A Fort Dodge man pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal methamphetamine charges.

Craig C. Pickens, 41, pleaded guilty in federal court in Sioux City to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

At his plea hearing, evidence showed that a vehicle in which Pickens was a passenger was pulled over for an equipment violation. Officers noticed an odor of marijuana from the vehicle and asked both Pickens and the driver to exit the vehicle. Initially, both refused. Pickens eventually produced a glass jar of marijuana and a marijuana blunt from a backpack at his feet. He handed those to officers through the vehicle’s sunroof.

After numerous requests from law enforcement, Pickens eventually exited the vehicle and was arrested. A search of the vehicle found multiple bags of methamphetamine totaling approximately 180 grams. Methamphetamine was also found in Pickens’ backpack as was drug paraphernalia.

Pickens remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing. Pickens faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $10 million fine, and five years to life of supervised release following imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Garner Police Department, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.