Charles City man pleads guilty to federal drugs and weapons charges

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City man charged in federal court with several firearms and drug crimes has pleaded guilty to two counts, which will likely lead to time in federal prison.

A traffic stop in June 2022 in Chickasaw County resulted in state felony charges filed against Jamal Brandon Smith, age 21, for unauthorized possession of an offensive weapon, possession with intent to deliver marijuana and failure to affix a drug stamp, as well as other misdemeanor weapons and drug charges.

One of the weapons discovered during a search of Smith’s vehicle was a handgun that had allegedly been modified for automatic fire.

In a plea agreement with the Chickasaw County Attorney’s Office, Smith pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) with intent to deliver, and was sentenced in January to up to five years in prison, with the prison term suspended; and placed on two years probation.

The other state charges were dismissed.

In February this year, a federal grand jury issued an indictment against Smith based on the Chickasaw County traffic stop, charging him with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, marijuana; possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a machinegun – a Polymer 80 Inc., PF940C, 9x19mm caliber pistol, bearing no serial number, with a conversion device and magazine allowing automatic fire.

A trial had been scheduled for July, but in May Smith’s attorney filed a motion to suppress evidence collected in the search of Smith’s vehicle, arguing that that the Chickasaw County deputy had not had a legitimate reason to stop Smith’s vehicle.

The deputy had said that among other reasons Smith’s vehicle was initially stopped because the deputy thought that window tinting was too dark. After testing at the scene it was found that the tinting was legal, but a federal judge ruled that the tinting level was close enough to the allowed maximum tint that the deputy’s initial concern that the tinting was illegal was reasonable.

On Aug. 11, Smith entered a plea of guilty to a count of possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a potential penalty of a minimum of five years imprisonment, up to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole; and to a count of possession of a machinegun, which carries a potential penalty of not more than 10 years in prison without the possibility of parole.

Both counts also include the potential of a fine of not more than $250,000 each, and a term of supervised release of not more than three years.

Any prison term imposed on the first count must be served consecutive to any prison term imposed on the second count.

On Aug. 28, Judge C.J. Williams, of the Northern District of Iowa for the U.S. District Court, accepted a federal magistrate judge’s recommendation to accept Smith’s pleas of guilty on the two counts. Smith’s plea was conditional, meaning he reserves the right to appeal the ruling regarding whether the traffic stop was legal.

This week Judge Williams approved an order forfeiting Smith’s right to any firearms or ammunition used in the crimes.

A sentencing date on the case is not yet listed in federal court documents.