A Waterloo man has been sentenced to over 19 years in federal prison for his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Matthew James Wessels, aged 44, was sentenced on July 2, 2025, following his guilty plea on December 23, 2024. He admitted to conspiring to distribute ice methamphetamine after a prior serious drug felony conviction.
Wessels acknowledged that during the summer of 2024, shortly after being released from federal prison for a previous controlled substance conviction, he collaborated with others to import and distribute ice methamphetamine in Waterloo and nearby areas. On three occasions, he sold the drug to an undercover officer and was found in possession of over three pounds of it at another time. Overall, Wessels distributed more than thirteen pounds of ice methamphetamine.
The sentencing took place in Cedar Rapids under United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Wessels received a sentence of 234 months imprisonment followed by a ten-year supervised release term. The federal system does not allow parole.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach prosecuted the case. The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force comprising several local police departments and sheriff’s departments; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Drug Enforcement Administration; Cedar Rapids Police Department; Jones County Sheriff’s Department; and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
