Northern District of Iowa
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Northern District of Iowa Prosecutor Recognized for Lifetime of Exceptional Service to Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
Senior Litigation Counsel Richard L. Murphy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Iowa was recognized by the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) with the Lifetime of Exceptional Service Director’s Award. United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. presented Mr. Murphy with the award on December 2, 2020.
Mr. Murphy was recognized for his more than 35 years of service to the Northern District of Iowa and the Department of Justice. Mr. Murphy first worked in the United States Attorney’s Office as an intern in 1981. After clerking for a federal judge, Mr. Murphy joined the office full-time. Over the next decades, he prosecuted many of the most important and difficult cases in the district:
- As an organized crime and narcotics prosecutor, he launched a vigorous initiative that transformed the “war on drugs” in the district into an aggressive and successful offensive. In the fall of 1988, a two-year investigation led by Mr. Murphy resulted in 65 arrests, the seizure of cocaine valued at $1.5 million, marijuana valued at $800,000, and over $300,000 in cash and other assets. For his efforts Mr. Murphy was awarded the Director’s Award for his outstanding contributions to narcotics enforcement in 1990.
- In 1996, Mr. Murphy was awarded the Director’s Award for his outstanding accomplishments as lead prosecutor in the prosecution and conviction of 11 members of the Sons of Silence (SOS) Outlaw Motorcycle Club. The prosecution incapacitated both SOS chapters in Iowa and seriously disrupted racketeering activities of the club nationwide. The national vice-president and three SOS chapter presidents were convicted as part of the case. During the investigation, seven current or former SOS members broke the “code of silence” and agreed to cooperate fully.
- In 2014, Mr. Murphy received the Director’s Award for supervising the (then) largest criminal worksite enforcement operation in United States history. The investigation resulted in the conviction of more than 300 illegal workers, several company officials, and a conviction by jury of a corporate CEO for an array of financial crimes including a $26 million bank fraud as well as significant immigration related fraud.
- In 2016, Mr. Murphy was honored with the Anti-Defamation League’s Shield Award for his work as lead prosecutor of Gervais Ngombwa. Ngombwa was convicted by a jury of naturalization fraud as a result of having lied to gain entry to the United States as a refugee following the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Evidence presented in court showed Ngombwa had actively participated in the genocide. Ngombwa was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment and will be removed to Rwanda after the completion of his prison term.
In addition to his decades prosecuting crimes, Mr. Murphy contributed to the promotion of justice in Iowa and nationally by serving in numerous leadership positions and being hand-picked for many additional duties for the Department of Justice:
- Mr. Murphy has served in virtually every leadership position in the United States Attorney’s Office. Mr. Murphy served (sometimes concurrently) in each of the following management positions: First Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Chief, Senior Litigation Counsel, and Counsel to the United States Attorney.
- Mr. Murphy’s leadership was also instrumental in responding effectively to the massive flood in Cedar Rapids in June 2008 that displaced the main office for five months. Mr. Murphy’s outstanding work during this time-period was recognized with a 2009 Director’s Award for Superior Performance in a Managerial Role. Following the flood, Mr. Murphy spent hundreds of hours serving as the office’s lead representative as a new federal courthouse was designed, constructed, and occupied by the office.
- Mr. Murphy served as Special DOJ Counsel to the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) from September 1990 through April 1991.
- Mr. Murphy served as a member and Chair of the DOJ’s Criminal Chiefs Working Group. With other committee members, Mr. Murphy assisted in formulating recommendations to the Attorney General concerning a wide variety of issues affecting criminal prosecutors.
- In 2018, as the office’s Antiterrorism Coordinator and National Security prosecutor, Mr. Murphy collaborated with state, federal, and local law enforcement; mental health providers, prosecutors, school administrators and resource officers, and juvenile court services to develop a School Threats Prevention Resource Guide. The guide was widely distributed to those same stakeholders across the district and elsewhere. This effort is recognized nationally as a “Best Practices” at https://usanet.usa.doj.gov/staffs/AGAC/Pages/BestPrac.aspx.
After nearly 40 years of service to the Northern District of Iowa, Mr. Murphy will retire at the end of 2020.
“The impact Mr. Murphy has had on the United States Attorney’s Office and the federal court system in the Northern District of Iowa cannot be overstated,” said United States Attorney Deegan. “For more than 35 years, he has served with an unyielding commitment to justice and the rule of law. By consistently providing the public with the very highest quality legal representation, Mr. Murphy has served as an outstanding example for generations of government attorneys. He is truly irreplaceable and we will miss him terribly, but we all wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.”
EOUSA provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.
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- As an organized crime and narcotics prosecutor, he launched a vigorous initiative that transformed the “war on drugs” in the district into an aggressive and successful offensive. In the fall of 1988, a two-year investigation led by Mr. Murphy resulted in 65 arrests, the seizure of cocaine valued at $1.5 million, marijuana valued at $800,000, and over $300,000 in cash and other assets. For his efforts Mr. Murphy was awarded the Director’s Award for his outstanding contributions to narcotics enforcement in 1990.
Man Charged with Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Nathan Nosley, age 29, has been charged with sexual exploitation of children and distributing, receiving, possessing, and accessing child pornography. The charges are contained in a Superseding Indictment filed on December 16, 2020, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The six-count Superseding Indictment alleges that, between 2017 and 2020, Nosley persuaded, induced, and enticed minors under 18 to produce images of sexually explicit conduct that were transported in interstate commerce, distributed child pornography, received child pornography, possessed child pornography on a cell phone and a memory card (two counts), and accessed child pornography on a cell phone.
If convicted, Nosley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 120 years’ imprisonment, a $1,500,000 fine, $201,600 in special assessments, and at least 5 years and up to life on supervised release following any imprisonment.
Nosley appeared on November 25, 2020, in federal court in Cedar Rapids for a detention hearing and was held without bond. Nosley’s next appearance for trial is set for March 22, 2021.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Marion Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 20-101.
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Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced yesterday to over three months in federal prison.
Juan Carlos Cabrera-Carreto, age 45, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea on November 13, 2020, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At the guilty plea, Cabrera-Carreto admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Cabrera-Carreto was deported in September 2005. Cabrera-Carreto most recently came to the attention of immigration agents following a traffic accident in September 2020.
Cabrera-Carreto was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Cabrera-Carreto was sentenced to 97 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Cabrera-Carreto is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 20-CR-83. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced yesterday to four months in federal prison.
Andres Mejia-Perez, age 30, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Toledo, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea on October 30, 2020, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
In a plea agreement, Mejia-Perez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Mejia-Perez was deported in January 2012 and he illegally reentered the United States in April 2012. Mejia-Perez most recently came to the attention of immigration agents in May 2020 when he was found during the execution of a state search warrant at a home in Toledo.
Mejia-Perez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Mejia-Perez was sentenced to 119 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Mejia-Perez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 20-CR-72. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who possessed child pornography was sentenced on December 23, 2020, to over 7 years in federal prison.
