Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Humboldt County man, Nathan Nickless, age 40, from Dakota City, Iowa, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison following multiple convictions. The sentencing took place after Nickless pleaded guilty on April 1, 2025.
According to evidence presented at the plea and sentencing hearings, on August 12, 2023, law enforcement in Fort Dodge attempted a traffic stop on a truck driven by Nickless. He tried to evade officers by driving onto a river road and collided with another vehicle before fleeing on foot. Officers apprehended him as he tried to climb a river embankment. During his flight, Nickless carried a backpack containing a loaded 9mm pistol; several bags of narcotics including approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine; marijuana; psychedelic mushrooms; pills; THC gummies; ammunition; a scale; and small baggies.
Nickless was federally charged but remained out of custody pending his scheduled trial date of July 8, 2024. He failed to appear for trial and eluded law enforcement for several months.
Further evidence indicated that on September 28, 2024, in Humboldt County, officers learned that Nickless was in the area. When they located him and attempted another stop while he was driving a vehicle, he refused to comply and led them on another pursuit before abandoning his vehicle near a river. After losing sight of him during the foot chase along the riverbank, law enforcement seized the abandoned vehicle under warrant and found methamphetamine; marijuana packaged in multiple baggies; pills; scales; empty distribution baggies; as well as pipes used for methamphetamine and marijuana.
On October 2, 2024, authorities found Nickless hiding inside a residence in Humboldt County where he was arrested.
Nickless received his sentence from United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand in Sioux City: “Nickless was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.”
