Mt. Pleasant man sentenced to prison on drug charges

DAVENPORT ? Richard Westmoreland Mathias, 45, of Mt. Pleasant was sentenced to 60 months in prison Thursday in federal court on drug charges.

Mathias was charged with conspiring to manufacture at least 100 marijuana plants and for possessing with the intent to distribute marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.

Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Gritzner also sentenced Mathias to four years of supervised release.

According to the release from the Department of Justice, Mathias grew marijuana at his residence and at an additional property; he sold marijuana out of his home.

On May 11, 2011, a search was conducted at Mathias? residence. During the search, law enforcement officials seized approximately 277 marijuana plants, which were located in the backyard, along with plant food and watering devices.

The Mt. Pleasant Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and it was prosecuted by U. S. Attorney?s Office for the southern district of Iowa.