Cedar Rapids woman to serve 2 years in federal prison for perjury

A Cedar Rapids woman who lied to the grand jury in 2014 about her ex-husband, a felon and drug user, having a sawed-off shotgun was sentenced to two years in federal prison on Tuesday.

Danielle Ayers, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of perjury in October. In a plea agreement, she admitted that she lied about seeing ex-husband Matthew Robbins in possession of a firearm. Ayers told the grand jury she hadn't seen Robbins with a firearm in the last five years, the plea shows.

The grand jury was hearing testimony to possibly indict Robbins, 42, of Ely, for being a felon and unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm. Robbins was charged and after his first trial ended in a mistrial, he pleaded guilty in August before being retried and is now serving 10 years in federal prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Eldridge asked that Ayers be sentenced within the guideline range, 30-37 months. Ayers said she knew Robbins had a shotgun because he held it to her head, and at the time she also knew he was felon and used methamphetamine in 2014.

There hasn't been any evidence that Ayers was coerced by Robbins or another person when she lied to the grand jury, which is a serious offense, Eldridge said.

Mark Meyers, Ayers lawyer, submitted a report from a forensic nurse in an attempt to show she had been mentally, physically and sexually abused by Robbins.

U.S. District Chief Judge Linda Reade allowed the report but said these claims had never come up before. Ayers never told probation about incidents of Robbins kicking her in the head and choking her.

'There's nothing to corroborate her story,” Reade said. 'There was never any police involvement. These seem to be self-serving statements for sentencing (to lessen prison time).”

Reade said Ayers even told probation she planned to have a relationship with Robbins in the future, claiming their relationship was positive when they were both sober.

Meyers said there was evidence she was a domestic violence victim, which made her 'vulnerable” and it influenced her lying about Robbins.

Reade said she didn't doubt that Ayers was a victim but there's no evidence to support it and it has nothing to do with her lying to a grand jury. She volunteered to testify and was warned about perjury.

Ayers told Reade before she was sentenced that she would accept any punishment given but asked the judge not to rule solely based on that one day in the life. Ayers said she had been sober now for 10 months and wasn't the same woman she was last October when she pleaded.

'I have learned from my mistakes,” Ayers said.

Reade did go lower than the guideline sentencing range to two years but didn't allow Ayers to self-surrender at the later date. Ayers were taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals immediately after the hearing.

Documents filed in Ayers' perjury case revealed Robbins lived at an Ely farm, where a forensic team was excavating a burn pit in May for possible human remains in connection with James Booher, 51, of Marion. He was last seen May 31, 2014 and is considered a homicide victim by police.

The documents describe a text message exchange between Ayers and another person about Booher. It mentioned Robbins and another man robbing Booher about June 1, 2014, a day after police say he was seen alive.

Police haven't made public any results from the forensic excavation, but a federal prosecutor in Robbins' plea and sentencing hearings that .45 caliber shell casings were found, which would have been evidence used in Robbins' retrial.