SIOUX CITY – A man police call “very dangerous” grabbed one woman at a Hard Rock cafe in Iowa, then months later tricked another using social media, drove both to areas to commit heinous assaults, and now faces life in prison for his dastardly deeds.
Arjune Ahmed, age 27, of South Sioux City, Nebraska, was convicted of two counts of kidnapping by a jury on March 3, 2023, after a five-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. The verdict was returned Friday afternoon following about two hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that on August 21, 2019, Ahmed followed a woman from the Hard Rock Casino on Fourth Street in Sioux City, Iowa, where he tricked her into getting close to his car. Once she was close, he grabbed her and pulled her into his car. He then sped into Nebraska from Iowa, where he then sexually assaulted her.
13 months later, on October 16, 2020, Ahmed used social media to trick a woman into meeting him for breakfast. Instead of driving her to breakfast, Ahmed drove her from midtown Sioux City, Iowa to Bacon Creek Park where he then sexually assaulted her.
Additionally, the jury heard evidence that in 2015 a woman was the victim of a home-invasion and sexual assault. That crime went unsolved for nearly five years until DNA evidence discovered in the investigations of the 2019 and 2020 assaults were linked to Ahmed.
United States Attorney Timothy Duax stated that “the investigative team of local, county, and federal investigators did an exceptional job of gathering the evidence in this case. When combined with the courtroom efforts of AUSA Fairchild and his team from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the result was that a very dangerous man, who preyed upon the women of our community was convicted and taken off the streets. I was impressed with courage of the victims who were able to confront their attacker and help prevent him from hurting anyone else.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ahmed remains in custody of the United States Marshal. Ahmed faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment for each count.
The case was investigated by the Dakota County, Nebraska Sherriff’s Office, the South Sioux City, Nebraska Police Department, the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
(PHOTO:ARJUNE ABRAHIM AHMED jail photo)
