Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
Darius Stackhouse, a 33-year-old resident of Mason City, has been found guilty on multiple charges related to drug trafficking and firearm possession. The verdict was delivered by a jury on March 12, 2025, after a three-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. The jury deliberated for approximately three and a half hours before reaching their decision.
Stackhouse faced one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, four counts of distribution of a controlled substance, and one count of possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Evidence presented during the trial revealed that between June 2021 and March 2023, Stackhouse was involved in an ongoing drug conspiracy aimed at distributing methamphetamine in Mason City, Iowa. He reportedly sold over three pounds of methamphetamine to law enforcement sources. Additionally, searches conducted at his residence uncovered more than $30,000 in cash, additional methamphetamine, and a firearm which Stackhouse admitted was his.
Sentencing will be determined by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand following the preparation of a presentence report. After the verdict was announced, Stackhouse was taken into custody by the United States Marshal and will remain detained until sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment with the possibility of life imprisonment, along with fines up to $250,000 and five years of supervised release post-imprisonment.
The investigation was carried out by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons prosecuted the case.
