DES MOINES, Iowa — Anthony James Shearer, 39, of Marshalltown, was sentenced on December 12 to 204 months (17 years) in federal prison for possessing a distribution quantity of methamphetamine and carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking.
Court documents reveal that Shearer was found in possession of over 40 grams of methamphetamine during a traffic stop in February 2024. At the time, Shearer had absconded from parole following a 2020 state drug trafficking conviction. Officers discovered two loaded firearms in a backpack inside his vehicle.
Following his prison term, Shearer will be required to serve five years of supervised release. Since parole does not exist in the federal system, his sentence is final.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa announced the sentence. This case was investigated by the Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force as part of the nationwide Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, which aims to reduce violent crime and improve community safety by coordinating law enforcement efforts and fostering cooperation with local communities.