United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Iowa
11/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/02/2026 15:14
Fort Dodge Man to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking
William Rondell Lashawn Smith, 44, from Fort Dodge and Des Moines, Iowa, but most recently living in Johnston, Iowa, was sentenced on October 30, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City to 152 months' imprisonment. Smith pled guilty on April 21, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from January 2023 through February 2024, Smith was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 14 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge, Iowa area. On three occasions in February 2024, Smith distributed over 2 ½ pounds of methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. On one of those occasions, the distribution occurred within 1,000 feet of Meriwether Park in Fort Dodge. In February 2024, officers searched two of Smith's properties and seized cocaine, methamphetamine, over $8,000, three firearms, and drug distribution materials, including two scales.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Smith to 152 months' imprisonment and a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Smith is currently in the custody of U.S. Marshals until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff's Office, Iowa State Patrol, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
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 25-3005. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Iowa published this content on November 02, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on November 02, 2026 at 21:15 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]