COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced that on July 16, 2020, 34-year old Walter Greenwood Stokes, and his 34-year old wife, Brittany Leah Lynne Stokes, were sentenced to prison for possession of firearms while prohibited. Walter Stokes was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, while Brittany Stokes was sentenced to a year and a day in prison followed by three years of supervised release. A third defendant, Laura Edith Chedester of Omaha, Nebraska, is awaiting sentencing on August 20, 2020.

The Stokes were convicted by jury on March 3, 2020. Walter Stokes was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and Brittany Stokes was found guilty of being a drug user in possession of a firearm and of falsifying a government document in the acquisition of a firearm. The jury heard evidence that Woodbine Police Department along with the Logan Police Department served a search warrant on the Stokes’ residence located in Woodbine, Iowa.

The search by law enforcement recovered 25 firearms, and over 14,000 rounds of ammunition. Five loaded semi-automatic assault type rifles were located in the master bedroom of the home. Evidence showed that Walter Stokes had built several of the assault weapons from parts obtained by Brittany Stokes. Evidence was also heard by the jury about an extensive history of drug use by the couple and that Walter Stokes had felony convictions dating back to 2003.

The investigation was conducted by the Woodbine Iowa Police Department, Logan Iowa Police Department, Council Bluffs Police Department, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced on Monday, July 13, 2020, Brent Rawson, age 55, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 188 months in prison for receipt of child pornography. Rawson was ordered to serve eight years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

The charges were the result of an investigation initiated from two internet service providers who submitted tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user of their service uploaded suspected images of child pornography. An investigation of this  information led law enforcement to execute a search warrant at Rawson’s Council Bluffs rsidence. Law enforcement located a laptop, cell phone, and two hard drives, which were taken as evidence and analyzed. The forensic analysis revealed Rawson possessed and received numerous images and videos of child pornography.

This investigation was conducted by the Douglas County Sheriff Office and the Omaha Federal Bureau of Investigations Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced on Thursday, July 16, 2020, Matthew Carson, age 37, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to a total of 10 years in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Carrying a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime. He was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $200 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

The charges stemmed from two traffic stops of Carson by Council Bluffs Police Officers. On August 8, 2019, Carson drove without a valid driver’s license and was found in possession of 24 grams of  methamphetamine. On September 25, 2019, Carson was found in possession of 20 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm.

This investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA — United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, Larry Schneckloth, age 47, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 110 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl. Schneckloth was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

The charge was the result of an investigation regarding Scheckloth distributing controlled substances in the Council Bluffs area. Schneckloth sold fentanyl pills on two occasions in Sarpy County, Nebraska, and he was also linked to fentanyl pills located during an investigation at a hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. Law enforcement, through their investigation, attributed over 3000 fentanyl pills to Schneckloth. On December 7, 2019, Council Bluffs Police officers were dispatched to a motel in Council Bluffs where Schneckloth was arrested for a warrant and was found in possession of 95 grams of methamphetamine.

This investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Omaha Police Department, and Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced on Monday, July 13, 2020, Douglas Schlott, age 35, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to a total of 71 months in prison to be followed by a five year term of supervised release for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking.

Also sentenced by Judge Rose as part of the cocaine conspiracy was Tyler Alwan, age 21, of Council Bluffs. Alwan pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and was sentenced to 16 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release.

The charges were the result of an investigation initiated by a concerned citizen who provided information to the Council Bluffs Police Department that drugs were being distributed in a parking lot. An undercover investigation of this information led local law enforcement to execute a search warrant at Douglas Schlott’s residence in Council Bluffs where police located cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm.

This investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced on July 16, 2020, 46-year old James William Chvala, of California, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 60 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

The sentencing was the result of a traffic stop on June 26, 2019, in Council Bluffs by the Council Bluffs Police Department. An investigation revealed Chvala had approximately one pound of methamphetamine hidden in his vehicle and had obtained the methamphetamine from a source in California and was transporting it for distribution in Illinois. It was learned that Chvala had made multiple trips from California to deliver methamphetamine in Illinois. Chvala pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on January 24, 2020.

The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA — A man from Council Bluffs was sentenced Wednesday to slightly less than 4-years in prison (147 months) for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. 47-year old Michael Sutton was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

The charge was the result of an investigation involving Sutton distributing a large quantity of methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs area. Local law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sutton’s residence in Council Bluffs where 724 grams of methamphetamine was found.

The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Omaha Police Department. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA — United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced on Wednesday, July 15th, 46-year old Harley Bressman, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to 17.5 years (210 months) in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Bressman was ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

Sabrina Spahn, age 48, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced to nearly 6.5 years (77 months) in prison for her role in the methamphetamine conspiracy. She was ordered to serve five years of supervised
release to follow her prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

The charges were the result of an ongoing investigation involving Bressman distributing a large quantity of methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs area. An undercover investigation led law enforcement to execute a search warrant at Bressman and Spahn’s residence in Council Bluffs, where over four pounds of methamphetamine was located as well as seven pounds of methamphetamine discovered at a related location.

The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Middle Iowa Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have charged an 81-year-old man with first-degree murder in a deadly Iowa shooting. A complaint and affidavit filed Thursday in Plymouth County District Court said Thomas Knapp, of Merrill, confessed to shooting 51-year-old Kevin Juzek in May during a disturbance at their home. The Sioux City Journal reports that Knapp previously pleaded not guilty to domestic abuse charge in the case.

Authorities responded after his wife called 911 to report that her husband was assaulting her and her son with a stick and also pointed the shotgun at her. She also said Juzek, who also lived in the home, had just been shot.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The U.S. government has put to death an Iowa chemistry student-turned-meth kingpin convicted of killing two children and three adults. It is the third execution by the federal government in one week after a hiatus of nearly 20 years. Dustin Honken, who prosecutors said killed key witnesses to stop them from testifying in his drugs case, received a lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. Two others were also put to death this week: Kansan Wesley Purkey and Oklahoman Daniel Lewis Lee.