ROCK ISLAND, ILL. — Michael James Grommet of Marshalltown was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release on Wednesday for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of the drug.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, Grommet was convicted after a jury trial in August 2021, and during his sentencing hearing, it was established that he had partnered with associates to distribute over seven kilograms of ice methamphetamine in both Illinois and Iowa. His extensive criminal history, including over 20 criminal convictions, was also detailed.

Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow discussed the weight of Grommet’s “major distribution” offense at the hearing, describing the “extreme physical and mental destruction” methamphetamine has on the community. Darrow said that Grommet posed “the most severe risk to recidivate” she had seen “in a long time” with “absolutely no regard for other individuals.”

The statutory penalties for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of actual methamphetamine require a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison, up to a $10 million fine, and at least five years to life of supervised release.

Buddy Hal Gunter, Grommet’s co-defendant, also went to trial, and his sentencing will be held on March 16. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Raya, who represented the prosecution, said she believed justice had prevailed in the case.

“As the court made clear, individuals who make a career out of trafficking highly-addictive, community-devastating drugs will be held accountable,” Raya said. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to remove these dealers from the streets to keep our communities safe.”

The Rock Island Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to Grommet’s arrest and conviction with assistance from the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raya and Jennifer Mathew represented the government in the prosecution.