Jury Convicts Michigan Man for Illegal Possession of Marijuana, Methamphetamine, and Using a Loaded Shotgun in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking

Press Release

A Sioux City Police traffic stop led to the apprehension of Root, a four-time convicted felon.

A man with four prior felony convictions was convicted by a jury today, after a 3-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.

Caleb Root, age 44, from Concord, Michigan, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance - marijuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance - methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about 3-hours of jury deliberations.

Evidence in the case revealed at about 3:00 am, on May 23, 2023, a uniformed police officer, of the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, on routine patrol in a marked police car saw a pickup truck, pulling a box trailer, driving toward him on Hamilton Blvd. As the officer and the truck passed, the truck behaved suspiciously by: (1) the motorist changed course (by using a parking lot as a throughfare); (2) drove away from the officer; and (3) drove into a residential neighborhood in an attempt to lose the officer. After observing the truck's behavior, the Officer positioned himself, to observe the motorist's travel. The truck eventually exited the neighborhood and returned to its original line of travel.

The Officer initiated a traffic stop for using a parking lot as a throughfare. The driver refused to roll the window down all the way to talk to the officer, then lied to the officer claiming he did not have an ID and could not remember his own birth date.

Eventually the driver identified himself as Caleb Root, and admitted lying to the officer, and to being a convicted felon. At this time, law enforcement officers looked into the truck - from the outside - and, in plain view, saw marijuana.

Root was arrested, the truck and trailer searched, and about 4 pounds of marijuana, a loaded shotgun, and more than 12 grams of pure methamphetamine were found inside.

Root was released from custody the next day, and on July 22, 2023, he was stopped for speeding in Adair County, Iowa. Root was stopped for speeding, 90 in a 70-mph, upon approach, the officer detected the odor of marijuana. Root again provided a false identification to the officer. Further investigation led the officer to locate more than 1 pound of marijuana and 1 gram of methamphetamine.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Root remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Root faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment, and 3-years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

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

The case file number is 23-4041.

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Updated October 24, 2024