommittee on Model Criminal Jury Instructions. Vavricek earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Iowa and a graduate degree from the University of North Carolina.
- Todd Voter, Law Enforcement Coordinator. Voter has been appointed to continue as Law Enforcement Coordinator, a position he has held since 2016. Voter joined the Office in 2003 after retiring from the U.S. Army as a Master Sergeant, with a final assignment at the Defense Intelligence Agency. He holds a Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College in Washington, D.C. Voter has been involved in numerous federal prosecutions focused on national-security issues and has been integral in public outreach efforts, as well as training local, state, and federal law enforcement agents on DOJ priorities.
- Carmen McElwee, Administrative Officer. McElwee has been appointed to continue as Administrative Officer, supervising the office’s budget, contracting, financial, human-resources, IT, and other administrative staff and functions. She joined the Office in 2007 and served in a variety of administrative roles before her initial appointment as Administrative Officer in 2020.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa prosecutes federal criminal offenses and defends the federal government’s interests in civil cases in 52 of the state’s 99 counties. The headquarters office is in Cedar Rapids with a branch office in Sioux City. It routinely ranks among the busiest of the 25 U.S. Attorney’s Offices of comparable size.
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- Matthew Cole, First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Cole has been appointed to continue his service as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, the second in command of the Office. He has held this position since 2022. Cole joined the Office in 1999 and previously served as Civil Chief and Deputy Criminal Chief. Before joining the Office, Cole was a judicial law clerk and assistant county attorney. Cole has received awards and recognition for his work on behalf of the United States, including the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for outstanding work in an affirmative civil fraud prosecution; the Director’s Award for Superior Performance on a Litigation Team; the USDA Secretary Award for Excellence in Asset Recovery and Litigation; and the National Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Award for outstanding contributions to law enforcement and the OCDETF program. Cole is a graduate of Wheaton College and Drake University Law School.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Six Months in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Reentering U.S.A.Read the Press Release
An illegal alien and Mexican citizen who unlawfully reentered the U.S.A. after being previously removed was sentenced today to six months in federal prison.
Christian Vega-Camacho, age 29, from Guadalupe, Mexico, received the prison term after a January 16, 2026, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry.
At the guilty plea, Vega-Camacho admitted he had previously been removed from the U.S.A. in 2018. Sometime later, he reentered the country without permission. In April 2021, law enforcement officers arrested Vega-Camacho in Decorah, Iowa. He was using fraudulent documents to work in the country. Vega-Camacho was released from custody pending trial. Vega-Camacho fled from release in June 2021. His whereabouts were unknown until he was arrested in Postville, Iowa, in November 2025.
Vega-Camacho was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Vega-Camacho was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Vega-Camacho 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 Anthony Morfitt and investigated by Immigrations and Custom Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-2027.
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Cedar Rapids Man Who Threatened to Kill Victim Sentenced to Two Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who repeatedly threatened to kill a victim was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Kyle Ryan Cook, age 36, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 31, 2025, guilty plea to one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure.
Evidence at a prior court hearing and at the sentencing hearing showed that between May and June 2025, Cook repeatedly threatened to kill a victim who was not in Iowa via Facebook Messenger. His threats were graphic and specific. After Cook was arrested and was being transported to a court hearing in this case, Cook told federal agents that he was going to kill the victim and put her “six feet in the ground.” Cook has 21 adult convictions, including violent convictions for battery, disorderly conduct, domestic abuse, and assault causing bodily injury.
Cook was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Cook was sentenced to 24 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.
Cook is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-71. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Mason City Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited children, possessed child pornography, and possessed a stolen firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Parker Jon Thompson, age 20, from Mason City, Iowa, was convicted of sexual exploitation of children, possession of child pornography, and possession of a stolen firearm.
Evidence at a prior court hearing demonstrated that in June 2025, Thompson helped his friends plan a burglary at a gun shop in Mason City. His friends stole several guns and gave at least two of the guns to Thompson. Law enforcement officers searched Thompson’s phone while investigating the burglary. Officers found child pornography on the phone. Additional investigation revealed that Thompson recorded multiple children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Thompson also asked a child to send him depictions of the child engaging in sex acts.
