Northern District of Iowa
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of MethRead the Press Release
Timothy Koons, 66, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term December 4, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Koons pled guilty April 10, 2025, to distribution of methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on two separate occasions in March 2024, Koons was involved in the distribution of seven ounces of pure methamphetamine to others, including an individual cooperating with law enforcement. In 2000, Koons was federally convicted of felony possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and in 2010, Koons was again federally convicted for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Koons was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment and must serve a four-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Koons remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by 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; 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; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4034. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Mother Involved in Marijuana Drug Conspiracy Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman involved in a drug conspiracy in Waterloo, Iowa, was sentenced on December 2, 2025, to five years in federal prison.
Nicole Ann Fordyce, age 50, who lived in Waterloo, Iowa, at the time of her involvement in distributing marijuana, received the prison term after an April 16, 2025, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
From August 2022 through January 2024, Fordyce was involved in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of marijuana intended for further distribution in Waterloo. Fordyce received marijuana in the mail from her son, Jonathan Reins, who was living in California. Fordyce gave the marijuana to other people involved in distributing it throughout Waterloo. During this time, Fordyce also deposited approximately $191,896 in drug proceeds into a bank account used by the people involved in distributing the marijuana.
Fordyce was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Fordyce was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Fordyce 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 Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force
Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Denver Iowa Police Department, Fullerton California Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR- 02050-002.
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Iowa Man to Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Illegal GunRead the Press Release
On December 1, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Ryan Miller, 40, most recently residing in Pilot Mound, Iowa, was sentenced. On June 27, 2025, Miller pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Miller was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2017, this conviction prohibits him from possessing a firearm.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from January 2024 through April 27, 2024, Miller and others conspired to distribute at least ½ pound of methamphetamine and more than 1700 fentanyl pills. On April 21, 2024, Miller and two others were headed to Colorado to pick up more methamphetamine and to sell fentanyl pills. They attempted to elude law enforcement in a high-speed vehicle chase during which Miller threw two pop cans containing fentanyl pills from the vehicle. In an attempt to distract the police, Miller’s two co-defendants made “false” 911 calls. Later on the same date, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Miller’s residence and seized a small amount of methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, and a loaded .22 caliber Beretta handgun.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Miller was sentenced to 112 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Miller remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Ida and Sac County Sheriff’s Offices, 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; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4042. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Felon Who Defrauded Credit Unions in the Midwest Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A seven-time felon who, along with another person, used fake military IDs and passports to steal money from credit unions was sentenced on December 1, 2025, to more than seven years in federal prison.
Jeffrey Blake Palmer, age 44, from Davenport, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 27, 2025, guilty plea to one count of financial institution fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from June 22, 2021, through September 30, 2021, Palmer and his coconspirator, Maegen Fortin, used stolen personal information, such as dates of birth and Social Security numbers, to apply for checking accounts, saving accounts, credit cards, lines of credit, and loans from credit unions. Palmer and Fortin provided false documents and IDs, including fraudulent United States passports, military IDs, state driver’s licenses, and employment documents, to the credit unions with their applications. In one instance in June 2021, Palmer and Fortin used assumed names and stolen personal identifiers to open a joint account at a credit union in Cedar Rapids. They applied for two auto loans totaling more than $57,000 from the credit union. Based on their fraudulent applications, the credit union deposited the loan proceeds into an account under their control.
Palmer has a long criminal history that includes seven prior adult felony convictions. On August 4, 2023, Fortin was sentenced to 93 months’ imprisonment on charges related to this scheme.
Palmer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Palmer was sentenced to 94 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $253,572.26 in restitution to victims of the offense. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Palmer 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 24-CR-113.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine was sentenced on December 2, 2025, to 35 years in federal prison.
Cordarryl Cortez Smith, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 3, 2025, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance near a protected location.
In March 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, law enforcement officers purchased methamphetamine from Smith twice. One of the purchases occurred within 1,000 feet of a school. On March 22, 2023, officers stopped Smith’s car as it was returning to Cedar Rapids. Although the car belonged to Smith, Smith’s brother and another individual were driving it. Smith was in a separate car also on the way back to Cedar Rapids. In the trunk of Smith’s car, officers located approximately an ounce of cocaine and approximately nine pounds of methamphetamine. In November 2023, in Cedar Rapids, officers again purchased cocaine from Smith multiple times.
Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Smith was sentenced to 420 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.
Smith is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the
Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-28.
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Cedar Rapids Felon with a Gun Sentenced to over 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who possessed a gun while on supervised release was sentenced on December 2, 2025, to more than seven years in federal prison.
Marcus Dejohn Wallace, age 30, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 11, 2025, jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence at trial showed that on September 5, 2024, Wallace led officers on a high-speed car chase through Cedar Rapids before pulling over in a residential neighborhood and running from officers. As he ran, he threw a loaded gun, which hit a nearby roof before landing in the grass. Police officers using a K-9 caught Wallace. Officers found the loaded gun, which was missing a magazine. Officers later found the missing magazine in the path Wallace had run. Wallace was on supervised release at the time he possessed the gun because of a prior federal conviction for distribution of heroin resulting in serious bodily injury.
Wallace was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Wallace was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment, plus 18 months’ imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release, for a total of 88 months’ imprisonment. Wallace must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Wallace 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 Devra T. Hake, Shawn Wehde, and Dan Tvedt, and it was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-90.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Men Linked to the Disappearance of an 18-Year-Old Nebraska Woman Found Guilty of Drug, Gun, and Obstruction-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Two men with lengthy criminal histories were convicted by a jury on November 25, 2025, after a 11-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.
Floyd Clifford Coates, Jr., aka Cliff Coates, age 44, from St. Francis, Kansas, was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession of Ammunition by a Felon and Drug User, Conspiracy to Conceal Objects with the Intent to Impair Their Availability for an Official Proceeding, and Concealing Objects with the Intent to Impair their Availability for an Official Proceeding. Coates was acquitted of other charges related to threats, and obstruction of justice.
