Sioux City Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Marijuana And Gun Convictions
Contact: Peter Deegan
A man who conspired to distribute marijuana and possessed a firearm was sentenced September 2, 2011, to more than 9 years in federal prison.
Javier Ahumada, 20, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 8, 2011, guilty plea to conspiring to distribute marijuana and a May 26, 2011, guilty plea to possessing a firearm during the conspiracy.
At the guilty pleas, Ahumada admitted that on September 17, 2010, in Woodbury County, Iowa, he and co-defendant Manuel Soto agreed with each other to steal 25 pounds of marijuana from an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Ahumada was apprehended outside of the hotel room where the controlled drug purchase was to occur with a roll of duct tape in the front waistband of his pants and wearing a pair of latex gloves. Soto had already entered the hotel room brandishing a firearm and threatening the confidential informant.
Ahumada was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Ahumada was sentenced to 114 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $200 was imposed. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ahumada is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in Sioux City, Iowa, and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 10-4113.
