Waterloo Cocaine Dealer and Fraudster Sentenced to Federal Prison

A Waterloo man who distributed a significant amount of cocaine and obtained a fraudulent loan was sentenced October 30, 2024, to twenty years in federal prison.

Parrish Austin, age 40, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 13, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of wire fraud.

Information disclosed at Austin's sentencing hearing and previous related hearings showed that, beginning in late 2019 or early 2020, and continuing until October 5, 2022, Austin began distributing kilograms of cocaine every few months to Justin Cole in Waterloo. Cole then worked with Tavarious Glasper, Chris Roby, and others to redistribute the cocaine. In total, Austin was responsible for distributing at least ten kilograms of cocaine.

Information disclosed at Austin's plea and sentencing hearings also showed that, in May 2021, Austin fraudulently obtained into his bank account a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in the amount of $18,322 after a false and fraudulent PPP loan application was submitted with Austin's signature. In October 2021, after Austin had received the fraudulent PPP loan into his bank account, Austin applied for and obtained forgiveness of the PPP loan.

Austin was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Austin was sentenced to 240 months' imprisonment, and he was ordered to pay $18,322 in restitution. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Twelve other individuals from Waterloo previously pled guilty to their involvement in the drug trafficking organization and/or PPP fraud:

• Kiesha Ann Morman was sentenced to 5 years' probation and ordered to pay $19,835 in restitution on March 6, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP-related wire fraud.
• Tavarious Glasper was sentenced to 120 months' imprisonment on March 11, 2024, after he pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Chris Lee Roby was sentenced to 49 months' imprisonment on March 12, 2024, after he pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Justin A. Cole was sentenced to 195 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay $20,832 in restitution on March 13, 2024, after he had pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of PPP-related wire fraud.
• Sheila Renee Cole was sentenced to 2 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay $19,583 in restitution on April 10, 2024, after she plead guilty to one count of PPP-related wire fraud.
• Shalla Scherrice Cole was sentenced to 7 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay $20,415 in restitution on April 19, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP-related wire fraud.
• Tia Lynette Cole-Sykes was sentenced to 5 years' probation and ordered to pay $19,790 in restitution on May 1, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP-related wire fraud.
• Orenthal James Jones was sentenced to 24 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay $20,832 in restitution on May 13, 2024, after he pled guilty to one count of PPP-related wire fraud.
• Allure Shapree Roby was sentenced to 2 weeks' imprisonment and ordered to pay $20,832 in restitution on June 20, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP-related wire fraud.
• Ida Made Roby was sentenced to 3 years' probation and ordered to pay $20,833 in restitution on July 2, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP-related wire fraud.
• Stacy Antwanette Cole was sentenced to 5 years' probation and ordered to pay $20,332 in restitution on July 19, 2024, after she pled guilty to one count of PPP-related wire fraud.
• Reid Jonathan Geerts was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay $19,166 in restitution on September 3, 2024, after he pled guilty to one count of PPP-related wire fraud.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff's Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff's Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; and the Iowa State Patrol.

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

The case file number is 23-CR-02057-CJW.

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