Iowa Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A Davenport, Iowa man, Joseph A. Meador, 37, was sentenced on October 4, 2023, to 120 months’ imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of pure (ice) methamphetamine.

At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the government referenced prior written filings stating that in April 2021, Moline police officers received information that Meador was distributing methamphetamine in the Quad Cities area. Officers approached Meador, who was in a SUV that was parked in a motel parking lot and found him to be in possession of 55.6 grams of methamphetamine and $3,970 cash. Meador admitted to officers that he had gone to the motel to sell half an ounce of methamphetamine and he had been selling methamphetamine to four or five customers since January or February 2021.

Meador was indicted in October 2021 and arrested in April 2022. He entered into a written plea agreement in May 2023. Meador has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.

The statutory penalties for distribution of more than 50 grams of ice methamphetamine are 10 years to life imprisonment, a possible fine of up to $10 million dollars, and at least 5 years of supervised release.

The Moline Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution.

The case against Meador is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.