Justin Allen Pageler, age 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 20, 2020, guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Pageler admitted that between September 25, 2018 and June 26, 2019, in the Northern District of Iowa, he knowingly possessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Pageler stated in an interview with law enforcement that he utilized peer-to-peer file sharing services BitTorrent and Ares on computers in his home to download and view the pornography.
Pageler was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Pageler was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $21,000 in restitution. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Pageler is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Duax and investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-4060.
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Waterloo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Cocaine While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
A man sold cocaine near a college in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced today to more than four years in federal prison.
Derrick Devale White, age 28, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to distributing a controlled substance near a protected location on May 8, 2020. At the time he sold cocaine, White was on federal supervised release for distributing a controlled substance near a playground and a middle school in 2017.
White was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. White was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment on the new offense. White was also sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment to be served consecutively on his supervised release revocation. He must also serve a nine-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Geocaris and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Dubuque Police Department, and the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-1020 and the supervised release case file number is 17-CR-1031.
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Gun and Drug Sales Result in Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
A man who used a phone to set up a drug sale and then sold marijuana and two firearms to an individual working with the police in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced on December 22, 2020, to more than three years in federal prison.
James Bell III, age 33, from Rock Island, Illinois, received the prison term after a July 13, 2020 guilty plea to one count of distribution of marijuana near a park in Dubuque, Iowa, after a prior drug conviction, one count of using a telephone to set up a drug transaction, and one count of possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony offense and two domestic abuse misdemeanor crimes.
Evidence at sentencing showed that Bell used a telephone on November 21, 2017, to set up a marijuana transaction. Later that day, he sold approximately one ounce of marijuana to an individual working with the police. On December 7, 2017, Bell sold two firearms to an individual working with law enforcement. During that transaction, Bell also sold someone else marijuana.
Bell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Bell was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Bell 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 J. Reinert and investigated by the Dubuque, Iowa, Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-1011.
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Waterloo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Giving Gun to Friend During DisputeRead the Press Release
A Waterloo man, responsible for providing a gun to his friend when both were prohibited from possessing guns, was sentenced today to 112 months in prison.
Aundrey Frequal Roberts, Jr., age 26, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison sentence today following a June 18, 2020 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information disclosed at sentencing and at his plea hearing showed that in July 2019, Robert’s friend, Dreyon Grant, got into a dispute with another man at an apartment complex in Waterloo after the other man accused Grant of stealing money. When the victim confronted him, Grant came out of his apartment unit holding a knife and pointing it at the victim. After the victim refused to leave, Grant called Roberts. A short time later, Roberts came over with a gun. Grant tried to scare the victim away with the gun. The victim called 911. Police responded and located the gun. No one was injured in the dispute.
Roberts has prior criminal convictions for intimidation with a dangerous weapon, harassment, and assault, among other convictions. Roberts also admitted to being the driver of a vehicle involved in a shooting which left a nine-year old child with a gunshot wound.
Roberts was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Roberts was sentenced to 112 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make payment of $100 to the special assessment fund. 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 Ashley Corkery. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) through a cooperative effort of the Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Streets Unit, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2060.
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Waterloo Home Invasion Results in More Than a Decade in PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who participated in a Waterloo, Iowa, home invasion was sentenced today to more than 10 years in federal prison.
Joshua Bo Truax, age 36, from Swaledale, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 10, 2020 guilty plea to being in possession of a firearm as an Armed Career Criminal.
At the guilty plea, Truax admitted he was involved with others in a home invasion at a Waterloo home on the evening of October 21, 2019. The group was armed with two stolen firearms. Once they got in the residence, they attempted to kidnap one of the residents, assaulted one person, and discharged two firearms.
Truax was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Truax was sentenced to 126 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.
Truax 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 Reinert and was investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the following Project Guardian partners: Waterloo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2006.
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Possessing Drugs and Guns Lead to over Twenty-Five Years in Prison for Florida ManRead the Press Release
A man who pled guilty to drug and gun charges was sentenced December 21, 2020, to 27 years in federal prison.
Brandon James Seys, age 42, from Tampa, Florida, received the prison term after a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Seys was arrested in Dubuque, Iowa, in December 2018. During the arrest, officers recovered more than $10,000 on his person and recovered methamphetamine and cocaine in his hotel room. Officers also recovered two firearms in a storage unit. Seys later admitted at the plea hearing to possessing the firearms and being a felon. Evidence during the case showed that Seys told others he was willing to use the firearms if officers attempted to arrest him.
Seys was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Seys was sentenced to 324 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.
Seys is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department the Dubuque Police Department, and the Dubuque County Drug Task Force.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-cr-1004.
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Northern District of Iowa U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects over $14,000,000 in Civil and Criminal Actions for U.S. Taxpayers in Fiscal Year 2020Read the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. announced today that the Northern District of Iowa collected $14,652,603.88 in civil and criminal actions in Fiscal Year 2020. Of this amount, $13,388,019.63 was collected in civil actions and $1,264,584.25 was collected in criminal actions.
The Justice Department collected more than $15.9 billion in civil and criminal actions in fiscal year (FY) 2020 ending Sept. 30, 2020. The $15,988,516,670 in collections in FY 2020 represents more than five times the approximately $3.2 billion appropriated budget for the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the main litigating divisions of the Justice Department combined in that same period. The total includes all monies collected as a result of Justice Department-led enforcement actions and negotiated civil settlements. It includes more than $13.5 billion in payments made directly to the Justice Department, and more than $2.4 billion in indirect payments made to other federal agencies, states and other designated recipients.
“Collecting money on behalf of taxpayers and crime victims is a vital part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office mission,” U.S. Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. said. “Each year, these collections far exceed the total amount of our office’s budget and result from the hard work of many individuals in our office.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.
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$75,000 Worth of Methamphetamine Earns Iowa Man More Than a Decade in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who was arrested with ten pounds of methamphetamine in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced December 21, 2020, to more than twelve years in federal prison.
Malik Sekou Sahid Buchanan, age 40, from Burlington, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 6, 2020 guilty plea to possessing meth with intent to distribute.
Buchanan was arrested delivering ten pounds of methamphetamine to the Cedar Rapids area. Buchanan had previously provided an individual with five pounds of methamphetamine. Buchanan was charging $5,000 per pound of meth. During the arrest, officers recovered methamphetamine from Buchanan’s car weighing approximately ten pounds. The meth was 100% pure.
Buchanan was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Buchanan was sentenced to 150 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Buchanan is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, the Hiawatha Police Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Tri-County Drug Task Force, the Waterloo Police Department, the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, the Cedar Falls Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-cr-00011.
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Chicago Man Charged with Derecho Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
Tavonte Donnell Stewart, age 23, from Chicago, Illinois, has been charged with one count of derecho benefits fraud. The charge is contained in a complaint unsealed today in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The complaint alleges that, on or about September 15, 2020, Stewart applied for disaster benefits from FEMA arising out of the severe derecho storm in Iowa on August 10, 2020. Stewart is alleged to have claimed in his application that his primary residence at the time of the derecho was in Cedar Rapids, when in truth he was residing in the Chicago area where he was on federal supervised release for a felony counterfeiting conviction. When FEMA contacted a representative of a property management firm about the address in Cedar Rapids, the manager stated that the property in question was not occupied at the time of the storm and had suffered only minor roof damage from the derecho.
