Jarrami Berndt, Methamphetamine Possession, Iowa 2025

In a shocking turn of events, Jarrami Berndt, 46, from Sioux City, Iowa, has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in federal court. This marks the second time Berndt has been caught with the illicit substance, raising questions about his involvement in the dark world of narcotics.

According to court documents, Berndt was stopped by Sioux City police on August 10, 2024, during which he threw a black bag out of his vehicle window. Inside the bag, officers found a scale, marijuana, and over 13 grams of pure methamphetamine. This was not Berndt’s first run-in with the law, as he was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, terrorism, and other serious crimes in 1999.

The second occasion that led to Berndt’s guilty plea occurred on May 1, 2025, when Sioux City police conducted a traffic stop of a taxi occupied by Berndt. During the stop, officers found a bag in the back seat containing over 16 grams of pure methamphetamine. Berndt admitted to owning the bag and claimed he intended to distribute some or all of the drugs to another person or persons.

With a history of serious crimes, Berndt now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, as well as a $8,000,000 fine and at least eight years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Prosecutor Shawn S. Wehde will lead the case against Berndt, with the assistance of the Tri-State Drug Task Force, a coalition of law enforcement agencies from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; and others.

The case is being prosecuted under the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Northern District of Iowa. As the investigation continues, Grimy Times will keep you updated on any new developments in this shocking case.

The case file number is 25-4029. For more information, visit https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA for the latest updates.

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