Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on July 21, 2026, to 16 years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Daniel Thomas Coldewey, 33, distributed counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in the Council Bluffs area for nearly five years. On April 14, 2025, Coldewey sold 12 pills containing fentanyl to Victim #1. Victim #1 used one of the pills in the business parking lot where the victim met Coldewey and collapsed. A concerned citizen administered CPR and called emergency services, who were able to revive Victim #1.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Coldewey will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated the case.