Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A man from Sioux City, Iowa, has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison for his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Blake Putnam, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute. His sentencing took place on March 28, 2025, in a federal court in Sioux City.
The case presented evidence that from January 2021 to March 2024, Putnam and others conspired to distribute approximately 4,500 grams of methamphetamine in the Sioux City region. A significant incident occurred on February 5, 2024, when Putnam attempted to evade law enforcement during a traffic stop, leading to his arrest after his vehicle lost a tire and hit a curb. During this attempt to elude capture, Putnam was seen discarding drug evidence from his vehicle, resulting in the seizure of nearly one pound of methamphetamine.
Authorities also discovered more contraband on Putnam, including an eight-ball of methamphetamine and 50 Adderall pills. Subsequently, a lawful search on March 5, 2024, led to the retrieval of additional amounts of methamphetamine from a backpack within a storage unit leased by Putnam.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Putnam to 151 months in prison, followed by a five-year supervised release period. "There is no parole in the federal system," as stated in the court proceedings. Putnam is currently under the custody of the United States Marshal, awaiting transfer to federal prison.
Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force in Sioux City. The task force includes various law enforcement bodies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sioux City Police Department, among others.