Dennis Lawson, age 65, from Whiting, Iowa, was convicted of Using Threat of Physical Force Against Another with the Intent to Hinder, Delay, or Prevent the Communication to a Law Enforcement Officer and Judge of the United States of Information Relating to the Commission and Possible Commission of a Federal Offense. Lawson was acquitted of other charges relating to drugs, threats and obstruction.
The verdict was returned following about 2 hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that in Spring 2019, Coates was a member of a drug trafficking organization that funneled pounds of methamphetamine from Colorado to Strubel, Iowa, among other places, for redistribution, and that Coates possessed firearms to protect his illegal drug operation. Evidence also showed that on Easter weekend 2019, Coates had arranged a drug run to Kansas City, Missouri.
To execute the Easter weekend drug run, Coates had convinced an Iowa woman to drive from Sioux City, Iowa; meet him in Blair, Nebraska; and drive him to Kansas City, Missouri, and back. Coates decided to travel to Blair from Trenton, Nebraska, with another woman, 18-year-old Sunny Sramek. Coates and Sramek left Trenton in his wife’s white Ford Explorer to go on the trip. There is no evidence Ms. Sramek knew Coates was going to Kansas City; in fact, she told friends and family that she was going to be on a day trip to Omaha.
The pair made it to Blair, where Coates went into a home, but Ms. Sramek did not. Coates’s driver arrived from Sioux City and Coates said nothing of Ms. Sramek to the driver. As the driver and Coates left the home, the driver saw Ms. Sramek’s motionless body. The driver testified it looked as if Ms. Sramek had overdosed, and Coates said he had provided her methamphetamine. Coates cancelled his drug run to Kansas City and told his driver to go to the home of his brother-in-law Dennis Lawson near Whiting, Iowa, on the banks of the Missouri River. The driver testified that after they arrived at Lawson’s residence Lawson and Coates disappeared for a time, when they returned, Ms. Sramek’s body was gone. The driver also testified that she and Coates cleaned out the car, and that Lawson threatened her saying if she told anyone, “it would be her funeral.”
Later, Coates told confidants that Ms. Sramek had overdosed. He told other friends a more violent story. In both versions, however, he told people he had thrown Ms. Sramek’s body into the Missouri River to conceal evidence of his crimes. Coates was confident his efforts at concealing Ms. Sramek’s body would insulate him from accountability. He told one person “no body, no case” and asked another “you can’t get charged with murder if there is no body, can you?”
Coates’s confidence was misplaced. Law enforcement gathered a significant amount of physical evidence tying Coates to Ms. Sramek’s disappearance. Forensic analysis indicated Ms. Sramek’s DNA and a significant amount of blood were found in the white Ford Explorer. The forensic findings combined with other evidence provided the proof the jury used to convict Coates and Lawson.
“Sunny Sramek went missing more than six years ago,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “But the investigators’ dedication kept her case from going cold. Thanks to them, these two criminals now face judgment for Sunny’s disappearance. Those who believe they can escape justice through threats, cover-ups, or the passage of time will discover they are mistaken.”
“The convictions of Coates and Lawson represent years of tireless, unwavering efforts by a dedicated team of FBI personnel who never stopped looking for Sunny Sramek,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel. “Despite the defendants’ best efforts to conceal involvement in her disappearance, the FBI persisted in our mission to hold these subjects accountable for their actions. We hope these convictions bring some measure of solace to Sunny’s family. The FBI will always use every tool and technique in our arsenal to seek justice for the missing and attempts to hinder those efforts will be aggressively investigated.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Coates and Lawson remain in custody of the United States Marshal.
Coates faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Lawson faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by Hitchcock County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office; the Nebraska State Patrol; the Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Criminal Investigation; the Plymouth County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office; the O’Brien County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa Department of Natural Resources; the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner; the Goodland, Kansas, Police Department; and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case number is 24-4021.
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Sioux City Man on Parole Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man who was on parole for a Woodbury County, Iowa burglary, was sentenced September 29, 2025, to more than 5 years in federal prison.
Mchennlley Mutsuo, age 40, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a May 7, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user.
Mutsuo was serving his term of parole for a March 1, 2021, conviction of second-degree burglary when Iowa parole officers were conducting a home visit. Upon entering his property, officers located a plate with drug paraphernalia and a white crystalline substance. Sioux City Police were informed, and an Iowa search warrant was obtained, where officers located two semi-automatic pistols and a revolver, along with 132 grams of methamphetamine.
Mutsuo was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 69 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Mutsuo is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tabaco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4063.
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Mason City Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution and Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Darius Stackhouse, age 33, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced October 1, 2025, to 25 years in federal prison after a March 12, 2025, jury verdict where he was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Evidence at trial showed that between June 2021 and March 2023, Stackhouse was part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa to distribute methamphetamine. Stackhouse sold more than 40 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the conspiracy and three pounds to sources working with law enforcement. During the execution of several search warrants, more than $30,000 cash was located in Stackhouse’s residence, as well as additional methamphetamine, other controlled substances, and a firearm.
Stackhouse was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 300 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. Stackhouse is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3001.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Re-Entering the United States as a FelonRead the Press Release
A man who illegally re-entered the United States from Mexico pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.
Julio Cesar Moreno-Anaya, age 47, who was living in Omaha, Nebraska, was convicted of one count of illegal re-entry as a felon.
At the plea hearing, Moreno admitted illegally re-entering the United States without permission, and having a previous felony theft conviction from 2016 in Hidalgo County, Texas. On September 15, 2025, Moreno-Anaya was arrested in Britt, Iowa, for speeding and not having a valid driver’s license. While in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been deported from the United States to Mexico on eight previous occasions.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Moreno-Anaya remains in custody pending sentencing. Moreno faces a possible sentence of 10 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 Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-03047. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Guatemalan Citizen with History of Domestic Abuse Assault to Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry and Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Yoan Mateo-Cardona, 24, a citizen of Guatemala illegally residing in Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on November 20, 2025, to 15 months’ imprisonment in federal court in Sioux City.
