CLEAR LAKE — A Clear Lake woman who was still serving probation for a prior felony drug conviction has been jailed on a new methamphetamine conspiracy charge following an apparent traffic stop.
Denise Marie Back, 64, was booked into the Cerro Gordo County Jail at 4:53 p.m. Friday, July 24, 2026.
Back faces a Class B felony charge of conspiring to manufacture or deliver more than five grams but less than five kilograms of methamphetamine.
She was also charged with:
• First-offense possession of marijuana
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Driving the wrong way on a designated one-way street
• Driving while her license was denied, suspended, canceled or revoked
• Failure to obey a traffic-control device
Court records show the Clear Lake Police Department filed a traffic citation against Back on July 24. The assortment of traffic and drug charges indicates the case apparently began with a traffic investigation, although the complete criminal complaints and probable-cause statements describing the alleged discovery of the drugs were not immediately available.
The new jail record lists the marijuana accusation as a first offense, despite older Iowa court records showing Back has previously been convicted of marijuana-related offenses. Prosecutors and the court will determine the proper classification as the case proceeds.
Still on probation from 2022 drug case
Back (pictured at top) was already serving probation in connection with a felony drug case initiated by Clear Lake police on March 9, 2022.
In that case, FECR031182, Back was charged in Cerro Gordo County with third-or-subsequent possession of a controlled substance, a Class D felony. Court records show she was ultimately adjudicated guilty and sentenced by District Court Judge Adam D. Sauer on February 8, 2023.
Back received a five-year prison sentence, but the prison term was suspended. She was instead placed on probation for three years and ordered to undergo a mental-health evaluation.
The court also imposed a $1,025 fine and then suspended it. Back was ordered to provide a DNA sample and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Court records show Back’s fines and costs became delinquent and were sent to the Cerro Gordo County attorney for collection in April 2023.
Shortly before Back’s original probation term was scheduled to expire, the Iowa Department of Correctional Services asked the court to extend it. Judge Sauer granted the request on January 30, 2026, extending Back’s probation for another year.
That order indicates Back was still under felony supervision when she was allegedly caught in the new drug and traffic case on July 24.
The new arrest could lead correctional officials to seek a probation-revocation proceeding in the 2022 case. If the court revokes her probation, Back could face the previously suspended five-year prison sentence. No new probation-violation filing was immediately shown in the records reviewed.
Warrants issued after missed hearings
The 2022 prosecution also included repeated failures to appear.
A nationwide warrant carrying a $5,000 cash-only bond was issued after Back failed to appear for a plea hearing in October 2022. That warrant was recalled later that month.
Another statewide warrant carrying a $5,000 cash-only bond was issued in December after she failed to appear for a final pretrial conference. The second warrant was canceled later that month.
Earlier convictions upheld on appeal
Back’s drug history stretches back nearly two decades.
An Iowa Court of Appeals decision shows she was previously convicted in Hancock County of possessing methamphetamine and marijuana following a search of her residence.
Back appealed, challenging whether prosecutors had sufficiently established her identity during their presentation of evidence. The appellate court rejected her arguments and affirmed both convictions on November 29, 2007.
The complete Iowa Court of Appeals ruling may be read here.
Serious new felony accusation
Back’s latest accusation is substantially more serious than simple drug possession. Iowa law treats conspiracy to manufacture or deliver the amount of methamphetamine alleged in the case as a Class B felony.
Information concerning the amount of methamphetamine allegedly seized, where it was found and whether other suspects are involved was not immediately available.
Back’s new charges are accusations. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.