Police seized $57,322 in drug proceeds during investigation
A man and woman who trafficked massive quantities of ice methamphetamine into Iowa have pled guilty in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Marty Brian Robbins, age 55, of Marion, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Robbins’ co-defendant, Valerie Lee Kupka, age 42, of Clutier, Iowa, had previously been convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on Aug. 10, 2018.
Robbins’ plea agreement and evidence from previous court hearings showed that starting in April 2017, Robbins obtained large shipments of ice methamphetamine from sources in the Southwest United States. He then transported the methamphetamine to Iowa in a trailer. Kupka assisted Robbins in selling the methamphetamine in Iowa.
In the late evening of April 20, 2018, police investigators conducted surveillance on Robbins while he was at a storage facility in Cedar Rapids. Investigators saw Robbins and others unload boxes of suspected methamphetamine from Robbins’ trailer. After executing several search warrants on Robbins’ truck, trailer, and other cars, police investigators recovered approximately nine pounds of ice methamphetamine. Investigators also recovered a total of $57,122 in cash proceeds of methamphetamine sales during their investigation into Robbins and Kupka.
On May 26, 2018, Robbins and Kupka were arrested on federal warrants while entering Nogales, Arizona, from Mexico at the Nogales-Grand Avenue Port of Entry.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Robbins remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Robbins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman and was investigated by the Johnson County Task Force, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office, Tama County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and Marion Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-62-LRR.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
