Sanborn, Iowa — A Sanborn man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty Friday (March 9th) in federal court in Sioux City.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 51-year old Mark Jenkins was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to authorities, Jenkins admitted that from 2015 through January 10, 2018, he was involved in the distribution of multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine while residing less than a block away from a public middle school. He also admitted to transporting up to five-pound quantities of methamphetamine at a time from a source in Omaha, Nebraska and admitted to selling numerous firearms in the past and keeping as much as $100-thousand stashed away. At the time of his arrest, authorities say Jenkins and a co-conspirator were found in possession of more than 177-grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Jenkins remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $5-million fine, $100 in special assessments, as well as 5-years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Federal authorities say the case was the result of an investigation that spanned more than three years, and was conducted by the Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, with assitance from the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office, Sheldon Police Department, Sanborn Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the DEA Tri-State Drug Task Force.
