Spencer, Iowa Man to Federal Prison for Meth and Gun Convictions

On October 9, 2020, Christopher Frerichs, 44, from Spencer, Iowa, plead guilty and was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.  Frerichs was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

Evidence at the hearing showed that between March 2019 and August 2019, Frerichs and others conspired to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine in the Iowa Great Lakes area.  On August 1, 2019, in Buena Vista County, Iowa, during a controlled drug buy operation, law enforcement seized approximately 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine and a loaded .45 caliber handgun from Frerichs.  Later on the same date, law enforcement seized another 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine from Frerichs’ residence near Worthington, Minnesota.  Evidence further showed that Frerichs obtained and distributed over 15 pounds of methamphetamine from the end of 2018 through 2019. During that time, Frerichs made at least three trips to his primary source of supply in Colorado, and one trip to another source of supply in Arizona.

Frerichs was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Frerichs was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Frerichs is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Jackson County (MN) Sheriff’s Office, Emmet County Sheriff’s Office and DCI Criminalistics Laboratory.  Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 19-4061.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.