Northern District of Iowa
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former CEO who Stole over $600,000 Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A former Chief Executive Officer of a telecommunications provider in the Northern District of Iowa, who stole over $600,000, was sentenced on September 18, 2025, to more than three years in federal prison.
Anthony James Lang, age 42, a resident of Jesup, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 9, 2025 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud.
From January 2017 through January 2023, Lang devised and executed a scheme to defraud his employer, a telecommunication and internet service provider. At the time of the scheme, Lang was the CEO of the company and had access to their books and accounts. Over a six-year time period, Lang stole over $600,000 from the company. At sentencing, Chief Judge C.J. Williams described Lang’s conduct as the product of greed and waste.
Lang was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Lang was sentenced to 38 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $662,736.00 in restitution. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lang 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 Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 2025-CR-2017.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Alexander Summers, 30, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on September 17, 2025, to 150 months’ imprisonment. Summers pled guilty May 8, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea and sentencing hearings evidence showed that for about five months in 2023 Summers and others conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area. Specifically, on one occasion in 2023, Summers distributed nearly one pound of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Summers further admitted to trafficking approximately 2 ½ pounds of meth with other sources, and helping another person traffic meth in exchange for a place to live in Sioux City.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Summers was sentenced to 150 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Summers 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; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4051. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Cedar Rapids Man Who Shot Another Person During a Failed Drug Deal Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who shot another person during a failed drug deal was sentenced today to 18 years in federal prison.
Seth John Lee McGraw, age 25, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 3, 2025 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm.
On August 24, 2024, McGraw met with an individual in Cedar Rapids to sell marijuana. The deal did not go according to plan, and McGraw ultimately pulled out a firearm and fired multiple shots at the individual, striking that individual twice. Law enforcement officers searched McGraw’s apartment later that same day and located multiple firearms and drugs. One of the firearms that officers located at McGraw’s apartment was a short-barreled rifle that was not properly registered to McGraw.
McGraw was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. McGraw was sentenced to 216 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.
McGraw 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and 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 25-CR-7.
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Minnesota Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Harboring FugitiveRead the Press Release
A Minnesota man who harbored and concealed a fugitive in 2022 was sentenced today to nine months in federal prison. Jay Anthony Tapper, age 57, from Rosemount, Minnesota, received the prison term after a May 13, 2025, guilty plea to one count of harboring a fugitive.
At his plea and sentencing hearings, it was established that, in August and September of 2022, Tapper knew there was a federal warrant outstanding for the arrest of Mary Kate Nguyen. Tapper booked hotels for Nguyen in his own name, bought her a camper in which to stay, and served as a lookout during a meeting with a potential fraud victim. Tapper intended to prevent Nguyen’s discovery and arrest on then-pending felony charges.
During the time Nguyen was on the lam in 2022, Tapper and Nguyen submitted the winning $1.3 million bid to purchase the former U.S. Courthouse in Bemidji, Minnesota. Tapper later continued to have telephone calls with Nguyen while she was incarcerated, helping her with financial transactions.
U.S. Marshals ultimately arrested Nguyen, and she was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment on fraud and contempt charges in January 2025. Tapper also admitted he made false statements to, and withheld documents from, a grand jury that was investigating Nguyen for financial crimes in 2022.
Tapper was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Tapper was sentenced to 9 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.
Tapper 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 Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation-Special Enforcement Operations Bureau. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Woodbury (Minnesota) Police Department, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement, and Iowa Division of Intelligence assisted in the investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 25-CR-4024 (Tapper) and 21-CR-3037 (Nguyen).
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Wisconsin Felon Who Held Woman at Gunpoint Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A felon who held a woman at gunpoint and threatened to kill her was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.
Mickey Lee Miller, age 38, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, received the prison term after an April 21, 2025 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information in a plea agreement and at the sentencing hearing showed that on October 16, 2024, in Dubuque, Iowa, Miller pointed a loaded gun at a woman and threatened to kill her and others. Miller was taken into custody that night. On numerous occasions since October, Miller assaulted jail staff. Miller has a prior felony conviction for robbery with threat of force.
Miller was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Miller was sentenced to 41 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 (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).
Miller is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1008.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Priest Morris, 21, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on September 12, 2025, to over 5 years’ imprisonment, in federal court in Sioux City. Morris pled guilty May 1, 2025, to possession of child pornography.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings, showed that from January 2024, through August 2024, Morris used the Discord, Twitter, Telegram, and Snapchat applications to receive, distribute, and possess visual depictions of child pornography including materials involving a prepubescent minor or minor under the age of 12. The Sioux City Police Department received two CyberTips about a Snapchat account uploading child pornography. Law enforcement connected the account back to Morris. During the execution of a search warrant on Morris’ electronics, Morris admitted he received and possessed child pornography, and it would be located on his phone and iPad. Forensic analysis of his electronics showed that Morris possessed over 1,500 images and 6 videos of child pornography including materials that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as infants and toddlers.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Morris was sentenced to 66 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to the child victims. Morris must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Morris 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 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 24-4086. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Mason City Man Sentenced to 11 years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Intent to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
Jacob Shafer, 34, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced September 12, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Shafer pled guilty on May 7, 2025, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of illegal possession of a firearm. Shafer was previously convicted of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, and trafficking in stolen weapons in Iowa in March of 2022. Both of these convictions prohibit a person from possessing any firearm.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that in March 2024, during the execution of a search warrant at Shafer’s home, law enforcement seized the following: four bags of methamphetamine; drug paraphernalia including pipes, bongs, grinders, and baggies; a digital scale; ninety-six .380 caliber Winchester rounds of ammunition; a Ruger LCP, .380 pistol, and a total of 6 rounds of ammunition, which included a round in the chamber; a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol, and a total of 13 rounds of ammunition; an Intratec AB-10, 9mm pistol, and a total of 22 rounds of ammunition in the magazine; and a Rock Island Armory, .45 caliber pistol. Shafer admitted he had plans to distribute the methamphetamine that officers found.
