California Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for 220 Pounds of Marijuana Grown and Transported to Iowa

The Iowa City Police Department was one of several local police departments involved in an investigation a year ago of a marijuana grow and distribution operation that accounted for the creation and transport of more than 200 pounds of marijuana from California to Iowa.

The investigation resulted in the arrest of three men.

One of these men, Gerhard Jacobus Hanneman, 68, of Fort Bragg, California, was allegedly involved in growing the marijuana. Hanneman was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to felony conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt in a press release. 

On August 9, 2012, co-defendant Joseph Haynes was sentenced to 78 months imprisonment, according to the release. A remaining defendant, Andrew Gallagher has pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

According to the release, from Feb. 2011 to Dec. 2011, Hanneman grew marijuana in and around his California property. This marijuana was then transported to Haynes and Gallagher, where they allegedly sold it. Authorities accuse Hanneman of growing and distributing more than 220 pounds of the drug during this time. 

In addition to the 12 year sentence, Hanneman was ordered to serve four years of supervised release after leaving prison and to pay $100 to the Crime Victims Fund.

According to the press release, this case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Coralville Iowa Police Department, the Fairfield Iowa Police Department, the Iowa City Police Department, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Ottumwa Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Correction: Corrected the name of the fund.