Man Arrested Just After Distributing Methamphetamine Sentenced to Nearly 15 Years in Federal Prison

An Iowa man caught with nearly four ounces of methamphetamine was sentenced today to just under 180 months in prison. 

Eric James Blumer, age 37, from Palo, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a July 22, 2019, guilty plea to the possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Information disclosed at sentencing and at a plea hearing showed that, in June 2017, Blumer was stopped by law enforcement officers while driving a vehicle in Linn County, Iowa.  Officers found nearly four ounces of “ice” methamphetamine in his vehicle.  Blumer admitted that he intended to sell the “ice”.  Blumer later admitted that, earlier in the day, he had possessed nearly a pound of “ice” methamphetamine, and he had just gotten rid of it prior to the traffic stop. 

Blumer has 14 prior criminal convictions.  His criminal history includes, but is not limited to, convictions for OWI, theft, escape, and possessing a firearm.  In 2003, Blumer was convicted and sentenced to prison for manufacturing methamphetamine. 

Blumer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Blumer was sentenced to 179 months and 29 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, Hiawatha Police Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson County Drug Task Force, Muscatine County Drug Task Force, United States Marshals, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

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

The case file number is 18-CR-00083.

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