Okoboji, Iowa — An Okoboji man was sentenced to 7-years in a federal prison on Thursday (June 25th).
According to federal court authorities, 26-year-old Cole Rongved, of Okoboji, pled guilty on October 17th, 2019, to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and one count of illegally possessing ammunition, being subject to an order of protection in the Iowa District Court for Dickinson County.
Court officials say that, at the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Rongved was involved in a conspiracy from May 2018 through January 2019 that distributed at least 1500 grams of methamphetamine in the Dickinson County area. Rongved reportedly admitted that he and two associates acquired over two pounds of methamphetamine from a source in Council Bluffs for later distribution in the Lakes area.
During search warrants executed at Rongved’s residence, law enforcement reportedly located and seized over 1000 rounds of ammunition, over 5 pounds of marijuana, 37 doses of LSD, 4 grams of methamphetamine, over 2 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, nearly $38,000 in cash, and other items of drug trafficking and drug paraphernalia.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Rongved was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 4 years of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rongved remains in 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 and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, Palo Also County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
