A man who conspired with others to distribute ice methamphetamine was sentenced yesterday to 30 years’ in federal prison.

Robert Lewis, age 44, from Janesville, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 22, 2018, jury verdict finding him guilty of conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine.

The evidence at trial showed that in the summer of 2013, Lewis began working with various individuals to distribute ice methamphetamine throughout the Waterloo area.  Lewis and his associates obtained methamphetamine from an out-of-state source of supply who shipped the methamphetamine via FedEx concealed in car part boxes.  Each shipment contained multiple pounds of methamphetamine which Lewis and others would break down into smaller quantities for redistribution once it arrived in Iowa.  Lewis also used his daughter to register a car for the head of the drug organization and allowed other members of the conspiracy access to his home, referred to at trial as the “clubhouse,” for the purpose of repackaging and distributing methamphetamine.  Lewis left Iowa in the fall of 2013, but continued to receive methamphetamine from his co-conspirators.  In January 2014, one co-conspirator attempted to send Lewis methamphetamine hidden in a Hamburger Skillet prepared meal box.  FedEx employees flagged the package as suspicious and investigators ultimately seized ¼ ounce of methamphetamine from the inside of the box.

The evidence at sentencing showed that after trial, Lewis obstructed justice by threatening and intimidating multiple individuals who testified as witnesses at the trial.  This included telling one witness that he “was a dead man.” 

Lewis was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Lewis was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Lewis is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force (Waterloo Police Department; Cedar Falls Police Department; Waverly Police Department; Bremer County Sheriff’s Office; Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office; LaPorte City Police Department; Evansdale Police Department; Hudson Police Department). 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 17-CR-2084.

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A man responsible for running a complex drug trafficking organization was sentenced May 17, 2019, to more than 14 years in federal prison.

Michael Pineda, age 34, from San Ysidro, California, received the prison term after an August 6, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. 

Evidence during the case established that Pineda served as a source of ice methamphetamine for numerous individuals.  Pineda shipped the methamphetamine to Iowa from California, typically concealed in car stereo boxes.  Once the methamphetamine arrived in Iowa, Pineda relied on various individuals to pick it up, repackage it, distribute it, and later collect money from its sale. 

In order to conceal the money from the drug sales, Pineda directed others in the conspiracy, including his wife, to open bank accounts under fictitious business names.  He then instructed his drug customers to deposit drug proceeds into these bank accounts.  In less than two years, Pineda laundered more than $370,000 of drug money through these accounts.  He also instructed other individuals to cash from the sales to California.  One such individual was intercepted at the San Diego Airport carrying approximately $35,000 in drug proceeds.    

Pineda was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Pineda was sentenced to 175 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.

Pineda is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force (Waterloo Police Department; Cedar Falls Police Department; Waverly Police Department; Bremer County Sheriff’s Office; Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office; LaPorte City Police Department; Evansdale Police Department; Hudson Police Department). 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 17-CR-2084.

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A total of 28 individuals were sentenced in Federal Court in the Northern District of Iowa between December 27, 2018 and January 25, 2019.  The offenses of conviction varied, with the vast majority being drug and gun offenses.

Jose Hedaldo Padilla-Ferrera was sentenced to 93 days’ imprisonment to be followed by 1 year of supervised release on one count of illegal reentry.  The sentence was imposed on December 27, 2018, in case file number 18-CR-02054.

 

Chris Bruce was sentenced to 230 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 8 years of supervised release on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  The sentence was imposed on January 3, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-03028.

 

Alston Ray Campbell, Jr. was sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack) and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  The sentence was imposed on January 3, 2019, in case file number 17-CR-02045.  Campbell Jr. was convicted following a jury trial in April 2018, along with his brother, William Campbell, and father, Alston Ray Campbell, Sr. for offenses relating to their participation in a drug trafficking organization in Waterloo.  His father and brother will be sentenced at a later date. 

 

Erick Corona Cardenas was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  The sentence was imposed on January 3, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-04016.

 



Keylynn Landon Goldsmith was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 1 year of supervised release on two counts of use of communication facility.  The sentence was imposed on January 3, 2019, in case file number 17-CR-02051.

Eric John Steve was sentenced to 7 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 1 year of supervised release on one count of possession of a controlled substance (third offense).  The sentence was imposed on January 4, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-01031.  The case arose from Steve’s possession of heroin. 

 

Antonio Scott McGhee was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.  The sentence was imposed on January 4, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-02019.

