Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Waterloo woman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for her role in a marijuana distribution conspiracy. Nicole Ann Fordyce, 50, pleaded guilty on April 16, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
According to court documents, from August 2022 through January 2024, Fordyce was involved in distributing large amounts of marijuana throughout Waterloo. She received shipments of marijuana by mail from her son, Jonathan Reins, who lived in California. Fordyce then provided the drugs to others for further distribution in the area. During this period, she deposited nearly $192,000 in proceeds from drug sales into a bank account used by those involved in the operation.
Fordyce was sentenced on December 2, 2025, by Chief Judge C.J. Williams at the United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. She received a sentence of 60 months’ imprisonment and will be required to serve four years of supervised release after completing her prison term. There is no parole available under the federal system.
Currently held by the United States Marshal’s Service, Fordyce will remain in custody until she is transferred to a federal facility.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by multiple agencies including the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; Butler County Sheriff’s Office; Denver Iowa Police Department; Fullerton California Police Department; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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