SIOUX CITY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CRACK CONSPIRACY
Contact: Peter Deegan
A man who conspired to distribute crack cocaine pled guilty on April 28, 2011, in federal court in Sioux City.
Patrick Watson, 42, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute crack cocaine and distributing crack cocaine. Previously, on June 13, 2002, and April 14, 1995, Watson had been convicted of felony drug offenses, including conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, in the United States District Court, for the District of Nebraska.
At the plea hearing, Watson admitted conspiring with others to distribute more than 112 grams of crack cocaine in the Sioux City area from October 2010 through January 2011. Watson also admitted that on two occasions in December 2010 and January 2011, he distributed crack cocaine to individuals cooperating with law enforcement within 1000 feet of Leif Erikson Park in Sioux City.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Watson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On the conspiracy conviction, Watson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $8,000,000 fine, a special assessment of $100, and 8 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the distribution conviction, Watson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 1 year imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 60 years’ imprisonment, a $4,000,000 fine, a special assessment of $100, and 6 years up to life of supervised release.
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; Homeland Security Investigations; 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 CR11-4014.
