Sibley Man Faces Ten Years To Life After Conviction For Distribution Of Meth

Date posted - September 21, 2012

Sioux City, Iowa — A man living in Sibley who conspired to distribute methamphetamine faces ten years to life in federal prison.

Forty-eight-year-old Esmelin Belloso-Valle of Sibley was convicted in federal court in Sioux City on Thursday of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Belloso-Valle admitted his involvement in a conspiracy from 2011 through April 2012 that distributed more than 150 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine. On one occasion in February 2012, once in March 2012, and once in May 2012, Belloso-Valle along with others involved in the conspiracy distributed more than 200 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine during controlled drug transactions with law enforcement. One of these distributions occurred within 1000 feet of Dale Street Park in Sioux City, Iowa. During the execution of a search warrant law enforcement officers located over 208 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine that was for future distribution as part of the conspiracy.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Belloso-Valle remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On the conspiracy conviction, Belloso-Valle faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a possible maximum sentence of life in prison, a $10 million fine, $100 in special assessment, and at least five years of supervised release following any prison time. On the distribution conviction, Bellosa-Valle faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison up to a possible maximum sentence of 80 years in prison, another $10 million fine, another $100 special assessment, and at least eight years of supervised release following any prison time.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 12-4060.

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