Fort Dodge Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy Charges

Press Release

Johnson was previously convicted of a federal meth charge less than five years ago.

A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty July 31, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

Amanda Johnson, f/k/a Amanda Adams, 35, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. In 2020, Johnson was convicted in federal court of same conduct - conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute and aiding and abetting another in the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Johnson admitted her involvement in a conspiracy that distributed more than 150 grams of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area for six months in 2023. On November 15, 2023, Johnson and another distributed about ¼ pound methamphetamine in a controlled drug purchase transaction in Waterloo, Iowa. On December 4, 2023, Johnson made an agreement to distribute ¼ pound of methamphetamine to an undercover agent, distributed 2 grams of methamphetamine, then fled.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Johnson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On the conspiracy conviction Johnson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the distribution conviction Johnson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $8,000,000 fine, and at least eight years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa DCI Laboratory, Fort Dodge Iowa Police Department, Webster County Sheriff's Office, and the Waterloo, Iowa, based Tri-County Drug Task Force.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-3005.

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Updated August 2, 2024