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. Shafer was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment and will serve a four-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Shafer remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Mason City Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin C. Fletcher and Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3055. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Man Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being RemovedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being removed was sentenced September 11, 2025, to 127 days’ imprisonment.
Gerardo Santis-Jiron, also known as Pedro Simon Rivera-Perez, age 36, a citizen of Guatemala, received the prison term after a June 10, 2025 guilty plea to one count of being found in the United States after illegal reentry.
At the guilty plea, Santis-Jiron admitted he had previously been removed from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Santis-Jiron was previously removed in 2009. On April 27, 2025, immigration officials found him at the Linn County Jail following his arrest on state charges for operating while under the influence.
Santis-Jiron was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Santis-Jiron was sentenced to 127 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Santis-Jiron is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
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).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by Enforcement and Removal Operations of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-36.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Andrew Gross, 42, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty September 11, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Gross was convicted of possessing child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Gross admitted that between April 1, 2024, and May 14, 2024, he engaged in the receipt and possession of child pornography. Sioux City Police received a report from the parents of a 15-year-old regarding conversations Gross was having with their child that were sexual in nature. Further investigation revealed that Gross and the minor victim discussed sexually explicit messages which also contained photographs of the minor victim. Gross also admitted to possessing other images and videos of child pornography. In 2021, Gross had been convicted of offenses relating to aggravated sexual abuse involving a minor in Minnesota.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Gross remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Gross faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by Sioux City Police Department and the South Sioux City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4021. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Cherokee, Iowa, Man to Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Roger Strickland, age 62, from Cherokee, Iowa, was sentenced September 9, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, to over 5 years in prison. Strickland pled guilty on April 25, 2025, to two counts of possessing child pornography.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from June 2022, through May 2023, Strickland received and possessed child pornography. Agents searched Strickland’s home on May 25, 2023, and seized several pieces of evidence. Agents asked to speak to whomever at the home was downloading child pornography and Strickland replied, “It’s me.” Then, while agents were awaiting results of the forensic analysis of Strickland’s electronic devices, law enforcement was again notified Strickland was receiving and possessing child pornography. Strickland admitted that between August 2023, through February 2024, Strickland received and possessed more child pornography even while knowing he was actively being investigated. In total, over 225 videos and 8,000 images of child pornography were discovered on his electronic devices. Strickland further admitted that the images and videos involved material portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Strickland was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Strickland was also ordered to pay $39,000 in restitution to the child victims in the case. Strickland remains in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Cherokee Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR24-4067. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Mexican Man Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being RemovedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being removed multiple times was sentenced today to twelve months and one day in federal prison.
Fabian Arias-Ramirez, age 39, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Hampton, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 12, 2025, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been removed from the country.
At the guilty plea, Arias-Ramirez admitted he had previously been removed from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Arias-Ramirez was previously ordered removed in 2013 but absconded and was not actually removed until 2019. After being removed in 2019, he was caught attempting to enter the country on multiple occasions and removed each time. On April 22, 2025, immigration officials encountered Arias-Ramirez in Iowa Falls, Iowa, after he met with his probation officer following his second conviction for Operating While Intoxicated.
This conviction was Arias-Ramirez’s third federal conviction for a crime related to illegal immigration. He was previously convicted of two misdemeanor offenses of illegal entry. Additionally, he has been convicted of Operating While Intoxicated in Iowa state court twice, in 2013 and 2024, as well as being convicted of Criminal Mischief.
Arias-Ramirez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was sentenced to twelve months and one day of imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (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).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-40.
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Guatemalan Woman Sentenced After Unlawfully Using Identification DocumentRead the Press Release
A woman who unlawfully used a social security card was sentenced today to 109 days in federal prison. Cindy Fabiola Santos-Perez, age 35, a citizen of Guatemala, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document.
In a plea agreement, Santos-Perez admitted that on December 15, 2020, Santos-Perez used a fraudulent social security card to prove her authorization to work in the United States. On April 13, 2021, she again used a fraudulent social security card to prove her authorization to work in the United States. On May 17, 2022, she falsely represented a social security number to be her account number, and she did so with the intent to deceive.
Santos-Perez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Santos-Perez was sentenced to 109 days’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (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).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, and the Postville Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2005.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Daniel Kaler, 38, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty September 8, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to possessing child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Kaler admitted that from November 2023 to October 2024 he received and possessed over 7,000 images and videos of child pornography. The images and videos involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct, as well as prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers. A CyberTip from Verizon’s cloud storage company to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children connected the downloads back to Kaler’s account. Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for Kaler’s electronic devices. Analysis of Kaler’s devices showed he utilized third-party browsers called “Brave” and “Yandex” to search and download child pornography.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Kaler was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Kaler faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. 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.”
