DES MOINES, IA – A woman from Arizona woman was sentenced Thursday (today) in a Des Moines federal court, to six years in prison for Conspiracy to Damage an Energy Facility. According to the U-S Attorney’s Office, 32-year-old Ruby Katherine Montoya was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow her prison term and pay $3,198,512.70 in restitution.

According to court documents, Montoya, and co-defendant Jessica Reznicek, as early as November 8, 2016, and continuing until May 2, 2017, conspired with other individuals to damage the Dakota Access Pipeline at several locations within the Southern District of Iowa, Northern District of Iowa, and the District of South Dakota. Specifically, Montoya admitted to damaging and attempting to damage the pipeline by: (1) using an oxyacetylene cutting torch to burn holes in the pipeline, and (2) setting fire to pipeline instrumentation and equipment in Mahaska, Boone, and Wapello Counties within the Southern District of Iowa. Reznicek, was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment on June 30, 2021.

U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal said, “The sentence imposed today demonstrates that any crime of domestic terrorism will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted by the federal government. The seriousness of the defendant’s actions – that occurred multiple times, at different locations, resulting in over $3 million dollars in restitution – warranted the significant prison sentence imposed by the Court and should deter others who think of engaging in such criminal acts.”

Following the sentencing, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “The sentence received by Ruby Montoya sends a clear message that those who commit violence through an act of domestic terrorism will be identified, investigated, and prosecuted. The FBI is committed to protecting the American people. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring domestic terrorists to justice.”

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Iowa Department of Public Safety, Fusion Center; Iowa State Fire Marshall; Des Moines Police Department; Sheriff’s Departments in Mahaska, Boone, Buena Vista, Cherokee, Jasper, Polk, Sioux, and Wapello Counties in Iowa; Lincoln County in South Dakota; and Minnehaha County in Minnesota. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.