Des Moines Man Sentenced to over 26 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine Conspiracy

DES MOINES, IOWA – Nicholas Dwayne Jones, age 42, of Des Moines, was sentenced today in federal court to 322 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Prohibited Person in Possession of Firearms.

According to evidence presented at the two and a half-day jury trial, in the Spring of 2020, investigators with the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (MINE) Task Force began a drug investigation into Nicholas Jones and his wife, Nashia Jones. MINE investigators conducted four controlled buys of cocaine from the Jones’. Officers executed a search warrant at their residence and seized $154,000 in drug proceeds, four loaded firearms, over 1,200 rounds of live ammunition, digital scales, cutting agents, and drug notes. Jones was found guilty on all charges.

U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the MINE Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Mallory E. Weiser and Amy L. Jennings prosecuted the case with the assistance of Victim Witness Specialist Charlotte Kovacs.