Monona County, Iowa Kidnapper and Gunman Sent to Federal Prison

A Monona County, Iowa man was sentenced today, August 2, 2024, to 16 years in federal prison.

Allen Jones, age 35, from Ute, Iowa received the prison term after a March 19, 2024, guilty plea to kidnapping.

Evidence in the case revealed on July 7, 2023, Jones called his employer and stated his car would not start and that he needed a ride to work.  Jones supervisor instructed a co-worker to pick up Jones at his residence.  When the co-worker pulled into the driveway, Jones lured the co-worker into the garage, pointed a loaded shotgun at him, and said we are “going for a ride.”  Jones held his victim at gunpoint, forced him into his (Jones’s) car, and ordered him to drive to a near-by casino.  Jones told his victim that he planned “to shoot up the casino” and use the victim as a human shield. 

On the way to the casino, Jones instructed the victim to change course, because he wanted to confront a former girlfriend before he committed the mass-shooting.  Near Mapleton, Iowa, Jones further directed his victim to stop at a gas station, go into the store, and buy him food and beer.  Jones warned his victim not to try to escape.  The victim entered the store, selected some items, held them up to the window for Jones to see, but then set the items down and fled out of the back of the store.  The victim ran alongside a storage unit, across a field, struggled across the Maple River, crossed another field, and ran onto an airfield where the victim found help. 

When law enforcement arrived, they learned Jones had left the gas station on foot.  Jones was located and arrested.  On his person Monona County Sherriff’s Deputies located methamphetamine and in the truck they located the loaded shotgun.  A subsequent search of Jones’ home revealed additional firearms, ammunition, various prescription pills, methamphetamine, and other items of contraband.  

Jones has a lengthy criminal history including a 2013 federal conviction for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and a history of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine use.    

Jones was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Jones was sentenced to 192 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Jones is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety-Iowa State Patrol, Monona County Sherriff’s Office, and the United States Department of Justice-Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 23-CR-4048. 

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.