At the plea hearing on July 14, 2025, Mateo-Cardona admitted he was a citizen of Guatemala and had been previously removed from the United States on one previous occasion in 2022. Mateo-Cardona further admitted that his status as an illegal alien and domestic violence abuser prohibited him from possessing firearms. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on November 7, 2024, Sioux City Police officers were called to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino parking lot after security observed an individual displaying a firearm. Security footage confirmed Mateo-Cardona was the individual with the gun, and he was arrested for public intoxication and possession of a firearm by a domestic abuse perpetrator. Mateo-Cardona had previously been convicted of being an alien present without admission or parole, operating while intoxicated, domestic abuse assault, and possession of a controlled substance.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mateo-Cardona was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 1 year of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Mateo-Cardona remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino security staff and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4088. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced November 20, 2025, to 15 years in federal prison.
Loren Craig, age 52, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 14, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, Craig admitted that from August to September 2023, he and others came to an agreement to distribute over 14 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area. Following an investigation, law enforcement became aware Craig was a distributor of methamphetamine. On September 29, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence and located methamphetamine, two firearms, and drug-distribution items.
Craig was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Craig was sentenced to 180 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.
Craig is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Greenwood and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Dodge Police Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03004. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Waterloo Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
A woman who possessed nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it was sentenced November 20, 2025, to two years in federal prison.
Sylvia Rubio-Rincon, age 21, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 9, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that undercover agents communicated with a suspected methamphetamine source of supply residing in Mexico. Agents arranged for the delivery of nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine. As Rubio-Rincon drove to meet with an undercover officer, officers stopped and searched her car. Officers found over 900 grams of methamphetamine. Rubio-Rincon said she was paid to deliver the methamphetamine by a family member who lived in Mexico.
Rubio-Rincon was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Rubio-Rincon was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rubio-Rincon is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Iowa is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, with a satellite office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is comprised of agents and officers from Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Marshals Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. This HSTF case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by HSTF Iowa, with the assistance of the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement;.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2046.
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Carroll Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Paul Diamond Sanchez, 52, from Carroll, Iowa pled guilty on November 20, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in federal court in Sioux City.
At the plea hearing, Sanchez admitted that from July 2024 through May 2025 he and others distributed methamphetamine in the Carroll, Iowa area. On two occasions in the summer of 2024, defendant distributed a total of over 25 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. During a traffic stop in October 2024, Sanchez had over 9 grams of pure methamphetamine in his pants pocket which he admitted he planned to sell to another person.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Sanchez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Sanchez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Manning Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, and Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3022. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Todd Babb, 62, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty November 19, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea hearing showed that Babb was previously convicted of two prior felony drug offenses, one in Iowa District Court and another in Federal Court. Babb admitted that between 2018 and August 2024, he and others conspired to distribute more than 1500 grams of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. During a search of Babb’s residence, law enforcement seized over $3,000 and ¼ pound of methamphetamine which Babb intended to distribute to others. Approximately one pound of methamphetamine was also seized from a vehicle outside Babb’s residence.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Babb remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Babb faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4068. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Illinois Felon Who Distributed Fentanyl and Possessed a Firearm Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold fentanyl and possessed a gun in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced on November 19, 2025, to 77 months in federal prison. Friday Deel Gardner, age 28, from Markham, Illinois, received the prison term after a June 5, 2025, guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance near a school or park and possessing a firearm as a felon.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Gardner sold fentanyl on four occasions, three times while near a school or park. Law enforcement officers then searched where Gardner stayed in Dubuque and located over 275 fentanyl pills, ecstasy pills, marijuana, United States currency, and a stolen firearm.
Gardner was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2017 in federal court. The district court sentenced him to 41 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release. While he was on supervised release in 2021 and 2022, the district court found Gardner had violated his conditions of release twice and returned him to federal prison.
Gardner was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Gardner was sentenced to 77 months imprisonment. He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Gardner is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by The Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1006.
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Dubuque Woman Sentenced to Prison for Her Role in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Katie Kammerude, age 39, from Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced on November 19, 2025, to over nine years in federal prison.
Kammerude received the prison term after a June 3, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, and 50 grams of pure methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice.”
Evidence at the sentencing showed that between July 2024 and September 9, 2024, defendant drove to Des Moines, Davenport, and Iowa City to pick up large amounts of methamphetamine. Kammerude then drove back to Dubuque, where she sold it to others. On three occasions, the police pulled Kammerude over. During the traffic stops, police found methamphetamine in Kammerude’s car. They found between several ounces to a couple of pounds of methamphetamine each stop. In total, Kammerude was responsible for over 5,000 grams of methamphetamine.
Kammerude was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Kammerude was sentenced to 109 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Corkery and Dillan Edwards, with the assistance of Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, and Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1024. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Dean Christiansen, 64, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on November 18, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Christiansen pled guilty July 1, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Christiansen was previously convicted in the Northern District of Iowa of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in December 2012.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from May 2024 through about August 2024, Christiansen was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 170 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Sioux City area within 1,000 feet of a local elementary school. Law enforcement conducted two controlled methamphetamine purchases from Christiansen in August 2024 and seized scales and marijuana during a search of Christiansen’s home. Christiansen admitted purchasing about 12 pounds of methamphetamine to repackage and distribute to others.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Christiansen was sentenced to 134 months’ imprisonment and must serve a seven-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Christiansen remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4058. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
Jon Waugh, 55, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced November 17, 2025, to 188 months’ imprisonment for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location. Waugh pled guilty June 12, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
On August 14, 2024, police arrested Waugh outside his apartment, when Waugh was searched, police found approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine and $854 in cash. Police also searched Waugh’s residence and seized over a kilogram of pure methamphetamine, a scale with meth residue, drug paraphernalia, and four firearms, one of which was stolen. At the plea hearing, Waugh admitted he planned to distribute the methamphetamine to other individuals in Sioux City. Waugh’s residence was within 1,000 feet of a protected location, specifically a local elementary school in Sioux City.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Waugh was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a term of ten years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Waugh remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4058. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Waterloo Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A two-time convicted felon who possessed a gun was sentenced on November 17, 2025, to six years in federal prison.
