A Dubuque man who possessed methamphetamine intending to distribute it was sentenced October 28, 2026, to more than 18 years in federal prison.

Justin Noel Allen, age 44, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 23, 2026, jury verdict finding him guilty of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Evidence at trial showed that Allen was a passenger in a car when it was stopped by law enforcement officers on March 24, 2025.  During the stop, Allen was arrested because he had outstanding arrest warrants.  Allen was searched and officers located over 15 grams of methamphetamine and one gram of fentanyl.  The jury determined Allen possessed the methamphetamine with the intent to distribute more than five grams of it.  Allen was previously convicted of possession of precursors with intent to manufacture methamphetamine in 2012 and 2016, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine in 2017, and a controlled substance violation in 2025.  

Allen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Allen was sentenced to 224 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Allen is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers, and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Dubuque Police Department, the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory.  

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