Dwayne Howard, 36, from Dubuque, Iowa, has been sentenced to 71 months in federal prison for selling crack cocaine out of his candy store, Wayne’s Candy.
According to the plea agreement, Howard admitted to selling crack cocaine to an undercover police officer on multiple occasions in January and February 2014. All but one of the sales took place inside his business, which was located at 1965 Central Avenue in Dubuque.
Howard maintained that the candy store served a legitimate function, but he admitted that he used drug money to fund the business and used his store inventory to facilitate his drug sales. For instance, during two of the undercover purchases, Howard told the undercover officer to take items from the shelf in order to make the transaction look “legit”.
Investigators noticed that the business did not maintain normal business hours, and bank records showed that the business carried a $5.00 bank account balance. During a search of the business, investigators discovered little to no money in the cash register. The candy store was located within 1,000 feet of two separate playgrounds, which led to the charge of distribution of crack cocaine near a playground.
Howard was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. He was sentenced to 71 months’ imprisonment, and a special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE) and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, which is comprised of representatives 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, with the case file number being 14-CR-1013.
Howard is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The sentence serves as a reminder of the consequences of engaging in illegal activities, particularly those that involve the distribution of narcotics near areas where children are present.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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