BOONE, IOWA – An Iowa man will spend up to 25 years in prison after fleeing a traffic stop with meth, marijuana, a scale, a an accounting sheet used to keep track of who drugs are sold to.
On January 22, 2018, a Boone County District Court Judge sentenced Joshua Richard Cory, 33 years old of Ames, Iowa, to 25 years in prison with the Iowa Department of Corrections. The 25 year sentence carries a mandatory minimum of one-third; he will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least one half of the minimum. The sentencing is a result from a guilty plea on December 21, 2017 to Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Deliver in violation of Iowa codes section 124.401(1)(b)(7) and 124.413. Because Joshua Cory possessed more than 5 grams of methamphetamine his maximum possible sentence was 25 years with a minimum of one-third.
The Boone Sheriff’s Office became involved in the case when a Deputy noticed a vehicle with the driver still inside parked on the side of the road at 2:32 am. The Deputy walked up to the vehicle to check on the welfare of the driver. The Deputy later identified the driver as Joshua Richard Cory but at the scene Mr. Cory tried to hide his identity. When asked for his birth date Joshua Cory gave a fake date and he also gave a social security number belonging to a female. When the Deputy went to inquire further, Joshua Cory sped away in his vehicle and a chase became underway. The vehicle traveled in excess of 90 mph at different points in the chase and it finally ended when Joshua Cory crashed the vehicle into a ditch. Joshua Cory exited the vehicle and ran into a nearby corn field. Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office searched for the defendant. They ended up using the Sheriff’s Department tracking K-9 and Joshua Cory was found lying underneath a tractor on top of a freshly picked marijuana plant. Deputies conducted an inventory of the vehicle in which they found a back pack that contained prescription drugs without a prescription, a clear plastic baggie containing 14.3 grams of methamphetamine, a clear plastic baggie containing marijuana, a scale, a pay owe sheet used to keep track of who drugs are sold to and the money they owe, and devices used to ingest controlled substances. Based on the totality of the items found law enforcement had the opinion Joshua Cory possessed the methamphetamine with the intent to deliver and he was charged with controlled substance charges.
A sentencing hearing was set for this case on January 22, 2018. At the hearing the court heard arguments from both sides in what the sentencing of Joshua Cory should be. The court sentenced Joshua Cory to 25 years in prison with the Iowa Department of Corrections. The sentence requires that he serve at least one-third of that sentence; however, he will be eligible for parole after serving half of the minimum sentence. In other words, he must serve approximately 4.2 years until he is eligible for parole but he cannot be in prison for more than 25 years.
A records check revealed that Joshua Cory had prior convictions for controlled substances in the past. In Polk County he had a deferred judgment on a conviction of Possession/Delivery of Marijuana back in 2008. In 2013 in Polk County he was convicted of a Controlled Substance violation. He had other convictions for Operating While Intoxicated, Interference with Official Acts, and Trespass.
First Assistant Boone County Attorney, Matt Speers, prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Iowa. Joshua Cory was defended by a local attorney. The Boone Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Joshua Richard Cory:
