Tag: Iowa
Keith Havener, Child Pornography Possession, Iowa 2026
⏱ 2 min read Keith Havener, a 62-year-old man from Sioux City, Iowa, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after a disturbing investigation revealed he had created and possessed over 1,000 images of child porn using artificial intelligence technology. The crimes occurred between June 1, 2024, and January 13, 2025, and involved the creation of…
Eric Leo Newsom, Tampering with a Consumer Product, Iowa 2026
⏱ 3 min read An Eastern Iowa occupational therapist’s dirty secret is out: Eric Leo Newsom, 34, stole pain meds from patients and replaced them with zinc tablets, leaving one cancer patient to suffer in agony. Newsom, who owned and operated a company providing occupational therapy services to patients in Eastern Iowa, began diverting narcotics…
Christopher L. Rutherford, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Iowa 2026
A Cambridge, Illinois man was sentenced to a lengthy federal prison term for his role in an online child sex crime, authorities announced Friday. According to public court documents, Christopher L. Rutherford, 55, messaged with two undercover officers who posed as underage teenagers on Facebook and exchanged messages about meeting to engage in sex acts.…
Eric Leo Newsom, Tampering with a Consumer Product, Iowa 2026
An Eastern Iowa occupational therapist has been convicted of tampering with a consumer product after he diverted narcotics from his patients and replaced their medication with fake pills, prosecutors said. Eric Leo Newsom, 34, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of tampering and attempting to tamper with a consumer product. In a…
Devieon Jermaine-Oliver Irvin, Possession of a Firearm as a Felon, Iowa 2025
⏱ 2 min read Devieon Jermaine-Oliver Irvin, a 21-year-old felon from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was caught with a loaded gun in his residence in Marion, Iowa, on March 13, 2025. While investigating a theft, police officers discovered that Irvin was sending text messages to a 13-year-old juvenile, discussing providing the minor with drugs. Irvin, who…
Justin Michael Barnes, Gun Theft, Iowa 2024
⏱ 2 min read A Waterloo, Iowa, house was hit by a brazen gun thief in June 2024. Justin Michael Barnes, 29, from Rock Island, Illinois, stole 15 firearms from the unoccupied home with the help of his then-girlfriend, Jena Wells. Barnes, a seven-time felon, was on parole at the time and had a warrant…
Justin Michael Barnes, Gun Theft, Iowa 2026
A man who stole fifteen firearms from a house in Waterloo, Iowa, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison. Justin Michael Barnes, age 29, from Rock Island, Illinois, received the prison term after a November 20, 2025, guilty plea to possession of firearms by a felon and possession of stolen firearms. Barnes was…
Leslie Jo Fanning, Fentanyl Conspiracy, Iowa 2024
A Fort Dodge woman conspired to distribute fentanyl, pleading guilty in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa. L Leslie Jo Fanning, age 36, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. At the plea hearing, Fanning admitted that between about…
Paulette Allen, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, Iowa 2026
Three Sioux City residents, Paulette Allen, Donald Most, and Martin Godbersen, have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a methamphetamine conspiracy and distribution scheme. Paulette Allen, 64, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison on March 3, 2026, after pleading guilty on October 9, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled…
Dustin George Burnikel, Methamphetamine Distribution, Iowa 2025
A 45-year-old man from Lime Springs, Iowa, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in distributing methamphetamine. Dustin George Burnikel, who was 45 years old, received the prison term after pleading guilty on October 27, 2025, to one count of distribution of a controlled substance. Between June 2022 and January…
