DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man will spend more than two decades behind bars after being sentenced to 288 months (24 years) in federal prison for possessing a distribution quantity of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm as a prohibited person.
On September 16, 2025, Chad Jacob Runnells, 49, received the sentence following an extensive investigation into his drug trafficking activities. According to public court documents, Runnells sold and received methamphetamine during multiple controlled purchases with law enforcement.
In September 2024, officers executed search warrants at Runnells’ residence and an adjacent stash house, uncovering approximately 3.5 pounds of methamphetamine, a loaded firearm, and more than $10,000 in cash. Evidence gathered during the investigation linked Runnells to the distribution of more than 65 pounds of methamphetamine.
Runnells was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions, including a 2021 conviction for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver as a habitual offender in Des Moines County and a 2013 conviction for domestic abuse assault impeding airflow in Warren County.
Following his 24-year prison term, Runnells will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case underscores federal and local law enforcement’s continued efforts to combat large-scale drug trafficking and violent crime in southeast Iowa.