SIOUX CITY – A Fort Dodge man who illegally possessed a gun after attacks with a machete and a knife and then conspired to deal meth was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison.
Jose Acosta Abadia, Jr., 41, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on April 28, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Abadia was previously convicted of Third Degree Burglary; Possession of a Controlled Substance; and three convictions for Assault While Using or Displaying a Dangerous Weapon. The assault convictions involved a machete and knife. These convictions prohibit a person in Iowa from possessing a firearm.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from February 2022 through June 2022, Abadia and others conspired to distribute more than seven pounds of methamphetamine. During that time, on three occasions, Abadia sold methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. The sales totaled over 400 grams of methamphetamine and occurred in Fort Dodge, Iowa. During a search of Abadia at arrest, law enforcement found a 1/2 pound of methamphetamine and a stolen semi-automatic handgun he had possessed.
Sentencing was held on September 29, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Abadia was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Abadia remains in custody of the United States Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa DCI Laboratory.