Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl Near a Local College and Park

The following press release was published by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys on Nov. 18. It is reproduced in full below.

A man who distributed heroin and fentanyl in Dubuque, Iowa, plead guilty on Nov. 18, 2022, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Menelaeus C. Watson, age 35, from Chicago, Illinois, was convicted of distribution of heroin and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a protected location.

In a plea agreement, Watson admitted to engaging in two transactions to distribute heroin and fentanyl in Dubuque. The transactions took place within 1,000 feet of a local college and two parks.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Watson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Watson faces a possible maximum sentence of 60 years’ imprisonment, a fine of not more than $4 million, and up to six years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason D. Norwood and Patrick J. Reinert.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 21-CR-1033-CJW.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys