Iowa Man Gets 22+ Years for Meth Importation from Mexico

Breaking News: A Roland, Iowa, man has been handed a sentence of over 22 years in federal prison for his involvement in importing nearly ten kilograms of methamphetamine into the state from Mexico. Bobbey Dean Robey, 62, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on May 14, 2021.

The investigation began in 2018 when law enforcement uncovered a large-scale operation based out of Mexico. Mario Hernandez, the head of this organization, was orchestrating the illegal transport of methamphetamine with Robey and others. Wiretaps intercepted thousands of calls and messages between Hernandez and his associates, including conversations about drug shipments involving Robey.

In July 2020, authorities conducted a traffic stop near Des Moines that resulted in the seizure of nearly 5,000 grams of pure methamphetamine, destined for Robey. The occupants admitted to transporting the drugs on behalf of Robey, who intended to redistribute them within Iowa.

Robey has an extensive criminal record, with 14 adult convictions and eight felonies. He was previously convicted twice for assaulting a police officer. Today’s sentence, imposed by United States District Judge C.J. Williams in Cedar Rapids, is 270 months’ imprisonment, followed by a five-year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment fee.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The Mid-Iowa Task Force, Iowa National Guard, Tri-County Task Force, FBI, DEA, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and ATF were all involved in this cooperative effort.

For more information on the case file, visit https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 20-CR-2034. Follow updates on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

RELATED: Iowa Gunman Gets 7+ Years for 4th of July Terror

RELATED: Iowa City Man Gets Over 9 Years for Child Porn Collection