Former North Liberty Man Sentenced for Federal Methamphetamine Conspiracy

DAVENPORT, IA – On December 19, 2014, Terry Joe Burns, age 49, formerly of North Liberty, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey to 180 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Burns was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release following the imprisonment, and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

Beginning in approximately July 2013 and continuing until about November 14, 2013, Burns conspired with other persons to distribute ice methamphetamine in the North Liberty, Iowa, area. On November 14, 2013, law enforcement intercepted a vehicle occupied by co-defendant Donald Lee Engstrom as it arrived at Burns’ residence near North Liberty. The vehicle contained 333 grams of highly pure ice methamphetamine and $9,255 in U.S. currency. These items belonged to Engstrom, and he was traveling to meet Burns because Engstrom had arranged with Burns to meet with Burns and an acquaintance of his for the purpose of selling that person one-half pound of ice methamphetamine.

Co-defendant Engstrom has pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced by Judge Jarvey in September 2014 to 120 months in prison.

This case was investigated by the Johnson County Drug Task Force, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, and the North Liberty, Iowa, and Iowa City, Iowa, Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

(Download Press Release)