Sioux City Man to Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy

Jesse Chavez, 43, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on January 4, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City, to 180 months’ imprisonment.

Chavez pled guilty June 28, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  In 2015, Chavez was convicted of possession with intent to deliver drugs in Iowa District Court for Woodbury County.

At the hearings, evidence showed that between September 2021 and December 2021, Chavez was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 500 grams of mixed methamphetamine and 150 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Sioux City area.  On December 14, 2021, Sioux City Police officers observed suspicious conduct by Chavez in the Walgreens parking lot and inside the store.  Officers confronted Chavez, obtained consent to search his vehicle, and seized three ounces of methamphetamine.  Chavez would obtain multiple ounce quantities of methamphetamine from his sources of supply and then sell lesser quantities of the methamphetamine to others.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Chavez was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 10-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Chavez remains in custody of the United States Marshal 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 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 22-4009.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.