Trish Mehaffey

A Cedar Rapids man, who was convicted this week for drug trafficking, had a source in California who would send packages of meth through the mail. Investigators intercepted 46 packages, which had a total weight of over 700 pounds of the drug.

A Tama woman who nearly drained her nephew’s trust fund, which included his Meskwaki Settlement per capita pay and Social Security benefits, was sentenced Thursday to more than 2 years in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $380,000 in restitution. She spent the money on diamond jewelry and purebred dogs.

Judges in two Eastern Iowa counties have ordered a North Liberty man, charged in sexual assault cases in Johnson and Black Hawk counties, undergo a competency evaluation.

Black individuals make up only 4 percent of Iowa’s population but are 25 percent of the prisons populations, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. Black people are sent to prisons at a rate of 9.1 times higher than whites, the data shows.

Court upholds Linn County jury verdict for Marion man who fatally stabbed Chris Bagley in 2018. The appeals courts decision is tossed and Johnny Blahnik Church, formerly known as Drew Blahnik will continuing serving his 57 year sentence.

Benton County has paid a $250,000 settlement to a former deputy over claims of harassment. A video shows the chairman of the county Board of Supervisors talking with the woman, and when she turns to walk away, he pats her on the bottom. The woman has a disgusted look on her face as she leaves.

Jack McCaffery, 17, of North Liberty, will pay $1,000 fine and his driver’s license will be suspended for 180 days as a result of fatal crash in May. He was cited for failing to yield to a jogger in a marked crosswalk in Iowa City. The jogger, Corey Hite, 45, an Iowa National Guard soldier, died later from his injuries.

A Cedar Rapids man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexual abuse of a 13-year-old and another girl under 12. One of the victims also was sexually abused by his brother in 2020.

A Cedar Rapids man accused of fatally assaulting his mother in 2020 has waived a jury trial and will have a bench trial Nov. 7. The prosecution is also amending the murder charge against George Dreason from first-degree to second-degree murder.

A Storm Lake man, who kidnapped his wife by gunpoint and led police on a foot pursuit through an Iowa City parking ramp last year, pleaded to guilty Wednesday and faces 40 years in prison. His trial was set to start next Tuesday.

A former business manager of a local union was indicted for embezzling funds in 2020-21 to pay his vehicle loan and other expenses. His pretrial release was revoked this week. He will remain in jail until a bed at a halfway house is available.

A Cedar Rapids man was convicted of sexually assaulting a child over the course of three months in 2020. His brother was convicted in August of sexually abusing same victim and a teen.

A Cedar Rapids man who was just discharged from his federal prison term for trafficking drugs is now charged with hiring two others to kill Chris Bagley in 2018. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole.

A judge will not move a murder case of 17-year-old to juvenile court as his lawyers requested. Judge cites lack of time and resources for rehabilitation because teen will turn 18 in about nine months.

An Iowa City police sexual assault detective makes victim priority and tries to get best resolution for them, even if an arrest isn’t possible. She wants victims to feel they have been heard and believed.