A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced December 21, 2012, to more than four years in federal prison.

Antonio Lara-Pantoja, 28, was from Mexico, but had lived in Denison, Iowa, for the last several years. Lara-Pantoja received the prison term after an August 24, 2012, guilty plea to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

At the guilty plea, Lara-Pantoja admitted his involvement in a conspiracy that distributed more than 100 grams of methamphetamine from January 2011 through March 2011. Lara-Pantoja obtained methamphetamine from sources in Omaha, Nebraska, and would distribute the methamphetamine in Denison, Iowa. On March 26, 2011, law enforcement officers seized 3.75 grams of methamphetamine and $3,076 from Lara-Pantoja’s vehicle after he was arrested while driving with a suspended license.

Lara-Pantoja was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Donald E. O’Brien. Lara-Pantoja was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Denison, Iowa, Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 11-4053.

 

 

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