If convicted, Stewart faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release.
Stewart appeared today in federal court in Chicago and was held without bond. Stewart’s next appearance for a detention hearing is set for December 23, 2020.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 20-CR-114.
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Tri-State Area Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man who distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in and around the Tri-State area was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Tyler Hugh Clark, age 39, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 18, 2020, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In a plea agreement, Clark admitted that between January 2018 and July 30, 2019, he conspired and participated in the distribution of 500 grams or more of pure methamphetamine in and around the Tri-State area. Clark was also in possession a firearm to protect himself, his drug business, and to further his participation in the methamphetamine conspiracy.
Sometime in January or early February of 2019, defendant began getting methamphetamine from Omaha for resale in and around Sioux City. Defendant got approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine each week for 5 months, until his source of supply was arrested by law enforcement. After that, he found a new source and received about 3 more pounds of methamphetamine to sell. Defendant had over a half-pound of methamphetamine on his motorcycle when he was arrested in July of 2019.
Clark was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Clark was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment (60 months’ for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and 60 months’ for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime). He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Clark is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Also involved in this investigation were the Sergeant Bluff Police Department and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-4063.
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Kidnapping Sends Man to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who attempted to kidnap a child was sentenced to more than14 years in federal prison.
Michael Marshall-Limoges, age 24, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of kidnapping.
Evidence at the detention, suppression, change of plea, and sentencing hearings established on March 22, 2019, E.N. (age 14) and her brother E.L. (age 9) walked to the Kum & Go, on Morningside Avenue in Sioux City, Iowa. At some point, before they arrived at the gas station, defendant saw them. Once the children entered the store, defendant repositioned his car, entered the store, and continued to observe the children. When the children left the store, defendant followed them, twice made supposedly innocent contact with them, and then attacked them.
As part of his attack, defendant blocked the children’s path with his car. He then threatened E.N. saying “If you don’t get in my car, I’m going to hurt your brother/or I am going to run your brother over.” Next, defendant grabbed a fistful of E.N.’s hair, overcame her physical resistance, ignored her screams, pushed her into his car, and trapped her inside of the car by closing the passenger side door. E.N. noticed the open driver’s side door and escaped through it. During her escape defendant again tried to grab her but she struggled to safety.
Meanwhile, E.L., who had managed to escape yelling, “they took my sister,” found help in the person of J.N. J.N., hearing the screams, ran down the alley toward the boy and the still ongoing kidnapping. J.N. saw defendant enter his vehicle, rapidly accelerate, and drive at a high rate of speed directly at the boy. Fearing defendant was going to run the boy down, he shoved the boy out of the way; J.N. then stood in the alley himself trying to stop the oncoming vehicle. Defendant did not stop. Defendant drove his car directly at J.N. J.N. jumped out of the way to avoid being hit by the car. J.N. called 911 and shepherded the children to safety.
Ultimately, defendant told law enforcement that had E.N. not escaped him “things would have been a lot worse for me” because “who knows what I would have done next.”
Marshall-Limoges was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Marshall-Limoges was sentenced to 168 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.
Marshall-Limoges 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, the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office, and prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-4028.
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Hampton Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute While in Possession of a GunRead the Press Release
A Hampton man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to deliver, while possessing a gun, pled guilty on November 18, 2020 in federal court in Sioux City.
David Hirsch, age 55, from Hampton, Iowa, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In a plea agreement, Hirsch admitted that on April 16, 2020 he was in possession of methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute. At that time, he also possessed a loaded Glock .45 caliber handgun.
On April 16, 2020, police executed a search warrant at a residence in Franklin County. Upon entry, law enforcement found Hirsch attempting to flush methamphetamine down the toilet. Law enforcement located a loaded Glock .45 caliber handgun on Hirsch. Hirsch has a prior 2002 felony conviction for manufacturing methamphetamine.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the following Project Guardian partners. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hirsch remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. For possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, Hirsch faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000.00 fine, and 4 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment. For possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Hirsch faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, which must be served consecutively to the drug charge, and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000.00 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and was investigated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-3019.
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Illegal Alien Who Unlawfully Possessed a Gun and Who Was Shot in Waterloo in 2000 Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who had been a fugitive from justice for nearly 15 years was sentenced today to more than 3 years in federal prison.
Perpecto Rico-Perez, age 51, a citizen of Mexico, who was illegally present in the United States and living in Waterloo, Iowa, in the early 2000s, received the prison term after a July 21, 2020 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Information disclosed at sentencing and in a plea agreement showed that, on May 25, 2000, Rico-Perez and his brother went to Wildside Creationz, a former auto shop in Waterloo. While they were inside, an altercation ensued and Rico-Perez was shot in his right eye, his brother was shot in the chest and arm, and a third man was shot and killed. Law enforcement arrived and found close to two kilograms of cocaine inside the business.
Immediately following the shooting, Rico-Perez and his brother fled the scene and returned to Rico-Perez’s residence in Waterloo, where Rico-Perez’s young daughter called 911. In the late evening hours of May 25, 2000, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rico-Perez’s residence. In a small cupboard above a bathtub in the bathroom, they recovered a .45 caliber handgun, which had been reported stolen less than six months earlier.
Rico-Perez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda Reade. Rico-Perez was sentenced to 37 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. Rico-Perez 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 Matthew J. Cole and Special Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 05-CR-02019.
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Tipton Man Sentenced to Prison for Handling Loaded Firearm While at WorkRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who loaded and handled a gun while he was working overnight at a business was sentenced December 10, 2020, to more than two years in federal prison.
Michael Joe Meyer, age 29, from Tipton, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 27, 2020 guilty plea to felon in possession of a firearm.
Meyer was observed on a surveillance camera while he was working overnight. He was seen loading and pointing a firearm towards the door for several minutes. Meyer was prohibited from possessing a gun because of previous felony convictions for eluding and burglary.
Meyer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Meyer was sentenced to 27 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 was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the following Project Guardian. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Meyer is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Tipton 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 20-cr-00040.
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Failure to Surrender to Serve Sentence Results in New Federal Conviction and SentenceRead the Press Release
A woman who failed to surrender to serve a federal prison sentence was sentenced today to more than one year of additional prison time.
Angela Hermine Walters, age 45, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 4, 2020 guilty plea to one count of failing to surrender to the United States Marshal’s Service to begin serving a term of imprisonment that was imposed in May 2020.
Walters was first sentenced in 2009 to serve a sentence of 85 months’ imprisonment for a federal drug crime in case number 08-CR-04060. Walters was released from custody and went on supervised release in 2014. Walters’s supervised release in that case was revoked on a number of occasions. On August 24, 2019, Walters escaped from her place of confinement and was prosecuted for escape in case number 19-CR-0095. After her prison sentence, she was again placed on supervised release. On May 21, 2020, the Court revoked Walters’s supervised release, sentenced her to serve five months’ imprisonment, and allowed her to self-surrender to the United States Marshal’s Service on May 28, 2020. At her guilty plea in this case, Walters admitted she did not surrender as required and was later arrested on May 29, 2020.
