A Shelby County man has been sentenced to over 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to court records from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, 41-year-old Sean Patrick Gifford was involved in two high-speed police pursuits in January 2024, one of which included a pursuit on Interstate 80 near Harlan and Avoca. During the second pursuit on Jan. 31, Gifford was found with more than 190 grams of methamphetamine and nearly $30,000 in cash. A forensic search of Gifford’s cell phone revealed evidence linking him to drug trafficking activities and the distribution of 4.5 kilograms (kg) of methamphetamine in the region. Gifford was ordered to serve 270 months in prison, and following his sentence, he will serve five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, and Iowa State Patrol.
