Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Meth Charges

Richard Martinez, 30, from Sioux City, Iowa pled guilty July 24, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.

Martinez pled guilty to possessing and aiding and abetting another’s possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on July 17, 2024, law enforcement was conducting surveillance at WinnaVegas Casino (near Sloan, Iowa) during which a vehicle was observed traveling away from the casino over the speed limit.  Law enforcement attempted a traffic stop of the vehicle, which took off at high-speed. During the flight, two packages of methamphetamine were thrown out the passenger window.  Law enforcement found the approximately ½ pound of methamphetamine near where it was thrown. Martinez admitted that the driver of the vehicle handed him the methamphetamine and instructed him to throw it out of the window during the pursuit, which he did. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Martinez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and four years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was 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, and the DEA Laboratory.    

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

The case file number is 24-4078.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.