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4016. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Former Storm Lake City Employee Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Brian Oakleaf, 52, from Storm Lake, Iowa, pled guilty September 9, 2025, to two counts of possession of child pornography in federal court in Sioux City.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that from March 1, 2022, through July 29, 2024, Oakleaf received, distributed, and possessed child pornography, including a depiction involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age on two separate cellular phones. In May 2024, law enforcement conducted an investigation online into a file sharing program and directed their focus on an IP address that was sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Investigation into the ownership of the IP address at the time of the file sharing led investigators to Oakleaf. On July 29, 2024, investigators executed search warrants at Oakleaf’s residence and office at Storm Lake City Hall and seized cell phones and electronics. Forensic analysis of Oakleaf’s devices further showed that he used the file sharing program investigators were targeting and used a litany of known child exploitation search terms to obtain CSAM. Evidence further showed that he had used the alias of Dan Dyle to look at and trade child pornography. In the plea agreement, Oakleaf admitted he possessed 1 video over 90 minutes in length and over 20,000 images of child pornography across the two phones. The videos and images included depictions of toddlers, bondage, and sadistic and masochistic conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Oakleaf was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Oakleaf faces a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by 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 25-4020. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Humboldt County Man to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Lawrence Moore, 37, from Bode, Iowa, was sentenced on September 4, 2025, to 96 months’ imprisonment. On April 10, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Moore pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Moore was previously convicted of Armed Robbery and Aggravated Battery (three times) in Cook County, Illinois. The convictions prohibited Moore from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Moore was involved in negotiations for the buying and selling of firearms to other people. During the fall of 2024, Moore communicated with an undercover agent, attempting to buy or trade a firearm with the agent. Moore also discussed selling marijuana to the agent. On November 18, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Moore’s residence. Law enforcement located and seized a Smith & Wesson Model 59 semi-automatic pistol, which Moore had referenced previously to the agent. The fully loaded firearm was located inside a void cut into the mattress in the bedroom shared by Moore and his wife. Law enforcement also located and seized marijuana and drug use paraphernalia in the residence, including in the bedroom.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Moore was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment and must serve three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Moore remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), 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 24-3050. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Mason City Brothers Sentenced to More than 20 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Bradley Winters, age 58, was sentenced today, to 20 years in federal prison, after a March 18, 2025, guilty plea to two counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Bradley had previously been convicted of a serious drug felony. Bradley’s criminal history is extensive, with 33 prior convictions. His convictions include controlled substance violations (including a 2009 federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine), multiple thefts, and multiple assaults.
Gary Winters, age 63, was sentenced January 3, 2025, to 25 years in federal prison, after a July 24, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Gary had previously been convicted of a serious drug felony in 2010. Gary’s criminal history includes a 1999 possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying firearms in connection with drug trafficking and a 2010 conviction for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Evidence in the case revealed that between July 2023 and August 2023, Bradley Winters and Gary Winters were part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa to distribute methamphetamine. Bradley Winters sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant, working with law enforcement. Gary was serving a term of supervised release for his 2010 drug conviction when he was involved in the conspiracy, including his possession of over 180 grams of methamphetamine when he was stopped by law enforcement on August 24, 2023.
After Bradley was indicted in this case, he was released on pre-trial supervision. Bradley failed to appear as ordered on July 18, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. It was later discovered that Bradley cut off his GPS ankle monitor. An arrest warrant was issued for his arrest, and on July 26, 2024, Bradley was located by officers in Clear Lake, Iowa where he fled from officers on foot and fought with them. Bradley was in possession of several baggies of methamphetamine, as well as more than $6,000 cash.
Gary Winters was sentenced on January 3, 2025, in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 300 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Bradley Winters was sentenced today, by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 240 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Gary Winters and Brad Winters are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department, Clear Lake Police 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 23-3032.
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Mason City Brothers Sentenced to More than 20 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Bradley Winters, age 58, was sentenced today, to 20 years in federal prison, after a March 18, 2025, guilty plea to two counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Bradley had previously been convicted of a serious drug felony. Bradley’s criminal history is extensive, with 33 prior convictions. His convictions include controlled substance violations (including a 2009 federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine), multiple thefts, and multiple assaults.
Gary Winters, age 63, was sentenced January 3, 2025, to 25 years in federal prison, after a July 24, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Gary had previously been convicted of a serious drug felony in 2010. Gary’s criminal history includes a 1999 possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying firearms in connection with drug trafficking and a 2010 conviction for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Evidence in the case revealed that between July 2023 and August 2023, Bradley Winters and Gary Winters were part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa to distribute methamphetamine. Bradley Winters sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant, working with law enforcement. Gary was serving a term of supervised release for his 2010 drug conviction when he was involved in the conspiracy, including his possession of over 180 grams of methamphetamine when he was stopped by law enforcement on August 24, 2023.
After Bradley was indicted in this case, he was released on pre-trial supervision. Bradley failed to appear as ordered on July 18, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. It was later discovered that Bradley cut off his GPS ankle monitor. An arrest warrant was issued for his arrest, and on July 26, 2024, Bradley was located by officers in Clear Lake, Iowa where he fled from officers on foot and fought with them. Bradley was in possession of several baggies of methamphetamine, as well as more than $6,000 cash.
Gary Winters was sentenced on January 3, 2025, in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 300 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Bradley Winters was sentenced today, by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 240 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Gary Winters and Brad Winters are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department, Clear Lake Police 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 23-3032.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited children and distributed child pornography was sentenced September 3, 2025, to 20 years in federal prison.
Bryce Bock, 32, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 7, 2025, guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from July 1, 2022, through July 2, 2024, Bock used and coerced a minor under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. Bock admitted to utilizing an app called Anonymous Chat to receive and send images of child pornography some included toddlers and sadistic and masochistic conduct. A forensic review of Bock’s phone found he possessed 24 images of child sexual abuse material, including images of a known minor victim.
