Ernesto Soto Pleads Guilty to Meth Trafficking in Sioux County

A Sioux County man has pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine after law enforcement caught him with nearly 34 grams of the drug stashed in a pop can with a false bottom. Ernesto Soto, 30, of Hawarden, Iowa, admitted his guilt August 13, 2020, in federal court in Sioux City, facing a mandatory five-year prison sentence.

Soto was traveling in a vehicle stopped by Woodbury County Sheriff’s deputies on February 5, 2020, when officers conducted a search based on probable cause. Inside a black bag belonging to Soto, they uncovered not only the methamphetamine but also 1.6 grams of cocaine, a glass smoking pipe with residue, and multiple plastic baggies—tools commonly tied to distribution.

The drugs were cleverly concealed: the meth, cocaine, and baggies were hidden inside a soda can rigged with a false bottom. Forensic analysis confirmed at least 5 grams of the seized meth was pure, a detail that could heighten sentencing exposure under federal law.

This isn’t Soto’s first brush with meth-related charges. On May 19, 2014, he was convicted in Sioux County District Court for intent to manufacture or deliver less than five grams of methamphetamine. That prior conviction now amplifies the severity of his current federal sentencing exposure.

Soto remains locked up by the U.S. Marshals and will stay behind bars until sentencing, which will be scheduled after a presentence investigation report is completed. Before Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard T. Strand, he faces up to 40 years in prison, a $5,000,000 fine, and a post-release supervision term of 4 years to life.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force—composed of DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, Sioux City Police, Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa National Guard, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court records are accessible via the Northern District of Iowa’s electronic filing system under case number 20-4033.