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.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A former Waterloo teacher who stole tens of thousands of dollars from the local teachers union to feed a gambling habit has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison. Federal prosecutors for Iowa say 59-year-old Anthony Dehl was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. Dehl pleaded guilty in February to wire fraud.

Prosecutors say Dehl took more than $54,000 from the union’s accounts over about five years, when he was the union’s treasurer, withdrawing most of it at a local casino. Investigators say Dehl concealed his scheme by submitting false treasurer reports and other yearly reports to the organization.