Dubuque Man Responsible for Over a Pound of Ice Methamphetamine Sentenced to 95 Months in Federal Prison

A man who possessed or distributed over a pound of ice methamphetamine and was found with more than $45,000 of drug proceeds was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.

Matthew Daniel Birch, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 6, 2022 guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

Information disclosed at the sentencing hearing demonstrated that between 2019 and 2021, Birch sold approximately 194 grams of ice methamphetamine in Dubuque.  Law enforcement officers seized another 315 grams of ice methamphetamine before Birch had the opportunity to sell it.  One on occasion, officers found Birch with over $6,000 of drug proceeds.  Later, after Birch attempted to flee from a traffic stop, officers found over $39,000 of drug proceeds.  Birch has a history of fleeing from the police.  Birch’s criminal history includes several violent convictions, including going armed with intent, false imprisonment in which he hit someone in the face and nose several times, assault with injury, domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury, and harassment in the first degree.

Birch was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Birch was sentenced to 95 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Birch 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 Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dubuque Police Department.

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

The case file number is 22-CR-1002.

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