Northern District of Iowa
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Felon Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A felon who was previously convicted of drug distribution charges was sentenced August 26, 2028, to 92 months in federal prison for possessing a gun.
Donta Racine Euells, age 45, from Freeport, Illinois, received the prison term after a January 12, 2026, guilty plea to possession of a firearm as a felon.
On August 9, 2025, Dubuque police responded to a 911 call. Victims reported that Euells, Davion Trawick (who has previously been sentenced), and another man forced their way into the home. At the time, Trawick possessed a large capacity firearm and Euells possessed what later was determined to be a BB-gun. However, law enforcement officers found a gun in Euell’s car that he had driven to the residence. Euells was prohibited from possessing firearms because of numerous prior felony convictions.
Euells was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Euells was sentenced to 92 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.
Euells is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1042-2.
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Attorney General Todd Blanche Visits the Southern District of IowaRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – On Thursday, August 20, 2026, United States Attorney David C. Waterman was honored to host Attorney General Todd Blanche at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
During his visit, Attorney General Blanche met with U.S. Attorney Waterman and his leadership team, and Northern District of Iowa U.S. Attorney Leif Olson. Attorney General Blanche also spoke with prosecutors and personnel from the office. In his remarks, Attorney General Blanche expressed his appreciation for the office’s work and their commitment to protecting communities across the district.
Attorney General Blanche also met with law enforcement representatives to highlight the important role of partnerships in enforcing the rule of law and enhancing public safety.
“It was an honor to welcome Attorney General Todd Blanche to our office,” said U.S. Attorney Waterman. “We were proud to highlight recent successes, including nationally recognized drug-overdose and human-trafficking prosecutions, as well as major trial victories in fraud, drug, firearms, and human-trafficking cases. We remain committed to confronting the most serious threats, taking difficult cases to trial, and delivering justice for the people of Iowa.”
Attorney General Todd Blanche meets with U.S. Attorneys David C. Waterman for the Southern District of Iowa (right) and Leif Olsen for the Northern District of Iowa (left) on August 20, 2026.
U.S. Attorney David C. Waterman introduces Attorney General Todd Blanche at a meeting on August 20, 2026.
Attorney General Todd Blanche meets with U.S. Attorney David C. Waterman (left) on August 20, 2026.
Waterloo Man Sentenced for Making MachinegunsRead the Press Release
A man who turned firearms into fully automatic machineguns in his home was sentenced on August 20, 2026, to more than one year in federal prison.
Nicholas Laurence Wilson, age 35, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 30, 2026, guilty plea to one count of possession of machineguns.
Information from sentencing showed that Wilson machined three semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic machineguns. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) began investigating Wilson’s firearm purchases after several guns that he purchased were recovered in connection with criminal investigations. ATF agents searched Wilson’s house on July 16, 2025. They located the three machineguns and a machinegun conversion device, a drop-in auto sear, in Wilson’s house. Wilson lied to law enforcement agents by indicating that he did not have any National Firearms Act firearms, which would include machineguns, in his house.
Wilson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Wilson was sentenced to twelve months and one day of imprisonment and fined $5,000. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Wilson was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on September 21, 2026.
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 ATF 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 26-CR-2001.
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Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced August 20, 2026, to more than 7 years in federal prison.
Jeffrey Allen Smith, age 41, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 18, 2026, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
In a plea agreement, Smith admitted that between January 2025 to April 1, 2025, in the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere, he and others reached an agreement or came to an understanding to distribute methamphetamine.
During the course of the conspiracy, Smith participated in the distribution of over 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine.
In 2025, Smith sold methamphetamine and firearms in the Webster County, Iowa, area to an individual or individuals cooperating with law enforcement on three separate occasions. On April 1, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Smith’s residence and on a vehicle associated with Smith. Inside the residence, law enforcement located indicia of drug use and distribution and three firearms that belonged to Smith. Inside the vehicle, which was being driven by Smith at the time, law enforcement located an AM-15 pistol with a loaded magazine.
Smith has previously been convicted of Theft in the Second Degree, in the Iowa District Court for Webster County, on January 14, 2019.
Smith was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Smith was sentenced to 94 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.
Smith is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-03051. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Felon Who Illegally Possessed Gun Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced on August 24, 2026, to more than two years in federal prison.
Jameel Ahmod Lanier, age 25, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 6, 2026, guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence during the case showed Waterloo Police officers stopped a car Lanier was driving. During the traffic stop, officers found a .45 caliber pistol as well as marijuana a short distance from the car. Further analysis of the gun indicated Lanier contributed to a DNA sample located on the gun. Lanier was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of attempted burglary second degree in the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County.
Lanier was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Lanier was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Lanier is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-CR-2008.
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Dubuque Man Who Stole Thousands of Dollars’ Worth of Brass Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who repeatedly stole pallets of valuable brass ingot to sell for scrap was sentenced on August 21, 2026, to two years in federal prison.
Dennis Lee Maas, age 54, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 20, 2026, guilty plea to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods.
Information from a plea agreement and sentencing showed that Maas worked as a janitor at a manufacturing company in Dubuque. His job did not include handling pallets of brass ingot that the manufacturing company used for its business. From November 2024 through September 2025, Maas repeatedly stole pallets of brass ingot from his employer. He sold the brass to a metals business in East Dubuque, Illinois, for scrap value. The total value of the brass that he stole was more than $64,000. The metals business was able to return one pallet of brass to the manufacturing company after Maas’s thefts were discovered.
Maas was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Maas was sentenced to twenty-four months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $43,845.16 in restitution to the employer and an insurance company. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Maas is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-CR-1048. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Cedar Rapids Felon with over 700 Fentanyl Pills Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed 773 fentanyl pills he planned to distribute was sentenced today to five years in federal prison.
Shewarence Dehassiu Gibbs, age 46, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 30, 2026, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Information at sentencing and a prior hearing showed that in April 2024, in Cedar Rapids, officers found Gibbs, who had an active arrest warrant. Gibbs fled on foot and discarded a backpack before officers apprehended him. In the backpack and in Gibbs’s pockets were 773 fentanyl pills and $590 in cash. Gibbs has prior drug-related convictions and convictions for armed robbery, assault causing bodily injury, and domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury/mental illness.
