SIOUX CITY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CRACK CONSPIRACY
Contact: Peter Deegan
A man who conspired to distribute crack cocaine pled guilty on May 25, 2011, in federal court in Sioux City.
Billy Dee Williams, 22, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute crack cocaine and of distributing and aiding and abetting another in distributing crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a public school or playground.
At the plea hearing, Williams, admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 112 grams of crack cocaine in Sioux City from January 2010 through about August 2010. Williams also admitted that other members of the conspiracy were involved in the distribution of at least 822 grams of crack cocaine. During the conspiracy, Williams along with his co-conspirators acquired multiple ounces of crack cocaine from sources in Omaha, Nebraska, for distribution to customers in Sioux City. Williams also admitted to distributing crack cocaine on two separate occasions in May and August 2010 to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Both of the distributions occurred within 1,000 feet of a protected location, including Smith and Riverside Elementary Schools.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Williams remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a special assessment of $100, and 4 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the distribution conviction, Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 1 year imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $2,000,000 fine, $100 special assessment, and 6 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, which consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 10-4083.
