Cherokee man sentenced to probation and treatment after Sanborn drug stop

O’Brien County District Court on Jan. 15 sentenced 33-year-old Frank Bandomo of Cherokee to three years of probation and required substance abuse and mental health treatment after drugs were found during an October traffic stop near Sanborn.

The case began Oct. 27, 2025, when deputies answered a report of a vehicle parked with its flashers on at the intersection of Polk Avenue and Highway 18. Officers discovered 40-year-old John Bandomo asleep behind the wheel of a 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse and Frank Bandomo in the passenger seat. Deputies identified Frank as wanted on a warrant for sex offender violations and placed him under arrest. During that arrest, officers found a glass meth pipe on Frank and psilocybin mushrooms inside the vehicle. A subsequent search warrant turned up additional methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia.

Frank Bandomo initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea on Jan. 6 as part of a deal reached in O’Brien County District Court. Judge Charles Borth imposed two five-year prison terms that were suspended and placed Bandomo on probation under the supervision of the Iowa Department of Corrections. His sentence requires substance abuse and mental health evaluations, completion of all recommended treatment, and possible residency at a Residential Treatment Facility if his probation officer deems it necessary. He also was ordered to pay fines and court costs totaling more than $2,200. As part of the plea agreement, charges of failure to affix a drug stamp and possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed.

John Bandomo has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. His case remains active with a pretrial conference scheduled Jan. 26 in Primghar and a trial date set for Feb. 3.

For Buena Vista County residents, the case is significant for several reasons. The stop occurred on Highway 18, a regional route that links towns across county lines, underscoring how drug enforcement and court decisions in neighboring O’Brien County can affect community safety and justice outcomes here. The sentence illustrates a judicial approach that pairs supervision and treatment requirements with suspended prison terms in certain repeat-offender cases, a model that shifts some emphasis from incarceration toward rehabilitation.

What comes next is monitoring whether the required evaluations and treatment are completed and how the probation terms are enforced. Residents should expect continued cross-county cooperation among law enforcement on highway patrols and court proceedings, and they may see the Feb. 3 trial in Primghar as the next public step in the matter.