Cedar Rapids Man Convicted of Possession of a Handgun After Having Been Convicted of Eight Prior Felonies

A man who possessed a firearm after having been convicted of eight prior felonies was convicted by a jury today after a one-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Maurice Jones, age 44, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about two and one half hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that just after midnight on the morning of October 26, 2010, officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 1400 block of 4th Ave SE in Cedar Rapids. Officers went to a house that was believed to be the location of the gunfire where there was a large group of people on the porch. During a search of the porch, officers found a loaded 9mm Ruger handgun. In an interview a couple of days later, Jones admitted to officers that he possessed the gun and hid it on the porch when officers arrived. Jones had previously been convicted of eight felony offenses in Cook County, Illinois; specifically: burglary in 1986; possession with intent to deliver cocaine in 1988 and 1998; robbery and armed robbery in 1993; possession of heroin in 1998 and 2002; and possession with intent to deliver marijuana in 2003. After moving to Iowa in 2004, Jones was convicted four times in Linn County Iowa District Court of assault.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Jones remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Jones faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, $100 in special assessments, and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a cooperative local, state, and federal program aimed at the enhanced prosecution of gun crimes. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Man Sentenced for Robbing Cedar Rapids Bank

A man who robbed a downtown Cedar Rapids bank while on federal supervised release for a 1990 bank robbery was sentenced today to serve 24 years in federal prison.

Robert Michael Rutan, age 67, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 29, 2011, guilty plea to one count of bank robbery.

In a plea agreement, Rutan admitted he robbed the downtown Cedar Rapids branch of Hills Bank and Trust Company on June 3, 2011. Rutan admitted he gave a note to a Hills Bank teller threatening violence against the teller if the teller did not give Rutan money. Rutan fled the bank and was arrested on June 20, 2011, in Overland, Missouri.

According to the plea agreement, Rutan’s criminal history includes convictions on three counts of first degree robbery with a dangerous weapon in 1968. He was also convicted of second-degree murder in 1972 and again in 1974.

Rutan was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Rutan was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment on the bank robbery charge and an additional 48 months’ imprisonment for violating his terms of supervised release. A special assessment of $100 was imposed, and he was ordered to make restitution to Hills Bank. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Rutan is being held in the United States Marshals custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter Deegan and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Cedar Rapids Man Charged with Bank Robbery

Robert Michael Rutan, age 67, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been charged with one count of bank robbery. The charge is contained in an indictment filed on August 24, 2011, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.

The indictment alleges that on or about June 3, 2011, Rutan robbed the Hills Bank and Trust Company. Rutan was arrested on June 20, 2011, in Overland, Missouri.

If convicted, Rutan faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Rutan appeared today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond. Rutan’s next appearance for a status conference is set for October 5, 2011, at 12:00 p.m.

As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter Deegan and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 11-130 LRR.

Cedar Rapids Woman Charged with 33 Fraud Counts

Sarah Ann Godsey, 33, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been charged with 11 counts of bank fraud, 15 counts of mail fraud, three counts of access device fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The charges are contained in an indictment filed on January 26, 2011, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.

The indictment alleges that Godsey worked for a Japanese technology company located in Cedar Rapids and, beginning around October 2005 and continuing through around January 2007, forged checks and used them for her own benefit and conducted electronic bank transfers for her own benefit. Godsey is alleged to have altered bank statements and mailed them to her employer’s headquarters out of state to conceal the scheme. The indictment also alleges Godsey used three different credit cards with the intent to defraud and used the identities of another person in furtherance of the credit card fraud.

If convicted on all charges, Godsey faces a possible maximum sentence of 846 years’ imprisonment, a $28,500,000 fine, $3300 in special assessments, and 147 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Godsey’s first appearance in federal court in Cedar Rapids for an arraignment is set for February 1, 2011.

As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Berry and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 11-18.