Author: Hayden Douglas

The Lee County Narcotics Task Force has announced the arrest of a West Point man following a lengthy investigation into drug trafficking in the Fort Madison area.

Thomas Joe Sebastian, 47, faces a series of felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from the investigation. He has been charged with two counts of Delivery of more than five grams of methamphetamine and one count of Possession with intent to deliver more than five grams of methamphetamine, all Class B felonies.

In addition, Sebastian faces five counts of Iowa drug tax stamp violation and six counts of Possession of a firearm by a felon, each a Class D felony. He is also charged with six counts of Possession of a controlled substance, which are serious misdemeanors, and one count of Possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor.

Authorities executed a search warrant at a residence during the investigation, which led to the discovery of the evidence supporting the charges.

The Lee County Narcotics Task Force was assisted in the operation by the Lee County area Special Response Team (SRT), the Keokuk Police Department, the Keokuk Police Department K-9 Zsolt, the Fort Madison Police Department, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

The Task Force emphasized that Sebastian is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Lee County Narcotics Task Force receives funding in part from the U.S. Department of Justice, with funds administered by the Iowa Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy.

The Lee County Narcotics Task Force has announced the arrest of a Keokuk man on felony drug charges following an ongoing investigation.

David Alan Londrie, 62, of Keokuk, has been charged with possession of more than five grams of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, a Class B felony, and a drug tax stamp violation, a Class D felony.

The charges stem from investigative efforts by the Narcotics Task Force and are not directly related to the traffic stop during which Londrie was initially taken into custody. The Keokuk Police Department conducted the traffic stop, during which Londrie was arrested on an outstanding warrant. Subsequent investigation by the Narcotics Task Force led to the additional drug-related charges.

The Lee County Narcotics Task Force was assisted in the case by the Keokuk Police Department.

Authorities remind the public that a criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic assault report late Thursday night, May 29, 2025, in the 1100 block of Gabriel Avenue, just outside of Wayland.

Deputies were dispatched to the scene at approximately 10:15 p.m. Following an investigation, authorities determined that 18-year-old Kristopherpaul Boone of Wayland was the primary aggressor in the incident.

Boone was arrested and faces multiple charges, including one count of Domestic Abuse Assault – 1st Offense, a simple misdemeanor, and one count of Domestic Abuse Assault Causing Bodily Injury, classified as a serious misdemeanor. He was also charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, another serious misdemeanor, and Child Endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office has not released additional details at this time.

A Mount Pleasant man was arrested in the early morning hours of May 28 following a single-vehicle crash outside of Winfield.

At approximately 12:35 a.m., the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle collision in the 700 block of Nebraska Avenue in Winfield. The initial call indicated the driver was injured, and a passenger was unaccounted for.   While deputies were in route to the scene, the missing passenger was found walking along the 2300-grid of Highway 78, just outside of Winfield. He was identified as 38-year-old Roscoe Leyda of Mount Pleasant.

During the interaction, deputies determined that Leyda was intoxicated and in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was subsequently arrested and charged with Public Intoxication and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, both classified as simple misdemeanors.

No further details regarding the driver’s condition or the cause of the crash have been released at this time. The incident remains under investigation.

New London, IA — Formal charges have been filed against the teenage driver involved in a deadly crash last September that claimed the life of one teen and seriously injured another in New London.

According to court records filed this week, 17-year-old Owen Wesley Neff of New London has been charged with Homicide by Vehicle – Reckless Driving, a Class C felony, and Serious Injury by Vehicle, a Class D felony, in connection with the September 27, 2024 crash.

The crash occurred just before midnight at 11:44 p.m. at the intersection of Cleveland Street and Adams Street. Neff was driving a 2011 Ford F-350 eastbound on Cleveland Street when, for reasons still under investigation, he made a sudden and abrupt turn onto Adams Street. The maneuver caused two unrestrained passengers in the bed of the pickup truck to be ejected.

Gavin Browning, 16, of New London, was killed in the crash. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was transported to a local funeral home.

Another 16-year-old passenger, Graden Weber, also of New London, was seriously injured and transported by Henry County EMS to Southeast Iowa Regional Health Center for treatment. He was also not wearing a seatbelt.

The charges against Neff were filed in Henry County District Court on May 27, 2025.

Court records show Neff was granted a pretrial supervised release. A preliminary hearing is set for June 6.

The crash was investigated by Trooper Murphy of the Iowa State Patrol Post 13 and assisted by multiple agencies.

KILJ News will continue to follow the case as it proceeds through the court system.

On May 28^th, 2025, at approximately 12:35 a.m., the Henry County Sheriff’s Office dispatch received a report of a single vehicle collision in the 700 block of Nebraska Avenue in Winfield, IA.  It was reported the driver of the vehicle was injured and the passenger could not be located and was unaccounted for.  While responding to the collision scene, the passenger was located walking in the 2300-grid of Highway 78 outside of Winfield.  The individual was identified as Roscoe Leyda, 38 of Mount Pleasant.  During the interaction it was determined Roscoe was intoxicated and possessed drug paraphernalia.  Roscoe was arrested and charged with Public Intoxication and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, both simple misdemeanors.

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On May 28^th, 2025, at approximately 10:15 p.m., the Henry County Sheriff’s Office followed-up on a report of domestic assault in the 1100-grid of Gabriel Avenue outside of Wayland, Ia.  During the investigation, it was determined Kristopherpaul Boone, 18 of Wayland, was the primary aggressor in a domestic abuse assault incident. Kristopherpaul was arrested for one count of Domestic Abuse Assault-1^st offense, a simple misdemeanor, one count of Domestic Abuse Assault causing bodily injury, a serious misdemeanor, Possession of a Controlled Substance, a serious misdemeanor, and Child Endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor.                     

***A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendants are

presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.***

A Burlington man has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison following his conviction for distributing methamphetamine, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Larry Leroy Knotts Jr., 61, was sentenced on Wednesday for selling approximately 125 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential source during controlled purchases between November and December 2023. At the time of the transactions, Knotts was already on federal supervised release stemming from a prior conviction in the Central District of Illinois for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.

Following his prison term, Knotts will be required to complete a five-year term of supervised release. Officials noted that there is no parole in the federal system.

The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. The case was investigated by the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force (SEINT) in collaboration with the Burlington Police Department.