Mason City man found guilty of federal drug, gun charges

SIOUX CITY — A federal jury has found a Mason City man guilty of drug and gun charges.

The US Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa’s office says 33-year-old Darius Stackhouse was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, four counts of distribution of a controlled substance, and one count of possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The verdict came on Wednesday after a three-day trial in federal court in Sioux City, with the verdict following about three-and-a-half hours of jury deliberations.

Prosecutors say evidence at the trial showed Stackhouse was part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Mason City between June 2021 and March 2023 to distribute methamphetamine. They say Stackhouse sold more than three pounds of meth to sources working with law enforcement. During the execution of several search warrants, more than $30,000 in cash was located at Stockdale’s residence as well as additional meth and a firearm he admitted belonging to him.

When sentenced at a later date, Stackhouse faces a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison, with a possible maximum sentence of life in prison. He also faces a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. There’s no parole in the federal justice system.