Gibbs was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Gibbs was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Gibbs 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-12. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Mason City Woman Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tina Smith, age 46, from Mason City, was sentenced August 18, 2026, to more than 11 years in federal prison, after an April 17, 2026, guilty plea to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Evidence in the case revealed between March 6, 2024, through at least September 6, 2024, Smith, and others, were involved in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine around the Mason City area. Law enforcement utilized a confidential source to purchase methamphetamine from Smith on 7 different occasions.
Smith was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 136 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Smith is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3065.
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Cerro Gordo County Husband & Wife Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Bruce Sogard, age 68, from Jewell, was sentenced July 1, 2026, to more than 8 years in federal prison, after a February 12, 2026, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Cheryl Zeien Sogard, age 63, from Mason City, was sentenced August 18, 2026, to more than 4 years in federal prison, after an April 20, 2026, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence in the case revealed that between January 2025, and continuing to at least September 20, 2025, Sogard and Zeien were involved in an ongoing methamphetamine distribution conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa, where the pair were obtaining multiple pounds of methamphetamine from Colorado. Law enforcement also utilized a confidential source to purchase methamphetamine on multiple occasions from Zeien and Sogard. During the execution of a search warrant on the couple’s home, law enforcement located multiple scales, packaging materials, a drug ledger, marijuana, THC gummies, and several firearms.
Sogard and Zeien were sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Sogard was sentenced to 107 months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Zeien was sentenced to 59 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.
Sogard and Zeien are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3061.
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Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to more than four months in federal prison.
Mario Israel Ortiz-Gonzalez, age 22, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 1, 2026, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Ortiz-Gonzalez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Ortiz-Gonzalez was previously deported in November 2025. On March 15, 2026, immigration officials learned Ortiz-Gonzalez had illegally returned to the United States and found him at the Dubuque County Jail following his arrest on state charges. Ortiz-Gonzalez has two previous convictions for operating while intoxicated and one conviction for interference with official acts.
Ortiz-Gonzalez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was sentenced to 124 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.
Ortiz-Gonzalez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-CR-1002.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Angel Castillo-Martinez, age 26, from Sioux City, was sentenced August 19, 2026, to more than 12 years in federal prison, after a March 18, 2026, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence in the case revealed, on June 5, 2025, Castillo-Martinez obtained a ride from Winnebago, Nebraska to Sioux City, Iowa with the intent to “hurt a lot of people.” He was armed with a loaded handgun and a loaded rifle. Sioux City police officers saw Castillo-Martinez getting in and out of the vehicle abruptly and noticed that the vehicle was being driven by a person with a suspended license. A traffic stop ensued.
Castillo-Martinez fled on foot from the traffic stop, running through a residential neighborhood, but was quickly apprehended by Sioux City police officers. Castillo-Martinez provided officers with a false name and date of birth. Officers retraced the path of flight and found Castillo-Martinez had attempted to hide a baggie containing more the 50 grams of methamphetamine. Officers conducted a search of the vehicle and located a backpack on the passenger floorboard containing a loaded pistol as well as a second backpack containing a loaded AR-style rifle, with an obliterated serial number, in the truck bed. Following his arrest, Castillo-Martinez admitted that he was on his way to “hurt a lot of people” to seek revenge for an attack that happened to a friend two days prior. He later learned that the people he had targeted were innocent.
Castillo-Martinez’s criminal history includes theft, possession of controlled substances, carrying a dangerous weapon, assault on a peace officer, and interference with official acts.
Castillo-Martinez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 151 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Castillo-Martinez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4035.
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Cedar Rapids Felon with Gun Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A felon who possessed a gun in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.
Cody Michael Adkins, age 25, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 1, 2026, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information at sentencing showed that in March 2025 in Cedar Rapids, officers stopped a car that Adkins was driving. Adkins had a suspended driver’s license. Officers smelled the odor of marijuana and searched the car. They found a loaded gun under the front passenger seat. Adkins’s thumbprint was on the magazine that was inserted into the gun, and his DNA was on the slide of the gun. When law enforcement officers first attempted to arrest Adkins, he fled. Officers found and arrested him approximately one month later.
Adkins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Adkins was sentenced to 30 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. Adkins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 26-CR-1. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Asbury Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed cocaine was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison.
Marcus Allen Thomas, age 37, from Asbury, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 18, 2026, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
In a plea agreement, Thomas admitted he possessed cocaine that he intended to distribute. On April 12, 2025, investigators searched Thomas’s home in Asbury. Investigators found approximately 6.14 pounds of marijuana and approximately 101.56 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine in the basement bathroom.
Thomas was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Thomas was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and fined $5,500. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Thomas is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Asbury 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-01046. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Escaping from CustodyRead the Press Release
A man who escaped from custody was sentenced today to more than a year in federal prison. Nicholas Robert Campbell-Scott, age 29, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 4, 2026, guilty plea to escape from custody.
Information at sentencing showed that, in January 2026, Campbell-Scott cut his ankle monitor and fled from the Gerald R. Hinzman Center, a residential re‑entry center in Cedar Rapids. Law enforcement officers arrested Campbell‑Scott six days later in Coralville, Iowa. At the time of his escape, Campbell-Scott was serving a federal prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a felon. He has past convictions for escape and absence from custody.
Campbell-Scott was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Campbell-Scott was sentenced to 18 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.
Campbell-Scott 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 United States Marshals Service and the Iowa Department of Corrections.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 26-CR-2. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Dubuque Man Convicted of Federal Offense AfterRead the Press Release
A man who tried to enter a city council meeting armed with a gun was convicted by a jury on August 11, 2026, after a one-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Austin Andrew Goodman, age 42, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of possessing a firearm while prohibited after he had been committed to a mental institution.
The evidence at trial showed Goodman entered a building in Dubuque, Iowa, on March 3, 3025, while wearing a suit, an American flag on his shoulders, tape over his mouth, and a loaded firearm on his hip. Goodman had his two dogs on leashes when he entered the building and attempted to enter the city council chambers where a meeting was occurring. Goodman was live streaming his entry into the building on Facebook.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Goodman remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Goodman 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 K. Nydle and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, the Dubuque Sheriff’s Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-1039.
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Cedar Rapids Felon Sent to Prison for Possessing GunRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced today to more than a year in federal prison. Tony Ray Pledge, age 58, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 12, 2026, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information at sentencing showed that, in August 2025, law enforcement stopped a car that Pledge was driving in Cedar Rapids. Officers searched the car and found a loaded firearm, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana. Pledge has a prior federal felony conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon. He has other drug-related convictions, as well as a conviction for assault.
