Pamela Brownell, Meth Conspiracy, Iowa 2024

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Des Moines Woman Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Meth Conspiracy\\
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A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine has been sentenced to life imprisonment.\\
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Pamela Brownell, 63, from Des Moines, Iowa, pleaded guilty May 28, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. The plea hearing revealed that from September 2022 through October 2023, she and others conspired to distribute more than 45 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge, Iowa area.\\
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Brownell admitted to selling and distributing methamphetamine to others, including a controlled purchase of ½ pound of methamphetamine by law enforcement in October 2023. In the same month, a traffic stop of Brownell resulted in the seizure of ½ pound of methamphetamine which she intended to distribute to others.\\
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Brownell has a previous conviction in federal court for an attempt to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, dating back to 2006.\\
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Brownell remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.\\
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The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa DCI Laboratory, and the Polk, Hamilton, and Webster County Sheriffs’ Offices.\\
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Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-3007.\\
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Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA for updates on this case and other federal crime news.\\
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