Robert Lewis, Meth Conspiracy, Iowa 2018
A Janesville, Iowa, man, Robert Lewis, 44, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in a methamphetamine conspiracy.
A jury found Lewis guilty of conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine on August 22, 2018.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Lewis began working with various individuals to distribute ice methamphetamine throughout the Waterloo area in the summer of 2013.
Lewis and his associates obtained methamphetamine from an out-of-state source of supply, which shipped the methamphetamine via FedEx concealed in car part boxes.
Each shipment contained multiple pounds of methamphetamine, which Lewis and others would break down into smaller quantities for redistribution once it arrived in Iowa.
Lewis also used his daughter to register a car for the head of the drug organization and allowed other members of the conspiracy access to his home, referred to at trial as the 'clubhouse,' for the purpose of repackaging and distributing methamphetamine.
Lewis left Iowa in the fall of 2013, but continued to receive methamphetamine from his co-conspirators.
In January 2014, one co-conspirator attempted to send Lewis methamphetamine hidden in a Hamburger Skillet prepared meal box. FedEx employees flagged the package as suspicious, and investigators ultimately seized ¼ ounce of methamphetamine from the inside of the box.
Lewis obstructed justice by threatening and intimidating multiple individuals who testified as witnesses at the trial, including telling one witness that he 'was a dead man.'
Lewis was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 360 months' imprisonment.
He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lewis is being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States through a cooperative effort of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Court file information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-2084.
The United States Attorney's Office can be followed on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →