Gragg Accepts Plea Deal

Sigourney, Iowa- A Sigourney man facing felony stalking, as well as misdemeanor harassment and sexual exploitation charges is set to respond to a plea deal May 25. Daniel Graggwas arrested and charged on August 28, 2017. According to a criminal complaint, Gragg is accused of sending threatening messages to a 16 year-old-girl in Webster. The messages also came after a series of vandalism events against the girl’s family home, which included windows being broken by rocks, and vulgar words being painted on their garage. The complaint states that the messages were being sent to the girl through Facebook from accounts appeared to have no other friends, pictures and personal information. 

After information by Facebook revealed the IP addresses where the Facebook messages had been sent from, a subpoena was served on Windstream to determine where the IP addresses originated. According to the complaint, the addresses originated at the residence of Connie Gragg, where Daniel Gragg was said to be living. 

The complaint states that the messages started in March 2017 and continued through July 2017 and included threats of violence and homicide against the girl and her family. A later search warrant at Gragg’s residence revealed a phone with nude photographs of the girl.

Gragg was arraigned on September 19 and entered a not guilty plea. He was initially held on no bond, but was released prior to trial, but required to undergo pre-trial supervision, including having a 10 p.m. curfew and being monitored by a GPS. However, on March 19, a pre-trial report of violation was filed, and the County Attorney’s Office requested that the defendant be held without bail prior to trial.

According to a pre-trial report of violation, the defendant was accused of violating curfew on October 14, by arriving home at 10:15 pm, and September 10, by arriving home at 12:48 am. Additionally, on March 16, the defendant was accused of violating a no-contact order between him and the alleged victim in the case.

A motion to revoke pre-trial release states that on the afternoon of March 16, the 16-year-old girl in the case was on a gravel road in Keokuk County when she encountered Gragg. The motion states that the girl called 911 and reported that Gragg had turned around and followed her vehicle, honking his horn at her, and later pulling in front of her and angling his truck in to “box” her in. The motion states that the girl was able to turn around, however Gragg allegedly followed her until she pulled into a rural residence and called 911.

The motion also states that Gragg was asked by a KeoukukCounty Deputy about the incident and he admitted to passing the girl in a vehicle but denied having any contact with her. GPS records allegedly corroborated the girls report, said Assistant County Attorney Chauncey Moulding said in a motion to revoke pretrial release. He further wrote that the defendant posed a threat.

“The undersigned is unsure if the Defendant was lying in wait for the victim to drive down 180th St, or if he just happened to [run] across her. However, based on the nature of the charges levied against the Defendant, and the fact that the Defendant confronted and terrified the victim and primary witness against him in the pending felony trial on a rural road while knowing that a criminal NCO is in effect, and the fact that the nature of these actions may very likely constitution an additional harassment charge, the State believes that the Defendant poses a clear and present danger to the minor victim and the community at large,” Moulding wrote.

Gragg’s pre-trial release was revoked and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Gragg was arrested again on March 19. Judge Dan Kitchen set his bail at $10,000, cash only. A charge of violation of a no-contact order was also filed separately.

Prior to Gragg’s pre-trial release being revoked, he requested that his court appointed attorney, Larry Brock, be fired and a new one appointed for him, specifically Jeff Powell. In a letter to the Court, Gragg stated

that he did not think his attorney was working on his behalf.

“He is not doing his job on building my case, as a fact anything concerning what attorney needs to discover in a case,” Graggwrote.

Shortly after Gragg’s letter to the court, Brock made a motion to withdraw, stating that his relationship with Gragg had deteriorated.                                                                                                                                                                         For more on this story, catch the May 16 edition of the News-Review.