Sioux City Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy

A pound of methamphetamine, stacks of cash, and a network of dealers—this is the wreckage left behind by Linda Fernandez, a 69-year-old woman from Sioux City, Iowa, who pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on January 26, 2023, in federal court.

Fernandez admitted during her plea hearing that from May 2022 through July 2022, she coordinated with others to push meth in the Sioux City area. Her operation didn’t fly under the radar for long. On July 15, 2022, law enforcement stormed her apartment with a search warrant and seized approximately one pound of meth, drug distribution materials, marijuana, and more than $3,300 in cash—clear signs of a well-oiled trafficking setup.

The raid was the culmination of a multi-agency investigation led by the Tri-State Drug Task Force. The task force, which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, Sioux City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, and several other regional and federal agencies, has been cracking down on narcotics flooding into northwest Iowa and bordering Nebraska and South Dakota communities.

Fernandez now faces the full weight of the federal system. She is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, fined $1,000,000, and placed on supervised release for at least three years after any incarceration. She remains in custody under the watch of the United States Marshals Service as she awaits sentencing.

Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand of the United States District Court will determine her punishment after a presentence report is completed. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood is prosecuting the case, which carries the case file number 22-4055. Court documents are available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

This case underscores the reach of the federal dragnet in rural drug networks. Age didn’t shield Linda Fernandez from prosecution—nor will it likely soften the blow of a potential 20-year sentence. As the Tri-State Task Force continues dismantling supply chains, one thing is clear: in Sioux City, no dealer is too small, and no stash too hidden, to escape the raid.