Hawkeye Reporter

Two men from Keokuk have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Ronald Dickey Mason, 75, and his son Ronald Kieth Mason, 43, were implicated in selling significant quantities of methamphetamine across several Iowa cities including Keokuk, Burlington, Riverside, Des Moines, and Cedar Rapids between April and July 2024.

Law enforcement discovered 28 pounds of methamphetamine in the trunk of Ronald Dickey Mason's car along with a pistol in the center console in July 2024. Both men entered guilty pleas; Ronald Kieth Mason pleaded guilty as charged while Ronald Dickey Mason admitted to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Additionally, a jury found Ronald Dickey Mason guilty of carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

On July 22, 2025, the court sentenced Ronald Dickey Mason to 22 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. His son received a sentence on June 25, 2025, of 20 years in federal prison also followed by five years of supervised release. The federal system does not allow parole.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal from the Southern District of Iowa announced these sentences. The investigation was conducted by the Lee County Narcotics Task Force, Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and Keokuk Police Department.