Arizona Fentanyl Distributor Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances

A man who conspired to distribute controlled substances by mailing packages with methamphetamine and fentanyl from Arizona to Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted by a jury on May 29, 2025, after a four-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Daniel Alan Van Gorp, age 43, who was living in Arizona at the time, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, both fentanyl and methamphetamine.  The jury also found that the fentanyl Van Gorp conspired to distribute resulted in a serious bodily injury to a victim in Iowa.  The verdict was returned following about five hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that Van Gorp mailed multiple packages with fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and “ice” methamphetamine to Alexander Chapman in Dubuque, Iowa.  Chapman then re-distributed the controlled substances to others in the Dubuque area.  The evidence at trial also showed that on May 15, 2023, the fentanyl powder that was mailed by Van Gorp was used by a victim and the victim suffered a serious bodily injury. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Van Gorp remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Van Gorp faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, the United States Postal Inspection, and the Phoenix Police Department.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-1003.

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