Humboldt County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for 25 Years on Multiple Convictions

A man who was convicted of two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after having been previously convicted of a serious drug felony, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and failure to appear, was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison. 

Nathan Nickless, age 40, from Dakota City, Humboldt County, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 1, 2025, guilty plea.  

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that on August 12, 2023, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, law enforcement attempted a traffic stop on a truck Nickless was driving.  Nickless attempted to evade law enforcement onto a river road.  After ramming his truck into a non-law enforcement vehicle, Nickless stopped his truck and fled on foot but was apprehended while trying to climb a river embankment.  During the flight by foot, Nickless was in possession of a backpack.  In the backpack, law enforcement found a loaded 9mm pistol, multiple bags of narcotics including approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, pills, THC gummies, ammunition, a scale, and multiple small baggies.

Nickless was federally charged but was allowed to remain released pending his July 8, 2024, federal trial.  Nickless failed to appear as required for trial and absconded from law enforcement over the next several months.  

 Evidence at the hearings further showed that, on September 28, 2024, in Humboldt County, Iowa, law enforcement became aware Nickless was in the area.  Law enforcement located Nickless and attempted to stop the vehicle he was driving.  He refused to stop and began a vehicle pursuit with law enforcement where he again abandoned the vehicle he was driving in a field by a river.  Law enforcement lost sight of Nickless when he went on foot along the river.  The abandoned vehicle was seized, and a search warrant was granted. 

Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found methamphetamine, multiple baggies of marijuana, pills, a scale, empty baggies for distribution, a methamphetamine pipe, and a marijuana pipe.  On October 2, 2024, Nickless was found hiding inside a residence in Humboldt County and was arrested.  

 Nickless was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Nickless was sentenced to 300 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.

Nickless is 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 Attorneys Patrick T. Greenwood, and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 23-3040.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.