Des Moines Woman Sentenced to 192 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Death

Strategic Insights -

Ashley Lynn Andrews, a 38-year-old woman from Des Moines, was sentenced to 192 months (16 years) in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in death. This sentence was announced on August 28, 2025, and is a result of a thorough investigation by the Des Moines Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Andrews was also required to pay $20,150 in restitution and serve a four-year term of supervised release after completing her imprisonment.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ashley Lynn Andrews was sentenced to 192 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in death.
  • Andrews was found to have distributed fentanyl in multiple controlled buys conducted by law enforcement.
  • Andrews was in possession of 36 grams of fentanyl, a distribution quantity, when she was arrested.
  • Co-defendants Earl Sandeleo Galtney and Shannon D. Robertson were sentenced to 142 months and 125 months in federal prison, respectively, for their involvement in the same fentanyl distribution scheme.
  • The case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Central Iowa Gang Task Force.
  • Fentanyl is the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States, often found in counterfeit pills that resemble pharmaceuticals.
  • In 2023, accidental overdose was the number one cause of death in 37 states for residents under 40 years old.
  • Opioid-related deaths in Iowa reached a record high of 258 in 2021, an increase of 64% compared to 2019.

Statistics:

  • 192 months (16 years) is the length of Andrews' federal prison sentence.
  • 36 grams of fentanyl was the amount of the drug found in possession of Andrews when she was arrested.
  • $20,150 was the amount of restitution ordered for Andrews to pay.
  • 142 and 125 months were the lengths of the federal prison sentences for co-defendants Earl Sandeleo Galtney and Shannon D. Robertson, respectively.
  • 258 was the number of opioid-related deaths in Iowa in 2021, a 64% increase from 2019.
  • 37 states saw accidental overdose as the number one cause of death for residents under 40 years old in 2023.

Sources:

  • US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa, "Des Moines Woman Sentenced to 192 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Death", August 28, 2025
  • https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdia/pr/des-moines-woman-sentenced-192-months-federal-prison-distributing-fentanyl-resulting
  • Stateline, "Death rates for people under 40 have skyrocketed. Blame fentanyl", September 5, 2023
  • https://stateline.org/2023/09/05/death-rates-for-people-under-40-have-skyrocketed-blame-fentanyl/
  • Iowa Department of Human Services, "Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths in Iowa", accessed January 6, 2024
  • https://hhs.iowa.gov/media/11935/download