Meth Ring Busted: Four Face Federal Prison

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – A methamphetamine distribution ring operating in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, has crumbled, with four individuals sentenced to significant federal prison terms. The sentences, handed down February 12, 2012, by Chief Judge Linda R. Reade, mark the culmination of a year-long investigation into a network funneling the deadly drug throughout the region.

Joseph Hough, 30, of Dakota City, Iowa, Diane Kletsch, 50, of Superior, Iowa, Timothy Lamb, 48, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Yolanda Hernandez, 46, of Donna, Texas, all pled guilty in October and November 2012 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The conspiracy spanned from January 2011 to January 2012, flooding local communities with the highly addictive substance.

Investigators revealed that Timothy Lamb and Joseph Hough acted as key resellers, receiving up to ounce quantities of methamphetamine and pushing it onto numerous other users. Diane Kletsch served as a mid-level distributor, receiving product directly from Yolanda Hernandez and then re-distributing it within the local network. Hernandez, operating from Texas, was the source, dealing in pound quantities of methamphetamine each month – the top of the supply chain.

The sentences reflect the severity of the crimes. Lamb received the longest term: 136 months’ imprisonment. Hernandez was sentenced to 109 months, while Hough will spend 108 months behind bars. Kletsch received an 87-month sentence. None of these defendants will be eligible for parole. Each was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.

Following sentencing, all four defendants are currently in the custody of the United States Marshals Service awaiting transport to their designated federal prisons. They will also each face a period of supervised release following their incarceration: Lamb, Hernandez, and Kletsch with five-year terms, and Hough with a four-year term. This isn’t rehabilitation, it’s containment.

The successful prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers, with crucial investigative work conducted by a multi-agency task force including the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Estherville Police Department, Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, North Central Iowa Narcotics Drug Task Force, and the Webster County Drug Task Force. Court file information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, case file number 12-3033.

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