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Iowa Man Jailed for Meth Ring and Gun Charges
A jury has convicted Robert Nicholas Hansen, 42, of Hospers, Iowa, of conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of mixed methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual/pure methamphetamine. The verdict was delivered on August 6, 2021, after a four-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.
The evidence presented in court showed that Hansen was involved in a conspiracy with several co-conspirators to acquire and distribute over 100 pounds of methamphetamine. Additionally, the jury found that Hansen distributed one-half pound of methamphetamine on three separate occasions, with one transaction resulting in the discovery of $14,000 in cash. Two of these distributions took place within 1000 feet of Hospers Elementary School and South Side Park in Hospers, Iowa.
Hansen was also found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm, a .223 caliber AR-15 style rifle, due to his prior felony conviction and status as an unlawful user of methamphetamine. This conviction stemmed from a 2003 conviction for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver in the Iowa District Court for Sioux County.
Hansen faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, with a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least five years of supervised release. Sentencing will be determined after a presentence report is prepared before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.
Hansen remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shawn Wehde and Patrick Greenwood, and was investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, and several other law enforcement agencies.
The multi-agency investigation, led by the Tri-State Drug Task Force, uncovered a large-scale methamphetamine distribution ring operating in the region. The task force consisted of personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sioux City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and several other law enforcement agencies.
The case file number is 21-4014, and additional information can be found on the court’s website here.
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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