Seven Mason City Area People Face Federal Meth Charges

Chad Hubacher, age 30, and Sarah Kephart, age 29, both from Mason City, Iowa; Adam Wander, age 24, and Ryan O’Connor, age 30, both from Clear Lake, Iowa; Kenton Popinga, age 43, and Martin Rodriguez, age 47, both from Hampton, Iowa; and Shelby Lambert, age 18, of Marble Rock, Iowa, have each been charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Hubacher, Kephart, O’Connor, Popinga, and Rodriguez have also been charged with distribution of methamphetamine, and Lambert and Wander have also been charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The charges are contained in an Indictment unsealed today in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.

The Indictment alleges that, between January 2009, and the present, the defendants were involved in conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, distributing methamphetamine, and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

If convicted on all charges, Hubacher, Kephart, Wander, O’Connor, Popinga, Rodriguez, and Lambert face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $4,000,000 fine, $200-$500 in special assessments, and five years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Hubacher, Kephart, Lambert, O’Connor, Popinga, Rodriguez, and Wander appeared today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kephart and Wander were released on bond. Hubacher, Lambert, O’Connor, Popinga, and Rodriguez were held without bond pending a detention hearing on August 5, 2010.

As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and was investigated by the North Central Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Mason City Police Department, Clear Lake Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Hampton Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and FBI.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 10-3025.