Woman Involved in 2014 Robbery of Drugs and Drug Proceeds Pleads Guilty In Federal Court

A woman who conspired to rob an individual of drugs and drug proceeds pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Danielle Busch, age 30, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce and using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence resulting in murder.

At the plea hearing, Busch admitted that in May 2014 she conspired with others to commit a robbery affecting interstate commerce.  She further admitted that during the robbery, one of her co-conspirators used, carried, brandished, and discharged a firearm during and in relation to the robbery.  As a result of the use of the firearm, another individual was killed.  Busch admitted that the discharge of the firearm was within the scope of the robbery conspiracy, and was reasonably foreseeable as a necessary or natural consequence of the conspiracy.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Busch remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Busch faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and up to eight years’ of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa C. Williams and Richard L. Murphy and was investigated by the Marion Police Department, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Davenport Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office.