An Ainsworth man has been sentenced to almost 18 years behind bars for drug and firearm offenses.

Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa Richard D. Westphal announced that 37-year-old Curtis Anthony Cousins will serve 210 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey also ordered Cousins to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term and pay $200 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Cousins in January of 2019 when authorities identified Cousins as a distributor of “ice” methamphetamine in the Washington County area. Following a search warrant of a residence Cousins was renting, officers found distribution quantities of ice methamphetamine, materials consistent with drug trafficking, two handguns, and drug proceeds. As a convicted felon, Cousins is prohibited from legally possessing firearms.