Woman Sleeping on Couch with Lockbox Containing Meth Sentenced to Federal Prison

A woman who law enforcement found asleep on a couch in possession of meth she intended to distribute was sentenced May 18, 2020, to more than three years in federal prison.

Michelle Rae Simmermaker, age 44, from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, received the prison term after a January 2, 2020 guilty plea to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Evidence during a previous hearing showed that Simmermaker was asleep on the couch in a home in Tipton, Iowa, when law enforcement officers arrived to search the home.  Simmermaker had a lockbox with her that contained over ten grams of methamphetamine, which she intended to sell to others.  Also present at the residence were two minor children, including Simmermaker’s granddaughter.

Simmermaker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Simmermaker was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Simmermaker is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.   The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Tipton Police Department, the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, and the Muscatine County Drug Task Force. 

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

The case file number is 19-cr-55.

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