A man from Illinois has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for selling fentanyl and possessing a firearm as a felon in Dubuque, Iowa. Friday Deel Gardner, 28, of Markham, Illinois, received a 77-month sentence on November 19, 2025, following his guilty plea earlier this year to charges related to the distribution of controlled substances near schools or parks and illegal firearm possession.
According to evidence presented at sentencing, Gardner sold fentanyl on four separate occasions. Three of those transactions occurred near a school or park. Law enforcement searched Gardner’s residence in Dubuque and found over 275 fentanyl pills, ecstasy pills, marijuana, cash, and a stolen firearm.
Gardner had previously been convicted in federal court in 2017 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced then to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release. During his period of supervised release in 2021 and 2022, he violated the conditions twice and was sent back to federal prison.
Chief Judge C.J. Williams presided over the sentencing at the United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. Gardner must also serve six years of supervised release after completing his prison term. There is no parole available under the federal system.
Currently, Gardner is being held by the United States Marshals until he is transferred to a federal facility.
The prosecution was handled by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson. The case was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone,” according to officials.
Officials also noted that “On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.”
The matter falls under Operation Take Back America—an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration networks and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
