Des Moines man sentenced to 16 years in prison in relation to fatal drug deal
A federal judge sentenced a 22-year-old Des Moines man to 16 years in prison Thursday for discharging a firearm during a drug deal which resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy.
In November of 2021, Brett Dobberke, of Des Moines, had planned to sell Isaiah Fernandez-Smith, 15, and another 15-year-old a half-ounce of cannabis for $100, according to a criminal complaint.
Dobberke and Fernandez-Smith exchanged gunfire during the transaction, which ultimately led to Dobberke shooting the 15-year-old in the head, according to court documents.
Dobberke fled the scene without calling for help or offering any form of assistance to the victim. That same night, Dobberke completed two more drug deals, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Fernandez-Smith died of his injuries in the hospital two days later.
On Thursday, a judge sentenced Dobberke to 16 years in prison for discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it. Dobberke did not face charges related to Fernandez-Smith's death.
Dobberke hid the shell casing from the bullet that hit and killed the victim. Police recovered the firearm used in the shooting at Dobberke's home, according to the release.
Authorities waited to file charges
Dobberke met with Fernandez-Smith and the second teenager in his vehicle near the intersection of 17th Street and Forest Avenue, and the two teenagers allegedly attempted to rob Dobberke with a gun and a knife, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, Dobberke told Des Moines police that he pulled out his own gun in response and pointed it at the two teenagers, and the two teenagers left his vehicle and proceeded to run off. Fernandez-Smith allegedly fired a single shot at Dobberke's vehicle while running away, and Dobberke allegedly returned fire, striking Fernandez-Smith in the head.
Video surveillance from a house near the incident shows the two teenagers getting into Dobberke's vehicle, and within seconds leaving and running away, the complaint details. Video also shows Fernandez-Smith raising his arm, "consistent with firing a gun," according to the complaint.
It took two months for authorities to charge Dobberke in relation to the incident − a fact Fernandez-Smith's mother previously told the Register was a form of injustice.
Court records show police applied for a search warrant to seize items associated with Dobberke and his girlfriend on Nov. 8, 2021, one day after the shooting. The warrant was not executed until Jan. 4, 2022, according to court documents.
Andrea May Sahouri contributed reporting.
Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at @francescablock3.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines man sentenced in fatal drug deal, left 15-year-old dead
