A man who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.Dustin George Burnikel, age 45, from Lime Springs, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 27, 2025, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.Between June 2022 and January 2024, Burnikel received packages containing controlled substances through the mail from an individual in California. In August 2023, Burnikel sold methamphetamine to an individual who was working with law enforcement. In October 2023, Burnikel sold methamphetamine to an undercover officer.Burnikel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.
Burnikel was sentenced to 120 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.Burnikel is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the United States Postal Inspector Service, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa State Patrol, the Howard County Sheriff’s Office, the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office, and the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.The case file number is 24-CR-2036.Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.