At a plea hearing, Thompson admitted that between March 2024 and September 2025, he used, persuaded, induced, and enticed minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. Between June 2024 and April 2025, Thompson possessed depictions of child pornography. In June 2025, Thompson possessed a stolen firearm.
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.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Thompson remains in custody of the United States Marshal. Thompson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 50 years’ imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, $77,300 in special assessments, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra T. Hake and Kyndra Lundquist and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mason City Police Department, the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 25-CR-2054 and 26-CR-3011.
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Former Farmer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Lying to His Bank to Get a Line of CreditRead the Press Release
A former farmer who lied to a small-town Iowa bank to get a farm operating line of credit was sentenced April 1, 2026, to six months in federal prison.
Mashon Van Mill, age 41, from Shell Rock, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 15, 2025, guilty plea to making a false statement to a financial institution.
In a plea agreement, Van Mill admitted he lied to the bank he had been banking at for nearly two years. Van Mill applied for a $1,000,000 farm operating line of credit with the bank. To secure the loan, Van Mill provided the bank with a balance sheet purporting to show assets he owned to use as collateral for the loan. The balance sheet showed he possessed over $2,000,000 worth of corn in storage. Van Mill lied about the corn. He did not possess any corn in storage.
An employee of the bank got suspicious and began checking whether Van Mill had lied. In doing so, he sent a letter to the owner of an elevator in which Van Mill had claimed to be storing corn. The bank employee received a letter back, which was purportedly signed by the elevator owner indicating Van Mill had corn in storage. When law enforcement officers later showed the letter to him, the elevator owner denied sending it and said he had never seen the letter from the bank. He also confirmed Van Mill had no corn in storage at the elevator at the time of the lie. Law enforcement officers determined Van Mill had also lied about money he was owed and farm equipment he owned.
By the time his deceit was discovered, the bank had lent Van Mill $873,118.71 on the line of credit. Van Mill defaulted on the entire amount, as well as on several other loans from the bank.
Van Mill was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Van Mill was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $873,118.71 in restitution to the victim bank. At the time of sentencing, the victim bank had recovered $258,110.17 from Van Mill by garnishing Van Mill’s wages and Van Mill’s sale of various pieces of property. Van Mill must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Van Mill was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on April 27, 2026.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of 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 25-cr-76.
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Moville, Iowa, Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for KidnappingRead the Press Release
Floyd Garcia, age 51, from Moville, Iowa, was sentenced March 27, 2026, to 20 years in federal prison for kidnapping.
Evidence showed that in August 2020, Garcia tricked a young woman into leaving her home with him in his pickup truck, ostensibly for a painting job. Instead, he isolated her, held her against her will, and repeatedly sexually assaulted her. He then threatened her life and her family to keep her from reporting the crime to police. On February 23, 2021, Garcia tried to trick her out of her house again, but she told her family and refused to leave.
In a November 19, 2025, plea agreement, Garcia admitted to kidnapping and sexually exploiting the young woman in August 2020 and to attempting to do so again in February 2021. He also admitted to a September 2005 sexual assault in North Dakota that had been unearthed during the investigation.
Garcia was previously convicted in 2005 in Bexar County, Texas, of aggravated kidnapping, assault, burglary, and a number of alcohol-related offenses.
“Thanks to the bravery of these two women, a kidnapping rapist is off the street for the next two decades,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “Their courage in the face of this convict’s violence and his threats against their lives was key in the investigation and prosecution. The public’s trust in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law-enforcement partners is crucial to our ability to hold criminals accountable in cases like this, which is why we work every day to be worthy of that trust.”
Garcia was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 240 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.
Garcia 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 Woodbury County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4038.
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Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Cyberstalking Iowa ResidentRead the Press Release
Shaninth Michael Ray, age 38, from Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City to Cyberstalking.
In a plea agreement, Ray admitted that between April 2023 and October 2023, he continuously threatened to kill an Iowa resident and members of their family, after a no contact order was issued against Ray. Ray made his threats via telephone, text message and video, through numerous platforms, stating he would, “end” the victim’s life and “bash [the victim’s] face in with a rock,” as well as threatened to kill the victim in other various ways. In one of Ray’s videos he sent, he explicitly threatened to end the victims’ life and displayed a firearm.
