(Radio Iowa) – The man accused of killing a Fort Dodge pastor was found guilty by a Scott County jury on Tuesday. Joshua Pendleton was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery in the death of Rev. Allen Henderson, who was attacked outside St. Paul Lutheran Church on October 2, 2019. Pendleton pleaded not guilty after he was found competent to stand trial. The trial began last week in Davenport. It was moved to Scott County because of pre-trial publicity.

Pendleton will be sentenced June 18 in Webster County District Court in Fort Dodge.

(Radio Iowa) – A nonprofit group for Iowans who are Asian American and Pacific Islanders is releasing its findings from a months-long study on the community’s attitudes and perceptions about sexual violence. Study author Loulwa Soweid  says participants reported barriers in reporting and preventing sexual violence within their communities, and they need more resources from the state.

Soweid says, “Participants were saying, ‘We want more education about our rights, we want more support from organizations, we want access to jobs.'” One of the big challenges is language. Soweid says, at first, it was disheartening to see the same patterns and barriers people have experienced in the past. “Then I shifted my perspective, and I think in the end, it just means there’s still work to be done,” Soweid says, “Change can be slow.”

The group “Monsoon Asians and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity” facilitated the community listening sessions. The first round began last July and ended at the beginning of this year. The group plans to host more listening sessions in the future for other underrepresented populations in Iowa.

(reporting by Kassidy Arena, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowan who paid hundreds of dollars for a dog that was never delivered is listed as one of the victims in what federal prosecutors describe as an overseas scam targeting Americans. Prosecutors say puppies and other animals were listed for sale on the internet and once someone showed an interest, the scammers sent texts and email about getting the animal to its new home via a delivery service.

According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, the scammers also set up a fake delivery service — often demanding more money to get the pets transported or to deal with exposure to Covid. A woman from Fruitland, Iowa is listed as Victim number 2, in court documents. Prosecutors say she paid more than 18-hundred dollars for a mini-dachshund a year ago.

Twenty-eight-year-old Desmond Bobga, a citizen of Cameroon, was extradited from Romania to the U.S. to face wire fraud, identity theft and other charges in the case.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa legislature has sent the governor a bill to give investment advisors some legal protection for reporting suspicions that someone who cannot manage their own finances is being fleeced.  “It defines financial exploitation as wrongfully depriving eligible persons of assets, properties, etc.” That’s Senator Tim Kraayenbrink of Fort Dodge, who says the proposal is patterned after laws in 27 other states. It outlines when financial advisors can delay transactions if they suspect it’s not in the best interest of a dependent adult.

Advisors who report suspicious financial activity to authorities would be shielded from lawsuits. Representative Jon Jacobsen of Council Bluffs read from a Boston College paper during House debate of the bill. “A 2018 report by the US (Securities and Exchange Commission) estimated 90% of older adults who suffer financial abuse are exploited by trusted individuals such as neighbors, care providers, church officials or family members,” Jacobsen said, “and that accumulated losses can be in excess of $3 billion a year.”

In a separate bill, legislators are setting aside money so the Iowa Insurance Division can hire an investigator to focus on complaints about financial fraud targeting elderly and dependent adults. Legislators are also asking for a yearly report on how many dependent Iowa adults are victims of financial exploitation.