Gilbert gets 25 years in November heroin distribution bust

A 24-year-old Newton man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in a November 2017 heroin distribution operation.

Tyler Gilbert pleaded guilty July 16 in Jasper County District Court for intent to deliver methamphetamine, a class D felony. District court judge Randy Hefner also ordered Gilbert to pay a $5,000 fine.

According to reports from the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Gilbert attempted to dump 1 gram of meth out of his bedroom window as task force officers arrived at 715 W. Fourth St. N. last year, halting the heroin operation after six heroin overdoses were reported in the city in a one-week period.

Six Jasper County residents were arrested following the execution of a search warrant by the M.I.N.E. Task Force’s east division along with local law enforcement. Officers discovered heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, prescription pills and drug paraphernalia at the home.

Jasper County Lt. Aaron Groves, who serves on the M.I.N.E. Task Force, told the Newton Daily News in November of 2017 a “bad batch” of heroin was being dealt and used in Newton, which caused the overdoses. Groves said those people were treated with Narcan, a prescription medicine used to block the effects of opioids.

Gilbert still has 13 counts outstanding in the case including four counts of neglect or abandonment of a dependent child.

Crystal Mendenhall, 31, of Newton, who was also arrested in the bust, has the same cache of charges as Gilbert. According to court documents, she is awaiting an Aug. 6 plea hearing and is free on bond.

Groves said in November officers learned Gilbert and Mendenhall were distributing heroin and other controlled substances in Newton.

Local officers worked on the heroin investigation for about two months, Groves said. The reason behind the expedited search warrant was to quickly remove the harmful controlled substances from Newton, he said.

“Newton has had its issues with methamphetamine and the heroin epidemic is worse,” Groves said in November. “We wanted to send a message — we will do everything we can to keep this out of the community.”