Jason Tooley Gets 85 Months for Meth Lab on Relative’s Property

Jason Tooley, 35, of Lowden, Iowa, was sentenced to 85 months in federal prison for attempting to manufacture methamphetamine on his cousin’s property, where two young children also lived. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Linda R. Reade in Cedar Rapids, marks the end of a case rooted in evasion, chemical hazards, and betrayal of family trust.

Tooley pleaded guilty on September 28, 2017, to one count of attempt to manufacture methamphetamine. The charges stem from an October 2016 incident after he fled state probation and began living in a shed adjacent to his cousin’s home. Law enforcement moved in after a deputy with the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office spotted a stolen license plate on Tooley’s car parked beside the shed on October 25, 2016. When confronted, Tooley locked the structure and vanished into nearby woods.

Deputies arrested Tooley shortly after his flight. The following day, October 26, 2016—correcting earlier misreported 2017 date—authorities executed a search warrant on both his vehicle and the shed. Inside, they seized methamphetamine, chemical by-products from the ‘one-pot’ meth manufacturing process, and precursor materials. Evidence showed Tooley had been purchasing pseudoephedrine for years to fuel his illicit operation, continuing right up to the day of his arrest.

The discovery of a functioning meth lab just steps from a home with two children exposed the community to toxic fumes and explosion risks. Such labs produce volatile waste and leave behind residue that can poison homes for years. Tooley’s decision to operate in a residential setting intensified the seriousness of the offense in the eyes of prosecutors and the court.

In addition to 85 months in prison, Tooley must serve a six-year term of supervised release upon completion of his sentence. There is no parole in the federal system, meaning he will serve at least 85 months behind bars. He remains in U.S. Marshals custody pending transfer to a federal prison facility.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman and investigated by the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, the Muscatine County Drug Task Force, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Court records are available through the Northern District of Iowa’s electronic filing system under case number 17-CR-62. Follow updates from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.