 

Sanela Dedic was sentenced to 3 years’ probation on one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.  Selmir Salkanovic was sentenced to 93 days’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.  The sentences were imposed on January 4, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-02057.  Salkanovic, a citizen of Bosnia, overstayed his visitor visa.  Dedic, Salkanovic’s sister and a naturalized citizen of the United States, found a United States citizen, a young woman, from Waterloo, Iowa, to marry Salkanovic in an attempt to defeat United States immigration laws.  Salkanovic and Dedic promised to pay the young woman $5,000 to marry Salkanovic.  Salkanovic married the young woman one week before the departure deadline.

 

Francisco Javier Ransaure-Jacome was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 1 year of supervised release on one count of illegal reentry.  The sentence was imposed on January 8, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-04061.  Ransaure-Jacome had previously been convicted in Clay County, Iowa, of attempted burglary, assault with a dangerous weapon (a knife), and assaulting a fellow inmate at the Clay County jail.

 

Adrian Harlan, Jr. was sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 1 year of supervised release on one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a drug user.  The sentence was imposed on January 10, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-04027.

 

Duaine Harbert was sentenced to 113 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing heroin.  The sentence was imposed on January 10, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-04008.

 

Boulder Young was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence was imposed on January 14, 2019, in case file number 17-CR-04030.

 

Traeton Wilharm was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  The sentence was imposed on January 15, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-02027.

 

Henry Lee Booth was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.  The sentence was imposed on January 16, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-04030.

 

William James Wesley was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.  The sentence was imposed on January 17, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-01011.  The sentencing judge enhanced Wesley’s sentence for threatening a grand jury witness in an unrelated case.

 

Victor Wicher was sentenced to 71 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.  The sentence was imposed on January 17, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-00057.  At the time he possessed the firearm, Wicher was a felon with three prior domestic assault convictions and a history of other violent offenses.  His offense was based on an incident where he threatened to kill himself during an argument with his then-girlfriend while holding a gun to his head.  Wicher later entered into the then-girlfriend’s residence, choked her and threatened her and a family member in an attempt to prevent her from cooperating against him.  Wicher was convicted of a fourth domestic assault offense based on the incident involving him entering the then-girlfriend’s residence and threatening and choking her.

 

Jesse Andrew Hall was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user.  The sentence was imposed on January 17, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-02021.

 

Gerald Francis Straka was sentenced to 8 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user.  The sentence was imposed on January 18, 2019, in case file number 19-CR-01020.

 

Derrick Ford was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of interference and attempted interference with commerce by threats and violence and aiding and abetting such violation.  The sentence was imposed on January 18, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-00015.  Ford served as the driver for Gage Rupp and Cedric Wright who robbed a Cedar Rapids Sprint Store of more than $40,000 in electronic devices and cash.  Rupp and Wright have also been convicted for their involvement in the robbery and for carrying a gun found in the robbery getaway car.  Wright was also convicted at trial in November 2018 of carjacking the robbery getaway car at gunpoint from a Kirkwood college student the night before the Sprint Store robbery.  Rupp and Wright will be sentenced at a later date. 

Juan Sanchez-Velasco was sentenced to 136 days’ imprisonment to be followed by 1 year of supervised release on one count of illegal re-entry.  The sentence was imposed on January 18, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-00088.

 

Cornelius Herbert Terrell Wright was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of distribution of heroin.  The sentence was imposed on January 23, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-00061.  The case arose from Wright’s distribution of heroin that was laced with synthetic fentanyl.

 

Christopher Smith was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of possession of firearms by a felon.  The sentence was imposed on January 23, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-03015.

 

Dominique Dwight Williams was sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user.  The sentence was imposed on January 24, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-00046.  At the time of his arrest, Williams needed to be subdued with a taser after he initially failed to respond to police directives.

 

Dion Clayborn was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 6 years of supervised release on one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance near a protected location.  The sentence was imposed on January 25, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-00051.

 

Brianna Marie Martin was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 6 years of supervised release on one count of distribution of heroin.  The sentence was imposed on January 25, 2019, in case file number 18-CR-01021.  Martin distributed methadone to a person who died after using the drug.

 

Dakota Lee Sanders was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  The sentence was imposed on January 25, 2019, in case file number 17-CR-03060.

 

Samuel Arias was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 2 years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.  The sentence was imposed on January 25, 2019, in case file number 17-CR-02084.  Arias’ money laundering conviction resulted from his opening a bank account which was used to launder approximately $280,000 in drug proceeds. 

 

There is no parole in the federal system.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

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