Sac County Attorney Drops Local Charges Against Amanda Goff to Allow Stronger Human Trafficking Prosecution in Dallas County

News

October 31st, 2025 by Ric Hanson

(Sac City, Iowa) – Sac County Attorney Ben Smith, late Thursday, issued a detailed statement explaining his decision to dismiss two felony cases against Amanda Jean Goff. The Belmond (IA) woman was originally charged with one count of Human Trafficking in the 1st Degree. Smith said the charge was dismissed was made to allow Dallas County to prosecute stronger, related charges of human trafficking that carry a mandatory life sentence.

Smith said Goff was initially charged in Sac County in May 2025 after authorities received credible intelligence that she was planning to flee to Mexico. To prevent her escape, he filed the Sac County charges early—before the full investigation was complete—which allowed law enforcement to arrest and detain her, protect alleged victims with no-contact orders, and keep the case viable while other counties built their cases.
After coordination with the Dallas County Attorney and the Iowa DCI, Smith determined that the allegations in Sac County overlapped with those in Dallas County and involved the same alleged victims. Pursuing both cases would force those minors to repeatedly relive their trauma in multiple trials. Because the Dallas County case is stronger and could result in a life sentence, Smith chose to dismiss the Sac County cases without prejudice—preserving the option to refile if necessary—saving taxpayer funds and avoiding duplicative prosecution.
Smith added that two men, Jose Ayala Sanchez and Nelson Sanchez, remain wanted on related Sac County charges and will be prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law” once apprehended. He credited Sac City Police Detective Michelle Balo with uncovering evidence that led to a larger FBI and DCI human trafficking investigation spanning multiple counties.

ORIGINAL STORY….

PERRY, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Perry Police Department said Wednesday (today, Oct.  29th) a Belmond, Iowa woman – 41-year-old Amanda Jean Goff – is charged with one count of Human Trafficking in the First Degree. Goff was taken into custody without incident at the Sac County Jail where she had been held on related offenses. Human Trafficking in the First Degree is a class A felony.

As detailed in the criminal complaint, it is alleged that in January 2025, Goff took a 14-year-old female to a Perry hotel for the express purpose of having the victim engage in commercial sexual activity with another person.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between city, county, state, and federal law enforcement partners. Technical support was provided by the Iowa Office to Combat Human Trafficking (OTCHT). Since 2023, the OTCHT has provided training and resources to educate our communities and businesses on the signs of human trafficking and to law enforcement and prosecutors on the effective investigation and prosecution of human trafficking offenses.

This is an ongoing investigation. No additional information will be released at this time.