Mason City Woman to Prison for Federal Meth Conviction

Led police on high speed chase with sawed off shotgun in the vehicle

A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced June 30, 2020, to more than 5 years in federal prison. 

Amanda Adams, age 30, from Mason City, Iowa, pled guilty on February 14, 2020, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from about May 2019 through October 2019, Adams and others conspired to distribute at least 35 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine in Northwest Iowa. In June 2019, Adams and a co-conspirator sold “fake” methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. In October 2019, Adams and her co-conspirator agreed to sell more methamphetamine to the same cooperator and make good on the previous transaction.  After a high speed vehicle pursuit, Adams and her co-conspirator were caught with two ounces of methamphetamine intended for the same cooperator.  Officers also seized a sawed-off shotgun and an axe during a search of the vehicle.   

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Adams was sentenced to 64 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 4 years of supervised release following the imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system. Adams remains in custody of the United States Marshal Service until she can be transferred to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, Arnold’s Park Police Department, and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 19-4079.