Shannon Huntington Sentenced

A Dubuque man has been sentenced to over four years in federal prison for distributing cocaine near a playground. Shannon Huntington, age 43, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 20, 2013, guilty plea to two counts of distribution of cocaine near a protected location and one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute near a protected location.

At the plea hearing, Huntington admitted he twice sold cocaine to law enforcement officers in January 2013 from his residence near Flat Iron Park in Dubuque. On January 18, 2013, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Huntington’s residence and found 396 grams of cocaine which Huntington intended to sell in Dubuque.

Huntington was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Huntington was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $300 was imposed. He must also serve a six-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 Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force consisting 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 13-CR-1006.

Huntington is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The sentence is a result of a thorough investigation and prosecution, and it sends a strong message to those who engage in similar criminal activities.

The community can be assured that law enforcement agencies are working tirelessly to keep the streets safe from drug dealers like Huntington. The fact that he was selling cocaine near a playground is particularly disturbing, and it highlights the need for continued efforts to combat drug trafficking in Iowa.