Charles City man’s state drug conviction dismissed; to be tried in federal court

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City man sentenced to Iowa prison on drug charges has had those charges dismissed so that he can be tried in federal court.

Dalton James Betsinger, age 24, was pulled over on Dec. 31, 2017, by the Iowa State Patrol for a seat belt violation on Highway 65 in the south part of Mason City.

According to the criminal complaint, the trooper smelled a strong odor of marijuana in the vehicle and on Betsinger. A search of the vehicle found a backpack with an unlocked gray safe that held a plastic bag of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, according to court records.

The safe also contained two bags of “green plant material consistent with marijuana and weighing approximately 1 ounce each,” according to the documents, along with numerous small baggies, a glass drug pipe and a scale “consistent with drug sales.”

The backpack also held a functional electronic stun gun, records say.

Betsinger was charged with possession of meth with the intent to deliver, possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to affix a drug tax stamp and possession of a dangerous weapon.

He pleaded guilty in Cerro Gordo County District Court in March to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of marijuana, and on June 26 was sentenced to a term of up to 10 years in state prison.

A federal indictment was filed that same day.

The state convictions and sentence were dismissed by District Court Judge Gregg Rosenbladt last week after Cerro Gordo County Assistant Attorney William Hoekstra filed a motion to set aside the judgment and dismiss the case.

Betsinger was charged Monday in U.S. District Court in the Iowa North District in Cedar Rapids with two counts of selling, distributing or dispensing a controlled substance, one count of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of 5 grams or more of meth.

His trial has been set for 9 a.m. Sept. 4.

Under Iowa courts, Betsinger’s sentence was for an indeterminate term up to 10 years in state prison.

Under the federal court system, if convicted he would be sentenced to a minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison on one charge, and from 5 to 40 years on the other charge.