Bock was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Bock was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay $1,200 in fines and assessments. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Bock is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4074. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Mason City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Cleon Mitchell, Jr., 46, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced on September 4, 2025, to 12 years’ imprisonment. Mitchell, Jr. pled guilty April 30, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to possession of child pornography.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from August 2022, through April 2024, Mitchell used the applications Kik and Snapchat to receive and possess visual depictions of child pornography which involved a prepubescent minor or minor under the age of 12. Snapchat reported Mitchell Jr.’s account to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who in turn reported the information to law enforcement. Law enforcement connected the account back to Mitchell, Jr. and obtained a search warrant for his home and electronics. During the execution of the search warrant, Mitchell, Jr. admitted he had received and possessed child pornography, and it would be located on his phone. Forensic analysis of his electronics showed that Mitchell, Jr. possessed 30 videos and 50 images of child pornography including materials that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children and toddlers. Mitchell also later admitted he had engaged in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor and he plead guilty to Lascivious Acts with a Child in February 2025 in Cerro Gordo County District Court.
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 was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mitchell, Jr. was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment, was ordered to pay $600 in fines and assessments, and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. Mitchell, Jr. remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Mason City Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations 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 24-3038. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Humboldt County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for 25 Years on Multiple ConvictionsRead the Press Release
A man who was convicted of two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after having been previously convicted of a serious drug felony, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and failure to appear, was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison.
Nathan Nickless, age 40, from Dakota City, Humboldt County, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 1, 2025, guilty plea.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that on August 12, 2023, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, law enforcement attempted a traffic stop on a truck Nickless was driving. Nickless attempted to evade law enforcement onto a river road. After ramming his truck into a non-law enforcement vehicle, Nickless stopped his truck and fled on foot but was apprehended while trying to climb a river embankment. During the flight by foot, Nickless was in possession of a backpack. In the backpack, law enforcement found a loaded 9mm pistol, multiple bags of narcotics including approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, pills, THC gummies, ammunition, a scale, and multiple small baggies.
Nickless was federally charged but was allowed to remain released pending his July 8, 2024, federal trial. Nickless failed to appear as required for trial and absconded from law enforcement over the next several months.
Evidence at the hearings further showed that, on September 28, 2024, in Humboldt County, Iowa, law enforcement became aware Nickless was in the area. Law enforcement located Nickless and attempted to stop the vehicle he was driving. He refused to stop and began a vehicle pursuit with law enforcement where he again abandoned the vehicle he was driving in a field by a river. Law enforcement lost sight of Nickless when he went on foot along the river. The abandoned vehicle was seized, and a search warrant was granted.
Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found methamphetamine, multiple baggies of marijuana, pills, a scale, empty baggies for distribution, a methamphetamine pipe, and a marijuana pipe. On October 2, 2024, Nickless was found hiding inside a residence in Humboldt County and was arrested.
Nickless was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Nickless was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Nickless is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick T. Greenwood, and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 23-3040. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Spencer Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute it was sentenced on August 27, 2025, to more than eight years in federal prison.
Dylan Everett Halbur, age 33, from Spencer, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 28, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a mixture of substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that on August 26, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on a camper in Spencer, Iowa, where Halbur was known to reside and store items. Inside, law enforcement located approximately 45 grams of methamphetamine, $2,900 in cash, marijuana, a digital scale and other indicia of drug use and distribution. Halbur admitted the methamphetamine was his and that he intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to another.
Halbur was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Halbur was sentenced to 105 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.
Halbur is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Spencer Police Department, the Clay 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 24-4077. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
George, Iowa, Man Sentenced to 130 Months in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine, distributed methamphetamine, and possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced August 21, 2025, to more than 10 years in federal prison.
John Rothkehl, Jr., 40, from George, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 11, 2025, guilty plea.
Evidence at plea and sentencing hearings showed that from January 2022, through October 2024, Rothkehl and others conspired to distribute at least 150 grams of pure methamphetamine. In September 2024 Rothkehl distributed methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. In October 2024, law enforcement stopped a vehicle with Rothkehl as a passenger. A K-9 indicated the presence of controlled substances. A search of the vehicle revealed over 35 grams of pure methamphetamine in the backseat with Rothkehl. Rothkehl admitted he intended to distribute the methamphetamine to another person or persons. Rothkehl was arrested and admitted that he had a fentanyl pill hidden in his underwear. Evidence further showed that Rothkehl made trips to Spencer, Iowa, and South Sioux City, Nebraska, to obtain methamphetamine to further distribute in the George, Iowa, area.
Rothkehl was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Rothkehl was sentenced to 130 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.
Rothkehl is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case 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, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shawn Wehde and Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4091. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine-Related CrimeRead the Press Release
Cleveland Stephens, also known as “Schmitty,” age 63, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Stephens admitted that between August 2022 and June 2024, in the Northern District of Iowa, he agreed with another person to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and at least 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Stephens remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Stephens faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra T. Hake and Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-92.
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Independence Man Charged with Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
Jordan Michael Million, age 23, from Independence, Iowa, has been charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography. The charges are contained in an Indictment, unsealed on August 20, 2025, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Indictment alleges that between April 2024 and December 2024, Million received child pornography. It further alleges that, between April 2024 and December 2024, Million possessed child pornography on an Apple cellular telephone and that, between October 2024 and December 2024, Million possessed child pornography on a Motorola cellular telephone.
If convicted on all charges, Million faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, $84,300 in special assessments, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Million appeared today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Marshalltown Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Independence Police Department, the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cedar Bend Humane Society.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2048.
