A Spirit Lake man who was caught with illegal possession of a gun and drugs while riding his bike in Spencer has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.
36-year-old Andrew Mitchell was sentenced Wednesday in Sioux City Federal Court. He pleaded guilty in October to being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm.
Mitchell admitted that on August 8th of last year, he was stopped by law enforcement for riding his bike on the wrong side of the road in Spencer. The stopping officer recognized and identified Mitchell, but Mitchell provided a false name. Mitchell resisted being handcuffed after other officers arrived, but he was eventually placed under arrest. During a search of Mitchell, law enforcement located a suspected THC vape pen, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a scale with meth residue, and a loaded nine-millimeter firearm with an obliterated serial number strapped to his chest.
Mitchell was held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he could be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Spencer Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
