Minnesota Man Found Guilty of Iowa Meth Conspiracy

RAUL FLORES MARIN, a 47-year-old resident of Bigelow, Minnesota, was found guilty by a jury on April 25, 2019, for his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in Iowa. The trial, which concluded after four days in federal court in Sioux City, resulted in Marin’s conviction on one count of conspiracy to distribute meth, one count of possession with intent to distribute meth, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to the evidence presented, law enforcement officials received a tip about a suspicious pickup truck in Osceola County, Iowa. Following the lead, officers stopped Marin’s vehicle after observing erratic driving. During a search, they seized a 9mm handgun and over 15 grams of methamphetamine. Marin was also implicated in distributing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine mixture in the area.

The jury reached their decision following approximately four hours of deliberation. Sentencing will be determined by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand after a presentence report is prepared. Marin, who was taken into custody immediately following the verdict, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and could receive life imprisonment, along with a fine of up to $10,000,000 and at least 10 years of supervised release.

Assistant United States Attorney Mikala M. Steenholdt prosecuted the case, while the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, Osceola County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation conducted the investigation.

Court file information can be accessed at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, with the case file number 18-4011. For updates on federal crimes in Iowa, follow @USAO_NDIA on Twitter.

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