Ray was arrested in Minnesota in October 2023 for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Ray continued to contact the victim while in custody in Minnesota and Iowa. Ray’s criminal history also includes numerous domestic abuse convictions, violations of protection orders, interference with emergency communications, assault causing bodily harm, possession of controlled substances, harassment, and obstruction.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ray remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Ray faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 1 year imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case is being investigated by the Mason City, Iowa Police Department and is prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ron Timmons and Ashley Corkery.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3015.
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Sioux City Man with History of Violence Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm Discovered During Domestic Abuse InvestigationRead the Press Release
Issac Rayford, age 32, from Sioux City, was sentenced March 26, 2026, to 4 years in federal prison after an October 21, 2025, guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Drug User, and Domestic Abuse Misdemeanant.
Evidence in the case revealed that on November 2, 2024, Rayford’s girlfriend found his loaded firearm sitting on the toilet bowl as he showered. Scared of what he might do with the gun, she hid the weapon. Rayford discovered it was gone and violently attacked his girlfriend. He threw her to the ground, put his whole-body weight on her face, picked her up and threw her on the floor, put his hands around her neck, and broke her clavicle. When he began searching for the gun elsewhere, she escaped the apartment, and a neighbor called police. Rayford fled the scene on foot prior to officers’ arrival. On November 4, 2024, the girlfriend called law enforcement and reported that she had seen Rayford on her security camera entering her home. Officers arrived and Rayford was taken into custody without further incident.
Rayford’s criminal history includes convictions for two serious assaults, domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury, disorderly conduct where actually “he grabbed and choked” a female, disorderly conduct where he actually jeopardized a baby and threatened others, interfering with official acts by running from police to avoid arrest, driving while barred or suspended, and failing to appear for court.
Rayford was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 48 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 Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Rayford is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4017.
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Mason City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Victor Ineson, age 50, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after November 24, 2025, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, Ineson admitted that between about April 2024 and continuing to December 2024, he and another utilized the “dark web” to purchase approximately three pounds of methamphetamine which was shipped to them from the U.S. Postal Service for further distribution in the Iowa area. Ineson was previously convicted in 2017 in federal court of manufacturing counterfeit currency.
Ineson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ineson was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Ineson 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 T. Greenwood and investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Clear Lake Police Department, and the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-03030.Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Hamilton County Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ChargesRead the Press Release
Anthony Neuroth, 49, from Kamrar, Iowa, pled guilty March 25, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City. Neuroth was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing methamphetamine.
Neuroth was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and aiding and abetting another in the distribution of methamphetamine, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, in September 2007.
At the plea hearing, Neuroth admitted that between about November 2022 through about February 2024 he and others conspired to distribute more than 150 grams of methamphetamine. On four occasions in 2022 and 2023 Neuroth distributed ½ ounce quantities of methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Neuroth remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Neuroth faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $8,000,000 fine, and at least eight years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and Webster City Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3035. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Guatemalan Man to Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
A man who illegally reentered the United States after being deported as a felon was sentenced today to four years in federal prison.
David Pineda-Medrano, age 39, from Guatemala but had been residing in Rolfe, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 29, 2025, guilty plea to one count of being a felony found after illegal reentry.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, Pineda-Medrano admitted he had illegally reentered the United States after a June 2022 removal. Prior to his removal in 2022, he was convicted of Attempted First Degree Sexual Abuse and Sexual Abuse of a Child or Minor in the District of Columbia and served more than four years in prison. At some point after his removal, defendant illegally reentered the United States. He was found in Rolfe after he was arrested and convicted of Assault Causing Bodily Injury or Mental Illness when he used an 18-inch machete to strike another in the head with the flat side of the blade, which caused injury, and then placed the blade against the victim’s throat and threated to kill him.
Pineda-Medrano was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Pineda-Medrano was sentenced to 48 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. He is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by Enforcement and Removal Office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-03041.
