Jury convicts Minnesota man for Iowa meth conspiracy

SIOUX CITY – A man who conspired to distribute meth in Iowa was convicted by a jury on April 25, 2019, after a four-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.

Raul Flores Marin, 47, from Bigelow, Minnesota, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute meth, one count of possession with intent to distribute meth, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The verdict was returned following about 4 hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that in the early morning hours on July 19, 2017, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call regarding a suspicious pickup truck with Minnesota license plates trespassing on property in rural Osceola County. While traveling towards the residence, law enforcement observed a pickup bearing Minnesota plates heading away from the property. Shortly after following the truck, it veered onto the left-hand side of the gravel road and almost into the ditch and a traffic stop was initiated. Law enforcement encountered Marin and after a search of the truck, law enforcement located and seized a 9mm handgun along with over 15 grams of methamphetamine. Evidence at trial further showed that Marin was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine mixture in the Osceola County, Iowa area.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Marin was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the verdict was returned and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Marin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 10 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala M. Steenholdt and was investigated by the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, Osceola County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation.