Department of Justice Commemorates 2024 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa join federal, state, and local communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 21-27, 2024, and features the theme, “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors,” which is focused on creating safe environments for crime victims to share what happened to them and offer support, options for life-saving services, and most importantly, hope. The 2024 theme asks all of us—friends, family members, neighbors, colleagues, community leaders, victim service providers, criminal justice practitioners, and health professionals—how we can help crime victims.

As part of this observance, the Southern District of Iowa recognizes the courage and bravery of victims, and the outstanding work of law enforcement, victim advocates, and community service partners throughout Iowa. Ten individuals are recognized for outstanding service to victims:

Award for Excellence in Victim Services

• Shannon Knudsen, SANE, S.A.F.E. Center of Iowa
• Emily Milke, IL Sexual Assault Medical/Legal Advocate, Family Resources
• Lindsay Wilson, Victim Advocate, Family Crisis Centers

Law Enforcement Victim Service Award

• Josh Dagit, Special Agent, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation
• Kegan Jacobson, Detective, Burlington Police Department
• Kevin Kohler, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Robert Larsen, Special Agent, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation
• Denise Rudolph, Special Investigator, Iowa Insurance Division
• Chris Scanlan, Special Investigator, Iowa Insurance Division
• Jeremy Tosh, Investigator, Ottumwa Police Department

“Every day law enforcement officers and victim service providers give priceless assistance and support to courageous crime survivors. With their unwavering support, these individuals provide hope, safe spaces and vital services to victims in our community and are a critical component of our criminal justice system. These awards proudly recognize the exceptional efforts of a number of these individuals who provided assistance to federal and state victims in the Southern District of Iowa,” said United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa.

The 2024 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Josh Dagit, Special Agent, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, and Jeremy Tosh, Investigator, Ottumwa Police Department. Special Agent Dagit and Investigator Tosh provided extraordinary assistance to hundreds of immigrant victims in the investigation and prosecution of a fraudulent tax scheme. Those immigrants were literally from all over the world—Burma, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, and other places. Some were refugees. Nearly all had little education and were unable to speak or read English. Special Agent Dagit and Investigator Tosh showed time and time again that they were willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the victims’ participation and comfort, all in hopes of justice being served.

The 2024 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Kegan Jacobson, Detective, Burlington Police Department. Detective Jacobson’s work in United States v. Miesha Stanley et al., exemplified his dedication to holding sex traffickers accountable for preying on society’s most vulnerable members. Detective Jacobson’s worked with victim service specialists to utilize trauma informed interview skills, responded to safety concerns, and built a strong and trusting rapport with victims. Detective Jacobson’s investigation of this matter both provided victims a secure environment and services, and also made the Burlington community safer.

The 2024 Award for Excellence in Victim Services is awarded to Shannon Knudsen, SANE Coordinator, S.A.F.E. Center of Iowa. S.A.F.E. Center of Iowa is a non-profit agency aimed at providing solutions to better serve victims of sexual assault across Iowa. Knudsen has professionally and personally proven to be dedicated to assisting both the criminal justice system and crime victim service programs. Knudsen works with Mid-Iowa Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and Iowa State University/Story County SART as the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Coordinator, a state-wide technical assistance role for sexual assault examiner programs in the state of Iowa for the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Abuse. Shannon Knudsen assists with coordinating collaborative care at each of nine exam sites served by Mid-Iowa SART and two exam sites in Story County, as well as developing policies, and procedures and coordinating training to maintain the competency of Mid-Iowa SART and Story County SANEs.

The 2024 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Kevin Kohler, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Denise Rudolph and Chris Scanlan, Special Investigators, Iowa Insurance Division for their outstanding work in a complex fraud and money laundering investigation involving over thirty elderly victims and millions of dollars of fraud. Victims lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in life savings, proceeds from the sale of real estate, or other assets. Other victims reported being unable to afford travel, medical care, gifts for their family members, and other items they had planned to enjoy in their later years.

The 2024 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Robert Larsen, Special Agent, Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation. Special Agent Larsen has spent countless hours helping, supporting, and corroborating child victims accounts of abuse, reviewing cybertips, executing search warrants, interviewing suspects, meeting with victims and witnesses, developing strong cases for prosecution. He has spent many hours traveling the roads across Iowa, including Council Bluffs, Harlan, Clarinda, Shenandoah, Audubon, and other smaller counties in the Southern District of Iowa, setting up meetings with witnesses documenting the details of their abuse, explaining the court process, and preparing witnesses for plea hearings, trial, and sentencing.

The 2024 Award for Excellence in Victim Services is awarded to Emily Milke, IL Sexual Assault Medical/Legal Advocate, Family Resources. Milke has assisted with hands-on child pornography cases, death cases, sex trafficking cases, and a civil case involving a landlord that has victimized female tenants. She is a strong advocate and goes above and beyond to access the needs of the victims and to get them the services they need. Emily Milke is dependable, professional, compassionate, and easily establishes a trusting relationship with victims.

The 2024 Award for Excellence in Victim Services is awarded to Lindsay Wilson, Victim Advocate, Family Crisis Centers. Wilson will show up at moment’s notice if necessary. She is professional and approachable. She treats victims with respect, and they rely on her for assistance and support. Involved with victims of a large-scale overdose death investigation, many involving younger victims, Wilson provided compassionate and steadfast support to grieving parents and assisted them in navigating through the legal system. Lindsay Wilson is the ultimate team player. 

President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, putting crime victims' rights, needs, and concerns in a prominent spot on the American agenda. He also established the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims.

For more information on how to create your own public campaigns to raise awareness about crime victims’ rights online and at events throughout the year, please visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2024.