Malachi Reed, a 21-year-old resident of Des Moines, Iowa, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison with an additional three years of supervised release. This sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai on June 2, 2025. Reed pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, to the charge of using interstate commerce to transmit a threat.
The case originated on August 6, 2024, when a juvenile was reported missing from the Gila River Indian Community. Authorities from multiple departments including the Gila River Police Department, Mesa Police Department, Des Moines Police Department, and the FBI discovered that the juvenile had traveled to Des Moines to meet Reed at the airport. When contacted by a detective from the Gila River Police Department regarding the juvenile’s safe return, Reed threatened harm against the detective and others involved in the investigation.
Despite these threats, law enforcement continued their efforts and located both Reed and the juvenile on August 16, 2024. The investigation was conducted by the FBI alongside the Gila River Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raynette M. Logan from Phoenix managed the prosecution.