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Cedar Rapids Felon Who Ran from Police and Tossed Gun Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a felon pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Bruce Jovon Williams, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence at a prior hearing showed that, on August 28, 2024, in Cedar Rapids, a woman reported to law enforcement that Williams had physically assaulted her and hit her with a gun. Law enforcement officers found and approached Williams. When Williams saw the officers, Williams ran into a nearby backyard and hid in a small garage. He refused to leave the garage and was apprehended by a K9. In the backyard, near the small garage, law enforcement officers found a firearm. Williams has two felony convictions for theft in the second degree.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Williams remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Williams faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, comprised of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Marion Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-108.
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Fort Dodge, Iowa, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced to ten years in federal prison.
Christopher Lee Caquelin, age 41, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 26, 2025, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
At the guilty plea, Caquelin admitted that from January 1, 2023, to about October 31, 2024, Caquelin was part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Fort Dodge, Iowa, to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. Caquelin and others sold methamphetamine to people in the Fort Dodge area.
Caquelin was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Caquelin was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Caquelin is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and Jack Lammers and was investigated by Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, and 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-03049. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Arthur, Iowa, Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography pled guilty August 20, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Wesley Ham, 32, from Arthur, Iowa, was convicted of receipt of child pornography. At the plea hearing, evidence showed that between March 2022, and September 2023, Ham received and possessed more than 94 images and 79 videos of child pornography. A forensic review of Ham’s computer and phone showed he possessed 370 images and 3 videos of child pornography, some of which included infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct. Ham admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography but not distributing it, although Ham did admit to distributing child pornography in a state of Iowa case in 2022.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ham remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Ham 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. 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.”
The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (Cyber Crime Bureau) and the Ida 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 25-3017. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Waterloo Man to Federal Prison for Gang-Related ShootingRead the Press Release
A man who was one of four shooters who collectively fired thirty-four rounds of ammunition at a residence occupied by eight people, including a child, was sentenced on August 19, 2025, to fifteen years in federal prison.
Anthony Kyle O’Donnell, age 37, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 18, 2024 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information from sentencing showed that on the afternoon of August 21, 2022, four individuals dressed in all black clothing opened fire at a residence in Waterloo. After the shooting, the individuals fled. Officers located two men dressed in all black outside a residence about five blocks away. Officers found three firearms in a shed near the men. An officer encountered O’Donnell about a block away from the firearms. He was wearing all black clothing and sweating.
Officers collected thirty-four shell casings at the scene of the shooting. Eight people, including a two-year-old child, were inside the house when they were fired upon. Bullets penetrated the living room and a bedroom. Four of the occupants suffered bleeding injuries from broken glass, and one had a graze from a bullet.
DNA testing showed that O’Donnell’s DNA was on one of the recovered firearms, a stolen Beretta pistol. Ten of the thirty-four rounds were fired from that firearm. Law enforcement identified the shooting as gang-related based on the gang associations of four of the victims and the associations of O’Donnell and the other two men they located.
O’Donnell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. O’Donnell was sentenced to 180 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.
O’Donnell 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 a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2019.
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Fort Dodge, Iowa, Man to Federal Prison for Possessing with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Alan Eugene Beier age 61, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was sentenced on August 19, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on September 14, 2024, an officer with the Clear Lake Police Department was dispatched for a driving complaint. The reporting party advised there was a dark colored motorcycle, dim headlight, and no taillights. The officer located the motorcycle and conducted a traffic stop. Beier was arrested for driving infractions. Beier and the motorcycle were searched and law enforcement recovered $864 cash, 10 grams of cocaine, 82 grams of marijuana, and 235 grams of methamphetamine. Beier further admitted to purchasing the methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana for $2,600 in Minnesota prior to being stopped and had plans to sell the methamphetamine to other persons in Northern Iowa.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Beier was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Beier remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Clear Lake Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin C. Fletcher and Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-3044. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited a child pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Kevin Patrick Sullivan, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Sullivan admitted that between June 2013 and February 2015, he produced visual depictions of a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Between June 2013 and January 2025, on multiple electronic devices, he possessed child pornography that showed a prepubescent child. Between November 2013 and January 2025, he used the Internet to receive child pornography.
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. Sullivan remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Sullivan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 70 years’ imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, $117,300 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-30.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
Omar Barrientos, 35, from Sioux City, Iowa pled guilty August 19, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea hearing showed that on June 20, 2024, law enforcement was dispatched to remove a subject sleeping in a vehicle in the Thompson Electric parking lot in Sioux City, Iowa. Law enforcement arrived and knocked on the driver’s window eventually waking up Barrientos. Barrientos was the sole occupant of the vehicle and exhibited strange behavior and signs of impairment. Law enforcement observed a set of pills in the center console and in plain view on the driver’s side floorboard was a white, crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine. Upon further search of the vehicle, law enforcement found a bag under the driver’s seat containing just under a pound of methamphetamine. Barrientos admitted that he planned to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to another person or persons.
Barrientos had previously been convicted of willful injury and criminal gang participation, in 2009 and in 2016 he was again convicted of willful injury along with assault while displaying a dangerous weapon and going armed with intent.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Barrientos remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Barrientos 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 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 and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4065. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Man Involved in Drug Conspiracy While on Supervised Release Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man involved in a drug conspiracy in Waterloo, Iowa, was sentenced August 18, 2025, to 60 months in federal prison.
