SIOUX CITY, Iowa — A Sioux City man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for running a methamphetamine trafficking operation.
Shelton Lapointe, 36, has been sentenced after a jury convicted him in April on charges of conspiracy to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. He had been convicted twice before in Woodbury County for meth-related crimes, serving state prison time in 2018 and 2022.
The case centered on a high-speed chase that started at WinnaVegas Casino on July 17, 2024. Law enforcement agents say they saw Lapointe's car speeding away from the casino and tried to pull him over.
Lapointe took off, reaching speeds between 100 and 140 mph. During the chase, he handed drugs to someone else in the car and told them to throw the packages out the window.
Officers say they later found about half a pound of meth and several ounces of marijuana that had been tossed from the car. Evidence showed Lapointe worked with at least five other people to traffic meth from 2022 through July 2024.
U.S. District Judge Leonard T. Strand handed down the 30-year sentence, which will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lapointe remains in custody of the U.S. Marshals until he is moved to a federal prison. The DEA Tri-State Drug Task Force investigated the case.