A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on March 7, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.
Lee Charles Mercer, 42, from Galva, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on August 21, 2018. Mercer was previously convicted of three separate felony drug offenses in the Iowa District Court in 2013, 2004 and 1998.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings, showed that from November 2017 through March 2018, Mercer was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 2500 grams of methamphetamine near Galva, Iowa. On March 12, 2018, Mercer was stopped for a traffic violation in Woodbury County, Iowa, and found in possession of meth, and $5,000 in cash. Mercer admitted he planned to distribute the methamphetamine to other persons. Mercer further admitted that he planned to use the $5,000 to purchase a pound of methamphetamine in Sioux City, Iowa.
Mercer was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mercer was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a term of ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Mercer 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 Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux City Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-4018.
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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty on August 21, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.
Lee Charles Mercer, 42, from Galva, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Mercer was previously convicted of three separate felony drug offenses in the Iowa District Court in 2013, 2004 and 1998.
At the plea hearing, Mercer admitted that from November 2017 through March 2018, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 2500 grams of methamphetamine mixture in and around Galva, Iowa. On March 12, 2018, Mercer was stopped for a traffic violation in Woodbury County, Iowa. During law enforcement’s consent to search Mercer’s vehicle, approximately 4 ounces of methamphetamine was seized in four separate baggies, along with $5,000 in cash. Mercer admitted he planned to distribute the methamphetamine to other persons. Mercer further admitted that he planned to use the $5,000 to purchase a pound of methamphetamine later in Sioux City, Iowa.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Mercer remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Mercer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux City Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
Description: The fiscal year of the data file obtained from the AOUSC
Format: YYYY
Description: The code of the federal judicial circuit where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: The code of the federal judicial district where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: The code of the district office where the case was located
Format: A2
Description: Docket number assigned by the district to the case
Format: A7
Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which cannot be modified by the court
Format: A3
Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which can be modified by the court
Format: A3
Description: A sequential number indicating whether a case is an original proceeding or a reopen
Format: N5
Description: Case type associated with the current defendant record
Format: A2
Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, defendant number, and reopen sequence number
Format: A18
Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, and reopen sequence number
Format: A15
Description: The status of the defendant as assigned by the AOUSC
Format: A2
Description: A code indicating the fugitive status of a defendant
Format: A1
Description: The date upon which a defendant became a fugitive
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which a fugitive defendant was taken into custody
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date when a case was first docketed in the district court
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which proceedings in a case commenced on charges pending in the district court where the defendant appeared, or the date of the defendant’s felony-waiver of indictment
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: A code used to identify the nature of the proceeding
Format: N2
Description: The date when a defendant first appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: A code indicating the type of legal counsel assigned to a defendant
Format: N2
Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense committed which carried the highest severity
Format: A20
Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with FTITLE1
Format: N2
Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4
Description: A code indicating the severity associated with FTITLE1
Format: A3
Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense committed which carried the second highest severity
Format: A20
Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with FTITLE2
Format: N2
Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with FTITLE2
Format: A4
Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with FTITLE2
Format: A4
Description: A code indicating the severity associated with FTITLE2
Format: A3
Description: The FIPS code used to indicate the county or parish where an offense was committed
Format: A5
Description: The date of the last action taken on the record
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which judicial proceedings before the court concluded
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which the final sentence is recorded on the docket
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The date upon which the case was closed
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: The total fine imposed at sentencing for all offenses of which the defendant was convicted and a fine was imposed
Format: N8
Description: A count of defendants filed including inter-district transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants filed excluding inter-district transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of original proceedings commenced
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants filed whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated including interdistrict transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated excluding interdistrict transfers
Format: N1
Description: A count of original proceedings terminated
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants terminated whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period including long term fugitives
Format: N1
Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period excluding long term fugitives
Format: N1
Description: The source from which the data were loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: A10
Description: A sequential number indicating the iteration of the defendant record
Format: N2
Description: The date the record was loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: YYYYMMDD
Description: Statistical year ID label on data file obtained from the AOUSC which represents termination year
