Bobby Rhoden, Kidnapping and Possession of Ammunition as Felon, Iowa 2024

In a shocking turn of events, a Sioux City resident has been sentenced to 31 years in federal prison for a heinous crime that left his victim scarred for life. Bobby Rhoden, 50, was found guilty of one count of kidnapping and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon and drug user.

The kidnapping began with Rhoden manipulating the victim, threatening her daughter, and ultimately taking her from a domestic abuse shelter to his car. Over the next 36 hours, Rhoden brutalized his victim, took her glasses, and terrorized others at two locations. The victim eventually managed to escape, zigzagging for her life as Rhoden pursued her and fired his gun.

A subsequent investigation revealed live ammunition and a spent casing in Rhoden’s garage, which was one of the locations where he held his victim. It also came to light that Rhoden had made recordings of a sexual nature without his victim’s consent, and had even gone so far as to hide a firearm and ask his victim and estranged wife to claim ownership of it.

Rhoden’s long history of criminal activity includes two counts of forgery in Scott County, Iowa, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in Scott County, Iowa, and conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. Upon leaving prison, Rhoden rearmed and boasted about doing so, even going so far as to threaten violence if needed.

On [april 2024], Rhoden was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 372 months’ imprisonment. He will also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Rhoden is currently being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which focuses on reducing violent crime by targeting the most violent offenders and partnering with local prevention and reentry programs. The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild prosecuted the case.

The case file number is 22-4073, and more information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. Follow the US Attorney’s Office on X @USAO_NDIA for more updates on this and other cases.

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