Jimarus Westley Puckett, age 38, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 28, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
On July 23, 2023, in Waterloo, Iowa, police officers stopped a car. Puckett was a passenger in the car. Officers searched the car and found a rifle that was equipped with a large capacity magazine in the back seat. Puckett was prohibited from possessing guns based on two prior felony convictions and a prior misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence.
Puckett was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Puckett was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Puckett is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Waterloo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2037.
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Tripoli Man Sentenced to over 38 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
A man who sexually abused three children, and distributed, received, and possessed child pornography, was sentenced on November 14, 2025, to more than 38 years in federal prison. Austin Kingsbury, age 24, from Tripoli, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 20, 2025, guilty plea to distribution and possession of child pornography.
Evidence at sentencing showed that over many years, Kingsbury sexually abused three children. Kingsbury photographed himself sexually abusing one of the children. Kingsbury also distributed child pornography to multiple people in May 2023, and he downloaded child pornography between August 2022 and June 2023.
Kingsbury was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Kingsbury was sentenced to 460 months’ and 22 days’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $18,000 in restitution to victims in this case. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Kingsbury 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 Devra T. Hake and Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Tripoli Police Department, the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Anchorage, Alaska, Police Department, and the Alaska State Troopers Technical Crimes Unit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2049.
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Nurse Anesthetist Pleads Guilty to Stealing Fentanyl from Dubuque HospitalRead the Press Release
A man who was a certified nurse anesthetist working in a Dubuque hospital in January 2022 and stole fentanyl pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Benjamin K. Albert, age 53, from Round Lake, Illinois, was convicted of three counts of acquiring fentanyl through fraud.
In a plea agreement, Albert admitted that he worked at a Dubuque hospital as a certified registered nurse anesthetist from January 13, 2022, through January 27, 2022. A certified registered nurse anesthetist administers anesthesia and provides pain management to individuals undergoing surgical procedures. Over the five days that he worked, Albert administered fentanyl to 18 patients. Albert admitted that on each day he worked, he acquired fentanyl from the hospital by drawing extra fentanyl from the hospital pharmacy in a patient’s name. Albert then only administered a portion of the fentanyl to the patient. He stole the rest for his own use. Several of Albert’s patients who he charted as having received appropriate dosing of fentanyl exhibited signs of feeling significant pain during surgery.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Albert remains free on release pending sentencing. For each count, Albert faces a possible maximum sentence of four years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release following any imprisonment. As part of sentencing, Albert has agreed to forfeit his Iowa nursing license to the United States.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Timothy Vavricek and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Investigative Division of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1045.
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Maryland Man Who Robbed Two Iowa Convenience Stores Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who was previously convicted of robbing the Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust on January 3, 2024, was sentenced on November 14, 2025, to nearly three years in federal prison after convictions for robbing two convenience stores.
Andrew Philip Derr, age 23, from Fredrick, Maryland, received the prison term after a June 24, 2025, guilty plea to robbing two convenience stores and one count of money laundering.
In a plea agreement, Derr admitted that after being discharged from the military for misconduct in 2023, he moved to Iowa City and conducted a series of robberies in the Cedar Rapids area. Derr admitted that, on December 27, 2023, he robbed the Casey’s General Store in Robins and obtained over $7,000 in cash and other merchandise. On January 1, 2024, he robbed the Kum & Go store on Four Oaks Drive in Cedar Rapids. Derr was previously convicted and sentenced in state court for robbing the Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust branch on Council Street in Cedar Rapids on January 3, 2024, stealing over $16,000 in cash. Derr admitted that after each robbery he laundered the stolen funds by making multiple deposits into his Maryland Bank account to disguise the nature, source, and ownership of the funds. On January 3, 2024, Derr flew to Maryland, and subsequently made two deposits of robbery proceeds totaling more than $4,800.
When the United States Marshals Service tried to arrest Derr at his Iowa City apartment, they found a note stating, “Catch me if you can.” As a result of the United States Marshals Service efforts to apprehend him, Derr turned himself into the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office on January 12, 2024.
Derr was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Derr was sentenced to 34 months and 29 days’ imprisonment. This prison term was imposed concurrently with the remainder of Derr’s state prison sentence for the bank robbery. The court ordered Derr to pay $7,359.89 in restitution to Casey’s, $308.20 to Kum & Go, and $16,705 to Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The United States Marshals Service is holding Derr in custody until he can be transported back to the Iowa prison system to continue serving his state prison sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the United States Marshals Service’s Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Robins Police Department, Linn County Attorney’s Office, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-00105.
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Dubuque Felon Sent Back to Prison for Possessing a Gun While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who was on federal supervised release when he possessed marijuana and a loaded and stolen handgun was sentenced on November 17, 2025, to seven years in federal prison.
Tremaine Laron Moore, Jr., age 25, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 22, 2025, guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a November 15, 2025, admission that he violated the terms of his supervised release in a prior federal gun case.
Evidence at the hearing showed that, on December 19, 2024, United States Probation Officers went to Moore’s house in Dubuque for an unannounced home visit. The officers, along with a police officer from Dubuque, searched the home. They found a loaded, previously stolen 9mm handgun, baggies of marijuana, a scale, and cash. The District Court sentenced Moore to five years in prison for the new firearms charge and a second consecutive sentence of two years in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release.
Moore was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Moore was sentenced to a total of 84 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Moore 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 United States Probation Office for the Northern District of Iowa, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 25-CR-01003 and 22-CR-01007.
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Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Children and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited children and possessed child pornography pled guilty on November 13, 2025, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Dawson Sanderson, age 24, of Cedar Rapids, was convicted of one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Sanderson admitted that, in 2021, he got minors to produce and send depictions of sexually explicit conduct. He also possessed child pornography.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Sanderson remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Sanderson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $67,200 in special assessments, and supervised release for five years to life following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 25-51.
