Eastern Iowa Company Charged with Felony
The Johnson County Attorney’s Office has filed felony charges against Hawkeye Waste Systems, Inc., a Scott County company, for failing to maintain workers’ compensation insurance after an employee died at its Iowa City location.
Hawkeye Waste Systems and four of its employees and “corporate officers” were charged with failure to maintain workers’ compensation insurance in the Johnson County District Court on Wednesday, April 23. This charge is classified as a Class ‘D’ felony in Iowa, carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The lawsuit names James and Chris Watts, Mary Sheen, and Chris Dohrer alongside the company. Dohrer is listed as the general manager of Watts Trucking, the parent company of Hawkeye Waste Systems, according to his LinkedIn profile. Watts Trucking, founded in 1948, operates out of the Quad Cities, as per its website.
The incident that led to these charges occurred on October 31, 2024, when Matthew Reuwsaat, an employee at Hawkeye Waste Systems’ Iowa City location, sustained severe head trauma in a workplace accident involving a skid loader. Reuwsaat died on November 9 at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center.
Investigations by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and the Iowa Division of Workers’ Compensation allegedly revealed that Hawkeye Waste Systems lacked the required workers’ compensation insurance and had not been approved to be self-insured by the Iowa Insurance Division.
Court documents accuse Hawkeye Waste Systems of knowingly and willfully operating without workers’ compensation insurance, a legal requirement. ‘Prioritizing public safety means holding employers accountable for providing basic protections for workers and their families as State law requires them to do,’ County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann-Smith said in a statement.
The arraignment is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on May 19 at the Johnson County Courthouse.
Reuwsaat, 61, was a native of central Iowa, born and raised in Newton. He worked as a diesel mechanic in Iowa City. Described in his obituary as having a kind heart and being willing to help others, Reuwsaat married his ‘soulmate’ in 2015 and leaves behind one daughter and three grandchildren.
The Press-Citizen’s Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @ryanhansen01.
