Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
Braleigh Schossow, a 24-year-old resident of Fort Dodge, Iowa, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for her involvement in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. The plea was made on February 11, 2025, in Sioux City.
Evidence presented during the hearing revealed that Schossow and others distributed at least 22 pounds of fentanyl between December 2020 and February 2024 in Fort Dodge and other locations.
Schossow's sentencing will be determined by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand after the completion of a presentence report. She is currently held by the United States Marshals Service while awaiting sentencing. Schossow could face a minimum of ten years in prison and potentially life imprisonment, along with a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release post-incarceration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood. The investigation was conducted by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa. This task force includes members from several law enforcement agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City 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.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through a coordinated multi-agency approach.