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Tama Man Who Distributed Child Pornography Sentenced to 210 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed, received, and possessed child pornography was sentenced today to more than 17 years in federal prison.
Jacob Samuel Yang, age 37, from Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 22, 2025 guilty plea to distribution and possession of child pornography.
Evidence in a plea agreement and at sentencing showed that between September 2019 and February 2025, in Tama, Iowa, Yang downloaded child pornography and stored it on a cellular telephone and laptop computer. He also distributed child pornography to multiple people in March 2024. In addition, Yang solicited sex from several children via messaging applications.
Yang was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Yang was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $15,000 in restitution to victims in this case. He must also serve a 5‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe 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.”
Yang is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, the Tama Police Department, and the Marshalltown Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-24.
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Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a stolen firearm as a prohibited person was sentenced November 13, 2025, to more than four years in federal prison.
Jammonttay Coleman, 36, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 7, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on August 25, 2024, Coleman possessed a stolen 9mm pistol with a large capacity magazine. That day, law enforcement in Fort Dodge stopped a vehicle driven by Coleman for speeding through a construction zone. During the traffic stop, law enforcement smelled marijuana coming from Coleman’s vehicle. After first refusing to exit his vehicle, Coleman ultimately complied. When he opened his door, a bag of marijuana fell from the vehicle. Law enforcement then searched the vehicle and located the stolen 9mm pistol. This firearm had been reported stolen in July 2024 during a fight in Otho, Iowa, where defendant was observed by others taking the firearm after it had been discarded by the owner. Coleman admitted to officers to taking the firearm and possessing it as a felon, as well as being a user of marijuana. As a felon and user of a controlled substance, he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. At the time of his illegal possession of the firearm, Coleman was on parole for felony burglary and assault while participating in a felony in Sac County, Iowa.
Coleman was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Coleman was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Coleman is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-3039. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Ammunition as a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed ammunition as a prohibited person was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.
Nicholas Edward Schubich, age 45, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 8, 2025 guilty plea to one count of possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.
At the guilty plea, Schubich admitted he possessed the ammunition knowing that he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year as well as a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. On April 20, 2025, following a traffic stop on a car that Schubich was a passenger in, officers located methamphetamine, marijuana, and a box of ammunition in Schubich’s backpack.
Schubich was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Schubich 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.
Schubich is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2032.
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Story City Man Conspiring to Distribute Meth and Fentanyl Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
William Clark, Jr. 40, from Story City, Iowa was sentenced on October 7, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa. Clark, Jr. was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl by pleading guilty on May 8, 2025.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from January 2024 through April 27, 2024, Clark, Jr. and two others conspired to distribute at least ½ pound of methamphetamine and more than 1500 pills of fentanyl. On April 21, 2024, Clark, Jr., along with two others were headed to Colorado to pick up more methamphetamine. They attempted to elude law enforcement in a 30 minute, high speed vehicle chase during which they discarded 1500 fentanyl pills. Clark, Jr. also made “false” 911 calls to law enforcement to distract them, and avoid capture.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Clark, Jr. was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of four years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Clark, Jr. remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Ida and Sac County Sheriff’s Offices, the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Iowa DCI Laboratory
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4042. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to 248 Months in Federal Prison for Meth and Firearm ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Justin Derby, 46, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced October 16, 2025, to more than 20 years in federal prison.
Derby pled guilty on May 22, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Derby was involved in a conspiracy that involved his distribution of more than 700 grams of methamphetamine from June 2022 through June 2024 in the Sioux City area. Derby was involved in an attempted eluding and flight from law enforcement on a motorcycle in June of 2024. Upon apprehension, law enforcement seized over 85 grams of pure methamphetamine, a loaded 9mm pistol, additional ammunition and a scale from Derby’s backpack. Derby admitted to possessing the methamphetamine with plans to distribute it to others and possessing the firearm for protection of himself and his drugs. Derby had previously been convicted of four other eluding law enforcement offenses.
Derby was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Derby was sentenced to 248 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. Derby 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 the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Algona Police Department, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3033. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Anthony Girard, 39, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty November 12, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to receiving child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Girard admitted that from September 2023 through January 13, 2025, he received and possessed child pornography. Girard admitted he used proactive file sharing services to exchange over 13,000 files of investigative interest over the course of two years. During the investigation, agents from around Iowa were able to connect Girard’s IP to thousands of files of child pornography in 2023 and 2024. Agents observed large gaps in the dates the IP address was active, and Girard admitted the gaps in his access of child pornography were due to swings in his sex life. Girard further admitted he deleted file sharing apps off his phone while driving home on January 13, 2025, as law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home. The materials associated with Girard’s file sharing included depictions of infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Girard remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Girard faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4023. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Prairieburg Man Who Sexually Exploited at Least Six Children Sent to 40 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who used Snapchat, Instagram, and text messages to persuade children to engage in sexually explicit conduct, and send him photographs and videos of this conduct, was sentenced on October 1, 2025 to 40 years in federal prison.
Bryce Hans Plower, age 37, from Prairieburg, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 17, 2025 guilty plea to sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography.
Information in a plea agreement and at sentencing showed that between 2014 and 2024, Plower convinced multiple children to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. Some minors were as young as 12 years old. He paid several children, often as little as $1. Minors then sent him sexually explicit images that they felt they owed him. Plower also possessed child pornography on his phone, including of a child engaged in sexual acts with an animal, prepubescent children, and sadistic or masochistic conduct.
Plower was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Plower was sentenced to 480 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $6,000 in restitution to victims. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe 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.”
Plower is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-91.
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Iowa Attorney Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement to Iowa MedicaidRead the Press Release
An Iowa attorney who made a false statement to Iowa Medicaid pled guilty on October 30, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Timothy Mark Anderson, age 66, from Garner, Iowa, was convicted of one count of false statement relating to a health care matter.
