Opinion ID: 1439456
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: 1996 Drug Charges, Threats Against Witnesses, and Escape Attempt

Text: While the 1993 charges against him were pending, Honken continued his methamphetamine manufacturing efforts. Honken built a complex methamphetamine laboratory and took significant steps toward manufacturing methamphetamine. Because Nicholson and DeGeus could not be found, the court dismissed the 1993 charges against Honken for lack of prosecution. In the fall of 1995, Honken recruited Dan Cobeen (Cobeen) to help him manufacture methamphetamine. Unbeknownst to Honken, Cobeen went to police and began cooperating. With Cobeen's assistance, police began an undercover investigation, and on February 7, 1996, officers executed a search warrant at Honken's house. Officers seized a methamphetamine laboratory, chemicals, and equipment, as well as paper notes and books on manufacturing drugs and how to bind and gag prisoners. Honken was charged with, inter alia, conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine from 1992 through February 7, 1996, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A). While the 1996 charges were pending, Honken plotted to murder Cobeen, and certain police officers and chemists, and to destroy evidence against him. At this point, Cutkomp decided to cooperate with police. Cutkomp wore a wire and recorded numerous hours of conversations in which Honken referenced eliminating witnesses in 1993, and described his plan to evade the current charges by killing witnesses and officers. Based upon these tapes, the court revoked Honken's pretrial release and detained him in the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City, Iowa. While incarcerated, Honken admitted to other inmates he killed witnesses to avoid earlier charges. Honken went into great detail about the murders. Honken also began planning the murders of Cobeen and Cutkomp, instructing a fellow inmate to kill Cutkomp and providing directions to Cutkomp's house. Together with another inmate, Honken attempted to escape by breaking a hole in the wall of a cell and arranging for Johnson to deliver a hacksaw and rope. Jailers discovered the hole and foiled the escape plot. On June 2, 1997, Honken pled guilty to the drug charges and was ultimately sentenced to 324 months in prison.