Possessed Loaded Guns in Furtherance of His Drug Trafficking
A Waterloo man who possessed two loaded guns and marijuana he planned to sell was sentenced May 30, 2018, to 11 years in federal prison.
Demetrius Marcellus Green, age 25, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a Jan. 31, 2018, guilty plea to possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute it after being convicted of a prior drug felony and possession of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
In a plea agreement, Green admitted that he carried two guns, a Ruger, Model Super Black Hawk,.44 caliber revolver and a Ruger, Model SR9, 9mm pistol, while he possessed marijuana with the intent to distribute it. On Sept. 3, 2017, law enforcement officers located Green after a call regarding an argument with a female. Green had two guns, both loaded and one with a large capacity magazine, several baggies of marijuana, a digital scale, and $650 cash in his possession at the time of his arrest.
Green was previously convicted of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute 2nd offense in state court. Green was still on parole at the time of his arrest in this case. Green’s criminal history also includes convictions for assault causing bodily injury and disorderly conduct, fighting or violent behavior.
Green was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Green was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Green is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-cr-02083.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
