Denison, Iowa Man to Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy

Conspiracy Involved Northwest Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced March 31, 2020, to 15 years in federal prison.

Jose Carlos Ramirez-Martinez, age 31, from Denison, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 6, 2019, jury verdict finding him guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Evidence at trial showed that Ramirez-Martinez was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 50 grams of actual/pure methamphetamine from October 2015 through September 2016, from the Denison, Iowa, area.  Ramirez-Martinez would have co-conspirators travel from Denison to Worthington, Minnesota to deliver half pounds of methamphetamine for subsequent sale in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. Those co-conspirators would then return with the money.

Ramirez-Martinez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Ramirez-Martinez was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system. Ramirez-Martinez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement; Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; Buffalo Ridge Task Force (Worthington/ Nobles County, Minnesota); and the Internal Revenue Service.