A Galesburg woman has been sentenced to more than 25 years in federal prison for her role in a major Iowa methamphetamine trafficking ring.
Nichole Marie Schmidt, 43, was sentenced to 304 months (25 years and 4 months) in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Chief Judge C.J. Williams of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa imposed the sentence after Schmidt pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges involving over 500 grams of methamphetamine and 50 grams of pure methamphetamine.
In September 2024, Schmidt met her ex-husband in Davenport, Iowa, where she rented a car. Her ex-husband drove the rental car to Chicago, picked up drugs and a gun, and returned to Davenport. Officers later stopped the car Schmidt was driving; her co-conspirator was in the passenger seat. A search revealed approximately 12 pounds of pure methamphetamine, along with oxycodone, LSD, MDMA, cocaine, marijuana, and a loaded gun. Schmidt admitted she intended to distribute the drugs throughout Iowa.
The court found Schmidt’s role in the conspiracy involved over 9,000,000 kilograms of converted drug weight, including over 450 kilograms of pure methamphetamine. The judge described the amount as “astronomical.”
Schmidt has two prior felony drug convictions. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
The case stemmed from an investigation into a drug trafficking operation supplying methamphetamine in Iowa.
