Articles Tagged: Chris Bagley

His lawyer argues he can’t be penalized for criticizing prosecutor’s job performance

Johnny Blahnik Church, formerly known as Drew Blahnik, was charged Tuesday for assaulting a drug informant in jail in an attempt to prevent him from testifying against a drug dealer.

The Cedar Rapids man convicted in July 2021 of the second-degree murder of Chris Bagley has pleaded guilty in federal court to being a drug user in possession of a firearm.

Drew Blahnik, who killed Chris Bagley in 2018, pleaded not guilty to federal gun charge Wednesday. If convicted, he faces 10 years in federal prison. He is already serving 57 years in the Bagley murder.

A federal judge ordered Drew Blahnik, who changed his name to Johnny Church after he was convicted of killing Chris Bagley, to be moved to federal custody for a trial on his pending gun and drug charge.

The man convicted of fatally stabbing Chris Bagley will represent himself in his drug trial April 19. He is already serving up 57 years in prison in the murder.

Drew Blahnik, convicted of killing Chris Bagley, will now go by the name of Johnny Blahnik Church. Court records will stay in his birth name.

Chris Bagley’s father refused to say Drew Blahnik’s name during Blahnik’s sentencing Friday. Blahnik, 34, was sentenced to 57 years in prison.

Drew Blahnik’s sentencing is set for Dec. 17. He faces up to 57 years in prison.

Drew Blahnik, convicted of killing Chris Bagley in 2018, wants a new trial, claiming one of the jurors, a Marion bar manager, knew Bagley or Blahnik. Prosecutor says there’s no evidence, just an allegation of a bartender who didn’t totally recall what she said.

A judge will set another hearing on a new trial for Drew Blahnik because a witness couldn’t be at Tuesday’s hearing.

Drew Blahnik, who was convicted of killing Chris Bagley, will wait to be sentenced — the judge will first rule on defense’s motion for new trial based on several legal issues.

Paul Hoff, already serving a federal prison term for drugs and firearms, pleaded to lying to authorities about the fatal stabbing of Chris Bagley on Dec. 14, 2018. Hoff pleaded guilty to obstruction of prosecution.

Judge says he’ll likely allow Drew Blahnik, convicted of killing Chris Bagley, to change his name to Johnny Blahnik Church until after Blahnik is sentenced Oct. 12 in the fatal stabbing of Bagley in December 2018. Blahnik wants the name change to further his acting career, even though he faces up to 54 years in prison.

Drew Wagner — convicted for holding down Chris Bagley as another man stabbed him to death in December 2018 — was sentenced Friday to 47 years in prison. He was given the maximum sentences on lesser charges.