The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa said Thursday, a southwest Iowa man plead guilty Wednesday, to drug and weapon charges. U-S Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt said 33-year old Edward Eugene Gray, Jr., of Clarinda, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. A sentencing hearing before District Court Judge John A. Jarvey will be scheduled at a later date.

According to the written plea agreement, from approximately January of 2004, until November of 2010, Edward Gray, Jr., was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Southwest Iowa and Northwest Missouri areas with co-conspirators: 56-year old Orvis Lee Wagaman, of College Springs; 53-year old Edward Eugene Gray, Sr., of Coin; 23-year old Levi Edward Gray, of Clarinda, and others.  In addition Gray. Jr., was aware that a co-conspirator carried a firearm while distributing methamphetamine with Gray, Jr., and the possession of the firearm was in furtherance of the drug conspiracy.

Orvis Lee Wagaman, Edward Eugene Gray, Sr., and Levi Edward Gray have entered guilty pleas to the drug conspiracy and are pending sentencing. Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, has a mandatory minimum sentencing of ten years in prison up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000 or both a fine and imprisonment, and a period of supervised release following imprisonment of at least five years. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, or a maximum of  life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, or both a fine and imprisonment. Inaddition, the offense requires a period of supervised release of three years. The sentence for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense must be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the drug conspiracy.

The case was investigated by nearly a dozen law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

In an update to a story we told you about earlier today (Thursday), KJAN News has learned of a head-on collision between two vehicles in Shelby County, Thursday morning. The accident took place on Highway 44, between Quince and Redwood Streets, about 3.5-miles east of Harlan.

At about 7:55 Thursday morning, a 2001 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by 50-year-old Kevin Fries, of Harlan, was traveling east on Highway 44 while a 2002 Chevy Malibu driven by 35-year-old Shawn Strong, of Harlan, was traveling west on Highway 44.

The Strong vehicle crossed the center line into the path of the Fries vehicle where both vehicles then collided nearly head on.  The Fries vehicle came to rest in a ditch while the Strong vehicle came to rest on the highway.  Both vehicles were considered a total loss.

Strong was transported to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan by Medivac Ambulance, and then flown to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha by Life Net Helicopter.  The status of his injuries is not known.  Fries was uninjured in the crash.

The accident remains under investigation with charges pending.