Under his plea deal, Ball faced a recommended sentence between 20 and 40 years. Prosecutors had asked for the upper end of that range, noting not just the “extreme incalculable” harm to victims, but his prior criminal history and his conduct after his arrest, repeatedly threatening witnesses and victims or urging them to retaliate against others who he believed were betraying him.
Attorneys for Ball did not immediately return a message seeking comment on his sentencing.
The allegations and admissions against Ball are reminiscent of several other recent major recent sex trafficking cases in Iowa federal courts. Darius Redd of Manchester was sentenced to 45 years in March 2022 for trafficking or attempting to traffic multiple women, avoiding a possible life sentence.
Marlin Thomas of Des Moines did get a life sentence in November 2021, after pleading guilty to trafficking and pressing narcotics on numerous women, at least two of whom later died of overdoses. His case was overturned, however, after a federal appeals court found he had been promised immunity in a previous plea deal.