Law enforcement agencies across the state continue to make communities safer by partnering to reduce gun related crimes and violence.  United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. announced charges and arrests in thirty-two recent federal gun cases at a press conference held at the United States Attorney’s Office.  Deegan was joined by Donald Dockendorf, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Thomas Reinwart, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Deputy Chief Thomas Jonker, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Assistant Chief of Police Jeremy Jensen and Investigator Nicholas Schlosser, Dubuque Police Department, Deputy Marshal Nick Bonifazi, United States Marshal’s Service, Special Agent Mike Fischels, Homeland Security Investigations, and Chief Deputy John Stuelke, Captain Greg McGivern, Lieutenant Matt Pavelka, and Sergeant Dave Beuter, all of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

“The charges in these cases demonstrate the Department of Justice’s continued commitment to prosecuting the most dangerous offenders in our communities,” said United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr.  “We will continue to work with all of our outstanding local, state, and federal law partners to investigate and prosecute those who use guns to commit crimes and those unlawfully possess guns and ammunition.  Convicted felons, drug users, and those who have committed domestic violence are simply not allowed to possess guns or ammunition.  Those who do violate federal law and will be held accountable.”

In the past few months, the work of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies has resulted in the following matters in federal court in Cedar Rapids:

Jesus David Jimenez, age 33, Karondius Martea Kelly, age 20, Jamaal Baker, age 40, Charles John Cizek, age 41, Alberto Quinto-Pascual, age 36, Shevin Darnell Caston, age 28, Diamond Meshan Duckings, age 34, Jumoni Dontez Wilson, age 18, Levi Farren Miller, age 28, Rajih Rafee Donley, age 31, all of Waterloo, Iowa; John David Orr III, age 19, Johnnie Eugene Raymond, age 22, Charles Dwayne Carter, age 27, all of Dubuque, Iowa; Dustin Blake Herubin, age 23, Daytrell Washington-Roby, age 21, Raven Damien Meader Burkhow, age 24, Drew Blahnik, age 32. Fernaris Braggs, age 31, Andrew Shaw, age 31, Jontreyvius Richmond, age 21, Darnell Henderson, age 23, Mathew John Wharton, age 28, Zachary Francis Hogan, age 28, Paul Hoff, age 40, Untario McGhee, age 18, all of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Clint Hospodarksy, age 44, of Iowa City, Iowa; Randolph High, age 62, of Stanwood, Iowa; Justin Allen Bryce Gulian, age 28, of Clarksville, Iowa; Richard Dale Olge II, age 30, of Cresco, Iowa; Gilbert Lopez, Jr., age 33, of West Union, Iowa; Edinton Grugbay Wright, age 22, of Marion, Iowa; and Brett Scott Meana, age 43, of Peosta, Iowa, have all been charged with various violations of federal law including being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.  The charges are contained in complaints and indictments filed within the last few months in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.

The complaint and indictment against Burkhow alleges that in March and April 2019, Burkhow sold cocaine to a confidential informant on five separate occasions.  On April 29, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at Burkhow’s residence in Cedar Rapids and located fourteen guns, eight silencers, thousands of rounds of ammunition, a money counting machine, cash, and cocaine.  Burkhow admitted to investigators that he uses controlled substances.  The case file is 19-mj-149 and 19-cr-59.   

The complaint and indictment against Washington-Roby alleges that in September 2018, Washington-Roby posted a photo of himself on Facebook holding a Glock 9mm handgun.  The firearm was later seized from one of Washington-Roby’s friends while Roby and the friend were together.  Washington-Roby admitted to officers that he uses marijuana and had been doing so since a young age.  Also, on April 5, of this year, Washington-Roby was in a vehicle involved in a shots-fired investigation.  A pistol was found in that vehicle.  The case file is 19-mj-117 and 19-cr-47.

The complaint against Quinto-Pascual alleges that on May 10, 2019, Waterloo Police officers responded to a call for a man with a gunshot wound.  The unresponsive male was taken to a nearby hospital.  Officers later located a .32 caliber revolver that was involved in the shooting.  Quinto-Pascual was identified as someone who was with the male earlier that evening.  Quinto-Pascual was located and admitted to being with the male that night and that the firearm belonged to him.  Quinto is alleged to have possessed a firearm with an obliterated serial number and possessed a firearm while being a drug user.  This case file is 19-mj-168.

The complaints and indictments filed against McGhee, Kelly, Cizek, Braggs, High, Raymond, Caston, Henderson, Richmond, Carter, Donley, allege that these defendants were felons who were unlawfully in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

The charges filed against Orr Blahnik, Shaw, Wharton, Hogan, and Hospodarsky allege that these defendants were in possession of a firearm as a drug user.

Miller was charged in May with possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing an unregistered firearm.  

The indictment against Herubin alleges that this defendant possessed with the intent to distribute marijuana near a protected location, two counts of false statement during the purchase of a firearm, and possession of a firearm as a drug user. 

Jimenez, Baker, Duckings, and Gulian were each charged with possessing a firearm as a felon.  Each has since pled guilty. 

In March of this year, Wright and Wilson were both charged with being a drug user in possession of a firearm.  Both have since pled guilty.

Meana was charged in April with possessing an unregistered firearm.  He pled guilty on May 28, 2019.  

Hoff was charged with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.  He pled guilty on June 13, 2019. 

Lopez pled guilty in June to two counts of being an unlawful user of marijuana and methamphetamine and one count of selling a stolen firearm. 

If convicted on these charges, all defendants face at least a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, $100 in special assessments, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.­

­As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The cases were brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force (composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshal Service, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department), the Waterloo Federal Task Force (composed of the Waterloo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department), the Dubuque Police Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Charles City Police Department, and the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. 

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A West Union man who sold a stolen firearm and was an unlawful user of marijuana and methamphetamine pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Gilbert Lopez, Jr., age 33, from West Union, Iowa, was convicted of two counts of being an unlawful drug user in possession of firearms and one count of selling a stolen firearm.

At the plea hearing, Lopez admitted that on April 15, 2019, he was an unlawful user of marijuana and methamphetamine.  On that date he knowingly sold a stolen .40 caliber handgun to another.  On April 16, 2019, when law enforcement officials executed a search warrant, Lopez admitted he had a .380 caliber handgun. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Lopez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  For each of the three counts, Lopez faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and was investigated by the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement 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 19-CR-2026-CJW.

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