At his plea hearing and in a plea agreement, Anderson admitted that he was a licensed attorney in the State of Iowa. Anderson offered financial, tax, and estate planning services to the public from his law office in Garner. Anderson’s legal services included assisting elderly clients on Medicaid eligibility.
Medicaid is a cooperative federal-state health care benefit program for low-income persons and others, including the elderly. As part of his legal services, Anderson prepared and submitted applications for Iowa Medicaid-funded nursing home care. Iowa Medicaid has rules for eligibility, including an evaluation of the financial resources available to the applicant. In determining the resources of an individual and spouse, one automobile is excluded regardless of value if it complies with, among other things, the requirements of the state law in which the application is filed.
In 2021, Father-1 and Mother-1 were two elderly married persons. Father-1 and Mother-1 had over $400,000 in assets, including a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox valued at $30,000, but wished to become eligible for Iowa Medicaid, have Iowa Medicaid pay for nursing home expenses, and pass on their assets to their heirs. Father-1 was receiving nursing home care at the time without public assistance.
In October 2021, Anderson deposited a $186,000 check from Mother-1 into his personal savings account, provided Mother-1 a certificate of title to a 1961 Rolls Royce Phantom V, and signed the title for that vehicle over to her. Anderson also created a bill of sale for this transaction, stating that the car was transferred on October 18, 2021. Two days earlier, on October 16, 2021, Anderson was driving the 1961 Rolls Royce and was involved in an accident. The 1961 Rolls Royce suffered front-end damage, was inoperable, and was towed to a farm shop.
On November 4, 2021, Anderson wrote Iowa Medicaid and provided a series of documents to qualify Father-1 for Iowa Medicaid benefits. Among other things, Anderson provided a document that stated that the Rolls Royce had a fair market value of $194,000. At the time Anderson submitted the form to Iowa Medicaid, he knew that the fair market value of that vehicle was not $194,000.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Anderson remains released pending sentencing. Anderson faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-3053.
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Fort Dodge Man to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Daniel Smith, 38, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was sentenced on October 8, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. On May 20, 2025, Smith pled guilty to one count of illegal possession of firearms. Smith was previously convicted of Unauthorized Possession of Offensive Weapons, in 2017, and Dominion/Control of Firearm/Offensive Weapon by a Felon, in 2022 both in Iowa. These convictions prohibit a person from possessing any firearm.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that in November 2024, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Smith possessed three firearms (rifles/shotgun) which had been provided to him by another person. On November 16, 2024, law enforcement went to Smith’s residence for a shots fired call and observed evidence of a shotgun being fired. During a follow-up search warrant on November 21, 2024, at Smith’s residence, law enforcement seized 3 firearms, a .22 rifle, a .410 shotgun, and a 16-gauge shotgun. Smith admitted he had received the firearms and had fired two of the firearms to test their functioning.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Smith was sentenced to 39 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 3-years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Smith remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-3052. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Fort Dodge man who sexually exploited several minors and distributed child pornography to children pled guilty November 12, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Pry’Shayn Mosley, 20, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Mosley admitted that between May 2022 and October 2022 he enticed two minors under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce visual depictions of such conduct. Mosley further admitted to possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material to other persons, including children. During the investigation into Mosely’s activities, a search warrant was executed at Mosley’s residence. Law enforcement seized several electronic devices along with marijuana, drug distribution paraphernalia, cash, and two loaded firearms. During the search, with police at the scene, Mosley convinced a juvenile at the residence to retrieve a package of drugs from another room and attempt to discard the drugs - cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officers observed the juvenile and stopped him before he could destroy the evidence. The child pornography created and distributed to children by Mosely involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Mosley remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Mosley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department and Webster County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3002. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
California Man Who Distributed Hundreds of Pounds of Meth in Dubuque Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine to co-conspirators in the Dubuque, Iowa, area, was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison.
Juan Jose Ruiz, age 29, from Visalia, California, received the prison term after an April 24, 2025 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine.
Evidence at sentencing showed that in 2021, Ruiz was responsible for distributing 200 pounds of methamphetamine and 2,000 grams of cocaine to other members of a drug-trafficking organization based in Dubuque, Iowa. In December 2021, Ruiz was driving a car from California to Iowa, when law enforcement stopped him in Colorado. Law enforcement searched his car and, under cutout doors in the metal floor of the car, found 25 pounds of ice methamphetamine.
Ruiz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Ruiz was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Ruiz is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-1006.
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Webster County Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
A man who possessed an unregistered short-barreled firearm pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa.
Jason Jay Hoogland, 38, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of an unregistered firearm, a short-barreled shotgun.
At the plea hearing, Hoogland admitted that on January 20, 2025, in Fort Dodge, he possessed a short-barreled 20-gauge shotgun which was not registered to him as required in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. That same day, he also possessed a stolen pistol. Law enforcement located these items, and drug paraphernalia, at defendant’s residence after executing a search warrant based on information that he had used a firearm to assault a person being treated at a local hospital. Later, on April 23, 2025, in Fort Dodge, Hoogland was found to possess another stolen firearm and short-barreled firearms not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hoogland remains in custody of the United States Marshals Service and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Hoogland faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case is also part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-03033. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Mexican Man Guilty of Illegally Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally re-entered the United States after having been convicted of a felony offense pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa.
Jesus Banuelos-Lepe, 49, who is a citizen of Mexico but had been living in Maurice, Iowa, was convicted of one count of illegal re-entry as a felon.
At the plea hearing, Banuelos-Lepe admitted that on July 20, 2025, he was arrested in Sioux County, Iowa, for operating vehicle while intoxicated. Following his arrest, he was booked into the Sioux County Jail but provided an alias to law enforcement. Further investigation proved his true identity as Banuelos-Lepe, a citizen of Mexico who had been removed from the United States on five occasions, and did not have permission to legally be in the United States. Banuelos-Lepe had previously been convicted of felony transportation of an illegal alien, in April of 2007, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Banuelos-Lepe remains in custody of the United States Marshal Service and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Banuelos-Lepe faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-04045. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar County man who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced on September 29, 2025, to almost 12 years in federal prison.
