Ashley Lynn Andrews, 38, of Des Moines, has been sentenced to 192 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl resulting in death. The sentence was handed down on August 28, 2025, in a federal court in Iowa.
According to public court documents, on January 6, 2024, the Des Moines Police Department responded to the overdose death of a Des Moines man. Andrews was identified as the dealer of the fentanyl that killed the man. Thereafter, law enforcement conducted several controlled buys of fentanyl from Andrews.
On April 12, 2024, Andrews was found slumped over the wheel of her vehicle at a gas station in possession of 36 grams of fentanyl, a distribution quantity. This evidence was used to build a case against her, ultimately leading to her conviction and sentencing.
After completing her term of imprisonment, Andrews will be required to serve a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Andrews was also ordered to pay $20,150 in restitution to the victims of her crimes.
In March 2025, co-defendant Earl Sandeleo Galtney, 44, of Cedar Rapids, was sentenced to 142 months in federal prison, and co-defendant Shannon D. Robertson, 44, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison. The sentences demonstrate the severity with which the justice system is treating those involved in the distribution of fentanyl.
The case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Central Iowa Gang Task Force. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The sentencing of Andrews and her co-defendants serves as a warning to those involved in the illicit fentanyl trade.
Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. In 2023, accidental overdose was the number one cause of death in 37 states for residents under 40 years old. In Iowa, opioid-related deaths reached a record high 258 in 2021, up 64% compared with 2019, and decreased 8% in 2022.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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