Clay County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty on Friday, September 15, 2017, in federal court in Sioux City.

Justin Stephen Ries, 49, from Milford, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, Ries admitted that at the time of his June 12, 2017 arrest, he was in possession of approximately 380.5 grams of methamphetamine, 169.76 grams of marijuana, 0.51 grams of fentanyl/heroin, two fentanyl transdermal patches, twenty-nine unused syringes, an air pistol, and approximately $24,240 in United States currency. Ries was also in possession of an additional $634 in United States currency, which was found on his person.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ries remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Ries faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Alexander and was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Spencer Police Department.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 17-CR-4043.

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