Ames Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Firearm Offenses

DES MOINES, IA – Lonnie Allen Hill, age 53, of Ames, was sentenced May 12, 2022, to 216 months in prison following his guilty pleas to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm. Hill’s term of imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release.

Between May and July 2020, law enforcement officers in Polk and Marshall Counties repeatedly encountered Hill with drugs and firearms. In two incidents, Hill led officers on high-speed vehicle pursuits in Marshalltown, including one in which Hill crashed into an occupied vehicle. In the course of these incidents, officers seized large quantities of marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, two firearms, and thousands of dollars in cash. The investigation revealed Hill was trafficking drugs, including methamphetamine, in the Marshalltown area.

Hill has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple prior felony drug trafficking convictions. Hill was serving a state term of parole when he committed the offenses charged in this case.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Marshalltown Police Department, Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.