Shane Robert McDowell, age 44, from Clarence, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 14, 2025 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that, between 2016 and 2022, McDowell obtained methamphetamine from several different sources of supply and distributed it to drug customers. On February 5, 13, and 28, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted controlled purchases of methamphetamine from McDowell. In total, McDowell agreed that he was involved with at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
McDowell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. McDowell was sentenced to 135 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.
McDowell is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by former Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, the Tipton Police Department, the Muscatine County Drug Task Force, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑00070‑CJW.
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Michigan Felon who Possessed Firearm in Iowa Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced on September 26, 2025, to more than four years in federal prison.
Marquise Darius Dickerson, age 33, from Monroe, Michigan, received the prison term after an April 17, 2025 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
In August 2024, law enforcement officers in Oelwein, Iowa, responded to a report of an assault. The victim reported that Dickerson had spat and choked the victim. At the time of the assault, Dickerson was intoxicated. During a search of the residence, law enforcement officers located Dickerson’s firearm. Dickerson is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he is a felon.
Dickerson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Dickerson was sentenced to 52 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.
Dickerson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Nagin and investigated by the Oelwein Police Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-02048.
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Convicted Felon Who Possessed a Gun While Awaiting Sentencing on a Federal Firearms Charge Sentenced to Federal Prison AgainRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced on September 26, 2025, to nearly five years in federal prison.
Edward Earl Roby, Jr., age 28, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 13, 2025 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
In July 2021, Waterloo law enforcement officers discovered a gun in Roby’s car during a traffic stop. In December 2021, Roby plead guilty in federal court in Cedar Rapids to being a felon in possession of a gun for the July 2021 incident. Roby was allowed to remain released after his guilty plea.
In February 2022, while he was awaiting sentencing in federal court, law enforcement officers found Roby in a car that had been reported as being involved in a shots fired incident. Shortly after 4:00 a.m. on February 6, 2022, officers responded to the scene of a shooting after a report that the shots had been fired from a red car. Officers saw such a car and attempted to stop it. The car fled from officers. After a short chase, the car stopped. Officers found three people inside, including Roby who was in the backseat.
Law enforcement officers retraced the path of the chase. While doing so, they found a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun in a Crown Royal bag along the path. It was laying on top of a snowbank and appeared to have been thrown there recently. Officers also recovered six .40 caliber shell casings from near the scene of the shooting. The .40 caliber Smith & Wesson had a six-capacity magazine attached to it. The magazine was empty. Later DNA testing revealed that Roby’s DNA was on the slide and grip of the handgun.
Roby was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Dickerson was sentenced to 57 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.
In July 2022, Roby was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment for the case related to his possession of a firearm in July 2021.
Roby is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by 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.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 21-CR-2057 and 25-CR-02015.
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Waterloo Woman Going to Federal Prison for Defrauding Social Security Administration for More Than Twenty YearsRead the Press Release
A woman who concealed her ineligibility for Social Security benefits for twenty-two years was sentenced on September 23, 2025, to more than one year in federal prison.
Penny Linn Teel, age 60, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 23, 2025 guilty plea to one count of theft of government property.
In a plea agreement, Teel admitted that she began receiving insurance benefits from the Social Security Administration in 1992 after her husband passed away. In 2002, Teel married again. She did not report or disclose her marriage to the Social Security Administration. In 2022 and 2023, Teel filled out applications for Social Security benefits for her husband. She falsely indicated in those applications that he was not married. Information from sentencing showed that, when Teel was subsequently confronted by law enforcement agents, she made additional false statements about her marriage and whether she told the Social Security Administration that she was married.
Teel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Teel was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $297,281 in restitution to the Social Security Administration. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Teel 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 Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2042.
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Sioux City Man Tied to Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced to More Than 28 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man was sentenced today to more than 28 years in federal prison.
Freddie Summerville, age 56, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a March 11, 2025, guilty plea to two counts of a six-count Indictment.
Count 1 charged conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and Count 6 charged possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of drug trafficking.
One of Summerville’s known co-conspirators, Ramon Serrano, 31, of San Bernardino, California, was sentenced on December 12, 2024, to 151 months’ imprisonment. Another co-conspirator, Adrian Ibarra-Manzo, 29, of San Diego, California was sentenced on November 14, 2024, to 132 months’ imprisonment.
Evidence in the case revealed Summerville was part of a conspiracy based in Mexico and California that was responsible for distributing approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine and at least a pound of fentanyl in the Sioux City area. On January 3, 2024, Summerville was the subject of a traffic stop, where officers located methamphetamine, approximately 70 pills containing fentanyl, as well as drug paraphernalia, drug ledgers, cash and a loaded firearm. Summerville admitted to law enforcement that he had received 100 pounds of methamphetamine and an unknown quantity of fentanyl from his source of supply in Mexico.
Summerville was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 340 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.
Summerville is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
These cases were investigated by the DEA Tri-State Drug Task Force and the Sioux City Police Department and were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 24-4028 and 24-4022.
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Former Olin Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited children was sentenced September 23, 2025, to 40 years in federal prison
Christopher West, age 38, formerly from Olin, Iowa, received the sentence after an April 14, 2025, guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. At the plea hearing, West admitted that he sexually exploited four children and distributed child pornography. The record at the sentencing hearing showed that West sexually exploited four girls aged 6, 11, 15, and 17.
West was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. West was sentenced to 480 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term, and he must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cortland, Illinois, Police Department, the Waterloo Police Department, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Anamosa Police Department, the Jefferson City, Tennessee, Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 24-76.
