Category: Crime

A Northern Iowa man is now convicted of possessing child pornography after investigators found more than 10,000 images and 1,000 videos of child sexual abuse material on electronic devices seized from his home, federal prosecutors said.

MASON CITY — A convicted sex offender with a history of felony domestic abuse convictions, prison sentences and trouble obeying Iowa’s sex offender registration laws has landed back behind bars in Mason City, adding another chapter to a criminal record stretching back more than a decade.

Gregory Lloyd Lobato, 37, has already received prison sentences for felony domestic abuse convictions and a previous sex offender registration violation. Court records document criminal proceedings in multiple Iowa counties.

Now, just weeks after registering a Mason City address, Lobato is accused of breaking the law again.

KOSSUTH COUNTY — A 28-year-old northern Iowa man convicted of animal abuse is serving a sentence at the Cerro Gordo County Jail in Mason City, with more than $3,100 in court costs, fines and surcharges assessed in the case.

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Mason City man whose involvement in a local gun shop burglary led federal investigators to uncover the sexual exploitation of children has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison.

Parker Jon Thompson, 20, of Mason City, received the sentence on October 2, 2026, after pleading guilty April 2 to sexual exploitation of children, possession of child pornography, and possession of a stolen firearm.

A heated argument inside a Northern Iowa home erupted into a violent confrontation involving knives, leaving one man wounded and another facing a felony charge.

A registered Northern Iowa sex offender previously convicted of lascivious acts with a child is facing a new criminal charge after authorities investigated a reported violation at a public library.

According to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, Hamby was convicted October 18, 2017, of lascivious acts with a child under Iowa Code 709.8. Registry information identifies two female victims in the 0-to-13 age category.

CHARLES CITY — A Charles City man previously sentenced to prison for a violent attack in which police said he beat and choked a victim before stealing a pickup truck is back in trouble with the law, this time facing a stalking charge after police investigated allegations of ongoing harassment.

Kristopher Hugh Viers of Charles City was arrested on a stalking charge following a harassment complaint. Court records show a $2,000 bond and no-contact order.

An Iowa man has admitted helping move nearly $22 million in fraudulently obtained loan money through bank and brokerage accounts in a sprawling federal money laundering case.

CLARION — A Northern Iowa narcotics investigation stretching across state lines landed at a Clarion residence, where authorities say marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms and THC extract cartridges were allegedly being moved for profit, resulting in six felony charges against a 30-year-old man.

Investigators with the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 2271 Jackson Avenue in Clarion at approximately 7:40 a.m. on September 3 as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation.

The investigation led authorities to charge Jacob David Peterson, 30, of Clarion, with a series of alleged drug-trafficking offenses…

CHARLES CITY — A late-night stalled-vehicle call led Charles City police to a battered pickup, two damaged street signs and an unanswered question: Who was behind the wheel and caused thousands in damages?

A Northern Iowa predator allegedly took to the streets in a set of wheels law enforcement didn’t have listed on his registry — and the drive ended with him getting hauled to jail.

Records show the suspect has been convicted of indecent contact with a child, harassment, and more.

A Chicago felon who supplied recruits with stolen Treasury checks, fake identification and victims’ personal information to raid Eastern Iowa financial institutions has been sentenced to 13 years and four months in federal prison.

Tyrone Terrell Harris (pictured at top), 34, was sentenced September 9 after admitting his role in a scheme involving nearly $1.44 million in stolen or altered government checks. Federal prosecutors said Harris and his co-conspirators successfully pocketed $462,696.56 in taxpayer money.

A twisted Iowa child predator who fled the state and abandoned his innocent pets while trying to escape the law has been dealt a brutal blow to his future: more than 27 years in federal prison with no possibility of parole.

An Iowa jury previously convicted this specimen of eight offenses connected to the sexual abuse of his then-girlfriend’s young daughter. The child was between 9 and 10 years old during the abuse. With investigators on his trail, he fled Iowa and left his pets trapped behind inside his home. Law enforcement officers later rescued the abandoned animals.

