A Creston man charged with attempted murder in Creston, pled to a lesser charge in Union County District Court proceedings Nov. 22, as part of a plea agreement.
Daniel L. McDowell, 22, of Creston, was found guilty of willful injury causing serious injury, a Class C forcible felony, after being initially charged with attempted murder in the Aug. 18 shooting of Nathan L. Novotny, 19, of Creston. Novotny, who was shot multiple times while sitting his car, drove himself to the hospital for medical treatment.
Union County District Court documents show Union County Attorney Shane O’Toole and McDowell’s attorney, Nicholas Bailey, entered into a plea agreement combining sentencing on two cases against McDowell in Union County. The plea agreement stipulates McDowell’s guilty plea to the amended charge and to a violation of probation charge filed the day after the shooting occurred.
As part of the agreement McDowell was convicted on the charge of willful injury and sentenced to 10 years in prison, a $1,370 fine plus a 15% surcharge which payment of was suspended and court costs. McDowell will pay an undetermined amount of restitution to Novotny and reimbursement of $1,050 to the Crime Victim Compensation Program for payments it made to Novotny for lost wages as a result of McDowell’s criminal actions.
McDowell will receive credit for 100 days served in connection with the offense. A protection order stating McDowell will have no contact, direct or in-direct, with Novotny for a period of 5 years was also ordered.
In pleading guilty to the probation violation McDowell will have a deferred judgement he received on two felony charges, be revoked, and five-year sentences, ran concurrent to each other, be imposed. McDowell was found guilty in 2021 of burglary, third degree and theft, second degree and was granted a deferred judgement with three years of probation. This sentence will be ran consecutively to the willful injury sentence for a total 15-year prison term.
His incarceration may be reduced by as much as half of the maximum sentence with statutory good conduct time and other statutory credits. McDowell may be eligible for parole before the sentence is discharged.