Mason City Meth Dealer Barrientes Gets 10 Years

MASON CITY, IA – Jacinto Barrientes, 56, of Mason City, Iowa, is trading the streets for steel bars after receiving a 10-year federal prison sentence for flooding the Mason City area with methamphetamine. Barrientes was sentenced November 19, 2021, after pleading guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine and two counts of distributing the deadly drug.

The sentence, handed down by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand in Sioux City, represents 120 months behind bars, followed by a mandatory 5-year term of supervised release. Forget about early release – there’s no parole in the federal system. Barrientes admitted in court to possessing methamphetamine with the clear intent to distribute it, and actively doing so throughout the Northern District of Iowa.

This wasn’t Barrientes’ first dance with the law. Court records reveal a lengthy rap sheet, including convictions for driving while intoxicated, domestic abuse/assault, rioting, and a prior felony drug trafficking offense. The man is a repeat offender, and the court clearly wasn’t buying another sob story.

The investigation, spearheaded by the North Central Iowa Drug Task Force, involved collaboration between the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office, the Mason City Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. These agencies worked tirelessly to build a case against Barrientes and dismantle his operation. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers successfully prosecuted the case.

Barrientes is currently in the custody of the United States Marshal’s Service, awaiting transport to a designated federal prison facility. This conviction sends a clear message: dealing poison in Northern Iowa comes with severe consequences. The case file number is 21-3008, and further details can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

Follow the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter @USAO_NDIA for updates on other federal crime prosecutions. The Grimy Times will continue to monitor this case and report on any further developments.

RELATED: Eddie Houston Pleads Guilty in Albany Open-Air Drug Ring