Walters was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Walters was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and she must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Walters 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 Patrick Reinert and investigated by United States Marshal’s Service in conjunction with the Eastern Iowa Fugitive Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-0056.
Storm Lake Man to Federal Prison for Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
A man who received and possessed child pornography was sentenced December 9, 2020, to more than 18 years in federal prison.
James Alan Sievers, 35, from Storm Lake, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 19, 2020, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Evidence at the plea hearing and sentencing showed that between June 5, 2019, and October 31, 2019, Sievers received and possessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including a depiction involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. During the execution of a search warrant at Seivers’ residence on October 31, 2019, officers seized items belonging to Sievers. A forensic examiner found child pornography on some of defendant’s items, including depictions of adult males sexually penetrating prepubescent children. Evidence also showed that Sievers saved some of his child pornography in an encrypted zip drive.
Sievers has three prior convictions for in Buena Vista County for incest, failure to register as a sex offender, and sexual exploitation of a minor.
Sievers was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Sievers was sentenced to 220 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Sievers is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala Steenholdt and investigated by the Iowa ICAC Task Force, the FBI, the Storm Lake Police Department and the Buena Vista County Attorney's Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4001. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sent to Federal Prison for Nearly Fifteen YearsRead the Press Release
A man who intended to distribute over a pound of methamphetamine was sentenced December 9, 2020, to more almost 15 years in federal prison.
Tyson Wahlen, age 34, from Dodgeville, Wisconsin, received the prison term after a June 23, 2020 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
In a plea agreement, Wahlen admitted that on December 3, 2019, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on his car for speeding in Dubuque, Iowa. During the traffic stop, a K-9 was deployed and alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from Wahlen’s car. Officers searched the car and recovered a yellow backpack from the front passenger floorboard. The backpack contained over 550 grams of methamphetamine, over four grams of marijuana, a digital scale, and a couple of pipes. Wahlen intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine inside the yellow backpack to other individuals.
Wahlen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Wahlen was sentenced to 178 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Wahlen 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 Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-01008.
Arizona Woman Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine in IowaRead the Press Release
A woman who possessed with the intent to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty December 8, 2020, in federal court in Sioux City.
Brisa Paniagua-Trejo, 40, from Casa Grande, Arizona, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Paniagua-Trejo admitted that on February 5, 2020, a Woodbury County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle she was driving. Upon conducting a search within the vehicle, law enforcement discovered approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 30 grams of cocaine, a used marijuana pipe, drug paraphernalia, several phones, two scales, and four rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Paniagua-Trejo was previously convicted of possession with intent to manufacture/deliver methamphetamine, in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County, and drug possession in the Minnesota District Court for Faribault County.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Paniagua-Trejo remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Paniagua-Trejo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood 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 20-4054. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Northern District of Iowa Assistant United States Attorney Recognized for Superior PerformanceRead the Press Release
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Daniel Chatham of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Iowa was recognized by the U.S, Department of Justice’s Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) with the a Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an AUSA. United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. presented Mr. Chatham with the award on December 2, 2020.
Mr. Chatham was recognized for his superior performance as a Criminal AUSA. Since 2010, Mr. Chatham has been the Northern District of Iowa United States Attorney’s Office’s chief opioid prosecutor. During this time, he has prosecuted over 80 opioid cases, approximately 40 of which involved opioid deaths or injuries. These prosecutions have included six opioid overdose trials. As a result of his work, Mr. Chatham has developed a nationally recognized expertise in the investigation and prosecution of overdose cases. His expertise has led to nationwide invitations to speak on the subject, and frequent consultations with AUSAs from across the country. This award recognizes that Mr. Chatham has been instrumental in the Department of Justice’s battle against opioid abuse.
Mr. Chatham has prosecuted the most difficult and noteworthy opioid cases in the Northern of District of Iowa for the last decade. In 2015, he prosecuted the first known fentanyl dealer in the Cedar Rapids. In response to a substantial short-term increase in opioid overdoses in the Cedar Rapids area in early 2015, investigators and Mr. Chatham aggressively investigated the sources of the fentanyl-laced heroin that was being transported to Iowa from Chicago. Ultimately, Mr. Chatham prosecuted four defendants for distributing these drugs – drugs that resulted in two deaths and six serious bodily injuries. The lead defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Another noteworthy case prosecuted by Mr. Chatham involved a street-level heroin dealer in Dubuque, Iowa, in early 2016. After returning from a resupply trip to Chicago, the dealer sold several grams of purported heroin to one of his customers. The customer provided portions of the purported heroin to three friends in his car, and then another individual inside a nearby apartment. Two of the friends in the car nearly immediately overdosed, requiring lifesaving measures by first responders. The individual inside the apartment was found deceased the next day. Laboratory analysis of the substances found in the car and apartment determined that the substance the dealer sold actually contained heroin and furanyl fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue that was not on the controlled substances schedules. With Mr. Chatham as lead counsel at trial, the dealer was convicted of distribution of, and conspiracy to distribute heroin and furanyl fentanyl resulting in two serious bodily injuries and a death. The dealer was sentenced to 252 months’ imprisonment.
Applying the principles he learned from these prior prosecutions, AUSA Chatham prosecuted another defendant in 2018 for distribution of heroin resulting in death. This case again involved complicated issues of multiple drug toxicity, this time involving cocaine and heroin. Mr. Chatham successfully prosecuted the defendant, with a jury finding that the heroin, and not the cocaine, caused the victim’s death. The defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment.
“Through his outstanding work, Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham has prosecuted the most difficult cases involving incredibly dangerous opioids at a time when the nation has been going through an opioid crisis,” said United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. “Mr. Chatham showed tireless dedication, hard work, and an unyielding pursuit of justice while ensuring that those who distributed drugs that hurt and killed others were held accountable for their actions.”
EOUSA provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.
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Iowa Man Who Used Facebook Messenger to Entice a 12-Year-Old for Sexual Activity Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A man who sought out and enticed a 12-year-old for sexual activity pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.
Nathan Landrum, age 40, from Carnarvon, IA, was convicted of enticement of a minor.
In a plea agreement, Landrum admitted that in April 2020, using Facebook Messenger, he knowingly enticed a 12-year-old child to his apartment for sexual activity. Landrum brought the child to his bedroom where he intended to engage in sexual activity with the child.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Landrum remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Landrum faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sac 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 at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4046.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Stealing from Indian Tribal OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man who engaged in rebate schemes, fraudulent invoice schemes, and stole items belonging to the Winebago Tribe of Nebraska pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.
Jason Ehlers, age 48, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of embezzlement and theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.