Adis Vretenarevic, age 30, who lived in Waterloo, Iowa, at the time of the instant crime, received the prison term after a March 21, 2025 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
From August 2022 through January 2024, Vretenarevic was involved in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of marijuana intended for further distribution in Waterloo. During this time, Vretenarevic deposited thousands of dollars in drug proceeds into a bank account used by the drug trafficking organization. At the time of the conspiracy, Vretenarevic was on federal supervision for the prior crime of possession of a firearm by a drug user.
Vretenarevic was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Vretenarevic was sentenced to 60 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. Vretenarevic 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, at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR- 02050-004.
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Fentanyl Smuggler and Dealer Sentenced to over Three Decades in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Waterloo man who smuggled fentanyl into the United States and distributed it in the Waterloo area was sentenced today to 37 years in federal prison.
Javoni Marcelius Butler, also known as “G Man,” age 44, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 20, 2024 jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of international money laundering, and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Evidence at trial and sentencing showed that, beginning in at least January 2022, and continuing until December 20, 2023, Butler traveled to Mexico on several occasions to acquire fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder. In total, Butler obtained over 10,000 fentanyl pills and a significant quantity of fentanyl powder from his source of supply in Mexico, which Butler smuggled into the United States and brought to the Waterloo area. During that time, Butler possessed firearms, and he made credible threats of violence towards others, including threatening to kill his son over a drug‑related dispute. Butler also directed the drug‑related activities of multiple individuals, including his girlfriend.
On March 14, 2023, Butler’s friend asked Butler for additional fentanyl pills, and Butler directed the friend to Butler’s residence to obtain the pills as Butler was out of town. Butler’s friend told Butler that he just kept “popping” the fentanyl pills, and Butler warned the friend that the pills were dangerous. The next day, Butler’s friend was found dead from a fentanyl‑related overdose, which was caused by the fentanyl pills that Butler’s friend acquired from Butler.
On May 9, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on Butler as Butler had an active warrant for his arrest. During the traffic stop, officers searched Butler’s vehicle and seized a backpack that contained almost $60,000.
On December 20, 2023, law enforcement officers searched Butler’s residence and another residence that Butler utilized as a “stash” house. Officer seized over 40 grams of fentanyl powder, a fentanyl pill, and a firearm. Around the time of the searches, officers intercepted phone calls made by Butler to others, including his girlfriend and his sister. During those calls, Butler stated that he was “going to jail,” expressed regret that he didn’t stop selling fentanyl earlier, and discussed fleeing to either Mexico or Belize to avoid prosecution. Butler was arrested by law enforcement in the Southern District of Texas on December 21, 2023.
Butler was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Butler was sentenced to 444 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.
Butler is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson, and it was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the 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; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and Homeland Security Investigations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23‑CR‑02078‑CJW.
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Marion Man Sentenced to over a Decade in Federal Prison for Distributing Ice MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A Marion, Iowa, man who was responsible for the distribution of over 1.5 kilograms of ice methamphetamine was sentenced on August 13, 2025, to over ten years in federal prison.
Robert Owen Bell, age 48, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 11, 2025, guilty plea to a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Throughout 2023, Bell and another individual conspired to distribute ice methamphetamine in Cedar Rapids and Marion. During an investigation, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential source to conduct two controlled purchases of ice methamphetamine from Bell for a total of over 100 grams of ice methamphetamine. On November 14, 2023, officers observed Bell drive to and from his co-conspirator’s residence and officers subsequently initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle driven by Bell. Officers searched the vehicle and seized approximately 65.64 grams of ice methamphetamine.
Bell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Bell was sentenced to 130 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration 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-60.
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Five-Time Felon and Domestic Abuser Convicted for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who possessed a firearm after five felony convictions and a conviction for a misdemeanor domestic abuse offense was convicted by a jury today after a two-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Kirby Joe Truesdell, age 48, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of possession of a firearm by prohibited person based on his prior felony convictions and domestic abuse offense. The verdict was returned this morning following just over an hour of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Truesdell was observed in a residence that was not occupied at the time. When Cedar Rapids police officers arrived on scene to investigate, they located Truesdell coming out of the garage. Truesdell was not cooperative with officers and was taken into custody. Officers located a loaded revolver inside a backpack in Truesdell’s possession. Truesdell was previously convicted of the following felony offenses: OWI 3rd Offense (on two occasions), burglary, theft, and forgery. He was also previously convicted of assault causing bodily injury - domestic abuse-penalty enhanced.
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).
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Truesdell remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Truesdell faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Nydle and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Department with assistance from the US Marshal Service and the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-00006.
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Cedar Rapids Felon Who Tosses Gun During High-Speed Chase Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A felon who discarded a loaded firearm while fleeing from the police was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison. Lawrence Curtis Glover, age 42, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 10, 2025 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information at sentencing showed that on January 6, 2024, law enforcement stopped a car that Glover was driving in Cedar Rapids. After Glover realized that officers were going to search his car, he fled and led officers on a high-speed pursuit. He reached speeds of at least 80 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone. During the chase, he tossed a loaded firearm out the window of his car. Glover then pulled over. Officers later searched his car and found psilocybin chocolates and marijuana. Glover has a 2011 federal conviction for distribution and aiding and abetting the distribution of 5 grams or more of cocaine base.
Glover was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Glover was sentenced to 66 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.
Glover 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 Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Marion Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-3.
