Sioux City Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy

Linda Fernandez, 69, of Sioux City, Iowa, pleaded guilty on January 26, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, capping a two-month drug operation that flooded the city with nearly a pound of high-potency crystal meth.

Fernandez admitted in federal court that between May 2022 and July 2022, she worked with others to move and sell methamphetamine across the Sioux City area. The operation unraveled July 15, 2022, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at her apartment and seized approximately one pound of methamphetamine, marijuana, drug distribution paraphernalia, and more than $3,300 in cash.

The haul from the raid signaled a major player in the regional drug trade, according to investigators. The quantity of meth alone—nearly 454 grams—suggests distribution on a scale far beyond personal use, fueling addiction and violence across the community.

Fernandez now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and no less than three years of supervised release if convicted. Sentencing is pending the completion of a presentence report and will be handed down by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. She remains in custody under the watch of the United States Marshal.

The investigation was led by the Tri-State Drug Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Sioux City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, South Sioux City Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Iowa National Guard, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, United States Marshals Service, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood. Court records are available via the Northern District of Iowa’s electronic filing system under case number 22-4055. Follow updates at @USAO_NDIA.

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