SIOUX CITY — A Northern Iowa meth dealer with seven prior felony convictions has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for his role in a Fort Dodge-area meth conspiracy.
Bryce Garrels, 32, of Fort Dodge, was sentenced June 22, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
Garrels entered his guilty plea on February 6, 2026.
Federal prosecutors said Garrels admitted that from July 2024 through August 2025, he and others were involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 1 1/2 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area.
Evidence also showed Garrels distributed meth or helped others distribute meth on at least four occasions in July and August 2025, according to federal authorities. Those transactions involved amounts ranging from one ounce to four ounces of methamphetamine.
Garrels’ criminal history was also highlighted in the federal case. Prosecutors said he was previously convicted of seven felony offenses in Iowa, including third-degree burglary convictions in 2011, 2015 and 2022.
He was also previously convicted of forgery in 2020, 2021 and 2022, as well as possession of a counterfeit substance with intent to deliver in 2021.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Garrels to 183 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Garrels remains in the custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde. It was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
Garrels’ sentence adds to a series of federal meth prosecutions in Iowa targeting repeat offenders and drug trafficking networks moving meth through local communities.