SIOUX CITY – This Mason City man who is no stranger to local law enforcement tried to bring poisonous meth into the Cerro Gordo county jail, and now will be the responsibility of federal authorities in one of their prisons for the next seven years.
Todd Aaron Howard Hamilton Sutton, Jr., age 34, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced June 18, 2025, to more than 7 years in federal prison. He received the prison term after a February 12, 2025, guilty plea.
In a plea agreement, Sutton admitted that on July 27, 2024, he was the driver of a vehicle pulled over for a traffic violation in Cerro Gordo County. He was arrested for driving while barred, in connection to his drunk driving conviction in 2019. He was taken to the Cerro Gordo County Jail. While being booked into the jail, law enforcement found a plastic baggie containing approximately 45 grams of methamphetamine Sutton had discretely hidden on his person. Previously, Sutton had attempted to conceal drugs on his person on two prior occasions when being processed at the Cerro Gordo County Jail for other offenses. Sutton has an extensive criminal history involving, amongst others, violence and drug convictions. He also was engaged in a North End brawl back in 2016 that he was arrested for. Among other incidents, Sutton was busted for stealing from Walmart back in 2014.
Sutton was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Sutton was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Sutton 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 Patrick Greenwood and investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department.