COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A man from Nebraska was sentenced on a drug and weapon charges Friday, in Pottawattamie County/Council Bluffs U-S District Court. Authorities says 38-year-old James Michael Milbourn, of Omaha, will serve 12-years in prison following his plea of guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

On February 26, 2022, law enforcement encountered Milbourn in his car which was parked in the front yard of a residence in Council Bluffs. Located in plain view on the front passenger seat of the car was a bag that contained methamphetamine, a digital scale, and a loaded firearm. Milbourn intended to distribute the methamphetamine and possessed the firearm for personal protection of his controlled substances. Milbourn has multiple felony convictions which preclude him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

The Council Bluffs Police Department and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.