In a plea agreement, Ehlers admitted that he stole and embezzled from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska at least $22,432.00. Ehlers admitted to using his position as a General Manager with BluStone Homes, also known as HoChunk Real-Estate, solely owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, to engage in rebate schemes, a fraudulent invoice scheme, and theft of construction supplies, for his own benefit.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ehlers remains free on bond pending sentencing. Ehlers faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was 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 20-4089.
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Lehigh, Iowa Man to Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Thomas Hendrickson, 72, from Lehigh, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison on December 4, 2020.
Evidence showed that from January 2019 through October 2019, Hendrickson was involved in a conspiracy that distributed over five pounds of methamphetamine. On October 10, 2019, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Hendrickson was operating. After a K-9 alerted to the presence of controlled substances, law enforcement searched the vehicle and located approximately one pound of methamphetamine in a plastic baggie. On this same date, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hendrickson’s residence in Lehigh and seized about one ounce of methamphetamine, approximately one pound of marijuana, and roughly $15,000 in U.S. currency. Hendrickson previously served more than 14 years in prison for a federal firearm offense after being classified as an Armed Career Criminal.
Hendrickson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Hendrickson was sentenced 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. Hendrickson is being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Tri-County Drug Taskforce, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, North Central Iowa Drug Taskforce, Central Iowa Drug Taskforce, and the Iowa DCI.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-3047.
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Iowa Man to Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tyler Tinken, 37, from Dakota City, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to more than 3 years in federal prison on December 7, 2020.
Evidence at showed that from July 2019 through November 14, 2019, Tinken was involved in a conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine in the Humboldt and Sac County areas. On multiple occasions in September and October 2019, Tinken distributed just over a pound of pure methamphetamine to individuals cooperating with law enforcement. During a search of Tinken’s vehicle and residence in November 2019, law enforcement seized over 650 grams of pure methamphetamine that Tinken intended to distribute to others.
Tinken was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Tinken was sentenced to 47 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. Tinken was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and 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 19-3059.
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Waterloo Man Pleads Guilty to Making Threatening Phone Call to Congressman’s OfficeRead the Press Release
A man who called the Washington D.C. office of Congressman Jerrold Nadler and threatened the Congressman pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Kenneth Brown, from Waterloo, Iowa, was convicted of one count of transmitting a threatening communication.
At the plea hearing, Brown admitted that on December 18, 2019, he called the Washington D.C. office of Congress Nadler. Brown admitted that he spoke with a staff assistant working in the office and threatened the Congressman. Specifically, as charged in the indictment, Brown said “I will find someone to assassinate that piece of (expletive deleted) you work for. Jerry Nadler is going to be assassinated.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Brown remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Brown 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 Anthony Morfitt and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Waterloo Police Department, and the United States Capitol Police.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2042.
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Repeat Narcotics Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold narcotics out of his home near Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced November 24, 2020, to more than four years in federal prison.
Virgil Lee Hubbard, age 40, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute near a protected location. There was also a firearm found inside the residence.
At the guilty plea, Hubbard admitted he possessed at least five grams of pure ice methamphetamine with the intent to distribute or sell it. He possessed the meth and a gun at a home located near Loras College. This was not his first conviction for drug trafficking. Hubbard was previously convicted of distributing heroin within 1,000 feet of a park in Iowa.
Hubbard was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court C.J. Williams. Hubbard was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment and fined $100. He must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hubbard 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 Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-1004.
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Bank Heist Sends Waterloo Felon to Federal Prison for over a DecadeRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who robbed a bank five days after committing an armed robbery of a convenience store was sentenced on November 12, 2020, to 13 years in federal prison. Lucas Raymond Thompson, age 36, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 2, 2020 guilty plea to one count of bank robbery.
Information from a plea agreement and the sentencing hearing showed that Thompson robbed a Waterloo bank of $1,589 on October 25, 2018. Thompson was wearing a tight black hoodie over his face and sunglasses with blue lenses. He was carrying a cloth bag. Thompson demanded that a teller put money in the bag and, when the teller was not doing so fast enough for Thompson, grabbed at something under his jacket and said, “don’t make me pull it out.” The teller believed Thompson had a gun. Thompson then escaped in a truck driven by another person. Later in the day, an employee of a store near the bank saw the same truck and followed it through Waterloo. The employee relayed the truck’s license plate to law enforcement, and law enforcement later arrested Thompson.
Before his federal prosecution, Thompson was convicted in state court for committing an armed robbery of a convenience store in Waterloo on October 20, 2020, just five days before the bank robbery. In that case, Thompson pointed a firearm at the clerk’s head. Thompson was sentenced to at least seven years’ imprisonment in state court for the convenience store robbery.
Thompson has an extensive criminal history, including eight prior convictions for burglary and two prior convictions for robbery. At the time Thompson robbed the bank, he was on parole or probation in five different cases. He was paroled from an Iowa state prison less than three months before he robbed the convenience store and the bank.
Thompson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Thompson was sentenced to 156 months’ imprisonment for the bank robbery, to run consecutively to Thompson’s seven year sentence in state court for the robbery of the convenience store. He was ordered to make $1,589 in restitution to the bank. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the federal 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 prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2010.
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Eastern Iowa Podiatrist Sentenced in Opioid Diversion SchemeRead the Press Release
A podiatrist who wrote fraudulent hydrocodone prescriptions to acquaintances so that they would fill the prescriptions and give him pills was sentenced on November 6, 2020. Steven Walter Beevers, age 58, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge.
Beevers was a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine who owned Podiatry Associates PC, which had locations in Delaware, Jones, and Linn Counties, Iowa. In a plea agreement, Beevers admitted he wrote over 100 false, fictitious, and fraudulent prescriptions for hydrocodone between January 2016 and December 2018 to four acquaintances, including an employee and a neighbor. Beevers used his State of Iowa Board of Podiatry license to write the phony prescriptions on the false pretense that the hydrocodone was necessary for his acquaintances’ medical conditions. The acquaintances then filled the prescriptions, with health insurance paying for the costs except for co-pays that Beevers offered to cover, and then gave some or all of the hydrocodone to Beevers. Beevers made false statements about his conduct to the Iowa Board of Podiatry investigators after his scheme was discovered.
Beevers was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Beevers was sentenced to five years of probation, including six months of home confinement, and 100 hours of community service. He must also pay a $20,000 fine.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 20-CR-36. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Former Sioux City Wastewater Treatment Plant Shift Supervisor Sentenced for Violating the Clean Water ActRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man who conspired to rig environmental testing at a large Iowa regional wastewater treatment plant was sentenced today.
Patrick James Schwarte, age 71, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the sentence after a January 23, 2019, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy and one count of knowingly falsifying, tampering with, and rendering inaccurate a monitoring device or method required to be maintained under the Clean Water Act.
The evidence at the guilty plea and sentencing hearings showed that Schwarte was employed at the Sioux City Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) for over 30 years, most recently as shift supervisor. Schwarte maintained a wastewater treatment certification from the State of Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and possessed extensive training and experience in municipal wastewater treatment.