A West Coast violence spreader with a history of domestic abuse has been packed off to an Iowa prison after admitting to another attack—his third or subsequent domestic-abuse assault offense.

A Northern Iowa predator who admitted sexually exploiting a minor has been handed a 25-year prison sentence, with at least half of that time locked behind bars before he can become eligible for release.

Adam Lawrence Joseph (pictured at top), 39, of Fort Dodge, pleaded guilty in Boone County District Court to sexual exploitation of a minor, a Class B felony.

IOWA CITY — Three running backs eclipsed 100 yards as No. 18 Iowa overwhelmed Northern Iowa from the opening kickoff Saturday, rolling to a 55-0 victory at Kinnick Stadium.

The Hawkeyes scored touchdowns on their first five possessions, built a 42-point halftime lead and finished with 640 yards of offense. Iowa rushed for 422 yards — its most during the Kirk Ferentz era — while holding the Panthers to 155 total yards.

Iowa improved to 3-0, while UNI fell to 1-2.

MASON CITY — A feisty local woman’s encounters with the law are piling up this year with numerous accusations involving substances and assaults, culminating in her latest drunk driving arrest in a post-midnight traffic stop.

Joanna Lynn Bailie, 47, was arrested after Mason City police were called at approximately 12:45 a.m. September 14 to 2301 Fourth Street SW for a report of an intoxicated driver.

What followed was Bailie’s third alcohol-related criminal case of 2026…

SIOUX CITY — A Northern Iowa attorney who placed a wrecked and inoperable Rolls-Royce at the center of a scheme to help an elderly couple qualify for Medicaid has been handed six months in federal prison and ordered to repay more than $184,000.

Timothy Mark Anderson of Garner was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand after pleading guilty to making a false statement relating to a health care matter.

An Iowa mother faces a first-degree murder charge after police found her newborn dead inside a trash bag at a child care center.

Stephanie Ubaldo, 20, was arrested by authorities without incident Thursday, September 17, and taken to jail…

A Mason City felon whose record already included terrorism, robbery and meth dealing is headed to federal prison for nearly 27 years after getting caught hauling methamphetamine with a fully loaded pistol during an interstate drug-running operation.

Willie York, 47, was sentenced September 18, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City to 322 months behind bars — 26 years and 10 months — for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

MASON CITY — A convicted local drunk driver and child endangerer who spent the summer wanted on a statewide warrant ran out of luck this week as she tooled around behind the wheel with no license, illegal tint, fake registration, and an apparent huge sense of entitlement, and is now in a cold, cold Mason City jail cell after a neighboring deputy put a stop to the games.

Precious Nicole Wimberly (pictured at top), 34, was booked into the Cerro Gordo County Jail at 5:36 a.m. on September 15. Court records say she was arrested in Bremer County and served with a Cerro Gordo County bench warrant that had been hanging over her since May 12.

A former child actor and MTV personality who tore through Cerro Gordo County at 104 mph with marijuana and a loaded stolen handgun in his vehicle has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison.

Bobb’e J. Thompson, 30, of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced Wednesday, September 16, to 30 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a felon.

Thompson (pictured at top) built a television and movie career that began when he was a child. His credits include MTV’s “Wild ’N Out,” “30 Rock,” “That’s So Raven” and “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.”

MASON CITY — A Mason City woman given probation after a destructive incident inside a local convenience store is now being held without bond while awaiting transportation to an Iowa prison.

MASON CITY — A suspected late-night cemetery prowler was allegedly tipsy, behind the wheel and unwilling to cooperate when a Mason City police officer encountered him among the graves at 1:30 a.m.

CHARLES CITY — An after-midnight report of an injured woman led Charles City police to arrest a convicted domestic abuser and felony drunk driver who is now accused of another serious domestic assault.

The Charles City Police Department was called to the 2100 block of Clark Street at 12:05 a.m. Saturday, September 12, after receiving a report of an injured woman.