Lovell sentenced to 25 years, eligible for parole after 5.5

An Afton man could serve up to 25 years for thefts in Union County and drug possession. Isaiah J. Lovell, 23, was sentenced March 20 in Union County District Court, after he was arrested in October on multiple counts related to thefts in Afton and Creston. Lovell also faced drug charges in Union and Taylor counties.

Originally charged on 14 counts, including 12 felony charges, Lovell initially plead not guilty to all charges.

As part of a plea agreement, Lovell plead guilty to five charges in exchange for nine being dismissed. On Feb. 13, Lovell appeared in court with his attorney and entered a guilty plea to a Class B felony, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver more than 5 grams - methamphetamine; two Class C felonies of two counts of theft, first degree and two Class D felonies of two counts of theft, second degree.

Sentencing for the Class B felony includes serving a period of not more than 25 years, with credit for 121 days already served in connection with the offenses in Union County Jail. He is required to serve a minimum of one-third of the 25 years. That time has been additionally reduced as part of the plea agreement, leaving a mandatory minimum sentence of 5.5 years, allowing Lovell to be eligible for parole before the sentence is discharged.

Sentencing on all counts will run concurrent, or at the same time, and included up to 10 years prison for the Class C felonies and up to 5 years for the Class D felonies.

As part of the sentence, Lovell was ordered to pay fines totaling $9,790 plus a 15% statutory surcharge, restitution payments for court costs and to the victims of his crimes. The amounts to be paid to the six victims include four individual victims, the amount for two of whom will be determined by separate order and total $7,500 to the other two. The remaining two victims, Creston Schools and the city of Afton, will also be determined and set by separate order.

While incarcerated, the Department of Corrections will provide a substance abuse evaluation and treatment if determined needed. Lovell is required to participate and cooperate with any treatment until the maximum benefits of the treatment are received.

Lovell, who was also charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver - methamphetamine and failure to affix drug tax stamp in Taylor County in May 2025, included these charges in the plea agreement.

In exchange for a plea of guilty to the possession charge, the court dismissed the tax stamp charge and agreed to run his 25-year sentence in Taylor County concurrent with the Union County sentence. A $5,000 mandatory minimum fine was also ordered.

Lovell was transported March 25 and released to the Department of Corrections Iowa Medical and Classification Facility in Coralville to begin his sentence.

A second individual, Austin A. Jones, 31, of Creston, is also facing charges relating to several of the thefts with Lovell, is scheduled for a pretrial hearing May 1 on these and multiple other unrelated cases in Union County District Court.