Pledge was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Pledge was sentenced to 18 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 Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Pledge 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 Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-80. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Re-entry and Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
A man who pled guilty to illegal reentry and failure to register as a sex offender was sentenced August 6, 2026, to more than a year in federal prison.
Sergio Niz-Mendez, age 27, from Guatemala and living in Sheldon, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 23, 2026, guilty plea to one count of illegal re-entry and one count of failure to register as a sex offender.
At the guilty plea, Niz-Mendez admitted he was a citizen of Guatemala, that he had previously been removed from the United States in 2018 after serving prison time for a felony conviction in 2016, and that he had not sought permission to legally be in the United States. He further admitted that due to his 2016 rape of a child with force conviction in Massachusetts, committed when he was 15 years old, he was required to register as a sex offender, which he failed to do while living in Iowa. In December 2025, Niz-Mendez was found in O’Brien County, Iowa, after he was arrested for operating while intoxicated and eluding.
Niz-Mendez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Niz-Mendez was sentenced to 16 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. Niz-Mendez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick T. Greenwood and Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-4065.
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Man Sentenced to a Decade in Federal Prison for Cyberstalking Iowa ResidentRead the Press Release
Shaninth Michael Ray, age 38, from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison.
Evidence in the case revealed between April 2023 and October 2023, Ray continuously threatened to kill an Iowa resident and members of the victim’s family, after a no contact order was issued against Ray. Ray made his threats via telephone, text message, and video, through numerous platforms. Ray stated that he would “end” the victim’s life and “bash [the victim’s] face in with a rock.” He also threatened to kill the victim in other various ways. In one of Ray’s videos, he explicitly threatened to end the victim’s life and displayed a gun.
Ray was arrested in Minnesota in October 2023 for possession of a gun as a convicted felon. Ray continued to contact the victim while in custody in Minnesota and Iowa. Ray’s criminal history also includes numerous domestic abuse convictions, violations of protection orders, interference with emergency communications, assault causing bodily harm, possession of controlled substances, harassment, and obstruction.
Ray was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. Judge Strand noted Ray’s atrocious and disgraceful criminal history, as well as the horrific events in which he terrorized the victim and their family in this case. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Ray is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Mason City, Iowa Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3015.
Sioux City Man Faces up to 50 Years in Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
Gabriel Jauregui, age 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty August 5, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. Jauregui was previously convicted of attempt to entice a minor in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County in 2020.
At the plea hearing, Jauregui admitted that between July 15, 2024, and August 20, 2025, Jauregui sexually exploited a sixteen-year-old child. A review of the minor victim’s phone revealed messages relating to drugs and sexual acts between Jauregui and the minor. Officers also located videos and photographs of nudity involving both parties. Jauregui filmed himself engaging in sex acts with the minor on his phone and then sent the videos to the minor. A forensic review showed that the material was sent from the phone number Jauregui had registered with the sex offender registry. Jauregui also forcibly injected the minor with methamphetamine. The minor discussed their active addiction to methamphetamine while exchanging images and videos with Jauregui. The videos contained material that depicted sadistic or masochistic conduct, or other depictions of violence.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Jauregui remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Jauregui faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 50 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and 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 25-4051.
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Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed a firearm and ammunition as a prohibited person during and in furtherance of the conspiracy was sentenced August 4, 2026, to more than 18 years in federal prison.
Ray Spencer Hollers, age 31, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 20, 2026, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine, one count of possession of firearms by a prohibited person, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
At the plea hearing, Hollers admitted that from November 2024 to December 2024, Hollers and others agreed to distribute methamphetamine. He also admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine that he was caught with by law enforcement officers on several occasions.
On February 7, 2023, law enforcement officers in Webster County, Iowa, attempted a traffic stop on a car Hollers was driving. Hollers failed to stop and a high-speed pursuit ensued. Hollers reached speeds of over 100 miles-per-hour. After he hit “stop-sticks,” Hollers came to a stop and officers arrested him. Officers searched the car and seized more than 600 grams of methamphetamine, items for its distribution, over $1,800 U.S. currency, and various ammunition magazines belonging to Hollers.
On December 5, 2024, after observing Hollers makea drug sale, law enforcement officers in Webster County, Iowa, again attempted a traffic stop of a car Hollers was driving. Once again, Hollers failed to stop for law enforcement, and a similar high-speed pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, law enforcement
Officers observed Hollers discarding methamphetamine from his car. Hollers stopped once it was disabled by striking a concrete median. Law enforcement officers searched the car and seized approximately one-pound of methamphetamine, items for its distribution, two firearms (one loaded), and over $4,000 U.S. currency. That same day, officers searched a residence in Fort Dodge that was associated with Hollers. Officers seized approximately 75 grams pure methamphetamine and a digital scale.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers obtained information that Hollers was a source of methamphetamine to numerous individuals and that Hollers would often carry firearms. Hollers was previously convicted of several felonies in the State of Iowa, including a drug trafficking offense in 2017, possession of multiple firearms by a convicted felon in 2018, and a dangerous eluding by vehicle in 2020, among numerous other criminal offenses the preceding ten years.
Hollers was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Judge Strand found that Hollers repeated, dangerous eluding conduct while in possession of large quantities of methamphetamine and firearms and ammunition extremely aggravating and despicable. Hollers was sentenced to 224 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.
Hollers is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick T. Greenwood and Shawn S. Wehde, and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Sac County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-03056.
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Sioux City Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Kristie Williams, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on August 4, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City. Williams pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of distributing methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location.
At the plea hearing, Williams admitted her involvement in a conspiracy from January 2025 through November 2025 that distributed more than three pounds of methamphetamine. On at least three occasions Williams distributed and helped another distribute a total of over 184 grams of pure methamphetamine to individuals cooperating with law enforcement. In October 2025, officers executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence and seized over 12 grams of pure methamphetamine. Williams intended to distribute some or all of this methamphetamine to other persons. These distributions occurred within 1,000 feet of Fairmount City Park and Cecillia City Park in Sioux City.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Williams remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least eight years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4063. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Felon Sent Back to Prison for Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who illegally possessed a gun was sentenced yesterday to five years in federal prison.
Miykael Jolliff, age 20, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 19, 2026, guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At the guilty plea, Jolliff admitted he possessed a gun after being previously convicted of felony offenses. In 2025, Jolliff was convicted of intimidation with a dangerous weapon and possession with intent to deliver marijuana.
Jolliff was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Jolliff was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Jolliff is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-0079.
