A Mount Vernon man has been sentenced to more than twelve years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a drug trafficking charge. Brice Aron Horton, 49, was sentenced on August 8, 2025, following his March 10 guilty plea for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
On May 26, 2024, officers from the Mt. Vernon-Lisbon Police Department stopped Horton’s vehicle and conducted a search. Authorities seized 814.9 grams of ice methamphetamine and a loaded pistol from the vehicle. At the time of the incident, Horton was a convicted felon and legally prohibited from possessing firearms.
In his plea agreement, Horton admitted that between May 2023 and May 2024 he distributed at least 13 pounds of ice methamphetamine within the Northern District of Iowa. He also acknowledged distributing 100 pills containing fentanyl during that period.
Horton received his sentence from United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams in Cedar Rapids. He was ordered to serve 147 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Federal prisoners are not eligible for parole.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) along with the Mt. Vernon-Lisbon Police Department.
