Dubuque Meth Lab Fire Sends Duo to Federal Prison

DUBUQUE, IA – A reckless meth cook in Dubuque has landed two men in federal prison, following a devastating apartment fire sparked by their illegal operation. John Starks Sr., 47, and Casey Duhme, 25, both of Dubuque, received sentences today for their roles in the February 20, 2014 incident, a botched attempt to manufacture methamphetamine that nearly cost lives.

Starks will spend 16 years – 192 months – behind bars after pleading guilty on June 26, 2014, to conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine near a school. Duhme, who pleaded guilty to the same charge on June 25, 2014, will serve almost 9 years, or 105 months. The location of the illicit cook was particularly egregious: Starks’s apartment, situated directly across the street from an elementary school, and part of a multi-family building.

Court documents reveal a callous disregard for safety. Both Starks and Duhme procured pseudoephedrine pills – the key ingredient in methamphetamine production – with Starks exploiting a vulnerable individual. He allegedly directed an autistic man, unaware of the criminal activity, to purchase the pills on his behalf. Duhme sourced pills himself and from a friend, fueling their dangerous operation. When the cook went wrong, it erupted in flames. Instead of calling for help, Starks, Duhme, and Starks’s wife fled the scene, leaving the building to burn.

Luckily, a routine patrol by a Dubuque police officer discovered the blaze, just minutes after the trio’s escape. The officer immediately evacuated tenants, narrowly avoiding a catastrophe as the roof of the building collapsed moments later. The entire structure was rendered uninhabitable, displacing multiple families and causing significant property loss. One tenant required hospitalization for smoke inhalation. This wasn’t a simple mistake; it was a reckless act with severe consequences.

Chief United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade handed down the sentences in Cedar Rapids. In addition to their prison terms, both Starks and Duhme are required to pay a $100 special assessment and will serve a six-year term of supervised release upon completion of their sentences. The court also ordered them to make $322,281 in restitution to the victims of the fire, including the building owner, displaced tenants, and the insurance company. Remember, there is no parole in the federal system – they will serve every day of their sentences.

Starks and Duhme are currently in the custody of the United States Marshals awaiting transport to a designated federal prison. The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot, with crucial investigative work provided by the Dubuque Police Department, the Dubuque Fire Department, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force. Court file information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl (case file number 14-cr-1009). Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter: @USAO_NDIA.

RELATED: Dubuque Meth Cook Sentenced to 14 Years

RELATED: Jeremiah Shaw Sentenced