Diversity Visa Lottery Winner Found Guilty of Visa FraudRead the Press Release
Lopez Munongo Makengo, age 36, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was convicted by a jury today, after a 3-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Makengo was found guilty of unlawful possession of identification documents and unlawful use of identification documents. The verdict was returned this morning following about 7 hours of jury deliberations.
Evidence in the case revealed that in 2014, Makengo, entered the Diversity Visa lottery, and later was granted a Diversity Visa. Makengo then immigrated to the United States in 2016. In 2017, he petitioned for relatives to join him in the United States—including a child born in 2013. In 2022, when the Sioux City Police Department was investigating child abuse and neglect allegations by Makengo, it was discovered by Department of State officials that Makengo had made a false statement on his application to obtain his Diversity Visa. Makengo failed to disclose that he had a child from 2014-2016, despite swearing under oath at the U.S. Embassy in DRC that the contents of his application were true and correct. On his 2017 petition for relatives to join him, however, he admitted that he had a child born in 2013.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Makengo remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Makengo faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of up to 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being investigated by the United States Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service and the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ron Timmons, Shawn Wehde, and Tim Vavricek.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4010.
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Sioux Falls Man Pleads Not Guilty to Charges Related to Disappearance and Death of 14-year-old Sioux Falls GirlRead the Press Release
Mark Milk, who is alleged to be involved in the disappearance and death of a 14-year-old Sioux Falls girl, McKenna Wendel, was ordered detained, pending a detention hearing set for 2:30 p.m. on July 30, 2026, following his initial appearance today in federal court.
Milk, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Trial in Milk’s case is set for September 28, 2026, in the United States District Court in Sioux City.
Milk and his co-defendant, Jon Rogness of Brookings, South Dakota, were indicted on June 17, 2026. The indictment charges Milk with five counts, alleging that he:
Possessed with intent to distribute and distributed cocaine, the use of which resulted in McKenna Wendel’s death;
- Possessed with the intent to distribute and distributed THC;
- Transported a minor across a state line with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity;
- Conspired to conceal objects with the intent to impair their integrity and availability for an official proceeding; and
- Concealed objects with the intent to impair their availability for an official proceeding.
If convicted, Milk faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment; a $1,000,000 fine; and up to 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Rogness’s initial appearance and arraignment are scheduled for August 6, 2026. The indictment charges Rogness with two counts:
- Conspiracy to conceal objects with the intent to impair their integrity and availability for an official proceeding; and
- Accessory to Milk after the alleged cocaine possession and distribution resulted in McKenna Wendel’s death.
If convicted, Rogness faces a possible maximum sentence of 35 years’ imprisonment; a $250,000 fine; and up to 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
As with any criminal case, an indictment is merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. It is being investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department; Sioux Falls Fire Rescue; Minnehaha County, South Dakota, Sheriff’s Department; Minnehaha County Search and Rescue; Brookings County, South Dakota, Sheriff’s Office; Brookings Police Department; Brookings Fire Department; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; Brookings County Attorney’s Office; Minnehaha County, South Dakota, Attorney’s Office; the Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Criminal Investigation; Iowa State Patrol; Lyon County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Department; Lyon County Attorney’s Office; the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office; U.S. Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Investigation; and U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 26-4032.
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- Possessed with the intent to distribute and distributed THC;
Sioux City Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Second Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Yoni Duenas, age 28, from Sioux City, was sentenced on July 23, 2026, to 6 years in federal prison after an April 7, 2026, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user.
On January 2, 2026, just before midnight, a Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a traffic stop for an equipment violation on a vehicle being driven by Duenas. Duenas was impaired, even losing consciousness during field sobriety tests. Inside the car, there was an overpowering odor of marijuana, a female passenger, a 4-year-old child, a 1-year-old child, marijuana, methamphetamine, and a loaded handgun.
Duenas’ criminal history includes three state convictions for possession of controlled substances – methamphetamine, and five criminal use or possession of a firearm offenses including a pervious federal felony conviction where defendant possessed multiple firearms on different occasions.
After serving his first federal sentence, Duenas was required to serve a federal term of supervise release. He failed that term of supervision, was revoked, and sent back to federal prison three times. Just 38 days after completing that federal sentence, Duenas had rearmed and was arrested by the Lyon County Sherriff’s Office.
Duenas was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 72 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Duenas is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Lyon County, Iowa Sheriff’s Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-04007.
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Man to Federal Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally reentered the United States from Guatemala was sentenced July 23, 2026, to eight months in federal prison.
Rigoberto Corado-Hernandes, age 63, from Guatemala but illegally residing in Rock Valley, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 20, 2026, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry.
At the hearings, Corado-Hernandes admitted he illegally reentered the United States without permission after having been previously removed from the United States on two occasions. He had previously been convicted in Sioux County, Iowa, in 2024 of domestic abuse assault, first offense, with a dangerous weapon after he attempted to stab his nephew with a knife. He was then located by immigration officials in the Sioux County jail on January 13, 2026, where he was being held on a probation violation stemming from the 2024 sentence. While in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Guatemala, had no legal status to be in the United States, and had previously been deported from the United States to Guatemala.
Corado-Hernandes was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. He was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Corado-Hernandes 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 Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-CR-04011.
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Felon Who Possessed Ammunition Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A New Mexico man who possessed over 640 rounds of ammunition was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Chase Smith Walker, age 41, from Carlsbad, New Mexico, received the prison term after a March 9, 2026, guilty plea to one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.
In a plea agreement, Walker admitted that, on October 6, 2023, at approximately 1:40 a.m., he was driving while intoxicated in Tama County, Iowa. During a traffic stop and his booking at the local jail, Walker was extremely defiant and disrespectful towards officers. After his arrest, officers searched his truck, and they located over 640 rounds of ammunition. Walker was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he had previously been convicted of a drug‑trafficking felony.
Walker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Walker was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and fined $1,500. He must also serve a two‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Walker is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Meskwaki Nation Police Department.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25‑CR‑00015‑LTS.
Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Roles in Death of 18-Year-Old Nebraska Woman and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Two men with lengthy criminal histories were sentenced today to a combined 45 years in federal prison for their roles in the disappearance of an 18-year-old Nebraska woman. Floyd Clifford Coates, Jr., and Dennis Lawson, former brothers-in-law, were convicted by a jury of drug and obstruction-of-justice charges on November 25, 2025, after an eleven-day trial.
