Cedar Rapids Man Caught on Wiretap Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

A man who conspired to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine pled guilty on December 7, 2022, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Calub Joseph Storlie, age 35, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. 

Evidence at a prior hearing showed that in October 2020 a car being transported from Arizona to Iowa on a car hauler was searched by law enforcement in New Mexico.  During the search, officers found an after‑market compartment behind the back seat of the car.  The compartment contained approximately 30 pounds of ice methamphetamine.  Paperwork inside the car showed that the insurance was in Storlie’s name.

During a wiretap investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Cedar Rapids in late 2021 and early 2022, Albert Bailey was discovered to be a driver for a group of individuals who were purchasing ice methamphetamine in California and selling it in eastern Iowa.  Bailey traveled to California and then drove between 30 and 60 pounds of methamphetamine back to Iowa, where other individuals would sell it.  In February 2022, intercepted communications over the wiretap indicated that Bailey would be transporting methamphetamine from California to Iowa.  Investigators tracked Bailey’s vehicle and stopped it in York County, Nebraska.  During a search of the vehicle, investigators located and seized approximately 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine.  Immediately following the seizure of the methamphetamine in Nebraska, Storlie was intercepted on the wiretap speaking to other members of the conspiracy about the seizure and how to cover it up.  Evidence at the prior hearing showed that Storlie had previously gone on similar trips to California for the same individuals as Bailey.

In other intercepted conversations, another individual discussed Storlie bringing him firearms and ammunition.  During a search of Storlie’s residence on March 8, 2022, investigators found and seized a Glock 9mm pistol and an AR‑15‑style rifle.  At the plea hearing, Storlie admitted that he was an unlawful user of marijuana and THC at the time he possessed the firearms found in his house.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Storlie remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Storlie faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.  Nine other individuals charged along with Storlie are pending trial.

The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids consists of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 22‑CR‑39‑CJW‑MAR‑7.

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