A Galesburg woman responsible for distributing what a federal judge called an “astronomical” amount of meth in Iowa was sentenced last week to more than 25 years in federal prison.
Nichole M. Schmidt, 43, was sentenced after pleading guilty in June 2025 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Between February and September of 2024, Schmidt received methamphetamine from a source in Chicago and distributed the drugs to others in Iowa, knowing they would be distributed across the state.
In September of 2024, law enforcement pulled Schmidt over. In her car, officers found around 12 pounds of ice methamphetamine, along with oxycodone, LSD, MDMA, cocaine, marijuana, and a loaded firearm.
Schmidt admitted that she intended to distribute the drugs to people throughout Iowa.
In total, the court found Schmidt’s role in the conspiracy involved more than 450 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, which is known as “ice.” Chief U.S. Judge C.J. Williams described the amount of meth as “astronomical.”
The case was prosecuted in the Northern District of Iowa.