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Alta Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a firearm pled guilty August 11, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Taxavier Ford, 29, from Alta, Iowa, was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ford was previously convicted of possession of a narcotic drug, in the State of Indiana in 2017, and possession of marijuana, with intent to deliver and possession of a firearm by a felon, in the Iowa District Court for Buena Vista County in 2021. Both of these convictions prohibit a person from possessing any firearm.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on March 14, 2025, in Storm Lake, Iowa, law enforcement observed a vehicle, driven by Ford, with illegal window tint and initiated a traffic stop. Officers measured the window tint which revealed it was in excess of Iowa state law. When measuring the window tint, officers smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle and Ford, officers found a metal object in Ford’s waistband. Ford admitted he had a loaded firearm in his waistband.
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).
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ford remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Ford faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and no more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Storm Lake Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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 25-4028. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
South Sioux Man to Federal Prison for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute fentanyl was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.
Joshua Rysavy, age 35, from South Sioux City, Nebraska, received the prison term after a March 18, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
At the sentencing hearing, evidence showed that Rysavy took part in the distribution of approximately 8.5 pounds of pills containing fentanyl across Iowa and Nebraska between 2022 and June 2023. As part of the investigation, law enforcement utilized an undercover officer to make several purchases from Rysavy of counterfeit oxycodone pills marked “M30” but which contained fentanyl. Following these purchases, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Rysavy’s South Sioux City residence where several firearms were located.
“As a result of this investigation, thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl were removed from the streets of South Sioux City, Nebraska, and Sioux City, Iowa,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei said. “No town in America is immune to this deadly substance and the lethal consequences that can come from its use. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with our law enforcement partners in both Nebraska and Iowa who strive to achieve the same goal of removing these deadly threats and keeping our communities safe.”
Rysavy was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Rysavy was sentenced to 86 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.
Rysavy is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3027.
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Mount Vernon Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to a Drug Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
A Mount Vernon, Iowa, man who was found in possession of over one and a half pounds of ice methamphetamine while possessing a firearm as a felon was sentenced on August 8, 2025, to over twelve years in federal prison.
Brice Aron Horton, age 49, from Mount Vernon, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 10, 2025, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
On May 26, 2024, officers with the Mt. Vernon-Lisbon Police Department stopped a vehicle driven by Horton. Officers searched Horton’s vehicle and seized 814.9 grams of ice methamphetamine and a loaded pistol. At the time of the stop, Horton was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. In a plea agreement, Horton admitted that between May 2023 and May 2024 he was responsible for distributing at least 13 pounds of ice methamphetamine in the Northern District of Iowa. Additionally, Horton admitted that during this time he distributed 100 pills containing fentanyl.
Horton was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Horton was sentenced to 147 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.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Mt. Vernon-Lisbon Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-99.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported multiple times was sentenced today to eight months in federal prison.
Mario Uribe-Rodriguez, age 33, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in North Buena Vista, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 8, 2025, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported following a conviction for a felony offense.
At the guilty plea, Uribe-Rodriguez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Uribe-Rodriguez was previously deported in 2012, 2014, and 2018. On April 9, 2025, immigration officials encountered Uribe-Rodriguez in Dubuque, Iowa, after he had been summoned to state court for a charge of theft, fifth degree, in Dubuque County.
This conviction was Uribe-Rodriguez’s fourth federal conviction for a crime related to illegal immigration. In 2012, he was convicted of illegal entry in the Western District of Texas and deported after serving 10 days in jail. In 2014, he was convicted of eluding examination by immigration officers in the District of Arizona and deported after serving 75 days in jail. In 2018, he was convicted of illegal reentry into the United States in the Western District of Texas, a felony offense, and deported after serving 77 days in jail.
Uribe-Rodriguez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (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).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-1017.
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Man Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to 92 days in prison.
Yoni Omar Alvarado-Gomes, also known as Jhonny Ramos Campos, age 35, a citizen of Honduras, received the prison term after a May 28, 2025 guilty plea to one count of being found in the United States after illegal reentry
At the guilty plea, Alvarado-Gomes admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Alvarado-Gomes was previously removed in 2009 and in 2013. On April 26, 2025, immigration officials found him at the Tama County Jail following his arrest on state charges for driving without a license and speeding.
Alvarado-Gomes was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Alvarado-Gomes was sentenced to 92 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Alvarado-Gomes is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
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).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by Enforcement and Removal Operations of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-37.
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Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Three TimesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison.
Fidel Ramos-Ramos, age 38, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 13, 2025, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Ramos-Ramos admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Ramos-Ramos was previously deported in 2012, 2014, and 2017. In January 2024, Ramos-Ramos reentered the United States in Texas illegally. On April 18, 2025, immigration officials learned Ramos-Ramos had illegally returned to the United States and found him at the Black Hawk County Jail following his arrest on a state arrest warrant. Ramos-Ramos was previously convicted in the District of Arizona of illegally entering the United States, served 30 days in prison and was deported.
Ramos-Ramos was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was sentenced to 98 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-2023.
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Coralville Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to a Drug Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
A Coralville, Iowa, woman who was found in possession of thousands of fentanyl pills was sentenced on August 5, 2025, to seven years in federal prison.
Ashley Crystal Wachs, age 36, from Coralville, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances on February 19, 2025.
In a plea agreement, Wachs admitted that she was responsible for the transportation of thousands of fentanyl pills from Seattle, Washington, into Coralville and the surrounding areas, where she distributed the fentanyl pills. The evidence at the guilty plea established that on September 4, 2024, officers with the Iowa State Patrol and Johnson County Drug Task Force conducted a traffic stop on Ms. Wachs’ vehicle and seized over 250 grams of fentanyl, 109.58 grams of flurofentanyl, and 71.96 grams of ice methamphetamine. During the guilty plea, Ms. Wachs admitted she intended to distribute most of the controlled substances seized from her vehicle.
