Former Professor Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Methamphetamine in a School Zone

A man who previously worked as a professor was sentenced January 8, 2020, to more than seven years in federal prison.

Randall Mark Gilbert, age 61, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 31, 2019 guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine near a protected location.

In a plea agreement, Gilbert admitted he possessed more than ten grams of meth within 1,000 feet of Lisbon High School.  Police found the meth in his home during a search.  After being arrested and getting out of jail, Gilbert went to the home of a man and woman.  After Gilbert entered, the man ran out of the house.  Gilbert cut a phone line and threatened the woman, who he believed had set him up, with a knife.  Gilbert forced the woman to go with him to his house.  Gilbert had previously worked as professor.

Gilbert was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Gilbert was sentenced to 85 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve an eight-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Lisbon Police Department, the Mt. Vernon Police Department, the Cedar County Sheriff’s Department, the Mechanicsville Police Department, and the Jones County Emergency Response Team.

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

The case file number is 19-CR-00064.

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