Dubuque Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine

A man who purchased and transported pounds of “ice” methamphetamine from Omaha, Nebraska, to Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced May 30, 2018, to 30 years in federal prison.

Jason Michael Schumacher, age 37, from Dubuque, received the prison term after a February 6, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that from July 2017 until November 30, 2017, Schumacher and his associates made at least 13 trips to Omaha to purchase pounds of “ice” methamphetamine.  Schumacher brought the methamphetamine back and sold it throughout the Dubuque area.

On October 12, 2017, police investigators received a tip that Schumacher was traveling to Dubuque in a silver car and might be in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine.  Investigators located Schumacher entering Dubuque eastbound on Highway 20.  They approached Schumacher after he parked in a mobile home park.  Schumacher then sped away from police, nearly striking an investigator’s vehicle.  Schumacher fled through two construction zones at dangerously high speeds, coming close to hitting workers in the construction zones.  Schumacher eventually lost control of his car near a busy intersection and crashed into a small utility building, knocking the building partially off its foundation.  Schumacher then tried to flee on foot, but investigators caught and arrested him.  Investigators transported a passenger in Schumacher’s car to the hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries.

Schumacher was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade to 360 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Schumacher 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 Drew O. Inman and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Drug Task Force, Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

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

The case file number is 17-CR-1050-LRR.

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