James Dean Sterner, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, Iowa 2023

California Man Behind Bars for Life for Methamphetamine Conspiracy

Iowa – In a shocking turn of events, a California man, James Dean Sterner, 67, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine conspiracy that shook the streets of Sioux City, Iowa.

According to the United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand, Sterner was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on June 28, 2023. The evidence revealed that Sterner, a Tustin, California resident, conspired to distribute methamphetamine in and around Sioux City, Iowa from August 2019 to October 2019. The methamphetamine was received via mail, and Sterner was the mastermind behind the operation.

However, Sterner's luck ran out in October 2021 when he failed to appear for a change of plea hearing after submitting forged documents to the court claiming to have cancer. A warrant was issued, but Sterner's whereabouts were unknown for over a year before he was arrested in April 2023 in Anaheim, California.

But that's not all - after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges, Sterner continued to wreak havoc in the O'Brien County Jail while awaiting sentencing. He distributed methamphetamine-laced paper to other inmates, further highlighting the extent of his depravity.

Sterner has a lengthy rap sheet, with 10 prior controlled substance-related convictions. His actions have left a trail of devastation in their wake, and his sentence is a testament to the severity of his crimes.

As part of his sentence, Sterner will serve 360 months in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. He will be held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Tri-State Drug Task Force, a collaboration of law enforcement agencies from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff's Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney's Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Ron Timmons and Mikala Purdy-Steenholdt prosecuted the case.

The case file number is 20-4088. For more information, visit https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/california-man-who-forged-medical-documents-pretrial-release-and-later-sold