Andrew Shaw, Marijuana Trafficking, Iowa 2023

Andrew Shaw, 31, Sentenced to 94 Months in Prison for Decade-Long Marijuana Trafficking Operation

A large-scale marijuana trafficking operation that brought marijuana into Iowa for resale for a decade has come to an end. Andrew Shaw, the manager of the operation, received a prison term of 94 months after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and being a drug user in possession of firearms.

According to information at sentencing, Shaw started trafficking marijuana in 2010. In 2017, he shifted his focus to making and selling marijuana edibles and THC cartridges. In March 2019, law enforcement agencies searched various properties Shaw owned in Cedar Rapids, where they found large amounts of materials used to make marijuana gummies and THC cartridges.

The search also revealed two firearms in close proximity to drug paraphernalia at Shaw's house. As a drug user, Shaw admitted to unlawfully possessing these guns. The court sentenced Shaw for distributing over 100 kilograms of marijuana and described him as a manager or supervisor in a drug trafficking operation that involved five or more people.

In addition to his prison term, Shaw was also held responsible for making a credible threat of violence as part of his drug trafficking. Shaw made threats against a man who was interfering with his operation, telling others he wanted the man 'beat up,' 'tuned up,' or assaulted. Two other men who previously sold marijuana they purchased from Shaw confronted this man, resulting in the man being stabbed multiple times and dying from his wounds.

Shaw was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after his prison term. Shaw is currently being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/manager-decade-long-marijuana-trafficking-operation-sentenced-over-seven-years-federal