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Dubuque Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jonathan Reed Snow, age 25, from Dubuque, Iowa, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids to one count of distribution of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Snow admitted that between September 2023 and August 2024, he used the Internet to distribute visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Evidence at a prior hearing showed that Snow also received and possessed child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent children, between June 2024 and August 2024.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Snow remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Snow faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $250,000 fine, $40,100 in special assessments, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1018. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Cedar Rapids Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Rose Lee Beranek, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Beranek admitted that in February 2024, she obtained nearly two pounds of methamphetamine in Arizona. She was driving to Cedar Rapids to distribute the methamphetamine, when law enforcement officers pulled over her car in Oklahoma. Law enforcement officers searched her car and found the methamphetamine in vacuum-sealed bags.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Oklahoma District One Narcotics Task Force. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence‑driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Beranek remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Beranek faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $10,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-13.
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Man Found After Entering Country Illegally Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An individual who was found in the United States after entering illegally on multiple occasions was sentenced on September 22, 2025, to 168 days imprisonment. Angel Aranda-Vazquez, age 37, a citizen of Mexico, received the prison term after a June 25, 2025 guilty plea to being found after illegal reentry. Aranda‑Vazquez had previously been removed from the United States and was found after trying to use identification documents illegally in Tama County, Iowa.
Aranda-Vazquez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Aranda-Vazquez was sentenced to 168 days imprisonment. Aranda-Vazquez must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Aranda-Vazquez 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 Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America. (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-000111.
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Iowa Farmer Pleads Guilty to Defrauding USDA Out of More than $1.5 Million in COVID-19 Pandemic Subsidies and StalkingRead the Press Release
An Iowa farmer who stole over $1.5 million in agricultural subsidies during the COVID-19 pandemic, stole multiple identities, and stalked a victim and witness in his case, pled guilty on September 19, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Tanner James Seuntjens, age 32, from Danbury, Iowa, was convicted of one count of theft of government funds, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of crop insurance fraud, and one count of stalking.
In a plea agreement, Seuntjens admitted that, between June 2020 and June 2021, he was a farmer who defrauded the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) out of more than $1.5 million in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (“CFAP”) grant moneys. Livestock producers qualified for CFAP subsidies on a per head basis that depended upon the producer’s self-certified livestock inventory. Seuntjens filed CFAP applications at three Iowa county USDA-Farm Service Agency (“FSA”) offices—in his own name and in the names of another individual and a limited liability company—that each falsely claimed ownership of thousands of swine. Seuntjens also admitted he later submitted false documents to USDA-FSA county commissioners who were attempting to verify the USDA payments during so-called “spot checks.”
Seuntjens admitted that, from March 2021 through April 2022, he defrauded a South Dakota bank. Seuntjens had borrowed funds from the bank as early as 2014 and pledged as collateral his accounts receivable, which included payments from the sales of grain and livestock. As a result, when Seuntjens sold grain and livestock at a cooperative and an auction, the bank required the cooperative and auction to issue two-party checks to Seuntjens and the bank. Seuntjens forged an authorized representative of the bank’s signature on two-party checks no less than 20 times and, as a result, deprived the bank of more than $400,000 of its collateral. Seuntjens spent the diverted funds on a combination of farming expenditures, a trip to Cocoa Beach and Disney World, transfers to family members, and large cash withdrawals.
Seuntjens admitted he committed crop insurance fraud in 2022 and 2023. Crop insurance is a federally subsidized program whereby farmers may receive payment from an authorized insurer in the event of adverse weather, fire, disease, and price declines. Seuntjens admitted he repeatedly underreported his crop yields during the 2022 and 2023 crop seasons, thereby receiving crop insurance funds to which he was not entitled.
Finally, Seuntjens admitted to stalking another person who was a victim and witness in the federal case. Specifically, Seuntjens admitted that there were federal and state court orders forbidding him from having any contact with the individual. In Auguust 2025, while on pretrial release in his federal criminal case, Seuntjens travelled to the person’s workplace in Nebraska and placed a tracking device on the person’s car. Seuntjens admitted he did so with the intent to harass and intimidate the witness and to place the person under surveillance.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Seuntjens was taken into custody for pretrial release violations prior to his sentencing hearing and remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Seuntjens faces a mandatory minimum sentence of three years of imprisonment without the possibility of parole and could receive up to 42 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole and a $1.75 million fine. Seuntjens also may be ordered to serve up to 5 years of supervised release following his release from imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and Special Investigations Staff.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 25-CR-4026 and 25-CR-4052.
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Garner Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on September 19, 2025, to 12 years in federal prison.
Andrew Frazee, 32, from Garner, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 1, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute over a pound of methamphetamine.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, Frazee admitted that in November of 2024, he and others conspired to distribute over a pound of methamphetamine in and around Hancock County, Iowa. Evidence showed that, on November 19, 2024, law enforcement observed Frazee and his vehicle in a ditch in rural Hancock County. Upon contact with law enforcement, Frazee exhibited signs of impairment and deputies noted the smell of marijuana. A search of the vehicle was conducted where deputies found approximately 325 grams of methamphetamine, a smoking device, baggies, over $1,200 cash, a scale, and marijuana. Frazee admitted recently buying large quantities of methamphetamine and distributing to others.
Frazee was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Frazee was sentenced to 144 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.
Frazee 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 T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, 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 25-CR-03003. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Cedar Rapids Man Who Sold Fentanyl Near Elementary School Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed fentanyl near a school was sentenced today to more than 11 years in federal prison. D’quon Morrow, age 27, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 28, 2025 guilty plea to one count of distribution of at least 40 grams of fentanyl near a protected location.
Evidence in a plea agreement and at sentencing showed that between February 2024 and July 2024, in Cedar Rapids, Morrow agreed with others to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. In March 2024, he distributed 6.50 grams of fentanyl and fluorofentanyl to another person. In April 2024, he sold a firearm to another person. At the time, Morrow had a felony conviction for eluding. In May 2024, he distributed 20.75 grams of fentanyl to another person. In June 2024, he distributed 48.60 grams of fentanyl to another person near Madison Elementary School in Cedar Rapids. In July 2024, law enforcement searched Morrow’s residence and recovered two firearms, ammunition, and over 1,000 fentanyl pills.
Morrow was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Morrow was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment and must also serve an eight-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Morrow is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-4.
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