A Van Buren County man has been sentenced to prison following a burglary investigation that began last year, according to the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office.
On January 4, 2025, at approximately 9:00 p.m., a Van Buren County deputy responded to a report of a burglary in progress at a residence in the 18000 block of 160th Street in rural Birmingham. During the investigation, 50-year-old Travis L. Gonterman was identified as the suspect by the occupants of the home.
Gonterman was taken into custody later that evening at his residence in rural Kilbourne without incident. He was initially charged with Burglary in the First Degree.
On Friday, January 16, 2026, Gonterman was sentenced in Van Buren County District Court to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to the lesser-included offense of Burglary in the Second Degree, a Class C felony.
At the time of sentencing, Gonterman was already in the custody of the Iowa Department of Corrections, serving a sentence for a driving while barred conviction. He was remanded back to the custody of the Iowa Department of Corrections, where he will serve the two sentences concurrently.
