Captured after returning to the United States from Mexico
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty Dec. 17, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.
Ernesto Bedolla, 31, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Bedolla had moved to Mexico just prior to an Indictment being filed in July 2015, but later returned to the United States.
At the plea hearing, Bedolla admitted that from 2014 through June 2015, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed over ½ pound of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. Bedolla also admitted to distributing methamphetamine on five separate occasions in 2015 to individuals cooperating with law enforcement.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Bedolla remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Bedolla faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala M. Steenholdt 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 at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 15-4044. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
