Two Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Charges Related to Fentanyl Distribution

DES MOINES, Iowa – Two Iowa men were sentenced for their role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

According to public court documents, Shannon D. Robertson, 44, of Chicago, Illinois and Des Moines, and Earl Sandeleo Galtney, 44, of Cedar Rapids, distributed fentanyl in the Des Moines metro throughout 2023 and 2024. Robertson and Galtney obtained the fentanyl in Chicago. In May 2024, law enforcement located more than 75 grams of fentanyl at Robertson’s residence. Robertson and Galtney were each held responsible for more than 750 grams of fentanyl.

Robertson was sentenced on February 20, 2025, to 142 months in federal prison, followed by a four-year term of supervised release.

Galtney was sentenced on March 20, 2025 to 125 months in federal prison, followed by a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Co-defendant Ashley Lynn Andrews, 37, Des Moines, is scheduled for sentencing on July 1, 2025.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Central Iowa Gang Task Force.

Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. In 2023, accidental overdose was the number one cause of death in 37 states for residents under 40 years old. https://stateline.org/2023/09/05/death-rates-for-people-under-40-have-skyrocketed-blame-fentanyl/. In Iowa, opioid-related deaths reached a record high 258 in 2021, up 64% compared with 2019, and decreased 8% in 2022. https://hhs.iowa.gov/media/11935/download.