Dwayne Howard Charged

Dwayne Howard, 35, from Dubuque, Iowa, has been charged with four counts of distributing crack cocaine near a school or playground. The charges are contained in an Indictment unsealed on August 18, 2014, in the United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.

The Indictment alleges that, on four different dates in January and February 2014, Howard sold crack cocaine to another person. Court records indicate that the person who purchased the crack cocaine was an undercover police officer. Three of the sales are alleged to have occurred inside “Wayne’s Candy,” a candy store operated by Howard in Dubuque, Iowa. The candy store is now closed.

If convicted, Howard faces a mandatory minimum sentence of one year imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and a possible maximum sentence of 160 years’ imprisonment, an $8,000,000 fine, $400 in special assessments, and a term of supervised release of at least six years and up to life, following any imprisonment.

Howard appeared on August 18 and 20, 2014, in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond. Howard’s next appearance for a status hearing is set for September 24, 2014. Trial is scheduled for October 20, 2014.

As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, which is comprised of officers from the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 14-CR-1013. The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat drug trafficking and protect communities from the harm caused by illegal drugs.

The fact that Howard allegedly sold crack cocaine out of a candy store, a place where children are often present, makes this case particularly disturbing. The mandatory minimum sentence of one year imprisonment without the possibility of parole reflects the seriousness with which the law views this type of offense. As the case moves forward, it will be important to watch for any developments and to see how the court ultimately rules in this matter.