Coates, a.k.a. Cliff Coates, age 48, from St. Francis, Kansas, and Strubel, Iowa, was convicted of six counts, including drug trafficking, unlawful possession of firearms, and obstruction of justice. He was acquitted of two obstruction-of-justice charges related to allegations involving threatening witnesses.
Lawson, age 60, from Whiting, Iowa, was convicted of one obstruction-of-justice charge for threatening a witness. He was acquitted of drug-trafficking and other obstruction-of-justice charges.
Evidence at trial showed that in the spring of 2019, Coates was a member of a drug-trafficking organization that funneled pounds of methamphetamine from Colorado to multiple locations, including Iowa. Coates possessed firearms to protect his illegal drug operation.
On Easter weekend 2019, Coates arranged to make a drug resupply run to Kansas City, Missouri. He convinced an Iowa woman to drive from Sioux City, Iowa, and meet him in Blair, Nebraska, to help him with the drug run. She was then supposed to drive him to Kansas City and back. Coates traveled to Blair from Trenton, Nebraska, with another woman, 18-year-old Sunny Sramek. Coates and Sramek left Trenton in his wife’s white Ford Explorer. Sramek told friends and family that she was going to be on a day trip to Omaha with Coates and made no mention of going to Kansas City.
Coates and Sramek arrived in Blair. Coates left the Explorer and went into a home, but Sramek did not. Coates’ driver arrived at the home from Sioux City. Coates said nothing to her about Sramek. As the driver and Coates left the home, the driver saw Sramek’s motionless body in the Explorer. Sramek looked to the driver as if she had overdosed: fluids were coming out of her mouth and running down the center console, her bare foot was on the dashboard, and the front window was broken as if Sramek had kicked it violently as she died. Coates told the driver that he had given Sramek methamphetamine and that Sramek must have overdosed.
Coates abandoned his plan to make a drug run to Kansas City. He told the Sioux City driver to go to the home of his brother-in-law Dennis Lawson near Whiting, Iowa, on the banks of the Missouri River. The pair drove the apparently dead Sramek to Lawson’s home. The driver testified that after they arrived at Lawson’s residence, Lawson and Coates disappeared for a time. When they returned, Sramek’s body was gone. The driver testified that she and Coates then cleaned out the car, and that Lawson threatened her, saying that if she told anyone, “it would be her funeral.”
Coates later told other individuals that Sramek had overdosed. While detained awaiting trial, he told cellmates he that he had killed Sramek after raping her. In both versions, however, he told people he had thrown Sramek’s body into the Missouri River to conceal evidence of his crimes. Coates told one person “no body, no case” and asked another “you can’t get charged with murder if there is no body, can you?”
Law-enforcement officers immediately gathered evidence tying Coates to Sramek’s disappearance. He had been the last to see her alive. Forensic analysis of the Ford Explorer revealed that it contained Sramek’s DNA. The analysis also suggested that she had struggled in that car. An FBI geologist testified the window had been broken from the inside by three blunt-force impacts, consistent with a foot kicking it. A medical examiner testified that such convulsions were consistent with a person dying from a methamphetamine overdose. There was also evidence that someone, possibly Sramek, had bled in the Explorer. Further, the story Coates told to law enforcement about his movement that day was contradicted by other evidence. For example, he said that Sramek abandoned him while they were at the casino in Carter Lake, Iowa, but cell-phone location information showed he hadn’t been there.
Coates had previously been convicted of multiple crimes including burglary, false imprisonment, assault by a confined person, distribution of a controlled substance, possession of a deadly weapon by a felon, and witness intimidation. Lawson had previously been convicted of multiple crimes including domestic abuse assault, aggravated domestic abuse assault, and robbing the Onawa, Iowa, Pizza Hut.
Coates and Lawson were sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Coates was sentenced to 420 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.
Lawson was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Seven years and three months ago after Sunny Sramek left home, a thuggish coward and a cowardly thug are going to prison for their roles in her death,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “The agents, officers, and deputies who investigated this case never stopped their efforts to find the truth. Their patience and dedication built a case that allowed us to call more than four dozen witnesses and introduce dozens and dozens of exhibits. Thanks to their work, Sunny’s family and the communities that these criminals abused have finally received a measure of justice.”
“The sentences imposed on Coates and Lawson today are a direct result of the tenacity and relentlessness of the FBI agents, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors who led the search for Sunny and the effort to apprehend those responsible for her death,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel. “The trafficking of drugs into our communities is not a victimless crime. It has a destructive effect on our neighborhoods and families. The efforts by Coates and Lawson to conceal their actions never broke our resolve to investigate this horrific crime. Although today’s sentencings will not bring Sunny back, we hope they will bring some measure of comfort and closure to everyone who knew and loved Sunny.”
Coates and Lawson remain in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by a number of federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies:
- Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives;
- DOJ Federal Bureau of Investigation;
- Goodland, Kansas, Police Department;
- Hitchcock County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office;
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources;
- Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) Division of Criminal Investigation;
- Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner;
- Nebraska State Patrol;
- O’Brien County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office;
- Plymouth County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office; and
- Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, which consists of personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DOJ); Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DPS); Iowa National Guard; Nebraska State Patrol; Sioux City Police Department; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; United States Marshals Service; United States Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County, Iowa, Attorney’s Office; and Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case number is 24-4021.
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Chicago Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
A man who distributed controlled substances and who unlawfully possessed a gun was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Delmargo Dushawn Bruce, age 35, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a February 5, 2026, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm by a person convicted of domestic violence.
In a plea agreement, Bruce admitted he distributed controlled substances. On July 1, 2024, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bruce sold approximately 5.93 grams of a mixture or substance containing heroin. On July 19, 2024, Bruce sold approximately 9.76 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. On August 1, 2024, officers searched Bruce’s home in Cedar Rapids. During the search, officers found a loaded handgun. Bruce was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from 2015 in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County.
Bruce was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Bruce was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Bruce is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-63.
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Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
There will be a press conference held on July 20, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at the offices of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa located at the Ho-Chunk Building in Sioux City, Iowa. United States Attorney Leif Olson will announce the results of the sentencings of Floyd Clifford Coates and Dennis Lawson that will occur earlier that afternoon. Coates and Lawson were linked to the death and disappearance of Sunny Sramek. Coates was convicted of various offenses related to drug trafficking, firearms, and obstruction of justice in federal court in November 2025 following an eleven-day trial. Lawson was convicted of threatening a witness.
Mr. Olson will be joined by representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hitchcock County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office, the Goodland, Kansas, Police Department, and other agencies who contributed to the investigation and prosecution.
