Sac City, Iowa Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Meth Conspiracy

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced August 18, 2017, to more than six years in federal prison.

Matthew Wessels, 36, from Sac City, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 15, 2017, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

At the guilty plea, Wessels admitted that beginning on or about 2014 and continuing through about February 2016, he conspired to distribute at least 500 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine. On August 26 and 27, 2014, and July 21, 2015, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of methamphetamine (1 gram each) from Wessels. On February 26 and May 17, 2017, law enforcement seized about 15 grams of methamphetamine from Wessels’ vehicle and residence respectively. Wessels also admitted to the weekly acquisition of ¼ to 1 ounce quantities of methamphetamine and redistributing of smaller quantities thereof to numerous customers throughout central Iowa.

Wessels was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wessels was sentenced to 78 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. Wessels 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 Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Department, Sac County Sheriff’s Department, Sac City Police Department, and Iowa DCI Criminalistics Laboratory.

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

The case file number is 16-4082. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.