Burlington Man Sentenced to 312 Months in Prison for Drug Offenses and Providing Contraband to an Inmate of a Federal Prison

DAVENPORT, Iowa- On July 16, 2019, Kelly Everett Mitchell, age 47, of Burlington, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to a total of 312 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and providing contraband to an inmate of a federal prison, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Mitchell was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term and to pay $500 towards the Crime Victims’ Fund.

On September 17, 2018, in case number 3:17-cr-38, Mitchell pleaded guilty to the offenses of distribution of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Mitchell admitted on March 14, 2017, in two transactions, he distributed 42.46 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine to another person. He further admitted on September 25, 2017, he was in possession of 219.62 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine, 16.41 grams of heroin, 117.88 grams of marijuana and in excess of $10,000 United States currency and he intended to distribute some or all of the controlled substances.

On January 9, 2019, in case number 3:18-cr-73, Mitchell pleaded guilty to the offenses of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and phentermine, and providing contraband to an inmate of a federal prison. Mitchell admitted while in the custody of the United States Marshals Service and detained in the Muscatine County Jail, he regularly received coloring sheets, greeting cards, letters, envelopes and other products made of paper which had been soaked in a liquid in which methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, and phentermine, a Schedule IV controlled substance, had been dissolved. He further admitted he provided a portion of the papers that contained methamphetamine and phentermine to other inmates housed at the Muscatine County Jail in Muscatine, Iowa, for the other inmates to ingest.

The two cases were consolidated for sentencing. In case number 3:17-cr-38, Mitchell was sentenced to 292 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release. In case number 3:18-cr-73, for the offense of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and phentermine, Mitchell was sentenced to 240 months of imprisonment, to run concurrently with the 292 months in case number 3:17-cr-38, and three years of supervised release. For the offense of providing contraband to an inmate of a federal prison, Mitchell was sentenced to 20 months of imprisonment, to run consecutively with the 292 months in case number 3:17-cr-38, and three years of supervised release. All periods of supervised release are to run concurrently.

This matter was investigated by the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Department, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Department, Illinois State Police, Macomb (Illinois) Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, United States Drug Enforcement Agency, and the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.