Melvin, Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

A man who possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty September 7, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Todd Gruis, 50, from Melvin, Iowa was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Gruis admitted that in March 2021 he received multiple packages by mail, each containing methamphetamine.  Gruis planned to use some of this methamphetamine and the remainder he planned to distribute to another.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Gruis was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Gruis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and four years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 21-4044.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.