Marion, IA – Robert Owen Bell, a 48-year-old resident of Marion, Iowa, was handed down a federal prison sentence exceeding ten years for his role in the distribution of over 1.5 kilograms of ice methamphetamine. The sentencing occurred on August 13, 2025, following Bell’s guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance on February 11, 2025.
Throughout 2023, Bell and an accomplice coordinated the sale of ice meth in both Cedar Rapids and Marion. During an investigation spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Cedar Rapids Police Department, a confidential source facilitated two purchases totaling over 100 grams of the illegal substance. On November 14, 2023, authorities observed Bell visiting his co-conspirator’s residence and initiated a traffic stop, resulting in the seizure of approximately 65.64 grams of ice meth.
Bell faced sentencing in Cedar Rapids before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. The defendant was sentenced to 130 months’ imprisonment, followed by a mandatory five-year term of supervised release. Federal law does not offer parole for such offenses.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach prosecuted the case, while the DEA and Cedar Rapids Police Department conducted the investigation. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, with the case file number listed as 24-CR-60.
For more on this grim tale of federal law enforcement’s efforts to combat drug trafficking, follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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