Edited release
08/11/25
A Coralville man was sentenced to federal prison last week for drug distribution and firearm charges.
According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, 35-year-old Jacky Michael Mabikulu had nearly 400 fentanyl pills designed to look like prescription medication. Public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing also showed he had a loaded handgun in his possession. Mabikulu had two previous convictions in Johnson County for possessing firearms as a felon.
He was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Crime.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Mabikulu will be required to serve a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Johnson County Drug Task Force, consisting of members from the Iowa City Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, University of Iowa Police Department, Coralville Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Liberty Police Department.
Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Just two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially fatal dose. Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, killing over 48,000 Americans in 2024.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer for everyone.