United States Drug Enforcement Administration

OMAHA - Matt Barden, Associate Special Agent in Charge of the Omaha District Office, today announced that Daniel Hodges, 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, and Stephen S. Smith, 30, from Austin, Texas, were both sentenced to multiple years in federal prison following their convictions for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Hodges and Smith were investigated on two separate investigations, and are the direct result of extraordinary cooperation between state and federal agencies.

“Prolific drug traffickers, like the ones mentioned today, try to hide their illegal actions by dealing drugs in many communities, not just their own back yard,” Associate Special Agent in Charge Barden said. “Too often, those same drug dealers benefit from jurisdictional boundaries as they try to evade law enforcement. DEA is proud of the professionalism shown by all of our state and local partners who worked tirelessly on these investigations, to rid their communities of these drug traffickers.”

Hodges, who was sentenced to 90 months in prison, admitted his involvement in a meth distribution conspiracy that supplied the Sioux City metropolitan area with meth from at least January through April of 2017. That conspiracy supplied a minimum of one (over 453.6 grams) of meth to customers during that time. The DEA and the Tri-State Drug Task Force investigated this case. The Tri-State Drug Task Force is made up of officers and investigators from: the Sioux City, Ia., Police Department; the South Sioux City, Ne., Police Department; the Woodbury County, Ia., Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Iowa Criminalistics; and the federal Bureau of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and (ATF).

Smith, who was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, admitted his involvement in a meth distribution conspiracy that supplied a minimum of 500 grams of meth to the Sioux City metropolitan area during May through November of 2016. During Smith’s arrest, he was found to be in possession of two stolen Glock handguns. In addition, the vehicle Smith was an occupant of was found to contain a third handgun as well as approximately ¼ pound of crystal meth. This case was investigated by the DEA; the Tri-State Drug Task Force; Homeland Security Investigations; the Nebraska State Patrol; the Iowa National Guard; the United States Marshals Service and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.

Both cases were prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Norther District of Iowa.