Waterloo Woman Sentenced in Heroin, Fentanyl Case

Michelle Hanson, a 28-year-old woman from Waterloo, Iowa, was sentenced yesterday to 21 months in federal prison for distributing heroin and fentanyl near Morris Park. The conviction stems from a March 2, 2016, incident where Hanson possessed and sold controlled substances out of her home in a neighborhood already plagued by drug activity.

Hanson pleaded guilty on October 3, 2016, to possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. During the plea hearing, she admitted to using her Waterloo residence as a hub for drug sales. The location, just blocks from Morris Park, has long been a flashpoint for narcotics enforcement in the city.

A raid conducted by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force uncovered more than 12 grams of heroin and six fentanyl-laced patches inside Hanson’s home. The lethal potency of fentanyl—capable of causing overdose in minute quantities—elevated the severity of the charges and underscored the danger posed by her operation.

Chief U.S. District Judge Linda R. Reade handed down the 21-month sentence in Cedar Rapids federal court. In addition to prison time, Hanson was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and will serve a mandatory 6-year supervised release term upon completion of her sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Reinert as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program’s National Heroin Initiative. The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar Falls, LaPorte City, Hudson, Evansdale, University of Northern Iowa, Waverly, and Bremer County law enforcement agencies.

Hanson is currently in U.S. Marshals custody, awaiting transfer to a federal correctional facility. Court records are available through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa’s electronic filing system under case number 16-CR-2036. Follow updates from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.