Quad Cities Area Man Sentenced On Federal Marijuana Conspiracy

DAVENPORT, IA – On December 19, 2013, Autumn E. Skelton, age 38, of Port Byron, Illinois, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge James E. Gritzner to 18 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute at least 50 kilograms of marijuana, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Skelton was also ordered to serve three 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, Skelton conspired with other persons to distribute marijuana in the Quad Cities area. Specifically, Skelton and co-defendant John Michael Masterson received multiple kilograms of marijuana on multiple occasions from persons transporting the marijuana in vehicles from Northern California to the Davenport, Iowa area on behalf of co-defendant David Gabriel Morago. Skelton further distributed the marijuana he received to customers in the Port Byron, Illinois area.

On October 8, 2013, Chief Judge Gritzner sentenced Masterson to 24 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. On October 23, 2013, Judge Gritzner sentenced Morago to 110 months imprisonment and four years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

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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