Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Charges

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed a firearm and ammunition as a prohibited person during and in furtherance of the conspiracy was sentenced August 4, 2026, to more than 18 years in federal prison. Ray Spencer Hollers, age 31, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 20, 2026, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine, one count of possession of firearms by a prohibited person, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. At the plea hearing, Hollers admitted that from November 2024 to December 2024, Hollers and others agreed to distribute methamphetamine. He also admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine that he was caught with by law enforcement officers on several occasions. On February 7, 2023, law enforcement officers in Webster County, Iowa, attempted a traffic stop on a car Hollers was driving. Hollers failed to stop and a high-speed pursuit ensued. Hollers reached speeds of over 100 miles-per-hour. After he hit “stop-sticks,” Hollers came to a stop and officers arrested him. Officers searched the car and seized more than 600 grams of methamphetamine, items for its distribution, over $1,800 U.S. currency, and various ammunition magazines belonging to Hollers. On December 5, 2024, after observing Hollers makea drug sale, law enforcement officers in Webster County, Iowa, again attempted a traffic stop of a car Hollers was driving. Once again, Hollers failed to stop for law enforcement, and a similar high-speed pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, law enforcement Officers observed Hollers discarding methamphetamine from his car. Hollers stopped once it was disabled by striking a concrete median. Law enforcement officers searched the car and seized approximately one-pound of methamphetamine, items for its distribution, two firearms (one loaded), and over $4,000 U.S. currency. That same day, officers searched a residence in Fort Dodge that was associated with Hollers. Officers seized approximately 75 grams pure methamphetamine and a digital scale. During the investigation, law enforcement officers obtained information that Hollers was a source of methamphetamine to numerous individuals and that Hollers would often carry firearms. Hollers was previously convicted of several felonies in the State of Iowa, including a drug trafficking offense in 2017, possession of multiple firearms by a convicted felon in 2018, and a dangerous eluding by vehicle in 2020, among numerous other criminal offenses the preceding ten years. Hollers was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Judge Strand found that Hollers repeated, dangerous eluding conduct while in possession of large quantities of methamphetamine and firearms and ammunition extremely aggravating and despicable. Hollers was sentenced to 224 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Hollers is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick T. Greenwood and Shawn S. Wehde, and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Sac County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Laboratory. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-03056. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.