Mason City man sentenced to more than 18 years for conspiracy to distribute meth

(ABC 6 News) — On Friday, 56-year-old Andrew Snyder from Mason City was sentenced to more than 18 years in federal prison.

This comes after a March 13th guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual pure methamphetamine.

According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office, evidence in the case revealed that between July 2023 and August 2023, Snyder conspired to distribute pound-quantities of meth in the Mason City area.

Law enforcement utilized a confidential source to conduct a controlled purchase where Snyder exchanged approximately 50 grams of meth, and he was in possession of about a pound more.

On another occasion, during a traffic stop, Snyder was found to have six baggies containing approximately 25 grams of meth.

Snyder has three previous convictions for trafficking meth and possessing meth with intent to distribute.

Snyder was sentenced in Sioux City by U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 220 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Snyder is being held in the U.S. Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Timmons.