Northern California Man Sentenced On Federal Marijuana Conspiracy

DAVENPORT, IA – On October 23, 2013, David Gabriel Morago, age 34, of Redwood Valley, California, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge James E. Gritzner to 110 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute at least 100 kilograms of marijuana, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Morago was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release following the imprisonment, and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

Beginning in approximately October 2010 and continuing until about October 27, 2012, Morago conspired with other persons to distribute marijuana in the Davenport, Iowa, area. On multiple occasions Morago packaged multiple kilograms of marijuana at or near his residence in California, and then assisted persons in concealing that packaged marijuana in vehicles for transport from Northern California to the Davenport area. The marijuana was delivered to recipients specified by Morago for those recipients’ further distribution. Recipients of marijuana included co-defendants John Michael Masterson, formerly of Davenport, and Autumn E. Skelton, formerly of Port Byron, Illinois. On October 8, 2013, Chief Judge Gritzner sentenced Masterson to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Skelton has pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and is awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency - Quad Cities Metropolitan Enforcement Group; Davenport, Iowa, Police Department; South Dakota Highway Patrol; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Mendocino County California Sherriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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