Iowa City Criminal Defense Blog

Iowa man faces drug trafficking charges

On behalf of Foster Law Office posted in Drug Charges on Wednesday, October 3, 2018.

A 44-year-old man could be facing serious jail time following his arrest by state authorities on alleged drug activity. The man is accused of drug trafficking after a series of investigations turned up what police believe to be a large operation in Cedar Rapids. There is no word at this time whether the man has secured criminal defense representation, but official charges were still pending at last report.

The case began back in Dec. 2017 when authorities, including the FBI, were conducting an investigation into the suspected trafficking of methamphetamine. A vehicle in which the man was a passenger was pulled over, and a search allegedly revealed a backpack containing one pound of what authorities believe to be meth, as well as scales and a sizeable amount of cash. An Iowa home was raided the same day, believed to be connected to the man, which turned up nearly $60,000 in cash as well as more alleged paraphernalia.

Drug charge filed against Iowa man

On behalf of Foster Law Office posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

A drug investigation has resulted in the arrest of a Charles City man, according to local sources. The Iowa man is now facing a drug charge after law enforcement authorities arrested him on Aug. 7. If he is found guilty in criminal court, he could face years in prison.

Details about the investigation that preceded his arrest are scarce at this time, but it has been confirmed that police began their investigation in Jan. 2018. Police believed the man was selling methamphetamine, though it is not clear how they came to this belief. The investigation continued through February, at which time police say they were able to confirm their suspicions regarding the man's alleged distribution activities.

2 Charged with felony theft in Iowa

On behalf of Foster Law Office posted in Felonies on Thursday, September 6, 2018.

Police in Clear Lake have confirmed they have arrested two individuals in connection with the alleged theft of a watercraft, according to local sources. Two men, aged 24 and 37, as well as an unidentified woman, were taken into custody by Iowa authorities after being charged with felony second-degree theft, as well as conspiracy to commit a non-forcible felony. The older man is set to appear in court on Sept. 14, but no court date has been set for the younger man or the woman at this time.

Police say they were alerted to a Sea-Doo watercraft and accompanying trailer that were believed to have been stolen from a parking lot near Highway 18. The owner had apparently left the vehicle there with a prominent "for sale" sign posted in hopes of attracting interest. Video surveillance obtained by police showed a man and a woman in the parking lot, hooking the trailer with the Sea-Doo on board to a vehicle, then driving away.

Domestic violence in Iowa: Corn tossing no laughing matter

On behalf of Foster Law Office posted in Felonies on Monday, August 20, 2018.

A 26-year-old Iowa woman is in hot water after having an alleged domestic altercation with her mother. In this domestic violence case, the Waterloo woman is accused of throwing a pot of corn-on-the-cob at her mother. The corn was on the stove cooking at the time. The accused was charged with serious domestic assault, obstructing emergency communication, nonserious child endangerment and interference with official acts, according to police.

The woman got into an argument with her 53-year-old mother while a 2-year-old and 4-year-old watched. After flinging the water and corn-filled pot at her mom, the woman reportedly tried to take the phone away from her while her mother was trying to call police. The mother's hand was scratched during the scuffle.

Sex crimes: 5th suspect arrested in Iowa sex assault case

On behalf of Foster Law Office posted in Felonies on Monday, August 6, 2018.

A final suspect has been charged in connection with a sex assault in October of last year. Authorities working on the Iowa sex crimes case have already charged four suspects in the alleged sexual abuse of a 18-year-old woman. The 23-year-old man was arrested in Chicago and charged with second-degree sexual abuse.

Police say the man was part of a group of five who purportedly held the woman against her will and sexually assaulted her. Two of the other men arrested were 20 years old, while the others were 18 and 19. In addition to facing second-degree sexual abuse charges, these four are also charged with invasion of privacy.

Sex crimes: Iowa man accused of assaulting 2 kids

On behalf of Foster Law Office posted in Felonies on Sunday, July 22, 2018.

A 36-year-old man has accepted a plea deal in connection with the alleged sexual assault of two children over a period of six years. The Iowa resident maintains his innocence in the apparent sex crimes even though he took the deal offered to him. Felony charges filed against him include two counts of second-degree sexual abuse and two counts of third-degree sexual abuse.

The actual ages and genders of the children involved have not been divulged; however, all are 15 years of age or under. In Iowa, being found guilty of one count of second degree abuse can mean up to 25 years in prison. The county attorney is expected to ask that the man's two 10-year sentences should be served concurrently and his name added to a sex offender registry for the remainder of his life. He is also expected to ask that the man pay two $1,000 fines.

Misdemeanor possession: Four Iowa residents facing drug charges

On behalf of Foster Law Office posted in Drug Charges on Monday, July 9, 2018.

A second of five defendants has recently been sentenced for the part he played in local drug use. The 58-year-old Iowa resident was charged with misdemeanor possession of methamphetamine and for maintaining a premise for drug use. The other Howard County defendants -- two females and two males -- were arrested after cops searched the home suspected of being used as a place for using drugs. Police allegedly found meth and a number of prescription drugs on the premises during the search.

The 58-year-old was given a $315 fine in addition to two days in the county jail and two years of supervised probation. One of the women pleaded guilty to possession of amitriptyline and meth and received two years of probation and a $315 fine. The conviction will be wiped from her record if she adheres to the rules of her probation.

Elk Point man facing drug charge stemming from car crash

On behalf of Foster Law Office posted in Drug Charges on Monday, June 25, 2018.

A 40-year-old man is in police custody for charges stemming from a car crash that also injured his passenger. The Iowa resident, who is now facing a drug charge, was apparently driving north on Interstate 29 around 6 a.m. when his vehicle left the road and crossed the median. The car then struck a rail in the southbound lane. The man's 26-year-old male passenger was taken to hospital by ambulance with serious injuries.

Upon investigation, police officers allegedly found paraphernalia for smoking pot in the vehicle. They also reportedly found a marijuana grinder and loose marijuana in a backpack. The man was arrested and taken to jail, where a methamphetamine pipe was allegedly found on him. The accused apparently admitted to authorities that he had smoked marijuana.

Drug charge: 3 Iowa residents facing drug crime allegations

On behalf of Foster Law Office posted in Drug Charges on Tuesday, June 12, 2018.

Three people were arrested after a recent drug bust. One man and two women are facing more than one Iowa drug charge after the bust. The Iowa residents each have bonds set at thousands of dollars, and they all remain in custody at the moment. Two are from Ridgeway, while the other is from Dubuque.

Besides not having a drug tax stamp, the man is charged with two counts of felony possession of a controlled substance -- methamphetamine and marijuana. His bond was set at $30,000 cash. The 26-year-old female from Ridgeway and the 24-year-old female are facing the same charges. Bond for the 24-year-old is also set at $30,000 cash, while bond for the 26-year-old is set at $20,000 cash.

Former Iowa office manager convicted of fraud, theft

On behalf of Foster Law Office posted in Fraud on Monday, May 28, 2018.

A woman has been put on probation after pleading guilty to two separate charges. The Iowa resident was charged with credit card fraud and first-degree theft. She was accused of stealing $30,000 from her employer, which the judge ordered her to pay back. The judge sentenced the 33-year-old to four years probation. She was the office manager of a trucking company.

The woman apparently used employer checks and credit cards to fatten up her own bank account by thousands of dollars used to pay for personal expenses including dinners out, groceries, home improvements and clothes. Her local fire department and municipality offices benefited from the theft since she also bought them computers with the stolen funds. The woman was taken into custody in August and apparently also turned in fake time cards which gave her an extra $10,000 over a two-year period.