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Dubuque woman awaits sentencing on Floyd County drug, eluding plea

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Dubuque woman who was facing several felony charges in Floyd County after leading law enforcement on a chase topping 100 mph and being found in possession of methamphetamine has pleaded guilty to the charges and awaits sentencing.

Amber Marie Sheppard, age 37, was arrested Dec. 31, 2020, and charged with intent to deliver methamphetamine, a class B felony; eluding law enforcement while involved in a felony or controlled substance violation, second offense, a Class C felony; and driving while her license was barred, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Dubuque woman awaits sentencing on Floyd County drug, eluding plea
Amber Marie Sheppard

She pleaded guilty to all those charges in written pleas filed in July, except that the methamphetamine charge was reduced to a Class C felony in a plea agreement with the Floyd County Attorney’s Office.

Floyd County District Court Judge Chris Foy accepted the pleas and set sentencing for Sept. 13.

As part of the agreement, the county attorney will recommend that Sheppard receive a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $1,375 fine plus 15% surcharge, fully suspended, driver’s license revocation and substance abuse evaluation with orders to follow through on recommended treatment, on each of the meth charge and eluding charge.

She will be recommended to receive a sentence of up to two years in prison, $855 fine plus 15% surcharge, fully suspended, on the driving while barred charge.

All three sentences will be recommended to run concurrently with each other, and with another drug sentence from Linn County where Sheppard is currently serving a sentence of up to 10 years in prison at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville.

That Linn county sentence is being served concurrently with a sentence from Dubuque County where Sheppard was sentenced to up to eight years in prison for operating while intoxicated, eluding and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to documents filed in Floyd County District Court, a Floyd County deputy attempted to stop Sheppard while she was driving a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu without a license plate on the Avenue of the Saints near mile marker 224.

The report said Sheppard did not stop for the deputy’s marked patrol car with lights and siren on, and speeds reached more than 100 mph while northbound on Highway 27 and south on Shadow Avenue.

After she was stopped, deputies located approximately 7.5 grams of methamphetamine and 5 needles inside Sheppard’s car, the court documents say.

 

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