(Cass Co) Two people have entered pleas of guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Kelsi Marie Thurman, of Lewis, and Mason Blaine Loudermilk, of Atlantic, are two of five Cass County residents arrested in June for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl. The arrests were the result of a six-month investigation into a series of fentanyl overdose cases occurring in Cass and Shelby counties.
According to documents from the United States District Court in the Southern District of Iowa, Kelsi Thurman admitted that beginning at least as early as August 2019 she, and co-defendant Chase D. Jahnke, entered an agreement or came to an understanding to distribute a controlled substance – fentanyl. As part of the agreement or understanding, Thurman drove Jahnke to Omaha, Nebraska to obtain fentanyl, delivered fentanyl to others and collected money from the sale of fentanyl. Thurman and Jahnke distributed, as part of the conspiracy, over 400 grams of fentanyl in pill form. On or about October 3, 2021, Thurman, along with Jahnke, provided fentanyl pills to two individuals. On October 4, 2021, one of those individuals was found to have died from an overdose of fentanyl by using half of a fentanyl pill provided by Thurman and Jahnke. Thurman and Jahnke supplied fentanyl pills to co-defendants Colby Clarken and Collin Clarken. Thurman admitted that Colby Clarken supplied fentanyl pills to an individual who died of a fentanyl overdose on or about February 24, 2022.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 20-years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; a maximum fine of twenty million dollars; and a term of supervised release of at least ten years up to life.
A sentencing date is unknown at this time.
Meanwhile, Mason Blaine Loudermilk, of Atlantic, entered a plea of guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl) last month. At this time, sentencing proceedings for Loudermilk will be held on February 28th.
According to court records, a trial for Chase Daniel Jahnke of Lewis, Colby Ray Clarken and Collin Jacob Clarken, both of Atlantic, is set for November 7th with a plea deadline of October 21st.
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