Iowa City Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Manufacture Methamphetamine

DAVENPORT, IA – On June 6, 2017, Nicholas William Rotter, 33, of Iowa City, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Rotter was ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his imprisonment and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

Rotter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine on January 3, 2017. Between July 2015 and May 2016, Rotter used the “one-pot” method to manufacture methamphetamine on hundreds of occasions in and around the Iowa City area. Rotter would manufacture methamphetamine on bike trials, near railroad tracks, in alleyways, and in vehicles. Rotter carried the ingredients and supplies needed to manufacture methamphetamine with him in a backpack.

Rotter had numerous people purchase pseudoephedrine pills, a common ingredient in methamphetamine, for him. In exchange, Rotter would give them methamphetamine. Rotter also sold methamphetamine on over 100 occasions to numerous individuals in the Iowa City area. During the aforementioned time period, was observed brandishing a firearm.

The Johnson County Drug Task Force, Iowa City Police Department, North Liberty Police Department, and Division of Narcotics Enforcement conducted the investigation. The Iowa State Patrol and Johnson County Ambulance assisted in executing the search warrants. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at Rachel.Scherle@usdoj.gov.