Elk Run Heights Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing and Distributing Methamphetamine

A man who possessed and distributed methamphetamine was sentenced January 29, 2026, to more than 17 years in federal prison.

Nicholas Armstrong, age 31, from Elk Run Heights, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 4, 2025, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that law enforcement officers purchased methamphetamine from Armstrong four times. After the buys, officers searched Armstrong's home. They located over 350 grams of methamphetamine, multiple scales, packaging material, and three guns. About two months later, officers attempted to arrest Armstrong, but he fled from them. Officers caught Armstrong and found over 80 grams of methamphetamine on him. At the time of this arrest, Armstrong was on parole for another drug-related conviction.

Armstrong was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Armstrong was sentenced to 210 months' imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Armstrong is being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff's Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff's Office.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.plLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

The case file number is 25-cr-2002.

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