Mason City, Iowa Man Sentenced for Drug and Gun Charges

A Mason City man who sold pounds of methamphetamine and illegally possessed firearms in furtherance of his drug distribution, was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison.

Andrew Lofton, age 48, of Mason City, received the prison term after a May 17, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings revealed that between January 2023, and continuing through April 2023, Lofton distributed approximately six pounds of methamphetamine. On several occasions during this time, Lofton sold methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with the government. On April 20, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Lofton's residence in Mason City and found drug distribution-related items, and multiple firearms.

Lofton was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 190 months' imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Lofton is being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-3013.

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