A Judge says a Greene County man must remain in custody pending his July 3rd trial on drug and weapons charges at the Federal Courthouse in Des Moines. 36-year old Tyson James Ruth, of Jefferson, made his initial appearance in court Friday (May 12th) on an indictment charging Ruth with three counts of being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of a sawed-off shotgun. Each count is subject to a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years and a maximum $250,000 fine.

According to the indictment, in December of 2016, Ruth illegally possessed two sawed-off shotguns and three additional guns including a revolver, pistol, and a Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle. The public is reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation, and that Ruth is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Carroll Police Department, Jefferson Police Department, and the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.