Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison For Drug Conviction

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Sioux City was sentenced April 13, 2017, to more than 10 years in federal prison.

Ivan Avila, age 21, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 13, 2017, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of distributing methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Avila admitted he and others conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Sioux City area from 2015 to January of 2016. In January of 2016, law enforcement, through a confidential source, made two controlled buys of methamphetamine from Avila.

Avila was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Avila was sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $300 was imposed. He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Avila is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Alexander 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 CR16-4064.

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