(Sioux City)– A Palmer man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
56-year-old Ronald Walstrom was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty in July of last year to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing with intent to distribute meth. Walstrom was previously convicted of two felony drug offenses: possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance on October 2nd, 1996 in Phelps, county Nebraska; and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance-methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana-on May 28th, 1997 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
At his plea hearing, Walstrom admitted that from January, 2007 through April 2011 he conspired with others to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. On April 15th, 2011 a search warrant was executed on Walstrom’s residence that resulted in authorities seizing items consistent with the use and distribution of meth, including 80 grams of pure methamphetamine, scales, packaging materials, paraphernalia and nearly $6,000 in cash.
In addition to the prison sentence, Walstrom must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release.
He’s being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transport to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office, Emmetsburg Police Department and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