Event Details
When: Monday, July20, 2026
Where: Ho-Chunk Building, Suite 670, 600 4th Street, Sioux City, Iowa
Time: 4:00 p.m. (Note: Start time could be delayed by court proceedings.)
A press release will be provided and interview opportunities will be available.
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Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
A man who trafficked methamphetamine on multiple occasions in the Webster County, Iowa, area was sentenced July 16, 2026, to 13 years in federal prison.
Tyler Mattingly, age 31, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 18, 2026, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
At the hearings, Mattingly admitted that in late 2024, he sold methamphetamine in the Webster County, Iowa, area to individuals cooperating with law enforcement on three separate occasions. On December 24, 2024, law enforcement officers attempted to on car driven by Mattingly in Carroll County, Iowa. Mattingly failed to stop and led officers on a pursuit, reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour on gravel roads. Mattingly also had a passenger in the car. Officers deployed stop sticks and Mattingly struck them, disabling his car. Law enforcement officers found drug distribution items in the car. Along the route of the pursuit, officers found approximately 145 grams of discarded methamphetamine. As part of their investigation, law enforcement officers obtained evidence of Mattingly receiving methamphetamine from his source of supply and providing it to others.
Mattingly was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mattingly was sentenced to 156 months’ imprisonment for each count to run concurrently. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.
Mattingly is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Sac County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-03056. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty July 15, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City.
Damian Havens, 52, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Havens admitted that between March and May 2026, he and others conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Sioux City. Evidence showed that in those two months Havens was involved in the distribution of more than 1 ½ pounds of methamphetamine. On May 7, 2026, law enforcement was called to check on a suspicious person (and oddly parked vehicle), later identified as Havens. Officers seized about ¼ pound of methamphetamine and an airsoft pistol in Havens’ backpack. Havens admitted he planned to distribute the methamphetamine.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Havens remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Havens faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-4026. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Manson Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty on July 15, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City.
Tanner Thomas Rokes, age 36, from Manson, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Rokes admitted that from 2021 to July, 2025, in Webster County, Iowa, he was involved in distributing over five pounds of methamphetamine. In May 2025 law enforcement officers received information that Rokes was a pound-level distributor of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers then made multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Rokes.
On July 15, 2025, officers stopped Rokes while he was driving without a valid driver’s license. Prior to stopping his car, officers observed Rokes throw 80 grams of methamphetamine out the car’s window. Rokes ultimately stopped the car and officers found additional methamphetamine inside the car. Officers also found the discarded methamphetamine.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rokes remains free on bond previously set. Rokes faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Fort Dodge Police Department, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-03059. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Lake City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth and Firearm ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Clayton Brown, age 34, from Lake City, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City, on July 16, 2026, to 210 months’ imprisonment. Brown pled guilty on March 18, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Brown has seven prior felony convictions that prohibited him from possessing guns, including three for drugs and two high-speed eludings.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Brown was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least four pounds of methamphetamine in about eight-months in 2025. Twice in October 2025, Brown distributed over 80 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. During a search of Brown’s home, officers seized a Glock handgun, methamphetamine, marijuana, over $2,000 in cash, and other items related to drug distribution.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Brown to 210 months’ imprisonment along with a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Brown remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa DCI Laboratory, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
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The case file number is 25-3057. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison for Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
An illegal alien who reentered the United States from Guatemala was sentenced July 14, 2026, to six months in federal prison.
Rogelio Morales-Ramos, age 36, from Guatemala, who had been living in Sioux Center, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 21, 2026, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry.
At the plea hearing, Morales-Ramos admitted he illegally reentered the United States without permission after having been previously removed from the United States on June 13, 2019. On April 1, 2026, law enforcement officers in Sioux County attempted to stop a car that Morales-Ramos was driving for speeding. He initially failed to stop. After he eventually stopped, Morales-Ramos ran from officers. Law enforcement officers found an open alcohol bottle, additional alcohol, and a fictitious international driver’s license in the car. On April 4, 2026, law enforcement officers found Morales-Ramos at his home in Sioux Center. He again tried to flee from officers before being caught. Officers found more fake documents in the house. Once Morales-Ramos was in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Guatemala and had previously been deported from the United States three times.
Morales-Ramos was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Morales-Ramos was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-CR-04014. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Fort Dodge Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than 12 years in federal prison.
Sally Marie Green, age 52, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 11, 2026, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Green admitted that from January 2024 through April 2025, she was involved in the distribution of approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine. In April 2025, a cooperating individual told law enforcement officers that Green was a pound-level distributor of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area. On April 1, 2025, law enforcement officers purchased approximately a quarter pound of methamphetamine from Green. That same day, officers searched her house and found an unloaded .45 ACP pistol, ammunition, $3,000 cash, drug distribution items, and approximately 585 grams of methamphetamine.
Green was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Green was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Green is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-03050. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Found Guilty of Multiple Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Jonathan Seff, age 50, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted by a jury on July 9, 2026, after a three-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Seff was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distribution of methamphetamine near a protected location (an elementary school), and two-counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, methamphetamine and fentanyl. The verdict was returned following about three hours of jury deliberations.
Seff was previously convicted in the Northern District of Iowa of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine that contained five grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine.
Evidence presented to the jury in this case revealed from at least April 1, 2025, to January 7, 2026, Seff was obtaining and distributing methamphetamine. Seff was obtaining illegal drugs from the dark web that he purchased using cryptocurrency. On October 9, 2025, Seff distributed more than 5 grams of pure methamphetamine to another person within 1,000 feet of a school in Sioux City.
On October 13, 2025, Seff was arrested for operating while under the influence after hitting a legally parked car on a Sioux City street and flipping his own car. Law enforcement officers recovered over 800 counterfeit oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl, more than $4,000 cash, a digital scale with methamphetamine on it, several baggies, and MDMA from Seff’s car.
On January 7, 2026, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department responded to a home in Spirit Lake for individuals trespassing in an unoccupied home. Seff had contacted an individual on a recorded jail call and sent them to the home that he had been staying at to “clean up,” directing them to specific locations within the home. Law enforcement officers located more than ten grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, baggies, fentanyl, and MDMA in the house.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Seff remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Seff faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, an $8,000,000 fine, and 8 years to life on supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department, the Dickinson County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This case is being 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 25-CR-04071.
