Sioux City, Iowa — A Cherokee County man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine while also illegally possessing firearms has been sentenced 3-1/2 years in federal prison.
According to federal officials, 56-year-old William Hageman, of rural Cherokee County , pled guilty on December 17, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a prohibited person. In 1994, Hageman was previously convicted of OWI – 3rd Offense, in the Iowa District Court for Plymouth County, in 1994. This conviction prohibited Hageman from possessing guns.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from August 2018 through April 18, 2019, Hageman and others conspired to distribute more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine in Cherokee County and the surrounding area, often obtaining pounds of methamphetamine from Omaha, Nebraska sources.
Authorities say that on four separate occasions, in March and April 2019, Hageman distributed more than a pound of pure meth to individuals cooperating with and under the supervision of law enforcement. In April 2019, law enforcement executed a search of Hageman’s rural Cherokee County residence and seized almost 1.5 pounds of meth throughout the property, as well as six guns, including four rifles. At the time of the search, a co-conspirator was found attempting to flush methamphetamine down a toilet before officers could seize it. Three of the guns were possessed by Hageman while three others were possessed by a co-conspirator.
Hageman was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of three years supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