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Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Pry’Shayn Mosley, 21, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was sentenced March 23, 2026, to 25 years’ imprisonment, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa. Mosley pled guilty November 12, 2025, to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Mosley admitted that between May 2022 and October 2022 he enticed two minors under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce visual depictions of such conduct. Mosley further admitted to possessing and distributing this child pornography to other persons, including children. During the investigation, a search warrant was executed at Mosley’s residence. Law enforcement seized several electronic devices along with marijuana, drug distribution paraphernalia, cash, and two loaded firearms. Also, during the search, Mosley convinced a juvenile at the residence to retrieve a package of drugs from another room and attempt to discard the drugs - cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl – so the police would not find them. Officers observed the juvenile and stopped him before he could destroy the evidence. The child pornography created and distributed to children by Mosely involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Mosley to 300 months’ imprisonment and 5-years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Mosley must also pay $700 in fines and assessments. Mosley remains in custody of the United States Marshal 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 Fort Dodge Police Department and Webster County Sheriff’s Office and was 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 25-3002. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Chicago Felon Convicted of Identity Theft and Money Laundering in U.S. Treasury Check SchemeRead the Press Release
A felon who perpetrated an extensive scheme involving fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks at Eastern Iowa financial institutions in 2023 pled guilty on March 24, 2026, in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Tyrone Terrell Harris, age 34, from Chicago, Illinois, was convicted of five counts of theft of government property, five counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of money laundering, and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
Evidence presented at Harris’s detention hearings, as well as at other hearings in related cases, showed that Harris provided fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks to co-conspirators for presentation to Eastern Iowa financial institutions. The co-conspirators had fake driver’s licenses in the names of the persons to whom the U.S. Treasury had issued the checks and possessed these victims’ social security numbers and dates of birth. The co-conspirators then opened bank accounts in the victims’ names and quickly withdrew the fraud proceeds in cash to evade detection by law enforcement.
At his plea hearing, Harris admitted his involvement with five stolen U.S. Treasury checks in August and September 2023, with a combined face value of over $300,000 and in the names of five different victims. Harris also admitted that he personally withdrew $9,000 in fraud proceeds in cash to conceal the location of the fraud proceeds. Finally, Harris admitted that, between June and September 2023, he conspired with others to launder the fraud proceeds.
Harris has prior criminal convictions in Illinois, Georgia, and Oklahoma. He has prior felony convictions for attempting to elude a police officer, driving a motor vehicle under the influence, and running a roadblock in Oklahoma.
Harris is the latest defendant to plead guilty in the Northern District of Iowa as part of the fraudulent U.S. Treasury check scheme. Other individuals convicted include:
Edgar Stacey Delgado, age 32, from East Los Angeles, California, was convicted of one count of Forged Endorsement on a U.S. Treasury Check and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft. On February 26, 2025, Delgado was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release, and he was also ordered to pay $201,510.69 in restitution.
Irvin Lantern, age 68, from Chicago, Illinois, was convicted of one count of Forged Endorsement on a U.S. Treasury Check and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft. On February 4, 2025, Lantern was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release, and he was also ordered to pay $33,000 in restitution. Lantern has an extensive criminal history in Illinois.
Dale Ford, age 60, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of Forged Endorsement on a U.S. Treasury Check and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft. On March 14, 2025, Ford was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release, and he was also ordered to pay $91,916 in restitution. Ford had over 30 prior criminal convictions by the time of his federal sentencing hearing.
Tim Dale Howe, age 62, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of Forged Endorsement on a U.S. Treasury Check and one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy. On July 28, 2025, Howe was sentenced to 6 months of imprisonment, 6 months of home confinement, and three years of supervised release, and he was ordered to pay $87,851.37 in restitution. Howe previously was convicted in Florida in 2005 for committing a sex offense against a child.
Cornelius Devon Hicks, age 50, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of Forged Endorsement on a U.S. Treasury Check and one count of Money Laundering. On July 7, 2025, Hicks was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release, and he was ordered to pay $47,175.65 in restitution. Hicks has an extensive criminal history in Iowa and Tennessee.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Harris remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Harris faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 100 years’ imprisonment, a $3.5 million fine, and three 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 Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Cedar Rapids Police Department assisted in the investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 25-CR-97 (Harris), 23-CR-90 (Delgado), 23-CR-49 (Ford), 23-CR-2077 (Lantern), 24-CR-63 (Howe), and 24-CR-80 (Hicks).
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