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Former Registered Nurse from LeMars Sentenced for False Statements Relating to Health Care Matters and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Chad Hoppe, age 49, from LeMars, Iowa, was sentenced July 9, 2026, to more than two years in prison after a march 9, 2026, guilty plea to false statements relating to health care matters and aggravated identity theft.
Evidence in the case revealed that between May 2024 and March 2025, Hoppe diverted fentanyl and dilaudid allegedly for patient use. Instead, he used the controlled substances personally and failed to complete or falsified the related health care paperwork. During this time, Hoppe was an Iowa licensed registered nurse. He inputted false orders for narcotics claiming to have permission from a licensed physician, when he did not. Hoppe diverted “staggering” amounts of liquid fentanyl and dilaudid. In March 2025, for example, while working as a supervisor, Hoppe pulled out over 9,000 mcg of fentanyl. The next closest staff member at the same facility pulled out a total of 700 mcg of fentanyl that month.
Hoppe was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 30 months’ imprisonment and fined $1,000. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Hoppe 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 investigated by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals Investigations Division Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
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The case file number is 25-04042.
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Felon Who Possessed a Gun Sent Back to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a gun was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.
Edinton Grugbay Wright, age 30, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 11, 2025, guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence during the case showed Wright was originally convicted in federal court of being a drug user in possession of a firearm. In 2022, after his release from federal prison, Wright began serving a term of supervised release. While on supervised release, Cedar Rapids Police Department officers attempted to stop a car where Wright was seated in the front passenger seat. The car refused to stop and instead drove onto the front lawn of a residential home. Both the driver and Wright ran from the car. As officers pursued Wright, he threw a loaded pistol onto the ground. Officers eventually located Wright and the pistol.
Wright was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Wright was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Wright is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa C. Williams and Timothy Vavricek and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-0048.
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Citizen from the Congo who Committed Visa Fraud Sentenced and FinedRead the Press Release
A man who came to the United States in 2023 was sentenced today to three years’ probation, 90 days of home confinement, and fined for committing visa fraud. Bienvenu Saido Binyangi, age 37, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, received the prison term after a December 11, 2025, guilty plea to one count of visa fraud.
Three other individuals who were charged in the same indictment with conspiracy have already been sentenced. Joseph Longanga Okoko was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. Medard Lotahe Elonge was sentenced to twelve months and one day imprisonment. Joseph Onolenga Okamba was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.
In a plea agreement, Binyangi admitted that he entered the United States on a B1/B2 visa that he obtained by fraud because he did not intend to stay in the United States for temporary business or pleasure, but rather to reunite with his family in the Northern District of Iowa.
At sentencing, the evidence showed that when Binyangi entered the United States, he reunited with his family, including Joseph Okoko’s daughter, and their minor children. Binyangi subsequently petitioned for asylum. The evidence at sentencing also showed that Binyangi had unsuccessfully entered the diversity visa lottery while in the Congo and provided false information about his marital status. The evidence also showed that Binyangi had gotten married in Congo; however, he hid that information from immigration officials.
Binyangi was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Binyangi was sentenced to three years’ probation, 90 days of home confinement, and fined $500.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. Cole and Nicole L. Nagin and was investigated by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Waterloo Police Department, the Sioux City Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Transportation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2052.
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Mason City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Luke Braniff, age 26, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City today to nine years for his felon in possession of ammunition conviction. Braniff was previously convicted of two counts of lascivious acts with a child in 2017, and sex offender registry violations, in 2018, 2023, and 2025. These felony convictions prohibit Braniff from possessing any guns or ammunition.
At the plea hearing on March 3, 2026, Braniff admitted to possessing ammunition knowing he was prohibited from doing so due to his previous convictions. Law enforcement officers became aware of Braniff’s illegal possession of ammunition during an investigation regarding reports of Braniff sending vulgar sexual messages on Snapchat to a minor female and requesting nude images of the child.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Braniff to 108 months’ imprisonment and he must serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Braniff is being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Mason City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3039.
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Jury Convicts Delhi Man of Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
A man who agreed to distribute methamphetamine and was found in possession of over 1,800 grams of methamphetamine was convicted by a jury on July 8, 2026, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Jesse Jon Harbach, age 45, from Delhi, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The verdict was returned on the afternoon of July 8, 2026, following two hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Harbach obtained methamphetamine from his source of supply in Arizona for over two years. During that time, Harbach received multiple packages at a rural Delhi residence. On March 10, 2025, after Harbach and an associate picked up a package, law enforcement officers stopped the car Harbach was in. Officers found a package at Harbach’s feet that contained over 1,800 grams of methamphetamine.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Harbach remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Harbach faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham and was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa State Patrol, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations Forensic Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2059. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Grand Jury Witness Who Refused to Testify in Violation of Court Order Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who refused to testify in grand jury was sentenced on July 1, 2026, to 37 months in federal prison.
Bryon David Manning, age 21, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 22, 2025, guilty plea to contempt of court.
Manning, who was previously convicted of burglary in the second degree and was serving his sentence in state custody, was summoned to federal grand jury in April and May 2025. Manning was ordered by the District Court Judge to testify in grand jury but refused to do so. Manning was first held in civil contempt for approximately four months and subsequently indicted for criminal contempt.
Manning was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Manning was sentenced to 37 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.
Manning is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and 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-00093.
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Osage Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who downloaded hundreds of photos and videos of child pornography pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Damon Wesley Powers, age 44, from Osage, Iowa, was convicted of one count of receipt of child pornography.
Evidence at a prior hearing showed that law enforcement officers searched Powers’s house in Osage in June 2025. Agents found child pornography on his phone, including depictions of prepubescent children. Powers had also stored hundreds of additional photos and videos of child pornography in a cloud‑based account. In an interview with law enforcement officers, Powers admitted that he had sent and received child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Powers remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Powers faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber Crime Bureau, the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, and the Osage Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-CR-2015.
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Dubuque Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Dubuque man who distributed methamphetamine and attempted to escape from a correctional facility was sentenced on June 30, 2026, to 25 years in federal prison.
Christopher Allen Puccio, age 32, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 21, 2025, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence disclosed at the sentencing hearing showed that, in July 2024, Puccio worked with his uncle David Parker and others to acquire ice methamphetamine from Madison, Wisconsin, and distribute it to customers in the Dubuque area. Puccio was involved with, in total, approximately a pound‑and‑a‑half of ice methamphetamine. Puccio had previously been convicted of at least 18 adult offenses, including convictions for delivery of ecstasy, assault on a peace officer, and willful injury causing serious bodily injury.