The WWTP is a large regional sewage treatment plant for wastewater from industrial, commercial, and residential sources throughout Siouxland, including Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, South Sioux City, Nebraska, North Sioux City, South Dakota, and Dakota Dunes, South Dakota. The WWTP’s more than 20 industrial users produce a large volume of high-strength wastewater. Under a Clean Water Act (CWA) permit, the WWTP was required to treat wastewater before discharging it into the Missouri River, which has heavy local recreational use. Between March 15 and November 15 each year, when public use of the Missouri River was at its highest levels, the WWTP was also required to disinfect its wastewater to remove potentially dangerous human pathogens, including fecal coliform bacteria or E. coli.
The WWTP treated its wastewater with liquid chlorine, which kills bacteria but is potentially toxic to aquatic life. The WWTP’s permit required WWTP to periodically test its wastewater not only for the presence of fecal coliform bacteria or E. coli, but also total residual chlorine (TRC) levels, to ensure that the Missouri River was not polluted.
From July 2012 through June 2015, Schwarte and his direct supervisor, the WWTP Superintendent, tampered with the monitoring methods at the WWTP in order to ensure the WWTP would pass all of its tests. Specifically, early in the morning on testing days for bacteria, Schwarte and the Superintendent instructed first-shift operators at the WWTP to increase the rate of liquid chlorine supplied to the wastewater. After an hour or two passed, and an artificially high level of chlorine was fully mixed into wastewater, they ordered the WWTP’s first-shift operators to use hand-held colorimeters to gauge the levels of chlorine. Only when the colorimeter “maxed out” would the Superintendent take a sample for fecal coliform bacteria or E. coli. This fraudulent procedure allowed for the chlorine in the wastewater to reach sufficient concentrations to avoid showing elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria or E. coli, which would violate the WWTP’s CWA permits. The WWTP never reported any exceedances of its CWA permit limits for bacteria or residual chlorine after July 2012.
The liquid chlorine rate was increased from about 2.5 gallons per hour, to somewhere between 70 to 120 gallons per hour, for up to two hours. On non-testing days, WWTP employees maintained the chlorine feed rate at minimal levels, well below the designed feed rate of the WWTP and at a rate clearly insufficient to ensure the WWTP consistently and adequately disinfected its wastewater, as the WWTP’s CWA permits required. The engineering firm that designed the liquid chlorine feed system at the WWTP estimated that approximately 16.7 gallons of chlorine would need to be fed per hour to properly kill bacteria.
Then, in the afternoon on fecal coliform bacteria or E. coli testing days, well after the high amounts of chlorine had dissipated from the WWTP’s chlorine contact basin, and when an insufficiently low rate of liquid chlorine was supplied to the basin, Schwarte and the Superintendent would test again for TRC. In the afternoon, they were certain the TRC would pass, because only a minimal rate of liquid chlorine was supplied to the chlorine contact basin at that time. Again, this minimal rate was clearly insufficient to ensure the WWTP consistently and adequately disinfected its wastewater, as required.
The WWTP was also not operated or maintained in good working order, which also violated the WWTP’s permit. For example, the WWTP’s computer system was not only insufficiently connected and inadequately programmed to work with the various parts of the WWTP, but also it worked only intermittently. Although the WWTP was designed to have two operational chlorine contact basins, for years the City operated the WWTP with only one operational chlorine contact basin. Because both chlorine contact basin gates were “old and very leaky,” as reflected in an engineering report provided to the City in April 2012, wastewater constantly poured into the “offline” chlorine contact basin and later, out of the “offline” chlorine contact basin and into the Missouri River.
Schwarte was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Schwarte was sentenced to two years of probation, including two months of home confinement, and fined $5,000.
“Patrick Schwarte intentionally cheated on environmental tests, knowing he was violating the Sioux City Wastewater Treatment Plant’s environmental permit and polluting the Missouri River,” said United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. “By doing so, he put recreational users at risk and endangered the river’s aquatic life. This blatant disregard for the law and reprehensible treatment of one of our nation’s treasured waterways was nothing short of outrageous.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy L. Vavricek and Matthew J. Cole and investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, the Environmental Protection Agency, 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 19-CR-4001.
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Carroll Man to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine while also illegally possessing a firearm was sentenced November 3, 2020, to 10 years in federal prison.
John Sanchez, 40, from Carroll, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 19, 2020, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearm by a prohibited person.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that Sanchez was involved in a conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine from May 2019 through August 2019 in the Carroll, Iowa area. On two occasions in July 2019, Sanchez distributed over 25 grams of pure methamphetamine to another individual. Further, in August 2019, law enforcement seized over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine from Sanchez. Sanchez later admitted he illegally owned a 9mm pistol. Sanchez was not legally permitted to own a gun for three reasons: he had been convicted of a felony; he was a user of illegal drugs at the time he possessed the gun; and he was previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime domestic violence.
Sanchez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Sanchez was sentenced to 120 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. Sanchez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll Police Department, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-3005. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Arizona Man to Federal Prison for Involvement in Iowa Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced November 5, 2020, to 20 years in federal prison.
Michael Allison, 54, from Phoenix, Arizona, received the prison term after a May 18, 2020, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Allison was previously convicted of importation of marijuana in 1997 and 2005, both in the United States District Court, Southern District of California
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed Allison was involved in a conspiracy from 2009 through about April 2010 that distributed more than 500 grams of pure methamphetamine. Evidence further showed that Allison along with several others were involved in a scheme that transported methamphetamine from Mexico to California to Iowa for further distribution.
Allison was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Linda Reade. Allison was sentenced to 240 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. Allison 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 Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Clear Lake Police Department, North Central Iowa Drug Task Force, and the Iowa Laboratory of Criminalistics Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 11-3017. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Who Emailed Video of Teenager Being Raped Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed videos online depicting the sexual abuse of children, including one in which a male teenager was lying face down and sexually assaulted, was sentenced November 5, 2020, to more than twenty years in federal prison.
Kelby Fowler, age 31, from Traer, Iowa, received the prison term after a pleading guilty to distribution and possession of child pornography.
At the guilty plea, Fowler admitted he distributed and possessed child pornography, including a depiction of a minor who had not yet attained 12 years of age. Fowler possessed multiple videos showing children being sexually assaulted or raped. In an interview with law enforcement, Fowler also admitted to previously sexually assaulting a young child for whom he babysat.
Fowler was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Fowler was sentenced to 252 months’ imprisonment and fined $200. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term and register as a sex offender. 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.”
Fowler 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 Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-126-CJW.
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Drug Dealer Who Sold “Ghost Guns,” Silencers, and a Machinegun Sentenced to Thirty Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold cocaine and firearms, including a machinegun with an integrated silencer, to another drug dealer was sentenced today to serve thirty years in federal prison.
Raven Damien Meader Burkhow, age 26, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 17, 2020 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of use and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a sawed-off shotgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of machineguns, and possession of an unregistered pipe bomb.
