Iowa Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine Conspiracy

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Johana Madrid, 29, of Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for her involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy.  United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Madrid to 150 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.  After her release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. 

On August 17, 2022, in Wayne County, Nebraska, a call came in about two suspicious people attempting to get into a resident’s car.  Nebraska State Patrol troopers responded and encountered Oscar Villa and Johana Madrid on the side of the road on Nebraska Highway 35 and 849 Road.  Both claimed they were on their way to Iowa for drug treatment but couldn’t really explain how they wound up on the side of the road. Madrid admitted to having methamphetamine in her bookbag and a firearm was located on the ground nearby. They also found a large meth shard in the fitted sheet Madrid had originally draped over herself.

Villa and Madrid were taken into custody. While in custody, troopers searched Madrid’s phone which showed a map of a field near the intersection where the two were encountered which contained a location pin. Using that map and pin, troopers found a bookbag that was covered by soybean plants. Inside the bookbag was approximately 20 pounds of pure meth.

Villa was sentenced on November 29, 2023, to a term of imprisonment of 240 months.

This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.