A Waterloo woman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for her role in a marijuana distribution conspiracy. Nicole Ann Fordyce, 50, pleaded guilty on April 16, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
According to court documents, from August 2022 through January 2024, Fordyce was involved in distributing large amounts of marijuana in Waterloo. Authorities say she received shipments of marijuana by mail from her son, Jonathan Reins, who lived in California. Fordyce then distributed the drugs to others involved in the operation and deposited nearly $192,000 in drug proceeds into a bank account used by those distributing the marijuana.
Fordyce was sentenced on December 2, 2025, by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams in Cedar Rapids. She received a sentence of 60 months’ imprisonment and must also serve four years of supervised release after completing her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Fordyce is currently being held by the United States Marshal’s Service until she is transferred to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by several agencies including the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Federal Bureau of Investigations; Homeland Security Investigations; Butler County Sheriff’s Office; Denver Iowa Police Department; Fullerton California Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“
