Clay County Man Pleads Guilty to Meth and Gun Charges

 Currier had prior convictions for Forgery and Domestic Abuse Assault

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and illegally possessed a firearm pled guilty October 5, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.

Joshua Currier, 31 from Spencer, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegal possession of a firearm.  Currier was previously convicted of Forgery, in the Iowa District Court for Dickinson County, on or about June 13, 2011, and Domestic Abuse Assault Impeding Flow of Air/Blood in the Iowa District Court for Clay County, on or about August 9, 2017.  Both convictions prohibit Currier from possessing any firearm.

At the plea hearing, Currier admitted that between January 2020 and continuing to on or about February 2021, he and others conspired to distribute 500 grams of methamphetamine.  Further evidence showed that, in December 2020, Currier possessed a Canik 9mm pistol as a prohibited person.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Currier remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing.  For the conspiracy offense, Currier faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.  For the firearm offense, Currier faces a possibly maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Spencer Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Iowa DCI Laboratory.