Robert Skarin Pleads Guilty

A 53-year-old Sioux City man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Robert Skarin admitted to distributing more than 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area from the beginning of 2013 through April 2013.

At the plea hearing, Skarin confessed that he and another person traveled to Omaha, Nebraska, on at least two occasions to obtain methamphetamine for later distribution in Sioux City. On April 3, 2013, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Skarin, yielding a search that uncovered a brown paper bag rolled up and hidden inside Skarin’s right sock.

The bag contained over 80 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine. Skarin and his passenger intended to distribute some or all of this methamphetamine. This bust was a significant blow to the methamphetamine trade in the Sioux City area, and Skarin’s guilty plea marks a major victory for law enforcement.

Sentinencing for Skarin will be set after a presentence report is prepared. He was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Skarin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a special assessment of $100, and five years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case against Skarin was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa. This task force 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 the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, with the case file number being 13-4035. The guilty plea and upcoming sentencing of Robert Skarin serve as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to combat methamphetamine distribution in Iowa and the severe penalties that come with such crimes.