Illegal Alien to Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced May 10, 2016, to six years in federal prison.

Jose Mejia-Fraijo, 23, from Mexico but residing in Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 25, 2016, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the guilty plea, Mejia-Fraijo admitted his involvement in a conspiracy that distributed at least 500 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine from September 2015 through November 2015.  Mejia-Fraijo further admitted to obtaining the methamphetamine from sources in Colorado for further distribution in Sioux City, Iowa.

Mejia-Fraijo was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Mejia-Fraijo was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment.  A special assessment of $100 was imposed.  He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Mejia-Fraijo 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 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 Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.              

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

The case file number is 15-4088.           

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