A 60-year-old Iowa man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for his third drug-related conviction.
Gary Alan Happel, of Ladora, Iowa, received the prison term on May 25, 2022, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on October 15, 2021.
According to court documents, Happel was stopped for speeding in January 2021 and found to be in possession of over a half pound of methamphetamine. He admitted to intending to distribute the substance to others.
Happel has a prior federal conviction from 1997 for conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, as well as a conviction in 2010 for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in Utah.
Happel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams to 60 months’ imprisonment and fined $20,000. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Happel is currently being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 21-cr-37.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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