Evergreen Reporter

Jermiah Preston, a 41-year-old resident of Fort Dodge, Iowa, has been sentenced to federal prison for methamphetamine distribution. The sentencing took place on October 9, 2024, in Sioux City federal court. Preston had entered a guilty plea on May 22, 2024.

Preston's criminal history includes a conviction in March 2017 for being a felon in possession of a firearm and distributing a controlled substance in the Northern District of Iowa.

Evidence presented during the plea and sentencing hearings revealed that on January 23, 2023, law enforcement conducted a controlled methamphetamine transaction with Preston using a confidential informant. During a subsequent traffic stop, officers observed Preston discarding two bags of methamphetamine from his vehicle. The money used in the controlled buy was found on him, and DNA analysis confirmed his connection to the discarded bags.

United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Preston to 66 months in prison. This sentence will run consecutively with an existing 24-month sentence related to the revocation of his previous federal supervised release. After serving his prison term, Preston will be subject to four years of supervised release. Federal sentences do not allow for parole.

Preston remains under the custody of the United States Marshal until he is transferred to federal prison.

The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde. The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and Fort Dodge Police Department.

Further details can be accessed through court file number 23-3029 at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.