Steburg had prior drug trafficking convictions and was caught selling a stolen handgun
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed firearms illegally pled guilty March 6, 2019 in federal court in Sioux City.
Tate Steburg, 47, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm. Steburg had previously been convicted of two felony drug trafficking convictions in the Iowa District Court.
At the plea hearing, Steburg admitted that from 2017 through February 2018, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area. Evidence at the plea hearing also showed that Steburg sold methamphetamine and a stolen gun to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. The gun was stolen in a Calhoun County, Iowa, burglary/arson case.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Steburg remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On the drug conviction, Steburg faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and ten years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the firearm conviction, Steburg faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 18-3013. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
