Hawkeye Reporter

A woman from Daytona Beach, Florida, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl resulting in death. Jessica Lee Erickson, aged 44, pleaded guilty on January 2, 2025, to the charge of distribution of a controlled substance leading to death.

Erickson began providing a mixture containing fentanyl to a victim in May 2024. On June 15, 2024, she distributed the substance at a home in Dubuque, Iowa. The victim used the fentanyl that day and subsequently died.

The sentencing took place in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Erickson received a sentence of 168 months' imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. Federal system parole is not available. She remains in custody with the United States Marshal until her transfer to a federal prison.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force.