Wachs was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Wachs was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Wachs is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Task Force and Iowa State Patrol.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-98.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
A man who bought two firearms, and attempted to buy a third, for other people was sentenced on August 5, 2025, to more than one year in federal prison.
Jason Henry Tetter II, age 25, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 21, 2025 guilty plea to making a false statement during the attempted purchase of a firearm.
Information from sentencing showed that, in 2024, Tetter bought two firearms for Daquavion Williams, who was a marijuana user and who could not buy the firearms himself because he was not 21 years old. Tetter, a marijuana user himself, lied about his drug use and who the real purchaser of the firearms was on the forms accompanying the firearm purchases. One of the firearms was for Williams, and the other was for Williams’s associate. Both firearms were recovered by law enforcement. Williams’s firearm was used to shoot a victim in the knee in Waterloo on August 10, 2024. Five days later, Tetter attempted to buy another firearm for someone else involved in the shooting. Williams was subsequently charged with firearm offenses and is currently pending sentencing.
Tetter was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Tetter was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Tetter 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Marion Police Department, and the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-0103.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Eleven Years in Federal Prison for Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
A prohibited person who possessed firearms was sentenced today to eleven years in federal prison.
Kyler Goettsch, age 28, of Cedar Rapids, received the sentence after a May 31, 2024, guilty plea to one count of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms. At the plea hearing, Goettsch admitted that, in November 2023, he possessed two pistols after having been convicted of four felonies and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Goettsch was arrested after a brief standoff in which he failed to obey officers’ commands and officers had to draw their weapons.
Goettsch was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Goettsch was sentenced to 132 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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 24-16.
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Waterloo Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Second Conviction Involving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who possessed child pornography was sentenced on August 4, 2025, to 12 years in federal prison.
Forrest Rindels, age 69, of Waterloo, Iowa, received the sentence after a March 6, 2025, guilty plea to two counts of possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Rindels admitted that, between 2021 and 2022, he knowingly possessed child pornography on a tablet and a micro-SD card. He also admitted that he was previously convicted of receipt of child pornography in the Northern District of Iowa in 2016.
Rindels was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Rindels was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $42,000 in restitution to 14 victims depicted in the child pornography he possessed. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Waterloo Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 24-2055.
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Rockwell Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who produced and distributed child pornography was sentenced yesterday to 21 years in federal prison. David Bradley Garrison, age 44, from Rockwell, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 6, 2025 guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography.
Evidence at sentencing showed that in July 2021, Garrison recorded a video of a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He distributed child pornography to multiple people in May and August 2021. He possessed thousands of photographs and videos of child pornography, which contained depictions of infants and depictions of child sexual torture or bondage. After law enforcement searched Garrison’s residence in January 2022, Garrison continued to possess child pornography.
Garrison was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Garrison was sentenced to 252 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $16,000 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.”
Garrison 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, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation, and Rockwell Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-3054.
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United States Attorney's Office to Participate in Community Events During National Night OutRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa will join their law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities in National Night Out events on August 5, 2025, across the district.
“National Night Out is a perfect opportunity for neighbors to join with their law enforcement and community partners to demonstrate that crime does not rule the night,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy T. Duax. “Keeping our neighborhoods safe is a true team effort. National Night Out allows us to acknowledge the accomplishments of our neighborhood organizations that keep communities safe, and to thank our law enforcement officers for putting their lives on the line for us.”
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
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Waterloo Woman Who Straw Purchased Firearms Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who bought at least nine firearms for a felon was sentenced on July 28, 2025, to more than three years in federal prison.
LaDonna Henderson, age 28, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 10, 2025 guilty plea to eight counts of false statement during purchase of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
Information from sentencing showed that Henderson purchased nine firearms and attempted to buy a tenth firearm in a six-week period in 2023. Henderson made false statements about her drug use and the real purchaser of the firearms in connection with these purchases. She gave these firearms to her boyfriend at the time, Christopher Hoover, who was a felon and a cocaine and marijuana user. Hoover trafficked some of the firearms. Four of the firearms Henderson bought were recovered by law enforcement from felons or drug users. Hoover was prosecuted for his possession of firearms bought by Henderson and sentenced to 93 months’ imprisonment on September 17, 2024. Four other individuals were sentenced for their possession of firearms bought by Henderson and related conduct. Jayquine Steele, a drug user, was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment on June 27, 2024. Jeremy Phillips, a felon, was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment on July 22, 2024. Patrelle Green-Bowman, a felon, was sentenced to 105 months’ imprisonment on September 9, 2024. Walter Smith, a felon, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment on January 8, 2025.
Henderson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Henderson was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Henderson 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 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 number is 23-CR-2067.
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Tiffin Man Sentenced to 37 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Sexually Exploit a ChildRead the Press Release
A man who recorded his paramour sexually abusing her toddler child was sentenced today to 37 years in federal prison.
Benjamin Paul Egli, age 30, from Tiffin, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 17, 2024 guilty plea to conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and possession of child pornography.
Evidence at sentencing showed that on multiple occasions in 2023, Egli participated in Snapchat and video calls with his paramour, who lived in another state. Egli was in North Liberty, Iowa, during some of the calls. During the calls, which Egli recorded, Egli directed his paramour to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her toddler child. His paramour also sent him photographs and videos of herself and her toddler engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, Egli possessed hundreds of images of child pornography, including images of children performing sexual acts on animals and sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Egli was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Egli was sentenced to 444 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.”
Egli 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 Tipton Police Department, and the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-53.
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