Ft. Dodge man pleads guilty to federal meth dealing charge after Garner traffic stop

GARNER — A Fort Dodge man arrested after a traffic stop in Garner earlier this year has pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge.

41-year-old Craig Pickens pleaded guilty this week to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. During a plea hearing, evidence showed that law enforcement on June 23rd of this year stopped Pickens’ vehicle for an equipment violation, with officers noticing a marijuana odor coming from the vehicle.

After exiting the vehicle, a search discovered multiple bags of meth totaling about 180 grams. Pickens had a backpack that also contained a glass jar of marijuana, a marijuana blunt, meth, and other drug paraphernalia.

Pickens faces between ten years and life in prison and a $10 million fine when he’s sentenced at a later date.