A woman who prosecutors said helped to deal 45 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area has pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge.

Pamela Brownell, 63, of Des Moines, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

According to the federal prosecutors, Brownell admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 45 kilograms of meth in the Fort Dodge area between September 2022 and October 2023.

In October 2023, law enforcement officers bought a half-pound of meth from Brownell in a controlled transaction, according to the Attorney’s Office. That same month, Brownell was pulled over in a traffic stop and officers seized another half pound of meth from her, prosecutors said.

She now faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and a $20 million fine. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled yet.

The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol and sheriff’s deputies from Hamilton, Polk and Webster counties.