Meth & Metal: Jones Gets 13+ Years

MASON CITY, IA – A brazen attempt to flee from law enforcement landed Marcus Jones, 32, of St. Paul, Minnesota, a hefty 162-month federal prison sentence. Jones was sentenced August 25, 2020, in Sioux City, after pleading guilty to possessing nearly 14 ounces of high-purity methamphetamine and a loaded handgun, despite being a convicted felon.

The bust originated December 6, 2019, when Cerro Gordo County deputies initiated a traffic stop in Mason City. Jones, behind the wheel, didn’t hesitate – he bolted on foot, evading capture. But his luck ran out on December 12, 2019, when officers again attempted to stop him. This time, a second foot chase ended with Jones in custody, and a search of his vehicle revealed the grim truth: eight individually wrapped packages of “ice” methamphetamine, clearly intended for distribution, and a Jennings .25 caliber pistol tucked away in the center console.

According to court documents, Jones admitted in a plea agreement that he knowingly possessed both the firearm and the 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the explicit intent to deliver it. The sheer quantity and purity of the meth point to a serious operation, suggesting Jones wasn’t just a user, but a key player in the drug pipeline flooding Iowa’s streets. He’s been held by U.S. Marshals awaiting transport to a designated federal facility.

United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand delivered the sentence, stacking a 162-month term for the methamphetamine charge with a 120-month sentence for the firearm violation. The sentences will be served concurrently, resulting in a total prison term exceeding 13 years. But the sentence doesn’t end there; Jones will also face a five-year term of supervised release upon his eventual discharge – a meager consolation considering there’s no parole in the federal system.

Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers spearheaded the prosecution, backed by a multi-agency investigation involving the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office, Mason City Police Department, Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, and the North Central Iowa Drug Task Force. Their combined efforts brought down Jones, but the fight against drug trafficking and illegal firearms continues unabated.

Those seeking further details on the case can access court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 19-cr-3058. Follow the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter: @USAO_NDIA.