An Iowa City man was sentenced on July 15, 2026, to 235 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, and use of a communication facility in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Richard Allen Tuan Casey, 37, sold controlled substances between at least early 2024 through May 2025. Two days before his arrest, Casey traveled to a Walmart parking lot in Ames to pick up 30 pounds of methamphetamine in exchange for more than $70,000. Following multiple controlled buys of methamphetamine by a confidential informant, law enforcement arrested Casey. During a search of Casey’s property, law enforcement located 22 of the 30 pounds Casey had picked up two days prior, along with a loaded pistol, drug packaging materials, drug paraphernalia, and cocaine.
In February 2026, a jury found Casey not guilty of two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. This followed his January 2026 guilty plea to the four drug trafficking charges. After completing his term of imprisonment, Casey will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Johnson County Drug Task Force investigated the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa handles civil and criminal cases for the United States using facilities in Des Moines as well as courthouses in Davenport and Council Bluffs; it covers the Southern District with support services for victims and witnesses through its services unit; operates under the United States Department of Justice; employs twenty-four prosecutors; and provides these functions within its jurisdiction according to the official website.