Rodeo Clown Meeks Convicted of Weed Conspiracy

It’s a grim day in the rural Iowa town of Marion as professional rodeo clown and bullfighter Rory Meeks, 55, faces a life sentence after being convicted on March 8, 2013, of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana. The jury heard three days of testimony before finding Meeks guilty of orchestrating a six-year operation involving over 1000 marijuana plants.

Meeks, who gained fame for his antics at local and national rodeos, was found to have conspired with others to plant and harvest the crop in secluded spots across rural Jones County. The jury learned that each spring Meeks would stealthily plant marijuana among corn and soybean fields, tending to it through the summer months. The illicit operation reached its climax each fall when Meeks and his associates would harvest and process the plants for sale over the winter.

In April 2011, Meeks was previously acquitted of manufacturing marijuana charges but now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and potentially life in prison. He also stands to be fined $20,000,000 and face a special assessment of $100. Supervised release could last for at least 10 years following any imprisonment.

The relentless pursuit of justice was led by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt, with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, and Monticello Police Department all playing pivotal roles in the investigation.

Meeks was taken into custody immediately after the verdict, marking the end of a dark chapter in his life. Sentencing will be determined by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade following the completion of a presentence report.

Court file information for this sordid tale is available online at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, with case file number CR 12-91-LRR.

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RELATED: Rodeo Clown Rory Meeks Convicted of Marijuana Conspiracy