Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Mason City man has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Todd Aaron Howard Hamilton Sutton, Jr., aged 34, received his sentence on June 18, 2025, following a guilty plea earlier this year.
According to a plea agreement, Sutton was apprehended on July 27, 2024. He was driving a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation in Cerro Gordo County. After being arrested for driving while barred and taken to the Cerro Gordo County Jail, law enforcement discovered approximately 45 grams of methamphetamine concealed on him. This incident marked Sutton's third attempt to hide drugs during processing at the jail for other offenses. His criminal record includes previous convictions related to violence and drugs.
Sutton was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand in Sioux City. He will serve a 90-month imprisonment term followed by four years of supervised release. The federal system does not allow parole, so Sutton remains in custody until he is transferred to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Greenwood and investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department.
