A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty October 21, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.
Dustin Joe Martinez, 33, from Sutherland, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Martinez was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on June 3, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that from 2019 to approximately March 2021, Martinez and others distributed at least 250 grams of methamphetamine mixture and 100 grams of pure methamphetamine. On two separate occasions, in March of 2020 and March of 2021, Martinez was found in possession of approximately one ounce of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to another person or persons.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Martinez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $8,000,000 fine, and at least 8 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Spencer Police Department, O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4032. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
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