SIOUX CITY — A Northern Iowa man with a history of serious drug convictions has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for meth trafficking in the Fort Dodge area.
Thomas Lee Clark Jr. (pictured at top), 57, of Eagle Grove and Fort Dodge, was sentenced June 25, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City after pleading guilty earlier this year to meth distribution charges.
Clark pleaded guilty on January 27, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distribution and aiding and abetting another person in the distribution of meth.
Federal prosecutors said evidence presented at plea and sentencing hearings showed Clark and others distributed more than 2,500 grams of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area from July 2024 through August 2025.
Authorities said Clark personally distributed meth or directed others to distribute meth on at least four occasions in July and August 2025 to people who were cooperating with law enforcement.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers searched a co-conspirator’s home and seized more than 12 grams of pure meth, more than $4,000 in cash, marijuana, prescription medications, scales and other items tied to drug distribution.
Prosecutors said Clark admitted he and his co-conspirators had previously distributed meth and intended to distribute the meth found during the investigation.
Clark’s criminal history includes prior drug convictions. Federal authorities said he was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 1994. Prosecutors also noted he was convicted on or about February 12, 2014, in Webster County District Court of possession of more than five grams of methamphetamine, a serious felony drug offense.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Clark to 204 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Clark remains in the custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde. It was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Sheriff’s Office and Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
Clark’s sentence adds to a series of federal meth prosecutions in Iowa targeting repeat drug offenders and trafficking networks moving large quantities of meth through local communities.