Jones County drug dealer sentenced to 25 years

WASHINGTON — Jacob Hansel, 36, of Martelle was found guilty by a jury on Oct. 27 of possession with intent to deliver more than five grams of methamphetamine and failure to affix a drug tax stamp.

On Dec. 10, Hansel was sentenced to prison, where he must serve up to 25 years in prison.

Hansel is not eligible for parole until he serves at least 8.167 years behind bars, according to Washington County Attorney John Gish.

“Hansel was introducing harmful drugs in the Riverside area, and considering he was actively resisting arrest by sheriff’s deputies and has a considerable criminal history, the minimum sentence was just,” Gish said after sentencing.

Gish said that the Hensel’s sentence shows some disparities in the state’s sentencing laws.

“The judgment, though appropriate, highlights an issue in Iowa’s sentencing laws,” Gish said. “Possessing at least five grams of methamphetamine with the intent to deliver carries greater punishment than most crimes of violence.

“Take Andrew Swailes, for example, who was found guilty by a jury on Nov. 5, 2021, of sexually abusing a 15-year-old. The harshest Swailes could receive at sentencing on Jan. 14, 2022, is 10 years in prison with no minimum.”