Mathew Shepherd, Meth Distribution, Iowa 2022

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – In a shocking turn of events, a local man has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for his role in distributing large quantities of methamphetamine. Mathew Shepherd, a 37-year-old resident of Cedar Rapids, was handed down a 176-month prison term by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams on December 13, 2022.

The severe sentence comes after Shepherd pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance on May 31, 2022. This charge is in addition to his 2018 state conviction for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, for which he was paroled in May 2020.

Almost immediately after his release from state custody, Shepherd began working with others to distribute methamphetamine in the Cedar Rapids area. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence on September 11, 2020, and discovered over 62 grams of methamphetamine, $273 in cash, a digital scale, and a drug ledger.

Further investigation revealed numerous messages related to Shepherd’s distribution of methamphetamine on his cell phone. At the time of sentencing, Shepherd had a staggering 29 convictions as an adult, including two arson convictions and several assault-related convictions.

Shepherd’s lengthy prison term will be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system, so he will serve the entirety of his sentence without the possibility of early release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services. Shepherd is currently being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case file number is 21-CR-00030, and court file information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA for updates on this and other cases.