Evidence at sentencing and prior hearings showed that Burkhow sold cocaine on five occasions to a confidential informant, who Burkhow knew to be a drug dealer. After one such transaction, Burkhow offered to sell the informant a pipe bomb. Burkhow also sold a gun without a serial number, otherwise known as a “ghost gun,” with a silencer and a machinegun with an integrated silencer to the informant. Burkhow sold the cocaine and guns from the doorway of his apartment building located in downtown Cedar Rapids. Law enforcement officers searched Burkhow’s apartment and seized twenty firearms, including machineguns, a sawed-off shotgun, and a pipe bomb. They also found cocaine, thirteen silencers, and thousands of rounds of ammunition in his apartment. Burkhow was also ordered to forfeit $177,720 in cash, six gold bars valued at approximately $5,522.50, firearms, and ammunition, which were seized in connection with the case.
Burkhow was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Burkhow was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Burkhow is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kyndra Lundquist and Richard Murphy and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-59.
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Kansas Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Kansas man transporting methamphetamine from Kansas to South Dakota was sentenced November 4, 2020 to more than 15 years in federal prison.
Billy Carter, age 45, from Tonganoxie, Kansas, received the prison term after a June 15, 2020, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Carter admitted that he engaged in a conspiracy to sell large amounts of methamphetamine. On July 29, 2019, Carter was stopped by law enforcement for speeding in Woodbury County. After a K-9 detected the presence of drugs in the vehicle, law enforcement located 5 packages of methamphetamine, weighing a total of approximately 5 pounds, in the trunk of the car. Carter has an extensive criminal history with a total of 38 prior convictions. His prior convictions include several convictions for forgery and theft, as well as convictions for assault, aggravated escape from custody, and domestic assault.
Carter was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Carter was sentenced to 188 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.
Carter 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 Ron Timmons and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-4052.
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Fairfax Man Convicted at Trial After Evidence Showed He Sold More Than 25 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who sold methamphetamine out of his residence in Fairfax, Iowa, and also possessed firearms in connection with his drug trafficking was convicted by a jury on November 4, 2020, after a three day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Jason Richard Corey, age 54, formerly from Fairfax, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The verdict was returned following just over an hour of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Corey sold a quarter pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in August of 2019 at Corey’s home in Fairfax. Shortly after the sale, Corey was in a car that was stopped and found to have more than 70 grams of meth inside. The meth was hidden in the bottom of a disinfectant wipes container and a bag. Law enforcement searched Corey’s home and found a half pound of methamphetamine. Officers also found two guns in the house. During an interview after the search, Corey admitted dealing more than 25 pounds of methamphetamine during 2019 and that one of his meth sources gave him the two firearms that Corey could use to protect himself.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Corey remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Corey faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of a lifetime of imprisonment, a $10,250,000 fine, and at least 10 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, the Hiawatha Police Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-cr-00029.
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Drug User and Dealer Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison After Firing a Stolen Gun at Other Drug DealersRead the Press Release
A drug user and marijuana seller who shot a gun at fellow drug traffickers was sentenced November 4, 2020, to three years in federal prison.
Jacob Tyler Ray Foss, age 21, from Evansdale, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty to being a drug user in possession of a firearm.
In his plea agreement, Foss admitted he was at his apartment when two men attempted to kick in the door. Foss fired shots to scare the men off. After the men left his door, Foss continued to fire at their car. Foss also admitted that he possessed the firearm in connection with other offenses, including possession with intent to deliver marijuana. Foss was also aware the firearm was stolen.
Foss was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Foss was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Foss is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2008.
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Robbing a Small Town Bank at Gunpoint Sends Man to Federal Prison for More Than Nine YearsRead the Press Release
A man who robbed a bank at gunpoint was sentenced on November 3, 2020, to more than nine years in federal prison.
Luis Angel Vega, age 28, from Austin, Minnesota, received the prison term after a June 18, 2020 guilty plea to bank robbery and using a firearm during a violent crime.
Information from a plea agreement and at sentencing showed that, on September 3, 2019, Vega robbed a bank in Lime Springs, Iowa. Vega walked into the bank armed with a Colt .45 caliber pistol and wearing a balaclava. Vega pointed the pistol at three bank employees and demanded that a teller fill a bag with cash in thirty seconds. He then took $6,869 in cash from the bank. Based on the description given by the bank employees and the fact that Vega drove his own truck to the robbery, law enforcement officers were able to locate and arrest Vega less than three hours after the robbery.
Vega was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Vega was sentenced to 114 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $6,869 in restitution to the bank. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Vega 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2011.
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Central City Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Central City man who distributed over seven kilograms of meth from 2017 to 2018 was sentenced November 2, 2020, to more than 16 years in federal prison.
Brian Jeffrie Padgett, age 42, from Central City, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 29, 2020 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance near a protected location.
In a plea agreement, Padgett admitted that on July 27, 2018, and again on August 10, 2018, he sold over 75 grams of methamphetamine to an individual within 1,000 feet of Central City Community School in Central City, Iowa. On August 16, 2018, law enforcement conducted a search warrant at Padgett’s residence in Central City, where they recovered over 38 grams of methamphetamine, a loaded firearm, and drug packaging material. Padgett admitted that he had two main sources of supply for methamphetamine. Padgett received pounds of methamphetamine from these two sources over approximately six months.
Padgett was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Padgett was sentenced to 198 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. Padgett 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 Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-00016.
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DNA Found on Firearm Results in Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
A man who was a felon and drug user and hid a firearm outside his former girlfriend’s home in Waterloo was sentenced today to four years in federal prison.
Michael Deshone Holmes, age 31, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 2, 2020 guilty plea to being a felon and drug user in possession of a firearm.
At the guilty plea, Holmes admitted he was convicted in 2009 of the felony offenses of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and using a firearm during and in relation to a felony drug offense in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. Holmes also admitted that on June 1, 2019, he was an unlawful user of marijuana and cocaine. On that same day, Holmes went to his former girlfriend’s home in Waterloo and hid a firearm outside before he went inside to meet with her. After he got into a dispute with her, Holmes fled the scene on foot. Waterloo police officers found the gun, which had previously been reported stolen, and recovered Holmes DNA on the handgun.
Holmes was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Holmes 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Holmes is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-02005.
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Sioux City Man on Robbery Spree Sentenced to Federal Prison for Robbery and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who robbed a Sioux City business on September 11, 2019, was sentenced October 27, 2020, to more than 10 years in federal prison.
Noah Pineda, 21, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to interference with commerce by robbery, using, carrying, and brandishing a short-barreled rifle during and in relation to the robbery, and possession of a firearm by a domestic abuse misdemeanant.
Evidence presented by the United States at the detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed on September 11, 2019, Pineda entered Sarg’s Mini Mart convenience store wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a white mask. Pineda displayed a shortened rifle, pointed it at the clerk, and demanded money from the cash registers and clerk’s purse. Pineda grabbed the money out of both registers, took money from the clerk’s purse, and ran from the store. With the assistant of a police K9, Pineda was found hiding in nearby bushes and was arrested. Pineda admitted to the robbery. Pineda told officers he hid the gun, a loaded .22 caliber rifle, under a shed in the area where he was found hiding. Pineda admitted the September 11, 2019, robbery was just one of a number of armed robberies he had committed. Pineda has a long history of violence that started when he was 12 and includes convictions for domestic assault and domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury.
