Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced October 29, 2018, to 12 years in federal prison.

Anthony Watkins, Sr., 41, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 15, 2018, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.

At the guilty plea, Watkins admitted that from about January 2016 through about August 2017, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine mixture.  On March 30, 2017, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Watkins.  Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed Watkins was the manager of five or more other people in this criminal activity.

Watkins was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Watkins was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Watkins 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 Mikala M. Steenholdt 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 17-4052.

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