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Press Release

Minnesota Man Sentenced to More Than a Decade in Federal Prison for Possessing Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Iowa

A man found with nearly a pound of methamphetamine was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in federal prison.

 

Paul Daniel Greseth, age 32, from Wanamingo, Minnesota, received the prison term after a March 30, 2017, guilty plea to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

 

At the guilty plea, Greseth admitted possessing over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on January 22, 2017.  On that date, Greseth traveled from Minnesota to Waterloo, Iowa, to meet with an individual he thought would buy some of the methamphetamine.  While he was in Waterloo, law enforcement officers surrounded Greseth at a carwash.  Officers told Greseth to put his hands up but he failed to follow their directions.  An officer fired two shots at Greseth following his failure to follow the officers’ orders.  Greseth was not hit and was subsequently arrested.  Officers found over 428 grams of methamphetamine in Greseth’s possession.  Greseth later stated that while surrounded at the carwash, he was attempting to rip open bags containing methamphetamine, hoping to vacuum up the methamphetamine before law enforcement could seize it.

 

Greseth was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States Chief District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Greseth was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment.  A special assessment of $100 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.

 

Greseth 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 Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, West Union Police Department, Goodhue County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office, Tri-County Drug Task Force, and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations. 

 

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

The case file number is 17-CR-02008-001.

 

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Updated October 20, 2017

Topic
Drug Trafficking