While Puccio was in-custody pending sentencing, he attempted to escape from a correctional facility. Puccio and another person used a “makeshift” tool to remove grout around a cinderblock below a window of a cell.
Puccio was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Puccio was sentenced to 300 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.
Puccio 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 investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Marshals Service; and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑01038.
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Illegal Immigrant Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jesus Aranda-Martinez, age 25, from Mexico and living in Rock Valley, Iowa, was sentenced today to six years’ imprisonment in federal court in Sioux City. Aranda-Martinez pled guilty on February 6, 2026, to one count of possession of child pornography. Aranda-Martinez is a citizen of Mexico and is currently pending removal from the United States following his prison sentence.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from April 2024 through July 2025, Aranda-Martinez received, distributed, and possessed child pornography. Aranda-Martinez admitted he used several chat apps and that he likes females in middle school or younger. Aranda-Martinez admitted he had received child sexual abuse material over the internet, including depictions of children having sex with adults. A forensic review of Aranda-Martinez’s phone showed he distributed child pornography in “send to receive” groups. He possessed at least 62 images and 42 videos of child pornography. The images and videos involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct with prepubescent minors.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Aranda-Martinez to 108 months’ imprisonment along with a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Aranda-Martinez was also ordered to pay $3,100 in fees and assessments. Aranda-Martinez remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and the Rock Valley Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4053.
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Fort Dodge Area Man Sentenced to Prison for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
Thomas Lee Clark, Jr, age 57, from Eagle Grove and Fort Dodge, Iowa, was sentenced to over 15 years in prison on June 25, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City. On January 27, 2026, Clark, Jr. pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distribution and aiding and abetting another in the distribution of meth.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings, showed that, from July 2024 through August 2025, Clark, Jr. and others distributed over 2500 grams of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area. Evidence further showed that on at least four occasions in July and August 2025, Clark, Jr. distributed or instructed others to distribute meth to individuals cooperating with law enforcement. During a search of a co-conspirator’s home, law enforcement officers seized over 12 grams of pure meth, over $4,000 in U.S. currency, marijuana, prescription medications, scales, and other drug distribution paraphernalia. Clark, Jr. admitted he and his co-conspirators had previously distributed meth and intended to distribute this methamphetamine. Clark, Jr. was previously convicted of possession of more than five grams of methamphetamine, a serious felony drug offense, on or about February 12, 2014, in the Iowa District Court for Webster County.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Clark, Jr. to 204 months’ imprisonment and ten-years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Clark, Jr. remains in the 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 Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3043. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
Jorge Monrroy, age 24, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced today in federal court to 15 years’ imprisonment. On February 5, 2026, Monrroy pled guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
At the plea hearing, Monrroy admitted that between June 30 and July 2, 2025, he sexually exploited a minor female. Monrroy admitted to providing alcohol to the minor, getting her intoxicated, recording a video of the two having sexual intercourse on the minor’s phone, and sending the video to himself. Evidence further showed that Monrroy received, possessed, and distributed 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.”
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Monrroy to 180 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Monrroy 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 25-4050.
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 455 Defendants Charged in Connection with More Than $6.5 Billion in Alleged FraudRead the Press Release
Today, United States Attorney Leif Olson announced criminal charges and a civil enforcement action in connection with alleged schemes to defraud the Veterans Community Care Program, Medicare, and Tricare. The cases are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. They stem from alleged schemes to submit claims for home health care services not actually provided and to receive payments from Medicare based on false invoices.
The cases are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death.
Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Cyprus in connection with an $3.7+ billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of more than $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.
Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:
- Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
- 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to more than $73 million, more than 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’s Office of Inspector General under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
- Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
- 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
These cases were brought by the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa:
- Hughes Home Care, Inc., d/b/a Synergy Homecare (“Synergy”) and its owner, Jacob Hughes, age 35, both of Cedar Rapids, were indicted in connection with a scheme to defraud the Veterans Community Care Program out of more than $350,000. As alleged in the indictment, Hughes and Synergy submitted claims for home health care services not actually provided to elderly and infirm veterans, including claims for services purportedly provided after a veteran client passed away. As alleged, Hughes used the proceeds of the scheme to pay sports gambling debts and other personal expenses. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyndra Lundquist.
- Heartland Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, P.C., and its owner, Eugene J. Cherny, of Des Moines, were sued for damages and civil penalties arising from false pricing information they sent to Medicare. The complaint, filed jointly with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, alleges that Heartland and Cherny gave Medicare false invoices for skin substitute products used to treat Medicare patients. Medicare used the invoices to set the reimbursement Heartland received. The complaint alleges that Medicare and Tricare paid Cherny more than $2 million based on the false information provided. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon J. Gray and Brian J. Keogh, of the Northern District of Iowa, and Andy Kahal, of the Southern District of Iowa, represent the United States.
The cases across the country are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central and Southern Districts of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware; Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of Florida; Northern District of Georgia; District of Hawaii; District of Idaho; Northern District of Illinois; Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa; Western District of Kentucky; Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana; District of Massachusetts; Eastern District of Michigan; Southern District of Mississippi; District of Montana; District of Nebraska; District of New Hampshire; District of New Jersey; District of New Mexico; Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of New York; Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina; Northern District of Ohio; Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma; District of Oregon; Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania; District of Puerto Rico; District of Rhode Island; District of South Carolina; District of South Dakota; Middle and Western Districts of Tennessee; Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas; District of Vermont; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia; Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The Northern District of Iowa, in particular, worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division, the Fraud Section of the Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa; the Attorney General of Iowa, through her office’s MFCU; and: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Veteran Affairs – Office of Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Defense – Office of Inspector General.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dubuque Felon Who Possessed Multiple Guns Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed multiple firearms as a felon in the summer of 2024 was sentenced today to 8 years in federal prison.
Bailey Michael Valentine, age 26, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 27, 2026, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that in May 2024, law enforcement officers pulled over a car in which Valentine was the passenger. Officers found Valentine’s backpack in the car. It contained methamphetamine. Later that day, officers searched his house and found a stolen and loaded gun. Valentine continued to possess a firearm on multiple occasions after that. In July 2024, officers pulled over another car that Valentine was driving. Inside the car, officers found a loaded gun that belonged to Valentine, as well as ammunition that he had stolen earlier in the day. Valentine has an extensive criminal history, including two drug‑related felony convictions from 2021.
Valentine was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Valentine was sentenced to 96 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 Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Valentine 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Dubuque Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1031.
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