A man who possessed a pistol in furtherance of his methamphetamine trafficking was sentenced November 9, 2011 to 20 years in federal prison.

Robert Hamel, age 23, of Sioux City, Iowa, received his prison term after an August 1, 2011, guilty plea to one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute after having been convicted of a felony drug offense, and one count of possession of a pistol in furtherance of the possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Starting in about June of 2010, and occurring mostly after October 2011, Hamel obtained at least one pound of high-potency methamphetamine from Omaha, and re-distributed it in the Sioux City Metro area. At least two distributions took place in the parking lot of a Sioux City family restaurant. Hamel admitted he knowingly possessed a Carl Walther .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number. Hamel also admitted using this weapon to protect his drugs, drug proceeds, and himself during drug transactions, and to intimidate drug customers. On at least one occasion, at a family restaurant, defendant threatened a man with the pistol in an attempt to collect a drug debt. During the investigation defendant inquired about obtaining black, not chrome - handguns with obliterated serial numbers that could be used “to get dirty,” or in other words, could be used in other crimes. Hamel had previously been convicted in Woodbury County, Iowa in 2010 of introduction of a controlled substance into a detention facility.

Hamel was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Senior Judge Donald E. O’Brien. Hamel was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $200 was imposed. He must also serve a term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Hamel is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 11-4024.

The case is was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a cooperative local, state, and federal program aimed at the enhanced prosecution of gun crimes. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Tri-State Drug Task Force; and the Iowa State Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

 

 

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