Pineda was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Pineda was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from Project Guardian partners. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department. 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 19-4085. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a gun was sentenced October 29, 2020, to six years in federal prison.
Cordaro Whitsel, age 31, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 19, 2020, guilty plea to being a felon, drug user, and domestic abuse misdemeanant in possession of a firearm.
Evidenced produced by the United States at the detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed that on November 16, 2019, at approximately 5:00 a.m., a person contacted the Sioux City Police Department and requested officers to come to her residence on Main Street in Sioux City right away because Cordaro Whitsel was there, on parole, unwelcome, and “irate.” At the time, Whitsel had prior convictions for Forgery, Theft, Burglary, and Domestic Abuse Assault. Officers arrived and found Whitsel outside the residence wearing a large camouflage backpack. Whitsel removed the backpack and set it next to him on the porch. Officers spoke with the 911 caller, who explained that she was assaulted by Whitsel during an argument while her children (ages 4 years, 2 years, and 4 months) were present in the residence. The 911 caller had visible injuries that were consistent with her statements. Whitsel was arrested. A small baggie of methamphetamine was found lying on the porch where Whitsel was seated. Inside the backpack, law enforcement found a loaded shotgun (one round in the chamber and 3 rounds in the magazine tube). Officers subsequently located a ballistic vest in the basement where Whitsel had been prior to the assault.
Whitsel was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Whitsel was sentenced to 72 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.
Whitsel is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from our Project Guardian partners. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4009.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Waterloo Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Using a Gun to Threaten Another Person During a DisputeRead the Press Release
A Waterloo felon who unlawfully possessed a gun was sentenced today to 30 months in prison.
Dreyon Damondre Grant, age 27, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison sentence today following a plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information disclosed at sentencing and at his plea hearing showed that in July 2019, Grant got into a dispute with another man at an apartment complex in Waterloo. The other man accused Grant of stealing money from him and a friend. When the victim confronted Grant, Grant came out of his apartment unit holding a knife and pointing it at the victim. After the victim refused to leave, Grant called his friend to help scare the victim. A short time later, Grant’s friend came over with a gun. Grant tried to scare the victim away with the gun. The victim called 911. Police responded and located the gun Grant possessed. No one was injured in the dispute. Grant has a prior felony conviction for burglary. He has also prior convictions for assault, including one conviction for assaulting a peace officer.
Grant was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Grant was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) through a cooperative effort of the Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Streets Unit, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-2060.
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Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who repeatedly drove pounds of methamphetamine to the Midwest from a source in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2019, was sentenced October 22, 2020, to more than 18 years in federal prison.
Daniel Decker, age 39, from Kenosha, Wisconsin, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
In a plea agreement, Decker admitted he drove through Cedar County, Iowa, with approximately five pounds of ice methamphetamine with the intent to redistribute it. At sentencing, evidence showed that Decker had transported approximately twenty pounds of ice methamphetamine from Las Vegas to the Midwest over the course of a couple of months.
Decker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Decker was sentenced to 220 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. Decker 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 Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Muscatine County drug task force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-cr-0096.
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Drug Enforcement Administration to Hold 19th Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan wants to ensure that everyone knows how to rid their homes of unused and unwanted medications.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is holding its 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 24, at locations across the country. The nationwide event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
“Many people don’t know how to properly clean out their medicine cabinets. Failing to safely dispose of old medications, especially opioids, all too often leads to dangerous drugs ending up in the wrong hands,” said U.S. Attorney Deegan. “The DEA is providing an important public service by providing an easy way to dispose of unneeded medications. I encourage everyone to get rid of their old and unused prescription medicine in the proper way. Doing so will make our communities safer.”
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
Collection sites will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of all participants and local law enforcement.
“The initiative – now in its tenth year – addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” said DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Together with our partners, we are not only holding National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, but offering other ways to dispose of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications.”
Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, DEA wants to ensure that the public is aware of other ways they can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without having to leave their homes. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have tips on how to safely dispose of drugs at home.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, prescription drugs can be disposed of at any of the 11,000 DEA authorized collectors at any time throughout the year. For more information, visit: https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1.
DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms. DEA will also accept vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers, only after the batteries are removed from the devices. If the battery cannot be removed, individual consumers can check with large electronic chain stores who may accept the vape pen or e-cigarette devices for proper disposal. Liquids, including intravenous solutions, syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs cannot be dropped off.
This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
For more information on DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and to find a collection site near you, visit www.deatakeback.com.
Denison Woman Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Embezzlement of nearly $1.5 Million from a Local Credit UnionRead the Press Release
Brenda Jensen, age 53, from Denison, Iowa, was convicted of credit union embezzlement. Jensen pled guilty in federal court in Sioux City to embezzling nearly $1.5 million over several years.
In a plea agreement, Jensen admitted that from at least May 2012 to March 2018, she embezzled money from Consumer Credit Union (CCU) in Denison, Iowa while working there as an employee. CCU serviced Crawford, Carrol, Shelby, Ida, Monona, Sac, and Harrison counties.
Jensen and at least one other employee embezzled a total of nearly $1.5 million. Jensen, the credit union’s head teller, was responsible for all cash and cash counts at CCU during the relevant timeframe. Jensen successfully concealed her crime from auditors and CCU for years. Jensen was able to conceal the crime in numerous ways, including overstating the change fund in the credit union’s general ledger balance, and participating with at least one other employee in issuing and depositing fraudulent checks to cover up their ongoing theft. Jensen further concealed the embezzlement by creating fictitious deposits into her personal accounts at CCU. After years of embezzling, the employees changed their methods of concealment and developed another concealment scheme. The new scheme caused CCU an additional $539,000 in losses. CCU’s total cash loss caused an insolvency resulting in a forced merger with SAC Federal Credit Union. CCU was insolvent with negative equity of approximately $481,206, and the value of its assets had decreased by over a million dollars. The million dollar decrease was a direct loss from fraudulent activity.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Jensen remains free on bond pending sentencing. Jensen faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was 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 20-4083.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
United States Attorney Announces Election Day ProgramRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Peter Deegan announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Daniel Tvedt will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020, general election. AUSA Tvedt has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of Iowa, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Deegan said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice, where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy.
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Deegan stated that AUSA/DEO Tvedt will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at telephone number 319-363-6333.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 402-493-8688.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
United States Attorney Deegan said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine pled guilty October 14, 2020, in federal court in Sioux City.
Silas Bui, 24, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of distributing methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Bui admitted that on July 8, 2019, he distributed 27.37 grams of methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Bui was previously convicted of the following crimes: Harassment – 1st Degree and Domestic Abuse Assault Display or Use of a Weapon – 1st Offense, on or about September 12, 2018; Theft 2nd, on or about April 11, 2019; Possession of a Controlled Substance – 2nd Offense, on or about September 3, 2019, all in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Bui was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Bui faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood 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 20-4053. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.