Council Bluffs Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy Charge

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Two Council Bluffs man were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

According to public court documents, in March and April 2024, Jessie Lee Holtz, 35, and co-defendant, Andrew Joseph Kaipus, 38, conspired to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs area. During the conspiracy, Kaipus obtained a quarter pound of methamphetamine from Holtz and Kaipus then sold that methamphetamine to a confidential informant in April 2024.

On November 14, 2024, Kaipus, received a 10-year prison sentence, followed by a five-month term of supervised release.

On March 12, 2025, Holtz was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison. After completing his term of imprisonment, Holtz will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Council Bluffs Police Department.